Are Keurig machines a dying fad?

October 30, 2017 10:08 AM

While staying with family recently, I've been introduced to the world of Keurig machines. I never thought I would consider one, but I'm getting addicted to the easy just-push-a-button single cup coffee wonder. But am I too late to the game? Has the rest of the world figured out that these machines cost too much money, or break too easily, or some other issue I'm not seeing?

Right now I make coffee in a regular drip machine or single cups with a pour-over coffee filter. I like how with Keurig, there is no need to grind beans, scoop coffee, or boil water. It's just me in my home, so there's no need for a single cup at a time unless I have people over. And when I do have people over, I like the fun of letting them pick out their own flavor from a little display and helping themselves.

But I have read some news articles in the past few years about the environmental impact of the K-cups, the expensive costs of K-cups and the machine itself, and issues with using third-party cup brands. Would I be jumping on a dying fad if I got one now? Has the rest of the world moved on to a better alternative or is the Keurig here to stay?

posted by daisies to Food & Drink (41 answers total)

Judging by the rows of Keurig machines at all of the department stores I go to, and the massive selection of k-cups at my grocery stores - the fad is going on strong. I don't think you're in danger of not being able to find k-cups any time soon.

I do know people who have gotten a Keurig and ended up unhappy, due to the cost of the cups, the low quality of the coffee, and issues with the machine breaking down and needing to be replaced. My mom just dumped Keurig, and a lot of the people in my department refuse to use the Keurig in our kitchen.

But it is convenient, and to some people that's more important. If that's you, it's fine. Just be warned that they do sometimes break down and replacing them is more expensive than replacing a basic drip coffee filter (and the coffee they make is much worse).
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:17 AM on October 30, 2017 [12 favorites]

eh, it seems like there's regularly "sky is falling" coverage about them, but it hasn't slowed availability of pods or new machines. It comes down to whether you're personally comfortable with the environmental impact.
For me, the switch from Mr. Coffee was a no brainer, even freezing bags of coffee I'd find they went off before I could finish them. I love my Keurig
posted by TravellingCari at 10:17 AM on October 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm the only coffee drinker in my home, and I use a Keurig. You can avoid the environmental issue with their reusable filter, which makes the whole process a bit less easy but still better for me than making a whole pot of coffee. The reusable filter allows me to use my own high-quality coffee, too.

The first one or two Keurigs I had quit working within a year, and Keurig sent me a new one at no charge each time. They seem to have worked out whatever problem existed initially; my third machine has been in use for nearly 4 years now.

I keep a thermos pot and drip coffee maker on hand for visitors, but the Keurig still is my preference for a single cup or two of coffee.
posted by summerstorm at 10:18 AM on October 30, 2017 [6 favorites]

They're still going strong in the offices and waiting rooms I frequent. I recently stopped using mine at home and went back to pour-over because of the expense of the K-cups (I was even using store brand) and the lower quality (the store brand? maybe but I couldn't shell out for top-shelf).
I'm keeping my machine for guests and parties to give people a variety to choose from. I can buy the good stuff for special occasions.
posted by erloteiel at 10:22 AM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

My father in law uses the refillable cups to reduce cost and waste (amazon selection) and my office uses the recycle a cup tool to meet waste reduction/recycling goals, if that concerns you.
posted by crush at 10:26 AM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

We stopped using our keurig because:
1. cost of the cups
2. having to refill with water all the time
3. amount of space it took on the counter (not to mention the cups)
4. cost
5. cost
6. The fucking thing kept breaking
7. cost
8. only being able to serve one guest a cup of coffee at a time. Everyone can't sit down with a cup of coffee at the same time. Huge pain.
9. hassle. My husband drinks two cups of coffee every morning and I drink one. Way way easier to just make one pot rather than three separate keurig cups. And we just program it so it is already brewed when we get up in the morning.
10. Frankly, the coffee wasn't all that spectacular.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 10:26 AM on October 30, 2017 [7 favorites]

They're going to be around in offices (like mine, ugh) for a long time to come because it solves the problem of people forgetting/neglecting to brew a new batch of coffee, turning the burner off at night, cleaning the machine weekly etc.

Of course it's WAY more expensive than that behemoth Bunn brewer, but it's a phantom cost in the early phases until someone sits down and figures out the actual cost of all those K-cups.

I'm tempted to bring in my Aeropress but it's just too much hassle. Perhaps when the free K-cups disappear...
posted by JoeZydeco at 10:27 AM on October 30, 2017 [3 favorites]

There are reusable Kcup "filters" so you can fill your own with the coffee of your choice. I don't know how satisfactory they are.

Other risks to your investment are competition from other proprietary systems and K-cup 2.0.
posted by SemiSalt at 10:28 AM on October 30, 2017

Personally, I stopped using my classic Keurig entirely because any kind of cleaning beyond the regular maintenance cycle is a giant pain. Running water through it is all well and good until you happen to get a poorly-made pod that explodes coffee grounds into every unreachable nook and cranny, all of which somehow drain directly into your next 10 cups.
posted by mcfighty at 10:31 AM on October 30, 2017

I don't think they're going anywhere anytime soon, but there are definitely a lot of people who are no longer in love with their Keurig machines; the nice thing about this is that you can pick up a used machine on Craigslist or at a yard sale for cheap and see if you like it at very low risk.

(I was given a Keurig but did not keep it - I don't generally like the quality of the coffee and depending on the model they can take up a lot of counter space.)
posted by mskyle at 10:34 AM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

There are reusable Kcup "filters" so you can fill your own with the coffee of your choice. I don't know how satisfactory they are.

I use them and I am really happy with them as a general quick one-cup maker. I have a summer place with as Keurig for one-hitters and a regular coffee pot for when I have company or am making a pot of iced coffee or whatever. I have never had issues with mine (though it's old and it is weirdly loud), clean it regularly. The coffee isn't as good as my AeroPress but it's equivalent most of the time to what I make in the Mister Coffee machine. They seem to be going strong as far as I can tell, they had a misstep with the 2.0 launch and the "drm!" issues (self link) but I think they've moved past it and, as others say, a lot of people ditch 'em so you can find older ones for cheap.
posted by jessamyn at 10:35 AM on October 30, 2017 [4 favorites]

I actually really like my Keurig when it was just me. But then my bf moved in and all the pros for a single gal were cons for a couple. We no longer have the Keurig - we currently use a French press and are moving towards a Mr. Coffee.

I definitely cared about the waste factor, and 95% of the time used a refillable cup and ground my own beans. This really isn't easier than a traditional coffee pot because you have to clean it out and that gets coffee everywhere.

Storing the pods was a pain.

It took up a lot of precious counter space.

It took a full weekend to de-scale (every 6 months) because I ran the vinegar through, let it sit overnight, and then had to repeat with a couple of batches of water if I didn't want my coffee to taste like vinegar.

Some relatives have them for parties and it's such a pain, because the host has to take orders, ends up disappearing for like 15 minutes to make a bunch of individual cups, and inevitably forgets someone and has to go back. There isn't enough kitchen space for guests to do it themselves, and you have to stand by getting the next one ready, then re-fill the water, etc. I much much prefer parties where the host just makes a pot and brings it out for people to serve themselves. I'm at their house to see them, not for their coffee flavors.
posted by DoubleLune at 10:39 AM on October 30, 2017

My mom has one and I loathe it; we got her one of the reusable cups to cut down on the waste/expense/shitty taste, but by the time you grind your beans and try to spoon it into the reusable cup and fiddle with the thing you're 98% towards using the pour-over dripper so you might as well just turn on the kettle.
posted by gyusan at 10:43 AM on October 30, 2017 [5 favorites]

Has the rest of the world moved on to a better alternative or is the Keurig here to stay?

One of the problems the company had was that they introduced a 2.0 version of the machine that was supposed to enforce their licensing, and customers rebelled somewhat. They took a big hit in the business world because that move was perceived as a failure and they had a terrible holiday season that year.

Lots of people like the convenience enough to keep the cups on shelves. If retailers start to cut back on shelf space you'll still have a while to adjust your drinking and buying habits. Plus as others have pointed out here it's really only more convenient if you are a solo coffee drinker and you don't have to wait for the machine. Personally I wouldn't buy one, but I value different parts of the coffee experience and I'd put convenience very low on my own list of priorities.
posted by fedward at 10:44 AM on October 30, 2017

FWIW: the inventor of the cups reportedly regrets them now, because of the amount of trash produced
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 10:46 AM on October 30, 2017 [3 favorites]

My MIL got one & stopped using it as she hated refilling the water all the time. We also have hard water & it needed cleaning out all the time or she had the added expense of bottled water.
posted by wwax at 10:46 AM on October 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

Jura makes well-built, quality (not cheap) one-button coffee makers that don't generate tons of crappy plastic pods.
posted by humboldt32 at 10:48 AM on October 30, 2017 [3 favorites]

I have had mine for 6 years and have no regrets. On the weekends I'll French press or use my fancy expensive drip machine (so it's not like I don't know what "better" coffee tastes like), but I find the Keurig more than acceptable for weekday mornings and I've had zero issues with it. I would replace it immediately if it broke.
posted by primethyme at 10:49 AM on October 30, 2017

We ditched our Keurig for a Ninja coffee bar. Mainly because I randomly had a non-Keurig cup of coffee and went, "oh, yeah, that's what coffee is supposed to taste like." The k-cups just don't have enough grounds in them for a robust cup of coffee. The Ninja takes a little longer in terms of prep (actual brew time is about the same) but the coffee is so much better. Also, in addition to single-cup or travel mug brewing, it supports a carafe, which is nice when there are two of you wanting coffee. Less waste too, obviously; it comes with a reusable gold filter (although I find grounds in my coffee with that and use a paper filter instead).

Tip: I found the strength of the coffee somewhat inconsistent from one cup to the next until I started tamping down the grounds.
posted by kindall at 10:56 AM on October 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

These things are fiddly nightmares. Everyone I know with a Keurig has had to replace or repair the machine within a year or two. Some of these repairs have been under warranty, but not all.

Pourover is easy, especially in low volume, and the kit involved eats way less counter space.
posted by uberchet at 11:07 AM on October 30, 2017

We've had our Keurig for six years with no problems. It works in our household because the 2 of us rarely drink the same hot drink at the same time. We use Tim Horton k-cups for the majority of our brewing, and with a tad bit of annoyance, most of the pods are recyclable. (IMO, recycling anything is an annoyance so take that with a grain of salt.)

It, along with our PS4, is on the venerable list of "if this breaks we replace it ASAP."
posted by kimberussell at 11:08 AM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

It's so funny to me to see counter space come up so often. With it being all in one I find it takes much less space than the Mr. Coffee mine replaced since pods live in drawer the unit sits on.
posted by TravellingCari at 11:08 AM on October 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

10. Frankly, the coffee wasn't all that spectacular.

This, for me. The difference between what comes out of a Keurig and what can be achieved with a half decent freeze dried instant like a Moccona is pretty much negligible.
posted by flabdablet at 11:10 AM on October 30, 2017 [4 favorites]

In both my home and office, I use a Hamilton Beach Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker. It makes very strong single cups of coffee using only regular grounds. It does require scooping, but no disposable filters, no pods. It makes for less waste, cheaper coffee, and more variety in what kinds of coffee I can drink. One of these costs $35.

Also, since it never has standing water in it, it can help you avoid the nightmarish bacteria to which Keurigs can be prone.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:10 AM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

Don't have time to read entire thread right now, but the disposable cups are a nightmare for the environment. I once read that the inventor regrets making it for that reason. So if you do buy one, use the refillable cups.
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 11:56 AM on October 30, 2017 [3 favorites]

The coffee from my parents’ keurig tastes like insipid mud water. We have a Nespresso at home; if you’re ok with espresso I would pick that over Keurig every time.
posted by sid at 12:01 PM on October 30, 2017 [3 favorites]

We use a Keurig at home; I have the reusable pods and we grind coffee for that; husband uses Peet's Major Dickason and is happier with the absolute consistency; mine can run a little strong or a little weak. (And he likes Peet's.) We (daughter and I) are considering pushing him into getting Peet's beans or ground coffee and using the refillable cups.

They're very useful if you often want one cup of coffee, or even if two people want one cup each. They're less useful if you have enough people to brew a pot, or if your one person is content to have re-warmed coffee from a pot.

Keurig has several more years of life. Aside from the value in offices, where people want coffee at different times and the prepackaged pods avoid arguments about what kind to brew, they're terrific for single people or couples who like coffee and always wind up throwing out half a pot. There are other methods - single-cup brewers, french press, etc. - but those are all more effort, and Keurig is all about making your coffee involve less effort.

K-cups won't go away until (1) someone builds a more-flexible and cheaper device that works better (not likely); (2) govt's start putting a "litter tax" on the pods that drives the price up enough that offices stop carrying them; (3) coffee itself triples or more in price and people look for caffeine alternatives; or (4) the company goes bankrupt from either internal money shenanigans or weird corporate tax problems.

Single-cup coffee is so convenient that it overrides a lot of people's interest in good coffee. And k-cup coffee is better than a lot of "mainstream" coffee... better than most donut shop coffee, gas station coffee, and so on. People who are happy with Denny's coffee aren't going to be unhappy with a Keurig.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 12:16 PM on October 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

I loved my keurig, but my husband didn't so it now lives in my office. In Canada at least, the PC brand pods are now 100% compostable, so it's less awful to the environment. I will say my aeropress makes better coffee, but sometimes I just want coffee now with no effort, you know?
posted by Valancy Rachel at 12:20 PM on October 30, 2017

Keurig is not the only pod coffee maker, you might want to look at a flex brew system which gives you the choice of brewing either a pot or use a pod for a cup.
posted by IpsoFacto at 12:41 PM on October 30, 2017

We use a decent drip coffee maker at home (with beans, grinding ourselves) because there is two of us and we both drink plenty of coffee. But I use a Keurig at the office, because I'm usually the only one drinking and there is nothing worse than drinking stale coffee or having to continuously maintain a drip coffee maker. The Keurig has been a life saver in that sense at the office.

Personally I don't think the taste is as bad as people make it out to be. Particularly, if you pay attention to buying "bold" style k-cups, they are much more robust than normal k-cups which do tend to be a bit too diluted. Or you can make smaller cups of coffee. But, if you are the type that likes the burnt, over-bitter coffee that they sell at Starbucks (I'm talking about just a cup of regular joe, not lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, etc.) which in my opinion is not drinkable without some kind of cream/milk or other dilution, then yes, K-cups are not for you. I like my coffee black, and the K-cup taste just fine, you just have to find the brand that gives you the taste you like.

Also, if you are worried about the environmental effect, there are biodegradable K-cups that are made by some manufacturers. For example, I tend to like the San Francisco Bay coffee that is sold on Amazon. It's affordable, biodegradable, and tastes pretty good, again in my opinion.
posted by tuxster at 2:18 PM on October 30, 2017

My old office had those refillable cups - my experience with them is that they're a sufficient pain in the ass that they negate the convenience of getting the keurig in the first place.

In general, I'm not a fan of the system, because it's like having a printer for a coffee machine: it's always telling you to do stuff, and you have to keep a bunch of extra things on hand to make it work.
posted by Ragged Richard at 2:22 PM on October 30, 2017 [3 favorites]

I have never tasted a pod that was anything better than what I'd call bad (most are worse than bad to me). As an alternative for making a single cup at a time, consider making cold brew. You just keep the concentrated cold brew in your fridge. When you want a cup, add hot water and you've got something that tastes way better than a Keurig at a lower cost and with less waste.
posted by Candleman at 4:50 PM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

You asked if you're too late to the game, if it's a dying fad, or if it's here to stay.

You're not too late to the game, it's not a dying fad, and it's here to stay.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:56 PM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

Nthing the San Francisco Brewing Company cups on Amazon. They are 98% biodegradable or something.
posted by getawaysticks at 5:04 PM on October 30, 2017

If environmentalism is a serious concern to you, please note that even "biodegradable" plastics are almost always only biodegradable under composting conditions -- i.e., they're not going to biodegrade in a landfill.
posted by Ragini at 6:18 PM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

You should really check out Nespresso. The coffee is way better than Keurig. If single use pods were a priority for me (they are not, I brew my coffee in a $5 Melitta cone), I would buy a Nespresso over a Keurig 100% of the time. I suffer Keurig in the office and the taste ranges from awful to mediocre.
posted by yonglin at 7:16 PM on October 30, 2017

They are perfect for offices and waiting rooms so I think they are here to stay.
posted by latkes at 7:28 PM on October 30, 2017

I use a keurig now that I am back in an office. I could pay $2.50 for a cup of decent quality coffee in our cafeteria (or $6.00 for the foo-foo espresso bar), but I drink a lot of coffee in a day. I used to make a pot of coffee every day. I do that on the weekends now, and when I work from home. The K-cups are convenient for taking to work and minimizing the mess.

But there is no way in hell I would have a k-cup machine at home. I can make the perfect cup of coffee at home. Keurig makes a better cup of individual industrial coffee, which is good for when I am at work. I can buy a box, take 6 k-cups in my work bag, and I am good to go for the day. (I only have 3 cups of coffee, but each cup is 18 oz of coffee, which means 10oz draw + 8oz draw and I don't reuse because then that is 18oz of sadness).

So, if they stopped having Keurigs, in my break room, I'd have a coffee pot on my desk, and I'd have to grind, vacuum seal, and freeze pre-portioned coffee sets to bring in... So no... they aren't going away.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:01 AM on October 31, 2017

If you use the reusable cups, you can (a) not be wasteful and (b) make the coffee as strong or weak as you like.
posted by LauraJ at 3:35 PM on October 31, 2017

@Ragini the compostable k-cups from San Francisco Bay coffee company are not plastic, they are made from paper and wood pulp. Please see their website.
posted by tuxster at 9:13 AM on November 1, 2017

I bought a small, cheap Bella single-use machine ($15 at Kohl's after sale, various coupons, Kohl's cash, etc.) and have been very happy with it. It even came with a reusable filter, if you want to try that. I watch for sales on K-cups (there are often great deals in my grocery store's clearance section). The machine itself is cheap enough that I won't be that upset if it breaks, the way I would be if I spent over $100 for it, so that might be a way for you to see if you like using K-cups on a day-to-day basis.
posted by elphaba at 7:16 PM on November 19, 2017