Keurig Special Edition B60 Coffee Maker

Like a good portion of the world, I enjoy coffee in the morning. But I'll admit the coffee making process can be a bit lengthy, especially using my grind n brew. And the cleanup... ugh. But over the holidays, I had the chance to use a Keurig. Did it meet my exacting standards of ease of use and quality?

Read on, dear reader...

The Keurig is a one-cup coffee maker. It won't brew a pot so right away, this is not the ideal coffee maker for a party or if you like to keep lots of coffee in a thermos. So if you need that kind of coffee maker, stop right here. This ain't the machine for you.

However, if you like an easy to use coffee maker that purs right into a cup, then this is the machine for you. To use it, fill the reservoir with water, lift the lid, pop in a coffee cartridge (more on that later), and hit the brew button that corresponds to how much you want to make - 6,8, or 10 ounces. You might want to make sure your cup is underneath first because it starts to pour instantly.

This particular machine brews in 3 sizes, small medium and large. However keep in mind that large is less than an average travel mug, about 10 ounces. This is easily remedied by double brewing two sizes. For an average 16 ounce travel mug, I re-brew the same coffee cartridge using the small setting twice. This leaves a bit of room for cream if I want it.

The water reservoir holds about 48 ounces of water, so you only need to refill it once every 4 or 5 cups. This is very handy. The instruction manual recommends using only filtered water and indeed the coffee will taste better if you do. it will also keep calcium and minerals from building up in the machine.

The Keurig uses little coffee cartridges. At first glance, this is a tremendously expensive way to make coffee and indeed it is. As well, those who like to grind their own coffee fresh might think they have a problem. But alas, you can buy a small cartridge with a filter that allows you to use your own coffee with the Keurig. Also keep in mind you'll use far less coffee grinds so your coffee stash will go a lot further.  Suddenly the expense is no more. For those who do like to waste money on the uber-convenient cartridges, you can get all manner of coffee brands. Additionally, you can get tea and hot chocolate. For those who are economical and want those drinks, you can simply use the Keurig to make instant hot water.

The best part of the machine is the cleanup. There isn't any! No pot to wash out, no bean dust to clean up. Everything is contained. If you use the cartridges simply remove the cartridge and toss it. If you use the filter, simply rinse it out and since it's roughly double the size of a thimble, it takes but a few seconds.

So how's the coffee? Absolutely great. Coffee has a limited lifespan and gets bitter within minutes of brewing it, especially if it's going onto a hotplate. With the Keurig, the coffee is brewed within seconds and goes into to the drinking receptacle of your choice. Never bitter, always the right strength, the Keurig makes a fantastic cup of joe.