One-cup Coffee maker

[JB]

I have decided that I want to cut down to one or two cups of coffee a day. My Mr. Coffee 8 cup maker doesn't do a very good job on anything less than 8 cups. Beside me is one of a 4-cup experiment. Bleah.

Car dealer waiting rooms often have a type of one-cup-at-a-time maker that brews the cup of your choice in about a minute. I think the make is Keurig, or something close.

I saw a few home versions at WM yesterday, as well as a variety of "K cups" in different flavors. Expensive.

But. They use one cup of water at a time so I could afford to use bottled water instead of our sulpherous local tap water. The only thing I would need to do to have a cup of something different is select the right K-cup from stock.

Having survived 10 years of Navy coffee and 20 years of college faculty break room coffee I feel that I can recognize and appreciate a really good cuppajoe.

Who has/uses one of those makers?? How do they do? Are you happy with it??

 

[robert graham]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

JB, we have a Keurig at my office and it works great. You keep the clear plastic reseroir filled with water and the machines doles out the correct amount for the operator adjustable sized cup of coffee. Like you say, the K-Cups come in a nice variety of flavors, but they're pretty expensive, about $.50 each. But maybe a darn good cup of coffee in the flavor of your choice is worth $.50. At home we still use the old Mr. Coffee maker and it's O.K....I usually grab a cup on the way out the door, rarely take the time to sit and savour a really good cup of joe. Good luck to you!

 

[tswiczko]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

I like the Keurig, a friend of mine has one and the coffee is good. I personally have a commercial grade Bunn, all I do is change the grounds and hit a button and the solenoid opens and it makes a pot of coffee.

I have never had a one cup coffee maker, but if I did it would probably be the Keurig. It just seems like a lot of work to make it one cup at a time.

Even if it only takes a couple minute to make a cup that would be about an hour a day making coffee:facepalm:

 

[eavega]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

I worked in an office where they had the Keurig coffee maker. I was not impressed. It would brew a pretty weak cup of coffee, in my opinion. Note that I grew up drinking expresso coffee for breakfast every morning since the age of 10 or so (Cafe con Leche, or latte, is standard breakfast in Cuban households), so I am used to some pretty strong stuff.

Now, if you find the strength of the coffee is satisfactory for you, then the Keurig is a great conveninece. It will brew your cup in about 30 seconds or so. There is also a "roll your own" K-cup adapter where you pack it with your own coffee and it will work in the machine, so cost is not an issue if you regularly use your own coffee. The machine does let you used good filtered water, as it has its own water resivoir.

Your best bet, JB is to find someone who has one and brew a couple of cups to see if the final product is to your satisfaction.

Rgds

 

[skargo]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

I have one at home, and one at my office. I drink coffee, hot tea, sweet tea, and even hot chocolate. It seems expensive but NO waste, I think it comes out cheaper. And definitely cheaper than buying coffee out.

 

[lncoop]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

K cup coffee is pretty good and very convenient. I don't think you'd be disappointed if you went that route unless, as others have said, you prefer your coffee a little bolder, which I do. Seventeen years later the admiral still enjoys telling the story of my only request for our wedding reception; coffee that would be distinguishable from tea. Can't tell you how many guests appreciated that.

I assume your Mr. Coffee doesn't have a cone basket. If my assumption is correct that's your problem with regard to smaller batches. Every morning at the Coop house I grind enough beans for four to five cups and dump them in my forty dollar Cuisinart coffee maker. The results are consistently good, and I attribute that fact to the cone basket (and really good water). The only way I could improve on my coffee experience is to invest in a grind and brew model, which I'll do when the Cuisinart dies.

 

[rbh]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

+1 on the bottled water, have yet to have to clean the scaling out of our 4 year old cuisinart.

(do not drink the tap water unless we have to, lots of calcium/iron etc, we get the 5 gallon water bottles for $3.00)

As for the coffee (Do you drink a big mug of it or a small cup?) Two thoughts come to mind.
First, hotels have those small packets of ground for thier coffee makers, try and source those.
Second thought, get some cheese cloth, your favourite coffee and make up little packs/bags, drop in a pot of boiling water. boil till its the right consitancy. (now thats old school).

 

[ezmobee]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

You'd have to pry the Keurig machine from my wife's cold dead fingers.

You can find great deals on the K-cups online from time to time. Just keep watching slickdeals.net or fatwallet.com places like that.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

A Bodum press is the best single-cup coffee maker I've owned/used. It's manual operation rather than auto, but worth it.....IMO

www.bodum.com

 

[jims plan b]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

why would any one want just 1 cup of coffee ?

 

[robert graham]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

When we're down the river on the boat, I use those little coffee bags (like a tea bag), and you hang the bag over in the boiling water for a minute or two, makes a pretty good cup of coffee. Folger's has these bags in the coffee section at the grocery store, calls them "coffee singles", or something like that. I don't think it's "instant coffee" because after you brew it up, the grounds are still in the bag. It tastes awful good early in the morning out in the boat! Good Luck!

 

[JB]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

why would any one want just 1 cup of coffee ?

Everyone starts with one cup, Jim. When you get old you will understand.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

Cuz it's one cup in, three cups out

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

I Have a Keurig B77 Platinum thats wonderful when it works, and a pain in my a** when it breaks...

Bought it at a discount place last year around Xmas (was store display model with no warranty). It worked for about 4 months then it broke. Made the executive decision to open it up and see what's going on (not easy to do). The common failure on the B60/B70/B77's is a solenoid valve that act's as a check valve while the machine is doing it's thing.

Read all about it here;
http://www.singleservecoffeeforums.com/dissassembly-repair-guide-keurig-b70-platinum-t8124.html

The solenoid was originally built to handle air only in pneumatic lumbar support for car seats, but Keurig uses it for water. The solenoid will start leaking water, which isn't the problem it's self (the solenoid continues to work), but the mini air pump that resides under the solenoid has it's motor filled with the leaking water, and eventually locks up tighter than a bulls a**.

This is the culprit; http://shihhsin.en.ec21.com/offer_detail/Solenoid_Valve_SH_V0829--329695.html?gubun=S

I was able to score a couple of parts machines off ebay that had good solenoids, but they too had suffered from locked up air pumps. The function of the air pump is to pressurize the boiling chamber in the machine so it pushes the hot water out through the K-cup. I was lucky that I eventually found a supplier that sold new air pumps, as the air pumps are made in china, and the manufacturer does not sell individual pumps to individual people. Mine works again, and I made some modifications so I hope it continues to work (epoxied the body of the solenoid, and made a cap for the pump motor).

I have read that Keurig has been good about honoring the warranty on the machines (as long as you register your SN). They will send a new unit out at no cost to you after you have jumped through the hoops that the tech support gives you (descale the machine, do this, do that), and they don't want the old unit back.

I would guess the commercial machines are allot sturdier built than the home ones. But you would think after spending $180 bucks on a coffee maker, the thing should last a lot longer.

So anyway, after the long rant IMHO, you may want to consider one of the pod style brewers out there JB. The Keurig home unit's have web pages dedicated to fixing them when they break.

 

[guidosarduchi]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

I have a "refillable" K cup and a keurig maker that has been very reliable for almost a year now. The coffee tastes great and I can make a quick cup on my way out the door. It has a large and small cup brew size. I think I got the refillable cartridge on Amazon.com, and I got the one that doesn't require any disassembly of the maker (wife likes to buy the hot chocolate cups). I couldn't be happier with it.

Scott

 

[bruceb58]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

I have a Keurig that I like a lot.

I also have a Saeco espresso machine that grinds the coffee and makes the shot of espresso. If you set the size to a full cup, it basically just makes one cup of coffee. What is nice is that you buy the beans and it only grinds the coffee as you use it. Drawback...$600 although I saw one at Costco for a lot less...$380(still expensive)

 

[dingbat]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

We have the Keurig "single shoot" ($89) going on 2 years now. Run a cup full of white vinegar thru it every couple of months to keep the pipes clean.

It gets expensive if you drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day, but it's indispensable when it comes to quick cup of coffee to get you out the door in the morning. We still use the Cuisinart on weekends.

If you like bold coffee Deep Magic.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

Krups used to make the Perfect wall mount/top mount coffee/tea machine.

I use a percolator now ( again ).

I grind my own and perc.

What do you want out of your Beans is the question .. if your using something out of a can thats pre cut then I would just stick to the ol' drip machine ..

Cut it up yourself and put that in your MR.Coffee thingy will get nothing but watered down crap.

I can tell ya this .. when I was on the Miami river with those guys passing around Colatha ..You will feel your Hair grow LOL .. ( oh yea.. its only 3/4 of a shot glass !! ) .

Good Coffee comes from good beans .. and the right heat ..pressure..

YD.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

Good Coffee comes from good beans ..

I had an old gf that bought her own un roasted beans and roasted them as she needed them for a weeks worth. House would smell like cutting plywood with a dull blade but that coffee was good!

 

[lncoop]

Re: One-cup Coffee maker

I can tell ya this .. when I was on the Miami river with those guys passing around Colatha ..You will feel your Hair grow LOL .. ( oh yea.. its only 3/4 of a shot glass !! ) .
YD.

LOL! Felt that phenomenon a time or two. I do love my joe.