Caffeine fix: why I love my single serve coffee brewing system
By Rhonda
June 06, 2013
Lifestyle
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I considered purchasing a single serve brewing system for quite some time. My reluctance was cost-driven; despite the convenience of these machines, the coffee refills certainly cost more than your traditional ground coffee and filters. Why would I want to pay more for my coffee? Eventually, curiosity overcame me, and I finally went out and bought one. I will never go back to the standard coffeemaker again. I absolutely love my single serve brewing system. Besides looking awesome on my kitchen counter, here’s why:
Options. My husband likes strong coffee; I like a medium roast and flavoured coffee in the afternoon; my teenage son enjoys hot chocolate, mochas, and herbal teas. With a traditional coffeemaker, someone was always needing to compromise on what they wanted, since accommodating each of our preferences wasn’t realistic. With the single serve system, making what we want, when we want it, is super quick and easy.
Variety. With traditional coffeemakers, you wouldn’t want to have more than a couple packages of coffee open at one time or they would lose their freshness after being opened for a while. With the single serve brewing systems, you can buy several different types of coffee and not worry about the freshness, since each cup’s grounds are individually packaged.
Convenience. I really enjoy drinking a cup of coffee in the afternoon. Working from home, there isn’t anyone else around to share a pot of coffee with me. With a traditional coffeemaker, I never wanted to go through the hassle of making half a pot of coffee just for myself, and when I did, I usually ended up dumping most of it down the sink because I didn't drink it all. With a single serve machine, this isn't an issue.
Speed. Call me lazy, call me impatient, or just call me human: I hated always having to make coffee and wait for it to brew with my old coffeemaker. With my single serve system, my fresh cup of coffee is made in less than a minute. Which brings me to my next point …
Freshness. Old coffeemaker: the coffee would sit sometimes for hours after it was made until I had the chance to drink it. With a single serve system, each cup is super fresh.
Taste. On top of freshness, I find that the coffee made from my brewing system tastes a lot better than the coffee made from a regular coffeemaker. Whether it’s from buying a larger variety of coffee flavours and brands or because the brewing system makes a better cup of java, I don’t know; but the coffee really does taste better.
There are, of course, some disadvantages to owning a single serve brewing system. Aside from cost, the coffee refills – at least for my machine – are plastic. And because each cup of coffee you make requires a new refill pod, there is a lot of waste, which obviously isn’t good for the environment. If you can live with that, I totally recommend buying a single serve brewing system. Here’s a quick look at a couple different options, from different manufacturers, starting with the one I own:
Keurig Platinum Brewing System ($199.99)
The Keurig Platinum Brewing System will make a cup of coffee in less than a minute. The machine is completely programmable; you can adjust the cup size, water temperature, when the machine turns on and how long it stays on for. It has a removable drip tray, so you can easily make coffee directly into your travel mug. Staples.ca sells a variety of K-Cup refills, starting at $12.76 for an 18-pack. If you really don’t like the idea of throwing out so many plastic refills, Keurig makes a reusable filter, called My K-Cup Filter, which you fill with your own coffee grounds.
Tassimo T46 Home Brewing System ($129)
Tassimo machines, including the Tassimo T46 Home Brewing System, are probably best known for their use of barcode technology. The refill discs, called T-Discs, have barcodes on them which the machine reads to determine the ideal brewing time, temperature, and cup size for the type of coffee you’re making. The T46 features a removable cup stand, so getting your travel mug in there won’t be a problem. Staples sells a variety of T-Disc refills, starting at $6.86 for a 16-pack.
In addition to these two machines, Staples offers several other single serve brewing systems worth checking out. What do you think of single cup brewing systems? If you already own one, do you love it? If you don’t have one, would you consider getting one? Leave a comment to share your thoughts!
Rhonda Callow is an award-winning freelance blogger and editor who has worked with numerous leading high-tech companies. She also helps companies with their public relations and social media management. Rhonda is a photography enthusiast and enjoys camping and hiking with her family during her free time. You can follow Rhonda on Twitter (@rhondacallow) or contact her at [email protected].
Options. My husband likes strong coffee; I like a medium roast and flavoured coffee in the afternoon; my teenage son enjoys hot chocolate, mochas, and herbal teas. With a traditional coffeemaker, someone was always needing to compromise on what they wanted, since accommodating each of our preferences wasn’t realistic. With the single serve system, making what we want, when we want it, is super quick and easy.
Variety. With traditional coffeemakers, you wouldn’t want to have more than a couple packages of coffee open at one time or they would lose their freshness after being opened for a while. With the single serve brewing systems, you can buy several different types of coffee and not worry about the freshness, since each cup’s grounds are individually packaged.
Convenience. I really enjoy drinking a cup of coffee in the afternoon. Working from home, there isn’t anyone else around to share a pot of coffee with me. With a traditional coffeemaker, I never wanted to go through the hassle of making half a pot of coffee just for myself, and when I did, I usually ended up dumping most of it down the sink because I didn't drink it all. With a single serve machine, this isn't an issue.
Speed. Call me lazy, call me impatient, or just call me human: I hated always having to make coffee and wait for it to brew with my old coffeemaker. With my single serve system, my fresh cup of coffee is made in less than a minute. Which brings me to my next point …
Freshness. Old coffeemaker: the coffee would sit sometimes for hours after it was made until I had the chance to drink it. With a single serve system, each cup is super fresh.
Taste. On top of freshness, I find that the coffee made from my brewing system tastes a lot better than the coffee made from a regular coffeemaker. Whether it’s from buying a larger variety of coffee flavours and brands or because the brewing system makes a better cup of java, I don’t know; but the coffee really does taste better.
There are, of course, some disadvantages to owning a single serve brewing system. Aside from cost, the coffee refills – at least for my machine – are plastic. And because each cup of coffee you make requires a new refill pod, there is a lot of waste, which obviously isn’t good for the environment. If you can live with that, I totally recommend buying a single serve brewing system. Here’s a quick look at a couple different options, from different manufacturers, starting with the one I own:
Keurig Platinum Brewing System ($199.99)
The Keurig Platinum Brewing System will make a cup of coffee in less than a minute. The machine is completely programmable; you can adjust the cup size, water temperature, when the machine turns on and how long it stays on for. It has a removable drip tray, so you can easily make coffee directly into your travel mug. Staples.ca sells a variety of K-Cup refills, starting at $12.76 for an 18-pack. If you really don’t like the idea of throwing out so many plastic refills, Keurig makes a reusable filter, called My K-Cup Filter, which you fill with your own coffee grounds.
Tassimo T46 Home Brewing System ($129)
Tassimo machines, including the Tassimo T46 Home Brewing System, are probably best known for their use of barcode technology. The refill discs, called T-Discs, have barcodes on them which the machine reads to determine the ideal brewing time, temperature, and cup size for the type of coffee you’re making. The T46 features a removable cup stand, so getting your travel mug in there won’t be a problem. Staples sells a variety of T-Disc refills, starting at $6.86 for a 16-pack.
In addition to these two machines, Staples offers several other single serve brewing systems worth checking out. What do you think of single cup brewing systems? If you already own one, do you love it? If you don’t have one, would you consider getting one? Leave a comment to share your thoughts!
Rhonda Callow is an award-winning freelance blogger and editor who has worked with numerous leading high-tech companies. She also helps companies with their public relations and social media management. Rhonda is a photography enthusiast and enjoys camping and hiking with her family during her free time. You can follow Rhonda on Twitter (@rhondacallow) or contact her at [email protected].