Personally, I don’t get the attraction of these Tassimo or Keurig machines. In my market, it’s almost a buck for each cup of coffee or whatever you are making. At best, these makes it a luxury thing that you might use on the weekends when you pamper yourself.
If I were to get a specialized machine, I’d probably get a cappuccino/expresso machine where I can use just plain coffee and plain milk or cream.
A cafetiere works pretty well, too, if you like strong coffee.
The keurig has an adapter that you can scoop regular loose coffee in, and I’ve found that my coffee lasts longer with no waste. We get done of the pos for a little luxury on the weekend as you suggested.
I tried the Keurig machine and the coffee was up drinkable!
I understand. Beyond that, this is really bad precedent. Does that mean I can sue Microsoft for not supporting an OS indefinitely? Companies discontinue product all the time.
I picked up a Mr. Coffee cafe barista a while back and love it. Has settings for espresso, cappuccino, and cafe latte. Haven't done the cappuccino setting but the reservoir pumps the milk through a steamer which froths it and dumps it in the cup and it comes out good. I usually use the double sieve/setting for espresso and run it through the double cycle twice - makes about 3-1/2 ozs of really good strong coffee; add sugar and a dollop of heavy whipping cream and I have a custom very strong and fresh coffee.
The workaround for Keurigs is to buy the machine, then buy a reusable coffee-bucket, and fill it with the ground coffee of your choice. Pays for itself over time. If you want anything specialized like lattes or cappuccinos, however, you have to get an espresso machine; you can find workable "gently used" machines on eBay and such for under $100.
After Christmas last year I purchased a Keurig machine at Target as I had a $50 gift card to put toward the purchase and I like it. It works well for me. I like the coffee and I found that it actually saves me money as during the week; only drinking one or two cups before I leave for work, or sometimes liking one cup in the evening when I get home, even making a “small” pot in my Kitchen Aid coffee machine, I ended up throwing a lot out and I find it’s hard to make a pot of coffee for only 1 or 2 cups without making it too weak or too strong, although I do use my regular coffee maker on weekends.
The only problem was I bought a Keurig Vue. I bought that model because it makes lattes (with the Vue frother cups) and also tea and iced coffee allows you to choose from regular to strong and a 4 oz cup all the way up to a 12 oz travel mug. But the Vue doesn’t use the popular and readily available K-Cups. When I first bought the Vue, Target and other stores, including the grocery store stocked at least a few varieties of the Vue cups, but now the only place I can find them, except on line at Amazon, is at Bed Bath & Beyond.
I just went to the Keurig website and they don’t even list the Vue model anymore and I understand the Vue model has been discontinued, although they still sell the Vue cups.
But when I bought it, I also bought a reusable fill cup that lets me use any ground coffee:
http://www.amazon.com/Solofill-Refillable-Filter-Keurig-Brewers/dp/B00B0ZMNOU/?tag=viglink21063-20
Although that won’t make the lattes. : (
Oh well. I guess I could always sue somebody (just like the folks who bought lots of 8-track cassettes, Betamax tapes and laser disks and stocked up on a lifetime supply of 5¼-inch or 3½-inch floppy disks did).
Convenience. You can get a wide variety of coffees, teas, hot chocolates, etc. in a little self-contained pod: no having to measure or grind your beans, get the water to just the right temperature, or cleaning up afterward, and you end up with a pretty respectable cup of coffee. Yes, the cost per cup is greater than brewing your own. That's the tradeoff for convenience.
My last workplace had a Keurig machine and a coffee pool. Rather than pay into the pool, for the most part I just used it to make enough hot water for my French press and coffee (freshly ground and brought from home). I don't mind coffee-pod systems—I think they make decent coffee—but I probably wouldn't buy one for myself. As someone who loves cooking, I feel they take away all the fun of making coffee in addition to drinking it. (And if I actually had the money for a coffee machine, I'd probably spend it on a decent espresso maker instead.)