Am I the Only One Not Thrilled with the Keurig?

I have friends that have that.
Its not that great.
And its expensive. You gotta KEEP buying their brand.
THAT is the problem, with those coffee maker things. You gotta buy, THEIR brand/pods, etc.

Just get a "French Press" coffee maker.
Easy.
Simple.
Good.
No bitterness in the taste.
And it makes REALLY good coffee.

My husband has one and so does my mother. They both love it- but they agree that the reusable filter is terrible.

The K cups aren't too expensive if you get them at a wholesale club like BJ's. It costs $44.99 for a big box of 80, which winds up being only 56 cents a cup. My father has also gotten a giant box from Amazon. The way I look at it is when he used to make coffee the traditional way, he'd make a whole pot and only drink a cup- the rest just gets wasted, so in the end, I'm guessing it doesn't wind up being much more to spend 56 cents on a K cup. Plus, not having a pot and filter to wash after, is the part I like best (since I'm not a coffee drinker).

The coffee he and my mom both like best is the Green Mountain Colombian.
HTH :)

I am a coffee snob. :)

Ditch the Keurig. It's a waste, and the coffee isn't very good. 

To fix your coffee situation, I recommend 2 things of utmost importance:
1- you need a grinder. Doesnt have to be really expensive, but a good grinder will make a world of difference. Not a blade grinder either, they're inconsistent. Go for a burr grinder.

2-You need a new coffee pot. The reason your coffee is tasting burnt is because it is being overextracted by the water flowing through it. I recommend a pot that has a rapid shower of water that soaks all the grounds at the same time, so you get a nice even brew every time. Many coffee pots out there just have a steady drip onto the same spot in the coffee, causing it to be extracted longer than other grounds in the pot. Its inconsistent and cheap. I highly recommend Bunn. 

The freshness of the coffee counts as well, especially if the beans are old or overroasted. A pourover (like another poster discribed) is a great thing, but there is a definite technique to it. French presses are wonderful, as are aeropresses, depending on the type of coffee you're using (and again, the grind). I know you asked about the Keurig, but I'm writing you all of this because you deserve a good cup of coffee. :)

We have a Keurig and we love it. I like that the coffee always tastes pure. You know how with a coffee brewer, after awhile it has that powdery sort of dirty kind of taste, no matter how well you clean it? You never get that with the Keurig. I use only distilled water in mine, too, so I'm sure that helps with eliminating the dirty and/or bittery undertones. We have tried tons of the flavors, and the ones we like are the donut shop extra bold and the Newman's own. I actually order mine through my work, so get it at a discount, and it ends up costing me about 52 cents per cup. That is way less than stopping and buying coffee anywhere. We bought a reusable filter, but still haven't tried it.

I love my Keurig. We have been using one since they first came out. (dad got it at a home show) Green Mountain Breakfast Blend is a really good one. I have only used the kcups, i am not familiar with the reusable filter. Keep trying, it really is worth it. Have you tried dunkin donuts kcups. I hear they are delicious!

I don't have the Keurig or a regular coffee maker. What I do have is a coffee thing (it's made of plastic) that you set on top of your cup and put in a regular filter and as much coffee as you'd like (more if you're putting it into a carafe or thermos) and pour the hot water over it.
You can get it at places like bed bath & beyond.
It's always the perfect cup.

I like my Keurig< but just got my husband a single brew from Hamilton Beach. It uses a single scoop of regular coffee and you don't have to buy the K Cups. Doesn't taste like plastic. He has it at his office and loves it.
You do have to try many flavors to find what you like. I like the regular donut shop flavor. If you decide to keep it, make sure you register it online. If you ever have a problem with it, they will send you a new one. Even if past the warranty! You can also buy two boxes of Kcups, get two free when you first register.

I don't have a Keurig, so I can't comment on that, but I can tell you what I DO have and love, and is ony $50. The Hamilton Beach Brew Station (I have an older model, but the current one is: http://www.target.com/p/Hamilton-Beach-BrewStation-Plus/-... )

I got it because my son kept pulling the glass carafe off the counter & broke 2 of them (luckily both times the coffee in the carafe was cold). The added perk was that it keeps the coffee tasting fresh.

I love mine... love it. My husband does too; I usually have two cups back to back then I'n done, and my husband one or two as well. Yes, the k-cups are more expensive, but I'm not buying filters and replacing the carafe every two years because the coffee tastes nasty and burnt after a while. I do know what you are saying about the reusable filter. I played around with it and found that Dunkin brand ground coffee will not go through, the crystals are too big and it literally takes 5 minutes to brew, and not all the way at that. All other brands do seem to work with it though, and I have tried everything from Folger's to Peets or Starbucks ground. You can save some money that way at least. I'm sorry you are disappointed! I love that the coffee I make in the Keurig actually tastes good and is hot and doesn't need to be microwaved. Do what makes you happy though, and if it's not this coffee maker, don't feel guilty about returning it.

I got one as a gift a couple of years ago and it just collects dust most of the time. I just refuse to spend that much money on the K-cups. The coffee is fine to me...just not the price.

Before I bought my Mr. Coffee thermal carafe coffeemaker a year ago, I looked at the Keurig. I've heard many wonderful things about the Keurig and I actually got to use one at my husband's work. Personally, it was not for me. It's a great machine and makes delicious coffee, but I like the same coffee taste and I don't want to waste money on the K-Cups. My Mr. Coffee thermal carafe machine keeps my coffee fresh and hot for hours and it tastes fresh. The only coffee that I drink is Tim Horton's coffee. If you have a Horton's restaurant around you, try their coffee. You can also order it online now from their website. I like my coffee not too strong and not too weak, so here are the measurements: for 4 cups of coffee, use 2 coffee scoops. So, for however many cups you are making, just divided the number in half and that's how much you need in scoops. If you like a L. more kick, add more coffee.

Happy New Year!

I did the same for my husband and he's not having a problem. Which reusable filter did you get? I found several but most did not have good reviews. I got the Eco Cup...it was cheaper too.

Disclaimer: I don't have one of my own and I'm not a coffee snob.

I have used Keurigs that friends had. It's nice for a guest room (like at one friend's place) because then each guest can have their own coffee flavor. DH doesn't like flavored coffee and I do, so I had my hazelnut and he didn't. I also used to accept a coworker's offer of coffee, but our problem there was that the stupid thing would trip the breaker between our offices and shut us down. She received it as a gift from her father (one of those I never see you but here's some expensive thing you didn't ask for to assuage my guilt gifts) and after a while tired of buying the cups. She only used it in the office. I felt it made a weaker cup than the office kitchen coffee.

I don't make a full pot in our 12 cup pot. We make about 6 cups, which with our big mugs is about 2 cups for me (I work at home) and 1 for DH in the AM. Just your standard Black and Decker. I also turn it off and my 2nd cup is reheated in the microwave. We also have the plastic single brew thing that someone described. Just use a bigger mug on the bottom for receiving the coffee and pour carefully. You'll get the hang of it if you use one. Handy for camping, too.

You can take it back for store credit if you hurry. I have seen them returned at several stores.

We have the Senseo and it uses coffee pods. you add flavor after you brew one or two cups Hubby uses 2 pods per cup and we have to order in bulk because only one store carries it here.

Don't have a Keurig, but I have heard both: that it is awful and almost undrinkable, and that they are amazing. The folks I know who tend to think they are amazing, are the folks that use them for something other than just coffee. They will drink the coffee, but also use them for tea or hot cocoa. So they are more versatile. Also, they tend to be "onlies" (they are the only one in their house who drinks coffee, their spouse is a non-coffee-drinker). We tend more toward the "coffee snob" bunch, though we aren't true snobs (we don't roast our own beans, or anything like that--though we know some who do--- but we don't drink gas station coffee either.)

If you are having a problem with the burnt taste, get a maker that does not pour into a carafe that sits on a burner. That should solve most of it. We had one of the Hamilton Beach ones that pours directly into your cup (makes a full 12 cups, not just individual cups) and has no carafe at all. That was great, but as with any maker, over time it stopped working so well. I think the heater eventually fails to get the water to a high enough temperature. Then we went to a Cuisinart Grind/brew with a stainless steel carafe. It was fantastic. (noisy, but great!) It never tasted burnt, because it did not sit on a heating element. But, it only made 10 cups, so was annoying when we had coffee drinking company. Eventually, it too began tasting "off" and again I think it was probably the heating element. Right now, we have a KitchenAid machine. We grind our beans ourselves. This machine gets the water really hot, and makes a fabulous cup of coffee, but it has a glass carafe that sits on a heating element. If we don't want the 2nd cup to taste a L. burnt, we have to pour it into a tempered stainless steel carafe once it is made. Then it stays tasting great. I also will not drink coffee out of a travel mug lined with plastic. That affects the taste too. I have a ceramic travel cup from Starbucks and my husband uses double insulated stainless steel.
Back to the K cup situation. My husband's theory is that many people are not accustomed to the strength of the brew the machines make, because most people don't use the "instructions" on the label of coffee when they make it at home. We do. So our coffee is very strong. My dad says it can get up and walk across the room to your cup. :) I would imagine that all the Kcups are measured to the strength that most coffees have on their labels, but most people don't use that much, so it is stronger than they are accustomed to. Maybe that is not it, but it is hubby's theory anyway. He had a cup from a machine at church and said it was "okay". If you are ok with an ok cup, then if it is more convenient for you to continue with it, go ahead. If it is more hassle and work, then return it and stop bothering.
Happy New Year!

My brother has one, I am not impressed. My brother loves it but then my brother is not a coffee snob. He is into foo foo coffee.

If you want a great cup of coffee all the time the grind and brew series are good or even better get a good grinder and darn near any coffee maker is great.

I just don't see the appeal to paying that much for a meh cup of coffee.

I don't use the Keurig brand coffees. They cost too much and I don't like throwing away all that plastic. I do like to use the reusable filter that I put my own coffee in, and it brews fine for me, making it strong enough. I wonder if it's just your machine?

I would take it back if you aren't happy.

Dawn

I grind my own beans, boil filtered water and use a french press, then add nothing to my cup...............i would be highly disappointed in a kuerig

Hubby got me one last year for my b-day. Lasted about a year and then broke down - I love lattes/cappuchino and previously had a Krups espresso machine. I never did love the taste of the Keurig coffees, so I didn't bother replacing it and bought another pump espresso machine. Much better, as far as I'm concerned - between this and my french press, all is well!

Eh... I could take it or leave it really. I had a friend who RAVED about it and told me I had to get one. Like you, I only drink one or two cups and it's just me so, why not right?

Well, I really don't like the taste of any of the coffees really, and I've tried many. I am pretty addicted to a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee every day but never could find one that tasted as good. Now Dunkin has its own K-cups and I buy them, but they really don't taste as good as a full pot of the real thing. I also have the reusable filter and tried my Dunkin coffee in it quite a few times, but it never brewed right -- weak sometimes or grinds in it. So I gave up.

I still use my Keurig, but several times a week I get myself the real thing at Dunkin, and it's SO much better. So I'm with you sister. I don't know what to tell you as far as keeping it. It is handy and the coffee isn't awful, and maybe you'll find a brand you like.