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Keurig. A complete waste of money?

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  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,126 Member
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    thecharon wrote: »
    I thought about buying one. So I ran down some numbers.
    Regular coffee: Walmart coffee maker single serve. $9.99
    Foldgers coffee on sale at a warehouse .02 cents per serving/scoop.
    Coffee filter: Less than 01 cent each

    Keurig: about $50 to $100+. Coffee pods at walmart: .61 cents each for the cheap stuff.

    I could make a spreadsheet on this, but I think I would save money by sticking to my little coffee maker and foldgers. I have tried Keurig and noticed no difference in taste. Perhaps I have just developed a love for Foldgers.

    I googled my question and some sites agree with me.
    https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/household-products-that-are-a-complete-waste-of-money.html/?a=viewall Robotic vaccums were also on that list.
    http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/the-wastefulness-and-cost-of-keurig-coffee-machines-are-mind-blowing-awesome-stats-inside.250059569/ this site also breaks down the costs for me.

    I don't use my Keurig for saving money, I use it because I am the only coffee drinker in the house. If I buy a bag of coffee it has gone off before I have even gotten through a portion of it. I guess there could be some savings there in the long run. I also like various types of coffee and face the same issue having those coffees go off.

    With the Keurig I can make coffee for myself quickly, have various types of coffee available, and as a plus, the rest of the family can use it as a quick source of hot water for hot chocolate, tea, or various other beverages. I guess a single cup coffee maker would do the same thing, but again, I would be wasting a bunch of coffee I don't drink before it goes bad. Or I could add a coffee grinder to the mix, yet another appliance taking up space, and get whole beans and grind them myself, but that is not quick or easy, which is what I want first thing in the morning.

    If I wanted to same money, there are an abundance of refillable coffee pods that work with keurig and I could purchase inexpensive coffee and go that route. I have them, but again the issue of coffee going off still remains. I will stick with my keurig as it works for me in my context.


  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Keurigs are great in offices. I think they are pretty wasteful in homes unless you have several coffee drinkers who each like something different.

    I got the small Keurig on sale and use a knockoff reusable K-cup and buy ground coffee. I only drink one cup a day, and most of the one-cup traditional coffee makers I tried were crap, so this worked out great for me. Also, I can get some special flavored K-cups once in a blue moon to treat myself without buying a full size bag.

    I have often considered getting a french press, are there any drawbacks? It seems so perfect but I figure there must be a reason they aren't very popular in the US (not necessarily a good reason, mind you).
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    I have a Keurig knockoff with a reusable pod. I sometimes get a variety pack, if I want to try different flavors. I got it on sale last year, so it was only around $30, so not that expensive. Seeing as I had to replace my old single-cup maker, and those I had priced out at ~$15 (I think), it was worth it to me to spend a little extra.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    Keurigs are great in offices. I think they are pretty wasteful in homes unless you have several coffee drinkers who each like something different.

    I got the small Keurig on sale and use a knockoff reusable K-cup and buy ground coffee. I only drink one cup a day, and most of the one-cup traditional coffee makers I tried were crap, so this worked out great for me. Also, I can get some special flavored K-cups once in a blue moon to treat myself without buying a full size bag.

    I have often considered getting a french press, are there any drawbacks? It seems so perfect but I figure there must be a reason they aren't very popular in the US (not necessarily a good reason, mind you).

    I can't understand why the French press isn't more popular, to be honest. It makes great coffee and it's easy to clean. If you travel and want to bring it along, it's incredibly easy to use on the road. My husband and I don't like coffee the same times of day, so it's great in that regard as well. The only thing it doesn't do, like @cmriverside mentioned, is keep multiple cups hot. I have a small one that makes one cup at a time so that's not a problem for me.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Keurig is a convenience thing...that's the attraction and selling point...you'll always pay a premium for convenience...always.

    Personally, I don't think Keurig is bad...we have one in the office and it's more convenient than using a traditional coffee maker and people can pick what kind of coffee and roast they like. That said, I'm kind of a coffee snob and prefer to buy quality whole beans, usually from one of our small local shops and grind them in the morning when I'm making my coffee at home. It's definitely not cheap, but so worth it...

    All of this. I have a french press at home and grind beans and use them, but the Keurig at the office is fine too. I wouldn't buy one for the house, but I'm also glad I don't have to drink Folgers at home (and the french press was cheap and there are lots of great coffees to try).

    If you don't care that much about coffee (or are happy with your current routine), stick with it, OP.
  • hist_doc
    hist_doc Posts: 206 Member
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    +1 for French press. I also use an Italian coffeemaker from time to time.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    edited December 2017
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    I wouldn't use it for regular ol' coffee, but there's like Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato etc. for which a machine that can make them from scratch would cost several times more.
    We had one of those expensive ones at the place I had my last internship. I never drank as much coffee as during that time.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    Keurigs are great in offices. I think they are pretty wasteful in homes unless you have several coffee drinkers who each like something different.

    I got the small Keurig on sale and use a knockoff reusable K-cup and buy ground coffee. I only drink one cup a day, and most of the one-cup traditional coffee makers I tried were crap, so this worked out great for me. Also, I can get some special flavored K-cups once in a blue moon to treat myself without buying a full size bag.

    I have often considered getting a french press, are there any drawbacks? It seems so perfect but I figure there must be a reason they aren't very popular in the US (not necessarily a good reason, mind you).

    We use ours occasionally...I do like it, but my wife and I typically go through a full 12 cup pot every morning...I usually have a couple of large mugs full at home while I'm getting ready and then fill my travel mug for my hour commute.

    We are more inclined to use our French press and/or our cappuccino maker on weekends when things are more leisurely.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    love my keurig, had it for years, we use whatever coffee we want, change and mix it up all the time, just got to buy a different filter. you can buy them from 5 bucks to 10 bucks.the bigger bulk you buy the better, if you want to drink the same coffee or not.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    edited December 2017
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    I had a tassimo then a keurig at work. Both made poor coffee but it was better than a whole pot sitting there all day. Changed jobs, home way more now. Even if my (drip) pot goes cold and I have to microwave my black coffee it is better than both those machines put together.

    So now I have a regular drip coffee maker for the whole family in the morning and a French press when I just want a cup in the afternoon. We grind our beans fresh, can add foamed milk, can throw everything in the blender with coconut oil for a latte, or just drink it Black. Don’t waste your money as far as I am concerned.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    I just use my home cappuccino machine with a foaming attachment to make my own lattes - I got it for Christmas a few years ago but I don't think it was that expensive, and my husband enjoys playing barista and getting the perfect foam. This way I get to use my own combo of good quality coffee, 2% milk or almond milk, cinnamon and sometimes vanilla extract, and dark chocolate, for a truly luscious drink less than 50 calories. And it only takes about five minutes.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Well since noone in my family drinks coffee it would be kind of a waste. But my almost 8 year old really wants one because apparently they are great for making cup o' noodles :p
  • BootyfulBikerZX10r
    BootyfulBikerZX10r Posts: 72 Member
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    total waste of money, had one and had one of the Nespresso machines. -rolls eyes- went back to the good ol' pot. Depends if you are high maintenance or not. They are selling a 'feeling' - bouji
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    edited December 2017
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    steveko89 wrote: »
    We used a Keurig as our primary coffee maker for a few years. I found a really interesting vendor called the San Francisco Bay Coffee Co. who makes Keurig compatible pods that use far less material and the ring they use is biodegradable for about $0.30-0.35/pod. Determined the amount of coffee the Mrs. and I would drink, especially on weekends, exceeded the use of a single-serve setup and incorporated a Mr.Coffee drip maker, mostly for weekends. My Brother in-law got a Ninja Coffee bar, which prompted the Mrs. and I to upgrade when I caught a sale at Kohls and had some Kohls cash. Have had it for a few months and really like it so far. I brought the Keurig to work and make a cup every morning. I do notice a difference in coffee between the Ninja, Keurig, and basic drip maker; with the basic drip at the bottom of the totem pole.

    Yes, San Francisco Bay Coffee Co. for the win! I like our Keurig for the convenience, and because I prefer a fresh brewed cup each time. We have a Starbucks close by, and the Keurig really does cut down on the trips to get fresh brewed coffee.

    btw - my husband has a French press for camping. Just for camping. No, I don't know why either.
  • sssgilbe
    sssgilbe Posts: 89 Member
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    steveko89 wrote: »
    We used a Keurig as our primary coffee maker for a few years. I found a really interesting vendor called the San Francisco Bay Coffee Co. who makes Keurig compatible pods that use far less material and the ring they use is biodegradable for about $0.30-0.35/pod. Determined the amount of coffee the Mrs. and I would drink, especially on weekends, exceeded the use of a single-serve setup and incorporated a Mr.Coffee drip maker, mostly for weekends. My Brother in-law got a Ninja Coffee bar, which prompted the Mrs. and I to upgrade when I caught a sale at Kohls and had some Kohls cash. Have had it for a few months and really like it so far. I brought the Keurig to work and make a cup every morning. I do notice a difference in coffee between the Ninja, Keurig, and basic drip maker; with the basic drip at the bottom of the totem pole.

    I get the SFB coffee French Roast on Amazon, Subscribe and Save, for $.32/cup.
  • maggibailey
    maggibailey Posts: 289 Member
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    Momepro wrote: »
    Well since noone in my family drinks coffee it would be kind of a waste. But my almost 8 year old really wants one because apparently they are great for making cup o' noodles :p

    We got one of the water dispensers you can rent from Costco. With our membership I pay 2.50 a month and 6 dollars for every 5 gallon bottle of water they deliver. It does hot and cold water which is so perfect for cup o noodles, instant oatmeal, hot chocolate, and my French press! It’s sort of embarrassing how excited I am about this thing :)

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    thecharon wrote: »
    I guess it depends on the yearly household budget. I can see in the workplace being valuable ONLY if people bring their own pods. Unless it's a company that is making a large profit and can "spoil" their employees. I can imagine a large world-wide company cannot provide pods for all their office employees. "There is always an accountant crunching numbers and I'm sure this gets looked at".

    There is one in my office and people bring their own pods. That said, there are offices that provide coffee for employees. It's like any other workplace perk or benefit -- some companies will consider it a worthwhile expense and others won't.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    Hubby and I like different coffee, so our Keurig was handy in the mornings when we were each brewing a different cup to take to work. We recently switched out for a Hamilton Beach that brews individual cups or a pot...if one of us is home all day, the pot is far less wasteful than brewing three or four individual pods.

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