Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System
by Keurig
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System
Customer Review: Best In Show
Summary: 5 Stars
I've owned the Tassimo, the Flavia, the Sensao, and there is no doubt that the Keurig system is Best In Show.
My rating system:
5 = Sublime
4 = Quite nice
3 = Not bad, but...
2 = Below expectations
1 = Criminal!
TASSIMO:
Easy of operation: 4.5 Just drop the disk in and go.
"Hot water only" feature: Not a big ordeal, but have to use the special "cleaning" disk which "spits" the water into the cup, which causes splatter.
Easy cleaning: 4 It's really not that bad, however, you have to take out the filter (the price you pay for filtered water - so it's worth it, really ;) ) before cleaning the tank. The filter, itself, should be replaced - not too expensive. The only serious issue I have with this is that its surfaces are multi-level which creates lots of nooks and crannies. This makes cleaning the unit annoying - I have to use a cue-tip...but that's just me... ;)
Variety of coffee/tea/other available: 1 This is where the Tassimo takes a serious nosedive. I say "criminal" because most of its disks come from Gevelia. Now, if you like Gevelia, then this isn't a problem. I like Gevelia, too, but I also like others, such as Timothy's, Green Mountain, Gloria Jeans, etc. And this unit accepts only Gevelia, Maxwell House, Gloria Jeans (I think), and maybe one or two others. Nowhere near enough!
Price (per cup) vs. taste: 3 Okay, if you don't mind your cappuccino, espresso, and lattes to taste a little "off". What I mean is, I love coffee, tea, etc. but I'm not a prig about it; so, for me, what the cappuccinos, espressos, and lattes lack in quality, they make for in value. This is definitely a "you get what you pay for" scenario. Keep in mind, too, that the "milk" the machine uses is white...is liquid...but, since it doesn't require refrigeration, I have no idea what it really is. I'm sure it's fine - some sort of milk derivative - but still, do you really want to consume that regularly?
Buyer remorse factor: 3 Once you realize all of the above mentioned, you may feel a little buyer remorse. But still, it makes a fairly good cup of coffee.
Starbucks/Dunks/your fav coffee house comparison: 1 'nuf said.
Travel mug adaptation: 4 This is because most travel mugs won't fit under the unit unless you take off the catch basin. Not a biggie, though.
Cup size selection: 4 This is okay; however, what it considers small, medium, and large, are not quite right. So you'll find yourself hitting the button again for a second cycle. But just know that none of the machines I've used are any better at this..!
OVERALL: 2 I have to give it a 2 because of what it lacks as well as the beverages overall quality. If you like anything but the limited selection of coffee this product offers, it's not a bad deal. But if you want to make cappuccinos or lattes that are not of the "Mc" variety, move on.
FLAVIA
Overall use: 2 It's a pain in the @#$%# to use this machine! The machine uses pouches that have a little plastic cap. You have to fit this plastic cap onto a kind of rail in the machine. But it's not very intuitive; you have to know that you did it right because there's no satisfying "click" or anything.
"Hot water only" feature: 1
Easy cleaning: 3 Not too bad, but it seems to me that all of the spots you really want to clean are the most difficult to reach. This is a design issue; to clean the spout, for example, you have to crouch down (or flip the machine) in order to reach the spout, etc.
Variety of coffee/tea/other available: 1 This machine works only with Flavia coffee/tea/etc. I have a real problem with that.
Price vs. taste: 1 'nuf said.
Buyer remorse factor: I returned mine two weeks after I bought it.
Starbucks/Dunks/your fav coffee house comparison: 1
Travel mug adaptation: 1 The design of this unit is so poor...just forget it!
Cup size selection:
OVERALL: 1 STAY AWAY!
SENSAO
Overall use: 5 Great. Just drop the pod in and you're good to go.
Easy cleaning: 2 The problem is that the pods are just that coffee filter paper; therefore, they're a bit of a mess to handle after you've made the coffee. If you go for this one, keep paper towels nearby.
"Hot water only" feature: 1
Variety of coffee/tea/other available: 5 This is the only brand whose products are available in my local supermarket.
Price vs. taste: 3.5 If you like strong coffee, you won't like this machine. I love strong coffee; therefore, I don't like this machine.. ;)
Buyer remorse factor: 3
Starbucks/Dunks/your fav coffee house comparison: 2.5
Travel mug adaptation: 4.5 Not too bad, but, like all of the machines, you have to remove the catch basin. The only problem with this particular machine is that it's a little tricky.
Cup size selection: 2 You have only two options, and both are not very good.
OVERALL: 3.5
KEURIG
Overall use: 5 Just drop-'n-go!
Easy cleaning: 5 The water tank is easy to snap in and out (you do get the satisfying "click"). Even though stuff gets caught up in the corners of the LCD screen and buttons, the design of this machine is so good that it just requires a quick wipe.
"Hot water only" feature: 3 Just lift the bar up and down so it "thinks" there's a K-cup inside. Then make your cup selection. The only problem is, if you don't clean it daily, you may taste a little coffee residue if you don't take out the K-cup mechanism - which isn't a big deal at all; it just pops out.
Variety of coffee/tea/other available: 5 While you can't get most of the selection at your local store (like you can with the Sensao), you can peruse *dozens* of pages of K-cups right here on Amazon. If you can't find something you like, I think it's an issue that goes beyond your taste for coffee... ;)
Price vs. taste: 5
Buyer remorse factor: I didn't experience any at all.
Starbucks/Dunks/your fav coffee house comparison: 4.5 This is the only machine that I've used where I never say, "I think today I'll treat myself to a Starbucks."
Travel mug adaptation: 5 The catch basin just slips out. Again, hats off to design because it also stays put due to an innovative little "bump"
Cup size selection: 5 But I will say that this depends on the unit you get. If you get 3-cup selection, it's great (5 all the way). But if you get a 2-cup selection you'll be double-shooting. Not a problem, however, because you don't sacrifice taste.
OVERALL: 5 - This is the one, folks. If you want cappuccino, espresso, or lattes, get machine that makes these beverages in addition to this one for coffee, teas, hot cocoas, etc. That's how good the Keurig is.
Customer Review: This is the most popular version of the three Keurig coffee makers available.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you've enjoyed drinking coffee all your life, then you deserve to own a Keurig coffee maker now. Read on, and I'll tell you how to get the best deal on buying the K-cups for this Keurig coffee maker.
I've drank coffee all my life. Even my mother use to give me coffee with milk in my bottle when I was just a baby. Back then, I was probably a stressed-out, high-strung, irrepressible shaky little bundle of nerves all through my child life. I've spoken with a few cats over the years who were going through catnip withdrawals. So, I can relate wholeheartedly.
I can't remember any day in my life that I haven't had any coffee in the morning, although I will say that I don't care to drink coffee throughout the day like some people do. I'll drink my six cups of coffee only in the morning before school or work and that will be it for me for the rest of the day. I'll know I've had enough coffee when people see me glowing in the dark when I rush out of the house early in the morning. Some mornings, I've polished off a whole pot of coffee. It's funny how caffeine has a way of altering my own personal gravitational pull as I actually feel that I ascend to flight as I run forward. I don't have to be at work till 8 AM but I still get up at around 4 AM so I can start slamming coffee. Sometimes, I may fall asleep again in front of my first cup of coffee, but when I snap out of my drowsiness, I'll gulp that cold cup down and then rush to the kitchen to make my next cup. I may slam about 4 or 5 more cups of coffee into me within the next half hour before I bolt out the door to start my day. I don't know how some people can just fly out of bed and then fly out the door to get on with their day without coffee. Of course, some people will rush out to the local Starbuck's at the corner and buy that one four dollar cup of coffee and that will be all that they need for the day. Just one cup? And at about four freakin' dollars a cup? Forget that!
Now listen up my fellow coffee lovers. This Keurig coffee maker is the greatest coffee maker I have ever experienced. It'll heat up water instantly and will having you drinking your first cup of coffee within the first minute you turn your Keurig on in the morning. It has a built in timer so that you can set it to be ready to brew your first cup the moment you approach your coffee maker if you're someone who just can't wait a whole minute for it to be ready. I've become more patient since I bought my Keurig.
Now here's what's really unique about the Keurig coffee maker. It brews one cup at a time. What you buy for coffee are called K-cups. Pre-packaged cups of various flavored coffees that you put in the machine to brew one cup of coffee. There are hundreds of different flavors of national and international coffees (caffeinated and decaffeinated), and various flavored teas, and cocoas that you buy in boxes and keep in a basket or their original boxes next to your Keurig machine.
When you buy your Keurig coffee maker, you will get an assortment of various flavored coffees and teas to sample to get you started with understanding the beauty of this great new coffee maker that you've brought into your home. But, like I said, there are hundreds of other flavored coffees designed in the K-cup format for your Keurig coffee maker. You'll get order forms and website ordering information available with your Keurig.
I've bought my Keurig at a Linen and Things department store, but there are other stores that sell the Keurig as well. I was told that you can get one at Target, but my local Target doesn't seem to have it. Anyway, at Linen and Things, they also carry only a couple of flavored K-cup coffees sold next to the Keurig. Usually, I'll see some K-cups from Green Mountain who I think is directly licensed and distributed with the Keurig coffee maker. Their K-cups sell at $9.99 per box (of 18 K-cups). So, at that price, plus California sales tax (7.75%) that works out to about 59.8 cents per cup of coffee. That's really not too bad but you can still get it cheaper if you shop smart. Even when you order these K-cups on line directly with the K-cup companies, you'll still pay about 55 cents per cup PLUS the cost of shipping, which makes each cup even more expensive.
I've learned that the best deal available is by buying my K-cups directly through Amazon. There are various sources that are selling K-cups through Amazon and still charge shipping costs, but there are a few K-cup distributors that sell K-cups at the lowest price possible, plus charge NO sales tax and offer free shipping on larger orders. Through Amazon, I see that Target sells a box of K-cups for $59.99 and that's for 108 K-cups. Even without the cost of shipping (yet to be added), that still works out to 55 cents per cup, minimum. So, Sorry Target, I think I'll pass. That is not the best deal.
I buy my K-cups at $20 for two boxes of 25 K-cups each. (50 K-cups for twenty bucks). With no sales tax and free shipping so that works out to just 40 cents per cup. Just forty cents!!! And there are many flavors available to choose from. So YOU tell me. Would your rather pay four dollars for a cup of coffee (like at Starbucks), or just 40 cents per cup? Sure, your cup may be a little smaller, but you can always have another cup, and then another cup, and then another cup, and then another cup, and then another cup, and so on and so on and so on...... How about 10 cups of coffee for four bucks, instead of just one?
You can also buy a special reusable K-cup filter so that you can still brew your own coffee from the can if you prefer. This Keurig is not just limited to manufactured K-cups.
So, check it out my fellow coffee lovers. You'll love having this Keurig in your house when you have guests. They will love having options of which flavored coffee they'd like to try, if you'll keep various flavors available. I still like trying new coffees. I generally like to stick to the more BOLD flavored coffees. Call me crazy but I enjoy a mildly bitter harsh burn in my throat when I'm drinking my coffee. "Tres Intense" (which I guess means Extra Bold) is a common term I see on the boxes of my favorite K-cup coffees. So far, my favorite K-cup comes from Van Houtte and it's called "Eclipse Blend." I've ordered about six boxes of it last month. I'm down to two boxes already so I better order some more soon. If anyone knows where you can buy K-cups cheaper than 40 cents each, please let me know in the comments option below.
I love my Keurig! If you're a coffee connoisseur like me, you'll love this machine too.
Customer Review: Good to the last unwasted drop
Summary: 5 Stars
The Special Edition Keurig B60 features:
* 48 ounce removable water reservoir
* 3 brewing sizes: 5.25,7.25, or 9.25 oz
* Removable drip tray
* Programmable, blue-backlit LCD with 24 hour digital clock and
on/off timer
* Temperature selection from 187 to 192 degree Fahrenheit
* Uses patented K-cups (measured, sealed plastic cups of gourmet
coffee or tea)
* Pours beverage in less than minute
This black and chrome machine stands at 13 inches high, 10 inches wide, and 13.25 deep. It weighs about 15 pounds when full.
Operational Instructions: Open the lid, insert K-cup, close lid, and select brewing size. Allow unit to fully dispense hot beverage in way under 60 seconds then open lid, remove K-cup, and throw cup away.
Our experience:
Hubby was introduced this delightful brewer through his work. He sung its praises for months on end. Since my experience with coffee makers was limited to the make a pot of so-so tasting Joe then throw most of it away... I couldn't relate. However, we started looking into the Keurig home brewers and checking out prices. We researched, viewed displays, bided our time and thus we were amply rewarded.
Not to upset the good folks at Amazon, I didn't purchase it here. The Bed, Bath, and Beyond store agreed to match a deal in the Linen - n - Things' ad on the Keurig Special Edition B60. They offered the machine, a My K-cup filter, an 18 K-cup box of various coffees and teas, and a box of Ghirardelli hot cocoa all for $150 before the 20% discount! (Both our local BBB and LNT have 20% off an item coupons. They accept them from either store, as many as you have as long as it equals the total items that you are purchasing, and with no adhering to the expatriation date. Love it.) So I secretly purchased it and happily returned home with the $120 surprise gift.
It was love at first cup. I could finally see what my husband had been raving about!
The Keurig is so easy to use and its beverages so enjoyable to drink. Now there isn't a drop wasted. I'm thrilled with our Keurig and the coffees and teas that it brews. I start most mornings with a mug of hot coffee and end each evening with a cup of hot, peppermint tea. It's lovely.
Yes, the Keurig and K-cups can be costly. However, when compared to the amount of money we were wasting by tossing most of our yucky tasting coffee away, its okay. Besides, with the deals you can find on Amazon and other online stores, we found the cost per serving to be as little as $.30 though the average is typically about 50 cents. I figure we're worth it and for the added convenience, it is definitely worth it.
There are tons of assorted K-cups. We enjoy both flavored and non-flavored coffee as well as herbal teas. Our most favorites:
Flavored coffee:
Timothy's World Coffee German Chocolate Cake and Timothy's World Coffee Winter Carnival
Regular coffee:
Green Mountain National Wildlife Blend and Timothy's World Coffee Spanish Sol
Decaf coffee:
Green Mountain's French Vanilla, Green Mountain's Breakfast Blend
Herbal Tea - Timothy's World Coffee Peppermint Tea, Timothy's World Coffee Lemon Blueberry Tea
There are variety boxes of coffees and teas available to try and we have bought single cups on EBay as well. Plus you can use the removable My K-cup filter for your own ground coffee, if you prefer. Hot cocoa is snap to make with the Keurig too.
Ease of use is almost laughably effortless. We keep our Keurig plugged in continuously so there is no prep time involved and hot water is always readily available. Clean up is an absolute breeze. Simply toss the K-cup away and every so often wash out the removable drip tray as needed.
It's a luxury having a fresh cup or second (or even sometimes third) of piping hot, delectable coffee or tea merely a moment away. The Keurig B60 is a blessing for entertaining. Everyone gets the warm beverage they want when they want with barely a moment's wait. Plus they can have it at their desired brewing strength.
In summary:
I confess I love the darned thing. The Keurig was much more impressive than the Senseo and Tassimo. It is super easy to use and clean. The ultimate clincher is the great tasting beverages. We have had the terrific machine for over 6 months now and it is still going strong (as is our coffee addiction).
In conclusion:
There's no muss, no fuss, no waste, no wait... the Keurig B60 is simply GREAT!
Added info: Keurig at home brewers are the Elite B40, Ultra B50, Special Edition B60, and Platinum B70. The B100 may be considered for household use. Usually they are all referred to as Keurig B40, B50, B60, B70, and B100.
Customer Review: Over Delivered My Expectations
Summary: 5 Stars
So, I've admittedly only had this machine for a short 48 hours, but I've used it 16 times already. Yes, my wife and I are coffee NUTS. We have a coffee pot as well, but noticed that too many times, we were dumping coffee out after getting busy, not drinking it all, or simply forgetting to refill our mugs. We figured that if we took the time to add up all the coffee we actually wasted, dumping into the sink, we would save money overall, in one year, buy getting this machine and buying K Cups and the reusable filter that you can purchase with it (more on that later).
There have been reviews here about weak coffee, but having been a coffee drinker for such a long time, it's obvious to me that it's about how much coffee vs how much water you use to get that perfect cup. Some complained it makes too weak a cup of coffee. To test that theory, we used the Extra Bold K-Cups that came with the machine and brewed up a cup using the SMALLEST setting available. WHOA...I don't know what people would EVER think it brewed it weak, because I like a strong cup, and this was STRONG. Actually, was a little too strong. My wife did the same with the MEDIUM setting, and that seemed to do the trick. It was in fact Bold, but not over the top. Using the LARGE cup setting, I found the extra bold coffee to be still very good, and for most people who do not like BOLD, it might be almost perfect, and maybe, still too strong.
The machine, as you might have guessed, offers 3 settings, for small cup, medium, and large. I have found myself using the Medium setting most of the time, for a good regular cup of coffee.
Now, I've also read that it leaks and is messy...HUH? Where and how that happens is beyond me. Now, yeah, I've only had it a few days, so maybe that might be the case in a little while. But right out of the box, this machine does what it's supposed to, fast, no mess, and makes a GREAT cup of coffee. I mean, WOW, why we waited so long to jump on this was beyond me.
Remember people, EVERYONE has different taste buds. Strong to some might be TOO strong to others. If you like BURNED coffee, you can still get that taste with the small setting. You might be upset at the small cup you get, but Espresso drinkers would be pleased. Taste buds need to be taken into account here.
As with a regular coffee pot, the less water, the strong the cup. With this machine, use the smaller setting if you need to. Personally, I found the 9 ounce setting using Extra Bold coffee to still provide a very good and strong cup of coffee.
We also have used the filtered water from the fridge as it recommends.
One thing that I also picked up with the reusable filter that you can buy separately. I read reviews and keep seeing "messy" but I can 100% guarantee that those folks are NOT following the directions properly. If you add ground coffee to it, and it's too fine, yes, it will probably clog up the filter and cause the water to back up.
I use my own grinder, and don't grind the beans too finely. Doing this, using the reusable filter, produced another great cup of coffee. I can see how it could be an issue of durability because the filter does feel a little "weak" or fragile from materials standpoint, but I would guess to either get 2 of them, or don't scrub the damn thing. I just flicked each side of the filter and it all came up, with the rest a quick rinse in the sink.
OVERALL:
Pros -
1. Easy to use
2. Coffee comes out HOT, unlike some of the reviews I read. (actually, hot enough it burned my hand grabbing side of cup).
3. Looks very nice
4. Easy to clean
5. Easy to remove the filter and replace with removable filter
6. 3 different settings
7. Can adjust water temperature settings
8. Self cleaning if needed.
9. Large variety of coffees available for the machine
10. QUIET (not sure what people were experiencing with noise, but I thought it was less noisy than my pot brewer)
Cons -
1. Little pricey, but might be a steal if you find yourself dumping too much coffee from the pot
2. Constant refilling of water holder can be a pain, especially if you have this under cabinets.
Remember, when people talk about making "weak coffee", I think it depends on the person, and it's adjustable, so you can make it stronger or not as strong depending on your preference.
We are VERY PICKY coffee drinkers, so trust me when I tell you, you'll love this machine and the convenience if you are big time coffee drinkers like we are.
OH, and one more thing. The stainless steel tray where you place the mug during brewing can be removed so you could put a travel mug under it and it fits perfectly.
Customer Review: Outstanding, Fast Single-Serve Brewer, Great Fresh Coffee
Summary: 5 Stars
I own the B60 (Special Edition) and B70 (Platinum/Gourmet Edition). I bought in July 2009 so you have an idea of the revisions I am reviewing since they have released updated revisions. I couldn't pick so I got one of each (one for work and one for home). I am extremely happy with both, and slightly happier with the B70. At first I really liked the B60 (Special Edition) since it seemed like such a solid, sturdy design. But I prefer the slimmer look of the B70 and its design seems very sturdy and solid under daily use. I love the variety of fresh coffee in the kcups and have been very happy with most coffees I have tried. I like not having to commit to a whole pot of coffee and have never felt like having the same type of coffee for my 2nd cup later in the day when I want another. I bought this primarily for the variety and fresh coffee system. I don't drink a ton of coffee and want to have the choice of flavors and switching from regular to decaf without wasting a whole pot. This has been working perfectly for me. My wife has been using it too who typically doesn't drink coffee. The aroma of the coffees (especially flavored coffees) are really enticing.
The B60 has only 3 size settings (small cup, normal 6oz cup, and mug) while the B70 has 5 (ice coffee, small cup, normal 6oz cup, mug, and huge mug). The 2 extra sizes really aren't necessary. I don't think any kcup has enough coffee to properly flavor the huge mug setting, but at least it has the option if you don't want to feel like you are missing out. I've never made iced coffee, but I use the ice coffee setting all the time to rinse and pre-heat my cup or mug, not that you need to. The coffee is plenty hot for any cup or mug, but to last extra long while sipping slowly, I like to heat my mug so it lasts even longer. My wife never heats the mug because she thinks it is too hot if she does. So I like to use minimal water for this so the iced setting works perfectly from the B70. But the B60 works too, you just have to use a little more water with the small cup setting. Again, you really don't have to pre-heat anything. It seems designed for the right temperature without preheating your cup. I mean it seems really hot, as hot as you'd expect from any coffee maker.
I was really worried about noise after reading some reviews, so I have to comment on the results of my B60 (Special Edition) and B70 (Platinum/Gourmet Edition). Both are very quiet. The B70 is slightly quieter than the B60. The loudest it gets is when you first turn it on and it tries to heat the water as fast as possible you hear a boiling noise that is very noticeable, but not "loud", and seems to only last a minute. I wouldn't have it in my bedroom while someone was sleeping, but fine for a kitchen. That is the loudest it gets for me. Bewing is quiet on both for me, and the pumping of the water is also reasonably quiet. I mean you can hear it pump, but nothing remotely distracting. It is possible that any problems were fixed that were reported by some earlier reviews. The models I bought in July 2009 are really quiet. I have my B70 on a tile counter and my B60 on laminate desk top against a common wall. I'm never worried about drawing attention.
Power-wise, I was concerned about the 1500 watt initial usage while it tries to heat as fast as it can. Sure, at 1500 watts you don't want to be using much anyhting else on the same circuit at the same time. I tested the power usage over the weekend at my work office with two monitors, two laptops, and the lights on and then turned it on and didn't blow a fuse. At home I just use a set of outlets in the kitchen that don't have to be used concurrently. It only uses 1500 Watts for 1 - 3 minutes and seems to be ready very fast. After that I think they say it only uses 60 watts to maintain, and 300 watts here or there to reheat for a minute or less. I've never tripped my 15 amp circuit and don't dedicate any circuit for it. But I'm just careful not to use a microwave or toaster anytime it is going to do a heating cycle. I also didn't notice anything on my energy bill relative to other energy sources in the summer.
Btw - the B60's power button is on the front and the B70's on the back. B60 is more convenient to turn on, but I've never once felt like the B70 was any difficulty and I turn it on every morning and off every night.
So I'm extrely happy with both. I think the B70 is slightly better and seems to occupy less space. The B60 feels a little more bulky due to its shape and black plastic. I find if I store a silver mug on my B60 it feels more elegant due to the change in color. The silver on the B70 just seems to help it feel slimmer, and it isn't as deep too.