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: Hassle-free coffee that tastes pretty good
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm giving this machine 5 stars, but not because it makes the best coffee. However, it can make a decent cup of coffee in less than a minute with no cleanup. It doesn't get any easier than the Keurig.
I have many ways to make excellent coffee. I have a quality burr grinder (takes up a lot of space), a Bodum Santos vacuum pot (fragile thin glass, easy to break while washing, potential to melt the handle on the stove if you're not careful), a Bodum French press pot (also easily broken and a hassle to clean), a Chemex pot (easily broken), a Bialetti espresso pot (a hassle to clean and time consuming to make the coffee), and even a regular Melitta cone. I buy my beans every week from local roasters. I love good coffee, but I find that sometimes I'm just too lazy to bother with all the paraphernalia, the elaborate preparation and then cleanup to make really good coffee. I also like to drink coffee throughout the day, so going through this coffee ritual and cleanup several times a day was really getting old. I'll still use my other coffee-making tools, but the Keurig machine is great for when I don't have time or energy to bother.
I never would have believed that a system like this could make a decent cup of coffee, but I tried it at my in-laws' house and was pleasantly surprised. They had to larger model (the B70, I believe, which they bought at Costco). I chose the B60 Special Edition because the higher models didn't seem to have any other desireable features except the larger water tank. The regular B60 does not make the 5.5 oz size, but the Special Edition B60 does.
It did take some experimentation to find the "K-cups" that I like. I only liked 2 of the samples that came with the machine, and some were downright horrible. I also found that brewing anything larger than the smallest cup results in a cup of undrinkable brown liquid. I've also found that the "extra bold" K-cups tend to have a very dark over-roasted burnt taste that I don't like, with the exception of Newman's Own Extra Bold. Newman's Decaf is also good. I wish Amazon carried larger boxes of Newman's through their delivery club.
I thought about buying a "My K-Cup" so that I can try the Keurig with good coffee beans, but I may just save the good coffee for when I have the energy to use a better coffee-brewing method.
Customer Review: Keurig B60 Home Brewer Review
Summary: 5 Stars
Even if you are a moderate coffee drinker, you should consider buying a Keurig B60 home brewer. It's easy, convenient, and offers you the ability to brew a wide variety of coffees and teas. I've owned my Keurig B60 brewer for over a year and a half, and have been more than pleased with its performance.
The B60 allows you to brew coffee in three different and useful sizes. If you are on the run and need a solid serving, want just a medium sized amount, or if you are just looking for a small cup to sip on, the B60 affords you all those possibilities. The best part about the serving sizes is the fact that it brews them all in under a minute. It can even do back-to-back brewing in that short of a span. In comparison to other coffee machines, the B60 gives you the opportunity to select a distinct size, smaller than a few cups. All other coffee machines I have used in the past practically force you to brew large sizes of coffee due to their design.
Similarly, Keurig can process a variety of beverages. More and more coffee and tea companies are making "k-cups", the small cartridges used by a Keurig brewer. Whether you would like a light, mild, or dark blend of coffee, there is a great selection from several different companies. If you like flavored coffees such as French Vanilla, Gingerbread, Hazelnut, and even Coconut, you'll find what you are looking for. Or perhaps you are more of a tea person? Don't fret; ranging from your classic black tea to as far as different ice blends, the B60 can handle them all.
As wonderful as these k-cups are, one of the greatest features of the Keurig B60 coffee machine is the fact that you don't have to use just k-cup cartridges. The machine's K-cup holder is removable, and is replaceable with a simple filter that allows you to use ground coffee instead. So for someone like me that wants to mix it up and try a brand outside of what comes in the K-cups, I can do so. This also applies to tea in that you can use the B60 to make hot water. Really, it's an extremely versatile product.
In all, the Keurig B60 is the ultimate coffee machine. Priced around $140, It's worth every penny in that it gives you a great cup of coffee in an easy and quick manner. Similarly, it's not too bulky and looks good on any countertop. I highly recommend this product.
Customer Review: Love my Keurig!
Summary: 5 Stars
Best gift I *ever* received. I have used my Keurig for almost a year now on a daily basis, and I love it. I have tried Tassimo, and owned the Senseo, and neither of them compare to the quality of the coffee, the simplicity of the system, or the sheer pleasure you get from the Keurig. I like my coffee with cream (and occasionally with sugar) but can drink it black from the Keurig as well, since it's just really good coffee. My favorite K-Cups are Newman's Special Bold, Newman's Decaf, and Caribou Colombian. I like the more dense flavors of coffee in general, but also enjoyed the "Donut Shop" blend and have had the other Caribou and Gloria Jean's flavors as well and enjoyed them too. Yes, the coffee can be a little expensive when you break it down by the cost per cup, compared to other home coffee makers. That said, if you shop around for deals or buy in quantity, you can get Keurig coffee for 25 cents to 50 cents a cup in the flavors and blends you like. (Right now, for example, the Obama or McCain blends which are the "Donut Shop" k-cups, just repackaged, are $8.00 a box of 24, which comes to 33 cents a cup, and they qualify for free Amazon super saver shipping.
As for the Keurig unit itself, it is SO easy. I fill it with water every other day or so, but there is virtually NO cleanup or maintenance necessary. My wife doesn't drink coffee, so I used to waste a lot, and I hated making a pot and then having to clean up the grounds and filter, or clean out the glass pot or metal carafe. I used to use a Krups coffee maker with a thermal carafe that made great coffee, but I have not been disappointed in the slightest with the Keurig's quality of coffee. Plus, there is something cool about having friends over and asking them if they want a cup of coffee, and then making one specific to their preferences, brewed in less than a minute at 192 degrees. Even better, this Thanksgiving we had people over and three wanted regular coffee, two wanted decaf, and one asked if we had any hazelnut coffee. Not a problem for any of them!
If you want good coffee, and a fast way to make a single cup, the Keurig will serve you well. I definitely consider it my favorite home appliance, and I even take it on weekend golf getaways so that I am not without my Keurig in the morning!
Customer Review: Many advantages over the Senseo!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had it a week now, bought after owning a Senseo for 2 years. I love the design/operating advantages:
(1) Once the cup is made, dripping stops almost immediately
(2) You can SEE the water reservoir, so you know when to refill
(3) You can refill the water just by lifting the top and pouring in a cupful of water, you don't have to take off the entire reservoir (although you can)
(4) You can make coffee in tall cups
(5) The noise comes after the coffee is brewed, not during
(6) You have a small range of coffee temperatures available to set from the control panel
(7) It stays on all the time (manufacturer's recommendation) so you can always make coffee instantly
(8) The K-cups are MUCH nicer to take out and throw away, rather than the soggy pods
(9) They have an excellent (Newman's) fair traded coffee, so I feel good about helping the coffee growers without sacrificing taste
(10) There is no chance of putting in the K-cup the wrong way (such as crooked). I hate it on the Senseo when I don't put in the pod perfectly, and my Senseo spills water all over because it leaks through the seal.
(11) The reservoir is larger, so a longer time between required refills. However (see above) it is so very convenient to refill, I tend to keep it topped off.
(12) The sealed K-cups seem to be built to keep the coffee fresh longer than the permeable pods, so I have lots of different brands/styles/flavors of coffee that I switch between all the time. Senseo has a half dozen or so nice flavors, but I have to find an airtight container to keep them all in (and separately, since the aren't labeled).
Advantages of the Senseo:
(1) You can make two cups at once if you change out the dispensing spout (easily done)
(2) The "froth" on the top of the coffee is a nice touch
(3) It takes up less room on the table top
See all the other helpful reviews telling you about the operation of the machine and the coffees, but I was struck at how significantly nicer this was to own and operate. I'll keep my Senseo (I have plenty of pods), because I love it, but this is much more convenient to operate. And it is just FUN to offer 20 different coffees in the attractive K-cups to guests.
Customer Review: How did we do without it
Summary: 5 Stars
This rates with the microwave, cell phone and MP3 player. How did we ever live without it? Have owned this one for 5 months now. Recently bought another for the office. This process is meant for the serious coffee drinker. My wife would always say how much she liked the smell of the coffee brewing in the morning. I drink caffiene so she would have orange juice. Since I bought this machine she now enjoys a cup of decaffinated coffee every morning. It is definitely more expensive than coffee by the pound, even factoring in what we all dumped out and "wasted". There is no waste here but the best price I can get is $.40 a cup unless it is on sale (careful as this usually means outdated!). So it's cheaper than Starbuck's (and as good as) but more costly than buying by the pound. The best price I have found is on line and if you buy enough the shipping is free. (hint - google K cup). The choices are endless and I have no trouble getting bold, strong, normal you name it. There are some very strong coffees available if that's what you like. The portions on the B60(buttons) are definitely smaller than what you are accustomed to. The travel mug button likely gives you the mug your accustomed to. I never push the "sissy" cup button.
As mentioned it is great for guests with different tastes in coffee. If your well stocked no one will be disappointed. Abundance of tea choices as well. You just need to find the right source. Try the sample boxes of 25 K cups and keep notes on your favorites. I like Green Mountain Sumatran Reserve (Bold) and their Nantucket Blend (a tad milder). You can adjust the water input to the strength of the coffee. I use Sumatran Reserve in my travel mug.
Many mention the noise. It's noisy. But unless it is in your bedroom it should'nt wake anyone up. The less expensive the Keurig the noisier they are. The B60 makes less noise than the B40 for example. Also the B 60 is a much sturdier machine. Go the extra $50. You can order them direct from Keurig for the same price and with free shipping.
My only con: This is for the K cups. We are filling landfills with K cups now. Think about it. Every cup sends one K cup to the landfill. They need to quickly come up with a K cup container that is recyclable!!