by Anne Stjern

Created on: November 06, 2010

As the lone coffee drinker in my household, I found that I was relegated to either regularly wasting as much as half a pot of brewed coffee or going the instant route. Neither of these options held much appeal for me so when my 12-cup coffee maker went kaput, I went in search of an alternative. The Keurig single-cup brewer was the perfect solution for me.

Keurig MINI Plus Personal Brewer

The Keurig line of brewers for the home runs from the compact MINI Plus Personal Brewer ($99.95) to the B155 Fully Programmable machine ($249.95). The main difference between the MINI, which is the model that I have, and love, and the other models is the size of the reservoir and brewing time. My MINI has a single cup reservoir and brews in about two minutes. Keurig.com lists a brewing time of under a minute for all of their other machines.

Saves Counter Space

The small personal brewer is a gem for people like me who have limited counter space in the kitchen. At less than 7-inches wide and 11-inches tall, I can either keep my little red machine on the counter or hide it away in a cabinet for those times that I need more workroom. The brewer has a little door that covers the reservoir that pops up to allow a fill-up, so it does need a little more room up top when in use. It is light and easy to move around so there is no problem pulling it out from under the over-the-counter cabinet to use.

Easy to Use

The Keurig brewers use K-cups instead of the more traditional filter basket. To make a cup of coffee, tea or even hot chocolate, press open the K-cup receptacle, pop in a single-use cup, and close the lid. The K-cup is pierced by two needles that are stored in the lid so that water can flow through. As soon as you close the cup receptacle, the water reservoir lid pops open. Fill with water to the 6 oz, 8 oz, or 10 oz line, depending on how strong you like your coffee or tea, and then close the lid tightly. A light on the right side of the machine will begin to blink, telling you to place your cup under the K-cup holder. Press the blue Brew light and within two minutes, your hot cuppa is ready.

The K-Cup

K-cups are becoming easier to find as the popularity of Keurig brewers grows. I have found them at Publix and Giant grocery stores and in Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are quite a few coffee roasters that produce the K-cup including Caribou, Green Mountain, and Newman's Own Organics as well as packaged teas from Bigelow, Twinings, and Celestial Seasonings. I have also found hot chocolate in K-cups at Harris Teeter grocery store. Additionally, you can order packages of K-cups online from a variety of websites including www.keurig.com. Most boxes of 24 are priced at $13.95, though you can find coupons to reduce your cost.

The Last Word

For me, the single-cup MINI Plus Personal Brewer works extremely well. I can put a pot on, so to speak, in about a minute and within another two, my fresh cup of coffee is waiting for me. With the single cup brewer, I am not tempted to drink too much coffee just because there is some in the pot and I don't end up wasting almost as much as I drink. I know that you do not have to make a full pot of coffee when using a traditional machine, but I always did because I could never get the grounds to water ratio right for anything less than a full pot. With sales tax, each cup of coffee I make with the Keurig costs me $.62, which is far less than Starbucks and restaurants charge for a cup, and I have the option of regular, flavored, or decaffeinated coffees. Bottom line, I love my Keurig.

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