If you aren’t already going to The Wirecutter for your first stop when researching new things you need to buy, then you need to start. It houses the most exhaustive and thorough reviews 1 of consumer products this side (the web side) of Consumer Reports. One of my favorite things about them is their willingness to call it like it is AND very often do so with a level of humor you don’t usually find in consumer product reviews.

This review of the best Keurig brewer is probably the best example of this sense of humor and penchant for candor that I’ve read to date. 2

The Wirecutter Keurig Review

And other methods of brewing coffee, such as a pour-over, French press, or regular old coffee maker, cost less and taste much better than either Keurig or Nespresso, for just a bit more effort. With so many options available, we recommend you buy literally any other setup before you buy a Keurig. 3

My own experiences with Keurig brewing were always a crap shoot. Either it worked and I was pleased with the somewhat good cup of coffee4, or it didn’t work and I had to brew the same cup three times. After going through 2 different machines, one a wedding present, and the other a hand-me-over from my parents, we finally called it quits on K-Cups over 2 years ago. We have never been happier with our coffee.

We switched to a regular Mr. Coffee brewer and from time to time5 I enjoy a good cup of French Press coffee.

Setting aside the environmental concerns with k-cups (as mentioned in the review), I’m on board with the notion that it’s just not a good cup of coffee.

Don’t Settle for Bad Coffee Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash

  1. Are those just two words that mean the same thing? Who cares? ↩

  2. h/t to Andrew Meyers ↩

  3. Emphasis Mine ↩

  4. This was before I knew what “good coffee” could taste like. ↩

  5. With a wife and two kids this means whenever I can grind the coffee without waking them up in the morning or disturbing naps. ↩