Keurig Coffee Maker - Ultra B50 1-Cup Review

By now you must know that I'm a guy who loves his gadgets.  And, the Mrs. and I just love our coffee.  Big, bold and deep, make ours hot!

So, you'd think that we'd be a natural for one of the new pod system coffeemakers right?  I would have too.  Thankfully I got to play with one for a week.

There are some people who say (almost with some sense of pride) " I just can't make good coffee".  If you're one of them, listen up.  This could be for you.  Is it going to help you finally make good coffee?  Well no, but chances are you won't know the difference.  And, if your guests normally drink your coffee, they probably won't notice either.

So what is this thing?

Basically this kind of coffeemaker makes a cup of coffee at a time using sealed coffee pods (called K-cups).  One sealed pod inserted into the machine will produce either a cup or mug of coffee.  By choosing a mug, the Keurig B-50 knows to pass more water through the pod creating more coffee.  This should be the first red flag! It takes more coffee to make more coffee!  Not more water!

One of the unique selling points of this kind of machine is that each guest can have the type of coffee they prefer.  Mine might be a French Roast while you have a Hazelnut and Tom over there might want his French Vanilla.  The idea is excellent.  It's the execution that disappoints.

The Cost

Let's not even consider the cost of the machine ($100-$150).  The coffee pods or K-cups cost between $.35 - $.50 each.  It takes about two of these pods to make what even approaches a normal size cup of coffee without tasting watered down.  That being the case, you're paying between $20 - $30 per pound for this totally pedestrian brew.

Speed

Okay, if you remember to keep this baby filled with water and keep it in the stand-by position it will produce a cup of coffee in less than a minute.  In the morning that could be an important feature.  But having sampled the coffee made by the Keurig I wouldn't be in such a rush.

My Viewpoint

If you really love your coffee (and guests), it's not too much to expect that you'll have mastered the art of passing hot water through coffee grinds in just the right proportion.  If you haven't yet mastered it, a little practice is all you need.  And, you can use just about any drip coffeemaker to do it.

This machine will look nice on your counter-top and make a good conversation piece, but it's going to disappoint if you're looking for a good cup of coffee.

Regards,

Rudi