Help! Coffee Maker Advice

[Morticia]

You can add me to the pro-Keurig clan. Rather than have coffee sit and go stale, better to only make a cup when guest needs it. Really trying to get to biodegradable, though.
We actually put one in each of our suites so guests in our two other buildings on property don't have to come to the Main House for coffee..

You can add me to the pro-Keurig clan. Rather than have coffee sit and go stale, better to only make a cup when guest needs it. Really trying to get to biodegradable, though.
We actually put one in each of our suites so guests in our two other buildings on property don't have to come to the Main House for coffee.

See my other post about the biodegradable pods.

 

[Roxanne Trees]

Thank you everyone for taking time to help me make a decision on a coffeemaker.
From the sound of many of your comments, most people love the Keurig style machines for its variety of options, so I decided to go that way. I didn't want a Keurig brand as there are many complaints that the pumps go down hill after a year and the coffee starts to slow down and trickle out.
I found a Keurig style in a BUNN that I hope will do the trick. The BUNN MCR (pour-over) has a large reservoir and can brew any type of k-cup. While not cheap (it retails for $637 but it is out there for around $375), it is commercial grade and will stand up to guest abuse better. I guess I am a commercial equipment addict. I tend to buy all things commercial because then parts can be replaced and equipment can be worked on. Also, if I ever decide to plumb the coffeemaker in there is a kit available to accomplish that.
I get the buy non-commercial cheaper, and when it gives out you can buy three more and still be money ahead. Either way works. Being married to a mechanical contractor/plumber may have some bearing on it for me. He fixes anything.

The machine arrives today (yippee!), so I ran out last night and loaded up on a variety of k-cups. I still get excited about an upgrade for my guests so I guess I am not burned out yet.
BTW, Trader Joe's has compostable k-cups but not a lot of choices.
I will continue to use freshly ground brewed coffee at breakfast and individual tea pots with bags for breakfast. I can offer a larger variety of tea that way too.
I will post a critique of the machine once we have weathered a few guests together.
Again, thank you for all the input. Each suggestion was valuable to me. What a great group!

 

[Morticia]

Thank you everyone for taking time to help me make a decision on a coffeemaker.
From the sound of many of your comments, most people love the Keurig style machines for its variety of options, so I decided to go that way. I didn't want a Keurig brand as there are many complaints that the pumps go down hill after a year and the coffee starts to slow down and trickle out.
I found a Keurig style in a BUNN that I hope will do the trick. The BUNN MCR (pour-over) has a large reservoir and can brew any type of k-cup. While not cheap (it retails for $637 but it is out there for around $375), it is commercial grade and will stand up to guest abuse better. I guess I am a commercial equipment addict. I tend to buy all things commercial because then parts can be replaced and equipment can be worked on. Also, if I ever decide to plumb the coffeemaker in there is a kit available to accomplish that.
I get the buy non-commercial cheaper, and when it gives out you can buy three more and still be money ahead. Either way works. Being married to a mechanical contractor/plumber may have some bearing on it for me. He fixes anything.

The machine arrives today (yippee!), so I ran out last night and loaded up on a variety of k-cups. I still get excited about an upgrade for my guests so I guess I am not burned out yet.
BTW, Trader Joe's has compostable k-cups but not a lot of choices.
I will continue to use freshly ground brewed coffee at breakfast and individual tea pots with bags for breakfast. I can offer a larger variety of tea that way too.
I will post a critique of the machine once we have weathered a few guests together.
Again, thank you for all the input. Each suggestion was valuable to me. What a great group!

.

We are buying a professional grade toaster this winter. Sick of waiting for toast. Our Keurig is a professional model. And it's the old one so it doesn't have the digital reader.

 

[user 26]

Good luck!
Also, I make tea for myself all the time with my keurig. Just make sure there is no used kcup in it and put my teabag in the cup. Press the button. Done.
Comes out surprisingly hot. Then I just let it steep in the cup for a while, as if I'd poured water from a kettle. I thought it might taste like coffee that ran through before but it doesn't
I still don't want to make soup with it!
Back in the dark ages my mom used to boil water in a mug for her tea which didn't work out so well

 

[Tom]

Thank you everyone for taking time to help me make a decision on a coffeemaker.
From the sound of many of your comments, most people love the Keurig style machines for its variety of options, so I decided to go that way. I didn't want a Keurig brand as there are many complaints that the pumps go down hill after a year and the coffee starts to slow down and trickle out.
I found a Keurig style in a BUNN that I hope will do the trick. The BUNN MCR (pour-over) has a large reservoir and can brew any type of k-cup. While not cheap (it retails for $637 but it is out there for around $375), it is commercial grade and will stand up to guest abuse better. I guess I am a commercial equipment addict. I tend to buy all things commercial because then parts can be replaced and equipment can be worked on. Also, if I ever decide to plumb the coffeemaker in there is a kit available to accomplish that.
I get the buy non-commercial cheaper, and when it gives out you can buy three more and still be money ahead. Either way works. Being married to a mechanical contractor/plumber may have some bearing on it for me. He fixes anything.

The machine arrives today (yippee!), so I ran out last night and loaded up on a variety of k-cups. I still get excited about an upgrade for my guests so I guess I am not burned out yet.
BTW, Trader Joe's has compostable k-cups but not a lot of choices.
I will continue to use freshly ground brewed coffee at breakfast and individual tea pots with bags for breakfast. I can offer a larger variety of tea that way too.
I will post a critique of the machine once we have weathered a few guests together.
Again, thank you for all the input. Each suggestion was valuable to me. What a great group!

.

many complaints that the pumps go down hill after a year and the coffee starts to slow down and trickle out.

The problem is mineral build up. This can be a problem with a commercial grade machine -- read up on maintenance. All these guys have a little boiler that keeps water almost ready to brew and heats it as it pumps to the cup. If you have minerals ("hardness") in your water, they come out of solution as the water stands in the boiler and form scale which eventually clogs the little tubes.
You have to run a pint of white vinegar through the unit about every 6 months to a year, depending on usage and water hardness. For me, the Keurig makes about 100 gallons of coffee a year. My hardness is relatively low (150 ppm), but that water volume contains a half teaspoon of tube clogging scale minerals.
How to do:
1) Empty the water reservoir. 2) pour in a pint of white vinegar. 3) brew a mug without a K-cup, but with a tea strainer over the mug holding a square of paper towel as a filter to catch scale. 4) let it sit about 10 minutes to let vinegar work in boiler). 5) pour the (somewhat cooled) vinegar from the mug back into the reservoir.
Repeat steps 3, 4, 5 about 8 times. You will see all sorts of gunk collect on the filter.
Then run clean water through it, brew about 8 times until the vinegar smell goes away. It's good for another 100 gallons of coffee.
All coffee makers will build up scale. See page 10 of Bunn manual. Descaling is like flossing: just do it.

Again, thank you for all the input. Each suggestion was valuable to me. What a great group!

Input? You'll get that! Valuable? well ... Great group? Absolutely. Some hard core innkeepers here.

 

[Innkeep]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup

 

[Lee2014]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

Ah, you have a secret friend!
Down in PA they have what they call "secret sisters". You get a name and you spent the year praying for your friend, send her gifts, cards, etc. Then at the end, the committee has a tea party and everyone is revealed who was who's secret sister….
No, it wasn't me….. hmm….

 

[Morticia]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

Ah, you have a secret friend!
Down in PA they have what they call "secret sisters". You get a name and you spent the year praying for your friend, send her gifts, cards, etc. Then at the end, the committee has a tea party and everyone is revealed who was who's secret sister….
No, it wasn't me….. hmm….
.

I'd hazard a guess.

 

[Lee2014]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

Ah, you have a secret friend!
Down in PA they have what they call "secret sisters". You get a name and you spent the year praying for your friend, send her gifts, cards, etc. Then at the end, the committee has a tea party and everyone is revealed who was who's secret sister….
No, it wasn't me….. hmm….
.

I'd hazard a guess.
.

I'd hazard a guess.

I have a suspicion…. but will let the person reveal it!

 

[gillumhouse]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

Ah, you have a secret friend!
Down in PA they have what they call "secret sisters". You get a name and you spent the year praying for your friend, send her gifts, cards, etc. Then at the end, the committee has a tea party and everyone is revealed who was who's secret sister….
No, it wasn't me….. hmm….
.

They did secret sisters in WV also. Not me either.

 

[gillumhouse]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

I have some Papa Nicholas brand Italian Espresso pods. I got them at Ollie's.

 

[Lee2014]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

My sister got a little reusable coffee filter made to go in the keurig machine so you can add your own coffee to it. Try Ollie's, a dollar store, etc. Sounds like you drink your coffee like my dad, the stronger, the better!

 

[Silverspoon]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

I have tried many different varieties with disappointment. Dark Magic is the best I have found. You may have to order it on line.
Looks like you have a coffee fairy looking out for you!

 

[GoodScout]

I have a Nespresso machine my brothers gave me for Christmas that I rarely get to use. Trying to figure out whether to put it out in our main area, put it in a special suite or whatever.

 

[dejanj]

I had a Keurig K250 and I was very satisfied with that coffee maker. Now it's broken and I do not have enough money to buy K250 again. My budget is terribly low and I'm thinking of buying some of the cheaper coffee maker that work with k cup. Is there any really good k cup compatible coffee maker on this list http://coffeesupremacy.com/cheap-coffee-makers-use-k-cups-2017/ or if you know is there in US any Keurig good condition used coffee machine under $50 with free shiping. Are anyone use Aicok single serve or Chulux? I would really appreciate any good and useful advice

 

[Northern Dreamer]

Looks like lots of good suggestions and advice on here - so what's one more?!
We love the Keurig for one main reason - the convenience reasons! (all "espressed" above...lol)
One company we found is www.Angelinos.com - great sampler packs and some strong coffees too. They will set up monthly deliveries and volume pricing.
We do fresh brew larger quantities in carafes on weekends we have a full house - for this we have a local coffee roaster deliver our favs - but the Keurig is always available and an oh-so-convenient do-it-yourself cup of coffee for the guests!
AS FAR AS THE WATER - our water softener guy told us what makes the best cup of coffee is more the water than the coffee. Using reverse osmosis water has made the coffee better, no film, and NO build-up in the machines or cups!

 

[mira14789]

Thank you, everyone, for taking time to help me make a decision on a coffeemaker. From the sound of many of your comments, most people love the Keurig style machines for its variety of options, so I decided to go that way.

 

[steven91]

This thread came at the same time as my mystery Keurig machine. The machine, addressed to me showed up last week. I have been over and over the box and packing materials and there's no clue as to who sent it. I've also checked my credit card statement and it's not there either.
Amazingly my Senseo machine bit the dust a few days earlier. So I'm now part of the K club. Does anyone know of a type that makes a large cup of strong coffee? Even the "extra bold" ones I've tried are too weak unless I make a medium size cup.

My sister got a little reusable coffee filter made to go in the keurig machine so you can add your own coffee to it. Try Ollie's, a dollar store, etc. Sounds like you drink your coffee like my dad, the stronger, the better!
.

I also got from Dollar general store and the quality is awesome. I also won 100$ gift card from www dgcustomerfirst com $100 gift card

 

[Dave Meadows]

Sweet Maria's is an excellent source for home roasters, green beans, coffee makers of all sorts, grinders, books on coffee, and advice on roasting and brewing the hallowed bean soup. Best of luck in your brew quest and e-mail me anytime you need further info.

 

[Northern Dreamer]

Looks like lots of good suggestions and advice on here - so what's one more?!
We love the Keurig for one main reason - the convenience reasons! (all "espressed" above...lol)
One company we found is www.Angelinos.com - great sampler packs and some strong coffees too. They will set up monthly deliveries and volume pricing.
We do fresh brew larger quantities in carafes on weekends we have a full house - for this we have a local coffee roaster deliver our favs - but the Keurig is always available and an oh-so-convenient do-it-yourself cup of coffee for the guests!
AS FAR AS THE WATER - our water softener guy told us what makes the best cup of coffee is more the water than the coffee. Using reverse osmosis water has made the coffee better, no film, and NO build-up in the machines or cups!.

We also found a compostable pod for our Keurig:
https://sfbaycoffee.com
We still talk with our local roasters about getting into the k-cups biz, but nothing so far.