Author Topic: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?  (Read 49412 times)

mindaugas

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Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« on: November 14, 2012, 02:14:26 PM »
My dad bought one, my in-laws bought one, my sister is getting one, the list goes on. Now, I drink pretty crappy coffee because I usually put hot cocoa powder (with marshmallows!) and creamer in it so there is no point adding some expensive fair trade perfectly roasted beans to my cocao-creamer. On top of that I put this cheap grocery store brand coffee in a $10 5 cup coffee maker. Considering all this and the cost of the grocery store brand coffee I come out around $.11 a cup (filter is washable and re-usable, worth the extra $5 for the maker lol). A keurig is pushing a $1 a cup I think. If you count the cost of the maker which is between $150-$200 depending on model, I think they go up from there. To me it seems like it would make even crappier coffee because it's instant right? If not it's pre-packaged who knows what which is just as bad as grocery store brand coffee... ?

Or am I wrong? Does it taste good? Is this some secret mustachian way to break your starbucks habit? It's at least cheaper than they are.

Anyway, aside from that my real point is why not just buy the coffee you like and throw it in a coffee maker? It's really not that hard and last time I timed myself it was 30 seconds. Maybe a 12 cup takes a minute or two. Plus you get a giant pot of brown water instead of one little cup from a robot barista. (Although robot barista's sound pretty f'n awesome.)



they can take my freedom and use my body as a battery, provided it still brews me coffee.

If you actually like coffee, here is an education video on making a really good cup from a true expert.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33kIj__tD90

capital

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2012, 02:18:00 PM »
Keurigs don't produce particularly good coffee. They are slightly easier to use than other kinds of coffee machinery, but they cost at least $.50 a cup.

A French press is slightly harder to use and clean, but still plenty easy, and combined with fresh beans and a grinder (and a thermometer if you want to get really fancy) produces better coffee at a lower price.

Self-employed-swami

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2012, 02:19:31 PM »
I own a Keurig.  I drink 1 cup of coffee a day, and in buying the k-cups online, and using coupons, my one cup costs about $.40.  I got the brewer as a gift, and I have enough k-cups to last 6 months.  I work a lot of night shifts, so I need me some good coffee!

igthebold

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2012, 02:30:22 PM »
Keurigs and the like are the inkjet printers of the coffee world.

StashinIt

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2012, 02:34:50 PM »
First thought when I see this kind of stuff.. ooooo investment idea. Yep private company :-(

totoro

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2012, 03:05:02 PM »
I was just wondering this myself this morning as I saw the xmas display at Costco.  I think they are a fad just like cappucino makers were 15 years ago.  The attraction is easy, fresh, almost instant, individually flavoured coffees - but the cost and garbage production are higher and, really, no better tasting than other types of fresh coffee.  I bought a cappucino maker (pain to clean!) back then... but I'm not falling for it again :)   My french press makes awesome coffee.

SMC

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2012, 03:05:22 PM »
Friend of mine has a Keurig, uses it solely for the convenience (all he has to do is insert the k-cup and then press start).  He also buys disposable coffee cups so he can take his coffee with him and then just throw out the cup rather than having to do dishes.  The other day I was at his house and he told me he plans to get a newer model of Keurig that he can hardwire into his water piping, thus saving the need to refill the water reservoir.

When I asked him if he realized that he's probably paying over $1 more per cup vs a regular coffee machine he told me that he figures he's actually saving money.  How?  Because before the Keurig he would stop to buy coffee on his way to work (for over $1.50/cup) plus time/fuel waiting in the drivethru.

Me I just drink water - free and really easy to make!

Jamesqf

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2012, 03:23:27 PM »
Here's a secret: coffee does not taste good.  It's palatable if you mix in enough chocolate, but otherwise it's just a dose of performance-enhancing drug.

lauren_knows

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2012, 03:24:58 PM »
Here's a secret: coffee does not taste good.  It's palatable if you mix in enough chocolate, but otherwise it's just a dose of performance-enhancing drug.

I disagree, good sir.  Black coffee, every morning here.

Ben

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2012, 05:25:40 PM »
Good business model? Yes.

Fad? probably.

More expensive than other coffee? Yes, although the cost difference is smaller if you only want a single serving.

Do I use one? Yes (a co-workers, not my own). They do have reusable cartridges (where you insert your own coffee), but I have not used them. At $0.50 a cartridge 3-4 times a week, I avoid the Starbucks next door without cleaning up a mess or owning/storing my own coffee-pod.

For those of you who take another route to save the extra $4-6/month, I salute you- but do not plan on changing this habit.

Bakari

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2012, 05:38:46 PM »
it's just a dose of performance-enhancing drug.

Only if you only drink it a couple times a month or less.

People who drink it everyday are getting nothing from it. 

What they are feeling that the mistake for a boost in energy and alertness is really just the subsiding of the withdrawal symptoms they are getting, returning them back to the baseline that they would be at anyway if they didn't have the caffeine addiction.

matt_g

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #11 on: November 14, 2012, 07:06:01 PM »
mindaugas, you are not alone.  I also do not understand this crazy trend.  The coffee doesn't taste good, its insanely expensive, and it constantly draws power warming up the water.  Is making coffee such a chore, it takes like 30 seconds time to start the coffee maker, if that.

smalllife

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2012, 07:49:44 PM »
There is one at my office - crappy coffee and crappy tea.  It tastes like powdered chemicals mixed with hot water, which is exactly what it is.  I can't get past the waste, but it certainly has eliminated the coffee disputes in a small office (lots of variety, quick, and no one gets stuck cleaning the pot).

The one - great - upside is that it provides instant hot water for my tea (bulk, organic, and in my own cup). 


Jamesqf

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2012, 09:08:46 PM »
What they are feeling that the mistake for a boost in energy and alertness is really just the subsiding of the withdrawal symptoms they are getting, returning them back to the baseline that they would be at anyway if they didn't have the caffeine addiction.

Sorry, but no.  Now it may work that way for you, but I've lived in my body for a good many years (including some years-long caffeine-free periods), and I know what it does for me. 

Maybe this is another data point for the "Am I really human?" problem :-)

Bakari

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #14 on: November 14, 2012, 09:47:24 PM »
What they are feeling that the mistake for a boost in energy and alertness is really just the subsiding of the withdrawal symptoms they are getting, returning them back to the baseline that they would be at anyway if they didn't have the caffeine addiction.

Sorry, but no.  Now it may work that way for you, but I've lived in my body for a good many years (including some years-long caffeine-free periods), and I know what it does for me. 

Maybe this is another data point for the "Am I really human?" problem :-)

It doesn't work that way for me, because I don't drink coffee.  But the fact that you think that does reaffirm your humanity - everyone who drinks coffee thinks that (just like everyone thinks they "know their body").  Thats a wery human sort of thing to say :P

Like any drug, one builds tolerance to it.  Very soon, all you are doing by drinking it is returning yourself to the baseline you would have been at were you not addicted to caffeine in the first place.  In other words, you aren't becoming MORE alert, you are just treating your own caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

But you don't have to take my word for it:

"A 1995 study suggests that humans become tolerant to their daily dose of caffeine—whether a single soda or a serious espresso habit—somewhere between a week and 12 days. And that tolerance is pretty strong. One test of regular caffeine pill use had some participants getting an astronomical 900 milligrams per day, others placebos—found that the two groups were nearly identical in mood, energy, and alertness after 18 days. The folks taking the equivalent of nine stiff coffee pours every day weren't really feeling it anymore. They would feel it, though, when they stopped.

You start to feel caffeine withdrawal very quickly, anywhere from 12 to 24 hours after your last use. That's a big part of why that first cup or can in the morning is so important—it's staving off the early effects of withdrawal."
http://lifehacker.com/5585217/what-caffeine-actually-does-to-your-brain

"According to a recent study published in the June 2010 issue of "Neuropsychopharmacology," caffeine does not cause alertness. This study took 379 individuals; half were no or low coffee consumers and the other half were moderate or high coffee consumers. After 16 hours of abstaining from caffeine, individuals were given either coffee or a placebo, then rated their mood and physical feelings which were followed up by alertness and cognitive tests. There were no differences in alertness varying from those who drank coffee versus those who received the placebo.
Researchers involved in the study published in "Neuropsychopharmacology" in June 2010 state that those who drink coffee regularly may have a developed tolerance to its effects. The alertness regular coffee drinkers feel after having their regular amount, simply brings them back to their "normal" state."
http://www.livestrong.com/article/517164-does-caffeine-make-you-more-alert/

Daily coffee is worse than pointless.  The only reason you feel so slow in the morning without it is BECAUSE you drink coffee everyday.  Go without for 2 weeks, you reset your brain, and you'll be equally alert without it.  In fact, you will probably be better off, because your sleep quality is likely to improve, which in turn will make you wake up fresher.  Plus, then you have the full effects of caffeine available to you for the occasional  times you actually do need the boost.

Nords

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2012, 09:53:01 PM »
After 20 years of drinking Navy coffee, a Keurig is just pearls before swine. 

I wonder how it'd do in a blind taste test against black coffee from Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and traditional ol' hand-made.

I have to admit that QVC makes it seem as if we're the only humans on earth who don't own one yet.  I hope they don't run out!

NWstubble

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2012, 10:17:41 PM »
I will never understand why more people don't use single cup manual drip coffee makers. Simple, easy to customize to suit personal taste, basically a coffee loving minimalists dream.

Mickijune

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #17 on: November 14, 2012, 10:22:19 PM »
My husband used to spend $100 or so every month buying coffee when he got to work. We bought a keurig with a 40% off coupon when it was on sale and bought a variety pack of coffee. It's cut the monthly expense in half and after 2 months it has paid itself off and then some based on the hubby's previous habits.

To save even more money, we bought a reusable k-cup for $8 and bulk coffee ground for free at the store. We are guessing this will last about six weeks at one cup 6 days a week. We even dump the grounds in the compost we set up last year!

I don't drink coffee. Can't even stand the smell of it :)

PJ

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2012, 11:56:29 PM »
mindaugas, you are not alone.  I also do not understand this crazy trend.  The coffee doesn't taste good, its insanely expensive, and it constantly draws power warming up the water.  Is making coffee such a chore, it takes like 30 seconds time to start the coffee maker, if that.
 
 
sobs 
 
I have been working so hard to reduce the electricity bill, and I went downstairs to the laundry room this morning (share a 2 story house - separate apartments - with my sister) to find that my sister has bought a Keurig.  She had left for work hours ago, and the glowing blue light on the machine mocked me every time I passed by. 

Maybe Keurig will have an "accident" ...

PJ

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2012, 12:53:53 AM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7nexgkOdcE&feature=related 

You'd never have this problem with a french press!

frompa

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #20 on: November 15, 2012, 04:43:10 AM »
As a non-coffee drinker, non-tv watcher who works in my own little office, when I saw this post I said to myself, "What the hell's a Keurig?"  Now I am educated.  And PJ, thanks so much for the animation -- a hilarious way to start my day. 

okits

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #21 on: November 15, 2012, 05:41:35 AM »
Well, they're a nifty gadget, the variety of all those different K-Cups is appealing, and whatever the quality of the beverage, at least it's fresh and made specifically for you. 

I don't own one but have enjoyed playing with other people's. Was tempted to get one a few years ago, but it's not practical due to cost and lack of counter space (and I don't need to drink more coffee.) More people buying one just means I'll have more chances to play with their Keurigs. :)

Bakari, I'll try going no-coffee for a few weeks in December and see how much performance-enhancing benefit I get when I go back. :)

Mactrader

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #22 on: November 15, 2012, 05:53:25 AM »
it's just a dose of performance-enhancing drug.

Only if you only drink it a couple times a month or less.

People who drink it everyday are getting nothing from it. 

What they are feeling that the mistake for a boost in energy and alertness is really just the subsiding of the withdrawal symptoms they are getting, returning them back to the baseline that they would be at anyway if they didn't have the caffeine addiction.

As someone who is currently trying to quit coffee, I can attest to this. One day without it and I was in agonizing pain. Massive headache, intense grogginess.

I'm weening now, instead of cold turkey. (4-5 cup/day drinker)

matt_g

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #23 on: November 15, 2012, 05:53:51 AM »
mindaugas, you are not alone.  I also do not understand this crazy trend.  The coffee doesn't taste good, its insanely expensive, and it constantly draws power warming up the water.  Is making coffee such a chore, it takes like 30 seconds time to start the coffee maker, if that.
 
 
sobs 
 
I have been working so hard to reduce the electricity bill, and I went downstairs to the laundry room this morning (share a 2 story house - separate apartments - with my sister) to find that my sister has bought a Keurig.  She had left for work hours ago, and the glowing blue light on the machine mocked me every time I passed by. 

Maybe Keurig will have an "accident" ...

You could get a power meter, plug that in for a month, and see how much it actually costs to run for a month, then just forward that cost to your sister.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882715001

LadyM

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #24 on: November 15, 2012, 06:31:15 AM »
To save even more money, we bought a reusable k-cup for $8 and bulk coffee ground for free at the store. We are guessing this will last about six weeks at one cup 6 days a week. We even dump the grounds in the compost we set up last year!


YES!  Reusable K-Cup for the win! http://www.amazon.com/Cafejo-Single-Reusable-Filter-Brewers/dp/B0080050RU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1352986339&sr=8-4&keywords=reuseable+k+cups

This is exactly what we do!  I got so irritated by the cost of the k-cups and the WASTE (so much waste), but now we have a re-usable cup and we buy good cheap coffee that we grind in-store at Trader Joe's:  $4.99 for 14oz.  It takes 0.4 oz of coffee per cup, and that comes out to 35 cups of coffee, which works out to about $0.14/cup of HOT DELICIOUS JOE!

It's great, and I think less waste than a traditional drip coffee maker....we make only what we'll drink and drink only what we make.  And as for tea, you can throw a bag in a cup, and you can run the keurig with no coffee in it to just get the hot water.

So it's a hot fresh cup of coffee every time!  And I don't believe it takes any more power to heat the water than a traditional coffee pot, plus you don't have that damn hot plate sucking power and burning your coffee.  We turn it on, it warms up in a minute or two, brew our cups, then turn it off.  I honestly feel it is a pretty efficient coffee system, personally.

SCREW THE K-CUPS!  BUY YOUR OWN COFFEE!! If you don't buy into the k-cup thing, it's a pretty sweet setup and IMHO quite Mustachian.  :)
« Last Edit: November 15, 2012, 06:33:04 AM by ladymaier »

Mactrader

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #25 on: November 15, 2012, 07:44:01 AM »
mindaugas, you are not alone.  I also do not understand this crazy trend.  The coffee doesn't taste good, its insanely expensive, and it constantly draws power warming up the water.  Is making coffee such a chore, it takes like 30 seconds time to start the coffee maker, if that.
 
 
sobs 
 
I have been working so hard to reduce the electricity bill, and I went downstairs to the laundry room this morning (share a 2 story house - separate apartments - with my sister) to find that my sister has bought a Keurig.  She had left for work hours ago, and the glowing blue light on the machine mocked me every time I passed by. 

Maybe Keurig will have an "accident" ...

You could get a power meter, plug that in for a month, and see how much it actually costs to run for a month, then just forward that cost to your sister.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882715001

Better yet, borrow one from your library!

mindaugas

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #26 on: November 15, 2012, 07:53:15 AM »
Here's a secret: coffee does not taste good.  It's palatable if you mix in enough chocolate, but otherwise it's just a dose of performance-enhancing drug.
My thoughts exactly, I like swiss miss cocoa mix and some french vanilla creamer.
Quote
What they are feeling that the mistake for a boost in energy and alertness is really just the subsiding of the withdrawal symptoms they are getting, returning them back to the baseline that they would be at anyway if they didn't have the caffeine addiction.
Shutup buzzkill

kolorado

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #27 on: November 15, 2012, 08:37:17 AM »
I can't totally dismiss these out of hand as an non-frugal thing. For some people trying to break a Starbucks habit, these are amazing. I've seen the small machines at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $60 with a coupon so that's not too much more than a nice standard drip machine.
My in-laws have one and I thought their coffee selections were very good. Of course, for them this is not a frugal product. Before the Kuerig, they drank two small pots of coffee daily, on regular and one decaf. And they drank one of those cheapo metal canned brands so maybe $10 a month in coffee then. Now they easily drink 12 large cups a day+ between the two of them and their daughter who lives with them. I had a chance to carefully observe their coffee drinking habits when we stayed several days with them this Spring and when they stayed several days with us this Fall and drank over a full 12 ounce bag of coffee while they were here, by themselves. Every time I turned around they were asking us to make more coffee. :/ But K-cups at $.60-.80 a cup would be $250 a month in coffee. Even if they drank only half that much, the monthly cost is absurd for an optional beverage.
We have a 5 year old Frieling stainless steel carafe French press. We paid $70 for it. We buy coffee for less than $7lb so each cup is somewhere around $.12. Our monthly cost for coffee is about $18.
We can make a fresh pot of coffee in 1 minute of hands-on time. It does take 10 minutes to heat the water and steep. I like the wait though. Anticipating something makes it more enjoyable when you finally do get it in your hands. ;) And decaf black coffee is right tasty. People who don't actually like coffee dump hot chocolate powder in it. Yuck!
Anyway, I think it's only human to try to log the entire time process as "work" when it's really only a minute. Logically, a Kuerig really isn't more convenient unless you have a large group of picky coffee drinkers.
And I gotta say, an energy boost or withdrawal effects from caffeine aren't the only ways one can feel it in their system. My heart condition gives me terrible chest pains and shortness of breath when I have it. There is no way to acclimate to it. After I gave it up, I found that well time bursts of exercise did more to boost my mood and productivity than caffeine ever did. I still don't wake up feeling fresh or pleasant though until I've had my cup of decaf. Emotionally attached perhaps?

capital

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #28 on: November 15, 2012, 08:46:17 AM »
What they are feeling that the mistake for a boost in energy and alertness is really just the subsiding of the withdrawal symptoms they are getting, returning them back to the baseline that they would be at anyway if they didn't have the caffeine addiction.

Sorry, but no.  Now it may work that way for you, but I've lived in my body for a good many years (including some years-long caffeine-free periods), and I know what it does for me. 

Maybe this is another data point for the "Am I really human?" problem :-)

It doesn't work that way for me, because I don't drink coffee.  But the fact that you think that does reaffirm your humanity - everyone who drinks coffee thinks that (just like everyone thinks they "know their body").  Thats a wery human sort of thing to say :P

Like any drug, one builds tolerance to it.  Very soon, all you are doing by drinking it is returning yourself to the baseline you would have been at were you not addicted to caffeine in the first place.  In other words, you aren't becoming MORE alert, you are just treating your own caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

There are also studies showing coffee makes exercise hurt less, even when consumed habitually:
http://www.livescience.com/5374-coffee-lessens-pain-exercise.html

I started drinking coffee first thing in the morning to make climbing the two 500-foot-high mesas in my bike commute easier & less painful. It worked, about as well as the study suggests. Happier bike commuting = more money saved, gigantic thigh muscles, and better health. I live in flat New York City now, but still enjoy my morning coffee before the commute.

mindaugas

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #29 on: November 15, 2012, 08:49:58 AM »
Daily coffee is worse than pointless.  The only reason you feel so slow in the morning without it is BECAUSE you drink coffee everyday.  Go without for 2 weeks, you reset your brain, and you'll be equally alert without it.  In fact, you will probably be better off, because your sleep quality is likely to improve, which in turn will make you wake up fresher.  Plus, then you have the full effects of caffeine available to you for the occasional  times you actually do need the boost.

Thanks for the info, I'm going to quit and see what happens. I only drink about 3 cups worth in the morning though so I don't think it will be as hard as it will for some. Plus it will cut out some sugar from my diet which I also need to do.

I started drinking coffee first thing in the morning to make climbing the two 500-foot-high mesas in my bike commute easier & less painful. It worked, about as well as the study suggests. Happier bike commuting = more money saved, gigantic thigh muscles, and better health. I live in flat New York City now, but still enjoy my morning coffee before the commute.
When commuting I actually don't drink coffee because the ride wakes me up.

Mactrader

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #30 on: November 15, 2012, 09:01:25 AM »
Daily coffee is worse than pointless.  The only reason you feel so slow in the morning without it is BECAUSE you drink coffee everyday.  Go without for 2 weeks, you reset your brain, and you'll be equally alert without it.  In fact, you will probably be better off, because your sleep quality is likely to improve, which in turn will make you wake up fresher.  Plus, then you have the full effects of caffeine available to you for the occasional  times you actually do need the boost.

Thanks for the info, I'm going to quit and see what happens. I only drink about 3 cups worth in the morning though so I don't think it will be as hard as it will for some. Plus it will cut out some sugar from my diet which I also need to do.

I started drinking coffee first thing in the morning to make climbing the two 500-foot-high mesas in my bike commute easier & less painful. It worked, about as well as the study suggests. Happier bike commuting = more money saved, gigantic thigh muscles, and better health. I live in flat New York City now, but still enjoy my morning coffee before the commute.
When commuting I actually don't drink coffee because the ride wakes me up.

Make it easy on yourself, cut out 1 cup a day every three days. No headaches. I went cold turkey on 4-5 and was debilitated. :(

CB

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #31 on: November 15, 2012, 09:46:20 AM »
For those thinking about quitting coffee: consider weaning yourself by mixing caf and decaf instead of going cold-turkey.  I tried the latter and it was terrible, but the gradual approach has worked well for me.  I measure my beans before grinding on a digital scale anyway, so I just started reducing the caf content by a fixed-mass amount each week.  E.g., start at 40g caf/0g decaf, the next week 36g caf/4g decaf.  I got down to 12g/28g but then went on a trip and went back to full strength.  Thanks to this thread I'm going to restart my caffeine reduction program!

Jamesqf

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #32 on: November 15, 2012, 11:19:44 AM »
The only reason you feel so slow in the morning without it is BECAUSE you drink coffee everyday.  Go without for 2 weeks, you reset your brain, and you'll be equally alert without it.

Wrong!  I didn't drink coffee (or anything else with caffeine) at all for the first 30+ years of my life, and have always felt slow in the mornings, exactly as I do now before administering a dose or two.  And exactly as I do now on the days when I don't have any.  Nor do I experience headaches or anything else that I could interpret as withdrawal symptoms on the days (sometimes several days, or even weeks) that I don't have any.

As for studies, it's not fair to point to one (or a few) studies that find no effect, while ignoring many other studies that do.  Go to Google Scholar and search for something like "caffeine increased alertness", and you'll get many articles showing positive results.

Undecided

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #33 on: November 15, 2012, 12:46:12 PM »
it's just a dose of performance-enhancing drug.

Only if you only drink it a couple times a month or less.

People who drink it everyday are getting nothing from it. 


I'm not sure that's true; even if it's true for the "boost" effect, there may be other performance-enhancing effects.  See http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/11/nutrition/what-about-caffeine-after-exercise_84963

destron

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #34 on: November 15, 2012, 01:02:49 PM »
Daily coffee is worse than pointless. 

Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet: http://phys.org/news6067.html

Lower risk of Alzheimer's disease: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114200005.htm

Lower risk of cirrhosis: http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=410422

Lower risk of diabetes: http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20120113/why-coffee-may-reduce-diabetes-risk

And, finally, lower overall risk of death: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/coffee-drinkers-lower-risk-death-heart-disease-stroke/story?id=16359526#.UKVJ3KDVtiI

You may not like coffee, but I think you can see that there is a great amount of research showing positive health benefits of coffee. These are not the only positive results, there are many more.

destron

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #35 on: November 15, 2012, 01:05:25 PM »
They are wasteful and expensive, but they are more convenient. Convenience is king for lazy Americans, so I believe the Keurig machines will continue to gain popularity in the U.S.

I use one of these: http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm

-- Aeropress -- takes me about 1 minute to set up, 1 minute to clean, makes excellent coffee

and one of these: http://www.bialetti.com/coffee/moka/

-- Bialetti moka pot -- takes me about 1 minute to set up and 2 minutes to clean, makes excellent coffee

Captain and Mrs Slow

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #36 on: November 15, 2012, 02:02:45 PM »


-- Aeropress -- takes me about 1 minute to set up, 1 minute to clean, makes excellent coffee



What a great idea!!! I had a espresso coffee maker but I stopped using it because it was messy (I didn't think it was but the wife had other ideas) and the coffee too strong for my tastes so I switched over to Nespresso. But the problem is Nespresso is expensive, especially when you drink as much as I do. The only advantage to Nespresso is that the capsules are recyable if, and this is a big if, you bring them back to the store.

PS: folks please take a moment to remove the unnecessary parts of a quote when commenting on something. I don't think we need to re-quote the whole damn thread to make a simple comment. Notice how neat and clean my comment is. thanks

skandrae

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #37 on: November 15, 2012, 02:57:56 PM »
I will never understand why more people don't use single cup manual drip coffee makers. Simple, easy to customize to suit personal taste, basically a coffee loving minimalists dream.

I bought one of those a year ago, when I realized that I only had a cup or two a month, but had a 10-cup coffeemaker taking up space on my counter. I've certainly enjoyed it.

bombcar

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #38 on: November 15, 2012, 03:55:01 PM »
First thought when I see this kind of stuff.. ooooo investment idea. Yep private company :-(

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-01/green-mountain-rises-on-private-brand-k-cups-for-costco-1-.html

Quote
The Waterbury, Vermont-based company has lost 41 percent this year.

Not private, but not good, either.

Bakari

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #39 on: November 15, 2012, 04:16:53 PM »
Daily coffee is worse than pointless. 

You may not like coffee, but I think you can see that there is a great amount of research showing positive health benefits of coffee. These are not the only positive results, there are many more.

ok, ok, "pointless" was a poor choice of words.  but honestly, how many people drink it for the supposed health benefits?  That's like pretending you drink red wine every night for the resveratrol.

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #40 on: November 15, 2012, 05:01:01 PM »
ok, ok, "pointless" was a poor choice of words.  but honestly, how many people drink it for the supposed health benefits?  That's like pretending you drink red wine every night for the resveratrol.

I drink it, because I like the taste :)

I don't drink coffee everyday either, just when I have to wake up to an alarm (when at work), or when I'm working night shifts.

totoro

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #41 on: November 15, 2012, 05:35:21 PM »
I drink coffee and red wine :)   I have no desire to give up either long-term.  I've given up both as part of a health experiment and then as part of a savings goal.  I noticed no difference in health except that I missed the coffee a lot in the mornings.  I think I enjoy the ritual as a way to start the day - just like really nice sheets.  It is a quality of life factor for me.


DocCyane

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #42 on: November 15, 2012, 06:42:17 PM »
We ended up getting one where I used to work because my boss was such a complete pig. She never cleaned out the coffee pot. At least with the Keurig, we just had to toss her used coffee grounds and fill up the water, since she was incapable of sharing in that responsibility.

Nords

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #43 on: November 15, 2012, 07:05:15 PM »
-- Aeropress -- takes me about 1 minute to set up, 1 minute to clean, makes excellent coffee
-- Bialetti moka pot -- takes me about 1 minute to set up and 2 minutes to clean, makes excellent coffee
People actually clean their coffeepots? 

Why?

PS: folks please take a moment to remove the unnecessary parts of a quote when commenting on something. I don't think we need to re-quote the whole damn thread to make a simple comment. Notice how neat and clean my comment is. thanks
This reminds me of the discussion boards where posters keep trying to make everyone else stay on topic... and use proper English spelling, punctuation, & grammar.

I think you're going to learn that "neat & clean comments" are much more important to you than to any of the other posters.

destron

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #44 on: November 15, 2012, 08:06:06 PM »
Amusingly, I am seeing an ad for k-cups at the bottom of the page.

Jamesqf

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #45 on: November 15, 2012, 08:45:09 PM »
I think you're going to learn that "neat & clean comments" are much more important to you than to any of the other posters.

You might be surprised.  I also appreciate "neat & clean comments", and do try to make mine that way.

Jamesqf

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #46 on: November 15, 2012, 08:53:21 PM »
ok, ok, "pointless" was a poor choice of words.  but honestly, how many people drink it for the supposed health benefits?  That's like pretending you drink red wine every night for the resveratrol.

OK, not EVERY night, but I do favor red wine on the couple of nights a week when I have a glass, in part for the possible health benefits.

I've sometimes wondered why coffee & caffeine get such a bad rap among the healthy food culture, while things like herb teas are perfectly acceptable, even praiseworthy.  Coffee is, after all, a perfectly natural bean that grows on a tree.  I think maybe it goes back to the counterculture ethos of the '60s and '70s.  We were supposed to "mellow out", and many people used certain illegal substances to that end.  The increased alertness & better mental & physical functioning produced by caffeine was just the opposite of mellow, so it had to be unhealthy.

PJ

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #47 on: November 16, 2012, 12:43:48 AM »
mindaugas, you are not alone.  I also do not understand this crazy trend.  The coffee doesn't taste good, its insanely expensive, and it constantly draws power warming up the water.  Is making coffee such a chore, it takes like 30 seconds time to start the coffee maker, if that.
 
I have been working so hard to reduce the electricity bill, and I went downstairs to the laundry room this morning (share a 2 story house - separate apartments - with my sister) to find that my sister has bought a Keurig.  She had left for work hours ago, and the glowing blue light on the machine mocked me every time I passed by. 

You could get a power meter, plug that in for a month, and see how much it actually costs to run for a month, then just forward that cost to your sister.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882715001
While I do appreciate the suggestion, I think that my relationship with my sister is not going to be much improved if I start setting up power meters to test each of the things that she has running 24 hours a day.  In fact, I try not to notice these things, it tends to upset me when I do.  And from her perspective, it's probably bad enough that I turn off lights in her apartment when I go through it on my way to the shared laundry room.  ;-P

destron

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #48 on: November 16, 2012, 07:50:07 AM »
Daily coffee is worse than pointless. 

You may not like coffee, but I think you can see that there is a great amount of research showing positive health benefits of coffee. These are not the only positive results, there are many more.

ok, ok, "pointless" was a poor choice of words.  but honestly, how many people drink it for the supposed health benefits?  That's like pretending you drink red wine every night for the resveratrol.

My point is a counter to yours -- that coffee is useless AND bad for you. Coffee itself is well established to not be bad for you. Furthermore, I enjoy drinking it. I don't pretend to drink it because it is healthy -- it just happens to be healthy on top of my enjoyment.

You paint coffee as a dangerous substance tha only has downsides. It should therefore be treated the same as partially hydrogenated oils and corn syrup. The science does not back up your position.

destron

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Re: Why is everyone buying Kuerigs?
« Reply #49 on: November 16, 2012, 07:51:58 AM »
-- Aeropress -- takes me about 1 minute to set up, 1 minute to clean, makes excellent coffee
-- Bialetti moka pot -- takes me about 1 minute to set up and 2 minutes to clean, makes excellent coffee
People actually clean their coffeepots? 

Why?

This is not a coffee pot with a paper filter you throw away. You have to remove a metal screen, dump the grounds out and rinse out the apparatus. You might find it difficult to make more coffee if you don't wash it out.