Oh, the irony...

[Seasider]

http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/03/the-abominable-k-cup-coffee-pod-environment-problem/386501/?utm_source=FB0305_2

 

Sorry, I realize Keurig might fit into the same category as crockpots, shopping carts and going barefoot, but I can't resist posting this link.

 

Full disclaimer: I own a Keurig. We call it the hot water machine. When I make coffee with it, I do not use k cups, but pack my own reusable filter cup.

[Katy]

Funny, I recently read that Keurig coffee makers are the most likely ones to get infested with roaches.

 

We had an icky situation with finding baby roaches in our (not keurig, but new & expensive) coffeemaker.  I'd forgotten what it was like to live in the South and have roaches come inside after a rainy period.  Anyway, threw out the coffeemaker, replaced the wood mulch outside with gravel, signed up for Orkin, and haven't seen any more bugs inside.  Also got a cheap coffeemaker.  No more pricey ones for us.

[Corraleno]

We had an icky situation with finding baby roaches in our (not keurig, but new & expensive) coffeemaker. 

 

LOL, this reminds me of an awesome kids' book that flips Kafka's Metamorphosis on it's head — a young cockroach wakes up and discovers to his horror that he's turned into a little boy. All the roaches in the story are named for where they were born — Shoebag, Drainboard, Coffee Cup, Under the Toaster, etc.  :lol:

[Seasider]

LOL, this reminds me of an awesome kids' book that flips Kafka's Metamorphosis on it's head — a young cockroach wakes up and discovers to his horror that he's turned into a little boy. All the roaches in the story are named for where they were born — Shoebag, Drainboard, Coffee Cup, Under the Toaster, etc. :lol:

My high schoolers read Kafka last year. I'll have to tell them about this book!

[Cinder]

Thanks for the link. I occasionally find myself wanting a Keurig for the "fun" aspect but I drink too much coffee, don't entertain much, and on top of that I'm too cheap. lol.

[Seasider]

Thanks for the link. I occasionally find myself wanting a Keurig for the "fun" aspect but I drink too much coffee, don't entertain much, and on top of that I'm too cheap. lol.

If you read all the way through, there are some things that are good about the Keurig method, among them being only brewing the amount of coffee you actually intend to drink. But I think a French press solves that problem. Here everyone likes different beverages - coffee, teas, cocoa, even just water with lemon - so the machine itself gets used.

[hornblower]

total tangent but reminds me of another high profile inventor's remorse: Labradoodle Inventor Regrets His Creation

I wish municipalities would put higher taxes on disposable/single use plastic crap items. The municipality has to pay to deal with all the garbage so why not? Using money to induce changes in bhvr seems the most practical approach. We already have fees on electronics & car tires here for ex, to help pay for getting them properly recycled....

[BarbecueMom]

I wouldn't mind getting rid of our Keurig, but there are three people in our house each wanting 1-2 cups of coffee in a 15-minute time frame every morning, and we each drink a different roast. If those two pansies would just suck it up and drink dark roast we could make a whole stinking pot of it every day!

[Slartibartfast]

The thing about wasting coffee or tea is that tea and coffee are compostable, they are good for soil. We don't need more plastic going into landfills.

 

 

I buy expensive tea,  I waste it sometimes but I bet I still spend less on my tea than keurig tea. I use a little stovetop espresso maker. I waste it sometimes but I bet I still spend less than people using a keurig.

 

 

I don't get the "only make what you intend to drink" thing because wasted coffee and tea aren't bad environmentally and it is still cheaper and better quality than keurig stuff.

[Ausmumof3]

total tangent but reminds me of another high profile inventor's remorse: Labradoodle Inventor Regrets His Creation

 

I wish municipalities would put higher taxes on disposable/single use plastic crap items. The municipality has to pay to deal with all the garbage so why not? Using money to induce changes in bhvr seems the most practical approach. We already have fees on electronics & car tires here for ex, to help pay for getting them properly recycled....

That was a fascinating read. Thanks for the link.

[JudoMom]

I've had a pod machine since before Keurigs were cool. I had a black & Decker and a Senseo before I bought a Keurig, and now I have a Bunn.

 

I've only purchased maybe 5 boxes of k-cups, and less than that for pods pre-Keurig. I've always used a refillable pod for my coffee.

 

I like the way single cup coffee tastes more than drip, I like that I brew it fresh when I want it, I like that it's quick, and I like that my boys can use the machine as well. *shrug*

[SarahW]

I have one of these: Hamilton Beach 49981 Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker.

 

Makes one cup of whatever kind of coffee in the time of a Keurig. And hot water is not pushed through plastic. Or anything "non-recyclable."

 

DH and I were using a French Press, but the time to brew and limited amount made did us in. Now we just go see the Hamilton Beach throughout the morning. Easy.

 

And we just dump the grounds in the compost bin and rinse the brew basket. No waste. None. It's brilliant.

[Tammyla]

Very interesting, I was in the misinformed  group who thought they were all hypoallergenic and didn't shed. 

total tangent but reminds me of another high profile inventor's remorse: Labradoodle Inventor Regrets His Creation

I wish municipalities would put higher taxes on disposable/single use plastic crap items. The municipality has to pay to deal with all the garbage so why not? Using money to induce changes in bhvr seems the most practical approach. We already have fees on electronics & car tires here for ex, to help pay for getting them properly recycled....

 

[IsabelC]

I can't believe how many people have coffee machines! There must be some serious coffee aficionados around. 

I must be a coffee philistine, because we just use a plunger.

[Miss Tick]

I didn't get the "wasting coffee" part because does that mean some people don't drink it all? That does not compute for me. Grandma grew up in the Depression, we drink ALL the coffee.

[Rebel Yell]

IsabelC, on 10 Mar 2015 - 7:28 PM, said:

I can't believe how many people have coffee machines! There must be some serious coffee aficionados around. 

I must be a coffee philistine, because we just use a plunger.

I clicked on this thread because your post happened to show up when I moused over it. 

 

I'm picturing a toilet plunger, and someone trying to make coffee using it.... I assume I'm missing something. 

:iagree: :confused1:

[hornblower]

I clicked on this thread because your post happened to show up when I moused over it. 

 

I'm picturing a toilet plunger, and someone trying to make coffee using it.... I assume I'm missing something. 

 

French Press style is a plunger type coffee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_press

[Cinder]

I clicked on this thread because your post happened to show up when I moused over it. 

 

I'm picturing a toilet plunger, and someone trying to make coffee using it.... I assume I'm missing something. 

 

I think she's referring to a French press? Also known as a coffee plunger.

 

ETA: Hornblower was faster. Probably didn't have to look it up like I did. :D

[IsabelC]

Yes, sorry, I'm usually pretty good at talking American, but I didn't realize you had a different word for the coffee thing! 

[Guest]

Yes, sorry, I'm usually pretty good at talking American, but I didn't realize you had a different word for the coffee thing!

Durn foreigners.

[beaners]

The thing about wasting coffee or tea is that tea and coffee are compostable, they are good for soil. We don't need more plastic going into landfills.

 

 

I buy expensive tea, I waste it sometimes but I bet I still spend less on my tea than keurig tea. I use a little stovetop espresso maker. I waste it sometimes but I bet I still spend less than people using a keurig.

 

 

I don't get the "only make what you intend to drink" thing because wasted coffee and tea aren't bad environmentally and it is still cheaper and better quality than keurig stuff.

It sounded like the problem with wasted coffee was on the growing end. A lot of water etc is used to produce coffee that people brew but don't end up drinking.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Durn foreigners.

 

Yes, but once you get over the yuck factor  :ack2:  :ack2: the idea of making coffee using a toilet plunger is certainly inventive!  

[Guest]

I clicked on this thread because your post happened to show up when I moused over it.

 

I'm picturing a toilet plunger, and someone trying to make coffee using it.... I assume I'm missing something.

That would be another way to refer to a press pot, French press, bodum, etc. Excellent way to brew for repeatable, full bodied cups.

[Tanaqui]

 

I can't believe how many people have coffee machines! There must be some serious coffee aficionados around.

 

In the US, most people have a coffee maker, unless they and their whole family really can't stand the stuff.

 

We don't tend to have electric kettles, though.

[go_go_gadget]

I can't believe how many people have coffee machines! There must be some serious coffee aficionados around. 

I must be a coffee philistine, because we just use a plunger.

 

It depends on whose definition of ''coffee aficionado'' you're using. In the SF Bay Area, only yuppie wannabee coffee aficionados would ever use a coffeemaker, of any sort. You're only an aficionado if you use a press or the pourover method, grind your coffee freshly before brewing (extra smug points for using a hand grinder!), and buy your beans from your neighborhood hipsters, locally roasted in small batches. 

 

 

Self-deprecation aside, it really does taste better that way.  :coolgleamA:

[Jean in Newcastle]

In the US, most people have a coffee maker, unless they and their whole family really can't stand the stuff.

 

We don't tend to have electric kettles, though.

We only have one for guests.  Usually it's packed away on a high shelf.  We really can't stand the stuff.  

[hornblower]

It depends on whose definition of ''coffee aficionado'' you're using. In the SF Bay Area, only yuppie wannabee coffee aficionados would ever use a coffeemaker, of any sort. You're only an aficionado if you use a press or the pourover method, grind your coffee freshly before brewing (extra smug points for using a hand grinder!), and buy your beans from your neighborhood hipsters, locally roasted in small batches. 

 

 

Self-deprecation aside, it really does taste better that way.  :coolgleamA:

 

Amateurs.

 

Aeropress or cold-brew a la Corey Doctorow is the true west coast hipster coffee afficionado way ;)

 

We have an electric kettle. We're serious tea drinkers too.

[texasmama]

I grew my own coffee in the back yard and had the kids harvest it while wearing clothing made of hemp. I then created a solar pizza box microwave to heat the water used to brew it after hand digging a 100 foot well to draw said water.  The coffee received a gentle roast in my secondary hand made solar pizza box.  Then, while waiting for the solar pizza box microwave to heat the water, I took a hand carved mortar and pestle and, using only wind energy from a turbine I fashioned myself from recycled Keurig cups I pilfered from the neighbor's trash in cover of darkness, I ground the coffee.  Once the water had heated to exactly 127 degrees Fahrenheit, I brewed my coffee.

 

 

[Ausmumof3]

In the US, most people have a coffee maker, unless they and their whole family really can't stand the stuff.

 

We don't tend to have electric kettles, though.

What??? You don't have kettles. What about toasters?

[Audrey]

Yes, sorry, I'm usually pretty good at talking American, but I didn't realize you had a different word for the coffee thing! 

 

 

That's okay.  I think everyone with a French press knew what you were saying.  IMO, it's the only way to make good coffee.

[Pawz4me]

I have an electric kettle.  I used to use it when I made coffee with a Melitta single serve cone.  Now I have a Keurig, so the electric kettle is mostly used to boil water to make iced tea.  I also have a regular drip coffee maker.

 

I've got all the bases covered. ;)

 

(And yes, we have a toaster, too.  Most Americans have one.)

[GailV]

I grew my own coffee in the back yard and had the kids harvest it while wearing clothing made of hemp. I then created a solar pizza box microwave to heat the water used to brew it after hand digging a 100 foot well to draw said water. The coffee received a gentle roast in my secondary hand made solar pizza box. Then, while waiting for the solar pizza box microwave to heat the water, I took a hand carved mortar and pestle and, using only wind energy from a turbine I fashioned myself from recycled Keurig cups I pilfered from the neighbor's trash in cover of darkness, I ground the coffee. Once the water had heated to exactly 127 degrees Fahrenheit, I brewed my coffee.

I'm really concerned as to whether the microwaved water is attaining an even 127F temp since microwaves are notorious for uneven heating. I suspect this is allegorical to your educational methods for your children, which are either too rigid or too lax, depending on my mood while I'm judging you; either way, my special snowflake children will no longer be associating with yours.

[marbel]

It depends on whose definition of ''coffee aficionado'' you're using. In the SF Bay Area, only yuppie wannabee coffee aficionados would ever use a coffeemaker, of any sort. You're only an aficionado if you use a press or the pourover method, grind your coffee freshly before brewing (extra smug points for using a hand grinder!), and buy your beans from your neighborhood hipsters, locally roasted in small batches. 

 

 

Self-deprecation aside, it really does taste better that way.  :coolgleamA:

 

Well, my husband has known to hand-grind the coffee in the mortar and pestle, but only during a power outage.  He does insist on fresh-ground beans, but we buy our beans at Costco (house brand, no less), and that, I think, would elicit a snort of derision from the true aficionado describe above.  

 

In my experience IRL, people who have Keurigs bought them because they lent an air of hipness to otherwise mainstream suburban folk.  It was a show-off item, for those who couldn't afford a show-off car. 

 

(I hope it's obvious I'm being somewhat facetious.  Though, it's true that for some people I have met, it has been sort of a status symbol.)

 

Now that I think of it, I have never tasted coffee made in a Keurig or other pod machine.   We use a drip machine, though we have a French press for leisurely weekends (and power outages).

 

People can be funny about their morning beverages.  That's OK, and it's so nice we have choices.  

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

We'd have no use for one.  We drink coffee, but we aren't particular and just use a regular coffee pot. I don't like the taste of the coffee in those pod machines.  Had some at the hospital once.  I think it's the perfect thing for a situation like that, but for home it generally seems silly. 

 

Then again I use way too many plastic bags so I have no room to talk.

 

 

[merry gardens]

Certain segments who want us to strive to be "green" might do better by encouraging people to be frugal. Frugality is usually more environmentally friendly than individualism. Individualism, (now taken to the point where people won't even drink from the same pot of coffee) produces a great deal of waste.

 

"Waste not, want not" is a motto that's usually good for the pocketbook and the environment.

[Seasider]

In my experience IRL, people who have Keurigs bought them because they lent an air of hipness to otherwise mainstream suburban folk. It was a show-off item, for those who couldn't afford a show-off car.

 

(I hope it's obvious I'm being somewhat facetious. Though, it's true that for some people I have met, it has been sort of a status symbol.)

 

.

I first met a Keurig machine when my husband was in the hospital for cancer treatment. It seemed a great solution for our household of coffee drinking me and three teens with differing morning beverage preferences (caff, decaf, cocoa, tea). It was honestly only later, observing the waste first hand, that I started realizing the sustainability issues. (The commercial machines in the hospital must have some cup ejection and disposal system - i remember putting pods in, but i don't remember having to remove and dispose of used ones.) A reusable cup solves that.

[vonfirmath]

In the US, most people have a coffee maker, unless they and their whole family really can't stand the stuff.

 

We don't tend to have electric kettles, though.

 

That would be us. When Grandma comes, she buys it out or makes do with a hot water kettle.

 

OTOH, we do have a hot water kettle. and I don't remember having a coffeepot even growing up.

[texasmama]

I'm really concerned as to whether the microwaved water is attaining an even 127F temp since microwaves are notorious for uneven heating. I suspect this is allegorical to your educational methods for your children, which are either too rigid or too lax, depending on my mood while I'm judging you; either way, my special snowflake children will no longer be associating with yours.

Busted.

[Laura Corin]

I wouldn't mind getting rid of our Keurig, but there are three people in our house each wanting 1-2 cups of coffee in a 15-minute time frame every morning, and we each drink a different roast. If those two pansies would just suck it up and drink dark roast we could make a whole stinking pot of it every day!

 

We use a variety of sizes of Moka pot for that eventuality.  They all sit happily next to each other on the stove. You could probably get three or more little ones for the price of a Keurig, and there are no expensive disposable supplies.

[Guest]

We love our San Francisco Bay cups. They are biodegradable and don't leak like my reusable cup does. Plus, they are only 33 cents each on Amazon.

[texasmama]

We love our San Francisco Bay cups. They are biodegradable and don't leak like my reusable cup does. Plus, they are only 33 cents each on Amazon.

When I'm not growing, roasting, and brewing my own sustainable organic coffee, this is what I use.

 

No, it is not high quality, but it is fast and easy and works for this stage of my life.  When I am old, I shall drink high quality coffee.  And the above stuff is organic, at least.

[BarbecueMom]

We use a variety of sizes of Moka pot for that eventuality. They all sit happily next to each other on the stove. You could probably get three or more little ones for the price of a Keurig, and there are no expensive disposable supplies.

That looks neat to me, but I wonder how easy it would be to use on an electric coil stovetop with bent out of position coils (thanks to children who "helped" put the stove back together after cleaning). Right now I use an Ecobrew reusable k-cup and a French press (sometimes for cold brew), and DH uses the French press on weekends. My mom would never give up the Keurig and apparently I can't make those decisions for another adult. Oh, life would be much easier if I could!

[Tess in the Burbs]

After some raked me over the coals here about using a Kcup...even the refillable one, I got rid of it and went back to a drip maker.  I know the trash was a huge concern for me as well.  My coffee does taste better in the drip maker.  I can make just one cup.  I don't miss my Kcups.  And after how many times we moved I was so worried about bugs in the machine.....

[Cinder]

After some raked me over the coals here about using a Kcup...even the refillable one, I got rid of it and went back to a drip maker.  I know the trash was a huge concern for me as well.  My coffee does taste better in the drip maker.  I can make just one cup.  I don't miss my Kcups.  And after how many times we moved I was so worried about bugs in the machine.....

 

But, but, but . . . what about when the in-laws visit?

[KungFuPanda]

http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/03/the-abominable-k-cup-coffee-pod-environment-problem/386501/?utm_source=FB0305_2

 

Sorry, I realize Keurig might fit into the same category as crockpots, shopping carts and going barefoot, but I can't resist posting this link.

 

Full disclaimer: I own a Keurig. We call it the hot water machine. When I make coffee with it, I do not use k cups, but pack my own reusable filter cup.

I actually own a Zojirushi water boiler. It has been plugged in almost continuously for about 8 years and still works like brand new. I can chose from 3 temperature settings. We usually use it for tea, but the water boiler and a mug-sized French press are all the Keurig we've ever needed.

[Laura Corin]

That looks neat to me, but I wonder how easy it would be to use on an electric coil stovetop with bent out of position coils (thanks to children who "helped" put the stove back together after cleaning). 

We have little trivets so that the Mokas are stable over the gas flame, but I don't know if they exist for electric stoves.

[texasmama]

If anyone needs me today, I will be hand knitting washable toilet paper out of yarn I hand spun out of our dog's hair.

[Guest]

If anyone needs me today, I will be hand knitting washable toilet paper out of yarn I hand spun out of our dog's hair.

Me too!! First I need to feed our chickens, bake a batch of granola and hang some laundry on the line. Go big or go home!

[AndyJoy]

LOL, this reminds me of an awesome kids' book that flips Kafka's Metamorphosis on it's head — a young cockroach wakes up and discovers to his horror that he's turned into a little boy. All the roaches in the story are named for where they were born — Shoebag, Drainboard, Coffee Cup, Under the Toaster, etc. :lol:

That was one of my favorites when I was 10 :)

[Miss Tick]

If anyone needs me today, I will be hand knitting washable toilet paper out of yarn I hand spun out of our dog's hair.

I think I read your blog! Or maybe I bought something from you on Etsy? Perhaps your toilet paper was featured on Regretsy...