Keurig Alternatives?

[goldberry]

I love my Keurig.  I usually only have one cup of coffee each day, and I like to try different coffees, so it's perfect for me.  BUT, I have had three of them die after about 2-3 years of ownership with the exact same problem.  It stops after sucking up the water and stops there, without spitting out the coffee.  If I keep unplugging it, it will eventually spit it out.  As much as I love it I can't see spending that amount on another to die.

Is there an alternative that might be better made?  Maybe that even uses Kcups?

[alisoncooks]

I have a Hamilton Beach keurig wanna-be that uses kcups. I wouldn't say it's better made but it was much cheaper and it's still going strong after a year. (I brew anywhere from 1-4x a day.)

[Carol in Cal.]

I like Nespresso coffee much better than Keurig.  

I have had two machines.  The first I bought used, and it crapped out pretty fast.  The second I bought about 3 years ago in a Black Friday online sale, and it’s worked great ever since.  It makes one cup at a time, and you can order capsules for a demitasse cup, a regular cup, or a travel cup sized servings.  I only use it at work because I can’t easily justify the single cup pods at home, but I like the coffee better than my pour over at home.

[EmseB]

Silly question but do you descale your machine regularly? Either with their solution, or just running white vinegar through it every couple months?

[Joker]

We had the same problem. We switched to a Hamilton Beach and only use distilled water now. Ours has been going strong for about three years now with no issues.

[Spryte]

I second descaling any machine.   And distilled water use would help, too, maybe.  We just use filtered.

How much do you want to spend?  We have a Nespresso that uses pods.  Love it.  And they send a prepaid bag to send back the pods for recycling. I don’t think Keurig does that?  Not sure.  We only use our Nespresso occasionally, but periodically it gets heavy use, and DH takes it to trade shows and conferences for the company, so I do mean it gets heavy use.  🤣

My preference is a super-automatic.  Push a button for coffee/espresso and it basically cleans itself.  Pricey though.  We have a Gaggia Academia. I used to recommend Jura, but it has some plastic parts inside that can break.  The Gaggia is all metal and easier to repair over the long haul, should it be needed. If you have a family of caffeine lovers, it’s a good one.  If it’s only one or two of you, and you like Keurig, I’d consider switching to Nespresso.

[KungFuPanda]

My daughter has a mug sized French press at school.  It was dh's, but she stole it when she moved into the dorms.  It fits inside whatever mug she's using.  It goes into the dishwasher so no distilled water, descaling, or mystery as-seen-on-facebook illnesses from grody machines.

Edited December 18, 2019 by KungFuPanda

[ktgrok]

Either you need to descale it or it has grounds clogging the little tubes. You can google on how to clean those out - it isn't hard. I've had a keurig since 2010 and only replaced it once in that time. 

[ktgrok]

https://housewifehowtos.com/clean/how-to-clean-a-keurig/#1_Unclog_the_Keurig_Needle

I find certain coffee pods tend to clog it more than others. Bustelo does, for instance. 

[goldberry]

2 hours ago, EmseB said:

Silly question but do you descale your machine regularly? Either with their solution, or just running white vinegar through it every couple months?

Yes, about every 3 months.

[May]

DH takes care of the cleaning for mine. He runs white vinegar through it and also cleans the spout where the coffee comes out. I’ve had mine for 6 years. It’s a Kuerig.

[ktgrok]

Do you use a lot of generic pods by any chance, or the refillable kind? The refillable ones often will clog my keurig - usually if the coffee is ground more finely. I think finer ground coffee is why the Cafe Bustelo tend to clog it as well. But seriously, take out the inner parts, smack them hard on the counter to dislodge anything, and use a needle or something to poke at the holes in the needle. That has worked every time for me. 

[katilac]

We're on our 2nd Keurig and I'm pretty sure both have lasted considerably longer than yours, so try Katie's ideas first. 

If it still gives trouble, you might try a Cuisinart. My aunt has one that uses K-cups, and it does feel noticeably more sturdy and generally a better design and more satisfying overall. 

[goldberry]

19 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

Do you use a lot of generic pods by any chance, or the refillable kind? The refillable ones often will clog my keurig - usually if the coffee is ground more finely. I think finer ground coffee is why the Cafe Bustelo tend to clog it as well. But seriously, take out the inner parts, smack them hard on the counter to dislodge anything, and use a needle or something to poke at the holes in the needle. That has worked every time for me. 

 

i use generic K-cups, but no refillable.  I've done the things you suggested.  I also did them on the last Keurig that broke.  The only thing that I don't do is use distilled water to fill.

[plansrme]

Do you always keep it plugged into the same outlet?  I wonder if you are having electrical surges or somesuch that could be frying the electronics.  I ask because my husband's Keurig also dies every couple of years.  The most recent iteration, though, he has to unplug after every use, or it makes the kitchen lights blink.  Just being plugged in and powered on, even if it is not brewing, it is clearly sucking a lot of power.  On the other hand, it has lasted longer than any of its predecessors, which makes me wonder if the electrical current was their cause of death.