Maker of Choice: Keurig

Okay, I'll be the first to admit it: I'm a coffee snob. I like my coffee a certain way, a certain temperature, a certain strength, etc. The Keurig brewing system allows you to literally be your own barista. I can change the temperature that the brewer brews my coffee to all at the click of a button. I've been a satisfied Keurig owner for just over a year, and I'm thinking it's about time that I share the adventures I go on with my brewer. However odd that might sound, fellow coffee addicts/lovers/snobs will understand completely.

I thought I would introduce this part of my blog with a basic introduction to the little beauty that keeps me going, and prevents anyone from losing their life. I'm not a morning person, and no one should really interact with me before I've had at least one cup of coffee.

Reasons To Love Keurig:
1. I love that I can customize pretty much everything about my brewer. (like cup size and temperature)
2. The reason I have moved on to the "single cup" brewer is because I typically don't drink more than one cup of coffee and I don't need a coffee maker with the capability of brewing 12 cups.
3. I can purchase my coffee from anywhere I please. I usually buy it from the Keurig website because I can buy the "k-cups" in larger quantities for less money than Target or Kohls, for example.
4. Easy to clean & descale. I love that the only part of the brewer I can't put in the dishwasher is the lid of the water reservoir. I'm not sure why you can't put the lid in the dishwasher, but I'm not one to experiment and find out. Another important step is periodically descaling the brewer, due to the gunk that can build up in the brewer. It's as easy as filling the water reservoir with vinegar and brewing steamy cups of vinegar. You do this without a k-cup in the machine, and until you are satisfied. I find that the brewer becomes loud when build up forms, and you will notice the machine gradually becoming quieter. Just make sure you brew plenty of water AFTER you're done with the vinegar, otherwise your creamer will curdle. You'll only make that mistake once, my friends.

Reasons NOT to Love Keurig:
1. One of the only downsides to this brewing system is that the k-cups can be pricey. However, if you're someone who adores coffee then you may be as willing as I am to pay for a quality cup of coffee. It's not like it's going to break the bank, but it's a little more expensive than buying your own beans of bags of coffee groups.

Solution:
Keurig actually sells a removable & reusable "k-cup" of their own. For those that want to use cheaper coffee, the good news is that you can buy one of these gadgets (I purchased mine at Amazon) and still enjoy a single cup of coffee. On the flipside, I feel like I can have a wider variety if I use k-cups because I can buy multiple boxes of coffee and not worry about their freshness.



  So that is basically the introduction to my brewer. I try new coffee (and creamers) about as often as I breathe. I'm someone who enjoys variety and my Keurig brewer allows me to do so. In posts to come, you can expect full reviews on coffees I try, my recommendations of coffee+creamer pairings, and any creamers I try.
xx Anna