Taking a cup of coffee every morning has become a lifestyle for almost everybody today. For those that don’t make their own coffee at home, you see them sipping coffee from paper or plastic cups while catching a train, walking, or driving to work. Coffee contains healthy antioxidants and nutrients, but the reason why most people take coffee is to stay sharp and alert in the early hours of the day. Nobody wants to have to taste anything unpleasant or bitter, so we all dig deep in search of the perfect brew of coffee and most times, it boils down to two major brewing coffee methods - the traditional coffee maker (drip coffee) and Keurig (K-Cup).
The truth is both methods are suitable for brewing good coffee, but people tend to choose based on preference and coffee requirements. Let’s take a quick dive into the features of these two brewing methods, and see if a Keurig is actually better than a traditional coffee maker.
Brewing Speed
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When it comes to time required to prepare a single-serve coffee, Keurig machines come out on top because of their fast brewing capacity which is usually in less than a minute. Yes, with a Keurig machine, you’d be getting your warm coffee in less than 60 seconds- more like instant coffee.
If you’re the type that’s always in a hurry to leave home for work, you might want to consider getting a Keurig machine because of its ability to make instant coffee. The traditional coffee maker on the other hand takes quite some time to finish brewing your coffee, plus, you also have to constantly grind your whole beans to get great and quality coffee. However, new generation coffee makers now come with a timer, meaning you don’t have to wait for your coffee to brew before taking it. All you have to do is set a timer for your traditional coffee maker to start brewing you some coffee, so that by the time you’re ready for work, your coffee is hot and ready for drinking.
So both brewing methods help with time management and it boils down to personal preference and choice.
Price and Cost Effectiveness
Image Source: W/n w/n coffee bar
Ah, price… The one element that might actually determine the coffee maker you purchase at the end of the day, and that’s why it is vital to deal with the topic pretty early. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Keurig machines are more expensive than traditional coffee makers (or maybe it does).
Many stores that sell Keurig machines have the least expensive ones for as high as $100, meanwhile you’d be able to get a decent traditional coffee maker for as low as $15- that’s an $85 gap between the two coffee brewing machines. Wild.
According to Atlantic story, the small amounts of coffee in each K-Cup may cost as high as $40 per pound which is about three times the cost of a pound of regular ground coffee. On an average, you could be saving about $400 per year with traditional coffee makers- sounds dreamy and makes it wonder why you’d be splashing so much on a Keurig when there’s a cheaper option. However, think of it as paying extra for convenience, quality, and freedom to enjoy whatever flavor of coffee you want.
Maintenance
Check out: How to Clean Your Keurig
Keurig machines are relatively easier to maintain than traditional coffee makers. With a Keurig machine, you only have to think about cleaning and descaling every 3-6 months, but with traditional coffee makers, you have to clean the filters and baskets almost every day to prevent accumulation of coffee residues which may affect coffee quality and your health in the long run. Cleaning and descaling a Keurig machine is a simple process, and you only have to think about it every three months or more.
Management of Resources
Image Source: The Nation
While it is true that K-Cups coffee pods are a lot more expensive than regular ground coffee, Keurig machines make up for it by making the most of the coffee pods. The machine has options for you to select your brew size- meaning there’s zero or little room for wastage, meanwhile in traditional coffee makers, you’ll most likely be pouring a lot of excess coffee down the drain.
Coffee Quality
Image Source: Dripped Coffee
Once again, Keurig machines come out on top when it comes to brewing the best type of coffee. Unlike traditional coffee makers, Keurig machines actually brew coffee of café quality and flavor. With Keurig machines, you can select or make a blend of your favorite café flavors since many coffee brands now have their own custom coffee pods. You can easily brew coffee flavors ranging from Starbucks and Nescafe to Costa Coffee, Dunkin Donuts, Gloria Jeans and even Nespresso
.To cap it all, these individual brands also have their own custom flavors, caffeine strength, and coffee roast, which you can select from while using Keurig machines. The range and flexibility that comes with the quality of coffee from Keurig machines is massive, and it is one of the reasons why the Keurig machines are slowly replacing traditional coffee makers in many homes. With traditional coffee makers you have to stick to what is in your pot, thereby limiting your taste buds to the potential range of coffee flavors that you could choose from.
Space Efficiency
Image Source: Country Living Magazine
One of the most common scopes of kitchen designs today is space management. That’s why there are new kitchen equipment that are smaller than what they used to be in order to make kitchens look more organized and less “all over the place.” Keurig machines fit into such designs better than traditional coffee makers do, because of their relatively small sizes and thus, the space they take on your kitchen counter top. Basically, Keurig machines are a lot more portable that the other option.
Ease of Use
Keurig machines are relatively easy to operate and offer less stress in making some quality coffee. Unlike in traditional coffee makers where you’ll have to ground your coffee beans, pour it in, and add water, Keurig machines only require you to pour in water, put your K-Cup in place, choose your brew size, and place your coffee mug under. Easy-peasy.
In Conclusion
From all indications, it seems like Keurig machines are better traditional coffee makers, but once again, it all boils down to preference and choice. Deciding to choose a traditional coffee maker over a Keurig wouldn’t be a terrible choice, but that means you’d be missing out on a lot of perks that a Keurig offers.
