Coffee. The word is a call to arms for some people and conjures images of others trying to hurry out the door with a cup in hand, or sitting at the table staring into the abyss of an early morning. But not everyone needs a full carafe of the beautiful bitter brew. Single serve coffee makers, or k-cup coffee makers, are popular for those who only need one, maybe two, cups in the morning, or one person in the home who drinks coffee. While all things have pros and cons, the invention of a single serve option has revolutionized drinking one of the world’s most popular beverages.
It also brings options such as buying one for the office and enabling the user to ensure they get their favorite flavors or preferred coffee roast style and strength. Several models are travel-friendly, making it easy for road warriors to carry with them during times away from home. With these options, it is easy to understand why so many have turned to a single brew coffee maker.
Create Your Own Coffeehouse
For years most homes had the one option, perhaps with a variety of flavored powdered creamers. The introduction of the single serve coffee makers changed the landscape, enabling people to make their own caffeinated brew, hot chocolate and tea to their preferences, weeding out the flavors that didn’t sit well on their tongue. Adjusting for caffeine and roasted preferences, every person now has the ability to be a home barista, by experimenting with different aromas and tastes. The revolution of coffee means every person can decide, create, and enjoy from the first cup of coffee to the last.
Popular Single Serve Coffee Brewers
There are many different brands of single serve coffee brewers available for purchase. Each has their highlights, so choosing any of them is likely a good call.
- Keurig – The brand that started it all. Keurig, offers several models of single cup coffee makers – from the most technologically advanced and varied styles of coffee to one that is simple and an easy press and go. Their number one rated is the Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker. According to various reviews of the appliance, easy to set up, easy to understand how to operate, and easily maintained.
- Mueller – The Mueller Ultima Single Serve is easy to operate, fits most sizes of k-cups, and at a more affordable price. A fair amount of the reviews are careful to point out it is quicker than their other single cup brewers in warming the water, and that the coffee comes out at the right temperature.
- Chulux – The Chulux Single Serve is perfect for the desk at the office or the traveler. Small, compact, lightweight, it offers a 12 oz water reservoir, one-touch operation, and auto shut off. While it doesn’t have a lot of the options others do, such as the exact amount of coffee in your cup, it does make it easier to travel and take along favorite flavors while away from home.
The Many Different K-Cups
Whatever the preference with coffee, there is k-cups for the coffee aficionado. Light, medium, or dark roasted, vanilla or hazelnut, diner or donut shop, there is a flavor, style, and roast to fit everyone.
There truly is no way to say one flavor is better since taste preferences vary from person to person; however, listed below is the most bought styles, and easily found in most U.S. grocery stores.
- Dunkin Donuts’ Original Blend is one of the most popular in the U.S. Found in almost every grocery store offering k-cups for sale, the light sweetness and acidic flavor maintains a rabid fan base wherever you live.
- Green Mountain Breakfast Blend comes in a handy second place, with the light flavor and low bitterness, this particular one has fans who want the caffeine without the heavy bitter flavor preferred by the dark brew crowd.
- Starbucks Pike Place Roast is a must have for any fan of the company’s signature coffee. A medium roast, it lacks the heavy bitterness of most styles.
- Keurig’s Donut Shop medium roast style for those that prefer the coffee offered in their favorite pastry shop. Perfect for dunking that wonderful sweetness and heading to work.
- Caribou Coffee, popular in the midwest, is a medium to dark roast, light on the bitter flavor and a favorite to enjoy while eating a bagel.
- Death Wish Coffee, an up and coming variety, with 200% more caffeine than competitors, it has a bitter flavor, dark roasted, and for those needing an extra jolt in the morning to start their day.
