There is no doubt that the idea of a quick, fresh one-cup shot of joe with no muss or fuss is appealing. You know what isn’t appealing though? The cup of coffee. Part of my objection to the K-cupafication of America is the cost and waste of using K-cups, from the dollar-a-cup cost to the amount of plastic that ends up in the landfill. Even when purchased in bulk, the cost of each capsule is at least 50 cents and is often about a buck. I posted an entry nearly a decade ago about this, but I have to admit that I have become more enlightened. It is still expensive, and still only marginally less environmentally-sucky, but Things Change.
I had to finally admit that I could make a decent cup of coffee with a K-cup, and that, despite my long-brewing dissatisfaction with the technology, it has an inevitability in the workplace. The cognitive dissonance that comes with relaxing into accepting the finely-ground encapsulated pods of unknown origin and age as opposed to demanding single-origin fresh-roasted beans ground immediately before use and brewed like a chemistry experiment is hard to overcome.
But a few simple things improved my K-cup experience. First, there is much more variety. Just about every major coffee brand, including many small specialty roasters, now include K-Cup product lines. The variety of roasts and single-origin beans has expanded.
Second, a few changes to the Keurig brewer makes a much better cup of coffee. Last, you have to lean-in to the convenience if you can make a decent cup. Here is what I do. I have set the water temperature as high as possible. Good coffee should be brewed around 200°F, but you can get a Keurig brewer up to 195°F, which is close. To make the best cup I use two K-cups and the smallest size setting on the machine. That yields a pretty decent beverage.
Last, it is just so damn convenient. And it is still cheaper than going to Starbucks. Just like the music on Spotify, you trade off some quality for ease of use. And believe me, I love music, but I have thousands of LP records and CDs I haven’t listened to in years.
