Jun 2010
19
Keurig uses patented K-cups, individual servings of coffee designed especially for the machine. For the Green Mountain coffee, you’d pay about 50 cents per cup of coffee. Ouch! So I went surfing around for ways to save money on the cost. I found some great ways to save money on coffee for the Keurig, along with ways everyone else can save on coffee. Here goes…
My K-Cup
Amazon is definitely the cheapest place to buy Keurig K-cups. By ordering a subscription service, you can get 50 servings of coffee by “The Coffee People” for $17 a box, with free shipping. That brings the cost down to 34 cents a serving, much more doable. Still, I wanted to do even better. Then I found a device for just $15 that will let me use whatever coffee I want in my machine. It’s called a “My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter.” There are a few tricks to using this device successfully, especially for dark roast junkies like me.
One reviewer suggests taking the bottom from a used K-cup and inserting it into the bottom of the filter to slow down the drip. Apparently, the coffee goes through too quickly, creating a weak cup of coffee. Another problem is that some grounds may get through the filter and end up at the bottom of your cup. But for the cost savings of running a single-serve machine, I could live with these issues.
My-Cap
Another similar product from a different maker is the My-Cap. This is a product that lets you re-use K-cups several times before discarding them. It’s not perfect, prone to leaks and may leave some grounds, but the consensus is that it brews a cup of coffee superior to the My K-cup device. This device retails at about $10.
EZ-Cup
Finally, there is the EZ-cup for about $13. One user reported significant problems figuring out the correct configuration, but others just loved it. On the downside, you need to buy $5 filters for this device, creating more waste and a continuing cost. Another version of this device, the Perfect Pod Holster, lists for $20 and lets you use pods instead of K-cups. This may be a good alternative for those who don’t want to mess around with the grounds but still want a more affordable cup of coffee.
Why Single-Serve Brew Saves Money
With my old drip brewer, there was always unused coffee left over. Then there’s the problem of the differing tastes between my husband and me. To me, his coffee tastes more like tea. He calls mine road sludge. With the single serve machine, we can each have what we like without wasting coffee by brewing two different pots. We have found that we both like the store brand Columbian roast, just at different strengths. Also, you only heat water and use energy as needed instead of leaving the maker on for hours as your coffee grows stale.
So What if You Don’t Have a Keurig?
If I didn’t have a Keurig to use, I’d be following some of these other tips I found in my travels:
- Get a used gift card. If you must buy your coffee from a shop instead of making your own, go online and try to find a used gift card. Ebayers have them up for sale, offering you a savings on the cash value of the card. Let’s face it, not everyone drinks coffee…and those who were given cards for the stuff don’t mind selling them to get a few extra bucks in their pockets.
- Try reusing your coffee grounds. I know this sounds really nasty, but I tried it and honestly, I could barely tell the difference. I took my husband’s grounds from his weak brew, added a few more tablespoons of fresh grounds and re-brewed. It was a good strong cup of coffee!
- Roast your own. As it turns out, green coffee beans (pick them up at Trader Joes or your favorite green grocer) can be roasted on top the stove, in an old-fashioned popcorn kettle or in your convection oven. Look into saving money by making your own roast, just be sure you piggy back your roasting when doing it in the oven to save money.
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