<p>Our high end coffee maker quit on us 4 years ago and I replaced it with a Mr. Coffee one while I did “research” on another high end one. I hadn’t gotten around to replacing it when DH bought me a Keurig for Mother’s Day. I did not like the taste of the coffee. Not hot or “brewed” enough. At first, I thought it was the type of coffee I bought so I bought another. Still not to my liking. Then, I opened up some of the pods and brewed it in my Mr. Coffee maker. Much better. So, the Keurig went back to the store and Mr. Coffee is back on the kitchen counter.</p>
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<p>The coffee can only be as hot as the water that was used. A concern about the french press can be mitigated by a couple of easy steps. </p>
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<li>Allow the water to get very close to a full boil and use a bit to warm up both the glass and the carafe you will use for “storage”</li>
<li>Discard the water and place the freshly ground coffee. Add a bit of water and slush it around. Then fill the pot to the metal rim and let it stay for about four minutes.</li>
<li>Transfer the coffee to the carafe that was also preheated. Do not let the coffee stay too long in the french press as this contributes to an increased bitterness (as some have reported.) Do not try to get the last drop of coffee when transferring.</li>
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<p>The end product should be just as hot as from any other coffee maker. In case the milk is too cold, perhaps a quick trip to the microwave for the milk or a device such as the aeroccino might help. </p>
<p>People have different tastes in coffee. I have a couple of favorites and a couple of devices I do not like at all. It so happens that I think that the Keurig are not very good, and especially not in their cheaper version. I think that the coffee makers that use real pressure (such as the Nespresso with 15 Bars) make much better coffee. But others who grew up with the black liquid served on your typical breakfast diner might disagree. And so do the people who like that chicory-added “coffee” in NOLA.</p>
<p>De gustibus 
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<p>Lol, xiggi. I agree that Nespresso is a better machine that makes decent coffee. And Im not a coffee snob! :)</p>
<p>So much for my footprint issues, BB. Xiggi, for all that, I could stick with my current generic coffee maker and the steps that now work for me. Btw, I did read many, many online reviews from users and techies (seems some computer folks are into coffee machine analysis.) A divided issue, for sure. Looks like I’ll wait til some fateful day when I happen across a price so low I can’t resist. </p>
<p>LF, my details make it sound more complicated than it really is. A French press is actually quite easy to use and clean as long as there is a sink. The capsule systems are a bit simpler but the trade off is the cost and limited choices in the coffees. </p>
<p>All in all, it is easy to see why there many different opinions. I grew up in a family of coffee snobs and it took me two decades to understand all the fuss and the Euro versus South America debates. One point that was, however, beyond contention is that the “American” coffee was almost always awful! ;)</p>
<p>xiggi, is it my imagination or is the coffee made from a french press higher in caffeine? For some reason, it makes my heart beat fast!</p>
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<p>No you’re not. I tried a Keurig for about 3 years and just recently stopped. I got fed up with the poor quality of coffees available, and the fact that you are paying high prices for crap coffee. </p>
<p>So I’m back on my cuisinart drip maker and loving it again. Coffee tastes better, larger selection of coffee available, and it’s a lot cheaper.</p>
<p>And now I want some coffee…</p>
<p>I love my Keurig; my brother and Sister-in-law got me one when I graduated from college. It’s very small (it’s actually intended for use in hospitality) so it doesn’t take up much counter space in my small apartments.</p>
<p>I love the Van Houtte Raspberry Chocolate Truffle flavored K-Cups with a French Vanilla creamer; delicious.</p>
<p>I also learned how to make good French press coffee this year (best friend’s boyfriend was a barista at the local Starbucks and taught me.) So now I’m addicted to the French Press as well. That’s usually my weekend coffee.</p>
<p>I only drink one (maybe two cups) of coffee per day; caffeine is a big migraine trigger for me if I drink too much. And I live alone, so the single-cup works really well for me.</p>
<p>I only like using a French Press when I have a kitchen with an Instant Hot…but I do hate getting the grounds later. Is there a trick?</p>
<p>I wake up 1-3 hours before H does, so a keurig just works well for us. </p>
Reviving this to ask about Keurig vs Nespresso for a dorm room. I don’t see my boy doing the French press as getting boiling water and dumping grounds would be a bridge too far. I’m not crazy about the k-cup waste but am willing to let it go. The boy is a morning kid who needs his fix right out of bed and will be heading to a late rising town, so he will need his in-room source. So . . . what do people recommend for non-family use. We are still a French press and regular coffee maker family so I’ve only used a Keurig waiting at the orthodontist.
For a dorm room, I would think a Keurig would be easier for a few reasons, but particularly how easy it is to get Kcups these days.
We have an older Nespresso at home and our D3 loved it. Her older sister got her a smaller, used Nespresso on Craig’s List for about $50 as a high school graduation present and it’s working well in her dorm room. D3 likes espresso strictly for fuel so she doesn’t need milk or sugar around or anything complicated.
That being said, there are lots of Keurig machines in the dorms. They would probably work just as well depending on how strong your son likes his coffee to taste. Nespresso will taste a lot stronger!
ETA - there are other Nespresso compatible cups out there. One brand is Hi Line which is just as expensive, another is Gourmesso which is a bit cheaper.
And assuming money for the kcups isn’t an issue…bc they run close to .50 each.
We are strong coffee people but he has used the Keurig at friends’ houses and liked it fine. The thing I hate about reviews is there are always the people who have machines that quit after 2 weeks or made coffee that tasted like plastic. I overthink things reading online reviews. Have people used the mini vs the k45? I definitely wouldn’t want one that only used proprietary cups.
As long as he only uses 1-2 a day I am good. It’s still cheaper than buying coffee out and I just don’t see the grounds and whatnot in a dorm room. Does Starbucks make a K-cup compatible pod?
I used to be able to drink a pot at a sitting but this kid is not a heavy user. He is an addict who NEEDS his big cup in the morning, but rarely drinks coffee the rest of the day.
google to the rescue! We are golden, then. I let my neighbor’s dog out mid day in exchange for free Starbucks coffee (ground) and I’m sure they would through in lots of k-cups if I asked.
That makes it official then! 
so do people recommend the mini or the larger one?
My daughter and husband gave us one for Christmas with a bunch of K cups for hot chocolate and tea. My husband has used it two times and I haven’t used it all. Neither has my younger daughter. I feel guilty but we don’t drink coffee and I want my hot chocolate the way I’ve always made it.
Yep - I personally couldn’t see myself ever using one at home. In a dorm where there are issues of space and mess and ease and Y chromosome I think a Keurig is best.