Starbucks + K-Cups = Coffee Nirvana

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I know it may sound like heresy but I’m not a fan of Starbuck’s coffee. That’s right, I’m more a Dunking’ Donuts kind of guy. Lately, however, I’ve been drinking a lot of Starbuck’s coffee and really enjoying it. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me step back a bit and explain.

If you are going to take blogging seriously, especially if, as is the case with all of us here on Gear Diary, you actually do it IN ADDITION to ones vocation, there are a few key things you are going to need. You need a good computer or tablet, you need a decent chair and you need… Coffee- lots and lots of coffee. Pressed coffee is delicious and strong but it takes time to make and cleanup is a pain. My Cuisinart grind and brew coffee maker makes a good pot of coffee but it takes time to setup, the grinder sounds like a plane is taking off and the cleanup is easy but only so long as you have a dishwasher. If not clean up is a bear. That’s where Keurig’s brewing system comes in handy. As the company explains:

· The Keurig brewing system offers a coffee house quality cup of coffee for just a fraction of the cost with the convenience of brewing instantly (in under 60 seconds).
· Each K-Cup portion pack contains just the right amount of coffee to satisfy every taste profile (and there are over 250 flavor varieties of coffee, tea, hot cocoa and ice beverages!)
· The innovative K-Cup technology offers a great cup of coffee without the mess of grinding coffee beans and loading grounds into coffee filters.

I’ve had a Keurig at home and in my office for years. Joel reviewed the Keurig Elite Brewing System a while ago, and Wayne reviewed the Ultra B 50 before that. Most recently, Judie reviewed the Keurig’s Mini-Plus Personal Brewing System and had this to say about it,

What I Like: Brews a hot beverage in about a minute; available in five different colors; the Mini Plus is small enough that it doesn’t take up a tremendous amount of shelf space; K-Cups come in a wide variety of beverage choices

In other words, despite a few initial bumps when Judie first got the Mini Plus, we are all big fans of the Keurig’s system. That’s why, when I was offered a chance to sample some of Starbuck’s new K-Cups for the Keurig’s brewing system I jumped at the opportunity. As it says on the Starbuck’s website

Introducing Starbucks® brew now in K-Cup® Portion Packs. Finally, the taste you love from Starbucks is now available in K-Cup® Portion Packs. In each cup you will find 40 years of expertise sourcing and roasting the world’s finest coffee beans. Look for the following six varieties of Starbucks coffee K-Cup® Portion Packs and two varieties of Tazo® Tea K-Cup® Portion Packs where you buy groceries. And bring the aroma, body and rich flavor of the Starbucks Experience to your home.

So what do they have to offer?

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The company was kind enough to send me a few K-Cups with their House Blend and their French Roast. They also sent an awesome Starbucks Ceramic Travel Tumblers. The house blend was a delicious, smooth cup of coffee. The real surprise was that, contrary to what I expected, the French Roast was neither too bitter nor too strong. It was bold but in a good, “get up and get going” kind of way.

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In all I’m rather impressed with the flavor and am more than a bit surprised to find myself really liking Starbuck’s coffee for once. Bear in mind though that the Starbuck’s name and the K-Cup’s convenience don’t come cheap. A 30 pack of their House Blend is over $40. Then again, when you think about what you actually spend each time you stop into a Starbuck’s… This is kind of a deal… Right?

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

3 Comments on "Starbucks + K-Cups = Coffee Nirvana"

  1. My Kroger started carrying these and I bit when the were on sale and I have to say it’s a favorite K-cup, but for 9 dollars for 10 it is pricier than others. I DO like it though!

    I also noticed that they started carrying Swiss Miss Cocoa in a K-cup and Tazo Tea as well. The Tazo is decently priced too!

  2. If you like these I would encourage you to give the Barrista Prima brand k cups a try as well. They’re about the same price as the Starbucks cups but I find I like them even more (and I really like the Starbucks cups).  Target has them, $15 for 18 cups. They’re worth a try.

  3. We have one of these at work and it’s great.  A good way to try different coffee types without necessarily having to invest in a single large quantity.  I’m with Dan though…while I can drink Starbucks just fine, I’m not too fond of their style of roasting.

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