I love my Keurig coffee maker. It’s my morning companion and has been for many years. Sometimes, though, I have coffee I want to try that is not available as a Keurig K-cup. While Keurig offers up an adapter that lets you use any ground coffee in a Keurig machine, my experience with it is not all too positive. Every time I’ve used it the reusable K-Cup leaks water all over the place. It is better than the wasteful K-Cups that are used once and then thrown in the trash or, more accurately, they would be if they worked. Sadly… they don’t.
So what to do? Well I have seen the Café Cup ads on TV during the holiday and seen them in the as seen on TV section many times and have been meaning to try it. We all know that sometimes gadgets like these do not work as promised so I was skeptical. I am happy to report that is not the case with the Café Cup. I have had nothing but success using the Café Cup.
What You Get?
I received the Café Cup as a Christmas gift from my brother. He got me the retail package which includes 4 Café Cups and a scoop. If purchased on the web or from the TV ad, it includes 2 scoops.
How Easy is It?
Very easy! Just measure out a scoop of coffee, put it in the cup and snap the lid shut. Insert it into your Keurig like you would normally do and press the button. You get the same great Keurig experience with a perfectly measured cup of coffee, but the real benefit here is that you get to “bring your own” coffee. More variety AND less waste!
Cleanup can be a bit messy but I do mine in the sink first. I just flip open the cap (be careful doing it right after a brew as it may be hot), turn on the water and rinse the grounds right into the garbage disposal. Afterwards, I just stick the cup into the top rack of my dishwasher and run it. If I want multiple cups of coffee and I only want to use one Café Cup, the quick rinse is sufficient and then I fill it again with coffee.
How Does it Taste?
I have to say it does a great job! Some might have some issues with the strength of the brew, but I don’t notice it as I usually use darker blends. If you have issue with the strength, then I would make multiple cups using the smaller cup setting on the Keurig.
Cost Savings?
The Café Cup website says that I can save up to 65 cents per cup using the Café Cup. However, this is assuming that I pay 75 cents per K-cup and buy really cheap coffee like Folgers. I probably won’t see that savings as I am probably going to start buying some beans from a local roaster. A pound of beans from my local roaster will run me about $9.99 depending on what I buy and since that’s whole bean it’s a bit hard to estimate how many cups I would get. It would be more than a 18 pack of K-cups that is for sure! I may see some savings unless I buy some single origin beans which can run as high as $35 a pound depending on the variety purchased. Also, if you purchase bulk 50 packs of K-cups on Amazon you can pay a lot less than 75 cents per cup. My favorite, Jet Fuel, runs about 59 cents a cup if you buy the 50 pack for $29.99 on Amazon. So your mileage may vary depending on where you buy your coffee or K-cups. Either way, there is less environmental impact when you use the Café Cup as now the only thing you are tossing are the used grounds.
Conclusion
The Café Cup is a good tool to have in your Keurig bag of tricks. My dad and my brother both have them but they have the same problem I do in that they enjoy the K-cups that they have tried too! So while I will definitely be using the Café Cup I will still be purchasing K-cups as I really like my Jet Fuel! 🙂
The Café Cup can be had for $10.99 direct from the TV ad website. You can also probably find them locally at Bed, Bath and Beyond or any place that sells Keurig coffee makers or has an “as seen on TV” section. You may even want to check Dollar General Store or Family Dollar as I’ve seen them there as well.
MSRP: $10.99
What I liked: I can use ANY kind of coffee I want in my Keurig including single origin and other blends I just can’t get in a K-cup. You can ALSO use this with loose tea to make a cup of tea!
What I didn’t care for: Can be messy.