Is good coffee even possible with a Keurig?

Coffee preparation techniques besides espresso like pourover.
maccompatible
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#1: Post by maccompatible »

Earlier this year, my first leap in better coffee was replacing my Keurig brewer with an Aeropress. We were tired of the expense of pre-packaged "k-cups" and the poor quality of the reusable ones. Shortly after I bought a grinder and then finally an espresso machine. Looking back, though, I've been wondering about the Keurig. With fresh, high quality beans and a good grinder, is it possible to find the right grind setting/technique to make a good cup?
"Wait. People drink coffee just for the caffeine??"
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cygnusx1
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#2: Post by cygnusx1 »

maccompatible wrote:With fresh, high quality beans and a good grinder, is it possible to find the right grind setting/technique to make a good cup?
You've made the turn, Matthew, much like I did coming from Tassimo then Nespresso. DON'T LOOK BACK!! :lol:

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maccompatible (original poster)
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#3: Post by maccompatible (original poster) »

cygnusx1 wrote:You've made the turn...DON'T LOOK BACK!! :lol:
I don't intend to! I'm rid of that thing and am loving the espresso I'm making now. 8) I'm just curious if someone with some know-how could turn out a good cup from it.
"Wait. People drink coffee just for the caffeine??"
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kajer
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#4: Post by kajer »

I think it was on one of the many kick starters I have seen , but they had a graph showing different machines and brew tempatures, and the K machine was one of the worst offenders. The water is not hot enough and the steep time is too short for actual coffee.

Someone else once said, a k machine is basically a poorly designed americano machine, not a coffee maker.

all hear-say unless I find links, but I'm lazy :(

maccompatible (original poster)
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#5: Post by maccompatible (original poster) »

kajer wrote:they had a graph showing different machines and brew tempatures, and the K machine was one of the worst offenders. The water is not hot enough
Just found this gem on Keurig's website.
Keurig believes that the optimal temperature for brewing coffee, tea and hot cocoa is 192° F.
source: http://www.keurig.com/support/k-cup-brewers
"Wait. People drink coffee just for the caffeine??"
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varnex
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#6: Post by varnex »

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kajer
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#7: Post by kajer »

Found the first graphic: Invergo kickstarter

I doubt that this graph fairly represents the other brew methods... I know my manual brew method is between 205 and 195 when I am pouring it, and it doesn't take 9 minutes :)


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Mark08859
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#8: Post by Mark08859 »

In a technical sense, as shown above, users of this board would say "no" - Keurig does not make a good cup of coffee. Not being a consumer of regular coffee, I can't render a personal opinion. But, taste is highly subjective. Everyone I know that has a Keurig, or a machine similar to it, likes it (loves it actually). So, if you ask Keurig owners if their machine makes good coffee, my guess is that the overwhelming response would be "yes".

mr_pedro
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#9: Post by mr_pedro »

maccompatible wrote: Just found this gem on Keurig's website.
Keurig believes that the optimal temperature for brewing coffee, tea and hot cocoa is 192° F.

it gets even better :lol: :
Can I change the internal temperature?

Several Keurig brewers and Keurig licensed brewers are designed with an adjustable internal brew temperature. Models with this feature include the Special Edition, Ultimate, Platinum, Select, Cuisinart, Breville and OfficePRO® Premier. These brewers allow you to adjust the pre-set temperature of 192°F down by 5 degrees for a temperature range of 187-192°F.

jbviau
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#10: Post by jbviau »

The newer Keurig 2.0 machines will brew at 197 for "K-Carafe packs." Anyway, the coffee itself certainly matters quite a bit. For example, by far the best k-cup I ever tried was GMCR's Cerro Azul Geisha (limited edition, in 2012).
"It's not anecdotal evidence, it's artisanal data." -Matt Yglesias

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