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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
Keurig Platinum Coffee Brewing System
My new favorite gadget in my home is the Keurig Platinum Coffee Brewing System. Honestly I have never enjoyed a cup of coffee at home more than I have the past few weeks since getting this product. Now I look forward to getting out of bed in the morning because I know I will have a hot, delicious cup of coffee in just a matter of a minute or two.
This system has a 60 ounce reservoir which will make many cups of coffee without refilling. It is so quiet you hardly know it’s on. There are five settings for cup sizes so you can fill your large mugs, travel mugs, regular mugs or your tea cups. One note on this: you might have to play with it a few times to figure out which setting is the correct one for your different cups. They estimate the sizes at 4 ounce, 6 ounce, 8 ounce, 10 ounce and 12 ounce sizes.
The unit is programmable so you can set the digital clock to have the brewer turn on and/or turn off at a certain time. If you don’t set the Auto On feature, then all you have to do is simply flick the switch on the back and wait just a couple minutes. It doesn’t take a long time to get ready to brew. You can also set your favorite cup size. That way you do not have to select the cup size each time you use the brewer. Don’t worry if you want to use a smaller cup when you have your setting at the largest cup size. All you have to do in this case is select the smaller setting and when that cup is filled the setting will revert to your programmed size.
The best thing about this unit is the coffee. The Keurig brews individual cups of coffee using the K-Cups, which are available in several locations (Target, several online sites, Costco and more). There are many options for K-Cups. There are flavored coffees, decaffeinated coffees, decaffeinated flavored coffees, half-caffeinated coffees, dark roast coffees, and just about any kind of coffee you can imagine. And, this unit also makes delicious hot chocolate. Yep, there are even K-Cups of chocolate for a smooth, scrumptious treat on a cold rainy day. And one more goody. There are even K-Cups of tea. You can purchase several varieties of tea to go with your Keurig brewing system.
Now, you might already have a lot of coffee already in your pantry and want to use that up, or perhaps you have a favorite blend of coffee that is not yet available in K-Cups. The solution is simple. For a separate purchase you can get the My K-Cup which is a plastic device in which you put your ground coffee or tea and insert it into the brewer. The only down side of this is that after your cup of coffee is ready, you have to clean out the coffee grinds from the My K-Cup. It’s not a big deal, but with the packaged K-Cups, when your coffee is ready all you do is open the unit, take out the used K-Cup, and throw it away.
Here’s some other hints when using your brewer. If you love variety and don’t happen to have a lot of different coffee K-Cups on hand, simply brew a plain cup of coffee and flavor it with Coffee-Mate flavored creamers. They’re delicious. Of course, you can always order a box of flavored K-Cups too.
To be honest, since I got my Keurig I have not visited Starbucks or any other coffee house. Sure, the K-Cups are a bit pricey, but they’re nothing compared to a cup of coffee at one of these trendy spots. And don’t forget about the My K-Cup which lets you use any coffee and can cut costs if you’re watching your pennies these days.
Keurig also offers racks, carousels, and towers to store your K-Cups. These are not necessary, but do make it easy to see what you have on hand. And, if you have people over, they can easily select their own preference for their coffee or tea. With the brewing system everyone gets to select their favorite. Friends and family will enjoy being able to choose what they want to drink instead of everyone having to have the same kind of coffee that is in the pot.
As for the unit itself, it doesn’t take up much space and is sleek and clean looking to blend in with any décor.
Everyone in our house enjoys the Keurig. Now we get coffee the way we want, and it’s fresh with each cup. No more having to brew a pot for just one or two cups, or reverting to instant in the middle of the day in lieu of brewing a pot. Just flick on the Keurig and enjoy.
© 2009 Francine Brokaw
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