Keurig

Keurig is a Reading, Massachusetts-based coffee machine manufacturing company, known for its K-Cup single-serving brewing system.

Company

Keurig was founded in 1992. In 2006, they became a subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

In North America, Keurig claims a significant market presence:

• 2.5 million beverages dispensed per day
• 200,000 office installations
• 6% of all coffee brewed every day

K-Cup system

The inside of a used K-Cup, with the top foil and the used coffee grounds removed, revealing the filter.

K-Cup machines are all designed to quickly brew a single cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or other hot beverage. The grounds (or other brew material) are supplied in a prepared, single-serving unit, called a "K-Cup". Once the machine has warmed up, the user inserts a K-Cup into the machine, places a mug under the spout, and invokes the brew feature; within 20 to 60 seconds, the beverage is ready. By omitting the K-Cup, users can also dispense a mug of hot water, which can then be used for instant soup or other hot drinks not available in the K-Cup form.

Keurig machines brew coffee or tea by piercing the foil seal on top of the plastic K-Cup with a spray nozzle, while simultaneously piercing the bottom of the K-cup with a discharge nozzle. Grounds contained inside the K-cup sit within a paper filter. A measured quantity of hot water is forced through the K-Cup, passing through the grounds and through the filter into the waiting cup or mug below. A brewing temperature of 192 degrees Fahrenheit (89 Celsius) is the default setting, with some models permitting users to reduce the temperature somewhat, per preference.

Machine models

Keurig currently offers the following models:

• Household use only
  • B30 Mini (available in multiple colors)
  • B40 Elite
  • B44 Classic (available from grocery stores)
  • B60 Special Edition
  • B66 Ultimate Edition (available from Costco)
  • B70 Platinum (available primarily in black, but also in "Cinnamon" from Kohl's as well as Costco)

• Commercial use
  • B3000SE
  • B200
  • B155
  • B150
  • B140
  • OfficePro
  • DeskPro

There are also models from Breville, made by the Australian company of the same name, Cuisinart, and Mr. Coffee all introduced in 2010.

Commercial Keurig machines automatically remove used K-Cups into a disposal receptacle within the machine. Machines intended for home or small office use require the used K-Cup to be removed manually before brewing the next beverage. Another difference between the two classes of machines is that some commercial models are connected to a water supply line, whereas some of the home and small office machines have water tanks that need to be refilled manually.

K-Cup varieties

File:K-Cup-Silo.gif

Five K-Cups

K-Cups come in a range of varieties, flavored coffee, and roast and blend options. Keurig has ties to a number of coffee roasters, tea makers and other beverage makers, which have created K-Cup versions of their products. Many of these companies offer fair-trade and organic varieties of their beverages.

In addition to prepackaged filters, Keurig also produces a reusable filter called the My-K Cup, which allows conventional ground coffee to be used. The My K-Cup is an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable K-Cups, but compatible only with home brewer models; it also allows the use of coffees not available in K-cup form, which can drastically reduce both the expense and waste of K-cups. In addition, some companies have created lids allowing users to reuse spent K-cups.

List of brands

The following brands offer products in the K-Cup packaging:

• Barista Prima Coffeehouse
• Bigelow Tea Company
• Cafe Escapes
• Caribou Coffee
• Celestial Seasonings
• Coffee People (Donut Shop Coffee)
• Diedrich/Gloria Jeans
• Donut House
• Dunkin' Donuts
• Emeril
• Folgers
• Gloria Jeans
• Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
• Grove Square Coffee
• Keurig coffee
• Millstone Coffee
• Newman's Own
• Starbucks (Announced 3/10/2011)
• Timothy's World Coffee
• Tully's
• Twinings
• Van Houtte
• Wolfgang Puck

See also

• Flavia Beverage Systems
• Nespresso
• Senseo
• Caffitaly
• Tassimo
• Coffee pod
• Coffee service
• T-Discs

Sources

• "Keurig Brewing". Keurig. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
• "About K-Cups". Keurig. Retrieved 30 July 2010.

External links

• Official Keurig web site
• Official Green Mountain Coffee web site
• Keurig Reviews