Can I recycle used Keurig K-Cups?

Question:

After I use my Keurig single serve brewer, can I recycle the used K-cup? Do you know whether the plastic is recylable?

Answer:

Good question. It can be pretty frustrating to see the discarded K-cups piling up. With today's concern about being green, this is a big question for many companies. K-Cups include the plastic cup, as well as the foil lid and filter material inside. To my knowledge K-Cups are not recylcable and I found a site at the Green Mountain website that pretty much says the same thing.

Which Keurig single cup brewer would be best for you and your budget?

Single cup coffee brewing systems are increasingly popular and they keep getting better.

Single Cup Coffee Brewers...enjoy gourmet coffee the quick and easy way

Single cup coffee makers brew you a fresh cup of coffee, quickly, with no grinding and without having to clean up coffee grounds...one delicious cup at a time.

Sounds pretty good...and it is. But a gourmet coffee drinker really wants to know what  you give up in exchange for the added convenience.

Fair enough. First, let's consider the three types of single serve coffee machines you can choose from. Those are:

• K-Cup Brewers - which use K-Cups.There are five different K-Cup brewers. They are manufactured by Keurig and all are available through Green Mountain Coffee.

• Pod Brewers - which use coffee pods. There are many different manufacturers of coffee pod brewers, and a variety of different types. Most are sold on Amazon.com through our one cup coffee maker store.

• Tassimo Brewers - which use T-Discs. There are the Tassimo brewers, made by Braun and by Bosch. Both are available through Amazon.com .

After you have your brewer, you must then use sealed cups or pods of ground coffee that work with that particular type of brewer. The ground coffee is easy to use for brewing. You simply insert the approriate container (K-Cup, pod or T-Disc) in the coffee maker, put water in the reservoir, and press a button. The water heats and gurgles into the grounds and in a minute or slightly longer you have one freshly brewed cup of coffee. There are no messy filters to throw away.

Making your decision

So, would you be happy with a a single cup coffee brewer?  You will be thrilled if you just want to brew a single cup of coffee now and then, on demand. It is also great if you love gourmet coffee but don't like to grind beans or brewing a full pot takes too long.  Not having to deal with soggy coffee grounds and the sloppy filter is also a plus.

But before you buy, here are possible disadvantages to consider.

1. Single cup brewers limit your coffee choices. If you grind whole beans to grind, you can chose from hundreds of coffees, in stores and online, After you decide on a particular type of brewer (K-Cup, pod or T-Disc) you will have to chose coffees available in that particular format. Some people find this too high of a sacrifice.
2. The coffee will cost you more. In other words, if you want more than one cup of coffee at a time, you are probably better off with a traditional brewer. That is because the pre-packaged coffee containers for the single cup brewers are not as cheap as loose coffee beans. So if saving money is important and you prefer two or three (or more) cups of coffee then you will spend more on the coffee made with the single cup brewer.

Your tastes...your lifestyle…your choice

After considering the options and their own tastes and lifestyle, many people decide to choose...both! You may want to have a single cup brewer for a tasty, quick and convenient cup of hot coffee with no mess or cleanup. And a traditional coffee maker that allows you to experiment with different types of coffee beans, and grind your own to taste. If you can only chose one type, we think that if you drink one cup at a time, and can find coffees available through the K-Cup, pod and T-Disc single cup brewers, that you will enjoy your single cup coffee maker.

You can find out more about available models, reviews and price ranges at our Single Serving Coffee Maker Store or go directly to Keurig Single Serve Coffee Makers for the popular single serve coffee systems.

We have more information about Choosing the Right Keurig Single Serving Brewer for your Lifestyle and Budget here...

For the Top of the Line Breville Single Serve Coffee Brewer with Keurig Technology

Back to Finding the Best Coffee Makers

Gourmet Coffee Gifts for Coffee Lovers...One cup coffee makers and much, much more

For the perfect gift for a coffee lover, for a birthday or Chirstmas or other special ocassion, consider a single cup coffee maker.

Your spouse, other family member or friend will love receiving a single serve coffee maker as a gift. Minutes after unwrapping their single serve coffee maker, gourmet coffee smells will fill the air and they will be enjoying a freshly brewed, delicious cup of gourmet coffee. Who knows, maybe you can brew a cup yourself, too!

Although these are extremely popular and should be strongly considered, I've also listed other gourmet coffee gifts for you to choose from. This article should help you when trying to find that perfect gift, and you will also get ideas that you may want to put on your own wish list.

The automatic versions of single serve coffee makers are increasingly popular. With more than a dozen types of single serve coffee machines to choose from, you're sure to find one that will fit your budget and lifestyle. I'lve given my recommendations and reviews of the single serve coffee makers below.

Gourmet Coffee Gift #1 - The Keurig Platinum B70 Single-Cup Brewer

Keurig coffee systems are great for brewing your first cup of coffee in the morning. Also wonderful for entertaining, this system lets you serve each guest a cup of his or her favorite gourmet coffee.

Over 150 varieties of prepackaged, sealed coffee are available as K-Cups for use in the Keurig. Just pop one K-Cup, unopened into the coffee maker, press a button, and water from the coffee reservoir brews your coffee at exactly the right pressure and amount, and at the perfect temperature.

This patented technology gives a great cup of coffee every time and there is no messy grinding or clean up. The Platinum B70 model offers more features and convenience than the entry level Special Edition (B40) and Elite models (B60), but is one step under the high-end Breville model.

I like the extra styling touches on the Platinum model, especially for a gift. These Keurig machines get consistently high reviews.

You can buy the Keurig B70 here

Gourmet Coffee Gift #2 - Tassimo Single Serve Coffee Brewer from Bosch

Tassimo "hot beverage systems" make a great cup of coffee...and more. With a touch of a button, a Tassimo machine makes coffee, tea, hot chocolate, plus cappuciinos and lattes with real milk. Tassimo machines are made by Bosch and Braun, and they use T-Discs coffee packages (not K-Cups like Keurig).

Here's a really neat feature that ensures the perfect hot beverage. Each T-Disc has a bar code that the machine scans, to identify the drink desired, and then automatically adjusts to provide the optimal brewing time, temperature and amount of water needed.

A perfect blend of technology and taste awaits. This is a great way to enjoy coffee and other hot beverages, perfectly brewed every time, and without any mess or fuss.

You can buy the Tassimo Hot Beverage System here

Gourmet Coffee Gift #3 - The Senseo SL7890/15 Single Serve Coffee Machine

The Senseo is the third type of single serve coffee maker, popular for its affordable price and great coffee taste,

The Senseo uses "coffee pods" that are like little tea bags, to brew a single serving of fresh gourmet coffee a the touch of a button.

This model is the newest of the lower priced Senseo brewers, and it is a good combination of price and convenience.

The pods for Senseo coffee makers are available in a variety of coffees and flavors. You can choose from a number of gourmet coffees, decaffeinated coffee, capuccino, teas, hot chocolate and more, including Senseo pods in variety packs.

The Senseo is simple, easy to use and easy to clean. It makes a great "first" single serve coffee maker.

I like the overall selection of coffee available through the Keurig K-Cups better but you are sure to find one or more coffees you like in the Senseo pods, too. You can buy the Senseo Single-Serve Coffee Machine here.

Gourmet Coffee Gift #4 - Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder

With the right grinder, your coffee will taste even better.

The blade grinders are inexpensive and quick. However, for the best coffee you should use a conical burr grinder. This is more like the old mill grinding wheel.

With a burr grinder, the coffee will be ground to a uniform particle size. Plus, yo can have a variety of grind settings, from coarse to very fine. The Capresso lets you grind everything from very fine (espresso...or even finer for Turkish roast) to coarsely ground (French Press) and type of grind in between.

This is an easy to use burr grinder that should give you years of dependable service. Capresso is a quality name for fine coffee grinders.

This can be an excellent gift idea if your spouse, family or friend already has a single serve coffee machine. By grinding their own coffee and then using one of the reusable filters (for example, the My K-Cup reusable filter for Keurig), they can use their own beans in their single serve coffee maker.

The Capresso also allows you to grind coffee slowly so it doesn't become charged with static electricity. If you've ever ground coffee in a blade grinder, you know how the coffee wants to stick everywhere and is a mess to clean up. That's because of the static charge that the fast grinding action creates. The burr grinder uses a slower speed, and you will not get the static build up. You also keep the taste, because the slow grind does not heat up the coffee like a blade would do. Your coffee has already been roasted once, you don't want your grinder to do it again!

You can buy the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder here

Gourmet Coffee Gift #5 - Capresso Thermal Coffee Maker

This is my pick for automatic drip coffee maker. You can buy some other very good coffee makers with thermal pots but if you spend a little extra the Capresso will greatly improve your coffee flavor.

Everything about this coffee maker will elevate your coffee. It has all the extras, including

• charcoal water filter (easily replaceable) for top quality water taste
• stainless steel thermal carafe to keep your coffee hot until you drink it (no more cooked coffee)
• drip stop to grab a quick cup while the rest of the pot brews
• fully digital, programable auto brew

All you do is sip and enjoy. Having this in your kitchen is like hiring a five star chef come in to your home to brew the perfect cup of coffee.

I really like the thermal carafe, because your coffee will still taste good an hour later. No more of that thick, burned coffee taste after it sits in a glass carafe on a hot plate.

You can purchase the Capresso Thermal Coffee Maker here.

If you want to consider another alternative with many of the features but not quite in the same league, you might look at the Cuisinart thermal coffee maker, too.

Enjoy these great coffee gifts

For birthday, Christmas or any other special event, your coffee lover would be thrilled to receive any of these coffee gift ideas.

For another gift idea: gourmet coffee gift baskets.