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Why I'm mad at my Keurig
My Keurig ~sigh~ that freaking thing... it's been acting really crazy. It sometimes doesn't put out but about half the amount of coffee I select. It's supposed to brew 6, 8, or 10 ounces. I always select 10. I get about four and a half. And every time it brews, it takes a looong time to start.
This started happening a few months ago and I read up on all the "fixes" for a sulking Keurig. I've burped it, let it rest for a few days between uses. I run vinegar or citric rinse through it about once every couple of months. The coffee I get from it is of unreliable strengths and flavor. I've taken really good care of that thing. But I'm kind of over it now.
The discounted 59-dollar price tag I paid at Walmart for my Keurig K-Classic when I moved here 4 years ago is not worth the aggravation. Plus, apparently, the price has gone up to around $90+. That's a nope from me.
What I've been using in the meantime
I went on an instant coffee binge. I love Aldi's store brand (which gets high marks) when I can't afford Nescafe. They are great but, really, they can't completely replace coffee coffee. Know what I mean? Thankfully though, I keep some around because I've been making a lot of messes trying to brew ground coffee without the Keurig.
I've used my favorite large tea strainers. These are useful but tedious and I can never get the measurements of coffee to water just right. I pulled out the old one-cup machine I'd packed away. It works but it's messy and, if you forget that it's still hot and try making another cup of coffee, it's dangerous. I am always forgetting and trying to add more water for a second cup too soon. The reservoir will shoot steam out with a horrific, heart-attack-inducing hiss.
A long while back, someone sent me a French press (like this one) to review. It's a beautiful piece of equipment but not for everyday use, in my opinion. I rarely even have the right grind of coffee around for it anyway.
What I wanted to replace the Keurig
Getting another Keurig would have been an option if I hadn't requested other things for my birthday. I don't want to be that greedy, needy sister and auntie. And I really am over the Keurig right now. Seriously. K cups are pricey, The machines take up a lot of counter space. There's a lot of cleaning and maintenance to keep the machines in top shape. Yeah, Keurig is done for me.
I wanted a Bunn. My mother used to have one. We got it for her. I can't remember what it cost but I think they were cheaper back then. The prices are kind of out of my range - even though I did find a cheaper one after some hunting. Besides, I don't want the kind Mom had. It used a glass decanter or carafe or whatever it's called. Mom loved hers because she drank gallons of coffee with her friends and the Bunn was always ready to spew out another 10 or so cups at a time.
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| Looks just like Mom's |
When I looked at machines similar to Keurig, I thought they would probably have the same problems eventually. Besides, I didn't see any that I really liked in my price range.
What I wanted was something that would make good coffee. Something that didn't cost a lot to buy or maintain. Something that would look decent on the countertop. I knew I didn't need anything that made a lot of coffee but I was not down for another machine that uses pods.
After the first day of looking, I gave up and continued using the instant coffee. In the meantime, I thought about the several partial bags of coffee in the freezer. People in my life know how I love coffee so I get a lot of it. Don't let them find bags on sale! I also still have some random pods around. When I woke up the next day and was about to make another cuppa instant, inspiration struck.
Why I settled on a percolator
Before I ever heard of Keurig and before my mother had a Bunn, coffee in our house was made using a percolating pot. Mom had a plain one that I remember from when I was really young, then Daddy or someone bought her a nice shiny one that plugged in. She used electric percolators from then until they went out of fashion.
That was my answer. Percolators come in all price ranges. There is a lot of discussion among coffee snobs , uh, connoisseurs about percolated coffee not having the flavor nuances... blah blah blah la-di-dah... I don't need to taste every molecule of the different flavors of a coffee. I need it good, strong, rich, and tasty. Period. And I'm too dang broke to even mumble about being a connoisseur. I can't stand weak coffee, bitter coffee, or artificially-flavored coffee.
Anyway.
With an electric percolator, you are gambling with parts giving out or having other problems. They aren't made like back in the day - and what is? With the stove-top machines - like the first ones Mom had - your only worry is about leaving it on the burner too long.
I thought of the other pros and cons of electric vs stovetop.
A lot of the electric ones I saw had Keep Warm and Auto Shut Off functions. They came in all sizes, shapes, and colors.
The stove-top ones came in a lot of sizes but ran mostly around 4 up to 12 cups. And the prices were better.
I decided to try one that was nice-looking, a decent size for my needs, and that had a lot of good reviews. And that wouldn't lop money off my grocery budget. This is what I chose:
Did I make the right choice?
I like the look of this one. I also have liked and trusted the Farberware brand in the past. And this one has an 8-cup capacity that works well whether I am solo or have company over. Oh, and I made sure it was returnable - just in case I hated it. But I don't.
Percolating my first brew was so soothing. (I will review it in another post - there are pros and cons - but I'm happy with it.) There was something comforting about taking my time to make the coffee. Of course, I have a lot of happy memories tied to coffee and my mother, and my youth. They all flooded back and I wallowed in them while I enjoyed that first delicious cup.
As I said, I will be doing a review of the particular machine I got but there are a lot of different ones out there. For anyone with the time to use one, it's worth taking a look at them. I am also going to be looking at an electric percolator. The funds I set aside to replace the Keurig might allow for that, depending on what I can find...
For too long, coffee has been another rush-rush addiction. With this percolator, I have gotten back to enjoying the process of making and drinking a good cup of coffee. I highly recommend taking time - at least every now and then - to get back to the basics.
Peace
--Free
