Last Updated on May 18, 2022 by John Moretti
Coffee has been one of the biggest trading commodities globally for a very long time. Americans consume about 400 million cups of coffee each year. While many like to go to a café to enjoy this drink, most people also like to make coffee at home. Many people like to make use of a coffee machine.
While both offer one-cup options, Keurig was initially designed as the ultimate one-cup coffee maker. Compared to drip coffee machines, Keurig is more convenient, keeps fresher for longer, and makes better-tasting coffee. But drip coffee makers are cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
We will look at how Keurig compares to drip coffee makers in terms of convenience, taste, environmental impact, and price. Because the term “coffee maker” is so broad, we will only be looking at the traditional drip coffee maker.
Keurig Vs. Coffee Maker In Terms Of Convenience
Upon first look, Keurig might appear to be the obvious winner when it comes to convenience. When using a Keurig, you pop in your pod and press the button to start. Then you throw away the pod.
When using a drip coffee maker, you need to measure the coffee grounds and water, add it to the machine, and wait for the water to run through. After the coffee has been brewed, you need to switch off the machine and remove the filter.
But there is one factor that might cause some people to consider Keurig to be less convenient… Lack of options.
There are many different sizes and types of Keurig machines to choose from, but they all have one thing in common. They need pods. This might simultaneously be Keurig’s most significant advantage and disadvantage.
Having pods is excellent because the coffee inside is sealed and airtight, meaning that the coffee stays fresher for longer. Also, you don’t have to spend time measuring the amount of coffee you need. Furthermore, it is less messy to clean up.
However, when you use a drip coffee machine, you have an endless variety of coffee to choose from. There are countless types of ground coffees available from all reaches of the world. You could even purchase beans and grind them yourself.
This is not the case with Keurig. Until recently, you had to buy prepackaged coffee pods. While there have been more varieties to choose from lately, there are still nowhere near as many options for pods as there are with ground coffee.
There are also refillable pods available that can work with any ground coffee. Still, you would have to refill these yourself, which is less convenient than the prepackaged pods.
You would have to choose between speed and ease of use or a greater variety of coffee to choose from to determine which machine is more convenient for you.
Keurig Vs. Coffee Maker: Which One Tastes Best?
Although many single-cup drip coffee makers are available, most people have larger machines that are able to make multiple cups of coffee at a time. In any case, you need to measure the amount of coffee needed for one brew. This might lead to human error.
If you add too many coffee grounds, the coffee will taste bitter. If you add too few, the coffee will taste weak. There is also a greater chance of burning the coffee when using a drip machine because you need to turn it off. Furthermore, The taste of the coffee would depend on the quality of the coffee you buy. While there are more options in terms of variety, this also leads to varying qualities of ground coffee.
Keurig coffee pods, or K-pods, come in single servings. This eliminates the need to measure any coffee and leads to a universal taste and quality. The fact that there are not as many options to choose from also means that there are fewer coffee pods of inferior quality.
Depending on your skill as a coffee maker, Keurig is the winning machine when it comes to taste. The K-pods ensure a perfect brew every time. Also, because the machine only makes one cup at a time, you will never have coffee that isn’t freshly brewed.
Keurig Vs. Coffee Maker In Terms Of Environmental Impact
When it comes to environmental impact, neither a Keurig nor a coffee maker are stars. With coffee makers, you need to use a filter. Most of these filters are single-use items and cause a lot of waste.
K-pods are also single-use items. Every 6 grams of coffee (the amount in each pod) leads to 3 grams of plastic waste. This is a massive concern, especially considering the amount of coffee people consume.
The main difference between the waste caused by Keurig machines and coffee makers is that:
Coffee Maker:
- The filters coffee makers use are made from paper, which is bio-degradable.
Keurig:
- K-cups are made from plastic, which is not bio-degradable.
However, there has been an increase in bio-degradable pods on the market. You could also purchase re-usable filters or pods, so both can potentially be more environmentally friendly.
In the end, the environmental impact of either machine depends on the user and how much inconvenience they would go through to limit the impact on the environment.
Keurig Vs. Coffee Maker: Price
The most significant divide between a Keurig and a coffee maker comes into play when discussing price. Keurig machines are expensive. Even though there are many options in terms of size and luxury to choose from with a Keurig, this machine will cost about four times more than a drip coffee maker.
Another essential factor to consider before deciding is the difference in price between pods and ground coffee or coffee beans. Pods are a lot more expensive than ground coffee. You also tend to only find them in smaller batches than ground coffee, which you can buy in bulk.
Ultimately, a cup of Keurig coffee will cost much more than a cup of drip coffee.
Conclusion
There is no clear winner when comparing a Keurig and a coffee machine. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Keurig wins in terms of taste, but a coffee machine wins in terms of price.
Neither one is brilliant when considering the environmental impact, but both can become more environmentally friendly.
The winner would depend on what the user is looking for in terms of convenience.
