I was given the AMAZING opportunity to test this lovely new Keurig K250 2.0 brewer through Influenster and Keurig in the #HelloKeurig mission. I have been using an old school Hamilton Beach brewer with a carafe for years now. Seeing that I am the only person in my house that drinks coffee, I waste a lot by having to make a whole pot for just me. Let me tell you, when you are used to using an old fashioned brewer, this is DELUXE. After removing it from the box, there is some]tape that needs to be removed that ensured that nothing was broken during shipment and removing the shipping disk. There is a filter included that took some preparation before inserting it into the water tank. I plugged it in and was ready to go. When it turns on, it immediately prompts you to fill the water. Okay. I filled the tank (located in the back of the brewer) and it went to the main screen. It starts humming and screen says "preheating". This screen gives you the option to brew different strengths and cup sizes. You can brew 4oz, 6oz, 8oz or 10oz. If you like your coffee strong, its a simple push of the touchscreen button and you're brewing strong. Next step, insert Keurig pod. Influenster was nice enough to include and entire box of Green Mountain Coffee samplers with 22 pods. There were 4 different kinds: French Roast, Vermont Country Blend, Breakfast Blend and Dark Magic. Keurig included a 6 pack sampler of pods as well. This sampler included Green Mountain Coffee-Hazelnut, Green Mountain Coffee- Nantucket Blend, Barista Prima Coffeehouse-Italian Roast, Starbucks-Pike Place Roast, Donut House Collection- Donut House Coffee and Celestial Seasonings- English Breakfast Tea. For my first brew, I chose a simple Green Mountain Coffee Breakfast Blend. Okay, good. I lift the handle, put the coffee pod in and close the lid. Now I get to choose what size cup of coffee I want. Default settings is 8oz. Sounds good to me. I push the Keurig button and it starts whirring. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. The drip pan must be inserted into the machine or it wont work. You do have the option to purchase a carafe and brew a whole carafe, but the machine will be able to tell if you are brewing a cup or a carafe based on whether the drip pan is there or the carafe is attached. Okay, so... pushed the button, whirring... coffee starts coming out into my cup. The end of the brew kind of reminds me of what a good friend compared to the Everlasting Gobstopper Machine in Willie Wonka. Yes. Spot on. Well, here we are. At the crossroads of coffee. Its do or die time. I prepare my coffee as I usually do. First sip...tastes... great! Given, it tastes pretty similar to almost EVERY OTHER cup of coffee Ive ever had, but it was simple to make, no pre measuring and each cup has the potential to be a whole new experience. I have to admit that that was never an option with my previous brewer. As far as the brewer itself, its more high tech than I'm used to, but I can absolutely see the attraction to the brand. A built in water filter? Descaling solution? They even included a needle cleaner tool. I don't even know what that DOES, but it sounds fancy. I am in love with the fact that its small enough (Ive seen some pretty large Keurig machines) to fit easily underneath my cupboards and on top of my new pod keeper. This particular model did not come with a carafe, but you can buy them on Amazon for about $27 for a basic model. If you are eco friendly, there are already options on the market for both reusable single and carafe pods. All in all, Im pretty satisfied with this brewer and the Keurig brand.
"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."
