One of the only things I miss about working in a big office is the endless supply of free coffee. The thought of that first cup of coffee in the morning is what motivated me to get out of bed on time most days, especially during the winter. Now that I spend more time at home every day, I’ve been forced to put a little more thought into my personal coffee practices. Being a single guy without a chronic caffeine addiction, I really only drink one, maybe two cups in a morning, so brewing a full pot of coffee was usually just plain wasteful. Using my french press was ok, but having to muck with a separate coffee grinder and the subsequent cleanup of the press was just a total hassle. So what was my solution? Redeeming some AmEx Rewards points for this baby:

It’s the Keurig Platinum (also cryptically known as the B70 I think, not to be confused with the B60 or B50, though I couldn’t tell you the difference between any of them). This machine uses the same single-serving coffee pods that we used in the old office, so I was already familiar with some of the coffee selections. While there are several different coffee companies licensed to produce these “K-cup” pods, the most common are the ones produced by Green Mountain, and that’s fine by me since they offer a couple of varieties I’ve been really happy with. For the my taste, the only pods worth buying are the ones labeled “Extra Bold”, meaning they are packed with extra grinds so that they produce a stronger cup of coffee. Of these, my favorites are their “Dark Magic” and “Espresso Blend”. But recently I’ve stumbled upon one that I like even more- Newman’s Own Special Blend. It’s apparently a blend of both dark and light roasts which yields a nicely balanced cup o’ joe. Enough dark roast to provide that rich flavor I look for in coffee, while tempered enough to be really easy drinking. No harshness or bitterness, so opting to have an extra cup doesn’t feel like it would be just too much. While it’s not necessarily a sensationally delicious cup of coffee, for everyday drinking, it is pretty darn good.

The best thing about the Keurig is that its reservoir is easy to fill and it heats up in no time flat. It has a timed auto on/off timer feature, but since it heats up to brewing temp in about 2 minutes anyway, that feature seems rather unnecessary. How many people will get out of bed at exactly the same time every day, and of those people, how many will be so caffeine deprived that they need their shot of coffee in under 2 minutes? If you are that much of a coffee junkie, I suggest you keep this machine on your nightstand and just turn it on at the same time you hit snooze on your alarm clock. You might consider checking into rehab while you’re at it. I should point out that you can get pods other than coffee too. There are an assortment of teas which are ok, but particularly nice is the choice of hot cocoa. You know, some mornings you just want the sugar more than the caffeine. But regardless of which pod I choose each day, it’s clear that this Keurig Platinum has become an integral part of my morning routine. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my second cup…