I think the environmental cost is a much bigger problem than the cost per cup, although that blows my mind too. A pound of good coffee (which even Starbucks will sell you) costs up to $20, but makes a heckuva lot more than even $10 worth of the KCups. On top of that, even the cheapest coffee makers nowadays have auto start, which is what I use. I get two good cups of coffee for significantly less than the KCups and all it took was hot water and about 2 minutes of my time before bed.

Sorry for the soapbox, but this kind of thing really bugs me. Advertisers have convinced us, as a society, that we're "just too busy" so they can sell us hundreds of dollars worth of stuff we don't need, when really we just need to be a little better organized!

I use the re-useable mesh pod in my Keurig, filling it with whatever ground coffee I want. It's the best of all worlds - no major plastic waste, no wasted half-pots of coffee, and I can drink any variety I like that day.

I have a Keurig, because I only drink 1 cup of coffee a day, and my husband has kicked the habit. I do get K cups from time to time, usually as a gift from a student or a friend. I generally buy my coffee and put it in the re-usable filter that I bought as an accessory. I definitely do feel guilty about the little plastic pods and the waste and I try and counteract that by using the reusable one. I am definitely annoyed at the high price for those pods (especially in the tea and instant hot chocolate!) -- just brew some hot water people and pour it over a TEA BAG or dump in your cocoa people!

I got a single serve maker for Christmas. I hate it, but the g/f got it for me so I have to use it. She did get me a module that lets you use your own coffee in the maker, so I haven't bought any cups at all. It is a pain having to clean and refill the module every time I want a cup of coffee.

It has reduced the amount of coffee I drink on weekends, though.

i completely agree with you rhoswen - i am both shocked and disgusted by these single serving machines for consumers. they have their place in certain environments like an office break room or a bed and breakfast where individual servings and tastes make sense, but totally wasteful for daily use at home. the fact that these consumers are getting gouged doesn't bother me a bit though.

don't apologize for your soapbox, make room for me!

Why do you have to brew a full pot? I just put in enough coffee and water to make 2 cups in the morning, no need to fill it up! I don't know why we always equate the large 12-cup pot with an obligation to make them all...

While I get the soapbox and agree with you guys - my parents use theirs simply because my stepdad drinks caffeinated coffee, and my mom loves coffee, but only drinks decaf. This way both of them get their coffee pretty instantly in the morning, and neither really has to wait for the other's pot to brew. (Or buy a second coffee maker)

But, they also only use a local brand to them (don't remember the name, sorry!) where the K-cups are recycled and biodegradable, and they too think the hot chocolate and tea ones are dumb.

I have always thought the K-cup options to be incredibly wasteful. Millions of people don't seem to care though, and that bothers me greatly. All that waste is awful, and it gets worse each year.

The idea of having to 'brew a full pot' is a somewhat backwards thought these days, with the invention of so many different coffee brewing options, most importantly, a french press coffee maker, that comes in sizes from a single cup to a larger device that makes up to six. Or the type that sits on top of your cup, or small pot and brews directly in to it as your pour water over the grounds. The wasteful K-cups are yet another product of the impatience and need for immediate gratification that dominates our culture.

I received a single serve machine for Christmas - not something I asked for, but my parents are obsessed with theirs, so they decided to get someone else on the Keurig train. I started using some of the K-Cups that came with the machine, but the quality was meh and after doing the math for how much they cost over time, it didn't make sense. I also invested in the "fill you own" attachment and love it (if you let it sit for a little, it makes it easier to clean.) I use my local Kansas City coffee whenever I want it and if I forgot to clean the attachment or don't want to sit there and pack it, I have some K-Cups that I prefer to use.

I think it's great having the single serve coffee in my kitchen. I was either making too much or too little coffee for my boyfriend and I - plus, he leaves for work 2 hours before I do, so half of the time, my coffee was cold. Now I can make what I want, when I want. I think the hot chocolate and tea ones are a total waste - not only can I have better quality tea or hot chocolate by boiling some water, but I don't have to worry about what I'm throwing away.

I never got these things -- and now that I know the real price, I never will. It's so easy to make a single cup of coffee in a variety of ways: single serving drip, french press, a moka -- perhaps more methods -- and you have better control of the water temperature. And let's not even get into the environmental waste involved in single serve pods.

I don't see how this is "shocking." It seems pretty obvious that these things are ridiculously expensive. I don't really care what other people waste their money on, but I have a huge problem with the environmental cost. And they don't even make a decent cup of coffee!

Same here, KatePK. I also have a huge problem with the environmental cost of these machines. My in-laws got us a Keurig a few Christmases ago. I have not used it once. I don't drink coffee. If I want tea, I boil water. If I want hot cocoa, I microwave a cup of milk. We still haven't used up the eleventy-five packs of pods they gave us with the machine, but if we ever do, I'm just buying one of those refillable pouches.
As for pods that biodegrade, those are only good if you compost them. IIRC from science class, most materials require light and oxygen to break down, neither of which are available in a landfill.

A local garden center collects the empty plastic kcups and uses them to start seeds. Still not quite as eco friendly as they might be, but at least there is one more use before they directly hit the waste stream.

If someone wants to pay waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much for their daily cup-o-joe, then that is their stupidity...my issue is the environmental cost. Every damn time a cup of coffee is made with the pods, a k-cup goes into landfill. It amazes me how my friends that are environmentally considerate through it all out the window for the convenience of the k-cup and all the while talking about how they are not wasting coffee by using the k-cups. That is my issue with them!

How many of you environmentalists drive to work? You've burned 500 times more petroleum just backing out of your driveway than a Kcup uses.

I think the single serves are kind of wasteful, at least as far as the K-cups. I have a little 5 cup coffee pot (which I also use to heat water for tea) and use it 3-4 times during the day. It only takes a few minutes to brew a pot of coffee, not long at all. I use a 16 oz mug and get about a mug and a half per pot, which is just fine for my needs.

Hold on a minute! People willing to brew coffee at home that do not care about convenience (yes, these machines are much more convenient than brewing), and are not bothered by the additional setup and cleanup associated with a brewer are not the people these machines necessarily target. It is the people who frequent SBUX or other coffee shops on their way to work that find these machines very convenient and price competitive--a single serve Nespresso Arpeggio costs $0.57 per cup (plus a little milk cost), which is extremely competitive versus a latte or a cappuccino at a coffee shop. And Nestle has recycling for its containers...at least in Europe.

So...you are correct it isn't for everyone, but it is certainly very cost competitive for a HUGE number of people who frequent SBUX and the like. In Northern California a tall latte is $2.65 and at McDonald's is is $1.99. Even with two shots of Arpeggio it is cost competitive at $1.14.

@msingerman. There's no argument there, but there are little choices that can be made that add up to something. the k-cups are a huge waste. we are french press people in this house.

I prefer the single drip funnel (sorry, don't know what it's called) or if I want two or three cups, I'll use the French Press. Less expensive for the set-up than a single serve pod machine. Plus, I think it makes a great cup of tasting coffee. I don't think single servings of Folgers would be that great, at any price. I hope I didn't offend any Folger lovers with that.

I always find it kind of funny that there is a historical parallel for this development: When the tea bag was invented the margins for tea exploded. I don't know Keurig - we don't have that in Europe - but there is a lot of Nespresso around, and I find it abominable to waste aluminium for a single cup of coffee (even if it is recycled, aluminium is such a waste of energy!). Sadly, Nespresso coffee is very very good.

@R. Clark: Exactly the argument I was going to make. Nespresso will make a much better latte than most coffee shops for much less. They also have much better coffee than I would buy myself in a store. Not a fan of the K-Cups not because they are expensive, but because you are limited in terms of coffee quality. And can we also agree that coffee and espresso aren't the same thing? I'm paying Nespresso to sell me a capsule that is designed to hold up to 19 bars of pressure without exploding or giving me crappy coffee.

No idea about K-Cups, but Nespresso capsules are also recyclable (at least in our area). If you are worried, cut the capsule open, compost the grounds, and toss the shell in your recycle bin.

The environmental damage from even millions of little plastic cups pales in comparison to the millions of other types of waste. Have you ever worked retail? Every single product sold in a clothing store comes in individually wrapped plastic bag. Imagine a huge chain with hundreds of products in multiple sizes and colors in one season. That's way worse.

That said, I prefer to use a french press or just drip coffee for regular cup since its not complicated. But the Nespresso looks like a good option for espresso based drinks. If you consider the drive to Starbucks (or even a local cafe) in your environmental impact, one plastic cup is not so bad.

Definitely should not put nespresso and k-cups in the same class. One's a high quality, nitrogen packed, expresso that can stay fresh for around 6 months. The other is just air sealed coffee. I used to enjoy buying premium coffee beans, freshly grinding them with a burr grinder, and running it through my aeropress but that took a lot longer and required a lot more cleaning. I also had to worry about the freshness of the beans that have a supringly short shelf life after roasting. This also made buying multiple pounds risky. With the Nespresso, I turn it on, wait a few minutes, warm up my cup & clean out the machine with a blank brew (no pod), and then run a single shot with a coffee of my choice. No cleaning whatsoever except for emptying out the pod tray once a week.

@amendelblatt - but that's the point, using the Kcups isn't wasteful in comparison to other things almost everyone does, and it's absolutely absurd to try and pretend that people's opposition to them is because of some environmental reason. It's snobbery, pure and simple.

I bought the cheapest Nespresso and it makes the best espresso ever. Saves the drive to Starbucks and at least $3 extra dollars I'd spend for a latte there. If you're worried about recycling you can purchase a product called Outpresso that helps separate the aluminum from the coffee grounds.

I was gifted a Keurig for Christmas. Other than the sample dozen pack of cups that is included with the coffee-maker, we have never bought any k-cups. I didn't even like the coffee that was in them, and I thought the thing was going to be a wash.

Our gift included an EZ Cup, which is a reusable cup that takes paper filters, like a normal coffeemaker. You just fill it will coffee and put it in the machine, and just pitch the filter and grounds, again like a normal coffeemaker. I use the same amount of coffee as I do for a cup of coffee.

I have to say that the coffee tastes substantially better than a normal drip coffeemaker. The Keurig doesn't heat the water as scalding hot, and subsequently brews a better cup.

I also end up using less water because I don't have to wash out a carafe every day, just my mug.

Just because the cups are "not as wasteful" as other things in our society does not make them not wasteful. I think the point is that people who claim to care about the environment should do whatever they can to reduce waste, including not using K cups/Nespresso. Every little piece of plastic we use and throw away adds to the problem, and the problem is not going to be solved just by big wasters deciding not to waste, it's going to be solved by everyone honestly looking at their lives and their consumption habits and doing everything within their power to reduce wasteful usage of our limited resources.

Sheesh. /end rant.

My older sister gave our parents one of these for Christmas. She loves it for some reason, but our parents barely use it at all. It's just a useless countertop appliance for them, considering that they're tea drinkers…

I am the only coffee drinker in my house. I use a small french press to make my coffee. I make one cup. There are no paper filters and no little canisters to throw away and I can choose whatever coffee I want. It brews quickly and is so small I can keep it in the cabinet with the glasses. More people should try them. They brew delicious coffee quickly and have virtually no environmental impact (just gas/electricity to boil the water).

The Keurig machines don't make good coffee - or I don't think so, anyway. You can get an insert for them, which lets you use any coffee you like...but I still think it doesn't make good coffee, on top of the expense. You can also use it without the cup for just hot water, but that's not a good excuse to buy one (it's noisy, takes just as long as the microwave or kettle, and the water tank is irritatingly small).

I think the taste of the single serve coffee machines are disgusting, even if you buy your own beans and the reuseable filter. As many people have pointed out, it's also a huge environmental nightmare.

A 2 or 4 cup french press would be much cheaper for most consumers and it makes much better tasting Joe.

It is the environmental impact of millions or little plastic cups in landfils that is far more worrisome. If people want to throw away their money, that's their business. Besides, that coffee usually sucks.

I can--and do-make small amounts of coffee in a 12 cup automatic drip pot daily. It's really a no brainer.

Seriously? Pod coffee is pretty bad. If you want an amazing, inexpensive, single serve cup of coffee, invest in a ceramic pour-over (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/magazine/13Food-t-000.html). Your only waste is the unbleached filter and coffee grounds, both of which can be tossed into your compost heap. I also have a grinder and electric kettle, and my coffee is to-die-for every single day, and I only make a cup at a time.

Yeah, you just buy one of those pour-over things (got mine in the grocery store) and you can easily and quickly make a cup at a time. I keep one at work and make myself a cup every afternoon using water from the electric kettle.

I confess to being a bit smug when the Starbuck's drinkers I work with tell me how good my brewed coffee smells. Yep, it tastes and smells great and IT DIDN'T COST ME $20 A WEEK!

Hey just to let everyone know Keurig is up grading there machine. It will be only avalible at bed bath beyond and starting march or april. It is digital and pod sizes are changing so you can get a better tasting stronger coffee. You can also adjust the tempature to have really hot coffee like starbucks. It is also well know that if you go buy your coffee at BBB you get like 16 or 18 pods for cheaper price than going to your grocery store. Just Saying

Oh and one more thing the pods are recyclable.

I privately snicker at people who buy machines like this, Swiffer products and so on. Nothing will replace a properly brewed cup of espresso for me.

A french press is the way to go. The coffee comes out so smooth and delicious....

It is absolutely ridiculous to justify unnecessary waste because there are other things in the world that make more waste. Do you leave your tv on all day at home because the electronics stores have 50 on all day? Do you throw away half the food in your fridge because restaurants throw out a lot of food every day? Do you run your shower all day because watering lawns wastes more water? No? Then don't try to justify an absolutely unnecessary daily waste because retail clothing stores use a lot of plastic or people drive cars. If you want to throw away little plastic cups every day because you think your personal 'convenience' is more important than a little environmental responsibility, then just admit it and stop trying to justify your actions by pointing out other flaws.

But a $3 Melitta coffee drip - it's plastic and v-shaped and all you do is put a filter in it, plus 1 or 2 tblspoons of coffee to make a delicious, rich cup of coffee. These can be found in most kitchen stores, at Market Basket supermarkets, and Melitta online. I have 3 of these, and use the other 2 sometimes when I have a guest who only drinks decaf. All you have to do is boil up the water and pour! Cheap, cheap, cheap, and a perfect dripped cup of coffee... buy "fine ground" coffee if you can.

I HATE the single serving coffee makers. So wasteful. Are people not intelligent enough to make 2 or 4 cups in their mr. coffeemaker?

Also, it's not just the pods that are wasteful. You have to keep the water in it hot at all times.

My parents recently purchased a Cuisinart single-serve coffee maker and I think the coffee it makes is not worth even the minimal effort required. When I visit, I use it to dispense "instantly" hot water that I use to make my coffee in an Aeropress. Aeropress is by far my favorite way to make coffee because it is simple, portable, and produces a strong (but not bitter) cup of coffee. The waste is also minimal because there is just a small biodegradable paper filter that can be rinsed and reused multiple times (I keep them an average of two weeks, making multiple cups per day). I take credit for getting both of my brothers hooked on coffee by letting them try my Aeropress.

How about a single cup French press? Easy peasy.

I use the K-cups...BUT...I buy the very strong, dark coffees and use the K-cups twice and sometimes three times before disgarding them. Yes, by the third cup, it's not as strong, but it still have flavor as if I'm having a lighter version.

I have a Keurig and I love it. Sure, I could boil a pot of water, grind some beans, load up the French press and make a pot. In no more than fifteen minutes, that would be lovely!

Meanwhile, my newborn realizes I'm not in the room and starts screaming. Or he is woken up by the grinder. When he was born, I could have kissed that Keurig. It saved my sanity overnight. One minute to a hot cup of coffee.

But, I could certainly get an electric kettle and save the time it takes to boil, right? Because there's no environmental impact from the plastic, metal, and electricity needed to produce one of those, of course.

Also, Newman's Own cups are as good as Peet's drip. I'm also not making a trek to Peet's every day for a latte. Which uses a plastic cup, of course.

So far as I can tell, no one has mentioned that the quoted article focuses on some of the more expensive ways to buy K-cups. If you're paying more than 50 cents per cup, you're either not trying or you don't care about the financial hit. You can regularly find options in that price range, which is also much cheaper than buying a cup at Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Caribou, etc every day. When I do buy K-cups, I get mine from Bed, Bath & Beyond using one of their ever-present 20% off coupons.

And for what it's worth, plenty of people mention that they use reusable filters, but they haven't linked to the various options out there. While Keurig sells its own reusable filter, that version requires a separate housing to use. This means removing the standard housing with the pins that puncture a K-cup, and swapping between the two if you use both the reusable filter and standard K-cups. I prefer third-party filters like the one from ekobrew, which is not only cheaper, but allows you to leave the standard K-cup housing in place (it's designed not to get punctured by the pins). This gives me the option to keep a small stash of decaf, tea, and hot chocolate K-cups on hand for non-coffee drinkers. I then buy Dunkin Donuts coffee in bulk from Costco and use that. It's the best of both worlds, since I'm getting inexpensive coffee, I can make a single cup without waste, and it's easy to provide options for other people.

We have a Keurig in my office break room, and it drives me up the wall. Half the time the water levels are low so it needs refilling, and the other half of the time there's no good coffee flavors available. (The vast majority taste gross... Luckily our office FINALLY found some flavors I can tolerate.) Meanwhile, I bought my mom a little knock-off generic single-cup maker that uses little pre-packaged mesh-ey pods (instead of plastic k-cups), and she's addicted to it... but it makes SUCH weak coffee!

I would much rather buy some locally-roasted beans, grind them on Sunday mornings and store them in a tupperware, then toss them into my baby 5-cup coffee maker for 5-10 minutes in the morning. Huuuuuge difference in flavor!

not sure why everyone is so surprised. of course they're going to be expensive. they're individually packaged (a killer for the environment), have any flavor you could ever want...and the coffee makers themselves are outrageously expensive. all for 1 SINGLE cup of coffee. so if you enjoy having a few cups before starting your day, you're brewing 2-3 times.

i think they're awful...but it has been nice benefiting from their existence, because people are selling their high end coffee makers on craigslist for cheap. just sayin!

Most coffee pots already HAVE lines indicating how much water to use to make different numbers of cups so I'm afraid I don't understand this "wasting half a pot of coffee when I'm only having one cup." And then there's the environmental issue of having all this plastic waste and, as this article indicates, the longterm costs of buying the pods.

Call me a coffee snob all you want but quite frankly, but these pods are the stupidest idea ever.

They are ridiculous. A friend of mine has a very high-maintenance husband who insists on using one of these K-cup things, and the coffee tastes like hell, it's hideously pricey and takes up valuable counter space.

French press all the way for me..I store my ground coffee in the freezer which keeps it nice & fresh, and in the time it takes to boil a kettle & brew the coffee, I've packed the babies' school lunches and given them their breakfast...coffee is my reward!

I also got one of these, against my will, for the holidays. People who like them definitely want to convert others. I already just do a single pour-over cup in the morning, so I did not need this. I enjoyed a few of the blends it came with, but when I looked at replacing them, OMG sticker shock!!! Ten bux or more for a box of 12 or 16 "pods." Felt prohibitively expensive. I'll wait for next year's stocking stuffers...

@roshwen I completely agree. I don't understand why the waste that products produce isn't taxed up the yin yang to force manufacturers to make better choices. And I never see barristas using those pod thingies at any serious coffee shop.

To me the ritual of coffee making is part of the enjoyment, like a Japanese tea cermony. I use the 17oz chambord french press from Bodum. It makes one large mug of perfect coffee.

I too don't know what K-Cups are (I'm in Ireland and have never come across them) but my aunt has a Nespresso machine and the coffee is AMAZING. I totally covet it and I am a person who uses a cafetiere (French press) when I have company and an Italian expresso pot (caffetiera) every day for myself and I only buy expensive coffee (not the "suitable for all coffee makers" kind).

BTW I think coffee should taste like coffee. If you want hazelnut, eat a damned cookie.

I've been using a super sexy Alessi Conica for about 10years to brew my daily one-cup of coffee. The amount of time it brews on the stove, I can put my contacts in. And I consider myself lucky that a friend opened a coffeehouse a block away where I buy coffee beans.

The most miserly coffee addicted consumer is my grandpa who uses a 10-cup Mr. Coffee pot and will reuse coffee grounds up to 6 times! Blech.

has anyone of you ever thought about the environmental impact that drinking coffee (every coffee) has in the producing countries? i guess noone has (if so they wouldn't even drink a single cup). the impact of a bit of (recyclable) nespresso foil is neglectable in comparison.

I grind my own and use my mechanical vacuum pump system for by-the-cup coffee. I have to admit, however, that I'm pretty impressed with the brewed treats you can make in those little wonders!

We have a Keurig machine at work, and at first I thought it was the best thing to ever happen to me. Then I received a 2 cup french press as a gift and fell in love all over again.

I feel like you need to control the grind, measurements of water & grounds, and timing to really get a fantastic cup of coffee - and with a Keurig you just don't have as much control. I don't like to have too much caffeine in one day, so I make my morning mug perfectly from a f. press to my liking, and I'm set.

I blogged about exactly this the other day :)

We love our Keurig. I don't drink more than 2 cups of coffee all day, any day. The speed and convenience of the K-cups can't be beat for people like me. I also drink their apple cider and teas. LOVE IT.
We recycle everything possible so I am not guilt stricken by throwing these away.
To each his own.

bad for the environment. bad for the wallet. makes inferior coffee. what else needs to be said?

I would like to think about the people who pick the coffee in the first place.
http://www.behindeverycup.com/home.html
Know how much they get per pound?
For a day's work, they might earn the equivalent of $3.00.
Here is a 78-year-old man, still working:
http://www.behindeverycup.com/Gallery18.html
He gets about $12 per week.
Here are some grounds for hope: http://www.coffeekids.org/

I have a Kuerig and love it. The husband and I drink different hot beverages and this makes it easy for us to prepare them. I love the reusable filter I use for my tea and since it makes my tea quickly, I don't end up forgetting it on the counter while it steeps a proper amount of time.

I especially love it for when I'm having a lot of people over and they all want different types of tea or coffee. It's super easy for them to make a cup of whatever for themselves and everyone gets exactly the drink they wanted.

I think that it's actually saved us money since we're only using the amount of coffee/tea we need to use for a cup and I'm not wasting a whole pot of either. The fact that it brews faster than my tea kettle or our french press is another bonus.

I love my Keurig. A.) I'm not a coffee snob. B.) I alternate between wanting caffeine and wanting decaf. C.) Me alternating is typically not in-line with what my bf wants. D.) Dunkin Donuts came out with the K-cups, so I'm seriously golden.

We're recyclers, buy organic and local, and we try to avoid other wastefulness, sometimes totally to our inconvenience (our old apartment complex and the location of it in relation to our jobs, means some systems are still being implemented-on-experimentation-basis). So, judge harshly if you must. We ain't givin' up our Keurig.

So much judgement and contempt! Anyone familiar with the words "live and let live"?

there is waste everywhere, so that issue can be pushed aside.

i wonder where they came to these figures from. most ppl that i know do NOT pay anywhere near regular price for their pods.

k-cups in fact can be replaced with a reusable filter.

there are so many ways to get various pods for very cheap, or nearly free.

i wouldn't be jumping all over the cost issue so quickly.
and yeah i don't own one of these machines, i just don't have the need. but lots of ppl do, and have been able to use them very cost effectively.

for all the snoots who are making grand claims about being uber eco conscious, and who supposedly drink superior coffee at all times of the day, please share more details about your higher morals and ethics and of course higher standards of taste.

I with NISIEPIE and Susie the Observer on this one. And NICIEPIE, don't worry, keep on AT and you will get all the details of their high moral, ethics and taste standards.

Single serve is so convenient, but pricier than I'm willing to pay. I was also turned off by the inner shellac coating in the Keurig pods. It's supposed to be food grade, and I couldn't taste the shellac per se. Just don't know how much of the stuff I want going into my system. I do not own pod system. I just toggle between drip brew and stovetop espresso maker. I also drown my coffee in half n' half and sugar, so I'm not a purist. Yet I do try my best to use organic cane sugar and dairy. I'm more partial to unbleached coffee filters (who needs extra bleach?). I also feel the same way about coffee as I do about tea - I try to not break the bank with it, but understand what it is I'm buying and why it tastes the way it does, and what would need to go into it to taste excellent. Then I can decide the level of quality that I'm willing to live with.

I am also on the soapbox on this issue. I am definitely not shocked on the expense of the coffee bought in little cups. I am amazed that people still used these single use, plastic waste coffee cups while we here about green living everywhere. I know most people do not care about green living. But still I find it idiotic to spend so much money on coffee.
We can all see the visible waste production due to the plastic packaging. I want to point out the transportation expenses and carbon emissions due to several magnitudes higher transportation needs compared to conventional coffee packaging options. People need to be more conscientious about their actions, they can afford doing things but nature may not.

@msingerman - I drive to work, I don't have much of a choice, and yes, I realize that has an impact. That doesn't mean I don't make efforts every other way I can - being vegetarian, recycling, compost, using reusable bags, not buying bottled water, buying recycled, etc etc etc... I consider the environmental impact of every action.

These wasteful coffee makers are one more thing I avoid because of their environmental cost. Implying that people shouldn't care about these because they drive for work is idiotic.

I have a Senseo and I love it, especially here in Holland where there are so many brands of pads for it (it was less exciting back Stateside, where all you could get was Senseo brand, which is crap and really overpriced). I get some good organic fair trade and it costs me less than 20 cents to make a cup of good, strong coffee. I also compost the pads. All of my inlaws now have Nespresso machines, and I simply don´t see the appeal. The coffee that comes out is not that good, and the machines and pods are so expensive.

I had to do the math ... and your $51 claim is BS. In Canada, and compared to my regular ground coffee that I brew in a percolator, the K Cups end up costing $20.69 per pound as compared to $5.98. Still way more expensive, but I'd like to know exactly where the $51 claim comes from. You can't base it on weight, you need to compare apples to apples - or CUP TO CUP. I hate being lied to.

keurig's are a tremendous waste of money for a low quality brew, having people pay for non-biodegradable packaging and pre-ground stale coffee and charging that much is unreal. People here who are posting on here advocating on their position on destroying the environment or boasting about their own laziness or not being "coffee snobs" is absolutley ridiculous, you are the suckers at the end of the day. Green Mountain knows exactly what they have done in creating a proprietary way to brew, they are profiting over you by leaps and bounds.

Do us a favor don't pretend to care about organic, fair trade, the environment, or coffee if you advocate for these machines. They are the Hummer H3's of the coffee world.

It reminds me of Yuban's aged green bean adds where they bought bad crops and sold it as "everything that's aged is finer." In both cases brilliant marketing but a horrific product.

Go manual folks, a $35 pour-over Chemex or single cup Hario ($35) will taste infinitely better than your $75+ keurig, .plus the filters are natural and you can compost your coffee grounds.

Buy local, fair trade, organic coffee (and water processed decaf) and better yet actually support a sustainable industry! This isn't an issue of "coffee snobbery" its about doing the right thing.

End of story.

There is zero room to be ethical and to always support this