When the weather looks like this over the weekend I am looking to bake, cook and drinking coffee and hot cocoa to stay warm. Is this really April?
**I received these products free from @Influenster and Keurig in exchange for my honest review of the products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So, am I the last person in the world who does not have a Keurig or ever even owned one? To be honest I drink instant coffee only. I always think coffee in restaurants tastes burnt and yucky. But, I like my coffee first thing in the morning and was willing to try something new.
I received this large box from Influenster and started unpacking it. I had no idea what I would be getting when they asked if I would be willing to test a Keurig and let them know my honest thoughts about the product. If you know me at all I am honest in my opinions of products I try.
There were Celestial tea K-Cups, Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa, all kinds of coffee in different roasts from flavored to dark roast. Â My daughter was super excited about the hot cocoa and my son was very interested in the hazelnut flavored coffee. As I started reading the literature I liked that you can make a cup, mug or carafe depending on what you need. No wasted coffee and not having to make individual cups if you want an entire carafe.
I never have coffee when people come over to visit, other than instant which no one ever wants, because we just never drank anything else.
So, I put this all together and decided to have my daughter help me brew a carafe of Hazelnut Green Mountain Coffee for us to try with breakfast this morning.
My family loved the flavor and I loved that I could program the Keurig to be ready when we woke up in the morning. I can get it ready and have my mug or carafe of coffee ready to go when I hit the kitchen. The smell of hazelnut coffee filling the house this morning was great.
The Carafe has a tab on it that slides into the Keurig so there is no making a mistake in having the carafe in the right spot when the hot liquid is running. Something I am happy with because I don’t want hot coffee all over the counter if I forget to put the cup or carafe in the right spot.
You choose the size of the pod you put in and it gives you the size of the cup, mug or carafe needed for the pod. It was super simple to program and the instructions for set up were easy to follow. My daughter helped me set it up and when we were done she asked, “Is that it?” Yes!
So, the coffee was really good, had a fresh taste (not burnt) and we can’t wait to try all the flavors and different drinks to pick out all our favorites. The whole carafe was gone in a few minutes and both of my children think that they would like a bit of coffee once in a while.
The one thing we have not tried yet is the reusable pod to use your own products in. I was a bit disappointed when I discovered that the cups are not recyclable. We are a recycling family and I go out of my way to reduce the amount of garbage we produce. So, I will definitely be looking in to using the reusable pod more.
Would I buy one on my own? If I loved coffee and would use it several times a day I would definitely buy one. For entertaining it would be great and I love the variety of drinks that are available to please everyone. It is just not a “coffee maker.” My children loved that they could pick out their own drinks to try and are already researching what other beverages are available for our Keurig. Once the novelty wears off in a few weeks it will be interesting to see how often we use it.
If you own a Keurig do you use it every day? What are your favorite pods for it?
What's for Dinner Moms? 
I don’t have one. I like the idea of a carafe as well as individual cups. I also like that you can get a “pod” to use your own coffee. The packaging waste is the drawback for these keurigs I think. Cool that you have one and your kids are excited about it. Tea and cocoa make the variety nice for family.
LikeLiked by 3 people
They also sent a reusable pod which you can add your own roast coffee to that fits in the Keurig. I haven’t tried that yet but I hope that will cut down on the waste. I was sad to see all those little cups are not recyclable.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know. It’s balancing convenience with environmental concerns.
LikeLiked by 2 people
My wife and I got one for Christmas. We use is close to every day. Have enjoyed it, only problem I had was right out the box I got an error message saying to remove the pod from the machine, problem was there was no pod in it. I called customer support and after 20-30 minutes with them they told me to exchange it from the store I purchased it from. After looking online I found that a decent number of Keurig’s had this problem when unboxed so I was a little annoyed I had to sit on the phone for so long for a problem that’s known.
But I digress, my favorite pods are Donut Shop (doesn’t matter who makes it, everyone has their own version) and Chai Latte. Best thing about Keurig is getting the pods you can fill yourself. I buy special teas and make them in the Keurig.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We got one of the pods you fill yourself too. I haven’t tried it yet. I am hoping that will also cut down on the waste from the cups. I wish they were recyclable! Boo, about the error messages. You think they would pull them from the shelves to protect the companies reputation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lucky!!! I took the survey for this but apparently didn’t get picked!!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was surprised I was chosen! I have smallish follower numbers and didn’t think I had a chance.
LikeLike
What a blessing Marci! Those Keurig machines are not cheap! We bought one a couple years back and LOVE it! NOW I would like to try the cold version that has choices such as adult beverages. Gee, how can I get on this Influenster band wagon too?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Influenster.com and apply! They have all different kinds of boxes they send. I have tested cat treats on my cat, makeup, and lots of food. I have found some really great things like Siracha almonds that I love. Can’t hurt to apply!
LikeLike
I’ve never tried one myself because I was concerned about all those pods and the fact that I sometimes need a pot rather than a cup. I didn’t know they made a carafe and reusable pods. Reconsidering them now.
A couple of questions though… one, about how big is the machine? We live small and space is an issue. Two, does the carafe keep the coffee hot for a while?
I’m going to keep the company you work with in mind. I’d love to do product reviews but I have to get my followers and interaction up first.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi! I actually don’t work for the company I was given this product to test by @Influenster which is a third party for companies to have people review and test products. I receive nothing other than the test items to try and give my honest opinions on.
The machine is about 18″ tall and 9″wide. The carafe is lined and has a cover but I could not find anywhere that told about how long it would stay warm. It reminded me of a thermos type liner.
Apply for Influenster and as you build your numbers the things you review will change. You can track your numbers through them too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I may do that. I’m not looking for monetary compensation, but I would like to test products.
Thanks for checking the size for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love my Keurig but I only order 1 flavour regularly – Kahlua. And the reusable kcup lets me use the coffee I bring home when I travel.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooo, Kahlua. I will be looking for that one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And Island Coconut. Perfectly Pumpkin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not a filter coffee kind of girl and don’t own a machine. I like instant coffee 🙂 I usually will have a kahlua coffee and cream if we have dinner out at a restaurant …
We too, have the same issue with guests, most only want filtered coffee, so ….. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think you are the only person outside my family I have ever heard admit they like instant coffee!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooooh fun! I finally went on the site that sent you this. I answered a ton of questions and did several reviews… not sure where that puts me lol I don’t even really know how it works. I have never tried a Keurig, but have only heard good things about it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Once you register from time to time they will send emails to see if you qualify for certain boxes. They start small. I have reviewed cat treats, cookies, tater tots and some make up items. The more you grow your twitter, instagram, etc… the more you will qualify for. It has taken me about 2 years to get to this point.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a Keurig that I have never opened! Maybe one day I will use it. Good post, thanks! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol. If they hadn’t sent me this one to test I probably would have been the same way! I am not one for new “gadgets” I like tried and true I know will last forever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I agree! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post! I had one my son bought me, it is nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love my Keurig! It’s a few years old so isn’t as fancy as this one! My husband doesn’t drink coffee so making one cup just for me is perfect. I just bought a reusable pod a few months ago and it works great. On top of saving on waste, I save money! A big container of coffee is a lot cheaper than the pods!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to know! The waste was one of the things that I saw as a HUGE downside.
LikeLike
How neat that you got a Keurig to review! I drink tea and my hubby drinks coffee. I do see that this also makes tea (and milk chocolate for the daughter). I just microwave my water for my tea and hubby uses a Melitta, so I doubt we would ever get one of these. I hope you can find the reusable cups!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did get a reusable cup but haven’t tried that yet. If I hadn’t gotten it to review I probably would not have purchased one though it is great fun to play with.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am very curious about those flavors of coffee.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
The breakfast roast smelled like McDonald’s coffee. I have never drank their coffee but it had that smell.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love my Keurig. I’m on my 3rd one actually. 🙂 My fav coffee to make is Dunkin Donuts Vanilla. I use it without pods too…to heat water for tea at night and the family makes cocoa in it as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person