dlstewart's Full Review: Keurig Ultra B50 1-Cup Coffee Maker
I never thought I would be writing a coffee maker review. Goes to show ... you never know what path life will take you on. I’m the first to admit that I’m not a coffee connoisseur. However, when my 12-year old niece mentioned during a phone conversation that she was making coffee, I nearly fell out of the chair. "You’re making coffee?!" Her answer ... "Sure, it’s easy. We have this great coffee maker. It does all the work." I hung up the phone and hopped in the car for a visit. I had to see this miracle coffee machine ... the Keurig B50 Gourmet Single Cup Brewer.
Description
This is a stylish coffee machine with a modern look. Its colors are black and silver, and it measures 13" high x 10" wide x 13 1/4" deep. The 48-ounce water reservoir is a removable "flask" on the left side of the machine. This 1500 watt coffee maker also has a removable stainless-steel drip tray so that a regular-size mug or a taller travel mug can fit beneath the coffee spout.
On the top right of the machine is an LCD display and Power button. The LCD display offers a variety of message prompts, such as "Add Water" so that you know it is time to refill the water reservoir. The display also has a clock and is programmable for automatically turning on the machine.
Another terrific feature is that there is no coffee to measure. The coffee comes in K-Cups. These K-Cups are small plastic cups with a pre-measured amount of coffee in them, and the cups are sealed to keep the coffee contained and to retain its flavor. This Keurig brewer will prepare two different serving sizes: Large Cup – 7.25 ounce serving; Small Cup – 5.25 ounce serving.
The machine weighs 12 pounds when empty and 15 pounds when filled with water. The machine even comes with instructions that are so thorough they explain how to remove the coffee maker from the box and how to set it up.
What Comes In the Box
* Keurig Brewer (assembled)
* Sampler package of 18 K-Cups of coffee
* Quick Start Guide
* Use & Care Guide
The Sampler package of coffee contains three flavors of Green Mountain coffee: French Roast, Vermont Country Blend, Breakfast Blend
So Easy – Making Coffee
I could not believe how fast this coffee maker brewed coffee. Less than a minute! I’m used to my Braun coffee maker, and it takes awhile to brew coffee (even just one cup). This Keurig brewer is like having a coffee genie in the house. In minutes the coffee is ready to drink.
The programmable timer is set to turn on the machine at 5:00 a.m. and turn it off at 10:00 p.m. (You can set it for whatever time you wish.) So all day long the brewer is ready to make coffee or tea – usually coffee. The Keurig prepares coffee so fast because the water is already up to temperature in the machine. So all it has to do is release the water through the K-Cup and into the mug.
Here are the five steps to making coffee in this machine:
1. Fill the water reservoir. This can be done two different ways. Either remove the cover from the reservoir and pour in the water, or remove the entire water reservoir, carry it to the sink and fill it from the tap. Replace the water reservoir and place the mug on the drip tray. (Note: the manufacturer suggests using bottled water or water from a filtration system.)
2. Flip open the top of the coffee maker. This tips the K-cup chamber open and tilts the chamber for easy insertion of the K-cup. Do not place fingers in the chamber since there are sharp needles inside to pierce the K-cup.
3. Place the sealed K-cup into the chamber. Flip the lid closed so that the needles inside the lid automatically pierce the top and bottom of the K-cup. The LCD display reads, "Ready".
4. The mug icons flash on the display. Press the appropriate button to select the size cup of coffee. One button has a picture of a mug (large) and the other button a picture of a cup (small). If you wait too long to press one of the mug/cup buttons, the two symbols disappear and the buttons are disabled. If this happens, just slightly lift the lid lever and press it down again. The LCD display shows Ready again with the flashing mug/cup icons.
5. The coffee brewer automatically works, forcing the water through the K-cup. The coffee flows into the mug. When the coffee maker is finished, open the lid and carefully remove the K-cup (it will be hot). Holding the K-cup by the top ridge edges is the best way to discard the used K-cup.
After the brewing cycle, there is a bit of vibration when the machine draws water into the main chamber. If two glasses are sitting side-by-side on the counter, there is enough vibration to make them "chatter" against each other. The Keurig is very quiet, though, only making a quiet humming noise when preparing coffee or tea.
The machine has never leaked water or made any kind of splattering when the liquid pours into the mug. If an overflow does occur (say a cup is too small for the amount of liquid pouring from the spout) ... then the drip tray will hold up to eight ounces of liquid.
Update December 24, 2005
I'm glad the following problem had a happy ending. Turns out the Keurig brewer had a faulty sensor. The machine stopped brewing coffee. After repeated presses of the brewing button, the maker started to work again. Then after a few days, it stopped working. Again, the brewing button was repeatedly pressed, and the machine started to work. This has happened several times. The most the brewing button had to be pushed before the machine would start working again is 25 times.
Since the brewing machine could not be returned to the store (past the return policy), we phoned customer service. A helpful customer service rep said that some of the brewing machines had faulty sensors and that they thought all of the faulty machines had been caught before leaving the factory. The customer service rep is sending an entire new brewer. She said to keep the water reservoir from the old machine in case it was ever needed as a spare part. She also asked for the K-Cup assembly to be returned to her as proof that that the brewer was not working. The K-Cup assembly is lightweight, so it won't cost much to mail back.
Not Just for Coffee
As my niece explained to me, not only can she make coffee for her parents ... but the Keurig brewer can also make tea. To demonstrate her point, she flung open the cabinet doors above the coffee brewer. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The entire cabinet was filled with boxes of K-cups. Here is a sampling of what the cabinet held:
Cappuccino
Mudslide (more of a chocolate flavor than the Belgian Chocolate Nut)
Belgian Chocolate Nut
Green Mountain Hazelnut Decaf (has more flavor than Timothy’s)
Rainforest Espresso Blend (for when one wants a stronger coffee flavor)
The Mango tea is on the weak side; not as flavorful as one would wish.
Cleaning & Care
The instructions tell how to clean the machine. The K-cup holder assembly and funnel are even dishwasher safe. The water reservoir can also be placed in the dishwasher; however, its lid is not dishwasher safe and must be washed by hand.
The manufacturer recommends that the brewer be descaled every six months (this means running a vinegar-water mixture through the machine). Harmful minerals can buildup in the machine, which could interfere with the heating element. The good news is that this is a smart machine. When the brewer detects it is time to be descaled, the LCD display shows the message "De-scale". If you are wondering, the machine can still be used even when this message is present. During a month of use (every day the coffee maker is on for 17 hours), the machine has not flashed the descale warning.
If you plan on storing the Keurig brewer, make sure it is unplugged and that the water reservoir is empty. Store in a dry place that is frost free so that any moisture left in the machine will not freeze, perhaps damaging the coffee maker.
Purchasing
Amazon.com sells the Keurig B50 for $149.95. Keurig also sells the B50 direct for $149.95. If you are interested in Timothy’s coffees, they sell this brewer for $149.99 and include a sampler of their coffees and teas. Green Mountain Coffee offers a sampling of their coffee with the Keurig B50 for $149.95.
Coffee and tea is available from a variety of sources. A sampling of prices is:
Gloria Jean’s Cappuccino or Mudslide (25 K-cups for $13.95)
Gloria Jean’s Mango Tea (25 K-cups for $13.95)
Green Mountain Hazelnut Decaf (25 K-cups for $13.95)
Timothy’s Rainforest Espresso Blend (25 K-cups for $13.99)
Summary
The Keurig B50 Gourmet Single Cup Brewer is a hit. It's great that Keurig stood behind its product, too. I'm still amazed that my pre-teen niece can so easily brew coffee for the family. This is a beautiful machine that not only looks great on the counter but produces hot, delicious coffee fast.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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