An Introduction to K-cups and Keurig Coffee Products

As single cup coffee brewing systems gain in popularity, the brand that has stood above the rest has been Keurig. With its K-cup coffee brewer and incredible variety of available coffees, it's no wonder that Keurig has risen to the top. Introduced just ten years ago, the patented Keurig (pronounced kor-ig) single cup coffee system stemmed from an age-old question: why do we brew coffee a pot at a time when we drink it a cup at a time? In answering that question, the fine folks at Keurig made coffee history with one of the most versatile and innovative coffee systems on the market today.

What makes Keurig so different?

Unlike other single-cup brewing systems, Keurig doesn't just package coffee in a little disc. Every individual K-cup is its own drip coffee brewer, complete with filter. You just pop the cup into place, press a button, and in a minute or less you will have one perfectly brewed cup of coffee, ready to drink. Cleanup is just as easy. Just eject the k-cup and toss it away. No dripping filters, no coffee grounds mess to deal with.

While the easy cleanup and easy learning curve for the Keurig brewing process is nice, the real value of choosing Keurig over any other single-cup brewing system is the amazing variety of coffee and coffee products that are available in K-cups. From the very start, Keurig solicited the top gourmet coffee roasters from around the world and offered them a chance to be in on their revolutionary coffee concept. The hard work in the early years paid off. Today, Keurig offers nearly 200 coffee and other beverages for use with its K-cup system.

K-cup varieties for the home or office

Do you have a favorite brand of gourmet coffee? Chances are that you can get it in K-cups. Keurig has partnered with a diverse group of gourmet coffee roasters and name brands to offer the widest variety of coffees for any single-serve coffee system. Perhaps the best-known of the companies that package their own coffee for Keurig is Green Mountain Roasters, a socially conscious roasting company that imports the finest coffees from all over the world. Among the other specialty coffee roasters and distributors that package their coffee in K-cups for Keurig are Newman's Own Organics, Diedrich, Emeril, Gloria Jean, Caribou, Timothy's, Tully's and Van Houtte. Each of them sells multiple roasts and blends through K-cups, though not necessarily every one of the blends that they make. There is quite a selection, though. Green Mountain alone offers over thirty of their specialty coffees in k-cups, including specialty signature blends like Wild Blueberry.

More than just coffee

Keurig does not confine you to making just coffee in you Keurig maker. They also offer a variety of teas, including Celestial Seasonings, Twinings and Bigelow teas, and gourmet chocolate drinks like Ghirardelli, Timothy's and Green Mountain.

Keurig Brewers

Keurig originally made coffee makers only for businesses and large offices. In fact, most people's first experience with K-cups was at their doctor's or dentist's office. For the past several years, Keurig has also made coffee brewers for the home market. There are currently three models available for the home market, ranging in price from $99 to $199. Keurig still makes their brewers for the small and large office, but they are only available through local distributors. There are Keurig brewers designed for small and large offices, and specifically for the hospitality industry. The hotel Keurig brewers are designed for single suite use, hospitality suite and coffee service use, depending on the level of use that you expect to get from your brewer.

Other Coffee Accessories and Gifts from Keurig

If you are not satisfied with the variety of k-cups available, Keurig also sells My K-cup for specific models of their home brewer. With My K-cup, you can make your own K-cup assembly using your own favorite gourmet coffee - or save money by buying whatever is on sale at the supermarket and making your own. Using the My k-cup is as easy as using a regular filter cup with a standard coffee maker, but you are still brewing only one cup at a time in the exclusive patented brewer, so you get all the flavor and convenience - with your own favorite coffee.