(TOP 10 REVIEWER)(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)The VUE is a totally different unit than current K-Cup Keurigs. I''m comparing it to the OfficePro that we use at work. The VUE is newer, sleeker, has more choices for brewing, and it''s very attractive in design (if a bit larger.) It is definitely versatile. However, there are a number of differences between the VUE and the older Keurig models and these are SO SIGNIFICANT, you should read up before you decide which model you want. For one thing, VUE cups are NOT K cups. That''s right. This coffee maker uses a different type of single-serve unit.I will say, this is a beautifully-designed unit--very high end in appearance. The touch screen is incredibly easy to use and allows you to customize your brew more than on the standard K cup models. The temperature IS hotter, perfect for drinking. The brew is a bit better--I was able to make a "donut shop" brew at 6 oz and strong, which tastes terrific. The unit apparently pre-wets the grounds (which is why it grunts like a guy lifting 100 pound Olympic plates) and why it takes longer to brew.
**Another update--Jan 2013: I''m finding that the variety and availability of the Vue cups (which are NOT K-cups) is still limited and they are often sold out at big box stores. The price continues higher than for K cups. Solofill now has a Vue refillable cup available at Kohls. Consider that as you read this review.
FINDINGS:
1. First and FOREMOST: The VUE does not take standard K-CUPS. Oh yes, that''s right. You need a totally different sized single pack to use this machine. So if you buy your own supplies for home AND office, it would be best if you have the same models at both locales. ( There is at present, no refillable VUE cup, but I assume someone will craft one sooner or later.
I ran test brews using Barista Cappuccino variety, a 2-part cup system that makes cappuccino with milky froth, not a clone of International Coffees instant in a single-pack as in the current K-cups. I also ran a test of "Donut Shop", "Gloria Jean''s Hazelnut", Celestial Seasoning''s Southern Iced Tea, and Green Mountain Nantucket Blend Iced (brewing both over ice as directed.)
2. You have to be able to buy VUE cups where you buy coffee. Our grocery store has no VUE cups. The selection, from what I can tell surfing around, is not as diverse as for K-cups.
3. READ THIS>>>>>>> The unit is billed as being capable of filling insulated tall travel mugs. BUT...I have several travel mugs, mostly tall steel insulated models. NOT ONE of them fits under the unit EVEN WITH THE BASE REMOVED (you pull the entire black and silver plastic base forward, It comes off easily) . The tallest mug I could get under the unit was a fatter mug that holds 18 oz. If you have a collection of those stainless steel mugs that are often business gifts or sold at coffee stores, yours might not fit under the Vue. So to fill your fave travel mug, you need to measure it under the Vue without the platform to see if it will fit. NOT ALL MUGS WILL FIT. MANY DO. MANY DO NOT.
4. Says "brews hotter." Have not observed any hotter than 184 degrees, a good brewing and drinking temperature but by no means the hottest. Anyway, you can''t expect boiling water to issue forth from such a device. My pump hot water dispenser delivers hotter water, but it simply pumps boiled water out of a steel boiler, it doesn''t have to push it through a filter and past a lot of plumbing and plastic.
5. VUE cups may be hard to find at the moment at your stores, and they are not as inexpensive as the K-cups have become.
6. The drain platform is a bit clunky. You have to make sure you push your mug all the way back as far as you can, or it drips behind the mug. The mug rest, a black plastic insert that fits inside the mug platform, has a slight lip around it and if you are not paying attention, you can miss pushing the mug far enough back. To use a travel mug, assuming it will fit, the entire bottom has to come off. (Pull it off.) Most of my steel insulated mugs still didn''t fit, however. 18 oz seems to be tops. If the mug is tall to make a slimmer part to fit your automobile drink holder, it may not fit, 18 or 20 oz. You have to test it out. Buying the VUE? Take your fave mug along to test out at the store.
7. It takes about twice as long to brew and it''s noisier than the OfficePro model (similar to a B60 model.) Maybe that results in better coffee (more time to hit the grounds) but you won''t be grabbing a cup and running. Took me about 2 minutes.
8. There is some good news: one of the criticisms of the wildly popular Keurig is that it makes more landfill waste. This is true. K-cups are the least ecological of all the single-serve coffee methods, yet K-cups took over the market by storm. This is because the coffee was better (Green Mountain) and because the sealed cup is delightful to use (not messy on the hands) and seals in the fresh taste. No wonder it took the number one spot. But the K-cups apparently can not easily be made recyclable, so I am assuming that Keurig developed the VUE to make a more "green" disposable.
But to recycle the VUE cup, you need to pull out the papery insert filled with wet coffee and throw it and the foil away separately from the recyclable plastic cup. So, back to messy tasks and this is not as easy as a toss into the trash. You need two trash containers (garbage and recycle) and you have to do some peeling away --which I find a fiddly task indeed. How many people are actually going to bother to do this recycling?
9. The touch screen is beautiful, it is my favorite thing on the unit, though I find the icons very small. Still, it''s easy to use and I love its looks and it says "ENJOY!" at the end of the brew cycle. Very slick.
10. The operation is fine, though I think it is a heck of a lot noisier and slower than my OfficePro.
ISSUES and CONSIDERATIONS
1. What will happen to K-Cups? Do we have a dual "razor blade" world with two types of cups for sale on the shelves?
2. What were the designers drinking when they made too little clearance under the brewing spout to hold standard travel mugs?
3. If the new K-cups are designed to be recyclable, then must they have to have an insert for the coffee, and why then extra step is involved to recycle used cups? I presume, this is the best the designers could do....or....is it that K-cups are going off patent this year. Is the consumer going to embrace this? And will there be a self-filling VUE cup? Because many of use like those for home use.
4. This unit is billed as being deluxe, high-end, a "better" Keurig. But...is it really THAT much better, aside from recyclable cups, which I admit is good thing, despite the fiddliness of the procedure. But because this is not an inexpensive unit, and it uses new cups less widely available and with a smaller selection of coffees, is this really high-end or is it just high-price?
5. Predictable, after the Keurig took first place in the single-shot coffee world, landfills reported a deluge of the little white cups. It''s well that Keurig made a "greener" cup but the way you recycle it is not simple and I fear that many people will just toss these in the trash rather than pull apart a used coffee pod, so will it really result in fewer cups in the landfill?
5. One more small issue: you may have trouble seeing tiny icons and numbers--even with reading glasses. The touch screen display displays very small print and is a tad annoying (but I am tall and wear bifocals, so you see the issue. I''m looking down from my 6 foot height onto the counter. You may not have any trouble seeing the display.)
CONCLUSIONS:
PROS:
YES, HOTTER COFFEE, IF YOU WANT, AT JUST THE RIGHT DRINKING TEMP.
A MUCH BETTER BREW, GROUNDS ARE PRE-WETTED
CAN ADJUST FROM 4-18 OZ AND CHOOSE STRENGTH
TEMPERATURE CHOICES
TOUCH SCREEN IS SLICK AND EASY TO USE
GORGEOUS UNIT--VERY HIGH END APPEARANCE
CAN DO TRAVEL MUGS IF YOU TAKE OUT ALL THE BASE PART AND ONLY GO UP TO 18 OZ (TEST YOUR MUG)
CONS:
NOISIER
SLOWER
MORE EXPENSIVE, CUPS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE TOO
LIMITED SELECTION OF COFFEE (FOR NOW)
LIMITED AVAILABILITY CUPS, DIFFERENT CUP than STANDARD
NO SELF-FILL CUP AVAILABLE
NEED TO FIDDLE WITH VUE CUP TO RECYCLE IT
DOESN''T HOLD SOME TRAVEL MUGS (despite saying it does) YOURS MAY NOT FIT
*UPDATE: After a full weekend of putting this beast through its paces, I have to say, it''s fantastic. I did all kinds of brewing, comparing it to my office Keurig and it is undeniably slick, fun to use and flexible. I love the lighted reservoir that lets you know that the tank needs filling (this happens at 1/4 full) and I love the touch screen and the ability to customize volume, strength and temperature for brewing. Only the cost of the cups has me concerned, and the lack of a self-fill cup.
*UPDATE 2: When you purchase Vue Cups, BE CAREFUL. Some of the cocoa, teas, coffee-milk drinks have both sugar AND artificial sweeteners. If you avoid sucralose or other artificial sweeteners, then you have to read the entire ingredients of the Vue Cup very carefully. Some have stevia, which I don''t mind as much, but I do not like a mix of sugar and non-sugar. I think it''s deceptive. You may think "sugar" ok, no artificial sweetener, but it CAN be in there as well, to add more sweetness with lower volume of powder in the cup. OR to reduce the overall calorie count of a single serving to look less fattening. Be careful!
Anyway, after 5 years (I used filtered tap water)of a wonderful relationship, my Keurig started to say DESCALE every few weeks. Before this happened, I would usually descale twice a year, and don''t recall it ever telling me to until January of 2012. Suddenly, also, it wouldn''t brew and was just really acting up. I was going to try and baby my old Keurig and squeeze every bit of life out of it but then...I had no idea the VUE even existed until someone mentioned it on a social media site. I had just received a 20% coupon from a store that sells stuff for the bed, bath and other rooms, and since it was selling for less there and I had a coupon, I decided to take the plunge even after reading the negative reviews here.
So. Glad. I. Did.
First things first: Flavor seems much better not that the old Keurig brewed bad coffeebut this just seems...fresher? Also, as I mentioned, I love strong coffee. While there are now many K-Cups on the market that are really bold, finding flavored bold coffee was zilch. And I love flavored coffee every now and then. When I purchased the VUE it came with a sample of V-cups and there was a Gloria Jeans Hazlenut (medium roast), so I tried it and pressed the Strong button. It was perfect. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical that it could actually brew stronger, but it did!!! Then I tried a Breakfast Blend (light roast) Green Mountain travel mug, used Strong, and used the 12 oz button, and was very pleased! Now, they say for the larger sizes (12-14-18) you should but a "travel mug" coffee. I haven''t tried using a regular V-cup with a higher oz cup, so I don''t know if it would taste okay or not, but for me this is such a fabulous feature (the Strong button) because now I can drink flavor coffee and it''s more robust using the strong button.
I have turned up the temp to the max it will go (love a HOT cup of coffee). My first cup was not so hot but after that initial cup, the rest of the time, it is piping hot! I say this because I don''t want anyone to panic after brewing their first cup (like I did!).
I love the touchscreen. And after it''s done brewing it reads "Enjoy!" I know this is silly, but I feel like it''s "talking to me" and I smile at it every time. Just a simple silly little thing, but I love simple silly little things!
I haven''t tried the cocoa or the tea or the ice coffee/tea so I can''t comment on that. I never used the cocoa k-cups with my old Keurig and probably won''t with this.
I don''t know if the Amazon Vue comes with a variety pack like the one that was included in the one I bought at the store, but I would **think** it would the variety pack I had included one of: Green Mountain Nantucket Blend, Breakfast Blend travel mug, Tullys French Roast, Barista Prima French Roast, Cafe Escapes cocoa, Timothy''s Decafe Colombian, Gloria Jeans Hazlenut, Coffee People Donut House, Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime tea and Southern Sweet Perfect Iced Tea.
I also love the design. I keep my Keurig on the counter in the kitchen. It sits under cabinets and anytime I wanted to add water or put in a K-cup, I would need to pull it out because it was so tall. The Vue is shorter and I don''t need to pull it out at all when putting in a V-cup or filling the water. Also, to fill the reservoir, you can take off the whole top OR lift part of it (Keeping it on) and pouring in your water.
OH! Also, you can raise the platform so if you''re using a small cup, it won''t spatter a vast improvement from my old Keurig.
This is the first day I''ve used it, so, if I have any problems or anything changes, I will update. If I don''t update, I''m still really happy!!!!!!
Also note, I''m really careful with my money. Mostly all of my clothes shopping is done at a consignment store, I drive a used car, etc...that''s also one of the reasons I wanted to baby the old Keurig as long as possible...however, since I am a huge Keurig fan and rarely splurge on anything else...LOL, I decided with the coupon and price at the store (was selling for the price listed on the Keurig online store)to just go for it. Well worth it, in my opinion.
Buy Keurig 2700 Keurig® Vue® V700 Single serve coffee system Now
I got the Vue about 1 week ago from BB&B for $199 (look for the 20% off coupon) and I love the machine. The noise described by some reviewers isn''t an issue to me since my old coffee pot was just as loud and it is only on for at most 45 seconds when you brew. I feel like the touchscreen is easy to use and mine worked just fine the first try. The Vue cups are nice because you can get strong coffee in an 18 oz travel mug. I do wish it was 2-4 inches taller to fit some taller cups but that isn''t going to make me give it 1 star; I use a 32 oz ''Bucee''s Cup'' and it fit fine but my tumblers are too tall.I read some folks complaining about the temperatures being reported as ''well under advertised'' which caused me to break out my Thermapen to check mine. Mine was coming out around 184-186 with the brewer running directly where it comes out. I have mine set to 190 degrees so that is pretty close; some heat will dissipate in the Vue cup as it brews so I have no reason to believe it is that far off. At 174 in the cup after it finished even that will burn the skin off of your lips so it is plenty hot for me.
I do wish someone would hurry up and release a refillable Vue cup so we can use our own grounds and cut back on the cost of buying the Vue packs but I am sure someone will get one out soon.
I didn''t give it 5 stars because of 1 bug I am experiencing with the water tank. Mine will brew down to 1/4 left in the tank then stop brewing until more water is added (it prompts you on the screen). Yesterday it had 1/2 a tank left and did it again; I refilled it but it didn''t detect it until I power cycled the machine. I will call Keurig to report it and see what they say about it; it might be something I did or it might just be a sensor.
Read Best Reviews of Keurig 2700 Keurig® Vue® V700 Single serve coffee system Here
First I want to start off saying I was almost disuaded in buying this item because of all the bad reviews. It seems like people are only likely to write reivews when they have a bad experience. So here I am writing a good review because I love the Keurig Vue.First I''ll start off with the good. The new keurig comes with a button to make a stronger cup of coffee. I personally can taste a difference and I do like the option for a stronger cup. The next thing that sold me was the increase in cup size options, before you had preset options, now you as the user can decided on how big you want your coffee. The cups are limited as of now which is obvious since this is a new item but I have my favorites, and they are already out for the vue, some people are probably not as lucky as I am. The touch screen is so cool, unnecessary? Yes maybe, but very nice touch to the all over aesthetic look of the machine. As for the options available on this keurig its amazing. Theres options for almost every kind of drink. I specifically like the iced coffee feature. I was very skeptical and assumed that it would just make a luke warm cup of watered down coffee but I was so shocked. It tasted great.
Now onto the bad. The noise can be a problem. It is way louder than my old B70 model, but unlike other people it wasn''t exactly a deal breaker. There is also the issue of the tank asking you to add water. Mine does this when its about 1/3 full, is it annoying? Sometimes, but I have a pitcher of filtered water in my fridge at all times, so filling it up in a flash is a breeze. Another downside is the launch flavors available. I said earlier my favorites are already out, but I am sure some of your favorites might not be. The new keurig does brew at a higher temp. I have read and will agree it isn''t 100 percent accurate. When i tested a cup at 192 degrees, it came up around 185.6, that was close enough for me and I didnt mind.
All in all I think this is a great buy. All the negative reviews almost disuaded me but I decided to give it a try anyway. I have had it now for over a month and I enjoy it very much. It''s got a great new look, and the new design of the k-cup is so much better, in my opinion at least. Oh and for those of you green people out there, the vue cups are recyclable.
So in conclusion, I completely recommend this product. I had my old Keurig for 3 years without any problems, and so far none with my current new model. If your considering upgrading, or moving from a standard drip coffee maker to a single cup I say go for it!!!!!!
Please leave comments if you have any questions and I would be happy to answer them.
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I purchased my original Vue from BB&B online and immediately had a problem with the "two streams" from the brew head (see this video posted by another purchaser: go to YouTube and search for "Keurig Vue Problem"). Each time I got the second stream of clear water in addition to the coffee stream, the coffee produced was very weak. (I should note that I have never used a powdered or milk style V-cup in the machine. I only use the standard ground coffee V-cups.) As this problem was causing me to waste a lot of coffee, I contacted Keurig for assistance. They had me run three water-only cycles through the system to "calibrate it" and the next cup I produced was perfect (only a single coffee stream from the front hole in the brew head). Unfortunately, the problem returned almost immediately and, once again, more than half of my subsequent brewing attempts were plagued by the "two streams" problem. I tried rinsing the brew head before each cup and running more water-only cycles, but nothing helped. I finally called Keurig again and they sent me a brand new replacement brewer. This one was only slightly better. I frequently still experienced the "two streams" problem. I believe the second hole (where the clear water exits) is not only designed for water-only cycles, but also to catch any owerflow from a standard brewing cycle. I think what is happening is that the upper (center) piercing unit is not sealing properly and the leakage from the poor seal is what is causing the second stream of clear water. In looking at a used V-cup, I can see a deep indentation in the foil lid between the center piercing and the lower piercing. My hunch is that the foil is not stiff enough to make a good seal between the piercing units at least part of the time. After using the replacement brewer for about two weeks with little success, I contacted Keurig support again and informed them of my continuing problem. I did note to them that I was in a high-altitude area (around 6000 ft) and that I had tried pre-piercing the center of the V-cup and it didn''t help. Keurig support did state that they are aware of the "two streams" issue and that replacing the brewer has usually solved the problem. They recommended that I lower the brew temp to 187 degrees and try again. I did so without success. So I called Keurig support back and the rep stated that she would consult with their engineering department and call me back. I heard back from Keurig the next day and was told, per their Engineering Department, the "two streams" problem will occur at high altitudes (6000+ feet) due to low ambient pressure. Further, there is NO FIX for this issue. As such, I had to return my Vue brewer.I have posted my experiences here, at BB&B and on another message board to inform prospective purchasers who live in higher altitude areas NOT to purchase the Vue so they can avoid the problems I have experienced.
I am giving the Vue two stars because of Keurig''s excellent customer service (even though they could not resolve my issue). Also, on the occasions when the Vue worked properly for me, it produced great coffee.
5/16/12 Update:
After reading posts here and elsewhere from people with similar problems, I decided to purchase another V700 (my third) and give it one more try. I set up the new unit and immediately started pre-piercing the V-packs in the center with a push-pin and flattening the foil prior to brewing. Using this technique, I have not experienced a single "two stream" problem with the new unit! I did try to brew a V-pack without piercing it and it worked much better than my earlier units, but did leak a few drops of clear water through the second hole in the brew head.
I tried pre-piercing the V-packs with my earlier units, but I used a pocket knife to make a small slit in the center rather than the pinpoint hole made by the push-pin. I also did not flatten out the foil.
With or without pre-piercing, this new machine functions much better than my earlier ones. I still believe that my altitude is a factor, but it pertains to the pressurized V-packs and not the "low ambient pressure" not allowing the machine to function properly as told to me by Keurig Engineering.
To sum it up, I believe Keurig does have a hardware problem with some new V700 units my current unit brews much better than my first two which were returned. That, combined with the pre-piercing technique described above, has allowed me to enjoy the latest Keuring technology despite my altitude and I will be keeping my new V700. I am not changing my original rating at this time due to the difficulties I experienced prior to getting a working setup. (I will provide another update if anything changes.)
To those in high-altitude areas: I would now recommend that you try the new Vue, but be sure to purchase it from a vendor with a good return policy. If you are fortunate enough to get a good unit on the first try and use the technique described above, you will enjoy an excellent machine that produces quality beverages.
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