PROS:
Great entry level machine for K-Cups
Excellent value for the dollar
Brews a cup of coffee that is as good as the competition
Easy to use
No assembly required
Convenient
CONS:
Lightweight construction
Few bells and whistles
Only two serving sizes (6 and 10 ounces)
Short cord
Small water reservoir without filter option
Coffee brewed this way is pricey (but you knew that!)
A newer Keurig system is on its way (the Keurig Vue) that uses a different K-Cup
The Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG5-001 Single Serve Coffee Brewer is a basic, single serve Keurig Cup coffee brewer that will certainly do the job. An entry level K-Cup brewing machine, without any added whistles and bells, it will still brew a fine cup of coffee.
Please note, I am comparing this brewer to the Cuisinart SS-700 system (Cuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System, Silver Powered by Keurig). I also have experience with two large, Keurig brewing systems that are used in my office.
[NOTE: Go to end of the review for an update about the latest Keurig technology.]
WHAT''S IN THE BOX
The Mr. Coffee machine comes fully assembled right out of the box. All you need to do is fill the reservoir with water and place easily on the top of the machine. At the base of the machine there is a removable drip tray. Plug it in and you''re ready. It even comes with 5 sample K-Cups to start you off.
THE MACHINE BUILD
The machine itself is made out of lightweight plastic. You don''t get the sense that it is flimsy, but it isn''t as robust as the Cuisinart SS-700 which has a lot more heft and will definitely stay put on your kitchen counter. This is doubly true for the lift handle and brew head of the Mr. Coffee (the thing you lift up so that you can put the K-cup inside the machine). The plastic here is thin and will definitely not hold up to abuse. This makes this more suitable as a home machine than it does for use in a small office, where the machine would likely take more of a beating. The lighter construction does not affect the taste of the coffee at all and is probably a cost cutting measure. (At the time of writing this, the Cuisinart model costs more than twice of what is being charged for the Mr. Coffee model.) However, it may mean that the Mr. Coffee machine may not have quite the longevity of the Cuisinart.
A number of cost saving measures were taken to keep the price down. Options for coffee are limited. Servings come in only two sizes: 6 and 10 ounces. (The Cuisinart has 5 sizes between 4 and 12 ounces.) There is no LCD display and there are no strength settings for the coffee. There is no option for a filter within the fluid reservoir (another Cuisinart feature) and there is no special indicator that the fluid level is too low other than a blinking light around the ''Brew Now'' button. (The Cuisinart flashes and LCD message.) The reservoir itself is rather small--about 40 ounces--so it will only brew about four 10 ounce cups before you have to refill it. Also missing is a cool light that trans-illuminates the fluid reservoir when it is too low. The most frustrating low-end feature is that the cord is very short, meaning that your Mr. Coffee machine has to be within about a foot of an outlet.
TASTE OF THE COFFEE
Still, none of this seems to matter when it comes to the taste of the coffee. It would be nice to have an 8 ounce setting, but it isn''t really necessary. In my opinion, at sizes above 10 ounces the coffee is just too weak, so larger sizes aren''t all that useful when using K-Cups. Those who like stronger coffee tend to use two K-Cups per cup of coffee on a four or six ounce setting to get that motor oil consistency that they so love. I have never noticed any difference in using a Keurig systems that allow you to change brew strength. The determining factor for the strength of the coffee seems to be limited by the physics of the K-Cup itself. Blinking lights and fancy indicators are fun, but are hardly necessary in such a simple machine.
BREWING COFFEE
For those not in the know, to brew the coffee you lift the brew head by the handle, place the K-Cup in the well, and close the apparatus. You select the serving size and then hit the ''Brew Now'' button. The water is heated and the coffee is brewed quickly (about 3 minutes). The tiny reservoir only holds about 24 ounces of water, meaning that you will refill it frequently. If your cup is shallow (think tea cup) there will be a little, initial splashing as the coffee shoots out the bottom.
Just so you know, K-Cups are not necessarily the best way to brew coffee. I prefer using a French Press to get the most out of the bean. (Yeah. I know. I''m a coffee snob.) And if I want to brew a quick pot of coffee that still tastes better than one from a K-Cup, a standard, drip coffee maker does just fine, thank you.
But you can''t beat the K-Cup for convenience. K-Cups produce a far better coffee than any instant I''ve tasted (including that fancy Starbucks VIA stuff) and it is the best kind of coffee you can make on the go without any fuss or muss. It''s far faster than a French Press, less finicky, and easier to clean up. It doesn''t take the prep needed for drip coffee or take all that time. And if you have a family where everyone has a variety of tastes, K-Cups allow everyone to stock their favorite flavor.
ECOFRIENDLY AND ECONOMICAL K-CUPPING
If you want to keep things more environmentally sound, there are a number of solutions available for reusable inserts that work just like the K-Cups but that can be filled with your favorite coffee. This way you don''t have to increase the number of used K-Cups that are taking over our landfills today. This may take away some of the convenience factor but is still far faster than other methods to brew coffee.
A reusable Keurig Cup also decreases the expense of the K-Cups. A pound of coffee yields somewhere around 72 ten-ounce cups of coffee. On Amazon (on the day of the writing of this review), you can purchase three pounds of Starbucks Cafe Verona blend for $23.97(Starbucks Caffe Verona Coffee, Dark, Ground, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)). That''s about 15 cents per cup of coffee at today''s prices. The same coffee in a K-cup will cost you about 91 cents when bought in bulk(Starbucks Caffe Verona, Dark, 54-Count)--about 6 times the cost. [Note: I corrected my math; thanks to J. Hopkins for reading the review and catching my error.] That''s quite a mark up for the convenience factor. The lowest price I could find on Amazon is about 60 cents per K-Cup. Even if you pay up to $20 a pound for a really high end brew, that means you''d still only pay around 28 cents per cup of coffee. This shows you how the K-Cup is good for brewer manufacturers (we will pay a premium for the convenience of the machines) and the coffee roasters themselves (we''ll pay a lot more for a cup of coffee). The reusable K-Cup will significantly decrease the cost of a cup of coffee. If you buy the excellent ekobrew Cup, refillable filter for Keurig Brewers, Brown, 1-Count at today''s price of $11.49, you will make good on your investment after brewing just 15 cups of Cafe Verona or 23 cups of the cheaper brand when compared to the 60 cent K-Cups varieties. That''s an incredible savings. [NOTE: The Ekobrew will work in this model, but you have to pull down on the handle after you close until it clicks. Keurig''s own Keurig Alternative My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter works, but it comes in three pieces (insert, filter basket, and screw-on top) and--given 3 parts--is more difficult to clean. It also requires that you snap out the insert on the brew head, which means you would have to replace the insert if you want to use a disposable K-Cup]
So this Mr. Coffee model will get you in at the Keurig ground floor (no pun intended). Not the fanciest model--no bells and whistles--but it will get the job done. And, quite frankly, it brews as good a cup of coffee as the far more expensive Cuisinart or those big commercial, Keurig models out there. Thumbs up on this one.
[UPDATE: As an interesting aside, Keurig is coming out with the Keurig Vue system. It uses different K-Cups than conventional machines and the promise is a more regulated cup of coffee. The Vue machine supposedly will more carefully regulate inflow and outflow of a new, specially designed K-Cup that will allow for better control of temperature and pressure within the K-Cup. This apparently will allow for brewing up to 18 ounces of good strength coffee and also allow for brewing iced beverages.
My guess is that this system is meant to compete with Starbuck''s Verismo brewing system that is still due to come out. It will also allow Keurig to compete with the Tassimo, Flavia, and Senseo systems which are newer and in some respects more sophisticated, with better individualized temperature/pressure controls for a more individualized cup of coffee. (The Tassimo and Flavia systems can also brew drinks that have frothed milk on top.)
That being said, all this new technology will likely come with an added price (the machine + the new and improved K-Cups). The old Keurig system brews fine coffee already and Keurig still has the best selection of K-Cups from different coffee vendors. I''ve tried some of the other systems and--in spite of ''superior'' technology have not noted any significant improvements over the simple Keurig system like the one used in this Mr. Coffee machine.]
Update, one month later:
After testing the Mr. Coffee Single Serve Coffee Brewer myself for a while at home, I sent it to work with my husband. And he''s not too terribly happy with it. He reports back that the device works fine if you choose the small cup size. (Go figure: that''s the size I always used!) When he selects the large cup size, the water flows inside the coffee maker right into the drip tray about half the time. The other half of the time, he receives only about half a cup of coffee.
I''m not sure what to make of this. I''d call user error, but my husband is a serious coffee-phile (and gearhead) and can operate any kind of coffee brewing/grinding/whathaveyou equipment with ease. He does admit to having turned the device off prematurely a couple of times, but I''m not convinced that this could cause his issues.
Given this trouble, I''m revising my review from four to TWO stars and slapping an "approach with caution" sign on it. If you''re looking for a Keurig-style device, it''s probably best to spend the money and buy a Keurig.
********
Original Review:
The Mr. Coffee Single Serve Coffee Brewer is a slightly less expensive alternative to the popular Keurig coffee maker. This product suits the Mr. Coffee name perfectly. It is not sleek or sexy; it has no bells or whistles; in fact, it''s downright utilitarian. But it gets the job done and brews a pretty good little cup of coffee nevertheless.
This coffee maker comes out of the box just about ready to go. Take off a couple of plastic bags, peel off a piece of tape or two, wash out and fill the water reservoir, and you''re just a couple of minutes away from a cup of coffee. The controls are basic, and I liked the fact that I did not have to fiddle with anything digital or computerized or possibly smarter than I am.
My negative impressions are as follows:
--The machine itself is square and clunky looking. Not really something that I want sitting out on my kitchen counter all the time. It looks like...a Mr. Coffee.
--The water reservoir is awkward and chunky. Unless you fill it in place with a pitcher or bottle of water, then spillage is a definite possibility, because you need to use two hands to keep it level.
--The actual brewing process is not as fast as my Keurig, so those of us with issues with impatience may chafe at the extra few seconds we have to wait until we have our coffee.
Positive notes:
--This machine makes a nice cup of coffee. It comes out at an excellent and drinkable temperature.
--The small cup selection makes strong coffee, which is the way I like it.
--Unlike the Keurig, the Mr. Coffee does not leave coffee grinds in the bottom of my coffee cup. I like not having to chew my cup of coffee in the morning.
The Mr. Coffee has a slightly different brewing protocol than a Keurig, heating the water and brewing the coffee at one press of a button. If you treat it like a Keurig, you''ll have a drip tray full of coffee and nothing in your cup. So be sure to read the instructions before you brew your first cup, especially if you have used a Keurig brewer in the past.
This coffee maker comes with a little 5-cup sampler pack of K-Cups. This is a very nice touch, because it means you can brew a cup of coffee as soon as you pull the device out of the box. But remember, the coffee that the Mr. Coffee brews is only as good as the K-Cup you put in to it. Since I''m a terrible coffee snob (probably a result of living in Seattle for so long), the only one of the sample cups that was palatable to me was the Newman''s. My advice: toss out the samples and buy yourself some Starbucks or Tully''s!
Overall, this is a decent enough coffee maker. Not pretty and not fancy but definitely adequate. I think that it''s worth the price.
Buy Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG5-001 Single Serve Coffee Brewer Now
I''m trying to put together a video review, but I''d like to share my thoughts until I get that done. This is my third Keurig machine (the previous two still work fine, btw), and I''ve been using K-Cup brewers at home for over five years. In short, I think that this is a good choice in the ~$80 range, but you might want to spend just a little bit more to get a few more features (or spend the same and get different ones). I''ll start with a short overview of the options out there that might help you decide if this machine has what you want, and then I''ll discuss my opinions of this machine in particular.
UP FRONT SUMMARY -
This is a capable machine that offers an external water reservoir and two cup sizes, is very simple to use, brews a cup in about four minutes, but feels just a little cheap because of the plastic parts. For a little more money (depending on sales), you can step up to a machine with an internal heated reservoir that will brew faster and likely hold more water in the external reservoir.
PRIMARY CATEGORIES OF K-CUP BREWERS -
There are two primary categories of K-Cup brewers:
1. Machines that have an internal water reservoir that will keep water hot and ready for brewing whenever the machine is on
2. Machines that have no internal water reservoir that heat water only after you press the "brew" button
This Mr. Coffee fits into the second category, but it does stand out from the others that I''ve seen available because of the external reservoir. Machines with an internal water reservoir also have an external reservoir (of various sizes depending on the machine) to store extra water. Machines with no internal reservoir typically require that the water be added before each cup (at least that I''ve seen). So, while this machine heats the water before eat cup, it does allow you to store multiple cups worth of water in the reservoir.
Some things to consider when choosing between these categories:
Machines with an internal heated reservoir will make coffee faster (~ one minute per cup) than those that must heat the water before each cup but only if you have it on already, as it takes a little time to heat up the internal water supply if the machine was off. I typically only have my Breville BKC700XL on in the morning, and then I shut it off after my last cup. This Mr. Coffee takes about four minutes to make a 10-ounce cup, which is actually a bit less time than it takes to get my first cup from the Breville because it has to heat up the internal water. If I make two cups, though, the Breville wins hands down.
Machines without an internal reservoir (or external reservoir) can be more compact. This Mr. Coffee, though, is only a little smaller than my Breville.
Machines with an internal heated reservoir cannot be drained without disassembly (at least the ones that I''ve seen), which is something to consider when moving and/or storing them.
FEATURES TO CONSIDER WHEN SHOPPING -
Every machine is going to be at least a bit different to stand out, but here are some main features that vary from machine to machine that I can think of:
Internal heated reservoir, which results in faster brew times, compared to no internal reservoir.
External water reservoir, which means that you don''t have to add water for every cup of coffee, compared to fill-each-time.
Number of available cup sizes. Some have only one, some have up to five. Some coffees are stronger than others, so it can be nice to have a choice of how much water is used.
Pump noise (as far as I know, this only applies to machines with external reservoirs). Some, like my Breville, are very quiet. Some are louder.
Construction materials. I think that reviews are the best source for determining reliability, because regardless of how sturdy something looks on the outside, reliability on these machines seems to be a big function of the internal mechanisms such as the pump or electronics. That said, you can judge how sturdy you think the external materials are and if they''d hold up to you, your kids, or your office mates.
Drip tray cover material some are metal, some are plastic. I mention this in particular because you set your cup on this every time that you use it, so it will get impacted a lot over the years. Metal is more durable, but plastic tends to be a bit quieter when you set your cup on it.
Aesthetics. Of course, only you can decide on this, but I figured it was worth mentioning.
THIS MACHINE IN PARTICULAR -
Overall, this really is a pretty good machine. That wasn''t my first impression, but it has definitely grown on me. When I first unpacked it, I admit that I wasn''t very impressed. I used a Keurig B70 Platinum for about three years, and then switched to a Breville BKC700XL that I''ve used for over two and a half years. So, I''m used to a certain build quality. This machine uses a lot more plastic and just feels cheaper, leaving me disappointed initially but it is also less expensive, so I should have expected it. Also, when I first started using it, I didn''t like how it operated but I soon realized that was just because it worked a bit differently than what I was used to.
After using it for a couple of days (and now over two weeks), my disappointment changed to appreciation once I got used to how it worked and also began to like how the plastic drip tray was quieter. The lack of options (like a clock, on/off settings, brew temperature, and so on), make this very simple to set up and start brewing...pretty much just plug it in, add water, put in a K-Cup, place your cup, select cup size (if the one lit up isn''t what you want), push brew button, wait about four minutes, and enjoy!
Here are some things that I like and that I think make it worthy of consideration in this price range:
It has an external water reservoir, which I like because I don''t need to pour in water for every cup. I can fill it once and be set for two cups in the morning.
It brews two cups sizes (6 and 10 ounces).
The machine is extremely quiet while drawing water from the reservoir. I''m guessing that it just opens a valve and lets gravity feed in the water, because I can''t hear a pump at all. It is also pretty quiet while heating the water.
There are some things that I don''t love about this machine:
The feel of the plastic lid to the K-Cup holder (when opening and closing) and drip tray are pretty cheap to me. That doesn''t mean that they are weak and prone to failure, but it does make me wonder how long this will last, as those two items that get a lot of physical use and it also makes me wonder about the quality of internal hardware. So far, though, it''s worked great.
After a cup is brewed, the machine will continue to somewhat loudly blow air through the K-Cup for about a minute to dry it out. This can be easily cancelled by pressing the brew button, but when my hands are busy, I find it a little annoying. That''s because this is the first machine of mine that has ever done that, and I don''t see the point in it.
When the lid is opened, the K-Cup holder doesn''t swivel forward like on other machines that I''ve used or seen in the stores. I''ve gotten used to it, but it is easier for me to put in and remove K-Cups when they are angled towards me like on my other machines.
The external reservoir isn''t lighted, so it can be a little difficult to tell how much water is in it because it''s shaded by my cabinets.
So, overall, a pretty nice machine and I''m happy that I was given the opportunity to try it. Personally, I like the machines with an internal reservoir that brew faster and that have larger water reservoirs. For me, it would be worth the money to get those features for a home brewer, but this might be perfect for a college student or the occasional cup at work.
Read Best Reviews of Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG5-001 Single Serve Coffee Brewer Here
I bought this for my wife for her birthday so that she could enjoy quick, easy coffee in the morning and on weekends. It is every bit as good as a Keurig as far as brewing quality and works with the Keurig My K-Cup accessory. The only criticism I have is the official Keruig brewers that I have used heat the water as soon as you power them on and then reheat the next batch of water as soon as the current cup has finished brewing so that there is very little if any lag between one cup and the next one. This brewer heats the water when you start brewing so there is a few minute wait between pushing the button to brew a cup and actually getting the cup. This is pretty small, but we do miss the immediacy in brewing of the Keurig-branded machines.
I would also like to comment on others'' notes that the reservoir for the water is smaller than similarly-sized k-cup brewers so it is very important that you remember to keep it full. I just fill my mug with water and pour that water in before starting the brewing, doesn''t bother me at all.
TL;DR This is an excellent product that we are very happy with, the Keurig brewers are nicer but cost considerably more.
Want Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG5-001 Single Serve Coffee Brewer Discount?
Length:: 4:10 Mins
My video says it all. This thing is in some ways a disappointment, but I''m not going to knock it because I don''t know how it compares to high-end Keurig machines. For one, it only holds 3 1/2 cups of water. Secondly, this thing takes up a lot of counter space, and I don''t know what 80% of this machine is being used for the reservoir is only 24 oz, but the device looks like it an hold 64 plus it is loud for about 90 seconds while the pump is on. Finally, the fact that it has a "travel mug" setting, which only spits out 1 cup of coffee is surprising to me. Again, I''m not going to knock it because I don''t know how most people expect these machines to work, but I don''t know who''s travel mug only holds 1 cup of coffee. It specifically says it makes 6-ounces or 10-ounces. I just filled a regular coffee mug, it holds 8 oz comfortably. My travel mug holds 20 oz comfortably. 6oz is too small for a coffee mug. 10oz is to big for a coffee mug, but way too small for a travel mug. IMO, they have the sizes all wrong. I think the reservoir is too small, and that the size options are off-target.
Other than that, I can''t complain. I am not a normal coffee drinker. I drink it maybe once a month. This device ensures I don''t make more than I need, plus it is quick and I don''t need to measure out the coffee grounds into a filter. Just pop the k-cup in and 3 minutes later I have steaming hot coffee. I can always run 2 10oz cycles if I want to completely fill my travel mug!
**UPDATE**
This does work with the Ekobrew reusable filters. All you have to do is press DOWN on the front lip while the filter is in place and you will hear it snap into place.
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