I have just purchased a Keurig Model B66 "Ultimate" and tried it out within the hour. My first opinions on this model are:On a negative note... I found that the sound is noticeable when the unit is pumping the water into its heater. The individual K-Cup coffee containers while convenient, are costly per cup.
On the positive side... I drink black coffee and I feel that this unit does heat the water to a sufficient temperature and brews a drinkable cup of coffee very quickly. Another plus... Keurig also offers a solution for the "costly per cup servings" in that it sells a reusable coffee filter as an accessory. (This filter will permit you to use your own coffee which relates to a much lower cost per cup.)
My biggest regret about purchasing this particular model is that I didn''t notice that the largest cup this unit brews is only ten (well 9.25) ounces... and not the twelve ounce mug size that I consider to be "my" standard size cup. In all fairness I can''t find fault with Keurig for that because it clearly states the cup brewing size right on the back of the box.
The only differences between the B60 and B66 is the color of the machine and quantity of sample K-Cups. The B60 is almost all black with a chrome handle while this B66 has a black body, silver top and chrome handle. The B60 gives you the standard 18 pack K-Cup sample, while the B66 gives you an additional 4 18-packs of samples AND a reusable "My K-Cup". The My K-Cup is a reusable filter you can put your own coffee in if you really want to (kind of defeats the purpose).
After using both the B60 and B66 I can tell you they both work EXACTLY the same. Any review you see for B60 has the same features, benefits, and shortfalls as the B66.
I''m the only coffee drinker in my house so it became a big pain to measure out beans, grind them, empty them from the grinder into the coffee maker, add the water, then wait for the coffee. Plus when you''re done you have to discard the used filter / grounds and any left over coffee and clean the carafe and maybe the drip mechanism as well.
THE KEURIG IS ALMOST 100% MAINTENANCE / CLEANING FREE. It has a 48 oz water reservoir so you don''t need to refill daily. The cleanup is just taking the used K-Cup and throwing it out. There''s no grinding of beans or cleaning necessary and I don''t have to spend 1/2 an hour to make 2 cups of coffee.
Some other nice benefits are that it also makes tea, hot cocoa and plain ole hot water (for Ramen or other uses). It also has a cool blue LED and blue lit water tank. The auto-on and off features help you save time and money. The 90 K-Cups the B66 gives you should last a long time and help you decide which blend of coffee(s) you prefer most. The water reservoir is also dishwasher safe.
The cons are few and far between. It is noisy when it starts and finishes making a cup of coffee. The water intake makes a loud vibrating noise when it pumps water in or out of the internal reservoir. This doesn''t bother me, my wife, or my infant son. The strength of the 9.25 oz versus the 5.25 ounce cup is diminished. It''s just the amount of water being used on the same amount of grounds. So if you want a regular 9.25 oz coffee you should probably use a strong K-Cup. Refill K-Cups are somewhat expensive, but it''s WAY less then a gourmet coffee shop. If you look around and use coupons it''s a great way to save.
I''ve had the coffee maker for 3 days now and I couldn''t be prouder of my purchase. I look forward to my daily coffee finally!
One last note, if you''re going through a carafe or more of coffee a day, you may want to think about whether or not it''s a cost savings or worth the time savings for you. But for me, this is the best product I''ve come across in a while.
Buy Keurig B66 Single Serve Gourmet Coffee & Tea Brewing System Now
I''d never heard of K-cups when I ran into theKeurig B66 in Costco. At with 90 K-cups,
I figured it was worth a try. As a bit of a coffee snob
(longtime "Peetnik" who finds Starbucks a little too weak)
I''d avoided systems like
Senseo because I figured that they wouldn''t brew
coffee as strong as I like it. And that WAS my experience
with the Keurig, too: The sample K-cups were okay,
but--unless brewed on the tiny 5.25 oz setting--
far too weak for my taste. Again, let me stress,
MY personal taste is for coffee stronger than probably
95% of Americans, so take that into account.
Cons: Even after trying the K-cups recommended by
others who say they prefer strong coffee
(Emeril''s "Big Easy Bold," Coffee People''s "Donut Shop Coffee,"
"Black Tiger" & "Wake Up", Timothy''s "Midnight Magic"
& "Rainforest Espresso," and so on, I''m still having
trouble finding a stiff cup of Joe brewed at 7.25 oz.
Also, they haven''t developed an environmentally friendly
K-cup yet. Damn! And it''s pricey, by home coffee maker standards.
Pros: Clean-up...there really is none! This format is the
fastest, easiest, most trouble-free way to get a quick cup
of decent coffee. I''m in Bachelor Heaven! I brew whenever
I feel like it--''cause it''s so easy--and never waste excess coffee.
I will never resort to instant, so this is a wonderful compromise:
It ain''t french press coffee, folks, but it''s pretty good and ridiculously easy.
Two or more folks can enjoy entirely different coffees at virtually
the same time.
Also, this package does include a device for using your own
coffee: after continuing to audition K-cups, I may eventually
resort to stuffing it with some quality Peet''s coffee, here and there.
Also, there''s a ton of different types of coffee, cocoa and tea for
this available at decent prices on Amazon
(some people consider ~44 cents a serving expensive, but I''m used to
paying for quality coffee--and not pushing for that many cups out of a pound
--so K-cups at ~$ for 48 cups (no tax or shipping) seems modest to ME.
From what I''m told, the B60 is the closest model for comparison...
both have 3 sizes (5.25 oz, 7.25 oz & 9.25 oz). I''ve heard another
Keurig model offers a 11.25 oz option, but given that I''m having
trouble finding something strong enough at 7.25, 11.25 seems laughable.
I''m using Brita water, for what it''s worth, and have only had the
machine for about a month, so I can''t yet speak to its durability.
It vibrates a bit and makes a little noise. Neither bothered me,
but I can see that if one person was up, making coffee, a light
sleeper in a nearby room might notice the sound.
Here''s a tip: A company called Kenoza
offers single cup purchases. I know the 90 cups that mine came with
sound like a lot, but I immediately realized I needed the strongest
options, so went to Kenoza and got 2 or 3 samples (at 46 cents each)
of many of the strongest ("Extra Bold" is the K-cup jargon)...coffees;
far better than blindly buying 48 cups of something you may hate!
So, in summary, at with 90 K-cups I think it''s a freakin''
bargain. Obviously, the more you have to pay, the less spectacular
the deal. Drinkable coffee--no one''s going to mistake it for Peet''s
in a french press--but it''s better than instant and some regular drip
coffee makers. If you like a variety of coffees, and don''t care if
it''s strong, run, don''t walk, to the Keurig...and the lack of clean-up
is AWESOME!
Read Best Reviews of Keurig B66 Single Serve Gourmet Coffee & Tea Brewing System Here
I purchased this Keurig B66 from Costco for $129.99 in December of 2009. It came with a case of free coffee and a reusable filter. A great deal at the time. After about 1 year of use I believe it is the greatest coffee machine ever. So far so good. And I mean really good (the coffee). I don''t bother using those K-cups, I buy whole bean coffee from Costco (Kirkland espresso brand roasted by Starbucks), I grind it myself as needed for a week, and I use the reusable My K-Cup filter. The My K-Cup filters can be purchased at Target for about $15. The ability to control the amount of coffee, water level, and temperature of the water to make one cup will give you the best home made cup of coffee you will ever have. I love the coffee I get at sit down restaurants, I don''t know why. I always felt that the high temperature of their coffee machines was the trick. The Keurig lets you set the temperature up to 192 degrees. And the flavor from that setting is great. Here''s how it works:You fill the water tank, put your K-Cup in the holder, push down the handle, put a cup under the nozzle, select the size of cup you want, and press start. The machine will sound like it is grumbling, think of the sound that the stomach of a 500 pound man that is really hungry makes. This is the machine sucking in the water, then it heats it up and starts pouring water through your K-Cup and down into your coffee cup. The machine has 3 cup size selections. Small = 3/4 cup, medium = 1 cup, large = 1 1/4cup. So small = less water and stronger flavor, and large = more water and weaker flavor.
But wait the fun doesn''t stop there. You want just hot water? You can do that too. Now put that reusable filter in there empty (to keep hot water from splashing) and you can have a cup of hot water. Have you ever sipped hot water before? It''s great, it feels cleansing. Or put some tea bags in there if you want, weirdo. Hot water works for so many things. Instant hot cocoa, broth, cleaning countertops. Coffee is just one the the things this puppy is good for.
The Kicker:
You can tell all your friends about this great machine you have and the wonderful coffee it makes. When you go to their house and taste their lowly coffee you will miss your machine. You won''t want to be rude when they offer you coffee, but you will make excuses. You will feel like you don''t want to ruin your taste buds. It''s just like when you went from drinking tap water to bottled water. You just can''t go back can you? When you go to work, and you see that coffee machine there you wonder if you can get the other guys at work to all chip in and get a Keurig for the workplace. You will never want to taste vending machine coffee ever again.
I could go on. The price seems high, but the flavor is there to support it. I have had it for 14 months brewing about 5 cups of coffee every day. As long as it doesn''t break the quality of life increase will justify the price. Do yourself a favor and grind your own beans and use the My K-Cup reusable filter, the cost per cup goes to less than 10 cents per cup. The K-Cups you buy cost 35-65 cents per cup. I''m saving probably $50 per month grinding my own coffee and using the filter, which means my machine already paid for itself.
One more thing, at the high temperature setting this machine makes the Costco coffee I use taste just like the "Cafe Americano" from Starbucks.
That''s it. Bye.
Want Keurig B66 Single Serve Gourmet Coffee & Tea Brewing System Discount?
If your shopping around for a single-serve coffee brewer, Keurig is it. Yes, its a bit more expensive than some other models, and yes, the K-cups can be costly (about $0.45-$0.55 per cup). But there are accessories you can purchase inorder to brew your own coffee and also those that allow you to use cheaper pods (shop around, they work great). By far its my favorite single-serve unit, and I have tried a few. Each cup is brewed PERFECTLY every timeI love it. As for the noise, I''ve owned the B40 and this B66 model, and this model is alot quieter than the B40 model, though both equally brew a great cup! The noise doesn''t seem to bother me too much. This particular model also complements stainless steel applicances, and you may be able to find it cheaper at SAMS or COSTCO.Save 37% Off
