Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG2 Single Serve Coffee Brewer Save 12% Off

I bought this single serve brewer at a local department store before realizing that Amazon carried it. Anyway, like most Keurig licensed machines, the Mr. Coffee version produces a fine cup of coffee at $25 less than the similar Keurig brand brewer. In addition, the Mr. Coffee appears to be better constructed than the Keurig Mini Brewing System. The only "con" is that the Mr. Coffee produces only a 8 ounce cup of coffee while the Keurig Mini produces 8 & 10 ounce cups. You can get almost 9 ounces, but you risk a little water going into the overflow reservoir. Nonetheless, I am very happy with my Mr. Coffee. Incidentally, this model BVMC-KG2-001 is the successor to the Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG1-001.

I purchased this machine after having used a friend''s Keurig on a few visits out of town. I really loved the convenience but was put off by the poor reviews of most of the Keurig machines, and the size of them. I decided this smaller machine (which is still a bit bigger than my 1-4 cup Mr Coffee machine) was the best bet for me.

Here are some things to think about when purchasing this machine:

No water reservoir fine for me as I was used to pouring water into a regular coffee machine every day and I am the only user of the machine, but for maximum time saving and multiple users, one might be better off choosing a model that has a reservoir.

Water temperature at first I thought it wasn''t hot enough, but then I remembered that I had always nuked my coffee after pouring it from the pot before. For very hot coffee, I would still need to do that, but the temp it comes out at is fine for me. I usually finish within 15 minutes, and it is still warm by the time I''m done.

Dispensing size There is an 8oz mark, and there is a Max mark in the water tank. Max is a little over 9 oz, which is what I always use. If you pour more that that in, the excess will drain into the drip tray before brewing. When testing, I used 10 oz (over the Max line) and got less than an ounce in the drip tray.

Coffee strength this is related to the dispensing size and is the biggest limitation for me. I like weak coffee. I have tried 6 different k-cups so far and found that using the max water amount wasn''t quite enough water for 3 of the k-cups I''ve tried (I''m cycling through a variety pack of 12). I haven''t tried the bold flavored ones yet. For this fact alone, it would be better to have a machine that dispensed more water, but once I settle on some flavors I will buy going forward, I''m sure they won''t be the bold ones.

Mug size there is a removable drip tray so you can fit a travel mug, but after taking it out my 16oz travel mugs are still too tall for it.

Reusable filters I purchased the Ekobrew filter and tried my own coffee in it when I wanted some decaf last night. It worked great.

If you really want all the bells and whistles and maximum time saving, I suggest getting one the more full featured models. I''ve had this machine a week and I''m really satisfied with it, especially for the price, which was ~ $72 when I purchased. If I find that I want to upgrade in the future, I will take this one to work.

Also, I think there are models with cup sensors. I haven''t made this mistake yet, but I have a feeling that one day I might brew some coffee and forget to put the mug underneath.

**6 week update** I am really very happy with this coffee maker and so glad I purchased it. I did notice a problem a few times where the water didn''t brew, it just went right into my mug cold. What happened is that I got things out of order. Water goes in first, then the Kcup. If you start messing with the order, this machine will let you know it doesn''t like that.

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This was my first Keurig coffee brewer, and it worked exceedingly well. The design and construction are both good and it never gave me a moment''s trouble. If you are looking to produce a reasonably good cup of coffee really fast and with no fuss, I think you''ll be pleased with the purchase. That said, I have stopped using this machine after one month and now make coffee using another method. Let me explain why because there are some limitations to the Keurig method of which you should be aware.

The chief selling points of the Keurig method are speed and convenience, but the method''s speed is, in fact, an Achilles heel. The hot water comes into contact with the coffee for a maximum of 30 seconds, and that simply isn''t long enough to produce the rich mouthfeel and complex flavors of slower methods such as a French press or a Chemex, both of which allow the coffee flavors to be extracted over three to four minutes. (Espresso coffee tastes great despite its short contact time because of the extremely high pressures and very fine grind, neither of which are present in the Keurig method.) The first K-cups I used were the Folgers "Lively Colombian," and I don''t think I have ever tasted a thinner, more flavorless cup of joe in my life. On a scale of 1 to 10, I''d give the coffee those pods produced a 3. Things improved markedly when I used Green Mountain Coffee Roasters "Nantucket Blend" and "Dark Magic," both of which I''d rate a 7, and which I recommend.

The experience left me reconsidering what it was that I wanted out of coffee and I decided that, for me, taste was more important than speed and convenience. I have since replaced my Mr. Coffee Single Serve unit with a Kyocera Ceramic Coffee Grinder ($41.70), a Bodum Bistro 17-Ounce Mini Cordless Electric Water Kettle ($29.95), and a 3-Cup Chemex Glass Coffeemaker with Handle ($33.15). My new morning coffee ritual takes under ten minutes all told, from the grinding of the whole beans to the brewing of the coffee to the poured cup, and it allows me to start my day with a cup of coffee that rates a solid 10, with flavors a Keurig-method machine can only dream of. The entire setup cost me under $105 (not including shipping), and I am definitely saving money over time by avoiding the pricey K-cups.

Bottom Line: With the right K-cups, this Mr. Coffee unit does an excellent job of producing good coffee. If speed and convenience are your top concerns, you''ll probably be very happy with it. Just understand going into this that the speed and convenience come at a bit of a price in terms of the quality of the coffee produced. If you want excellent coffee--cups that rate a 9 or 10--you may want to look into other methods, such as Aeropress, Chemex, or French press.

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I''m a coffee snob, but at work I really don''t have time to brew the perfect cup. The K-cup system seemed to offer a good compromise. I could have hot coffee at the touch of a button. Keurig has dialed in reasonable grinds, brewing times, and water temperature (all variables that can make or break a cup of coffee). The brewing process seems to take a couple of minutes (heating time for the most part) and the pump is not "whisper quiet," but it does not disturb me when I''m sitting three feet away and having a conversation (I''m a little hard of hearing, too). This isn''t gourmet coffee, but it''s pretty darn good when I need a reasonably good cup RIGHT NOW.

At least it used to be. I ordered mine on February 18th. I''ve had it at work for almost exactly two weeks. Today it failed. The pump runs. The water heats. But it does not flow through the machine to brew any coffee. Internet searches suggest that it could be scale (but it isn''t, not in two weeks!), a clogged filter between the water reservoir and the pump (since the reservoir isn''t removeable, I have no way of checking--but I brew with filtered water only), or a damaged pump.

It doesn''t really matter what the cause is. I''m not going to take it apart and try to fix it! From the complaints I''ve read, my problem is not uncommon. This model goes back. Since I liked the coffee and it fit into my office life, I''m going to try another version--all the time keeping in mind that pump failure MAY be the bugaboo. On the other hand, a clogged filter can be cleaned with a removeable reservoir model. I will order one of those and cross my fingers.

Most people don''t have a problem, I''m sure. And I''m not going off on the companies involved. Mistakes happen. But I''m willing (at this point) to try again. Go ahead and try getting one of these (or another model, the problem seems common to most Keurig-based machines). Just don''t be too disappointed if you need to return it soon after you get it.

As far as coffee speed and quality of brewing, I''d give the WORKING machine 3 1/2 stars. Since it FAILED, only the single star as a Caveat Emptor device.

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ASIN B004T6EK3O Someone put me out of my coffee-addicted misery. Clearly the universe conspires against me.

I bought this model for one reason when I sorted my Amazon results by reviewer ranking, it was number one. I''ve already been through THREE Keurig B-70 B70 Platinum Single-Cup Home Brewing System they had an average lifespan of nine months. Then I went through one Mr. Coffee Single Serve Powered by Keurig Brewing Technology, which lasted a depressing two months. This model, however, has them both beat. ONE WEEK. That''s right seven days. Six days worth of coffee. As of this morning, it grinds and grinds and grinds and then, drip!, a drop of brown water falls into the cup. The grinding sound is so relentless that I''ve been waiting for the thing to explode.

Some quick notes, since "it breaks in a week" is clearly the biggest problem:

The button you press to open the top (where you put the water) is awkward. It opens smoothly and that''s nice, but it doesn''t catch easily when you close it. It''s annoying.

Unlike the Keurigs, but in common with the other Mr. Coffee, this thing has no reservoir. You have to add water every time you want a cup and wait out the heating each time.

Speaking of heating, I hope you have a microwave, because this coffee isn''t hot. I use Coffee-Mate Regular Powdered Coffee Creamer, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 12) and this maker always leaves little un-dissolved bits floating in the coffee. Yum.

With no digital screen, it''s possible that this thing gets scale-y fast and you''ll never know. With a regular maker, a routine cleaning schedule might be enough, but with these things, a screen to tell you that it needs de-scaling is almost a necessity.

As with all other k-cup using machines, this makes weak coffee, but only because of the k-cups. Get a Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter and control the strength for yourself. A little.

Final word One week, for this price? Please. I''m beginning to hear the call from the crummy old ten dollar coffee pots that at least lasted. My last one of those made it eight years!

AnnaLovesBooks

EDIT, later the same day. I have found a way to get a cup of coffee. Coffee addicts will find ways... The machine has been making an horrific grinding sound and dripping. If I remove the cup of grounds and run JUST water through, it goes through fine. Then I was able to make a cup. So, for whatever reason, the problem seems to be that the water can''t get through the grounds. While this work-around is okay, it shouldn''t be necessary. I''m not asking the thing to push water through a brick wall, it''s loose coffee grounds.

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