Keurig is an American coffee brewer manufacturer for both household and commercial levels. It is part of Keurig Green Mountain Inc and is based in Reading, Massachusetts. Their main product is the K-cup, a single serving coffee brewing system.
The K-cup features a plastic container that has a coffee filter inside. Ground beans are packed into the K-cup and sealed airtight. When it is placed in the coffee machine, the brewer punctures the seal and adds the hot water through the K-cup and into the mug below.
High End
Keurig Platinum B70 Gourmet Brewing SystemThis Keurig coffee maker is called gourmet for a reason; it offer one touch brewing with four different sizes and a programmable LCD control centre with 24 hour digital clock and a removable trip tray. There are over 200 varieties of coffee, tea and hot cocoa available in their customised K-cup system. The machine comes with 60 of these K-cups in different flavours made from 100% Arabica beans.
RRP $249.99
Economic
Keurig Mini Plus B31 Coffee BrewerThe Keurig Mini Plus operates from single-use water reservoir and has an energy saving mode, which means it turns of after 90 seconds if you forget to do so. It is ideal for small houses, vacation homes and even offices as well as anywhere else and is available in four colours for the style conscious. The set comes with 12 K-cups in a variety of flavours.
RRP $119.00
Budget
Keurig Mini Plus Brewing System (KUB31B)This is the essence of a simple to use coffee machine where you add water to the single-use reservoir, add the K-cup and brew. It can make three different cup sizes; 6oz, 8oz and 10oz and also has an energy saving mode, which turns the machine off after 90 seconds. It also has a removable drip tray for ease of cleaning.
RRP $89.98
History of the coffee machine
The coffee machine was a big change to the way coffee has been made traditionally adding ground or roasted beans into a pot or pan and adding hot water then putting a lid over it to start the infusion process.
One of the earliest types of coffee machines was the Napier Vacuum Machine, which was invented in 1840. The idea was to heat water until it was forced through to the upper vessel where the ground coffee was situated. The heat was removed some time later and the coffee strained back into the lower chamber where it could be decanted. The first vacuum coffee maker was patented in 1930 by Inez H Pierce of Chicago.
Percolators appeared in the mid-19th century and the first commercially available ground coffee filter rings, the Max Pax, was introduced in 1970 by General Foods. They were produced to complement their Maxwell House coffee brand and were designed to be used in percolators.
Post World War II developments saw coffee makers become more standardised to allow the post-war demand from consumers. Plastic and composites began to replace the metal, especially with the new electric drip coffeemakers of the 1970s. By the 1990s, designs that are more attractive were required for the modern kitchen, which saw new shapes and colours introduced into ranges.
Conclusion
Keurig offer the convenience of a coffee machine combined with the range of K-cups to complement any meal or occasion. There is something for every taste and the quickness and simplicity of their machines means there is always time for a great cup of coffee or tea with no mess or complex requirements involved.
