Keurig B-40 B40 Elite Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System Review.
"Do your research, then use your head." 2009-06-06
By Peace Frog (Bakersfield, CA)
I read every single Amazon.com review for this item. And then read them again. I went to the Keurig website and researched the B40. Came back to Amazon and read the reviews one more time. If I was going to pay $100 for a coffee machine, I wanted to be sure I knew as much as possible about it. I finally purchased the B40, and after getting it today and having brewed four cups of coffee so far, I offer the following review (from a BLACK COFFEE drinker, no milk, no sugar):
I think the people who claim this machine is too loud and complain that it vibrates too much are your normal "Mr. Coffee" people. Yes, the machine makes noise. It's pumping pressurized hot water into the K-Cups. Of course it's gonna make noise. I counted each time the noise was made. It lasts five seconds each time, at most. And it's MUCH quieter than my Melitta Mill & Brew, which grinds the coffee beans with a high shrill. This machine also vibrates. But again, it's well worth the minor noise and moderate vibration. You shouldn't be shelling out this much money for a coffee machine if you expect a Mr. Coffee coffee maker. You are buying a "gourmet" coffee machine, and it has some cool features that require hot pressurized water to be pumped through the machine. Not a big deal!
I think a lot of the negative reviews that I read, and maybe all of them, referred to an older version of the B40 that only had one cup size setting. Indeed, when I purchased this machine at Target today, the display model for the B40 had only one cup size. I had to triple-check the box to make sure I was getting the B40 with the TWO cup sizes (and I was). So maybe they have improved the machine since that version.
I read negative reviews about this machine making weak coffee. I was so freaked out about those reviews, I wanted to brew every K-Cup (even the Extra Bold) on the small cup setting. As I was brewing the third cup, I put in a "regular" K-Cup and hit the "large" cup setting. I immediately went into Panic Mode, worried that I just wasted a K-Cup, because my coffee would be too weak to drink. Not true at all! Yes, the coffee was not quite as strong as I would normally like, but it was a very decent cup of coffee. I will not worry if I ever hit the large size on a regular pod again. Although I plan on buying all Extra Bold cups, so that I can brew a bigger cup.
I am extremely pleased with this coffee machine. So much so that I plan to buy two of this same model (or the B60 if it's on sale) as Christmas gifts for my mom and uncle.
As a former coffee house Assistant Manager and an avid fan of "gourmet" coffee, I highly recommend this coffee machine. Probably the best $100 I have spent in at least five years. One of my biggest concerns was that the beans had NO TIME to brew properly in such a short amount of time. But I was completely wrong. This machine brews a nice, bold, rich cup of coffee. Slightly less bold and rich if you brew the regular pods on the larger cup setting; but still very drinkable. I was also concerned that the pods would leak after removing them from the machine, but they are almost dry. I haven't had a single one drip on the way to the trash can, and I remove them seconds after brewing. I'm extremely pleased with the ease and cleanliness of using this machine. No filters to deal with, no messy coffee grounds, no dirty coffee pots to wash (and filter baskets). The convenience of the machine alone is well worth the minor noise and vibration.
I highly recommend this machine. Just do your research and make sure this is the coffee machine you are looking for. It takes time to research, but it pays off in the end. I couldn't be happier with the B40, and don't see why anyone else wouldn't be just as pleased.
Time for me to make another cup.
"Very happy with my purchase!" 2006-02-28
By V. Olsen (New Hampshire)
The Keurig B-40 makes excellent, well flavored coffee... in a snap! It tastes just as good as a brewed cup with a traditional coffee maker, it does NOT taste like it came from a vending machine.
The only con is minor: the 7.25 ounce serving size. This is perfect for a coffee cup, but a large coffee mug will require you to brew 2 k-cups. But brewing is so quick, that you can brew both K-cups within 30 seconds.
The B-40 is an excellent choice for a model. Because brew cycles are so fast, you do not need the timer option that comes with the B-50 or B-60. The B-50 also offers a smaller cup brew option, but trust me - you won't need it. The B-40 also comes with an auto-off feature that will turn off the machine 2 hours after the last brew, which is great if you worry you may forget to. (If you drink coffee throughout the day, you can disable this feature too.)
I joined Green Mountain Coffee's "cafe club". Check it out on their website. Huge variety of coffees and teas. Free shipping and automatic deliveries of your favorite flavors set up on a schedule you choose.
Great coffee maker, highly recommend.
"Once again addicted to coffee!" 2006-02-07
By LibraryPiper (Cleveland, OH, USA)
After several years of laboring over our home coffee machine for mediocre coffee, or waiting in line to spend $$$$ at our local coffeehouse, my husband and I began to consider coffee as just an occasional treat. However, I gave the Keurig B-40 to my husband as a gift, and not a single day has gone by that we have not enjoyed it! It is so easy - just pop in the k-cup, press the brew button, and you have a great cup of coffee or tea. It is perfect for us - we drink about two cups each day with no mess or fuss. The coffee is great - lots of variety in the choices. Check out the different vendors online and you can really save money on the k-cups. We have experimented with ours - making iced tea or iced coffee by using a tall glass of ice instead of the usual mug. I can even use my own tea bags - the Keurig heats up the water very quickly and makes it easy. One of the downsides with this model is that you can't adjust the size (and it is a small serving). To fill up a large mug you might need two or three cycles. You also can't adjust the strength of the brew - your only option is to choose a dark or light roast to vary the intensity. However, both of us have found several flavors that we really enjoy, and our guests are always impressed that they can choose their own blend and flavor! We also tried the Tassimo and the Senseo brands, and found the flavor to be lacking (much more mediocre). If you are a true coffee fan, and want a professionally styled machine that makes it simple and fast to make, then the Keurig B-40 is for you!
"Great coffemaker so far" 2006-01-06
By D. Kennedy
I got the B40 about a week ago and so far could not be more pleased. I considered the B50 initially, but then determined that the programming and dual brew size were not necessary for me. After all, if the brew cycle only takes about 30 seconds, why set a timer for it to start at a certain time? Doing without those two features saved $50 also. The unit came with a sample pack of 18 different coffees and a couple of teas. The flavors/blends that I have tried so far have all been good. I don't usually like very strong/bold coffee, so I can't pass adequate judgement on those varieties. You can buy the K-Cups from several online sources in a variety of flavors for about $9-$13 for a 25-pack.
The brewer itself couldn't be easier to use. I am the only coffee drinker in the house, so I specifically wanted a single cup brewer. My online research led my to this unit and I am very pleased. The initial start-up out of the box takes about 3 minutes to get the system primed and heated. After that, the manual recommends leaving the unit on, which I do. If you choose to have it shut off after use it will take a couple of minutes to heat the water before the next brew. In my case I simply pop a K-Cup into the brewer, push the brew button and 30 seconds later I have a hot cup of tea or coffee. Remove the K-Cup and you're done. The only cleanup is a 2-3 time yearly de-scale process. The unit is a little noisy in the brew process, but it's not loud at all. That's the only negative I would give it and I hesitate to call it a negative.
"Just What the Office Needed!" 2006-04-13
By pfred4peace (NYC/CT USA)
This is just what my office needed. I have been struggling to find a cafe convenient to my office where I could get a quick cup of java, since the shared pot on my floor is a bit too grimy for me. Of the FIVE cafes in my building, the coffee is too weak. So I investigated getting a single-serve machine. I figured that I could amortize the cost of the machine in 2-3 months. Upon the recommendations of the other reviewers I gave the Keurig a try. WOW sums it up. So very easy to use. Basically plug and go (actually you run water through the machine once to prime it). I use the Green Mountain French Roast Decaf. It's not Starbucks, but then again it is convenient and will only cost FIFTY cents a cup. I use bottled water, so no need to run into the pantry. Also, clean up is a breeze - just take out the little pod and toss!! This could not be more perfect for my needs.
By Peace Frog (Bakersfield, CA)
I read every single Amazon.com review for this item. And then read them again. I went to the Keurig website and researched the B40. Came back to Amazon and read the reviews one more time. If I was going to pay $100 for a coffee machine, I wanted to be sure I knew as much as possible about it. I finally purchased the B40, and after getting it today and having brewed four cups of coffee so far, I offer the following review (from a BLACK COFFEE drinker, no milk, no sugar):
I think the people who claim this machine is too loud and complain that it vibrates too much are your normal "Mr. Coffee" people. Yes, the machine makes noise. It's pumping pressurized hot water into the K-Cups. Of course it's gonna make noise. I counted each time the noise was made. It lasts five seconds each time, at most. And it's MUCH quieter than my Melitta Mill & Brew, which grinds the coffee beans with a high shrill. This machine also vibrates. But again, it's well worth the minor noise and moderate vibration. You shouldn't be shelling out this much money for a coffee machine if you expect a Mr. Coffee coffee maker. You are buying a "gourmet" coffee machine, and it has some cool features that require hot pressurized water to be pumped through the machine. Not a big deal!
I think a lot of the negative reviews that I read, and maybe all of them, referred to an older version of the B40 that only had one cup size setting. Indeed, when I purchased this machine at Target today, the display model for the B40 had only one cup size. I had to triple-check the box to make sure I was getting the B40 with the TWO cup sizes (and I was). So maybe they have improved the machine since that version.
I read negative reviews about this machine making weak coffee. I was so freaked out about those reviews, I wanted to brew every K-Cup (even the Extra Bold) on the small cup setting. As I was brewing the third cup, I put in a "regular" K-Cup and hit the "large" cup setting. I immediately went into Panic Mode, worried that I just wasted a K-Cup, because my coffee would be too weak to drink. Not true at all! Yes, the coffee was not quite as strong as I would normally like, but it was a very decent cup of coffee. I will not worry if I ever hit the large size on a regular pod again. Although I plan on buying all Extra Bold cups, so that I can brew a bigger cup.
I am extremely pleased with this coffee machine. So much so that I plan to buy two of this same model (or the B60 if it's on sale) as Christmas gifts for my mom and uncle.
As a former coffee house Assistant Manager and an avid fan of "gourmet" coffee, I highly recommend this coffee machine. Probably the best $100 I have spent in at least five years. One of my biggest concerns was that the beans had NO TIME to brew properly in such a short amount of time. But I was completely wrong. This machine brews a nice, bold, rich cup of coffee. Slightly less bold and rich if you brew the regular pods on the larger cup setting; but still very drinkable. I was also concerned that the pods would leak after removing them from the machine, but they are almost dry. I haven't had a single one drip on the way to the trash can, and I remove them seconds after brewing. I'm extremely pleased with the ease and cleanliness of using this machine. No filters to deal with, no messy coffee grounds, no dirty coffee pots to wash (and filter baskets). The convenience of the machine alone is well worth the minor noise and vibration.
I highly recommend this machine. Just do your research and make sure this is the coffee machine you are looking for. It takes time to research, but it pays off in the end. I couldn't be happier with the B40, and don't see why anyone else wouldn't be just as pleased.
Time for me to make another cup.
By V. Olsen (New Hampshire)
The Keurig B-40 makes excellent, well flavored coffee... in a snap! It tastes just as good as a brewed cup with a traditional coffee maker, it does NOT taste like it came from a vending machine.
The only con is minor: the 7.25 ounce serving size. This is perfect for a coffee cup, but a large coffee mug will require you to brew 2 k-cups. But brewing is so quick, that you can brew both K-cups within 30 seconds.
The B-40 is an excellent choice for a model. Because brew cycles are so fast, you do not need the timer option that comes with the B-50 or B-60. The B-50 also offers a smaller cup brew option, but trust me - you won't need it. The B-40 also comes with an auto-off feature that will turn off the machine 2 hours after the last brew, which is great if you worry you may forget to. (If you drink coffee throughout the day, you can disable this feature too.)
I joined Green Mountain Coffee's "cafe club". Check it out on their website. Huge variety of coffees and teas. Free shipping and automatic deliveries of your favorite flavors set up on a schedule you choose.
Great coffee maker, highly recommend.
By LibraryPiper (Cleveland, OH, USA)
After several years of laboring over our home coffee machine for mediocre coffee, or waiting in line to spend $$$$ at our local coffeehouse, my husband and I began to consider coffee as just an occasional treat. However, I gave the Keurig B-40 to my husband as a gift, and not a single day has gone by that we have not enjoyed it! It is so easy - just pop in the k-cup, press the brew button, and you have a great cup of coffee or tea. It is perfect for us - we drink about two cups each day with no mess or fuss. The coffee is great - lots of variety in the choices. Check out the different vendors online and you can really save money on the k-cups. We have experimented with ours - making iced tea or iced coffee by using a tall glass of ice instead of the usual mug. I can even use my own tea bags - the Keurig heats up the water very quickly and makes it easy. One of the downsides with this model is that you can't adjust the size (and it is a small serving). To fill up a large mug you might need two or three cycles. You also can't adjust the strength of the brew - your only option is to choose a dark or light roast to vary the intensity. However, both of us have found several flavors that we really enjoy, and our guests are always impressed that they can choose their own blend and flavor! We also tried the Tassimo and the Senseo brands, and found the flavor to be lacking (much more mediocre). If you are a true coffee fan, and want a professionally styled machine that makes it simple and fast to make, then the Keurig B-40 is for you!
By D. Kennedy
I got the B40 about a week ago and so far could not be more pleased. I considered the B50 initially, but then determined that the programming and dual brew size were not necessary for me. After all, if the brew cycle only takes about 30 seconds, why set a timer for it to start at a certain time? Doing without those two features saved $50 also. The unit came with a sample pack of 18 different coffees and a couple of teas. The flavors/blends that I have tried so far have all been good. I don't usually like very strong/bold coffee, so I can't pass adequate judgement on those varieties. You can buy the K-Cups from several online sources in a variety of flavors for about $9-$13 for a 25-pack.
The brewer itself couldn't be easier to use. I am the only coffee drinker in the house, so I specifically wanted a single cup brewer. My online research led my to this unit and I am very pleased. The initial start-up out of the box takes about 3 minutes to get the system primed and heated. After that, the manual recommends leaving the unit on, which I do. If you choose to have it shut off after use it will take a couple of minutes to heat the water before the next brew. In my case I simply pop a K-Cup into the brewer, push the brew button and 30 seconds later I have a hot cup of tea or coffee. Remove the K-Cup and you're done. The only cleanup is a 2-3 time yearly de-scale process. The unit is a little noisy in the brew process, but it's not loud at all. That's the only negative I would give it and I hesitate to call it a negative.
By pfred4peace (NYC/CT USA)
This is just what my office needed. I have been struggling to find a cafe convenient to my office where I could get a quick cup of java, since the shared pot on my floor is a bit too grimy for me. Of the FIVE cafes in my building, the coffee is too weak. So I investigated getting a single-serve machine. I figured that I could amortize the cost of the machine in 2-3 months. Upon the recommendations of the other reviewers I gave the Keurig a try. WOW sums it up. So very easy to use. Basically plug and go (actually you run water through the machine once to prime it). I use the Green Mountain French Roast Decaf. It's not Starbucks, but then again it is convenient and will only cost FIFTY cents a cup. I use bottled water, so no need to run into the pantry. Also, clean up is a breeze - just take out the little pod and toss!! This could not be more perfect for my needs.
