Those single-cup coffee machines might be the worst idea since microwave popcorn

I like coffee. A lot. I make a pot every morning and sometimes make another half-pot later in the day.

Thus, I am dismayed by the recent trend towards those single-cup coffee machines. If you are one of those who is tempted to brew your coffee one cup at a time, I say think again. My fear is that the single-cup bandwagon will eventually steamroll by-the-pot enthusiasts like me in much the same way that God-awful smelling and chalky tasting microwave popcorn has overtaken real popcorn, which you can't even find in our local Super Target.

I've had a few cups of the single-cup brew and it tastes fine. But, at 80 cents a cup, I find it a bit pricy for my taste. Even if you buy the stuff at Costco, it still costs a half buck a cup, compared to the big bag of Starbucks French roast I got at Costco that costs me about 10-12 cents per 12-ounce cup of rich-tasting dark roast.

Plus, there's the matter of packaging. Anytime you buy anything that comes in small doses these days - like those 100-calorie snack bags or 1-ounce bags of chips - you're placing unnecessary demands on our environment.

I felt guilty a few years ago when it looked like those K-cups weren't going to catch on and I snagged a box of 36 cups worth for $3 at an Omaha supermarket. It was a nice mix - Paul Newman organic, Green Mountain and some others I can't remember. But I had to open several of those packs to dump into the brew basket of my Cousinart drip coffee maker, then dispose of the packaging, which cannot be recycled and is not biodegradable.

I see they now have reusable minibaskets for those single-cup machines. I think that helps on the environmental front but I suspect most Americans will take the lazy route and opt for the pre-packaged stuff. From my perspective, that's not a good deal but if you're used to spending around $5 for a latte or cappucino every morning, I suppose 80 cents doesn't sound so bad. But doesn't a dime sound better?

#####

What is that a male squirrel looks for in a female squirrel before mating? Just wondering.

 

Comments

[Lisa Lavia Ryan]

My husband bought me an old-fashioned hot-air popcorn popper a few weeks ago. Nothing like the real thing. Love it.

He and my stepson love microwave popcorn. When they pop a package of it, they know they must promptly dump the corn in a bowl and walk the used-up popping bag out to the trash, or I'll gag.

[beste espresso apparaat]

It was a nice mix - Paul Newman organic, Green Mountain and some others I cant imagine of this idea.

[dorthypacker]

Ya I've tried those and they're horrible! I just bought me a toddy coffee maker so I'm excited to try it. Thanks for sharing!