Review of the Keurig B100 Coffee Maker

y R.L. Fielding

As a long-time coffee lover, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Keurig B100 Brewing System. Keurig’s line of K Cup coffee makers has received a lot of attention from both bloggers and the press, so I looked forward to putting this model to the test. Would the Keurig B100 live up to the promise of “perfect coffee, one cup at a time, in less than a minute” or would I be disappointed?

Design

The Keurig B100 is made for convenience in the home or office. At 15 inches high and 8 inches wide, the Keurig brewer fits easily on a countertop or the corner of your desk. Its sleek black and silver design is attractive, yet allows the Keurig B100 to blend in with its surroundings. The coffee maker also features a pour-over water reservoir, a water level indicator and a removable drip tray.


Ease of Use

The Keurig B100 is easy to set up – just plug it in, turn it on, and you’re ready to go. A blue water level indicator flashes to show that the 64 ounce water reservoir is empty. To fill it, I just lifted the lid on the top of the machine and poured in a couple bottles of purified water. If your machine is new, as mine is, you’ll need to run the equivalent of 12 mugs of water through it to make sure it’s clean for first-time use.

The Keurig B100 heats up in just a few minutes and then stays on so it’s ready to brew at a moment’s notice. To brew, simply pop a K Cup in the brewing chamber and close the door. A green light will let you know the Keurig coffee machine is ready. Then just push the brew button on top of the machine (it’s marked with the image of a steaming cup). Within seconds you’ve got a fresh, hot cup of coffee or tea.

Keurig also makes clean up easy. With the Keurig B100, there are no filters to throw away or grinds to wipe up. Just open the brewing chamber and toss out the used K Cup. If anything splashes beyond your cup, just rinse out the removable drip tray. If you’d like to clean out the brewer itself, just run the Keurig B100 without a K Cup so hot water flushes it out.

One annoyance: each cup is exactly 7.25 ounces. The first time I made a cup, I didn’t pay attention to this so I ended up filling my mug to the brim and leaving no room for creamer. It would be nice if there was a button you could push to stop the flow of water manually if so desired. Other Keurig machines solve this problem by offering multiple size settings.

Variety

Keurig offers more than 130 K Cup varieties for coffee, tea and other hot beverages. Brand names include: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Timothy’s World Coffee, Van Houtte Café, Celestial Seasonings, Newman’s Own Organics and more. These are some of the most popular brands on the market. I’m definitely happy with my options here – there’s a little something for everyone.

Taste

For my first cup of coffee, I decided to go with Timothy’s World Coffee Kona Blend. The aromatic brew was smooth and full-bodied, with a hint of chocolate. Definitely a good cup of coffee.

To get a sampling of the Keurig teas, I tried Timothy’s World Coffee English Breakfast Tea. The taste was mild and satisfying, although there was a slight aftertaste. I also gave the Ghirardelli Premium Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa a try. The hot cocoa was rich and delicious. A very minor complaint is that the cocoa doesn’t come in a K Cup, making it a little less convenient to make than the other brews.

Conclusion

Overall, the Keurig B100 Brewing System left me a satisfied customer. With the single cup coffee maker, there’s no more tiresome cleanup or stale pots of coffee sitting around. The Keurig B100 is a particularly good buy for someone who drinks a cup of coffee each morning, a group of people who all want different types of coffee, or someone who wants fresh coffee throughout the day. The B100 is a sophisticated looking coffee machine that delivers on its promise of quick, convenient brewing.