This seems to be the question of the ages, right? It’s a lot like which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, my friends, I have an answer for you. I’m talking about the Ekobrew filters, not the chicken/egg conundrum. For that one, I have no idea which one came first.
You have a great coffee maker—a fancy Keurig single-serve coffee machine, and you want to save some money on your morning cup, right? You’ve heard about the refillable K-Cups that allow you to brew your own cup of coffee, and you started doing research. You took your time deliberating your situation, and you’ve seen brands and the options they offer. You decided you want the best of the best, and you’ve made your brand decision. You’ve made the right choice—Ekobrew is no longer an “aftermarket off-brand”. They’ve risen through the ranks. Now they’re one of the top name brands in refillable K-Cups.
So now you’ve come to the debate of the ekobrew stainless steel vs plastic k cup. Let’s talk a bit about each one then compare them.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00859FH7O” locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]Ekobrew Stainless Steel Elite[/easyazon_link]
Everything that glitters is gold, right? That’s not the case with the Ekobrew Stainless Steel Elite K-Cup coffee pod. Stainless steel is desirable in any kitchen because, quite literally, it doesn’t stain. It’s smooth, slick, and oh so shiny! The cup itself sports a one-piece design, which means that the stainless steel mesh won’t separate from the body of the K-Cup.
The lid is also stainless steel, with the ever-popular cover created by Ekobrew for dispersing water within the cup. Stainless steel isn’t pliable—you can’t bend it—so it only makes sense that this one has a hinged design.
Being stainless steel, the one-piece design means it is easier to clean than most. Furthermore, it has a second perk. By design, stainless steel doesn’t pick up “flavor hints” of previous coffee or tea. This can happen with plastic.
It’s pricier than most, but then again, it’s made of higher quality materials than most. Stainless steel costs more than plastic, and, as a result, the company charges more. That’s to be expected from any company, not just Ekobrew. A rise in the cost of materials means an increase in the expense of the end-product.
The next question is how long does it last? That will tell me the value—if the product is worth the price.
This K-Cup is compatible with most K-Cup brewers, but not all. As far as the other incompatibilities go, the basic idea is this. If the cup fits, it will work. If it doesn’t fit, it won’t. Take care when you insert this cup—don’t force the lid to close.
The big question is whether it is compatible with Keurig 2.0 machines. Not natively, but it can be with Freedom Stickers, also from Ekobrew. If you look underneath the lid of your Keurig 2.0 machine, you will see the optical sensor that makes third party K-Cups incompatible. You’ll see that when you close the lid, it comes down on the left side of the K-Cup. That’s where you need to place the Freedom Sticker—at the nine o’clock position. If you can manage to put the label where the machine can read it, then this will be compatible with Keurig 2.0.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00K8FR2P8″ locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]Ekobrew Refillable K-cup[/easyazon_link]
This is the story of the three little pigs. Well, it’s part of the story. The story goes a bit like this. One pig made his house of straw, another one built his house of sticks, and the third pig made his house of bricks. When the big, bad [easyazon_image align=”right” height=”160″ identifier=”B00K8FR2P8″ locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/61kr7HtgzEL.SL160.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”127″]wolf came to blow the houses down, which one gave the wolf a hard time?
The Ekobrew refillable cup is much like the story of the three little pigs because this one is made of plastic. It has the classic Ekobrew design on the lid, plastic cup (or housing), and has stainless steel mesh. That immediately puts it over the ones with plastic mesh. It has a durable plastic hinge, making it one complete piece – lid and all. This means it won’t break if you drop it.
This is the K-Cup that made Ekobrew the next rising star in the field of refillable K-Cups. Between this K-Cup and their Freedom Stickers, Ekobrew became a name brand that people look for when it comes to refillable K-Cups.
Depending on the color of your Ekobrew, it may not be innately compatible with Keurig 2.0—you need to use the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00Z9QSON0″ locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]Freedom Stickers[/easyazon_link] for any Ekobrew cup that isn’t pink or purple. It makes sense—Freedom Stickers are an Ekobrew brand product. One of the misconceptions people have about Freedom Stickers has to do with how long they last. They last longer than a single cup of coffee as long as you are careful when you wash and clean the cup. We have been about to use our stickers for 5+ rounds of brewing a single cup of coffee.
Stainless Steel or Plastic?
It’s not quite the paper or plastic question they used to ask at the grocery stores (off the record, some stores still offer a choice), but that’s what it comes down to—a choice. Stainless Steel is easier to clean and lasts longer, but that doesn’t necessarily make it better.
For instance, the Stainless Steel Elite K-Cup is not good for espresso brews. Espresso has to do with the size of the grind. The idea is the finer the grind of coffee, the more “surface area” of coffee bean the water touches before it makes it into your cup. This means you get a stronger cup of coffee because it picks up more of the “coffee essence” from the bean. It’s not magic—it’s science!
The finer grinds of coffee tend to seep right through the mesh of the Stainless Steel Elite, making it a poor choice. If this is your choice, a K-Cup paper filter might work in your favor.[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”160″ identifier=”B00K8FR2P8″ locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/61kr7HtgzEL.SL1602.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”127″]
However, the plastic Ekobrew refillable K-Cup might have what you’re looking for. The steel mesh in this design is just a little bit finer—making espresso brews possible without a paper filter.
By design, the stainless steel one will last longer—some are reporting that they are using the Stainless Steel Elite well over two years and still going strong. Furthermore, plastic can pick up flavor hints of previous coffees used in the pod. This is fine if you use one flavor of coffee predominantly. However, if you like to switch it up and use Butterscotch one day and French Vanilla the next, you might taste a hint of Butterscotch in your French Vanilla coffee.
The choice is yours. Each one has high points and only minor drawbacks. So it really comes to personal preference and use. Best option is probably to try both and see what works fits best for your needs.
