Once you have a Keurig, you never go back. It’s sort of like a cell phone. Imagine, just for a second, going back to the year 1980—how did we ever survive without cell phones by our side?
Owning a Keurig makes you think along those same lines when you stop to think to yourself, “How did I ever survive without it?”
The Keurig 2.0 introduces two significant changes to the Keurig way of making coffee that we’ve come to love. The first change they introduce is the ability to make carafes of coffee. Evidently, the traditional way of making coffee remained so popular that Keurig found a way to use their technology to make a traditional carafe of coffee.
The next change they introduce is the dreaded error message when you try to use your own third-party preference K-Cup in their machine. Keurig blocked customers from using their own personal preference of coffee in their machines, and instead attempted to push their own brands upon people. Of course, some of the bigger brands of coffee were able to pay royalties to Keurig to make their brand compatible. So you have some options out there, but if it doesn’t say “Keurig Brewed” on the label of the K-Cup, you were out of luck.
For a while there, the owners of the new Keurig 2.0 machines participated in a public outcry. You, like many others, want to brew what you want, how you want, in whatever machine you want, right? Not even the My K-Cup from Keurig works in your new machine. So what are your options? How do you brew your own coffee in your new machine? Does the keurig 2.0 have a reusable filter?
We give you an answer. The answer is this. Your new Keurig 2.0 machine will take reusable filters. We discuss five of them here, for your viewing—*ahem*—I mean brewing pleasure.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00V6807NA” locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]Eco4Cup 2.0 Reusable Cup for Keurig 2.0[/easyazon_link]
[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”B00V6807NA” locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/51Z84JGmjfL.SL160.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”160″]This is your high-quality basic design coming in bright pink. Why pink? If coffee is brown and the pod is pink, the pod becomes easier to clean because it makes it much simpler to find every last grind for a clean K-Cup. The lid feels a bit flimsy on this one. If you don’t try to pack too much coffee into it, you should be okay. You do need to feel and hear the ‘snap’ and press down all around the rim. If you press down every quarter turn, you will seal the pod. It may take a bit, but you won’t get a pod that leaks.The package comes with four filters for $21.00 + $4.50 shipping. Each filter comes out to $6.38. Each filter lasts 4 – 6 months. If you were to make just one cup of coffee per day, assuming an average price of 50¢ per commercially branded K-Cup, each filter would pay for itself in just 13 days. Assuming 180 days in six months (for easy math), each cup of coffee comes out a whopping 3.5¢ per day.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0111IIQSM” locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]PureJava Reusable K-Cups[/easyazon_link]
[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”160″ identifier=”B0111IIQSM” locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/412BepC9yi0L.SL1601.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”160″]For a set of three, these are almost identical to the Eco4Cup 2.0 reusable pods, with one significant design difference. It has a dolphin motif, and the cup feels just slightly thicker as if they went the extra mile to make sure this was the highest quality available. This one has four little arrows, one in each cardinal direction, on the rim of the cup. This tells you where to press down for the best seal.PureJava makes a pod that is BPA-free and dishwasher safe. At $14.95, they will send you three pink pods. You’re looking at a cost of just under $5 per pod. Compare that to the average K-Cup price of 50¢ and each pod will pay for itself in 10 uses, and from there, each use makes the pod cheaper and cheaper by the day.
They include a clear set of instructions that tell you to put the hinge towards the back so that it passes the Keurig 2.0 optical sensor. An easy way to tell is by looking at those little arrows on the rim that say where to push down for a good seal. One of the arrows is striped. Make that arrow face down. By doing this, you’ll have the hinge towards the back, and it will pass the DRM sensor day after day. You don’t need stickers with this one.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00PBF3T3E” locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]Eco-Fill 2.0 Deluxe[/easyazon_link]
[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”B00PBF3T3E” locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/51ahQBLNjgL.SL1602.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”160″]The Eco-Fill 2.0 Deluxe is plastic, with a hinged lid and stainless steel basket. This pod is perfect for espresso if you insert an EZ-Cup disposable filter first. Otherwise, the fine espresso-size grinds will go right through the mesh and into your coffee.For regular store-bought coffee, you should be okay. The holes in the mesh aren’t that big.
At almost $15 for one cup, this one is a bit pricier. However, if you take the average price of a commercial Keurig K-Cup at 50¢, this one will pay for itself in 30 days. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you find out the K-Cup lasts much longer than that.
Like any other third-party K-Cup, make sure you read and follow the instructions. If you don’t, you may end up frustrated and wondering how the label of the K-Cup is compatible with your machine even though it gives you an error message. The hinge of the K-Cup needs to be in the nine o’clock position for this to work. If you put the hinge on the other side, you will get the dreaded error message. If you put it in any other position, you’ll find that the lid of your machine won’t close. Some people have tried forcing it closed, thinking the cup is not sized correctly. They ended up piercing the container by doing this. Trust me when I say you don’t wish to be that person.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00K8FR2P8″ locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]Ekobrew Refillable K-cup[/easyazon_link]
[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”160″ identifier=”B00K8FR2P8″ locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/61kr7HtgzEL.SL1603.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”127″]Ekobrew is quickly becoming a name brand in refillable K-Cups. Right when you thought you were searching for “off brand” K-Cups, too. You’ll notice two little orange stickers with these. These are Freedom Stickers. By placing them on the rim of the K-Cup in the nine o’clock position, you’ll make any K-Cup (ones that physically fit in your machine) compatible with your Keurig 2.0.I can see the gears moving in your head as you contemplate how else you might use these stickers. Not only are the stickers reusable—we’ve managed to make a label last almost three weeks of constant use if you’re careful—but you can apply them on any K-Cup that would be otherwise incompatible. A package of 96 of them cost $5.99—another Ekobrew product.
BPA-free, as usual, and top-rack dishwasher safe. Personally, I recommend washing these by hand. I understand that most people don’t have the time or patience to do that, but if you can manage it, the pod will last much longer than you expect.
Sitting at $17.99 for two of them, this one is clearly not the cheapest on the market. It’s not the most expensive, either—this is midrange in price for refillable K-Cups. What I can say is this—Ekobrew quality has been tested, tested again, and retested. You’ll be more than happy with this one.
By buying the 4-pack, each one comes out to $6 per filter, plus you can make them ahead of time. Then it becomes a matter of inserting the K-Cup in your machine and pressing start. If you prefer a filter for a finer grind of coffee, these cups are compatible with Ekobrew paper filters.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00PBAX7VS” locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]EZ-Cup 2.0 by Perfect Pod[/easyazon_link]
[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”B00PBAX7VS” locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/61yvX0O0okL.SL1601.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”160″]Another excellent product by PerfectPod (they own Eco-Fill), the design is a bit simpler but stable. It does not have mesh at all. This one is put together a bit differently, but it keeps the pod itself relatively clean. You still will get a few drips of coffee here and there on the pod, but you won’t get any grinds stuck on any mesh filter—they don’t have one! You need the included disposable paper filters to complete this caboodle. Once done, however, washing becomes a breeze because there is no mesh to keep clean!You need to keep a vigilant eye on your disposable filters that fit inside of this K-Cup. While your initial stock comes with 25, you will need to buy more before too long. The process is simple. The filter is shaped just like a K-Cup, complete with lid. Fill with your coffee, close the lid, and insert this inside the PerfectPod. The pod then goes inside your machine. If you like a smooth, strong espresso brew, you can’t get any better than this one—with the paper filter, not a single grind will end up in your cup.
The pod is priced at $14.99. With no mesh to fall apart on you, this will last longer than most, despite it being made of plastic. They don’t leave residual coffee grinds in the bottom of your cup—this is probably the toughest part to clean on a daily basis. Without a mesh, no coffee grinds get “stuck”, often requiring a soft-bristled brush because of the delicate nature of the mesh.
People have mentioned how this pod is great for making tea! Just insert the teabag inside (no coffee filter needed), and hang the string outside. The teabag acts as the filter and brews an excellent cup of tea the Keurig way!
Conclusion
Every one of these cups is innately compatible with Keurig 2.0 machines—except Ekobrew. What this means is the cups can be used right out of the box. Ekobrew, the makers behind the Freedom Stickers, require you to put their label on the rim of the cup to fool the optical sensor on the machine. There might be a slight inconvenience to it. However, you can use these labels on commercial K-Cups that aren’t 2.0 compatible, making these stickers completely versatile. Plus, they each one lasts more than a few cups of coffee, making these labels one of the best investments.
