Whenever I pass by Dunkin' Donuts and especially a Starbuck’s , I feel smug. Because I know that I have better coffee at home for a third of the price. What I have at home is the Keurig single cup coffeemaker and it’s the best. If my place were to burn down, the only thing that I would want to take with me would be my Keurig. It’s that good.

You have to understand that I can’t start the day without a good cup of coffee. Deprive me of that first cup and I’m a zombie on Thorazine. With my Keurig, I get to have a good gourmet cup of coffee with no muss, no fuss, no waiting and no clean-up. Brewing time is less than a minute so I'm not waiting around for the water to get hot and then for coffee to drip through. And because the coffeemaker only brews one cup of coffee at a time, there’s no waste.

The Keurig single cup coffemaker also gives you some flexibility.  Because the brewing time is less than a minute, if you are in the mood for hot tea or hot chocolate, you can have hot water available in no time.  Just add hot chocolate mix or steep your tea and you will be enjoying your beverage sooner than you think.

Depending on what home model coffeemaker you choose, you will have either two or three sizes of coffee made for you. The coffeemaker can also be prepped the night before so that you can set the timer and it automatically brews a single cup of coffee in the morning and it's waiting for you to drink it. The coffeemaker is also energy efficient, it doesn't use up a lot of electricity and depending on the model can shut itself off automatically. There is also a portable Keurig coffeemaker, the B30, which you can bring with you if you go camping or put in your small RV kitchenette; it takes up very little space, brews one size of coffee (brewing time is closer to 3 minutes) then shuts off automatically.

Ingeniously the Keurig single cup coffee maker uses what they call a k-cup, it’s a capsule of coffee that contains coffee measured to make one perfect cup. Tightly sealed, it keeps the coffee fresh. In addition, each k cup has an expiration date so you know you’re not drinking coffee that’s been on the shelf too long.The coffeemaker has a big water tank that holds approximately 8 cups of water. I simply place my cup under the nozzle, slip in a k cup in its holder, push down the cover, press the button and there’s my great cup of gourmet coffee! And there’s no coffee pot to wash, there’s no hot plate to accidentally burn myself with, no messy filters. I just enjoy a good cup of coffee.

If you wanted to use a brand of coffee that's not available as a k cup, you can buy an accessory for the Keurig called My K-Cup. It's a reusable filter that was specially designed for use with the Keurig single cup coffeemaker.  You measure your brand of ground coffee into the K-cup, twist and close it tight in the holder, slip in the K-cup, press a button and you have a cup of your favorite brand of coffee. 

Keurig has worked with many coffee providers to produce k cups so that you, the Keurig single cup coffee maker owner can choose from so many coffee brands and flavors. Well known coffee providers such as Green Mountain Coffee, Gloria Jean’s, Timothy’s, Tully’s, Diedrich, Caribou Coffee, Emeril’s Original, and Coffee People.  You can order k cups from Keurig's website, Coffeewhiz, and other online websites.  If you'd rather go to a store, you can find k cups at Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Now there are other single cup coffee makers out there that are a lot more sophisticated and can make things like espressos and cappuccinos. But for me, I prefer a good, simple cup of coffee and that’s what my Keurig machine reliably does. That first cup from my Keurig allows me to start my day with a spring in my step.

I also like making a fake cappuccino with my Keurig. It's fake because Keurig is not an espresso maker but what I do is to take a bold style k cup coffee and brew the smallest cup. While the coffee is brewing, I heat milk in the microwave and then use a frother to my heated milk, fold it in to the coffee and leave some for a topping and I've got a fake cappuccino. It's delicious. I also make a fake latte this way, except it's two part frothed milk and 1 part bold coffee.

When it comes to frothers, the only brand that I think does an amazingly good job is the Aerolatte brand.