Three minutes per cup ... ... and you have to be out the door on the way to work in 4.5 minutes, right? Buying at BBB - that's "Better Busines Bureau", is it? Or "Beastly Bankrupt Bankers"? Or "Bed, Bath ... and Breadline"? For a mug of home-built coffee - 37.5 cents ... or 47.8 cents, etc. is too rich for my blood. My kids were quite surprised a couple of years ago when Dad sprung for a cappucino. I got a little over 2 lbs. can of the "Good to the last drop" kind a while ago ... for under $5.00, I think. When I opened it, I put it into half a dozen, about 1 lb. jam jars and put the ones that I wasn't using into the freezer - four of 'em still there. I goofed a few years ago - bought about a 4 - 5 cup maker with permanent strainer for about $8.00 at X S Cargo in Edmonton when son and I were up there for nephew's wedding. X S Cargo have low-priced stuff, quite a portion of it refurbished. Within a month I turned it on, then went to add water ... ... and before I got the water going through into the carafe on the heater ... ... I heard a high-pitched "pinggg" ... ... and didn't even need to look at the carafe to know what had happened! Drat! Hard to "refurbish" a cracked coffee carafe! You win a few - you lose a few! I hope that you all have a great New Year. ole joyful

Yes, BBB carries the kcups too, Tina. My bf figured out the average $/cup of the keurig vs. regular coffee .. because he's that kind of a guy. I don't remember what they differences were (because I am that kind of woman!).. no, really it depends on what kind of coffee beans you are buying and how strong you make your coffee. I just checked amazon and it has a deal for one of my favorite coffees at $63.96 for 96 pods.. that's $.67 for a cup of coffee if you only use a pod for one cup. Some people do run 2 cups through a pod...making the second cup smaller. If I buy the same coffee beans (Caribou Mahogany) at $9.99/12 oz, I can expect about 50 cups of coffee from the bag (your results.. and mine will vary based on how finely you grind your beans and how strong you make your coffee. I am using the avg reported by Joe Internet) so the cost, on average, for a cup of home brewed coffee is $.20. Yes, that's a big difference.. $.47 per cup; $3.50 a week. However, as Tina mentioned.. it's much cheaper than a cup of coffee from Starbucks, McDonalds or your corner gas station. It also doesn't figure in the waste if you don't finish a pot of coffee (I have waste at times.. sometimes a full cup of coffee or more in the pot. Sometimes I will reheat.. often not). I think that's a valid reason to stick with brewing-- particularly if you brew a less expensive kind of coffee. I also think there's validity in the waste produced with Kcups (though they have made some changes and continue to look at more environmentally-friendly kcups). On the flip side, the simplicity and convenience is undeniable. You want a cup of coffee-- just put a pod in, push the button and dispense. It's always an easy, quick, consistent and good cup of coffee. I don't use the keurig as my daily coffeemaker-- partially because of the number of cups I drink and the amount of waste in the discarded Kcups.. and partially because not ALL of my favorite coffees are available in Kcups. The price wasn't a big consideration-- though it is a valid reason. I don't know what yaya read but I can say my coffees have never been instant--or flavored! Blech... but there are plenty of brands and varieties of kcups so perhaps some are little more than that. Again, the keurig may not be the best option for you-- my own family is split. My sister, SIL and grandmother would fight you for theirs -- the nieces and nephews too because they love that they can make their own hot chocolate! My parents, other sis and I both use regular brewers day-to-day, however my parents use the keurig for holidays and in their motorhome. I use mine in my upstairs office. There is definitely a place for them in some homes and in some lifestyles. Hope the cost and lifestyle summary help some of you evaluate clearly what will work for you!

I'm on my second Tassimo and I think it's starting to act a little 'tired'. Seems like they last about 2 years on average around here and I don't use it every day. Tassimo used to be the only one that had real milk discs which is why I purchased that brand. I don't know if that is still true. The milk comes in a variety for cappacino, latte, low-fat, etc. It's nice not having to separately froth your milk for a latte, the machine does it for you. The discs are not as easily to find as the k-cups. Target stocks some, but the biggest variety and supply as Bed Bath & Beyond (over-priced though) or on line. I think the espresso for the cappacinos and lattes is very good. Kids love the hot chocolate and the chai latte. Its also great for heating water for tea (tea discs are available too). When this one dies (which seems to be soon)I will have to re-evaulate the k-cup though.

The Keruig company realized that they were losing a lot of potential income because folks were using other brands of coffee in other brands of "K cups." So, with the new model of their coffee maker, they made a significant change -- only their own cups filled with their own coffee would work. There's a coding on the top of the cups that the machine has to "see" in order for it to work. Folks then got creative and found that they could remove the top of a "valid K-Cup" and attach it to the top of their preferred brand of cup and the machine would work. From what I understand, Keruig has given in to demand, and the very newest coffee makers will again accept all cups. Apparently, however, the OP got one that was made before the latest change.