![\"\"](\"https:\/\/coffee.germar.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/ekobrew.jpg\" "\\"ekobrew\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Ekobrew jumps out ahead of the My K Cup on design and ease of use.\u00a0 Instead of several individual parts, the Ekobrew is one single piece, including a hinged top that swings completely clear of the basket for easy filling.\u00a0 There’s nothing to lose, and more importantly, nothing to remove from the coffee maker as the My K Cup requires.\u00a0 Once loaded, it acts just like a regular pre-packed cup.<\/p>\n
It is easy to load as well.\u00a0 The My K Cup’s mesh basket is very lightweight on it’s own and needs a couple of stabilizing fingers to keep it from tipping while filling with coffee.\u00a0 The Ekobrew has a bit more heft and stayed in place for me.\u00a0 This isn’t a big deal, but I found that balancing the coffee bag, filter and spoon required one more hand than I came equipped with.\u00a0 The Ekobrew scored points for me here.<\/p>\n
Once loaded, just snap the hinged top closed and drop it into your coffee machine.\u00a0 Unlike manufactured cups, there IS a specific orientation for the cup to sit … the writing on the cap must be toward you.\u00a0 This positioning allows the exit needle at the bottom of the holster to fit into a recess molded into the cup.\u00a0 Otherwise you’d punch a hole in the hard plastic bottom and probably ruin the holster.\u00a0 It would be hard to make such a mistake, as the cup won’t “feel” right as you set it down in your machine… it would wiggle and rattle and I found myself rotating the cup looking for the correct “fit,” which I found inside a half turn.<\/p>\n Just run the Keurig as you would normally do.\u00a0 Remember, there is a bit of exploration to be done here as you find the right amount of coffee and right serving size to best work for your tastes.\u00a0 As with the My K Cup, it is advisable to stay with a drip grind for the cup.\u00a0 Any finer and you risk clogging the mesh and making the brewing cycle too long.<\/p>\n Once done, I suggest rinsing out the cup pretty quickly, even while the cup is still warm from brewing.\u00a0 This makes for easy removal of the wet grounds simply with a running tap.\u00a0 Let the grounds dry and you’re in for some scraping and washing.\u00a0 Do it, it only takes a minute while the grounds are still wet.<\/p>\n How’s the coffee? Who wins???<\/p>\n For my money, the Ekobrew takes it between these two “roll your own” solutions.\u00a0 It preserves the Keurig’s simple use mandate, it is easier to load and pops out of the machine without an issue.\u00a0 It is also about 7 bucks cheaper at Amazon and can be found elsewhere on the web for less.\u00a0 Grab one and give it a try.<\/p>\n But what if you want to take the “green” thing even a bit further?\u00a0 I mean, the Ekobrew doesn’t really recycle the old plastic cups, it just replaces it.\u00a0 What about a system that really live up to the “save the mama” doctrine and puts those old cups back into service?\u00a0 We’ll look at the “K-Kap” system next time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Keurig coffee maker can make good coffee.\u00a0 It can make it neatly and quickly.\u00a0 What it can’t do is make a good, cheap cup of coffee. The problem is simple:\u00a0 to make it easy and quick, the K-Cup manufacturers … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nI made some tests with the same batch I used for the My K Cup tests, Peet’s Major Dickason’s blend decaf.\u00a0 I found it to be quite pleasing and robust, not too bitter or oily, which is something I worried about when using a non-paper filter system.\u00a0 The only downside is there’s a good bit of silt left over at the bottom of the cup, a sign that some smaller particles slipped by the mesh and wound up in my cup.\u00a0 This is not a big deal, ask anyone who uses a french press…. but be aware that you won’t want to see if this cup is good till the last drop.\u00a0 You’ll wind up with a small taste of coffee silt if you do.<\/p>\n