- Solid construction
- K-Cup technology
- Easy to use
- Fast (under 1 minute per cup)
- Large water reservoir
- Made in the USA
- Taller travel mugs may not fit under nozzle
- Large countertop footprint
The Gist From Our Review Team:
The Keurig B100 Brewing System is the embodiment of advanced coffee maker engineering. It is the Mercedes of single cup coffee makers: pricier than the competition, but technologically superior in almost every respect, including the end result (better coffee and tea). Unlike Mercedes, it's made in the USA.
The unit's sturdy construction and lighted prompts (including a very cool backlit blue water reservoir light) are enough to recommend the design. The true revolution is in the coffee delivery mechanism, the k-cup. The Keurig B100 uses proprietary k-cups in place of pods or whole bean/ground-it-yourself coffee. The k-cup is a sealed cup containing a pre-measured 8 oz. serving of coffee or tea. It delivers on its promise to lock flavor in and keep moisture and other undesirables out while the coffee is stored.
Because they're sealed, k-cups have a relatively long shelf life. Our k-cups had expiration dates that were 4-6 months out from the dates we received them. K-cups cost approximately $.50 each, or $.50 for an 8-ounce cup of coffee and $1 for a 16-ounce cup of coffee. K-cups typically ship in packages of 25 or 100, meaning you’ll pay in the neighborhood of $50 for a larger package.
K-cup vendors include Celestial Seasonings (tea), Gloria Jeans, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Diedrich Coffee Express, and Timothy’s World Coffee, among others. The variety of blends is rather remarkable, given that the k-cup is a proprietary and relatively new technology.
The Keurig B100 delivers a near-ideal combination of speed and quality, and surpasses all other coffee makers tested in both regards. It would be nice if Keurig offered a 12-ounce or 16-ounce k-cup, and it would be nice if the B100 brewer accommodated slightly taller travel mugs. But these are minor complaints.
In truth, the Keurig B100 coffee maker is exemplary in almost every way. We highly recommend it.