© www.crosscountrycafe.com i

The Ultimate

Guide to

Keurig K-cup

Coffee Brewing

(Tips and Tricks to Get the Most

Out of Your Keurig.)

Brought to you by:

© www.crosscountrycafe.com ii

Copyright © 2013

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or

otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

All the material contained in this book is provided for educational and

informational purposes only. No responsibility can be taken for any

results or outcomes resulting from the use of this material.

While every attempt has been made to provide information that is both

accurate and effective, the author does not assume any responsibility

for the accuracy or use/misuse of this information.

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Preface

Congratulations, you have joined a modern day coffee

revolution! Keurig brewing has changed the way we

enjoy our morning cup, never before has single serve

coffee been so popular and brought such a simple

pleasure into so many lives. Your Keurig brews up a

little bit of love for you each and every day. Return the

favor by keeping your precious morning friend running

happily for years to come!

We joined the single serve coffee business well before

anyone even knew the name Keurig. Use our knowledge

from years of brewing to get the most out of your coffee

experience.

We will teach you how to properly care for your unit,

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answer frequently asked questions and offer ideas on

how to take your Keurig beyond simply brewing hot

coffee.

Thank you for downloading our e-book, we hope that

we can help make your Keurig coffee brewing easy,

enjoyable and of course delicious!

© www.crosscountrycafe.com v

Table of Contents

1: The History of Keurig .............................................................................. 1

2: Five Ways to Make Your Keurig Brewer Last ......................................... 4

3: Ten Ways to Save Money on K-cup Coffee ........................................... 8

4: Where to Find the Best Variety of Keurig K-cup Coffee ....................... 11

5: What is an Extra Bold K-cup?............................................................... 13

6: How Many Calories Are in a Keurig K-cup? ......................................... 15

7: Do K-cups Contain Gluten? ................................................................. 17

8: How Much Caffeine is in a Keurig K-cup? ............................................ 19

9: My Keurig Brewed a Half Cup, Now What?.......................................... 21

10: Can I Use My Own Coffee in a Keurig? .............................................. 23

11: Are There Any Organic K-cup Coffees? ............................................. 26

12: What Type of Water Should I Use In my Brewer? .............................. 28

13: Do K-cups Contain BPA? ................................................................... 31

14: How to Make Iced Beverages With Your Keurig ................................ 32

15: Where to Find Keurig Owners Manuals ............................................. 34

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1: The History of

Keurig

Peter Dragone and

John Sylvan founded

Keurig in

1990. Keurig seemed

to go from an

unknown company to

a billion dollar empire

overnight. But, what few people know is that "overnight" took twenty

years and there were lots of bumps along the way!

Sylvan and Dragone started with nothing but an idea and a twinkle in

their eye. They had no money, no backers and no clue how to make their

dream of a high quality, single serve coffee brewer a reality.

They started tinkering and building prototypes until they got it right but

let's just say "right" is a relative term at this point.

The first brewer was huge, heavy and expensive. It was not reliable and

required a plumber to install it. As Dragone and Sylvan lugged brewer

after failing brewing to potential backers there were often instances of

exploding K-cups, grounds in coffee and leaks. At this point they were

still making the K-cups by hand and relying on their own taste tests. As

a matter of fact Sylvan was diagnosed with caffeine poisoning- admitting

that he was consuming 30-40 cups of coffee per day!

Despite all of these issues, this early Keurig model was growing in

popularity in commercial settings. Employees loved the convenience

and seldom chose to go back to a traditional drip style brewer after using

this revolutionary unit. Sylvan and Dragone knew they were on to

something.

In 1993 Dick Sweeney joined to Keurig team assigned with the task of

automating the brewer and coffee manufacturing process... and that he

did. I have had the pleasure of visiting Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

(GMCR) in Waterbury, VT. This is the original home of the K-cup and

GMCR will forever be the true experts in the manufacturing

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process. The warehouse is huge, the process is completely automated,

robots can be seen in most stations but the human factor still exists to

ensure the highest quality possible.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, reliability was improving and demand was

growing for Keurig units in the workplace. However, the writing was on

the wall, homes were where the real money could be made. With 75% of

coffee consumption occurring at home, executives knew this was where

they needed to head next.

It took nearly two years to develop a Keurig brewer that would fit on a

kitchen countertop, did not cost and arm and a leg and contained a water

reservoir. The Keurig founders were thrilled to be headed in this

direction however, at the same time big name companies, with deep

pockets were releasing their single serve coffee brewers as

well. Keurig could not compete, they simply did not have the money for

a marketing campaign that came anywhere near the level of their rivals.

When you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

That is precisely what Keurig did. Instead of going broke on

commercials or print ads, they let their competitors spend their money

spreading the word about single serve brewing and rode their coat tails.

They set up brew stations in retail stores, gave demonstrations and

shared free samples. Keurig blew away their competition by creating a

one on one experience with their end user. This is a philosophy that they

still continue today. Keurig team members and their national distributors

can often be found hosting brewing demonstrations, sharing recipes and

simply enjoying coffee with their customers.

Quality was finally perfected, the machines were now extremely reliable

and producing a superior cup of coffee.

Investors began coming on board. Decisions were now not up to Sylvan

and Dragone but a team of executives. This left Sylvan in particular,

very frustrated. He decided it was time to move on and accepted a

$50,000 buy out. Despite claims that he is not bitter about this dismal

amount of money for his invention that is now worth billions, I would

imagine he feels a bit discontent to say the least.

Dragone also left a few months later but, perhaps learned from Sylvans

error and maintained his stake in the company.

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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) already held a piece of the

company, but at this point wanted it all. In 2006 Keurig became a

wholly owned subsidiary of GMCR for an astounding $160 million

dollars! This was truly a match made in heaven. Keurig is really a

technology company in the coffee industry. Nearly a third of their

employees are engineers. GMCR are well-respected experts in coffee

sourcing, roasting and distributing. Combine these two forces and you

have one heck of a powerhouse that simply can't be stopped.

I for one am beyond curious to see where Keurig takes us next, I have a

strong feeling that they will expand their horizons, not only perfecting

the coffee experience but, take the entire beverage industry by storm!

But, who knows, they have never been predictable or played by the rules

in the past; they are bound to have a few surprises up their sleeve.

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2: Five Ways to

Make Your

Keurig Brewer

Last

You have taken the

plunge to the

wonderful world of

single serve coffee by

investing your hard-earned money into a Keurig brewer. Many take this

leap of faith not realizing that there is some maintenance required. A

Keurig needs a little extra love and attention that you probably have not

been used to giving to your coffee brewer. The good news is there are

some very easy steps you can take to keep your new toy running

smoothly and ensure a good, long life!

First meet your Keurig’s very best friends:

1) Use distilled or filtered water (never spring or tap water).

This is an absolute must do. The minerals in your tap water will build up

inside your brewer over time and cause all kinds of havoc. This is the

number one mistake I see people make and the number one reason for

early deaths in Keurig brewers.

2) Perform periodic descaling using distilled white vinegar.

Descaling is so easy and the benefits are enormous, the brewer should be

descaled at least every 3-6 months. Scale is harmless, but if left

unattended, it can hinder optimal brewer performance. Descaling your

brewer regularly helps maintain the heating element, removable water

reservoir and other parts of the brewer that come in contact with water.

Better water quality and water heating means a better cup of coffee, tea,

hot cocoa or iced beverage.

Before you begin, you will need a large ceramic mug, fresh water, at

least 20 oz. of undiluted white vinegar and access to a sink. Do not use a

paper cup.

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STEP 1: FIRST VINEGAR RINSE

• Turn on your brewer.

• Fill the Cold Water Reservoir with 10 oz. of undiluted white vinegar.

• Place the ceramic mug on the Drip Tray Plate.

• Lift the Handle, but do not add a K-Cup® pack.

• After 5 seconds, lower Handle.

• Press the flashing blue BREW Button. It will flash red and then turn

solid red.

• Once the vinegar is dispensed, discard hot contents into sink.

STEP 2: SECOND VINEGAR RINSE

• Pour the remaining 10 oz. of vinegar into the Cold Water Reservoir.

• Place the ceramic mug on the Drip Tray Plate.

• Lift Handle, but do not add a K-Cup® pack.

• After 5 seconds, lower Handle.

• Press the flashing blue BREW Button. It will then flash red.

• When it turns solid red, power off as it starts to dispense.

• Allow the brewer to sit for 30 minutes.

• Power on the brewer, lift and lower Handle, then press

the BREW Button.

• Once the vinegar is dispensed, discard hot contents into sink.

STEP 3: FRESH WATER RINSE

• Fill the Cold Water Reservoir with 10 oz. of fresh water.

• Place the ceramic mug on the Drip Tray.

• Lift Handle, but do not add a K-Cup® pack.

• Lower Handle and continue the brewing process until the

hot water is dispensed into the mug. Discard hot contents into sink.

• Repeat this Fresh Water Rinse cycle three (3) more times to cleanse the

brewer plumbing and to remove any residual vinegar taste. The brewer

is now ready for normal use again.

3) Use only Keurig approved products in your brewer.

There are more and more knock off “K-cups” available in the

marketplace everyday. These products are tempting to try for a bit of

variety or perhaps a lower price but using them can affect the warranty

of your Keurig brewer and assure the demise of your prized

possession. Keurig spent years researching and developing the optimal

K-cup to be used properly in their brewers. The renegades cannot say

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the same. I have seen knock offs that are made from instant coffee or

have sugar in them- two sure-fire ways to kill a Keurig.

How do you know you are getting a Keurig approved product? It is

easy…just look for the seal.

4) Purchase a commercial grade brewer.

Keurig offers two lines of coffee brewers; one is approved for use in

homes the other is designated for commercial use. It stands to reason

that the commercial grade brewers are designed to take on the use and

abuse of an office or warehouse. Wouldn’t it make sense to bring that

same quality into your home? I sure think it does! However, the

commercial brewers can be difficult to find. Very few retailers carry

them because they cater to homes. To be sure that you are getting the

highest quality brewer first, do business with a Keurig Authorized

Distributor. Distributors (such as us) generally operate online but will

sometimes have a local retail shop as well. Also, look for a model

number higher than 100. The K40, K50, K60 and K70 are all home

units. The K145, K150 and K155 are all commercial units.

To make it simple… buy a K145. This is the most economical, longest

lasting brewer available, AND it comes with a variety pack of coffee to

boot!

5) Never use anything in your Keurig besides water and K-cup

coffee, tea or hot cocoa.

This may seem silly but you can’t imagine how many times we have

heard the question:

“Can I put milk in the water reservoir of my brewer to make hot

chocolate?”

The answer is heck no!

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“Can I put sugar in my re-usable My K-cup?”

Absolutely not!

Let’s make this real clear, if you find yourself asking can I put _______

in my Keurig. And the blank is filled in with anything other than water

or a K-cup, the answer is no.

Your Keurig shows you love every morning return the favor with simple

care and maintenance and you will have a relationship to last a lifetime!

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3: Ten Ways to

Save Money

on K-cup

Coffee

Let’s face it; Keurig

K-cups are not the

cheapest alternative

to coffee drinking. I

use the word cheap

on purpose because

I truly believe there is a difference between being cheap and spending

mindfully.

Yes there are cheaper coffees available but are you going to really enjoy

them? Will they be freshly brewed in under a minute with the push of a

button? Will you and every member of your family be able to choose

their favorite roast or flavor? Will you be able to create the perfect cup

with just the right amount of coffee and water? Will there be zero messy

clean-up?

The answer to ALL of these questions is a big fat no.

If you choose to spend your money mindfully as I do, you will enjoy all

of these benefits and won’t waste coffee trying to make it just right.

There will be no need to run to your local coffee shop. Keurig will give

you more bang for your buck and not waste time and energy trying to

make cheap coffee taste decent.

I know what you are thinking… “That’s all well and good but I still need

to save money on Keurig K-cup coffee one way or another.”

I have a few suggestions.

1) Shop the value priced K-cup coffee line.

With the growing amount of competition in the K-cup market, more and

more value priced K-cups are popping up. These sorts of alternatives are

always great for the consumer but be very careful, there are several

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renegades out there producing below par coffee in substandard

packaging that will ruin your Keurig brewer. Using these off brands will

affect your Keurig warranty.

To be sure that you are purchasing a high quality product that will work

properly in your Keurig brewer look for the Keurig seal.

The value priced Keurig K-cups that we recommend

are Diedrich and Twinings. Both are reputable companies with the

Keurig seal of approval. In general these brands can be purchased for up

to twenty percent less than other K-cups!

2) Use K-cup teas more than once. Most tea drinkers use their tea bags

several times. One use simply does not take the entire flavor out of a tea

bag. The same applies to K-cup teas. The number of uses depends on

your taste preference. I generally use my tea K-cups 2-3 times in a row

filling my HUGE stainless steel thermos that I love oh so much. This

gives me enough to sip throughout the entire day using only one lonely

little K-cup!

3) Purchase clearance K-cups. Cross Country Cafe always has at least

one K-cup on clearance. K-cups are placed on clearance for a variety of

reasons ranging from stock rotation, over stocking or simply because we

want to offer you a great price! It is always a good idea to stock up if

your favorite flavor goes on clearance.

4) Shop sales. We recommend sticking with one company and following

their sale pattern. If you jump around you may miss your favorites and

not reap the full rewards of the program

5) Consider shipping. Yes, shopping online is ultra convenient and for

many (including me) the preferred method. I avoid going to stores as

much as possible. Not only do I miss the hassle and save time, I think

that simply not setting foot in the store saves me money by skipping

other impulse purchases.

When it comes to K-cup coffees retail is ALWAYS going to be priced

higher than ordering online unless, there is a special sale or coupon and

even then you will usually pay more. But, who wants to pay a fortune

for shipping? Not me, that’s for darn sure.

Look for companies that offer flat rate shipping or free shipping on a

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certain order size.

6) Price K-cups per cup not by the box. You may have noticed that K-

cups are available in a variety of box sizes ranging from 12 K-cups all

the way up to 24. This can make price comparison tricky. For example,

most shoppers seem to believe that some big box stores have fairly low

pricing on K-cup coffees. That seems to be true at first glance until you

notice that their boxes only have 18 K-cups in them. Always, always,

always buy a box of 24 to ensure that you are getting the best price per

cup.

7) Use price guarantees. Few companies are brave enough to promise to

beat any and all competitor pricing but there are a couple that have

stepped up to the plate. Always deal with a company that offers a best

price guarantee, take the guesswork out of shopping K-cups, and get the

lowest price currently available, period.

8) Participate in giveaways. First and foremost you can find several K-

cup contest and giveaways on Facebook and Twitter.

In addition to Facebook did you know that there are several popular

blogs and comparison-shopping sites that host K-cup giveaways? These

are a little bit more difficult to find, but worth the search.

9) Ask for samples. Don’t be shy.

10) Find out what offers are available from your favorite K-cup

distributor. For example, if you sign up for the email list you may get a

coupon or follow the blog for a discount, opt in to text ads for sale alerts,

etc. Again, pick one company so that you don’t get overwhelmed or

annoyed with too many notifications.

I want to help you to save money on Keurig K-cups but I want to remind

you that coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures. Enjoy it. Spend

mindfully on something that you truly love

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4: Where to

Find the Best

Variety of

Keurig K-cup

Coffee

Ask anybody what

the best feature of

using a Keurig K-

cup brewer is and

you are bound to

hear variety as a very popular answer. The entire premise of this single

serve system is that everyone in your household or office gets HIS OR

HER perfect cup of coffee or tea (in under 60 seconds of course!).

On top of that you can suit your personal taste preferences throughout

the day. For example, right now I enjoy 2 cups of Golden French

Toast every morning, Green Tea with Pomegranate throughout the day

and a Sumatran Reserve in the afternoon. In addition, I have the privilege

of trying a new K-cup every week for my Friday coffee reviews. I love

having access to a HUGE variety of Keurig K-cups and teas (it’s who

you know, right?)!

Here I am relishing in the variety, trying different coffee flavors and

roasts constantly yet, I hear complaints from friends, relatives and

readers. They are purchasing their K-cups at retail and grocery stores and

can not find their favorite K-cups and on top of that, the selection is

poor. Why?

I spent some time pondering this and while perusing the aisles of a retail

store this weekend it dawned on me- shelf space. If you have ever

worked in retail you know that shelf space is a very valuable piece of

real estate. The problem is, K-cups take up a tremendous amount of this

hot commodity. Retailers have tried to combat this problem by selling a

smaller K-cup box (12 or 18 count) to try to cram as many different K-

cups into the small amount of space they have.

With over 150 different coffees, teas and specialty beverages available it

is impossible to provide a decent selection with limited display space.

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Therefore, retailers will choose what they perceive as the most

marketable coffees but what if that does not include your favorite? My

daily K-cups were not available at any of the retailers I visited recently.

Don’t worry though, we have a solution. Online retailers!! No shelf

space issues, no perceived best sellers, no smaller boxes, no pressure

from manufacturers to be placed at eye level, nothing but a warehouse

full of a massive selection of Keurig K-cup coffee, purchased in bulk,

with minimal handling to keep costs down.

You will always find the best variety of Keurig K-cup coffee with an

online distributor, period. You will receive unmatched service and

quality from the select few that are certified to sell Keurig products.

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5: What is

an Extra

Bold K-

cup?

There are a

growing

number of

Keurig K-cups labeled “extra bold”. As a matter of fact the entire line of

Tully’s K-cups are now extra bold in addition to tried and true favorites

such as Dark Magic and Newman’s Special Blend. Extra bold Keurig K-

cup coffees are growing in popularity and rapidly becoming best sellers.

But, what the heck does extra bold mean??? Extra Bold means….MORE

COFFEE!!

I will tell you what it does not mean. It does not mean dark roast. It

does not mean burnt and bitter. This is a common misconception. There

are a variety of extra bold K-cup coffees available. They range from

light, medium and dark roasts. Included are Tully’s Breakfast

Blend which is a light roast and one of the newest additions Tully’s

Hawaiian Blend which is a medium roast. Both very smooth and both

lack any burnt or bitter taste.

Extra bold Keurig K-cups contain slightly more coffee than regular K-

cups resulting in a stronger brew. I was curious as to exactly how much

more coffee we are talking about so I conducted an experiment. I ripped

the lids off a regular and an extra bold K-cup, poured the coffee out on

the counter and took a picture.

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I was really surprised at the difference. There was quite a bit more coffee

in the extra bold K-cup! This explains why I like them so much… I love

a “thick” cup of coffee- not necessarily dark or even super strong I just

like a nice body and extra bolds never disappoint.

My dream is that one day all K-cups will be available in both regular and

extra bold to satisfy both ends of the spectrum. Green Mountain if you

are reading this, please place my request : )

Extra bold coffees are perfect for filling a large cup or a travel mug but

they are the key to making a good cup of iced coffee. The extra coffee

allows them to avoid tasting watered down by all of the ice.

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6: How Many

Calories Are in a

Keurig K-cup?

This chapter was

inspired by a customer

inquiry that got me

thinking… do

consumers know that

most Keurig K-cups

are calorie and sugar-

free?

Yep. that’s right, no need to worry. The majority of Keurig K-cups are

simply coffee and a filter, nothing added meaning…. calorie free! At

first I could not understand the confusion on this subject. Then I read the

descriptions of some of the coffees.

Caramel Vanilla Cream reads:

A light roast, flavored K-cup coffee with a traditional French Vanilla

flavor taken up a notch by the addition of buttery caramel and hints of brown sugar!

Chocolate Glazed Donut:

Chocolate Glazed Donut is a combo that’s hard to resist. A fresh

chocolate donut, topped with a sweet, sugar glaze, dunked into your mug.

Who wouldn’t think that these coffees are filled with sugar, fat and

calories?! If I did not know better, I certainly would question it. When

you read the descriptions of Keurig K-cups or any coffee for that matter,

know that the author is simply describing the hints of flavor that they

detect in the coffee, not the actual ingredients. If you still aren’t sure,

look for the nutritional information.

If there are no ingredients or nutritional information listed it means that it

only contains coffee and you are good to go!

There are a few Keurig K-cups that DO contain calories. They fall under

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two categories. Brew Over Ice teas and coffees (except Twinings) and

Cafe Escapes. Keurig has kept those around 60-70 calories each.

When in doubt consider the consistency of the coffee. If it is creamy- it

contains calories and most likely sugar. If it is a simple black coffee,

calories are not an issue.

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7: Do K-cups

Contain Gluten?

Gluten has been a recent

topic of discussion in my

household. At this point it is

a simple curiosity, we have

not taken the plunge to a

gluten-free diet. We are

however, becoming more

aware and beginning to

notice that it is in

well…pretty much

everything. This of course has me wondering, are Keurig K-cup coffees

gluten-free?

You may have noticed that the packaging of Keurig K-cup coffee really

does not tell you much about the nutritional value. That is because there

quite frankly isn’t much to tell. In addition, products that do not state any

claims such as “gluten-free”, “sodium free” etc. and have no nutritional

impact are not required to include the standard nutritional facts on their

packaging.

To prove this I sought out a K-cup label and found nothing but a bunch

of zeros.

Although I was quite sure that this answered my gluten question, I

looked for further confirmation from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

since they are the ultimate authority on K-cups. I found this excerpt on

their FAQ page:

Question Do any of your K-Cup packs contain gluten?

Answer All of the coffees offered in K-Cup® packs are gluten and gluten by

product-free. The Café Escapes French Vanilla Café-au-Lait K-Cup®

pack contains small amounts of wheat. The Timothy’s Lemon Blueberry

Tea K-Cup® pack contains malted oats.

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There you have it, as of today Keurig K-cup coffees and teas are gluten-

free- yay!

I am completely comfortable with advising consumers who are avoiding

gluten to drink up and enjoy Keurig K-cup regular, decaf, flavored

coffees and teas. However, I would like to offer two areas of caution:

First, there are more and more renegade “K-cups” on the market. These

are not sanctioned by Keurig or approved for use in their brewers. If it

does not have the Keurig approved seal, Keurig nor I can speak to its

contents.

Look for the seal people; it’s the only way to get the real thing!

Second, Keurig = variety = new K-cups constantly. It seems like every

time I check my email there is an announcement of a brand new

innovative K-cup coffee, tea or beverage. Innovation means new

ingredients and processes. I would strongly advise you to confirm that

each new K-cup you try falls under the gluten-free rule. You are

completely safe with regular, decaf or flavored coffees and tea. When it

comes to anything that has a creamy body or sweetness such as Brew

Over Ice, you should confirm the nutritional contents.

In conclusion, those of you trying or needing to eliminate gluten from

your diet, you do not have to sacrifice when it comes to your morning

coffee. You can still enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures fresh, gourmet

coffees!

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8: How Much

Caffeine

is in a

Keurig K-

cup?

This is a

commonly asked

question

that unfortunately

does not have a

precise answer.

K-cup coffee contains between 75-125mg of caffeine per 6 fluid

ounces. I know, I know, that really is not very helpful. There are so

many variables that determine the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee;

it is near impossible to estimate an exact amount.

-Caffeine varies by roasting type. Contrary to popular belief light roast

coffee contains more caffeine than dark roast. Beans that are roasted

dark are exposed to prolonged heat, which breaks down the caffeine.

-Different types of beans will produce more caffeine than others. The

higher end, better tasting Arabica beans that produce Keurig K-cups

have less caffeine than their cheaper Robusta counterparts.

-The finer that a coffee is ground the more caffeine it will

contain. Keurig K-cups coffee is generally ground on the medium to

finer side.

-The length of time a coffee is brewed or steeped will affect the amount

of caffeine extracted. For example, French press coffee has one of the

highest caffeine contents because the general process is to allow the

coffee to steep for four minutes.

-The hotter the water used in brewing, the higher the caffeine. Although,

you should not brew above 212 degrees.

-Obviously, the amount of grounds used will change the caffeine content

of the resulting cup of coffee. Extra bold Keurig K-cups contain twenty

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percent more coffee translating to a more caffeinated cup of joe.

As you can see there are just too many factors to determine an exact

amount of caffeine in a Keurig K-cup. However, with all things

considered an extra bold medium roast, Keurig K-cup would be at the

higher end of the spectrum.

If want a bigger bang for your buck try a Tully's Extra Bold Breakfast

Blend. If you are on the other end of the spectrum and want just a little

pick me up try Green Mountain Half Caff.

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9: My Keurig Brewed a

Half Cup, Now

What?

It's 6am; you have had a solid 5

hours of sleep, you NEED

coffee now. You think to

yourself, everything is going to

be ok, my Keurig will have a

steaming hot cup of Joe in my

mug in a mere 60

seconds. You choose your

favorite roast, pop ‘er in

and…you hear sputtering, a

little bit of coffee comes out

then…., nothing.

This is probably the number

one complaint I have heard

when it comes to Keurig

performance and believe me, I get it. But, with a little bit of know how,

in most situations you can fix this issue.

If your Keurig brews a short cup it may be caused by one of the

following:

-Coffee grounds, tea or cocoa mix has clogged the exit needle. Run a

cycle of water through the brew cycle without a K cup in the brewer..

-It may be time to perform a descaling, see chapter 2.

-The water reservoir was removed during the brew process. Place the

water reservoir back onto the brewer and perform a cleansing water only

brew without a K-cup.

You may have a faulty brew basket (this actually happened to me). If

your brewer is less than a year old, call Keurig and they will send you a

brand spanking new one for free.

Those are the “on the record” instructions.

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Off the record, hit the brewer. Yep, pretend you are the Fonz and give it

a little tap on the side. Air can get trapped in the tubing and prevent the

coffee from exiting. A little jiggle will move the air along and back to a

brewin’ you will go!

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10: Can I Use My

Own Coffee in a

Keurig?

This is a question that we

hear quite often from those

seeking to save a few

dollars on their daily

coffee.

The short answer is- yes

but, why would you want

to????

I certainly understand that

Keurig K-cups are not the

cheapest route to feed your

caffeine habit however,

when you indulge in your

sacred first cup, one of life's simple pleasures- is cheap really what you

are going for? I for one, am seeking a great tasting cup of gourmet

coffee, brewed fresh and hot in my mug as quickly and as easily as

possible.

If I haven't swayed you with my little rant let's talk brass tacks.

There are a variety of units available that will make it possible to brew

your own coffee in your Keurig. Most are of a mesh type basket that sits

in the brew basket of your unit. I have also seen plastic lids that will

allow you to reuse your K-cups, tiny paper filters and a myriad of other

inventive units. These gadgets should bear a label that states "use at your

own risk" for a few reasons.

1) They are generally made from low grade plastic that will affect the

taste of your coffee.

2) They are messy.

3) The performance of your machine will be affected.

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4) The life span of your brewer will be shortened.

5) Last but not least:

If they do not bear the Keurig brewed seal, they are not sanctioned

and may affect the warranty on your K-cup brewer.

Keurig is fairly strict about what you brew in your unit, they want your

experience with their product to be as pleasant as possible. They

demand high quality from their roasters and will settle for nothing less..

Therefore, there is only one piece of equipment that Keurig will endorse

for brewing your own coffee in your unit- the My K-cup. This is a

Keurig approved product that will not compromise the warranty on your

coffee brewer.

However, after testing, I cannot recommend using it (sorry Keurig, I am

usually on your side). There are a few reasons that I do not like the My

K-cup:

1) It is difficult to get the measurement of coffee quite right. Every cup

tastes different as I am adjusting my brews to try to get just the right

amount of coffee.

2) I spill coffee grounds every gosh darn time I try to scoop them into the

My K-cup...every time.

3) I noticed a much higher occurrence of grounds in my coffee.

4) The person before me NEVER cleans it, leaving me to do so... both

before and after I brew my cup of coffee.

5) I cannot make hot cocoa or enjoy any of the Cafe Escapes.

6) The My K-cup consists of three pieces that replace the brew basket of

your Keurig. These three pieces need to be cleaned between each brew

and the fact that I need to keep track of this is quite a pain!

7) The coffee clogged my needles several times using this method of

brewing.

Mainly, I am simply spoiled. I am so used to not even thinking about my

morning Joe,I get my mug, pop in the K-cup and hit the brew button.

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This is the whole point of a Keurig to begin with!!

I do understand that cost savings is on every family's mind, we have

quite a few suggestions in chapter 3 that will help you save a few bucks.

Enjoy the ease and convenience of a gourmet Keurig K-cup coffee the

way it was intended to be used.

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11: Are There

Any Organic

K-cup

Coffees?

Buying organic is

often a controversial

topic but to me it is a

no brainer. By

choosing organic

coffee you are

avoiding chemicals

and pesticides, helping

farmers remain

sustainable and some

even argue that organic beans taste better.

Although there is an abundant shortage of organic K-cup coffees, they do

exist. Thankfully there are few of incredible high quality and roasted by

companies we can trust and the best news is, they are no more expensive

than traditional roasts!

If there is one person that comes to mind when you think organic it has

got to be Paul Newman. His namesake has become synonymous with

sustainable, organic products...especially coffee. As a matter of fact

Newman's Own has an entire subsidiary dedicated to their famous

roasts. We are thrilled that they have partnered with Green Mountain

coffee to included organic K-cups in their line of products!

Newman's Own Special Blend is a medium roast, extra bold K-cup

coffee that is organic and Fair Trade certified to boot. This is a blend of

Central American beans that offers a strong body and robust flavor. I

have had the pleasure of reviewing Special Blend; you can read a full

description here.

Special Blend is also available in a decaffeinated version with all of the

same depth and body minus the caffeine kick!

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Green Mountain Coffee is next on our organic K-cup list. Green

Mountain is just that, very green, very socially conscious...who would

have thought such a huge corporation could maintain these standards? I

guess when you start out as a tiny train station coffee shop in the

foothills of beautiful Vermont, it comes easy.

Green Mountain employs a team of experts to source just the right beans

for their signature roasts. Case in point- Sumatran Reserve. Sumatran

Reserve is a dark roast, extra bold Keurig K-cup coffee that is certified

organic and Fair Trade. Sumatran beans are grown in the lush mountains

of Indonesia, creating a unique taste and a superb cup of coffee. This

coffee offers a big body, sweet notes and a satisfying finish.

I am thrilled to have these two amazing organic K-cup coffees available

to us, I hope that more and more will be released but, just a word of

warning... only buy organic K-cups with USDA organic seal. This is

the only way to be sure that you are receiving a high quality, genuinely

organic product.

Price gouging can run rampant with organic products, it seems like you

slap a little seal on it and the price instantly doubles. You should only

shop with reputable companies that care about providing you a great

product at a fair price.

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12: What Type of

Water Should I

Use In my

Brewer?

We discussed this briefly in

chapter 2, but it is such an

important topic, I thought

that there should be an

entire chapter devoted to

this subject.

There are two ingredients

in a great cup of coffee-

water and well, coffee. We

take all of this time to

discuss where the coffee

beans come from, the best

roast, great flavor, etc. but

exactly no time thinking about the water we are using to prepare our

precious cup of joe.

Water makes up 98% of every wonderful brew, so we thought we would

take a little time to discuss what is the best type of water to use not only

for amazing tasting coffee but, also for the longevity of your Keurig

brewer.

The most common concern when it comes to the water from your tap is

hardness. If you have hard water it simply means that it contains a high

amount of natural minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium,

potassium, sulfate and chloride. As many of you know these minerals

can reek havoc on your plumbing, dishes, laundry and showers by

depositing scale or lime. The same applies to your Keurig brewer. These

minerals will pass through your brewer leaving their trail of scale and

lime deposits reducing the efficiency of your unit, coincided with

affecting the taste of your coffee.

To combat this, most people soften their water with salt. Salt removes

the minerals and the resulting soft water is much easier on plumbing and

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even becomes more compatible with soap making washing more

efficient. Problem solved, right? Not when it comes to your Keurig.

Softened water contains sodium ions that will form around coffee grinds

and tea leaves making them less penetrable. This will slow down the

extraction process, causing over extraction (bad tasting coffee and tea)

and clogs in the brewer resulting in performance issues.

What can you do?

2) Use filtered water.

Many refrigerators now come with a filter built in, you can easily add

one to your sink faucet or some go as far as a whole house filter. I

strongly recommend speaking to an area water professional to be sure

that you are purchasing a reputable filter that actually will produce the

results you are looking for. Filters will eliminate the smell and taste of

chlorine, sulfur and iron as well as some minerals. Your Keurig will

thank you with longevity and better tasting coffee and tea.

1) Use bottled water.

Our preferred option is bottled water but make sure your read the

label! Not all bottled waters are created equal. There are several types-

spring, distilled, mineral, etc.. This can be confusing and if you pick the

wrong one you can be doing more harm than good. You should never

use mineral or spring water in your Keurig brewer. As you might guess

they both contain high amounts of minerals that your Keurig will not

like.

Distilled water is an excellent choice for brewing coffee in your

Keurig. Distilled water is purified, containing less than 1 PPM of

minerals. This lack of minerals will leave your Keurig brewer happily

serving up your delicious morning coffee for many, many

years. Distilled water will also reduce the dreaded descaling routine. I

actually know someone who has had a brewer for several years and has

never used anything but distilled water and has never had to descale her

unit nor has she ever had a performance issue.

Does distilled water produce great tasting coffee is the big question?

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My vote is yes, but, there are some coffee snobs (no offense, I certainly

don't blame you for wanting a perfect cup of coffee) out there that will

argue that there needs to be some minerals in the water to bring out the

taste of the coffee, much as salt brings out the taste in food. This may or

may not be true so you may test it for yourself. There is no question

that distilled water will make your brewer last longer which is first and

foremost my goal when choosing what type of water to use in my Keurig

brewer.

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13: Do K-cups

Contain BPA?

First of all, what is

BPA? BPA stands for

Bisphenol-A. Bisphenol-A

is a synthetic compound

used to make certain

plastics- usually of the hard,

clear variety as well as coat

food and beverage cans.

BPA has been used for

many years but has recently

been re-examined by the

FDA for its hormone like

properties. There is strong

concern about the suitability

of BPA in consumer products as it has been linked to obesity,

neurological issues, thyroid disorder and cancer. For this reason most

companies that package any sort of food items have abandoned the use

of these products and switched to a safer plastic source. In addition, the

FDA no longer authorizes the use of BPA in baby bottles or sippy cups.

BPA is a particular issue when exposed to heat for prolonged periods of

time. Hence, the specific concerns with our beloved single serve

coffee. We are happy to report to the best of our knowledge that the

plastic used to make Keurig K-cups does not contain Bisphenol- A, nor

does the water reservoir or internal water pipelines of the

brewer. Thankfully, we can continue to happily brew our K-cup coffee

without this health concern.

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14: How to

Make Iced

Beverages

With Your

Keurig

You already love

your Keurig for

providing you with

piping hot, fresh

gourmet coffee each

and every day but,

did you know there

is another way to

enjoy your precious

brewer with no

special attachments

or

upgrades? That's

right, you can

make iced coffees,

teas and fruit

beverages with any Keurig brewer and it is so easy!

-First, choose your Brew over Ice K-cup. There are specially marked

K-cups intended to be prepared cold, just look for the brew over ice seal.

They simply contain more coffee or tea than standard K-cups. If you are

feeling adventurous, any K-cup can be brewed over ice. For example,

Twinings Pure Black does bear the Brew Over Ice logo, Peppermint does

not but, I have enjoyed both of these teas cold several times, the

Peppermint tea just is not quite as strong as the other.

-First, shake the K-cup to loosen the contents and place in the brew

basket of your Keurig brewer.

-Next, fill a 16 oz. plastic cup with ice and place it on the drip tray of

your brewer (if it is too tall, remove the drip tray). If you would like

sweetener or milk in your iced treat, you should add that now.

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-Lastly, brew the K-cup by selecting the lowest water setting of your unit

(you don't want the cup to overflow!).

You are now ready to enjoy an iced cold, refreshing coffee or tea

prepared in under a minute with you Keurig brewer- enjoy!

There is a huge array of K-cups available specially prepared to brew over

ice including Snapple Teas, Lemonade and Vitamin Burst Acai Berry

just to name a few!

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15: Where to Find

Keurig Owners

Manuals

In an effort to control my

clutter and not let it

control me, I have been

on a massive "throw it

out" frenzy. Goodwill,

my family and the

recycling center have

been inundated with my

belongings. I can now

breath a little easier with

organized cupboards and

drawers.

Yesterday’s project was

the kitchen. Can you

believe I had an entire

drawer (and not a small one) dedicated to nothing but owner’s manuals?

Starting with the washer and drier, to the juicer, yogurt maker and

everything in between. I may have referenced these once or twice but,

certainly not enough to justify tying up valuable kitchen real estate so….

in the recycling bin they went.

This led me to the idea of gathering the owner’s manuals of all models of

Keurig brewers and housing them right here, for you.

Below you will find links to the owner’s manual of each model of

Keurig brewer. The model number of your brewer can generally be

found on the bottom of the unit. You will see that my list references all

model numbers starting with K, if yours starts with a B...don't panic.

Keurig recently decided to move from the B naming system to a K

naming system but kept all of the corresponding numbers the same. If

you have a B40 for example, it is now called a K40.

K10 Mini Plus Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

K40/45 Elite Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

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K65/66 Special and Signature Edition Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

K70/75 Platinum Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

K79 Platinum Plus Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

K145 Office Pro Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

K155 Office Pro Premier Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG2 Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

Breville BKC700XL Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

Cuisinart SS700 Keurig Brewer Owners Manual

You now have my permission to toss your Keurig owners manual in the

trash! Reference this chapter whenever you have a question or save the

PDF on your computer and you can be one step closer to a clutter free

kitchen or office!

© www.crosscountrycafe.com Page 37

I hope that you enjoy our Keurig tips and tricks. Don’t forget to

take some time out of your busy day to enjoy a delicious treat, you

deserve it!

If you have questions or comments that have not been addressed

please feel free to contact us, we would love to hear from you!

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