Save the Planet with the Keurig My K-Cup

The Keurig single-cup coffee makers are a great idea if you like to have fresh coffee each time you make a cup. However, the k-cups seem to be very wasteful since you are throwing away all that plastic and foil each time you want some coffee.

The plastic is not biodegradable so those k-cups will be sitting around in landfills for a long time. They are also fairly costly compared to buying coffee grounds by the pound. These two reasons have prevented me from buying a Keurig, but now that I know there is another option available I am considering making the investment. Keurig now makes the My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter. It is a reusable, metal coffee filter that is the same size as the k-cups so that it can be inserted into the coffee makers. After use, they can simply be rinsed out and reused.

The product costs $13. In the long run, it will save you a lot of money to buy one of these than to purchase new k-cups every time you run out and it will help to save the environment. Another neat feature of the reusable k-cup is that you can fill it with any brand of coffee that you wish. Previously, you were limited to the brands of coffee that produced k-cups if you wanted to use a Keurig, but now you can go back to your favorite brand.

The product is easy to use as all you need to do is put a couple tablespoons of coffee grounds in the basket and put the top on. You will need to remove the coffee maker's filter assembly before being able to use the reusable filter but it comes out fairly easily if you are following the directions in the booklet. My only problem with the product is that it is a little annoying to switch back to the regular filter assembly if you or others want to use the regular k-cups to brew a cup. Some people complain that using the My K-Cup makes their coffee weak because the water goes through it faster than with the regular k-cups. I find that using finely ground coffee helps to prevent this problem. Overall, I really appreciate that the My K-Cup lets me use the technology of the Keurig to brew one cup of coffee at a time without feeling bad about creating so much waste.