Keurig - Bringing DRM to Coffee
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: Life, the Universe and Everything
I have a Keurig machine, and I use the refillable K-cups which I fill with whatever coffee I decide to buy at the grocery store. It's much cheaper than the packaged K-cups, and in my opinion, tastes about the same.
It seems Keurig is tired of 3rd party coffee brands using their system.
"Green Mountain has announced a new anticompetitive plan to maintain its monopoly by redesigning its brewers to lock out competitors’ products. Such lock-out technology cannot be justified based on any purported consumer benefit, and Green Mountain itself has admitted that the lock-out technology is not essential for the new brewers’ function. Like its exclusionary agreements, this lock-out technology is intended to serve anticompetitive and unlawful ends."
Source: TechDirt
Reply #2 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 1:45 PM
Seriously? Well that sucks.
Thought the market should determine sales and prices, not an anti-competitive act like that!
"To Keurig With Love"
Reply #3 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 2:04 PM
ID.. I have a coffee maker I bought at Wal-Mart that does K-Cups as well as standard pots. $79. You can get the re-usable filter for the k-cups side and reap the benefits of single serve. Just an FYI..
Reply #4 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 3:00 PM
Irony:
They're trying to lock in their coffee sales. What it will likely do instead is cripple their machine sales. They'll be re-thinking that someday, geniuses.
Want to torque people off? Screw with their coffee.
Reply #5 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 3:20 PM
Yeah, I have a Ekobrew refillable K-cup I got off Amazon which is what I mostly use.
Reply #6 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 4:01 PM
I have a single serve pod machine I purchased from Aldi, and as far as coffee, coffee machines go, it is the best investment I could have made. I got the coffee machine and a milk frother for under a 100 bucks, while Nespresso and many other brands are on the wrong side of $250 for just the coffee machine. Moreover, I can use pods from various manufacturers should I choose, and there are a couple of competitors blends I like, but I generally find the pods at Aldi are at least a couple of bucks cheaper and the blends are just as nice, if not better.
However, and I'm not backwards in coming forwards when I'm pissed about something, but if Aldi pulled a stunt like this, which I hope it doesn't anytime soon cos I currently can't find my hammer. Anyway, I'd take the machine [and my favourite household renovation/repair tool] to my closest Aldi store, where I would proceed to the checkout with a trolleyload of pods. I would then ask for the store manager to be present when I said that it was how much coffee I purchased per month... "but NOT at Adli anymore," - which is when I'd take the hammer and smash the coffee machine to smithereens right there in front of them - "and all because your damned daft DRM bullshit removed my freedom of choice, and now you can see that I'm totally PISSED!!!!!"
Dammit, should never have come to this.... it's all George Clooney's fault.
Reply #8 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 7:56 PM
I buy a tin of International Roast....open it and put a spoon full in a cup....add hot water...milk...sugar.....and end up with an infinitely better cup of coffee than I EVER HAD in the US/Canada ....
Had one of those drip filter things once....messy waste of time....
Had a plunger....another waste of time.....
Ain't going anywhere near yet another electrical appliance to clutter a kitchen....
[at least all those get-fit fad machines can fold up and fit under a bed]...
Reply #10 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 7:23 AM
I know what you mean! After a night of one too many JD's, this Yank... er, American gentleman I'd invited around home, offered to make us "the best darned cup of coffee" we'd ever tasted. Yeah, right!
I took just one sip and instinctively knew: "Strewth!!!!!", I goes: "Somebody's gone n' spilt warm muddy creek water in ma cup.".... cos truly, while it may have been the best worst cup of coffee I'd ever tasted, it was nigh on undrinkable.
His partner/wife said, in the deepest Southern drawl I'd ever heard [think female Slim Pickens]: "Well that ain't very nice when he's being so hospitable."
Yeah, right, I'm supplying the munchies and drink under MY roof.... and he's the hospitable one? Thing is, by then we really did need a cup of coffee, so using the same coffee beans and equipment, etc, I proceeded to make us all a cup of coffee the Australian way, to which both were absolutely delighted. The pair of 'em went all moony eyed over it and commented as to how much they liked it... which I won't go into cos I don't think the Stardock servers could handle that much waffle.
Hopefully, they went home and learned all their friends n' family how ta make it all proper like.
Yes... but you must remember to keep the coffee pot under the spout while brewing and for a few moments after ... otherwise you're constantly wiping up.
Again, when used according to the instructions, these coffee plungers do work correctly.... unless said instructions are written with a Southern US accent or in Chinese. Either way it'll confuse the fech out of you, so you return to the tin of International Roast assured of a good cup, first time, every time.
True, but I had to raise my bed 3 feet so's I could keep exercising.
Reply #12 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 8:18 AM
Quoting starkers, reply 10True, but I had to raise my bed 3 feet so's I could keep exercising
Nut...
Finally! Somebody recognises me for my talent.
Funnily enough, I do have a couple of those 'fad-type' exercise thingies here, though currently they're kept downstairs in the garage because I can use neither - a rowing machine and situps bench - until something can be done to fix a muscular problem that allows my insides to protrude well beyond that which is comfortable. No, it is not a hernia as such, but rather a weakening of the stomach wall due to previous surgeries, of which there have been a few over the years. My doctor is hoping to remedy the situation with physiotherapy to avoid yet another invasive procedure which may or may not work, given the extensive scar tissue and my age. Yup, I'm hoping so as well... I'd rather not go under the knife again, if it can at all be avoided.
Reply #13 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 8:31 AM
Never had a problem with drip coffee machines. Cheap and reliable.
Anyone whose had issues with those machines...well I think it's what most tech support departments refer to as "user error".
Reply #14 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 8:57 AM
Never had a problem with drip coffee machines. Cheap and reliable.
Anyone whose had issues with those machines...well I think it's what most tech support departments refer to as "user error".
Eye Dee Ten Tee error...aka I D 10 T
I kinda like the sexy simplicity of a....
.....spoon....
Reply #15 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 9:02 AM
"It’s critical for performance and safety reasons that our new system includes this technology."
http://www.gmcr.com/OurStories/InnovationStories/MoreAboutKeurig20.aspx?sf2043430=1
Reply #16 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 9:11 AM
Never had a problem with drip coffee machines. Cheap and reliable.
Anyone whose had issues with those machines...well I think it's what most tech support departments refer to as "user error".
I recently gave my daughter the Sunbeam 'drip' coffee machine I'd replaced with the Expressi pod machine I got from Aldi, and she's more than happy with it because of its ease of use... the fact that it just works each time, every time.
"Hello, is that Sunbeam Customer Service?"
"Yes, maaaaam, how can I help you?"
"Well I bought one of those new fangled drip coffee machines of yours, and it don't work."
"Okay, maam, to best help me to help you, can you tell me what is happening?"
"Well it's like this, you see. I put the coffee, milk, sugar and stuff in the big tank at the back, put the filter in the place it says it's gotta go before turning it on at the wall, and dang me if it don't come outta the pot tastin' worse than Texas mule piss on a hot day."
"Listen, maam, I think you may be doing it wrong......
"Don't you listen me sonny boy, I'm 97 years old and been around the block a few times more than you have, you young whipper snapper, you, so don't go telling me I got it wrong. I've made more pots of coffee than you've had hot dinners, sonny, so don't try to tell me I don't know what I'm doing."
Like that, you mean?
Reply #19 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 12:42 PM
Quoting starkers, reply 12My doctor is hoping to remedy the situation with physiotherapy
Probably won't help much...but do be careful. I hear there can be 'fallout'.
And to think, prior to my appendectomy, I was this trim, taut and terrific... tho I'm not so sure about the ankle under the armpit bit. Now the only trim is a bi-annual haircut... I'm taut to mind my manners better... and I'm told it'd be terrific if I didn't talk so much.
And speaking of ankles, I recall the resident film reviewer bloke on one of our midday shows some years ago, while I was recovering from yet another bout of surgery. Anyway, John Michael Howson was his name, and he said to the host: "You know how a lot of women put a little perfume behind their ears to help attract men? Well do you know what Madonna puts behind her ears to attract men?"
The host, Mike Walsh, says that he has no idea and the camera returns to Howson.
"Her ankles, my dear man, her ankles!"
Let's just say that it got him into a fair bit of trouble with the network... and supposedly Madonna, who apparently/allegedly demanded both written and public/on-air apologies from him or she'd sue. Hehe, but it was funny, though.
As for my 6-pack not working so well, I've been advised gentle exercises can help to restore some tone, but that I do it under the supervision of a physiotherapist so as not to overdo it.
Reply #20 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 2:04 PM
Would be a very dumb move on Keurig's part, IFYAM. Not sure the 'printer paradigm' would/will translate to the coffee market. I use refillable cups with whatever coffee is my current preference with my Keurig. Simple French press works just as well, though, and only a little less convenient when you think about it.
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Reply #1 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 12:36 PM
Kinda like apple.