Picture this, you woke up late, the day is gray and rainy and your Moka Pot is still dirty from last night’s coffee and pan dulce hangout with your friends (probably from Panadería el Sol de Mexico or Mr. Churro). What do you do? Do you arrive late to your meeting, do you take apart your Moka Pot and wait for it to bubble that liquid gold? Decisions, decisions… But wait! You see that right next to the dishes you said you would clean the night before (the greatest lie you tell yourself), you see a little Keurig Machine nestled under the cabinets. You see that the water tank is full and your K-Cup rack full of different brands and flavors.
Now, you pride yourself on not being a coffee snob, but K-Cups have always left a (symbolic, not literal) bitter taste in your mouth. Moments like this one have raised their profile (wink wink) in your mind. To be honest, the two of us are split when it comes to these single-serve options, and for varied reasons. Gabe seldom makes less than four cups at a time, promised himself in the sleepless nights of having a young baby that he would side on better coffee whenever he could, and enjoys the lengthy process. Saúl loves the speed, efficiency, and ease with which he can get a cup of coffee. (The machine brews a cup in less than 2 minutes.) And with the variety of flavors and blends, there’s always something to try.
The Milwaukee Twist
Over the last decade, single serve coffee has moved from pods that were both terrible for the planet and often for your taste buds to a whole other level. Current options include seep packets (think tea), reusable K-Cup containers, individual squeeze packets (see below), and the rainbow of varieties for your typical disposable single serve. There is, of course as well, the Nespresso option.
More recently, Milwaukee coffee shops have jumped into the frey. Stone Creek offers the seeping packs, while Anodyne announced just last month its foray into the single-cup coffee market. Milwaukee in a K-Cup? Well according to Anodyne this K-Cup offers all of the flavor of their coffee all packaged in an eco-friendly pod that allows people to not leave their home to get some signature Anodyne flavors. We will keep you posted!
Convenience may reduce the magic of the coffee process. If you’ve been around Milwaukee awhile, you probably remember when Colectivo made the impressive brand shift after selling its “Alterra” name. Well, turns out Alterra is alive and well in single serve coffee options in what makes us think about kids’ applesauce squeeze packets. Can anyone else imagine a tired, maxed out parent making an unfortunate switch?
And although the convenience makes it easier for people to pick-up a pod or a single serve packet, are we losing the appreciation of the process? What is lost when we press a button, and a machine crafts a cup of coffee? Maybe the art is lost. For some people the beauty of coffee lies in the process of grinding the beans, finding the perfect rhythm of craft. This process and art can be lost when a button is pressed in the name of convenience.
Final Thoughts
K-Cups bring us the ability to brew coffee with the click of a button. Besides replacing the water and cleaning the machine, these machines are relatively low-maintenance. Some may prefer this in times of stress, but others may appreciate the process of making the perfect cup of coffee. We think that each of us bring different perspectives to K-Cups that fit our daily lives.
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As always, we appreciate your feedback! What do you think about K-Cups? Do you think we lose the magic of coffee making with K-Cups?
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