Some K-Cup Reviews and Other Ramble - November 20, 2010

Let me preface this post, in which I will review some K-cups, by saying that I am not a coffee connoisseur. I am not one who will tell you of hidden flavors of raspberry and vanilla and finely-aged wood barrels. And if you were wondering, I'm the same with wine. In most cases, all I can tell you is that I like what I like. Also, this and any future K cup review posts are mostly for me to keep track of things. If you don't like it, feel free to scroll down to the rest of the ramble.

Oh and I hate coffee black. I dump almond or cow milk and sugar into pretty much every cup. Sorry.

Most cups I'm reviewing at this stage are from either the sampler pack that came with the Keurig B60 brewer or from my friend S's generosity. I've bought very few K-cups so far - just four boxes of pretty straightforward, non-flavored blends from Target. (And all K-cups are apparently on sale at Target starting November 21, so I am going to trot back with my receipt and see if I can get a refund of the difference; the Intarwebz say I can.)

I really liked the Timothy's Decaf Columbian K-cup. Although it was decaf, it still tasted like strong, rich coffee.
I'm currently drinking a Timothy's Chai K-cup with milk and sugar and it's enjoyable if a bit weak. I also tried a Gloria Jean's Chai K-cup - I drank that one black (shocking) and found it less enjoyable and weaker than the Timothy's. Maybe it's better with milk and sugar; I think I have one left to try.
I loved the Gloria Jean's Pomegranate Berry Fusion Tea K-cup (with sugar, no milk). It was bright, strong, and tasty.
The apple cider K-cups are nice - very apple/cinnamony. I like that they have no artificial sweeteners in them and actually have real apple.
Timothy's White Hot Chocolate K-cup is a winner with me and has been since I tried it at S's house months ago. I've read mediocre reviews of it - more for me then!
The plain dark hot chocolate K-cups are fine. They're a step up from the generic/Publix powdered hot chocolate packets I buy for sure.
The Green Mountain Half-Caff K-cups are...exactly that. They taste yummy and I'm going to be making these a staple in my house as soon as the website gets more in.
The Donut House Chocolate Glazed Donut K-cup is DELICIOUS. My father hated it. I loved it. It tasted rich and chocolately, and it was completely different from a mocha-type drink. On the other hand, I found the Cinnamon Roll to be weak and kind of bitter, even with milk and sugar.

I was disappointed to find that the Cafe Mocha and Chai Latte K-cups have trans fat. One of the ingredients is hydrogenated coconut oil. I understand that this is a common ingredient in shelf-stable creamers, but I still won't buy it. I'll make my own lattes/mochas, thanks.

Amazon has the best prices on K-cups that I've found - a box of 50 for about $20 - but those are on pretty basic flavors/coffee. I have a few more deals to take advantage of first (like the B2G2 coupon you get for registering your brewer at Keurig.com).

I plan on buying a Solofill reusable K-cup sometime soon - but it would be LOVELY if the Solofill company sent me one for review instead, no? Really!

I stopped keeping track of my grocery spending for November because, um, it was ridiculously high. And tonight we went to Trader Joe's again - I just can't stay away, and the chocolate-covered shortbread star cookies are back...On the other hand, I've used coupons for the past few months to get a bunch of free/very cheap nonperishable groceries and now have a giant bag to donate to the local food pantry.

I went to the Indie Craft Experience in Atlanta today and walked away with black truffle salt (oh. my. god. it is amazingly potent - and the seller has no presence online or off other than being at craft shows...) and a dark chocolate caramel sea salt bar that is also TO DIE FOR DIVINE from Sweeteeth. Yeah.

Expect a book review soon - I got a bit distracted but I'm about to finish a book or two in the next few days.