The Ekobrew refillable K-cup for Keurig brewers is on sale today! - October 29, 2011

The Ekobrew is my favorite reusable/refillable K-cup alternative for the Keurig single-serve coffee brewer. (That links to my review from a while back - it gets the most hits on my blog these days...)

It's on sale today on Amazon as a Gold Box deal - 36% off. This is a great deal for a great product.

And that link up there? It's my referral and affiliate link. I get a few cents if you click through and buy it. So there's my disclaimer so we're all open and everything.

Voila! Go buy it1 Enjoy!

(I also still very much love the Solofill as well - I alternate between them, though I lean toward the Ekobrew as my true favorite.)

First Impressions of the Ekobrew - Another reusable K-cup alternative - July 9, 2011

I received my Ekobrew, which is another reusable K-cup alternative for the Keurig single-serve coffee system (much like the Solofill) about a week ago and have had the chance to use it twice. My verdict? It's great. It is possibly better than the Solofill, actually, and at minimum it works just as well.

Since the Solofill doesn't stand on its own, it is hard to see, but the Ekobrew is very similar in size/shape. 

What stands out to me about the Ekobrew:

• Flat bottom! This makes it much easier to fill.
• A different flow system for the water. For lack of more scientific language, it uses little holes around a cone rather than little slits around a flatter-bottomed bit. This seems to give me a richer cup of coffee than the Solofill does, although I have told you before and I'll tell you again that I'm no coffee snob. But it does seem to produce a darker cup, and the stream coming out of the Keurig looks darker to me toward the end of the brew.
• Nicer packaging. I know, I know, but I'm a sucker for pretty. This comes in a lovely cardboard cylinder that is likely recyclable - nicer than the plastic that seals the Solofill, although the plastic does let you see the product more immediately, which has its pros as well. It looks nice on my counter and gives me a place in which I could store the Ekobrew if I wanted. And it also comes with DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. Love that. Especially the part about how to clean it. I knew that already, but it was nice to have that in print.
• A tiny bit easier to clean. The Solofill has a little indentation at the bottom that always gets clogged with grounds - I have to use my fingernails to pry that bit out. Not a huge deal, but since the Ekobrew is flat, that isn't an issue.

On the con side (and there aren't many), I am always worried that I'm going to somehow misalign the Ekobrew's flat bottom and mess up the puncturing spears inside my Keurig. There are openings at the bottom of the Ekobrew that I'm assuming make this impossible, but the Solofill's shape is more reassuring. It's a tradeoff for sure. Also it's not red. Go ahead and laugh. The brown says "THIS IS EARTH FRIENDLY," sure, but fun colors say "THIS IS FUN TIMES IN THE MORNING HOORAY!" Right? Right? No? OK, maybe not.

As with the Solofill, the Ekobrew takes seconds to use. Dump in the coffee, put in the brewer, dump out the grounds when done. As with my Solofill/Keurig combo, the Ekobrew finished the brewing cycle with water on the top and a bit dripping out. A minor annoyance.

I chose the Keurig system in huge part because I liked that I'd be able to use some sort of reusable K-cup, whether it be the My K-Cup, a rinsed-and-covered-with-foil K-cup, or some other system. I like that now I have TWO options from which to choose, and I love that neither the Solofill nor Ekobrew requires me to do anything to my Keurig machine that I wouldn't already do with a regular old K-cup.

So in a nutshell? I like the Ekobrew too. If you want immediate satisfaction, I've seen the Solofill at Bed, Bath and Beyond and you can use one of your handy-dandy coupons on it to bring the price down. If you can wait a bit (particularly if you have Prime and can get free shipping without having to buy extra stuff), or if you don't have a BB&B coupon/a store nearby, the Ekobrew is a few bucks cheaper on Amazon.

ETA: I've now seen the Ekobrew for sale at Cost Plus World Market and Whole Foods, plus it is available through Drugstore.com, so it's pretty accessible now.

Now if I could just get my prize that I won from the Barista Prima Facebook page, I'd be able to review my new milk frother for you too...ahem.

NOTE/DISCLOSURE: I asked for and received an Ekobrew from the company for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are mine - if I didn't like it, I would absolutely tell you.

Update on February 11, 2012: My husband LOST my precious Ekobrew and I am going to be buying another to replace it. (Yup, I got my first for free for review purposes and I'll gladly pay to replace it.) I use it almost every single day - it has surpassed my usage of the Solofill and FAR surpassed my usage of K-cups, which are now almost too expensive to bother with. If you have a Keurig, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you buy yourself an Ekobrew or two to go along with it. [We bought our second Ekobrew at Whole Foods.]

Update on January 9, 2013: This post remains my most popular by far. It's old now, but yes, I still use my Ekobrews (I now have two) all the time, still love them, and still recommend them. The links in this post are my referral links to Amazon, so if you buy your Ekobrew through one of them, I make about 2 cents. Thank you!

As of March 2013 this post is no longer accepting new comments.

May 2013 update: I've upgraded to the Keurig Vue! Check out my new post for more details and a code for 40% off this fabulous new brewer!

(This is my referral link. I get a small kickback if you click through and sign up for Amazon Prime.

There's a New Reusable K-Cup in Town - The Ekobrew - June 28, 2011

You already know how much I love and adore my Keurig, and I've written extensively about my love for the resusable K-cup called the Solofill - I even ran a giveaway for it because I love it so much! So I was very intrigued to find out (via the Single Serve Coffee forums - yes, there are forums devoted to the whole concept, and yes, there is a message board for anything you can think of) about the latest entry into the reusable, refillable single-serve K-cup market - the Ekobrew.

Here's what I know so far - the Ekobrew is a similar price and a similar idea to the Solofill, with a metal mesh filter surrounded by a plastic body that's the same size as a K-cup (so you don't have to do anything to your Keurig to use it - you just pop it in like a regular K-cup and brew). But this system has a flat bottom (I have to fiddle with the Solofill when I fill it - being able to put the Ekobrew down on the counter would be much nicer), a different way of dispersing the water into the coffee, and a few other tweaks.

Why do I say "so far"? Because I remembered what my mother always told me - "the worst thing they can say is no." I requested an Ekobrew to test out and review for my loyal readership (*waves* the things I do for you guys), and the company said yes. I hope to have it soon, and I will give you my honest thoughts and impressions both as it stands alone and side-by-side with the Solofill.

So there you have it. NEW GADGETY THINGIE! If nothing else, it's always nice to have options, and K-cup prices just went up again so it's always nice to have less-expensive options. And for whatever it's worth, I've found that using the Solofill takes about 30 seconds to a whole minute longer than using a K-cup, including filling and dumping. (Not including rummaging through my pantry to find the ground coffee, figuring out what flavor I want, finding a spoon....but still. When K-cups are 55 cents and up per cup, I'll spend the extra time.)

And while I'm rambling about my Keurig love, I also wanted to share that I won second prize in the Barista Prima contest on Facebook. I'll be getting a Keurig milk frother and a box of Barista Prima "House Blend" K-cups. Both of these things are too pricey for me to have ever bought on my own, so I'm really excited - I've been using a $3 Ikea milk frother that works just fine, so we'll see how much better a $75 machine is. Hooray for prizes!

And finally, I had a chance to try the Island Coconut limited-edition K-cups while I was on vacation and they. are. amazing. Delicious hot, and I bet they would make a yummy iced coffee or frappe too. So if you want to buy me a present...

(This is my referral link. I get a small kickback if you click through and sign up for Amazon Prime.

Winners of the Solofill Reusable Filter for the Keurig Brewer - January 22, 2011

My first contest was, I believe, a success! I received 62 entries to win a Solofill reusable/refillable filter for the Keurig single-serve coffee brewer system. I used random.org to pick the winners and they are...

Steve (samoregon930)

Bernice (shortstuff431)

Nancy (postalonen)

I've notified you all via email.

Thank you to everyone who entered! The Solofill is available directly from the company or through Amazon.com and I really recommend it to anyone who has a Keurig. I used mine just yesterday with some Dunkin Donuts pumpkin spice coffee, and the cup it made was delicious!

I hope to be able to do more giveaways and contests in the future. If you're a company interested in working with me, please get in touch. Thanks again!

Why I Haven't Updated - January 13, 2011

Because I live in Georgia and the snow and ice have stopped time, more or less. I haven't gotten mail delivery since Saturday, I left the house for the first time yesterday (to go about a mile away for lunch) and I'm stuck with a special-needs child who is frustrated that she can't go to the swings (she keeps bringing me the pictures of swings and the playground).

The contest is going swimmingly though - please continue to enter and tweet about it and win yourself one of three Solofill reusable/refillable filters for your Keurig brewer. (I love my Solofill!)

Hopefully soon I'll have a book review (though right now I'm reading a rather trashy book that probably doesn't deserve a whole blog post) or something interesting to tell you about.

In the meantime, I've added some new referral links to the right side of the blog (like Shop At Home, which gives you cash back when you buy stuff online) and some new blogs to the blogroll on the left. You also could sign up for Shop It To Me through my blog so that you get really nifty emails about sale clothing in sizes you actually would buy (and that's an referral link too, yes). I like saying blog. BLOGGGGGGGG.

I'm sorry. The snow and ice have destroyed my brain cells. Check a blog from the blogroll (BLOG!) if you want something meatier than this vegetarian can provide right now.

Win a Solofill Reusable Single-Serve Coffee Filter for Keurig Brewers!

PLEASE help me win $500 by clicking here and learning about Purex Complete Crystals. All you have to do is click, you don't have to do anything else. THANK YOU! 


The contest is now over and winners have been notified. Thanks everyone!

My post reviewing the Solofill refillable, reusable K-cup for Keurig brewers has gotten my little blog more hits than anything else I've ever written about. I still absolutely adore my Solofill, so I asked the company if I could host a giveaway, and they sent me three Solofills to share with my readers! THREE! So three people will win one Solofill each - fabulous.

As a bonus, all three winners will receive a coffee-themed 1" pinback button made by me, just like the ones I sell in my Etsy store. (If you don't want it, feel free to share it with a friend. But they're super cute!) (FYI, I also sell magnets, pocket mirrors, bottle openers, and jewelry in my Etsy store, in case you were wondering.)

Win one of three Solofill reusable filters for your Keurig brewer!

So, would you like to win a Solofill from me? Just leave me a comment with your name and email address. Tadah! Done!

BUT BONUS ENTRIES CAN BE HAD!
(Make a separate comment for each bonus entry.)

1. Tweet about this contest using the text I've provided below, then come back and tell me you did it AND link to your tweet. You can do this for two extra entries by tweeting once on two different days.

I just entered to win a #Solofill reusable filter for my #Keurig! Enter by 1/21/11 for your chance to win. http://bit.ly/hYZDbP

2. Blog about this contest and come back and tell me you did it and link to your blog post. You can do this once.

This contest ends in two weeks, on January 21, 2011. I'll pick winners randomly (using random.org). Please note that I have my blog set to hold all comments until I manually approve them, but I WILL approve your comment as quickly as possible. This contest is open to U.S. residents only.

A personal note: Look, I know and you know that a lot of you (if you even read this far) are going to enter the contest, then take off and never come back to my blog. That's fine, I've done that too, and it won't affect your chances of winning. But if you have a minute, take a look around at my other posts. You might like me! I write about books and parenting and randomness and lists and coupons and...stuff! You won't get an extra entry for following me (via Networked Blogs, Google Connect, and so on), but I'd love to have you as a reader.

I bought my own Solofill and my original review was based on usage of the one I purchased. The three products being given away in this contest were sent to me by the Solofill company. I received one additional Solofill to keep.

Thing Review: Solofill reusable, refillable K-cup alternative - December 22, 2010

When I wrote this review, the Solofill was out of stock both on the main Solofill website and on Amazon (where I got mine because I have free Amazon Prime through the Amazon mom program). However, it is now back in stock or will be soon. And now, my review of the Solofill "Reusable Single Coffee Filter for Keurig Brewers."

It's awesome. Really.

It's red, which is nice, because red kitchen utensils are always fabulous. My Vitamix is red. My microwave oven is red. I like that. I'm superficial that way - but I would've bought this thing if it had been black or blue or purple.

Part of the reason I coveted a Keurig was that I knew that somehow I'd be able to use it with my own coffee, whether with a K Kap or a My K Cup or an EZ Cup or reusing the K Cups with foil or press-and-seal or...something. Obsessive Googling and researching led me to the Solofill, which is still a newcomer on the market for reusable K Cups, but it looked impressive. The only true competition is the My K Cup, which is made by Keurig itself, but I've read many bad reviews of it and the coffee it produces. Plus you have to remove parts and pieces from the brewer to use it. Do you know what happens when I have to remove parts and pieces from something to use something? I break that something or lose the parts and/or pieces. The Solofill doesn't make you do that. (The EZ Cup seems like another valid choice, but it requires you to also buy and use proprietary paper filters, where the Solofill is the filter so there's nothing more to buy.)

Really, I see some people saying that it's hard to use. I don't understand. I take the red plastic cup thingie. I dump in coffee to the fill line. I stick it in the machine. I push the button. Coffee comes out. Yes, when I open the machine back up, there's a puddle of water on top of the Solofill. So I carefully pull it out and pour off that water. Yes, it's hot when I take it out of the machine - so I wait a few minutes or I deal with it. K Cups are hot when I take them out too. Big whoop.

Now that I have a Solofill, I'm hoping to cut back on my purchases of K Cups. And yet...K Cups are so much fun, so easy to use, come in so many flavors...so, yeah, I suppose it probably it won't change all that much. But at least now I can use my Dunkin Donuts pumpkin spice coffee in my Keurig and I can take advantage of the amazing coupon + sale prices on coffee that show up every so often. And yesterday I got a free sample of Starbucks Natural Fusions vanilla coffee, which - you guessed it - I plan to use with the Solofill. (Yep, I could also drag out the French Press for these, but I'm all about the convenience factor and the ease of making just one cup at a time!) And I'm thinking I can add a bit of extra coffee to make it stronger so I have my own version of the "Brew Over Ice" coffee K-cups. And I may try even more tricks with it - brewing pods in it, brewing tea in it, and so on, just for fun.

If you need a reusable and refillable K-cup alternative for your Keurig single-cup home coffee maker, I recommend the Solofill.

Note: A competitor to the Solofill, the Ekobrew, has appeared on the market. Check out my new (July 2011) review of it. 

As of March 2013, this post is no longer accepting new comments.

May 2013 update: I'm now playing around with the Keurig Vue V500 thanks to House Party. Check out my first impressions and learn how you can get your own for 40% off!

(This is my referral link. I get a small kickback if you click through and sign up for Amazon Prime.