How do you keurig?

MummyGruetzie

Something on MM made me think of this yesterday. . . [Poll]

MummyGruetzie

We've been using k-cups as an alternative to going out to Starbucks, but I've been feeling bag about how wasteful it is and have tried to focus on using tea bags we had up in the cabinet with the water instead. Those are almost out now and I'm trying to figure out the best long -term solution (to be EF and budget-wise). Also- I only have 1 cup of tea a day, max.  

What do you guys do? 

wifeofadam

I don't have a keurig, but I tend to avoid anything that is single serve because it costs more and creates more waste. 

For tea I harvest some of my own by dehydrating the mint in my garden each year.  I also buy a lot of loose leaf tea in bulk.  If I use tea bags I compost the bags.

And I also make sure all tea is fair-trade.

susangilchrist

We have the my-k-cup, but I still use the disposable cups.  I make my 1 cup of coffee when I'm barely awake, and it requires too much fine motor work to use the my-k-cup.  I also can't really stand to wash the sucker.  I'm pretty lazy like that though.

MummyGruetzie

susangilchrist:

We have the my-k-cup, but I still use the disposable cups.  I make my 1 cup of coffee when I'm barely awake, and it requires too much fine motor work to use the my-k-cup.  I also can't really stand to wash the sucker.  I'm pretty lazy like that though.

I'm glad you responded with this. I was wondering if the grains from the tea would get stuck into the metal and be a pain to wash. It seems like at the very least I'd need two different my-cups so that we could devote one to tea and one to coffee so they wouldn't taste funny. (?)

kelbrian

+adamwife+:

I don't have a keurig, but I tend to avoid anything that is single serve because it costs more and creates more waste. 

For tea I harvest some of my own by dehydrating the mint in my garden each year.  I also buy a lot of loose leaf tea in bulk.  If I use tea bags I compost the bags.

And I also make sure all tea is fair-trade.

All of this. Besides dehydrating mint because I am not that cool

I drink a lot of coffee, though. I use a French press. No filters, no disposable cups and it ends up tasting a lot better because the press leaves a lot of the natural oils in from the beans. Mmm. I only buy fair trade coffee.

But I do occasionally go to Starbucks. 

kz's_girlygirl

MummyGruetzie:

susangilchrist:

We have the my-k-cup, but I still use the disposable cups.  I make my 1 cup of coffee when I'm barely awake, and it requires too much fine motor work to use the my-k-cup.  I also can't really stand to wash the sucker.  I'm pretty lazy like that though.

I'm glad you responded with this. I was wondering if the grains from the tea would get stuck into the metal and be a pain to wash. It seems like at the very least I'd need two different my-cups so that we could devote one to tea and one to coffee so they wouldn't taste funny. (?)

I'm a lurker, but wanted to jump in on this.  I wouldn't use loose leaf tea in the actual machine.  Put the tea leaves in whatever diffuser you normally use and just run a hot water cycle for your mug.  You want your tea to steep for a few minutes, and just passing the water through the my-k-cup won't do that.  Plus, it will get gunked up.  

I also have to run a few water only cycles after using the my k cup with my own ground coffee to get all the stray grounds out.  

daenikoffre

I use a french press and loose leaf tea in a ball strainer.

demofea01

We use a french press, and it definitely produces a better tasting coffee then anything I've had that comes out of a machine at home.   

junebride060306

we use the disposable k cups but we cut them open afterwards and compost the coffee grinds