It's A System

I've been eyeing the one-cup coffee makers recently - the ones where you put in a cartridge and a single cup comes out. But wait - it's not a coffee maker - it's a "hot beverage system." Right.

I'm the only coffee drinker in my house so making a full pot never makes sense. I received a two cup machine a few years ago but I still have to go through the whole measuring, filtering, water thing just to get a cup or two. Sure, there's probably some "zen" in that process but I have enough processes in my life, thanks.

I did a bit of web research and the Keurig looked like the best - easy to clean, fast, plenty of variety of these "cartridges." The one I wanted sells for $199 at retail - a bit steep, so my strategy to but this thing that i really didn't need was to sell my tech flotsam and jetsam on eBay - old video switchers, directTV boxes, a portable DVD players - until I had enough coin to buy it. So far I have $119 in my PayPal account - not bad for clearing out the boxes.

The ones on eBay were around $149 (same as Amazon), so imagine my surprise when I found the Keurig B50 at Costco for $129, including 90 extra cartridges and a filter to put in whatever coffee you want - another $40 or so worth of extras.

The coolest thing about it is the blue light that shines up through the water reservoir. Pop in cartridge, close the lid, press the button - coffee, tea, even hot cocoa. The B50 has a timer so I can set it up the night before. It supports regular coffee mugs and tall travel mugs.

The only thing it's missing? The MSN direct weather service.