I bought a Keurig® My K-Cup™ Filter Assembly to see how well this reusable filter worked and whether it would provide Keurig users more options, when it comes to saving money and making their own gourmet coffee blends.
What it is and How it Works
Update: December 2010
After a year's use, the My K-Cup Assembly still works great. I've added below that you must leave a little headspace when filling the filter - avoid over filling with coffee, so the brewer's injection needle does not become clogged with coffee grounds.
We also purchased a second filter for use with loose teas. The mesh filters have held up well and are still fine after a year's use; we handle them gently. This My K-Cup filter assembly saves a lot of money brewing your own coffee blends. Use fine ground coffees in this filter.
December 2009
Made by Keurig®, the reusable My K-Cup™ is a 3-pc filter assembly that includes a mesh filter, filter basket and lid. It retails for around $15 and is designed for home Keurig brewers only - not their commercial line of brewers. According to Keurig, it's designed to work well with brewers: Mini, Elite, Classic, Ultra, Ultimate, Special Edition, Platinum and Breville. Keurig also sells replacement mesh filters (pack of 2 for $10) for use with this assembly, should this part wear out.
The design is good and I really can't see where you could improve on the My K-Cup. To use this filter, you need to first remove the standard K-Cup holder from your brewer. Gently push from the underside to release and lift it out. The reusable filter is quite simple to use - with the mesh filter sitting in the basket, fill it with your custom coffee blend but leave 1/4" headspace to not clog the needle. Add lid and then insert into the space you've made in your Keurig. Drop the handle and you're ready to select your cup size and brew.
Though it's relatively simple to use, it's small and cumbersome to hold onto while filling with coffee. We place it in a small and narrow 4oz juice glass to prop it up and that works very well, even when brewing is finished to catch any drips. After brewing, rinse out the reusable filter and it's ready for the next brew. Be sure to carefully line up the Keurig basket (with the arrows) when replacing that part in your brewer for regular K-Cups, when the resuable filter is not being used.
After a year's use, the My K-Cup Assembly still works great. I've added below that you must leave a little headspace when filling the filter - avoid over filling with coffee, so the brewer's injection needle does not become clogged with coffee grounds.
We also purchased a second filter for use with loose teas. The mesh filters have held up well and are still fine after a year's use; we handle them gently. This My K-Cup filter assembly saves a lot of money brewing your own coffee blends. Use fine ground coffees in this filter.
December 2009
Made by Keurig®, the reusable My K-Cup™ is a 3-pc filter assembly that includes a mesh filter, filter basket and lid. It retails for around $15 and is designed for home Keurig brewers only - not their commercial line of brewers. According to Keurig, it's designed to work well with brewers: Mini, Elite, Classic, Ultra, Ultimate, Special Edition, Platinum and Breville. Keurig also sells replacement mesh filters (pack of 2 for $10) for use with this assembly, should this part wear out.
The design is good and I really can't see where you could improve on the My K-Cup. To use this filter, you need to first remove the standard K-Cup holder from your brewer. Gently push from the underside to release and lift it out. The reusable filter is quite simple to use - with the mesh filter sitting in the basket, fill it with your custom coffee blend but leave 1/4" headspace to not clog the needle. Add lid and then insert into the space you've made in your Keurig. Drop the handle and you're ready to select your cup size and brew.
Though it's relatively simple to use, it's small and cumbersome to hold onto while filling with coffee. We place it in a small and narrow 4oz juice glass to prop it up and that works very well, even when brewing is finished to catch any drips. After brewing, rinse out the reusable filter and it's ready for the next brew. Be sure to carefully line up the Keurig basket (with the arrows) when replacing that part in your brewer for regular K-Cups, when the resuable filter is not being used.
An Accessory Worth Having? Absolutely!
As for coffee taste using the My K-Cup, the first cup was rather blah. Then we realized we needed to double the amount of coffee grounds we would usually use per cup with a regular brewer and it took a few brews to get it right. But this filter lets you make your own blends for a fraction of the price of a K-Cup and even when we used cheaper coffee blends, it still brewed a great tasting cup. It's reasonably quick to set up once you know the size of scoop to use. We got a great French Vanilla blend just by adding a drop of vanilla flavoring on top of the coffee grounds in the filter and a pinch of cinnamon makes a nice flavored coffee. The Keurig's brewing process with the My K-Cup is the same as when K-Cups are used - pressure seems to drive the coffee grounds to the sides of the filter before the brew drips into the cup - to give a rich, bold taste.
If you have a Keurig brewer, this is definitely an accessory worth having and it's not a bad idea to have a pack of replaceable mesh filters on hand, though ours still looks good after using it for several days and it's hard to tell how long it will last. I'd recommend you use fine ground coffee (instead of coarse) for the My K-Cup filter and where we could often get a second brewed cup from a regular K-Cup, the filled My K-Cup filter renders one extra-large coffee.
The My K-Cup helps you extend your coffee budget and get more bang out of your Keurig. It also increases your coffee variety - you can make custom blends to your heart's content. Note that the packaging for mesh filters and that of the complete My K-Cup filter assembly look alike, so check the contents before buying.
If you have a Keurig brewer, this is definitely an accessory worth having and it's not a bad idea to have a pack of replaceable mesh filters on hand, though ours still looks good after using it for several days and it's hard to tell how long it will last. I'd recommend you use fine ground coffee (instead of coarse) for the My K-Cup filter and where we could often get a second brewed cup from a regular K-Cup, the filled My K-Cup filter renders one extra-large coffee.
The My K-Cup helps you extend your coffee budget and get more bang out of your Keurig. It also increases your coffee variety - you can make custom blends to your heart's content. Note that the packaging for mesh filters and that of the complete My K-Cup filter assembly look alike, so check the contents before buying.
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