Keurig K75 Platinum, Part 2

Continuing from part 1 :

Let's look at the programmable features of the Keurig K75 Platinum:

"Set clock."

"Set on time." You can pick any point on the 24 hour clock for the Keurig to turn itself on.

"Set auto off." You can also choose when the Keurig will shut off. Or you can leave the machine on all day, like I do. 

"Set auto off." The on and off features work independent of each other. I found the auto off option a little confusing at first. I thought "Wait, I can only choose the amount of time (one to nine hours) until the Keurig shuts off, but I can't choose the specific time ?" A quick look at the instruction book showed I'd misunderstood the auto off option. You can choose either an amount of time or the exact clock time. Disabling auto on or auto off requires a bit of toggling. You have to keep changing the time until it reaches 12:00 AM; the next command after that is "OFF." The auto on and auto off feature needs to be pared down.

"Set brew temp." The lowest temperature setting is 187 degrees.

"Set brew temp." The highest temperature you can choose is 192 degrees.

"Set brew size." The choices are Extra Small Cup (3.25 oz), Small Cup (5.25 oz), Small Mug (7.25 oz), Large Mug (9.25 oz) and Travel Mug (11.25 oz). I noticed that many Keurig reviews had comments about "The sizes are random. I only use two of those." I felt the same way after using the Keurig Platinum for a few days. I mostly use the 7.25 oz and 9.25 oz brews. The 3.25 and 5.25 oz drinks are smaller than I prefer. I'd love to make an 11.25 oz cup, but my large travel mugs do not fit under the brewer unless I remove the drip tray.

Another common complaint is that some Keurigs stop dispensing the correct amount of water after a few months. The instruction booklet says you'll need to descale the brewer every three to six months, to prevent mineral build up. The machine will flash "DE-SCALE" when this step is needed. I also tested out each cup setting using glass measuring cups. This is the Extra Small Cup (3.25 oz).

Small Cup (5.25 oz)

Small Mug (7.25 oz)

Large Mug (9.25 oz)

Travel Mug (11.25 oz)

Here's the changes I'd suggest to improve the Keurig K75 Platinum:

-Simplify the auto on and auto off features.

- Make a taller space for big travel mugs between the removable drip tray and the dispenser.

- Ditch the two smallest cup sizes.

Other than those three things, I am crazy about my Keurig K75 Platinum. It's fun and easy to use! I guess I will have to find a shelf to display my old kettles now.

*1/10/14: My Keurig has started making a squeaking sound when it dispenses water. Ack, so annoying! Anyone know how to fix that ?

*1/13/14: Ugh, now the Keurig stalls out before dispensing water *and* it stops and starts during the brewing process. The machine is not flashing "DESCALE" yet, but I will try descaling tonight to see if that helps. I do not look forward to trying that. 

*05/15/2017: I ended up not descaling the Keurig. I got rid of it. Who wants to clean machine needles every couple months just to get a cup of tea ? Not this lady, that's for sure! 

Keurig K75 Platinum, Part 1

I must confess something: Up until a few days ago, I was one of those people who said "Why do you need a single cup brewer ? Can't you just put a kettle on the stove ?" Then I won a Keurig K75 Platinum brewer and three boxes of K-Cups in a contest. At first I was planning to gift or sell the Keurig to someone else. But once I tried the Platinum, I was hooked. Holy cow, this is my new favorite toy!

This review is picture heavy, so I'm breaking it into two posts.

Keurig K75 Platinum. Power button is behind the brewer. 72 oz water reservoir is on the left. If the Keurig runs out of water, the screen will say "ADD WATER." You'll need to empty and clean the reservoir by hand every now and then. Don't run it through the dishwasher. 

Programmable menu for clock, brew temperature, brew size and on / off times

"Caution: Sharp Needles." K-Cups (but never fingers) go here. You should also be careful removing the used K-Cups, since they can get very warm.

Removable drip tray. Not hard to clean!

The Platinum came with a water filter kit and 12 bonus K-Cups. The water filter is simple to install. Check your Keurig boxes for a registration form; fill it out to receive 2 free K-Cup boxes when you buy two boxes online. Sweet deal!

"Brews in under 1 minute." I like how quickly the Keurig produces a beverage for me. Much faster than heating water on the stove! The wait time from one drink to the next is mere seconds. After you've handed a hot mug of tea to a friend, the machine is already blinking "Ready to brew."

The 12 bonus K-Cups in the box. These included hot cocoa, tea and coffee. 

"Gourmet Coffee. Hot Tea. Hot Cocoa. Iced Tea. Iced Coffee."

Lipton Iced Sweet Tea. One of three K-Cup boxes the contest sponsors sent. The other flavors were green tea and black tea.

Lipton Rich Black Tea. I had never tasted buttery tea before. But boy is it delicious! The rich black tea is excellent with a slice of cake. I drink it iced, as I don't care for warm tea.

The Gevalia cups are from a free sample giveaway. The others are part of the bonus K-Cups in the Keurig box.

I love having a Keurig station in the kitchen. It's nice having my tea, powdered coffee and lemonade all in one spot. My favorite thing at the end of the day is making a refreshing drink in the Keurig. After setting up the brewer, I realized I had been keeping each beverage in separate areas of the kitchen. Ridiculous, right ?

Click here for part 2.