B31 Mini Plus Coffee Maker in Red

The brewer makes excellent coffee.

I am giving it only 3 stars because there is a maintenance procedure you need to do that is NOT in the user manual.

If the brewer does not drip out all the water you put in, there are TWO needles that need to be unclogged using a paper clip. The user manual describes how to do the lower one, the "exit needle". You also need to clean out THREE holes in the UPPER needle, the "entrance needle".

The procedure is shown in a Keurig-produced Youtube video called "How to Clean the Needles and K-Cup® Portion Pack Holder", steps 5 and 6. The video contains a slight error in that it mentions two holes, when there are actually three. A Keurig customer service rep told me specifically to look for three holes.

I think Keurig should put this procedure in its manual because I think every machine sold will eventually clog up, either under warranty or afterwards.

I've had this Keurig for a week now and for the most part I like it and it's worked well. There are a few drawbacks, which I'll discuss below, but so far it's done exactly what I purchased it for make me a single cup of coffee, quick, easy and with no fuss.

Pros:

* easy to use. Streamlined is the word for this little machine. It isn't fancy: there's no timer, no complicated display it's fill up the water and hit the On button. That's it. But if I had wanted more options, I'd have bought the larger Keurig, or a regular coffee maker.

* easy to clean. Simply by the design of a Keurig, there's not much clean up. The overflow tray that the cup sits on isn't attached, so you can pull it out and give it a quick rinse if you need to.

*fits into small spaces. the diminutive size of this keurig means that it can fit onto an already cramped kitchen cabinet, or under low cabinets where a taller machine wouldn't fit.

*so far it's made good coffee. I read other reviews where they had problems with the needle clogging, etc. Cross my fingers, but I haven't had any mechanical problems.

*amount of water is intuitive. Like other people I find the plastic water level guides pretty much useless and a little cheap looking. But, do you really need them anyway? It won't make more than a cup, so just fill your cup 3/4 of the way full (leaving room for milk) and dump it in. If you can't figure that out, you need to put the K-cup down and back away slowly from the machine.

*automatic shut off. after a certain interval, the machine shuts itself off. Which is good for those of us who like to make their coffee and walk away.

Cons:

* when they say a CUP of coffee, they really mean a cup. You can't fit most mugs under the spout without removing the overflow tray first. And even with the overflow tray out of the way, those people who like to carry around X-tall mugs are going to be out of luck.

*plastic parts. From the overflow tray (which looks metallic but isn't), to the plastic water guides, there are just things about this model that make it seem like a cheap knockoff. I guess Keurig was thinking "you get what you pay for", but hey, the mini Keurig retails for $99.00! That's not cheap! And it's sort of disappointing that Keurig didn't put more quality into this machine.

*You have to follow an exact order of steps when making coffee. 1) turn power on 2) add water 2)open keurig and add K-cup 4) shut Keurig and press the Brew button. Ok, now I'm nit picking, and yes, I realize that I'M the one who can't follow directions. Don't know why but I always pour in the water, insert the K-cup, THEN hit the power button. And if you do that, the machine forces you to re-open and re-close the top of the keurig before it will make the Brew button available. Nitpicky? Yes. But it still annoys me every time.

Conclusion:

The Keurig Mini lacks the better construction of the larger models. And the fact that it won't work with larger mugs is going to be a real drawback for some people. But if you know what you're getting, and, like me, you just wanted a quick way to make a single cup of coffee, with the convenience of a machine that takes up very little space on the counter, then this may be the model for you.

Addendum: I am adding an addendum to my review. After using it for a month, I have noted one other problem with this unit. As mentioned above, unless you remove the overflow tray, you can't fit even a normal sized mug under the spout. But when you do remove the overflow tray, there is a lot of leakage and water runs out of the unit and onto the counter. I don't know where the water comes from, don't know if it's from the water tank or the K cup area. I've started folding a paper towel up and laying it down where the overflow tray would normally go, and this soaks up the water. Sometimes there's less water, sometimes there's quite a lot. Obviously, if you had the overflow tray in place, as the designers intended, this wouldn't be a problem. However, if you want to use a mug (and not a short cup), you have no choice but to remove the tray. It's just a bad design.

I thought of taking away another star...but decided to leave it at 3 stars because even though there are some annoyances with this unit, it still suits my needs better than the full sized Kuerig. The company needs to go back and make the spout just a little higher to accommodate taller mugs WITH the overflow tray in place release a Mini Kuerig 2.0 version, and then they'd really have something.

Buy B31 Mini Plus Coffee Maker in Red Now

Got the mini brewer. Worked like a champ for 3 weeks, then stopped dispensing. Called the support, had me do the whole "paper-clip" thing. Worked once more, then the next day stopped working again....same problem. Told me to pre-puncture the K-cups, especially if they are puffing on the top. Did this, makes no difference. Apparently the top needle cannot be wet at all, or the grounds plug it up (how can you brew more than one cup every couple hours then?) Tech support on the second call, after I told them I did the whole "paper-clip" thing, said they would replace it. The replacement unit arrived, and it did not dispense either, right out of the box! I am not going to blow-dry the nozzle, or paper-clip the nozzle every morning for a cup of coffee. The coffee is delicious, but this design is ABSOLUTE JUNK. Maybe the more expensive systems are better? Mini-Brewer is not worth $9 let alone $99

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When my wife decided to stop drinking coffee, I am now the only coffee drinker in the house.

I like a French Press, but for one to two cups, it is a bother, messy, and hard to get the strength just right.

Like many, I have seen Keurig in businesses, and liked their product. Shopping about, I selected this model as ideal for my use. Shopping around, and combining Kohl's discounts, I got this for 65 dollars, plus tax.

I absolutely love this maker. Fast, easy, no big clean up. A perfect cup of coffee in 2 minutes or so, what is not to like? Plus, if you shop around, you can get K-cups as low as 50 cents each (like I did today though a sale on Amazon).

I like the elegant simplicity, no gimmick approach with this unit.

I highly recommended!

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I have been wanting one of these forever it seems and finally my husband surprised me with one for my birthday. I love coffee but will only drink one cup so this is perfect for me. It is great !! I was excited to try all of the different kcups that you can get but was disappointed to find out that the cocoa and cider ones have artificial sweetener in them and I hate that stuff so I am just going to stick to coffee and green tea. When I make a cup of coffee I will run a cup of plain water through right after to get the coffee taste out in case I come back later and make a cup of green tea, i dont want my tea to taste like coffee plus it cleans those little holes out so I wont have to do that little paper clip trick. I can see the little flakes in the water after it runs through. I highly recommend this. It is small so it doesnt take up much counter space. And the color goes with my other appliances.

La Pavoni PA-1403-B Electric Mill Grinder, Black

The La Pavoni PA-1402-B Electric Mill Grinder is classified as a burr grinder on Amazon, but it is NOT a burr grinder. If you read the description closely you could probably figure it out -but a warning in case you only read reviews and found this by searching for burr grinders.

Even the box says there is a ten cup grind capacity. There is not. In fact, 10 cups of grounds would not fit inside the entire unit, let alone ten cups of coffee beans. The true grind capacity is about one tenth of an ounce, and you cannot fit more than ten coffee beans into it at once. The instructions also warn that the motor will burn out after thirty seconds of continuous use.

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I have been using this coffee mill for just over 3 years now, and it has been perfect for my needs. I use it to grind enough coffee to last me about 10 days, having 1 mug of coffee each morning (~8-10 ounces). It is small, as one reviewer said. It grinds about 2-3 ounces of whole beans at a time. I generally grind about 8 ounces over 3-4 fills. If you are looking for a simple & small coffee mill, this machine is great.

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Best suited for superfine grind since anything less than ultra fine ends up being very unevenly ground. Pouring grounds from the grinder into a another container is very messy and difficult due to oddly shaped triangular design. Grounds stick to the bottom of the too small container. Blade isn't nearly sharp enough. I've learned over time that rhythmic shaking while the grinder is operating helps reduce uneven grind. I highly recommend spending a few more dollars to buy one of the $40 range burr grinders with much better reviews. You'll have to grind by hand, but it will be worth the effort and improved flavor.

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Cuisinox Milano 6 cup Espresso Coffeemaker

It Appears That After Some use with the Reducer (week) I noticed pitting upon further inspection, I now believe the reducer handle to be aluminum. I rubbed the handle on a sheet of paper and the metal rubbed off onto it. :| So now Im off to make tea without the reducer :P I have yet to contact the company in regard to this, but may soon since they neglected to mention it and state "highest possible standards in the industry. Featuring a heavy gauge 18/10 stainless steel construction".

It makes great coffee. If anyone says it doesn't, they are using it wrong, or they arn't using high quality coffee or they just don't like strong coffee. It ain't rocket science. Put the water in the bottom, put the coffee in the basket (How much is up to you.), screw it together and put it on the stove. On my gas stove it takes about 3 minutes. There is a thin crema, but this is not really espresso. The coffeemaker is well made with heavy guage stainless steel. Even the gasket seals tight without overtightening. Some complained about the handle getting hot, but suspect they are using a electric stove. Mine does not get hot. The spout is good it doesn't drip like my old one did. This is the only coffeemaker I use except for my Illy espresso machine so I use it everyday. It's expensive, but you will use it for a long time.

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We love LOVE this stovetop espresso maker. We used 4 aluminum ones before we finally made the switch, because we were nervous about spending so much money on such a small little thing. It was worth it in clean up time alone! After days of use, the aluminum maker would look dingy with little that could clean it up. This one doesn't even look dingy right after a brew! A quick rinse for a second brew, and it's ready to go. It is much more durable. The handle of the aluminum makers kept breaking off. NOT THIS ONE! This one never leaks out the sides if I don't put it on tight enough. You know what I'm talking about if you have used an aluminum one! This one never leaks out the top or bubbles over. It's fool-proof! Just what I needed! :) Now, my only wish is that it was bigger! I recommend this maker over and over. Enjoy!

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I bought one of these several years ago in an outlet shop outside Milan. It was the only one they had! I travel for extensive periods, living in rented accommodation and the one thing from my kitchen that travels is my coffee maker! I just ordered a second one from Amazon as it is the only place I have found another! I concur that stainless steel is highly preferable to aluminum; my physician told me years ago to NOT use aluminum as heat tends to spin off harmful molecules....Don't know if it's true or not but my Milano and I are not easily parted. Above all it makes great coffee.

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OK I like coffee but always thought stovetop coffeemakers are just the same. Well I guess they are not the same. I finally gave up my aluminum stovetop pot and use this one and the coffee is so much better. So smooth! The aluminum one makes a good cup of coffee but this makes a great one. The design of this pot is just so beautiful, I can never go back to aluminum or to another brand again. Thank goodness I bought this when it was on sale.

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Pallo Espresso Machine Steam Wand Brush "Steamy Wanda" - 7.5mm

Great little tool. Works for straws, steam wands, etc. Perfect size. Love the handle.

I bought this product initially to clean the inside of my steam wand for an espresso machine, but the hole in the wand is still too small for this brush. That said, it works great as a grouphead cleaner, so I just use it for that. If I were to do it over again, I'd just buy a grouphead brush instead. Check out the Pallo coffee tool, which is awesome.

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