[Pigo]

That is something to be concerned about, but even rudimentary coffee pots have automatic shutoffs and most have other safety measures. Plus even with the long running heating element, they draw much less power than Keurigs. They bother me, but I usually keep my opinion to myself because people get emotionally invested in strong purchases (which coffee has become thanks Keurig).

[ghaff]

In an office setting (especially outside of the morning rush), it can also make sense to have an easy and mess-free way for people to make individual servings. I suppose there are scenarios at home too but they make mediocre coffee and are expensive and wasteful. Maybe in a non-coffee drinking house where guests occasionally want one cup.

[Pigo]

I think it's the mounds of used single cups I see in our trash every day that bothers me, not to mention how much the company spends for them.

[ghaff]

I was very amused one day in one of Sun's offices to see a big eco friendly poster of some sort--this was during their green computing kick--right above one of these pod/packet machines.

It's tough in a big office though unless someone's keeping the coffee made and fresh as is the case in a meeting setting. People take the last cup and don't make fresh coffee or they just don't want to wait.

We have both a coffeemaker with thermoses and a pod coffeemaker which seems a reasonable compromise.

[nommm-nommm]

Keurig can't be described as "mess free." We have one and work and the machine spews coffee all over itself and, of course, the place you put the pods and the spout gets all gunked up and nobody cleans it. It's pretty gross. Same thing happened with the old one so it's not just one model.

>Maybe in a non-coffee drinking house where guests occasionally want one cup.

I have a $20 drip pot that makes 1-2 cups and takes up a quarter of the counter space. French press is even cheaper and I have one that makes only a single cup. Then there's aeropress...