K-Cups Coffee
With the advent of K-Cups technology, the amount of processing through which the coffee bean can be passed before becoming a brewed drink has essentially reached its theoretical limit. One step beyond freeze dried instant coffee the K-Cup provides pre-packaged pre-ground coffee for use in machines specially designed for the purpose. Far beyond the commercial espresso machine in its requirements for technical know how and design capability, the K-Cup relies on having an existing system of infrastructure present that is able to provide not only the consumable K-Cups themselves, but the machines, the water and the electricity required to operate them.
Symptomatic of the hyper real throwaway culture that developed around the turn of the 2nd Millennium, this product surely represents a huge amount of embodied energy. Each single use cup represents a large amount of processing, powered by fossil fuel technology, wrapped up in a parcel of plastic that is designed to be discarded once used.
The very disposable nature and the flagrant waste of dwindling resources is epitomized in the design of the machine. Rather than tearing a lid, or dispensing coffee into an espresso group, the cup itself is punctured in the base, removing any chance of efficient reuse. To alter the face of the planet through man’s activity is one thing; to consistently waste the energies of other men to increase the apparent convenience of ones own is inconsiderate and disrespectful to the lives of the farmers that produced the coffee.
Beyond the initial packaging issues that may be noticeable, the quality of coffee that a K-Cup can deliver will by default be lower than that of a quality machine using freshly roast beans. The grinding process begins the oxidation of the bean and the flavor becomes stale and muted with time. Very few people with a functional palate would opt for this type of brewer over the more simplistic and far more sustainable plunger or stove top espresso pot.
By utilizing freshly roast beans, often provided by a local coffee roaster, to local economy is strengthened and you, the coffee drinker, get to drink a tastier, fresher, better cup of coffee with less of an impact on a strained earth. By avoiding the symptomatic expression of flagrant waste and opting for a tried and true method of excellent coffee brewing you will have made a choice that will provide satisfaction for years to come.
Most traditional coffee brewers require no electricity to run, and consistently produce a cup of coffee that far outclasses that fanciest of electronic gadgets. The reason for this quality is the use of fresh beans that have been ground moments before extraction, to maintain the high percentage of volatile oils in the brew. These volatile oils are what give each cup of coffee its unique and delicious flavor. Coffee is not entirely about caffeine.
When shopping for a new coffee brewer, keep the inputs in mind. While the K-Cup brewer may look interesting, there may be other more suitable options that will produce a tastier cup of coffee for a better impact on your wallet.