Single-Serve Coffee: Paradise in a Cup

Ever heard of the single-serve coffeemaker? That link will bring you to PC Richard's blog, where you can get a good update on this category of coffeemaker, which is great if you are single or a couple. If you have the whole package -- the wife and kids package -- you'd probably want to stick to your 12-cup carafe. But single serve is perfect. It is easy to use -- you basically fill the carafe, slip in your prepackaged coffee of choice and press a button. I reported on this category in a big way when I was a reporter in the housewares industry. I wrote a supplement about it for a few years, the latest one was penned in 2008.
The only issue is it can get expensive if you drink a lot of coffee. With the Keurig system, my favorite (though Tassimo is a close second), you can purchase a box of about 18 K-Cups for $10. I can go through those in three days if I'm not careful. So they are expensive. But the coffee is delicious and the system is oh-so-easy to use, and you want easy when you wake up in the morning, eyes crusty, and do the shuffle into the kitchen (my first destination of the day after the b-room of course).