Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter

The new Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter is a blessing in disguise for those of us who love our coffee but like to be frugal at the same time.  Now I need to point out up front so you don't get misled here;  This particular Keurig reusable filter only works in the Keurig home brewers B40 Elite, B50 Ultra, and B60 Special Edition.  It WILL NOT FIT in the B100, B100P, or B2000/3 Keurig brewers.  As long as you know that up front, you won't waste your time here if you have one of these last three models.

OK, that being said, I've got to admit, I love this little accessory.  It is a metal mesh filter that will hold about 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds for brewing. Specifically that is 2 tablespoons of YOUR favorite coffee whether it is a store brand right off the shelf in a three-pound can or your very favorite, fresh ground gourmet blend. The beauty of that is that you are not locked in to the custom made packets of coffee for the Keurig.  And, if you are simply a great fan of Folgers or Maxwell house, you can enjoy single cup servings of those as well. Think of all the times you thought how much you would love to have a cup of coffee but didn't want to fuss with a whole pot. Or maybe you even wanted two cups.

The beauty of the Keurig is its basic simplicity: a cup of coffee whenever I want it with out a lot of fuss.  And now you can use your own coffee and enjoy the cost savings of an easy to clean Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter.  Then when you're done, simply rinse clean under running water after each use.

Buying the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter

When the Keurig brewing system first came out I really liked it and wanted to get one, but I wanted the convenience of a reusable filter. At that time I would have to go to two separate locations to get them both. Plus, I like the security of shopping on Amazon and I know that they normally have the best prices around.  So, I held off for a while.  Well patience paid off.  I can now buy the
Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter and the Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System at the same time and at reasonable prices direct from Amazon.

This review is about the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter, but I wouldn't need it if I didn't have a Keurig brewing system and I chose the B60 system for good reason:  Of all of the brands and models I researched I decided on the Keurig B60 Special Edition because it is the best looking, the most durable, has the best heating and pumping mechanism, and has the largest variety of coffees and teas available. It also allows 3 different sizes of coffee:  5.25, 7.25, and 9.25oz. The additional deal clincher is that you get beautiful blue LEDs behind the display and the water tank, as well as a polished chrome handle and polished chrome outer-ring to the display.  This pot nearly sells itself.

Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter Problem Areas

Now back to the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter.  As with anything, it is not all rose petals. After reading the reviews and some of the forums, and I really had to dig deep for these because they are not very sizable, the main complaints I found are:

• There is a tendency for more "sludge" to get through to the bottom of your cup. Watch that last sip, it's a doosy! Also, I've read elsewhere that some people don't like having to remove the reusable filter and clean it out after every use. However, I've found it to be a relatively simple affair: the reusable filter doesn't drip when you remove it, and takes about 30 seconds to rinse out after each use. You can use it again right away to brew successive cups.
   
• Another item is that the output splashes a bit when using the My K-Cup filter, so I always have a damp paper towel at the ready when I brew a cup. That having been said, I'm really happy to be using my own coffee and saving lots of money in the process. People who don't like spending  55 cents a cup for K-Cups will probably really like the new Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter.
• After reading many reviews on the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter and experimenting on my own, I have found an easy solution to the problem of weak coffee using this filter. As others have noted, the water goes through the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter way too fast as compared to the K-Cups. My solution was to take apart a K-Cup and use the outer plastic shell with the My K-Cup filter.  Just take a used K-Cup and cut the top foil off of a K-Cup. Cut the paper filter out of the K-Cup. It's okay not to cut it all the way off of the rim of the K-Cup because you will need to cut the top of the K-Cup (where it gets wider at the top). You need to cut the top of the K-Cup off because you need to fit the K-Cup shell into the My K-Cup holder. Once you slide the bottom shell of the K-Cup into the holder, you can add your coffee into the My K-Cup (tapping or gently pressing the coffee so that it is not loose inside the filter). Then place the My K-Cup filter into the holder and cover as normal. When brewing, the K-Cup shell surrounds the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter and slows down the water by making it pass through the punctured hole that the prepackaged K-Cup normally uses. The great thing about this is that you can re-use the K-Cup shell that you cut apart over and over so once you have cut one apart you don't have to worry about it again.
• Lastly, my Keurig brewer brews a great cup of coffee and the convenience can't be beat. However, I've always felt a little guilty every time I throw out a used K-Cup. It seems like they're not only completely non-recyclable, but totally non-biodegradable as well, so using the reusable filter will help you do your part on recycling.

We recommend getting a couple of extra filter baskets to allow brewing multiple cups of coffee with less fuss over washing out the filter right away for reuse. For current or new Keurig owners - if you want to brew you own coffee using a Keurig home brewer - then the reusable My K-Cup Keurig Reusable Filter is for you.

Stephen Sondheim Takes You Back in Time with Finishing the Hat

Stephen Sondheim, author of Finishing the Hat, won seven Tonys, an Academy Award, seven Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize and the Kennedy Center Honors. His career has spanned more than half a century, his lyrics have become synonymous with musical theater and popular culture, and in Finishing the Hat—titled after perhaps his most autobiographical song, from Sunday in the Park with George—Sondheim has not only collected his lyrics for the first time, he is giving readers a rare personal look into his life as well as his remarkable productions.

Along with the lyrics for all of his musicals from 1954 to 1981—including West Side Story, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd—Stephen Sondheim treats us to never-before-published songs from each show, songs that were cut or discarded before seeing the light of day. He discusses his relationship with his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, and his collaborations with extraordinary talents such as Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Ethel Merman, Richard Rodgers, Angela Lansbury, Harold Prince and a panoply of others. The anecdotes—filled with history, pointed observations and intimate details—transport us back to a time when theater was a major pillar of American culture. Best of all, Sondheim appraises his work and dissects his lyrics, as well as those of others, offering unparalleled insights into songwriting that will be studied by fans and aspiring songwriters for years to come.

This Stephen Sondheim Production Presents You With Far More Than Just Lyrics

Accompanying Sondheim’s sparkling writing are behind-the-scenes photographs from each production, along with handwritten music and lyrics from the songwriter’s personal collection.

Once you've feasted your eyes, dive into the text. Almost immediately, you'll see that Mr. Sondheim has written his book with the care and precision with which he writes his songs. There's a slight formality to the tone (with the laying down of copious rules along the way), but at the same time, it's a very candid look at his work, his collaborators, his predecessors, and his life. For musicians or composers, there is much substantive information on his process. And for theater buffs like me, this book is a treasure! Mr. Sondheim's contributions are the apotheosis of musical theater. The shows recounted are theatrical history. Sadly, I'm too young to have seen the original productions of any of these 13 shows, but now I've heard about the drama behind the scenes of Merrily We Roll Along straight from the horse's mouth. I know his two regrets
from West Side Story, what he really thinks of theater critics, how he wanted to plot A Little Night Music, and the influence of Hammerstein's Allegro on his career. The truth is, there is just so much packed into this book, it is simply impossible to even begin to summarize the contents.

Can You Read Through So Man Stephen Sondheim Lyrics Without Starting to Sing?

This book is specifically dedicated to Mr. Sondheim's lyrics, and what a joy it was to sing, er... I mean, read my way through them. To give you an idea of how comprehensive Finishing the Hat is, every lyric of every song from the original production of Follies is included. Nine songs cut from the show are included, along with the reasons behind the changes. A revised lyric for a later London production is included. And altered versions of "I'm Still Here" (for Barbara Streisand and for the film Postcards from the Edge) are included. And always Stephen Sondheim's thoughts, observations, and occasional criticisms are shared, often through the use of extensive footnotes.

You can get Stephen Sondheim's Finishing the Hat through this link at Amazon for what is probably the most reasonable price around.  Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes
If you only ever get one of Stephen Sondheim's works, this collection is likely to be the one you will appreciate and enjoy the most. 

The book ends at Merrily, 423 pages in, with a provocative statement and the word INTERMISSION. This is indeed the intermission between the volumes of Mr. Sondheim's collected lyrics/memoir, the second of which will encompass the remainder of his storied career. I can only hope the second book is well into its production. As excited as I was to get my hands on this book, it is truly more than I could have hoped for. In the end, it's a fitting testament to an immense talent. One of the worlds greatest masters of lyrics is Stephen Sondheim.