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When Keurig released the Keurig Vue in October 2012, it was no big surprise to anyone who pays attention to the goings on in the coffee industry. Keurig’s patent for the K-cup was just about to run out, and the company’s profits hinged on the exclusive patent on that technology. It also should come as no surprise that Keurig, with years of experience working with single cup coffee brewer technology, would come up with a winner in the category.
There are significant differences between the Vue and the Keurig, and those differences play on some of the major changes in coffee appreciation and knowledge that have come about since the introduction of the Keurig.
8 brew sizes:
Special Brew Settings:
Strong: with pulse brewing
Café: for lattes and cappuccinos
Brew over Ice: for iced coffee and tea
Pros:
Multiple Brew Cycles allow you to vary the water pressure, brew time and air flow so that you can customize your coffee to brew it to your taste.
More cup sizes allow you to brew coffee in amounts from 4 oz. espresso cups to 18 oz. travel cups, while the brew cycles allow you to change cup size without adversely affecting brew strength.
Adjustable temperature setting allows you to adjust the temperature setting to brew hotter or cooler, depending on the coffee and your preferences
Café setting allows you to make specialty coffees like lattes and cappuccinos, a significant step forward for Keurig machines.
Recyclable Vue packs are more environmentally friendly than K-cups. You can now detach the coffee and filter assembly from the plastic cup and recycle the cup. It’s not optimal, but it is a step toward dealing with the rising problem of disposable K-cups.
The Specs:
Cons:
The coffee selection is more limited than the selection for K-cups. The selection continues to grow, and there are some coffees packaged for Vue that aren’t available for the Keurig, but for now at least, your favorite coffee may not be available for the Vue. On the other hand, you can buy a Solofil Gold Refillable cup for the Vue and use your own favorite coffee.
The milk frothing capability leaves something to be desired. It’s a nice touch, but other machines have been doing it longer and do it better.
There are some reports of leakage when using specific Vue packs, but Keurig is addressing the issue.
There’s only one color choice: black and silver.
In general, most grocery stores do not carry Vue packs. You’ll have to order your coffees online.
What’s to Love About the Vue?
First things first: The Keurig Vue brews better coffee. The higher water temperature, agitation and customizable cup sizes allow you to customize your coffee brewing to suit your tastes and the coffee you’re brewing with it. The pulse setting, used for “strong” coffee, aerates the water as the cup is brewing, resulting in better extraction of flavor – which means more flavor in your coffee, and isn’t that the whole point of a coffee maker?
The Vue V1200 holds more water in the reservoir than the V-700, so you refill it less often in a busy office setting. The construction is sturdier, and the cord gives you a little extra length.
Bottom Line:
The 80-oz. tank, the easy touch control system, the variable temperature, time and size settings and the easy touch control screen make this a great machine for home or office, especially if you add a Solofil reusable gold cup so that you can brew your own coffees with the better Keurig Vue V1200 technology.
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