Coffee Queen: A Connoisseur's Review

This year I took on a new challenge in my professional life. I landed a sweet job work as a family outreach coordinator for a local elementary school. Not only do I get to teach small groups of children, but I also reach out to families and connect them with the school, parenting classes, any services they might need (food, health, insurance, counseling, etc.), and plan fun educational activities for families. How's it going at the two-month mark? I'll put it this way -- I love my job.

I also love coffee. Perhaps not quite as much as the job, my husband, God, and so forth. Still, I am a coffee fan. One might even say a coffee fanatic. But I do enjoy my java. Since part of my job as family outreach coordinator involves providing a safe, friendly place for parents to visit, I provide coffee and hot water. However, I don't use just any old coffee pot. Instead, I used a plush coupon to purchase a Keurig single cup coffee maker. It makes a single cup of coffee at a time, but keeps several cups' worth of hot water ready at all times. It's perfect for a small office where visitors (and myself) want small quantities of fresh coffee.

Plus, the little pods of coffee come in the most wonderful varieties. There are standard coffee options as well as half-caf, decaf, and teas. Flavored coffees are also available. Can you guess my favorite flavor? Yep, it's pumpkin spice. I just tried it for the first time (in fact, I'm sipping it as I type this!), and of course I think it's great. Again, maybe not as great as God, the Best Husband Ever, hooping, and hiking with dogs, but still pretty darn great.

Was the Keurig coffee maker worth the somewhat spicy price? I think so. But then, I got a pretty huge discount thanks to a generous Bed, Bath, & Beyond coupon that found its way into our mailbox. Also, if I was purchasing a Keurig brewer just for my home kitchen, I would not have gone with the more expensive 48 oz. capacity that I did. Instead I might have chosen a mini brewer, which heats and brews just 8 oz. at a time. Still, I love the convenience of having hot water ready for coffee or tea consumption at a moment's notice. The Keurig is low maintenance and easy to clean, which gets two thumbs up from me. Plus the fact that it's swanky looking as well as a conversation starter to boot are shiny bonuses.

So here's my bottom line. I like coffee (and tea). The Keurig provides both in a clean, easy, and aesthetically pleasing manner. The Keurig is a fabulous invention in my book, and he will be happily spending the summer vacation in my kitchen when it's not hard at work making coffee for the masses.