How Keurig saved — and ruined — your coffee
This article explores the history and cultural impact of the Keurig single-cup coffee brewer. It examines how the convenience of K-Cups transformed office and home coffee habits while raising concerns about environmental waste and coffee quality.
Why it matters
It serves as a case study on how mass-market convenience products can fundamentally alter consumer behavior and create significant environmental externalities.
Before Keurig, the coffee in your office was almost certainly terrible. Old, burned, made by someone who would rather poorly eyeball than properly measure. Just altogether gross. After Keurig? You could make your own coffee, a cup at a time, exactly when you needed it. The single-cup brewer was an elegant solution to an extremely common problem. At least, that’s how it started.
The piece presents a historical overview and acknowledges both the utility of the product and the valid criticisms regarding its environmental impact.
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