KEURIG Kold drink maker. Is it worth the price? Have you even heard of it?
As you know I am a coffee maniac, and a Keurig Hot owner as well. As soon as I heard that Keurig was making a cold drink maker, the Keurig Kold, I just had to have it. I mean the Keurig Hot has given me such joy, right? Of course I NEEDED a Kold to complete this companies strangle hold on my beverage consumption.
Then the day arrives, and my $369.00 (plus tax and shipping), white, bundle of joy arrives in a box the size of an apartment mini fridge. (Disclosure: my Keurig Kold was a gift) To say I was shocked is an understatement. I was expecting a machine the size of my Keurig coffee maker….. Nope, this bad girl is HUGE. Luckily I work out, as she was pretty heavy also.
After unboxing, and reading the “get started” instructions I decided to wait for MSP (Mr. Sexy Pants, aka my husband for those of you who don’t follow me on Facebook) to get home and help me out. This was not just a plug in and go sort of machine. It needed to be primed, filled with water, and settle in for a 2 hour “get Kold” period before you can use it. It’s just like a little refrigerator. The motor, or whatever is making the water cold, is kinda loud also. To be fair there was a fast start step that involved using ice, but as my machine didn’t come with any Kold pods, I wasn’t going to be able to use it anyways.
So, now I needed pods. They aren’t sold in stores here….. In Dallas/Ft. Worth they are, but not in San Antonio. Boo. Off I go to the Keurig website and order there (you get a BOGO coupon with your new machine). They have soda (Coca Cola products- Dr Pepper, Sprite, Coke, Coke Zero), sports drinks, seltzer waters, margarita mixes, as well as mojitos and more. At least there are plenty of options to get you started. Yes it carbonates your cokes, no it doesn’t include booze. You have to add your own booze to the mixers.
The pods are double the size of regular pods. They are also NOT recyclable (WHY do you insist on making me feel guilty Keurig!!!!????) See my previous post on my guilt over the Keurig Hot coffee pods, and how I switched to Intelligent Blends and their 100% recyclable k-cups. Now I have to wait, and research, and obsess over someone else making Kold pods for this new machine….
Here are my pro’s and con’s
Pro’s
- interesting conversation piece
- cold drinks on demand for those of us who only want a coke once in a while, not a whole 2 liter bottle
- great for parties, built in bartender, self serve mixed drinks in a variety of flavors
- price for the machine and the pods have dropped almost in half since January when I received mine.
Con’s
- price- ($369), although I just price checked Amazon yesterday and you can get them now for $203 (jerks, 4 months later the price drops)
- size- huge, needs considerable counter space
- energy usage- must be plugged in 24/7. Runs constantly. If you unplug you go back to the 2 hour “get Kold” period again before use
- pods are not available everywhere. Unless you live in a market that has them you will have to order them online and wait
- Expense for pods- while the prices have recently dropped you will still pay, on average, $.75 to $1.50 per pod. They come in 4 packs and range from $5.99 for mixers to $2.99 for sodas, waters, teas, and sports drinks
Bottom line is that I LIKE, not LOVE my Keurig Kold and would not have one if I did not receive it as a gift. You may feel different if you own a Kold, let me know what you think.
Muah,
Jeanie
House Cat in Paradise 