Keurig’s next generation of coffee machines will have DRM lockdown

[Nye Bevan]

Keurig is setting itself up to attempt a type of coffee "DRM" on the pods used in its coffee-making machines, according to a report from Techdirt. Keurig's next-gen machines would be unable to interact with third-party coffee pods, thus locking customers into buying only the Keurig-branded K-cups or those of approved partners.

The single-cup coffee brewers made by Keurig (owned by Green Mountain Coffee) spurred a rush by coffee brands into the single-cup-pod trade. The K-Cup patent expired in 2012, and prior to that, Green Mountain bought up many of its competitors, including Tully's Coffee Corporation and Timothy's Coffees. Competitors continue to sell K-Cups, often at a 15- to 25 percent markdown from Green Mountain's own pods, according to a lawsuit filed against Green Mountain by TreeHouse Foods.

Green Mountain plans to launch "Keurig 2.0" this fall, a new set of machines that will only interact with Green-Mountain-approved pods. There is no documentation showing how Green Mountain will control this. But if Sony is any precedent, it seems like maintaining control over plastic pods of coffee may be an uphill battle.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/03/keurigs-next-generation-of-coffee-machines-will-have-drm-lockdown/

This is awful. I have a Keurig K-cup machine and I love the wide variety of K-cups available from a bunch of different manyfacturers.

[MineralMan]

1. I use an electric percolator. It accepts all

brands of coffee. I used to use drip coffee makers, but switched to the percolator a couple of years ago. For some reason, I like perked coffee.

I've never been tempted by those single-cup brewers. I pour the coffee from my big Presto 12-cup percolator into a thermal carafe. It lasts until mid afternoon.

[longship]

9. Indeed! Perked coffee for me, every morning since six years ago.

Yum!!

[brooklynite]

2. If you HAVE a Keurig machine, you can use it with whatever you want...

...This refers to future models.

[customerserviceguy]

13. The idea

was to get you hooked on them in the first place.

I refuse to have one, even if all other coffee makers go away, I'll improvise something.

[Liberal Veteran]

18. French press or pick up a percolator at Goodwill.

Last edited Tue Mar 4, 2014, 07:55 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't drink much coffee, but those little cups aren't my thing either. I looked into it and decided the cost to convenience ratio was too rich for my blood.

[sakabatou]

3. That's fucked-up

[MuseRider]

4. Wow that would suck if you use those.

I have found that the coffee aisle has become all about these pods. It is hard to find just coffee sometimes in the stores anymore. Finding Whole Beans is tough unless you go to a specialty coffee area or store.

Now this. It is going to get really crowded if all the machines that use pods go this route.

[customerserviceguy]

14. I would imagine

that it would come down to probably two standards, then we'd see the old Betamax vs. VHS thing all over again. However, as long as I'm able to at least find whole beans online, I will never have to succumb to one of these yuppie toys and the extortion for the pods.

[MuseRider]

23. I used to think they might be nice to have

until I tasted an early one. It was horrid. They are probably much better now, so many people like them. Even if they had tasted terrific I could not deal with all those pods. I thought again when I heard you could buy one and refill it but nope, I am now thinking about roasting my own beans. I really don't need anything else to occupy my time but then again, the selection we can easily get is getting low and we do not have a good roaster here.

[badtoworse]

28. Try Costco for whole beans. Their Colombian whole beans are pretty good for my taste.

[WhiteTara]

5. I love my double walled stainless steel french press.

It stays hot for about 2 hours and there are only grounds left when I'm through, which I like most.

[underpants]

6. Got one for Christmas and went back to the Mr. Coffee I also got

Last edited Tue Mar 4, 2014, 07:37 PM - Edit history (1)

The Keurig just didn't taste as good and the one cup at a time thing is not how I like my coffee

[tabbycat31]

16. Would you be interested in selling your Keurig?

(I'd buy it for the right price).

[underpants]

19. I gave it away

To a poor college student - my daughters tutor/sitter

[tabbycat31]

20. Glad to see it in use

[TlalocW]

7. I don't drink coffee, but I know people who do...

Within a week, there will be a hack to get around it.

TlalocW

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. Yep!

I still remember when Sony held a huge press conference touting new security measures on all CD's that they were going to start producing. They hailed the technology as unbreakable and said they had spent millions of dollars developing it. Within a week some stoner figured out how to break the security with a sharpie marker.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

10. Same thing printer companies did with ink cartridges

Protecting their IP.

[rrneck]

11. ...

[JHB]

27. Works for me. Sometimes twice a day.

[LynneSin]

12. Keurig can do what they want. I'm happy with my Cusinart K-cup machine

Those little K-Cups are expensive running anywhere from $8-$15 for a pack of 12 K-cups. I do like using the K-cups especially if I'm in a hurry but most days I use the little filter cup that comes with your Cusinart machine and I make my single serving 12 oz cup of Mocha Java coffee from Whole Foods each morning!

[whistler162]

35. Amazon has K-Cups

for $30 for a case of 80, San Francisco Bay Coffee and others.

Don't use a Keurig, or its ilk, at home but they are great for work.

[LynneSin]

36. Many local Farmers Markets have K-cup stores

One of my favorite K-Cups is Green Mountain Blueberry which runs about $12 for a 12-pack in the grocery stores. I can get a 24 pack for $12 at the Farmers market. These places also have a 'pick & choose' section where I can try a single K-cup and have dozens of choices to pick from. You can usually get those pretty cheap. It's a nice way to try new brands without having to buy the entire pack. That's how I discovered I really loved the Green Mountain Blueberry.

Near me both the New Castle Farmers Market and Boothwyn Farmers Market have it but at least at New Castle it's tax free.

[REP]

15. I have an actual German coffee system that will grind and brew any coffee beans I put in it

I have a Miele, which sounds French but is German.

[haele]

17. Keurig's over-rated. We use a Kalita "wave" pour-over system.

Even though they suggest using their filters, you can still get a good cup with other brand's filters, so long as they have the ridging.

Sure, you actually have to stand there pour the water in the cup over your coffee cup, but you never get a "burned" cup of coffee, and there are electric water kettles that bring the water up to the proper heat (not yet boiling) for that perfect cup to cut down on the time it takes to make the cup.

So - Keurig - $99 minimum for the cheapest mini-cup dispenser, and you will now have to pay $10 or so for the box of accepted "pods"with the chip imbedded in the plastic or wherever they put the DRM marker in. And you have to buy their brands of coffee.

Kalita Wave drip cup - $37; buy your accordian sided single-serving drip filters anywhere for $2.50 to $5 for a hundred or so.
Variable Temperature Electric water kettle - $39 to $80
Whatever brand coffee you like - $??? (we buy Hawaiian Gardens Kona Sunrise at the commissary; $5.00 for 16 oz will last us a month)


It's much better than a perculator; that wonderful coffee smell you got in the old perculators was the flavor escaping in the steam. (Ahh, the good old days - coffee that always smelled so much better than the slightly bitter woody hot water taste one got when one was actually served the coffee...)

I get the convenience of the pods, but how much more effort does it take to just make up a bunch of re-usable ziplock baggies with 2 tablespoons of coffee for when you want your cup?

Haele

[laundry_queen]

21. That's a typical modern business model

make is so that people have to buy YOUR product to work in YOUR machine and they are customers for long-term. Lots of companies do this. It sucks but look for more of this in the future.

[idendoit]

22. I'll stick with my hand grinder, tea kettle and french press.

But only if I get to use 100% Kona! The gods and goddesses wake up with that stuff.

[alarimer]

24. These things are an environmental disaster.

So much waste produced in the name of convenience. But I guess we are addicted to convenience at all costs.

I hate humans.

[Niceguy1]

30. Costco has green cups.

And carbon wise it is more efficient to brew a cup instead of keeping a whole pot hot

[LynneSin]

37. You're right which is why most of the times I make my own K-cups

[leftyohiolib]

25. if there sales on this drop to zero they will abandon this

[RedstDem]

26. it really is the worst tasting coffee.

Those things suck.

[morningfog]

29. Your current keurig will not be affected.

You will still be able to make that extra unnecessary waste from all of the disposable pods.

[CTyankee]

31. "NESPRESSO. What else?" George Clooney's commercial (French subtitles)

I saw this in Italy in 2008

[tammywammy]

32. French press is where it's at. n/t

[Ikonoklast]

33. The damn fools. This is how Skynet starts.

First, bad coffee in the morning because the machine hates you.

Then your clothes dryer deliberately loses your socks.




It all goes to Hell soon after that.

[RC]

34. I have never understood why people drink coffee in the first place.

The cost and the hassle. And worst is the bitter taste/after taste of it all. Cream and sugar doesn't help much either. Turn a tap and stick a glass in the stream^*.





^*Or pour from a bottle in the refrigerator.