Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've seen a lot of negative reviews on here about this product, and I can see where most of them are coming from, HOWEVER! There are quite a few positive qualities to this machine and I'll go through and explain my experience and opinion on the ones I've deemed most important: There IS a DRM (digital rights management) system on this machine. That means you can only used "licensed" k-cups. Yes, this is a bummer, especially because I've grown fond of Wegman's store brand cups and they aren't official. So if your favorite cups are a "non-official" brand, you can't use them and this will be a downside for you. The vast majority of cups however ARE licensed. Everything from the major brands (Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Folgers, etc.) all the way to a lot of store brands. Even Target's "generic" cups are official, for example, and can be used in your machine. So the arguments that you cannot use whatever cups you like are TRUE, but your options are still VERY expansive. You CAN get cheaper, no-name cups that still work in your machine as well as the mega names. For functionality, this machine is excellent. It heats up quickly and brews fast. There is a very nice LED touchscreen display that allows for a bunch of options - cup size (no pun intended), brew strength (regular, strong), whether or not it's hot chocolate, tea, etc. and then of course the power button. If you lift the handle and close it again without putting a k-cup in, the screen will give you the option for hot water. Just push and hold the button until you have what you want (up to 6 oz., which perfectly fills a coffee or tea mug). So personally, no complaints with the screen, features, or ease-of-use. The reservoir is nice and large, so there's more time spent making coffee and less time filling up the water tank. Always a plus. Also, this new model comes with a water filter/purifier that attaches to the inside of your water tank. You no longer have to de-scale! On to the the k-carafe! This is a pretty cool upgrade from the last Keurig. You just slide the included carafe into the slot where the drip tray would go, pop in a carafe pack (a larger version of a k-cup) and bam. You've got roughly 4 cups of coffee brewed in about a minute and a half. No, there is no warmer or heating element to keep this pot hot once you've brewed it. This can be a downside if you're planning to drink the whole thing yourself over the course of a few hours, but if you're brewing for 2 or more people it's perfect. You basically get the quantity advantages of a regular coffee pot but at the speed of the Keurig. K-carafe packs range from $8 to $16 depending on brand, etc. for a four pack, so if you do the math (4 carafes x 4 cups of coffee each) you're spending roughly the same amount for them as you are a box of individual k-cups. Durability of the machine seems solid. Easy to clean and not flimsy. I've only had the machine for a few weeks, so I won't pretend to attest to the longevity of it - that we'll have to see about as time goes on - but the construction is well-made. It's got the same materials and feel as the previous Keurig models. My last Keurig (Platinum Elite series) is at least 5 years old and still going strong to this day so the longevity of the brand overall is certain, I just hope that translates to the new 2.0 version as well. As for price, this is a pretty great deal. I certainly can't complain about the price of the machine compared to the old ones (I paid almost double this for the last model when it first came out). Add to that all the sweet extras that come with the K560 package (extra water filter, 48 k-cups, 4 k-carafes) and really there are no complaints possible price-wise. **ON THE WHOLE** I would say that this machine is a great buy. The upgrades and features are a nice improvement on the first generation. *It may not be suitable* for you if you drink exclusively non-registered k-cups. My personal recommendation? If you have a perfectly working first-gen Keurig, the new 2.0 features may not be enough for you to justify upgrading just yet. It's a great machine, but if you can live without the shiny new upgrades you may as well wait until your current one stops working. However, if you need a new machine or are a first-time Keurig buyer, I would strongly recommend going with the Keurig 2.0. It has all the features of the old Keurigs and then some. It looks good, does the job well, and is an overall excellent product for coffee lovers. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or issues and want the advice of someone who has already purchased the product. Although it may seem like this review has a bias, I can assure you it is simply satisfaction with my purchase. I will therefore give you truthful and straight-forward assistance if you'd like it.