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Consumer Reports compares K-Cup alternatives

Some single-serve options not user-friendly

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Single-serve coffeemakers are quick and convenient, but the cost of pods can add up. Consumer Reports checked out three alternatives that let you use your own coffee.

"To compare, we looked at how much it would cost to brew one cup of coffee per day for a year," said Consumer Reports' Desiree Ferenczi. "And with K-Cups, that's about $220 to $275."

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Testers looked at cost, convenience, brew time and taste.

Simple Cups claims it's a "fraction of what a K-Cup will cost." A pack of 50 disposable cups, filters and lids costs $14. When you add in the price of coffee, it comes out to about $185 per year, less than K-Cups.

However, testers said the cups were hard to close and brew time was a little long.

The reusable EZ-Cup is $13, plus about $8 for 50 biodegradable filters. With the coffee, it works out to about $135 a year.

As far as taste, all delivered similar results.

The clear winner was My K-Cup, Keurig's K-Cup adapter. It was the easiest to use. Once you buy the My K-Cup adapter for $18, the only expense is coffee estimated $80 a year.

If you are looking for a single-serve coffeemaker that uses the My K-Cups, Consumer Reports recommended the Cuisinart SS-300 Compact Single Serve for $130.

For a list of recent stories Marilyn Moritz has done, click here.