Mr Coffee BVMC-KG6-001 Review

Mr Coffee BVMC-KG6-001 Review

Rated by Jennifer

3 Stars

The Mr Coffee BVMC-KG6-001 single-cup maker is an affordable Keurig option for those who do not wish to be hampered by the 2.0 technology. This “open platform” brewer will brew up any K-cup brand you stick in the chamber, pretty much, and also has a red version available.

It is a slightly larger, later version of the KG5 model if you have been checking. It is reasonably sized (see manufacturer’s listed dimensions) and priced. Like most coffeemakers, it’s not perfect, and I do reveal some possible drawbacks in this review to be informed of.

Dimensions

Approximate measurements: Amazon lists the dimensions on the main page as 10″ by 13″ by 12.5″.

When I went to check with the manufacturer site the dimensions provided are  12.4″ length, 8.7″ width, and a height of  12.7″ No weight given but the weight at 8.3 lbs, that Amazon shows seems accurate.

The approximate distance between the K-cup chamber and the drip tray plate is about 7.5 inches. That would work very well if you like to switch between cups, mugs or tumblers that are taller.

The power cord is 25†long and stows away easily in a small compartment in the back which is a nice feature.

What’s Included

In addition to the unit itself, the package includes a 5-count K-Cup variety sampler pack, a start guide user manual and a 1 Year limited warranty.

What is the “Keurig Brewed Technology”?

The Mr Coffee KG6 shows the “Keurig Brewed” logo on the front of the machine which is very noticeable. “Keurig Brewed Technology” explained: In 2009, the Keurig company and Mr Coffee entered a joint partnership that enabled a new line of Mr Coffee brewer units to have the Keurig patented one-cup technology.

So consumers can be assured they are looking at a similar design that enables the use of virtually all 1.o K-cups, although the licensing agreement permits the use of the same technology – but the exterior of the brewer’s design is unique to the KG6 and other KG models.

Features

The main distinguishing features of the Mr Coffee KG6:

• The Mr Coffee Single Serve model featured here is compliant with most, if not all K-Cups, including the refillable types.
• The removable drip tray can accommodate taller mugs if the drip tray and plate combo are removed leaving behind the drip tray base.
• The removable parts of the unit (except for the reservoir lid) are top rack dishwasher safe.
• There is also a “drying cycle” as well that takes a minute to drain the moisture from the used K-cup and may take up to a minute after the finished brew ends.
• This unit is compatible with the refillable My K-cups, but you will need to remove the Assembly Housing piece before doing so.

Buttons and Controls

The front left side has the control panel with the Brew/Off buttons, 3 indicator lights and  6, 8, and 10 oz brew sizes as indicated by cup icons on the front .

The “Brew/Off” switch is pushed to activate brewing and to power down – it can be set to shut down after a few hours. Apparently there is a trick to it; you have to perform a “dual button” hold.

The indicator lights represent: Pre-heating, Serving Size, and Add Water.

     

Reservoir

The removable reservoir holds 40 oz of water; a  nice mid-range size that will last though an average of 5-6 brewings. The reservoir is user-friendly, with a handle in the back, making it easier to remove and replace…it resembles a hollowed-out opening.

Ease of Use

The Mr Coffee KG6 is easy enough to use on a regular basis without trouble but the button function can be a tad quirky. As the single button functions as a power off and push to start brewing combination it may take some getting used to.

I was able to locate the manufacturer site FAQ guide which did a good job of explaining the button functions and their meanings well – it is far easier to make heads or tails of them with a reference like this you can check with.

You definitely want to remove the last used K-cup from the chamber before retiring for the day, as the act of opening the chamber will set it back in motion. If you’re in the habit of not removing used K-cups right away (yep, I’m one of those) this is something to keep in mind. The K-cup in itself will not keep the unit from powering down, in case you are wondering. This has been confirmed.

If you are a consumer who likes the idea of being able to interrupt or change brewing cycles this is not one of those units. Some people try to adjust the setting for the next batch (while waiting for the internal tank to refill) This unit will maintain the last setting if you use auto shutoff (but if unplugged, that info will disappear) so that is a plus. You can hit one of the size selection buttons and trip the unit on again, but the last setting will remain intact.

Mr Coffee BVMC-KG6-001 Ratings and Reviews

Well, when we researched this unit in depth, it was important to discover what pushed the overall satisfaction score down a notch. The Mr Coffee KG6 Single-Serve Brewer seems to have one major bugaboo and that is a problem with surface bottom leaks.

This was not an isolated case as I must have found about 10 or so reports of this.  I also found leaking issue reports on the manufacturer’s main site too (!)

Naturally I found myself thinking Uh-oh, that’s not good…

Wanting to discover the source of this problem further, I found out that it’s strictly a design flaw and not that contingent on people’s actions. One reviewer came up with the idea of a one-half inch of plastic tubing as a stopgap measure going into the tube to bridge the gap between the reservoir and the main unit.

Another consumer managed to solve the problem by turning the spout above the water tank at a 45 degree angle the leaking out the back finally stopped. Now I won’t treat this as gospel, but 24 people upvoted the review so it did have some cause for credibility 🙂

There were no noise related comments; this one is still subjective, but hardly anyone ever claimed it was loud in any way. Consumer opinion maintained that the average preheat time ranged from 3 to 5 minutes. Brew time was quicker.

The “Brew/off†double feature is tricky for some users as this is not one of those programmable brewers, so they had to get used to the idea of multiple-push button function. The whole thing about shutoff not taking place for 2-3 hours does kind of baffle me as it does the majority of owners; as “energy saving†is a high priority on most people’s list. When the light is on, the whole thing is on-pretty much 24/7 unless you unplug it altogether.

Some owners said if something else could have been added, it would be a temperature setting.

Pros

• Generally, a highly favorable opinion when it came to beverage temperature, and timing is satisfactory.
• The unit overall is durable with regard to the plastic components so it’s not flimsy.
• Although it lacks a strength setting, it is easy to compensate for the desired strength by adjusting the coffee/water on one’s own. You can pour in a little less or more water (being mindful of the max fill line) and still choose the desired brew size, or go for the stronger roast flavors; individual tastes notwithstanding.
• The cord storage space in the back allows for tidiness which is great for people (myself included) who hate annoying cords in the way.
• K-Cup versatility that includes 1.0 AND 2.0 K-cups. Can’t beat that for taking the guesswork out. Not hampered by the digital bells-and-whistles.

Cons

• The ambiguity regarding the round “brew/off†button as this button is used interchangeably to start up AND to activate the auto-shutoff feature.
• Lack of programming options:  you cannot actually program it to go off at X time or come back on at X time.
• The reports of this brewer leaking may be off-putting for people, understandably.
• Lack of a temperature setting
• The fact that the auto-shutoff action is delayed for a few hours seems weird.
• You cannot interrupt or change brewing cycles as you can with some other models

Price

I felt like the price was fair…it is neither a steal nor is it overpriced. Mainly I’m looking at this from the angle of value for the money – and the propensity for leaks could make for a rather touch and go consumer experience.

The KG6 color choices include chrome and red – as a recent update I noticed that there used to be a pretty blue option, but I have not seen it in a while so it could be out of stock indefinitely. Th red version had the best price.

In the long run since you are able to use your own coffee grounds and the refillable K-Cup option of your choosing you would probably not be spending any more on coffee per se.

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the Mr Coffee brand I suggest you look into the older KG2 model. It is very similar in ways to this one (price being one of them) but it seems less problematic and has a longer trail of satisfied consumers.

The one caveat is that it does not have a reservoir so it’s a one cup water in-one cup of coffee out operation much like my Keurig K10 – but it’s a better performer and comes in some nice color options, like red, black white and a really cool “rainbow” front piece.

The Verdict

Do I like this brewer overall? With about an equal number of pros and cons, I feel you might could do a little better. Best of luck; yes, you might get lucky and not be a consumer with a leak problem – but I still say it would be a better idea to check out the KG2 first!