My wife has asked for one of these single cup machines for Christmas.
Currently when she wants just one cup she uses a Folgers coffee bag in
the microwave.

I've done some quick research on the net, and have some concerns and
questions:

1) While these machines are popular in Europe, who is to say that these
are not this year's gimmick, and will not last a year or two (ie, the
companies will stop making the pods)?

2) Folgers coffee bags are relatively inexpensive. It appears that
these machines are set up for European customs, where a single cup of
coffee is just 4 oz. So if you want a typical American cup of coffee,
you'll need 2 pods (50 cents a cup?). Doesn't this make the machines
overall cost prohibitive?

3) Is cleaning up a machine more extensive than just cleaning up the
single cup used in the microwave?

4) It appears the pods are proprietary to each machine and cannot be
shared. Thus the quality of a cup of coffee is going to be more
dependent not on the machine but by the beans used for the pods -
correct? So how can one sample the coffee choices first before settling
on a machine?

5) I've seen ads for a "universal" pod that allows you to fill it with
your own choice of grounds. Is it effective, and how much of a cleanup
mess is there?

Anything else I forgot to address?

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To reply, take out the garbage.