Single-serve coffee brewers truly revolutionized the way offices approach the break room ritual, especially those in busy cities like NYC. The days of having to settle for one particular roast or strength of coffee based on popular demand are gone. For those who prefer tea or hot cocoa, a whole new world of customized drinks on demand has arrived.
Most of us have grown so accustomed to the flexible functionality of the K-Cup Pack, we might never consider how it could be improved or changed for the better, but there are coffee wizards out there who are always trying to make our morning (and afternoon) brews better and faster. Today, we are going to compare the new kid on the single-serve coffee block with our tried-and-true friend: it’s RealCup™ vs. K-Cup Packs.
RealCup™ Capsules
First things first, what is a RealCup™ Capsule? Developed and engineered by Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, the RealCup™ Capsule is a technical marvel. With over a century of experience in the coffee and tea supply industry, Mother Parkers may be a name you are unfamiliar with – but their reputation for excellence and innovation behind the scenes is widely regarded by pros in the know.
The RealCup™ Capsule is no exception. Pushing the boundary on the already excellent technology of K-Cup Packs to the next evolutionary step, RealCup™ vs. K-Cups is different from the Coke vs. Pepsi debate of the 80s – it is more like a conversation about the iPhone 5 vs. the iPhone 6, because one is the next inevitable version of the other, and it can be hard to know whether that is a good or bad thing.
Why They’re Great
One of the best things about RealCup™ Capsules is the variety of specialist coffees available in the RealCup™ format. Gourmet leaders like Wolfgang Puck are switching over, rare varieties like Marley’s Jamaican Blue are only available in RealCup™ Capsules and popular offerings from names like Tim Horton are sure to please a crowd.
Why are these big names associating with a relatively new technology for the break room? Probably because the RealCup™ Capsule elevates single-serve brewing by having a seemingly standard air-tight container, the all-important freshness seal and then deviates from the norm with its patented Flavor Max filter.
The Flavor Max Filter is where the magic happens. It is made from a patented, non-woven material that allows water to absorb more of all those wonderful things that make your coffee amazing.
What’s Missing?
One thing that is missing from some of the RealCup™ Capsules is waste. There are a number of popular varieties of tea, coffee and other beverages available in RealCup™’s truly ground-breaking EcoCup. Designed with both convenience and the planet in mind, the EcoCup allows you to reduce break room waste without additional expense by simply clicking the cup apart, recycling the cup and disposing of the filter/grounds appropriately.
While it is easy to be hypnotized by the technology and “newness” of the RealCup™ Capsule with its impressive Flavor Max filter, the point of comparing RealCup™ vs. K-Cups is to give you the fullest picture possible, including any downside to choosing RealCup™ Capsules for your break room. The truth is that some of your favorite brands – like NYC’s neighbor Brooklyn Beans, or even Starbucks – are not available in RealCup™ form.
K-Cup® Packs
Brought to us by a pair of thirsty students at Colby College in the 90s, Keurig’s K-Cup packs were a huge innovation, based on the notion that brewing a single cup of coffee allowed you to better control the resulting quality and flavor of your chosen beverage. Two decades on, the K-Cup Pack is as ubiquitous as the travel mugs we use to take our coffee on the move.
Why They’re Great
While it is hard to shift focus from the simple wow factor that the innovative K-Cup brings to the palm of your hand, it is important to acknowledge that there are other awesome things about them, for example:
- K-Cup Packs are an outer plastic container with an inner filter packed with flavorful coffee grounds and sealed for freshness.
- Scores of popular coffee companies, tea makers and other hot beverage brands make their products available in K-Cup Packs.
- K-Cup Packs can be collected and returned in specialized bins from the Keurig Grounds to Grow On program – cups are stripped into component parts for composting and energy projects.
What’s Missing?
The innovation and ongoing technological evolution of the K-Cup Pack are exciting, but in the RealCup™ vs. K-Cups debate, it is our duty to point out the downside to choosing K-Cups. And while the K-Cup Pack certainly brings a lot to your cup, so much that it might be hard to think of anything more you might ask of it, our short list includes:
- A recyclable option – though Keurig’s website points to a program underway to provide a more environmentally friendly K-Cup pack by 2020.
- Some rare and premium brands are only available in the RealCup™ format.
If your break room is ready to tackle the RealCup™ vs. K-Cups debate, or if you are simply curious about the variety of high-quality coffee and tea products that RealCup™ Capsules can add to your break room, contact the team of coffee experts at Corporate Essentials.
With close to twenty years in the office coffee service business, we are ready to provide you and your team with guidance and information about both products to help you make the best choice for your break room.
Are you wondering how to find the best office technologies for your NYC office and team? Our team at Corporate Essentials is more than happy to help guide your business through the process of finding the right stuff, from coffee machines to water filtration services. We have almost twenty years of experience of providing NYC offices with the latest food and drink trends and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
