Out of several k-cups that I tried the Pike Place was my favorite for black coffee.To me, the most important characteristic of coffee (assuming it's packaged using quality beans to start with) is that it be freshly brewed. I really dislike the taste of stale, hours-old coffee. I've tried a bunch of brands of K-cups and finally settled on Starbuck's Pike Place or Starbuck's Sumatra as my favorites. Every time I have another cup, even if it happens to be hours later, it's a freshly brewed cup, and at Sam's Club the cost is about 45¢ per cup when purchased in 72-cup boxes. If I brewed a full pot of drip coffee every morning, 80% of it would be poured out at the end of the day. I also like an occasional cup of Earl Grey tea, and the K-cup maker does a fine job of instant very hot water for tea bags. You can even buy Earl Grey in K-cup format, although that would be for sure a waste of money compared to bags.