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1. The B140 brewer looks very similar to the Keurig At Home brewers but the cost is higher—why?
The B140 brewer may look similar to the Keurig At Home brewers but there are several major differences.
First, the B140 has been designed/manufactured for use in offices and to meet UL Commercial standards—Keurig home brewers are UL approved for Household use only. Thus, many of the components have been upgraded compared to our At Home brewers. Following are some of the changes incorporated in the B140 brewer that are not in our At Home Brewers:
- The B140 utilizes flame retardant plastic components, and the wall thickness of the plastic has been significantly increased.
- The B140 operates much “quieter” than our At Home brewers (key for office placements) thanks to the use of internal sound dampening components.
- The power cord is much longer.
- The K-Cup ® portion pack puncture mechanism has been strengthened with stainless steel side plates and stronger, “commercial grade” springs for expected heavier use of the brewer.
Second, the B140 has a key feature our home brewers do not have: “drainability” of the internal hot water tank via a flip of a switch. This feature is important in a commercial environment where brewers may be transported during in cold weather, or stored for a long period of time.
Lastly, we would point out that the B140 brewer will not be sold to the retail channel, and we have no plans to place it on our website. Since it is a commercial brewer, our KAD partners are also not allowed to sell it on the web. Thus, there will be no “market price” established for the brewer among end users.
2. I noticed that the wattage rating for the B140 is 1400 watts, but the Keurig At Home brewers are rated for 1500 watts—why is the commercial unit lower?
The B140 brewer and our At Home brewers draw the same current and thus use the same power which is slightly below 1400 watts. UL certification requires us to state what the maximum power draw could be, and they allow a consumer product to be rated for a higher power draw than a commercial product.
We chose to rate both the At Home and Commercial brewers at the maximum rating allowed by UL for a standard electrical socket. This will enable us flexibility to incorporate future changes should they be needed—but none are planned.
3. Does the B140 brewer brew at the same temperature as the Keurig At Home brewers?
Yes, the temperature of the hot water entering the K-Cup is exactly the same: 193 F degrees +/- 5 degrees standard deviation.
4. What are Keurig’s plans for the B100 and B100P brewers now that you have introduced a new B140 small office brewer?
The B100 brewer is also a great brewer and we will keep it in our line-up for the foreseeable future—at least thru 2006. And, the B100P brewer continues to fill the niche where a combined plumbed/pourover brewer is needed for medium sized offices. Our KADs have placed over 45,000 B100 series brewers in offices in North America—and we will keep selling it unless demand runs out!
5. The K-Cup handle/puncture mechanism seems to have a different feel than what I am used to on the Keurig At Home brewers…is it any different?
Yes, the B140 puncture mechanism has been upgraded for the additional use we expect in office placements. As mentioned above, the puncture mechanism has been strengthened with stainless steel side plates, and a stronger spring mechanism is used. You may notice that a bit more pressure is required to close the brewer when brewing—this is due to the stronger commercial grade spring mechanism. The handle is also made of more rugged die cast zinc.
6. Can I sell the B140 on my website?
No.
The B140 brewer is designated as an Away from Home brewer per your Keurig KAD agreement, thus it cannot be offered for sale on the Internet—similar to the B2003.
7. I noticed that the red reheat light comes on after every brew—does the brewer have the same brew cycle performance as the At Home brewers?
Yes, the brew cycle performance is identical between our B140 brewers and At Home brewers. The brew cycle includes about a 40 second brew time followed by a 20 second reheat cycle before the next brew for a total 60 second cycle. This allows infinite back to back brews at 60 second intervals even when the cold water tank is refilled! For our At Home brewers, we didn’t feel a need to place a red “reheating” light on the brewer as part of the user interface since back to back brewing is not the norm. However, we thought it made sense to let office users know the brew status with the red light in case there were a couple people waiting to use the brewer. Please note that the brew cycle performance of the B140 is significantly improved versus the B100 commercial brewer:
- From cold start-up the B140 brewer is ready to brew in 2.5 minutes compared to 5+ minutes for the B100
- There is no reheat delay after the cold water tank is refilled—the B140 is always ready to brew!
8. What are the dimensions of the B140—I could not find them in the Use & Care Manual?
The dimensions of the B140 can be found in the sales support literature that was sent to you. If you open up the B140 brochure you will see a full size picture of the brewer and complete specifications. The size of the brewer is the same as the At Home models as follows:
- Height: 13.5 inches (17 with handle open)
- Depth: 11 inches
- Width: 8.5 inches.
- Total footprint: 133 square inches
- The brewer weighs 12 pounds when empty.
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