For the price of a good fine colander, you could buy a $15 Mr. Coffee and automate much of this. People buying keurig machines aren't doing it because they don't know how to make coffee or think it's better tasting- they're doing it for the speed (30-60 seconds) and the convenience.
Honestly nobody should get married to someone with incompatible preferences regarding coffee ;-) This is also the beauty of the aeropress or paper cone method: you make your own coffee, everyone else can make theirs or not. And when I make the french press too strong, I'm happy to drink the whole thing myself!
And the price to the environment, and the price to a relationship unable to handle a minor disagreement? Perhaps you haven't considered all the factors at play.
I'd like to see the breakdown on KCup usage in the home versus in the Office.
The majority of K's I've seen are in the office, where you're looking for simple streamlined solutions to keep people from bitching about the surrounding environment, and get back to work.
I think most people in a relationship can deal with the morning coffee differences
An old coworker tipped me off to the Bunn STX 10 cup maker that was $150 or so, I bought one, and ended up buying my parents one too. Makes an entire (great tasting) pot of coffee in 3 minutes, and thermal carafe keeps it warm for hours without burning it, some of the best money I've ever spent. If you drink a lot of coffee, it's hard to beat the cost effectiveness and convenience over time.
I can't understand the current fascination with single cup makers, but I grew up in a family that went through several pots a day at home. Perhaps as a starbucks replacement the economics work out.
It depends on your use case. If you have a family, a big pot is fine. If you go through several coffees in a day, a larger pot is fine. If you are single and want a cup of coffee on your way out the door, a single cup maker really fits the bill.
