KISS El Paso Just Got A Coffee Maker And It Kinda Sucks

Some people dream of luxury office perks: a fridge stocked with sparkling water, an espresso machine that talks to you in Italian, ergonomic chairs designed by NASA. At KISS Studios, we dream smaller. Our newest addition isn’t a cutting-edge caffeine hub. It’s a single-cup Keurig that may or may not have been legally abandoned by Iris’ mom.

Now don’t get me wrong. It’s cute. It’s black, compact, and humble. You can tell it’s seen some things. Probably brewed hundreds of cups in a different kitchen, loved and used daily, until one morning someone said, “It’s time.” And just like that, it was loaded into a bag and gently regifted to us like a family heirloom no one asked for.

I’m convinced it was only donated because Iris’ mom got a better one and didn't want to deal with throwing this one out. Which is fine. Totally fine. I was raised poor. I know how to squeeze utility out of a dying appliance. This little guy still brews, mostly without protest. Sometimes you press the button and it grumbles like it needs a nap first. But it works. Kind of.

The smell of coffee now floats through the studio like a beacon of hope, hiding the scent of radio sweat and desperation. There's something comforting about it, really. Even if that comfort comes with a side of stress when it leaks onto our rickety table and turns the carpet into a Jackson Pollock painting. Honestly, I think the Keurig’s spout aims slightly off-center on purpose, like a little prank it’s playing every morning.

Our coffee station, if you can call it that, looks like a scene from a crime drama set in a diner. A few lonely pods. A growing ring of dried liquid on the tabletop. An unplugged surge protector nearby, just in case it decides to do something dramatic.

And yet… I love it. I genuinely do. Because nothing says “we made it” like sipping a slightly-too-watery cup of office coffee while wondering if today’s the day it just straight up spits hot water onto the wall and calls it a day. Until then, we ride.