Archive for the ‘One Cup Coffee Makers’ Category

Video review of the Dr. Drip coffee system.

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

This is a great little system for anyone who wants totally portable coffee.

Each sealed package contains a single-use filter cone and enough ground coffee to make one cup.

You simply open the package, unzip the top of the cardboard filter. Once placed on your mug, you then pour in hot water, just like using a regular filter cone.

As you can see from the video, it takes a few moments to figure out how it works. After that, it’s easy.

The coffee we tried – The Premium Signature Blend – has a great taste. It’s a medium roast, with a nice strong taste, and a touch of sweetness.

The other coffees they offer are:

Organic Blend

Dark Roasted Sumatra Blend

Decaffeinated Blend.

When would I use one of these? Not at home, but certainly if I was traveling, whether on business or on vacation. It would be perfect for camping, and also for when you’re not sure whether your hotel offers in-room coffee making.

This is a neat idea, and I think I’ll be stocking up on a box or two before my next trip away from home.

You can learn more at the Dr. Drip Coffee website.


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The Ekobrew reusable coffee filter for Keurig brewers.

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

A while ago I posted about the My K-Cup Keurig reusable filter, and its various benefits. This is the filter I use myself for my Keurig B60. In fact, I don’t buy K-Cups at all. I know that with a reusable filter I can save a ton of money and also save adding to all the used K-Cups that end up in the garbage.

But I’m tempted by this new Ekobrew system, simply because it seems to address some of the issues I have with my My K-Cup filter.

First, the Ekobrew has a flat bottom, so I can place it on the counter while I fill it with loose coffee. That may not sound like a big deal, but there have been many times when I have fumbled with my filter in the left hand while trying to fill it with coffee with my right hand.

Second, it has heat resistant grips on the side. Again, this may not mean much to you if you don’t already have a My K-Cup filter. If you do, you know how hot the sides can be if you want to take the filter out immediately after brewing.

Third, to use the My K-Cup you first have to remove the K-Cup holster from the brewer. This isn’t a problem for me, as I don’t buy regular K-Cups. But it is a pain if you want to sometimes use K-Cups and sometime want to use a reusable filter. That K-Cup holster isn’t always easy to take out.

The Ekobrew filter offers a few other benefits which I won’t be able to check out until I have tried it in person.

But from what I can see from the video, it’s certainly worth a try.

BTW – both of these reusable coffee filter systems can be used across all the different K-Cup brewers, including those made by Keurig, Cuisinart, Breville and Mr. Coffee.

You can buy the Ekobrew reusable filter at Amazon.com.

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Gourmet coffee, made with a “tea bag”. Why didn’t I think of that?

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

singleserve

Why is making a cup of gourmet coffee so complicated, and expensive?

I have always found it odd how many expensive coffee brewing systems there are out there. Why? Because none of them will produce a cup of coffee that tastes any better than the coffee you can make with a $10 French press.

All you have to worry about when making gourmet coffee is the quality and freshness of the coffee you grind, the temperature of the water you use, and the time spent brewing.

Our cousins, the tea lovers of the world, have got it right.

Grab a tea bag, boil a kettle of water, pour the hot water into a cup, dunk the tea bag in the water for a while…and you’re done.

Well, now it seems someone has come up with the same approach for making gourmet coffee.

The folks at singlebrew.com will send you coffee bags, each containing enough coffee for a single cup of coffee. The process is the same as for making tea. Nothing complicated there.

In the photo above you can see the coffee bag at the bottom right. Looks just like a tea bag. Each bag is individually wrapped in a foil wrapper and is guaranteed to stay fresh for up to 12 months.

Will the simplicity and economy of a single-serve coffee bag catch on? Who knows. But maybe we are too addicted to gadgets, and to the perceived convenience of high-tech single serve brewing systems.

One thing is for sure. We could all reduce the amount of plastic we put in the trash each week if we used simpler brewing methods…like the coffee bag or a simple French press or filter cone.

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The new Bunn MC My Cafe Home Pod Brewer.

Saturday, December 11th, 2010
Bunn MC My Cafe Coffee Pod Brewer

Bunn MC My Cafe Coffee Pod Brewer

Well, this is good news.

There haven’t been too many new coffee pods brewers hitting the stores recently.

Better still, Bunn already has an excellent reputation making pod brewers. The trouble has been that until now, those brewers have been commercial grade, with a price to match.

The new Bunn MC gives us all access to a quality coffee pod brewer at a reasonable price, for home or office.

The advantages of a good pod brewer are numerous.

First, you’ll pay less than you do for other single serve coffees, which come in plastic, single-use cups of some kind. You pay a premium for those plastic cups, without any discernable increase in the quality of the coffee.

Second, coffee pods are a lot more environmentally friendly. Use the pod once, and then throw it into your compost. No waste, and no recycling required.

With the Bunn MC you can choose from a huge variety of coffee pods, from numerous different roasters. You can also make tea with it.

Here is a rundown of the Bunn MC’s key features:

- Brews coffee or tea, and you can choose your brew strength

- Brews hot coffee or tea in under a minute

- Pulse brew option extracts a bolder coffee flavor

- Patented sprayhead, which propels water through the pods for better flavor extraction

- Pod drawer is compatible with hundreds of coffee and tea pods plus tea bags

- A stainless steel hot water tank, which keeps water at 200F for a perfect brew

- The Bunn My Cafe MC comes with an assortment of coffee pods and tea pods, so you can start brewing right away.

- Comes with a 2 year limited warranty

You can buy the Bunn My Cafe MC at Amazon.com for just $99.99.


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My #1 recommendation for this holiday season – the Keurig B40 Elite .

Friday, November 26th, 2010
Keurig B-40 Elite K-Cup Coffee Maker

Keurig B-40 Elite K-Cup Coffee Maker

Why am I recommending a K-Cup brewer, and not a coffee pod brewer, or one using coffee capsules?

Because there is an amazing number of coffees you can get in the K-Cup format, and these brewers make a great cup of coffee.

Three years ago, I might have recommended a coffee pod brewer, but their popularity has dropped off, and the range and availability of coffee pods has fallen as well.

As for other formats, like the Tassimo and Nespresso beverage systems, and others, I think they are better suited to making “coffee beverages”, like almost-cappuccinos and the like.

If you are a pure coffee lover, and want a wide range of coffees to choose from, I don’t think you can beat the Keurig K-Cup brewers.

There are a ton of different coffees to choose from in the K-Cup format. And if you can’t find what you are looking for, just buy and grind the beans you want, and use the My K-Cup Coffee Filter.

In other words, you can use your Keurig brewer to make any coffee you want. No limits.

Why the B40 Elite, rather than one of the more recent machines?

Actually, it doesn’t matter which model you choose. They use the sane brewing head, and all make the same quality of coffee. I suggest the B40 Elite simply because it is the least expensive of all their full-size models.

If you want more bells and whistles – like more brew sizes, and digital displays – by all means get one of the more recent models.

But if it’s just a good cup of coffee you want, the Elite B40 will do you just fine.

Learn more and buy the Keurig B40 Elite here…

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