First, there were the Keurig brewers. Then Breville made a K-Cup brewer. And now you can get the SS700 from Cuisinart.

Why choose the Cuisinart SS700? There are a couple of reasons.

First, the company has a great reputation for making reliable coffee makers. So hopefully you can use this brewer for years to come without any problems.

Second, and this could be a very good reason to choose this brewer over other K-Cup brewers, the water reservoir is huge. This is an attractive feature, because while using K-Cups is very convenient, repeatedly refilling the water reservoir can be quite a pain.

For myself, if my Keurig brewer dropped dead today, this is the K-Cup brewer I would choose.

Here is the full list of features, according to the Cuisinart website.

• Hot Water Button lets consumers enjoy their favorite instant coffee, soup, tea, and hot cocoa, in no time.

• Rinse Control instantly cleans the inside of the brew chamber to keep every cup as delicious as the first.

• Extra Large Removable 80 oz. Water Reservoir offers impressive capacity, eliminating the need for frequent refills.

• Fully Programmable full spectrum of features including Auto On/Off and adjustable temperature control.

• Blue Backlit LCD w/Digital Clock brightly displays information, at an easy-to-read glance.
• 5 Cup Sizes including an iced beverage setting.

• Quiet Brew Technology lets you enjoy every cup more peacefully than ever.

• Removable Drip Tray allows extra space for travel mugs.

• BPA Free (all parts that come in contact with water or coffee).

• My K-Cup® Reusable Coffee Filter can be filled with any gourmet ground coffee, to suit personal tastes, and conveniently stores right in the unit.

• 12 K-Cup® Portion Pack lets consumers enjoy a varied sampling of all that Keurig K-Cups® have to offer.

• Charcoal Water Filter removes impurities that could interfere with taste.

• Limited 3-Year Warranty

You can buy the Cuisinart SS700 online at Green Mountain Coffee…

This is the second generation version of the original B30 Mini, which was launched in 2008.

As with all Keurig brewers, you simply have to add water, drop in a K-Cup, and you’re ready to brew. The Keurig Mini Plus also accepts the My K-Cup reusable filter, so you can brew coffees that are not available in the K-Cup format.

What’s the difference between this new model and the original B30?

Well, it looks different. It has the same small footprint, but is a bit more boxy in appearance. More straight lines.

Beyond appearance, the only significant change is that you can now choose between three different brew sizes — 6 oz., 8 oz., and 10 oz.

When you open the top to pour in the water, you now see three different fill levels, clearly marked.

This is a great little brewer, ideal for small counter spaces or for when you are traveling. It has pretty much the same workings as the other, larger Keurig K-Cup brewers, like the B60 and the B70. In other words, you’ll get the same great coffee from any one of these models.

If you are looking for a small K-Cup brewer, this should be your top choice.

If you already have the original B30, as we do, I don’t see any compelling reason to upgrade.

Learn more about the Keurig Mini Plus Brewer at the Green Mountain Coffee website…

Read our review of the original Keurig B30 Mini here…

And you’ll find links to our reviews of all the Keurig K-Cup brewers here…

The Kug, it heats the water and serves as a mug.

When you think about it, it’s surprising that nobody has done this before.

Designed by a pair of students at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland, the Kug was originally intended for people suffering from arthritis. The observation being that people with arthritis find it hard pouring boiling water from a full kettle.

You also have to keep in mind that in Ireland and the UK, a lot of people still favor instant coffee. So you simply add water to the Kug, put it in its base, twist to the on position, and then wait for the water to boil. Then add the instant coffee, with cream and sugar to taste.

Of course, the Kug can also be used for making tea and instant soups.

Although designed for people with arthritis, the Kug will doubtless be popular with everyone who wants to make one beverage at a time, within minimal hassle.

Want one now? You’ll have to wait. The designers are still talking to manufacturers about mass production of the Kug, and it will likely be the end of the year before they are found in any stores.

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Coffee

Earlier this year Starbucks launched its own brand of instant coffee, VIA.

Not surprisingly, coffee lovers were scandalized by the fact that Starbucks, of all companies, would launch an instant coffee. It didn’t seem to make much sense.

Starbucks countered by saying that their instant coffee was different, and would deliver the same great Starbucks taste as you get from their fresh-brewed coffee.

If the taste is really that good, then VIA would offer the ultimate in one cup coffee making.

Each box contains 12 small sachets of coffee. You simply pour the contents into a cup or mug, then add hot water, and cream and sugar to taste.

The great thing about VIA is that you can put these sachets in your pocket, purse or laptop bag and have them at hand while traveling, or even when at work.

Everything hinges on whether the Starbucks promise holds up.

Is VIA as good as fresh-brewed coffee?

In our humble opinion, it is not. We did some blind comparisons — VIA versus fresh-brewed — and everyone identified which cup contained the instant coffee. There is something about the taste of any instant coffee that always seems to be there.

Granted, if the coffee you get at work or in a hotel is either weak or over-brewed, a cup of VIA would probably be better.

But it does taste like instant coffee, and it isn’t as good as a well-brewed pot of fresh-ground coffee.

Sorry Starbucks, but it just isn’t.

You can buy Starbucks VIA Ready Brew at Amazon.com…

Disclaimer: One Cup Coffee Reviews has an affiliate relationship with Amazon.com

Descale your Keurig Brewer

If you have been using your Keurig brewer for a while, you may have experienced a problem with a build-up of scale within the narrow tubes in the brewer. This is particularly prone to happen in areas with hard water.

Fortunately, the display screen on the brewer will tell you when it is time to descale.

You can descale your brewer either by running vinegar through the brewer, and then rinsing with a few cycles of water, or with a product called Dezcal.

But what if you do all this, but you still have a problem? Some people descale their brewers and find the descale message remains, or they are still not getting a full cup of water coming through when they brew.

The answer is very simple, and has been the subject of a discussion over on the CoffeeDetective.com website.

Sometimes coffee grinds from the K-Cup back up into the steel needle that pierces the top of the K-Cup. If the needle becomes clogged, then it gets harder for water to pass through when you are brewing.

Simply take a toothpick or paperclip and gently scrape away any build-up of coffee grinds in the needle. Then run water through the system to flush out the loose grinds. Be careful when you do this, as the needle is very sharp.

Anyway, this seems to do the trick.

Starbucks T-Discs for Tassimo Coffee Makers

If you have a Tassimo Single Serve Coffee Brewer, and wish you had more choice in the beverages you brew, here is some good news for you.

On December 16th, 2009, you’ll be able to choose from a range of new Starbucks coffee beverages for the Braun and Bosch Tassimo brewers.

The new arrivals from Starbucks include cappuccino, latte and a range of regular coffees, including their famous Breakfast Blend.

You can re-order now and have your Starbucks T-Discs delivered well in time for the holidays.

Get your Starbucks Cappuccino Primo T-Discs at Amazon.com…

Check out the full range of new Starbucks coffees for the Tassimo at Amazon.com…

Our review of the Braun Tassimo TA 1400 Hot Beverage System…

Disclaimer: One Cup Coffee Reviews has an affiliate relationship with Amazon.com

The Dolce Gusto One Cup Coffee Maker

Yes, there is yet another choice out there for lovers of single serve coffee makers.

We have K-cup coffee makers, coffee pod coffee makers, T-Disc coffee makers, to name just three – and now we have the Nescafe Dolce Gusto single serve coffee maker.

The Dolce Gusto uses proprietary coffee capsules. Like K-Cups and T-Discs, these are sealed and contain just the right amount of coffee for a single serving. And you have to use the capsules. You can’t use loose coffee or any other kind of coffee container.

So why might you want the Dolce Gusto?

My first answer would have to be because it looks so amazing. It’s a beautiful piece of design and really does look very different from other coffee makers.

In addition, it’s a good machine… it has solid construction and a 15-bar water pump, which means you get the same quality of espresso you would expect from a coffee shop.

You can use it to make a regular cup of coffee, or espresso-based beverages, like cappuccino.

And it’s fast, making a coffee in under a minute. You can also use its custom-control lever to adjust the strength of each brew. Finally, it has a removable 51-ounce water tank, which allows you to make several coffees without having to refill the tank.

The Dolce Gusto makes single serve coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, shots of espresso, chococinos (hot chocolate) and even iced cappuccinos.

If we have a complaint, it’s that when you use this brewer, it feels a little light in its construction. That said, when I read through customer reviews, there are no complaints about anything breaking or failing in any way.

Most users give the Dolce Gusto a big thumbs up.

Get your Dolce Gusto Single Serve Coffee Machine at Amazon for $149.99

Keurig Office Pro K-Cup Coffee Maker

The Keurig Office Pro B145 Coffee Brewer works in the same way as any other Keurig brewer. You use K-Cups and brew one cup of coffee at a time.

One cup coffee makes a lot of sense for an office environment, where people may have very different tastes in the types of coffee they enjoy most.

Using the Keurig Office Pro means everyone can get their own stash of the coffees and blends they like best.

If you like flavored coffee, make one cup for yourself.

If someone lined up just behind you wants a herbal tea, they just use a herbal tea K-Cup.

Single serve coffee making was developed for the home market, simply because it`s a more convenient to brew one cup at a time, without the mess and bother of traditional filters and drip brewers.

But, in fact, one cup coffee machinesare an even better investment for a small office, or for a group or team within a larger office.

No more conflicts between caffeinated and decaf. So more arguments over whose turn it is to make the coffee. No more worries about that guy who always grabs a cup before the brew cycle is complete.

The Keurig Office Pro has the same features you find in the Keurig home brewers, but is built to deal with about ten times the usage. It is UL Approved for Commercial Use, and includes the special construction and materials required to meet the UL standards.

Learn more and buy the New Keurig Office Pro K-Cup coffee brewer here…

K-Cup Coffee Spinning Carousel

One of the great things about having a Keurig K-Cup Brewer is that everyone in the family, or office, can choose the exact type of coffee they want to brew.

One person wants a dark roast, bold breakfast blend – and someone else wants a decaf. No problem, because everyone can just take the K-Cup of their choice and plonk it into the brewer, one cup at a time.

The trouble is, if you buy two or three boxes of different K-Cups to suit everyone’s taste – where do you store the boxes? Three boxes of K-Cups take up a lot of space, and if they are not on the counter, it’s inconvenient when it comes time to brew.

The great thing about this carousel is that while the footprint is small, and it can fit neatly on any counter top, it has 27 hoops into which you can place your K-Cups.

If you want three different types of K-Cup coffee within hand’s-reach, just fill one row of hoops on the carousel with each type of coffee.

No more ugly boxes on the counter top. No more having to open cupboard doors or drawers to find the coffee you are looking for.

Whether for friends or for your own family, the K-Cup spinning carousel is a great gift idea.

Buy the Keurig K-Cup Spinning Carousel at Amazon.com

Keurig K-Cup Breakfast Gift Basket

It’s that time of year again, and we’ll all be scratching our heads trying to find the perfect gift for friends and family.

Well, if you know someone with a Keurig K-Cup brewer, give them one of these excellent gift baskets.

Each basket includes 24 K-Cups of Green Mountain Coffee’s most popular coffee – their Breakfast Blend.

But that’s just the start. You also get biscotti, pancake mix, maple syrup and granola.

That’s a pretty good combo for anyone with a Keurig brewer who also enjoys a nice hot breakfast on a winter morning.

Order the K-Cup Breakfast Gift Basket here…

Or check out Green Mountain Coffee’s full range of holiday gift baskets for coffee lovers…