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.

A simple filter cone coffee maker, with coffee pot.

I know, it doesn’t have any buttons or flashing lights.

And it doesn’t come with pods or K-Cups, or capsules or anything like that.

You just place an old-fashioned paper filter in the porcelain cone, add coffee grinds, and then pour in the hot water.

The result? A coffee pot filled with perfect coffee.

This is the dirty little secret of the coffee business. If it’s a perfect cup of coffee you want, this is as fancy as your coffee maker needs to be.

Really, it’s true.

When you spend more and buy one of those flashy, super convenient single cup brewers, you’re not getting a better cup of coffee. You’re simply making life a teeny bit more convenient for yourself.

But if you think about this porcelain coffee cone a little more, you’ll see that it comes with several advantages.

It’s environmentally friendly. Nothing to throw away. Just dump the used filter and grinds in your compost.

There are no plastic parts. This means no yukky plastic taste, and no exposure to weird and possibly dangerous chemicals.

It takes up almost no space.

It doesn’t have any tubes or lines to get plugged up if you live in an area with hard water.

Really, the only reason there is a market for super-sophisticated single serve coffee makers is that 1) We are lazy, and 2) We are addicted to gadgets.

Disclaimer: I am lazy, and appear to be addicted to gadgets, because I have a Keurig B60, and use it.

But it’s just crazy.

You can buy this cone and pot at Amazon.com for just $15.99.

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

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.com for $201.99.

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 Keurig Office Pro here…