Posts Tagged ‘one cup’

The Bialetti Moka Stovetop Espresso and Coffee Maker

Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Bialetti Mocha Pot

Bialetti Mocha Pot

Here is another way to make one cup of coffee at a time. The Moka pot above makes more than one cup, but there are other models in smaller sizes.

Not only is a mocha pot one of the simplest and best ways to make a great cup of coffee, but this Bialetti model is also a thing of rare beauty.

Most coffee makers look plain ugly. Even the original, basic Moka pot design was somewhat drab. But this stainless steel beauty will look good anywhere…in your kitchen or on the dinner table after a meal with friends.

A mocha pot makes a coffee that is unmistakably rich, with a taste somewhere between regular drip brew coffee and espresso.

We use our Bialetti on a regular basis. We don’t use it to make straight shots of espresso. But we do use it to make espresso to which we add hot water or hot and frothy milk.

To use a mocha pot, you simply add the water to the bottom section, pour ground coffee into the metal filter, put everything back together and then heat it up on the stove.

In addition to its beautiful design and the quality of the coffee it brews, this mocha pot has a couple of other advantages that might appeal:

- No plastic parts.

- No moving parts or electronics (i.e. nothing to go wrong.)

Basically, the Bialetti Mocha Pot delivers on the promise of all good design – beauty and functionality combined.

Use it to make a coffee for yourself, or when you are entertaining and want something a little more stylish than a regular glass carafe.

Learn more and buy a Bialetti Mocha Pot here…

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The Black & Decker DCM18 Brew ‘N Go Coffeemaker for travel mugs.

Saturday, October 24th, 2009
Black & Decker Brew 'N Go

Black & Decker Brew 'N Go

It’s not fancy, not high-design and not a coffee maker to show off to the neighbours.

But the Black & Decker DCM18 Brew ‘N Go Coffeemaker is a one cup brewer. It makes just one cup at a time and is specifically designed for use with travel mugs. You get a full 15 ounces per brew.

The other significant difference when compared to other one cup coffee makers is that it doesn’t use coffee pods or K-Cups or T-Discs. It’s actually just a drip brewer, albeit smaller than most.

So you buy loose coffee, or grind your own beans, and use it the same way you would use an 8-cup or 10-cup brewer.

But there is no need to buy paper filters, because it comes with a permanent metal filter. Just wash and rinse after each use.

Like I said, this doesn’t compare to some of the more sophisticated one cup coffee makers now available. But if you just want to make one cup of coffee a day before you rush out the door, the price is definitely right.

Even the travel mug is included.

Get the Black & Decker DCM18S Brew ‘n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug from Amazon.com

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How to use the My K-Cup reusable coffee filter with a Keurig brewer.

Monday, September 28th, 2009

When you purchased your Keurig brewer it probably came with a few K-Cups. After that, you found a store locally that sold boxes of K-Cups, or you ordered them online.

But there is an alternative. Instead of always using K-Cups, you can use the My K-Cup reusable coffee filter.

As you can see from the video, the My K-Cup unit comprises both the holder and a K-Cup sized filter with a fine screen.

Why would you bother?

There are three reasons.

1. It’s handy to have a My K-Cup unit on hand for those times when you unexpectedly run out of K-Cups. There is nothing more frustrating that having a Keurig brewer and not being able to use it.

2. The My K-Cup filter enables you to use any coffee you like. While there are plenty of coffees already available in K-Cups, not EVERY coffee can be found in this format. With the My K-Cup you can buy any coffee you like, grind the beans and still use your Keurig brewer.

3. When you buy coffee by the bag and then use it in your My K-Cup, you will save on the price of the coffee you brew. It’s a matter of only a few pennies per cup, but if you drink a lot of coffee, by the end of a few months the saving could be significant.

Whichever the reason that matters most to you, there is no harm in at least having the My K-Cup filter tucked away in a drawer somewhere. You can keep it to one side and take it out only when you need it.

Buy the My K-Cup Coffee Filter here…

Learn about the Keurig K-Cup brewers here…


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Make a terrific espresso or Americano coffee with the AeroPress.

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Not every one cup coffee maker is either sophisticated or expensive. You can make a fabulous espresso or coffee with the AeroPress.

Here is how I used mine recently. My girlfriend and I took her daughter to Disney World for a week. Before we left, I was suspicious about the quality of coffee we might find at the hotel. I wasn’t even sure if the rooms had coffee makers. (They didn’t.)

In one of our cases I packed my custom coffee-lovers survival kit. It comprised the AeroPress with filters, plus a tin of ground coffee, and a small electric kettle. The sugar and milk I pocketed from the Disney cafeteria. (Sorry about that.)

Each morning I would boil the kettle and add enough ground coffee to the AeroPress for a double espresso. I would then divide the finished espresso between two coffee mugs and then fill to the top of the mug with hot water. When you do that, it’s called an Americano. Then cream and sugar to taste.

After depending on it for a week, I can tell you that the AeroPress does a great job. Really good coffee. And lifesaver when you are traveling.

Watch the video to find out how it works.

You can buy the AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker at Amazon

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Why Keurig is winning the one cup coffee maker wars.

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Keurig K-Cup Brewers

Keurig K-Cup Brewers

A year ago it was a tough call as to which of the one cup coffee formats would come out on top.

Now the picture is a little clearer. Keurig’s K-Cup coffee makers are flying off the shelves.

This isn’t just a story of success for Keurig. The coffee pod format took a big blow in April when the Senseo line-up of brewers was withdrawn due to some safety concerns. I wrote about this in an earlier post.

Senseo was leading the charge for the coffee pod format and plenty of other manufacturers were happily creating their own pod brewers. And a ton of roasters were offering their coffees in the pod format. With Senseo out on the sidelines, at least for now, a lot of the momentum for coffee pod brewers has been lost.

So how about the other proprietary one cup coffee formats, like the Tassimo with its T-Discs, the Nespresso with its coffee Capsules, and others?

These formats and brewers are fine, but they lose out to the Keurig brewers in some important ways.

First, they don’t offer as broad a range of different coffees.

Second, they don’t have an equivalent of Keurig’s My K-Cup, which allows you to use your own, loose coffee with the Keurig brewers.

Third, the brewers, and the T-Discs and capsules cost more.

Fourth, the Keurig brewers are better built. They are totally solid compared to the flimsy feel of the Tassimo brewers in particular. (That said, the Nespresso brewers are very nicely made, but you have to pay a lot more for them.)

Keurig has achieved excellent penetration with some outstanding brewers and coffees. Even when Senseo comes back, it may be too late for the coffee pod format to catch up.

Keurig brewer reviews:

The Keurig B60

The Keurig B70

The Keurig B40

The Keurig B30

The Breville BKC600XL

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