Having coffee makers at home or in the office is very convenient for coffee lovers and drinkers. Instead of going to the coffee shop for a freshly brewed cup of the old Joe, you can just make one in the comfort of your own place. If you want to know more about coffee makers and other things related to coffee, feel free to browse this blog. Read one below to know about the owner of this blog.

Anyone following this blog will know that I’m a bit of a coffee freak. I do love my coffee and I’m always on the lookout for anything new when it comes to a cup of the old Joe. Recently someone introduced me to dual coffee makers for the first time. Ever heard of one of those? No, I hadn’t either so I was quite fascinated when I first saw one.

So here are the answers to some questions you might have about dual coffee makers

What is a dual coffee maker exactly?

It is as its name describes. It’s a machine that allows you to make two different cups of coffee at the same time, with different blends. So if you you drink dark arabica and your wife drinks decaff for example, you can make both cups at the same time with the same machine. Clever eh?

How does it work?

It’s actually quite ingenious. The machine has two separate chambers, each of which contains water used for the brewing. Underneath each chamber is an individual brewing basket, where you can place the coffee of your choice. Of course, you don’t have to use both chambers and make two separate cups, but they are there if you need them.

What do you get when you buy one?

It depends on the manufacturer make and model. But often a package will include the machine itself, two mugs, two carafe brewers and a selection of different blends of coffee.

Of course, you don’t have to use the mugs included, you can place your own ceramic mugs on the heated elements that sit underneath the drip baskets. And if you want to make two separate pots of coffee rather than individual cups/mugs, some machines provide you with two carafes for that purpose.

Can I use a dual coffee maker to make tea?

Yes indeed, some of the best dual coffee makers allow you to make virtually any brew, whether it is tea you want, or cocoa or even soup! You might want to give the basket a good clean out though before using it for coffee again if you’ve been making soup, otherwise you could end up with tomato-flavoured coffee! Not recommended!

What are some of the other features you get?

Generally there is an automatic shut-off valve, so that the machine doesn’t drip liquid through when there’s nothing on the tray to catch it; the drip tray and the basket are removable for easy cleaning (and for getting rid of the soup!); the chambers usually have a window so you can see the water level in each.

What is a good example of a dual coffee maker?

The B&D DDCM200 gets good reviews. It is a smaller device designed to make two cups at a time rather than two carafes, but if you’re just making coffee for you and your partner rather than for the whole family or office, it is ideal.

The DDCM200 seems simple enough to operate. Turn the knob to the left and you get one cup. Turn it to the right and you get two.

You can choose to place your coffee directly in the baskets or into paper filters first. I would always recommend paper filters because they make it much easier to clean afterwards.

It brews the coffee quickly and doesn’t make too much noise. You might want to warm your mugs first though, as there’s no hot plate with this device. And you want a nice hot cup of coffee, not a lukewarm one!

The machine turns itself off after a little while, which is good because once the coffee has been brewed directly into the cup, it’s done its job.

Conclusion

Dual coffee makers are great for couples who like to drink coffee together but who each drink different blends. If you fall into that category, then I’d recommend you check one out!

Earlier today when I went out to get some lunch, the sandwich shop I went to had a pretty cool looking contraption on the counter. Chrome on the bottom and with a big perspex bowl on the top full of lovely looking dark roast coffee beans, it got me thinking about these new-fangled bean to cup coffee machines and how you’re seeing more and more of them about these days.

So, in the spirit of yesterday’s post, where I answered a bunch of questions about esspresso coffee, today I’m going to do a FAQ on bean to cup coffee machines. Well somebody might find it interesting….

What exactly is a bean to cup coffee machine?

The title is a bit of giveaway. Basically it’s a machine which allows you to insert coffee beans in one end and pour a lovely fresh cup of Joe out of the other end. Simple really.

How does a bean to cup coffee machine work?

It’s all quite clever. A technological marvel! The machine contains an integrated coffee grinder which the beans pass through. Once they’re all ground up, the hot water is filtered through and the coffee is brewed. It’s an ingenious design and it produces a great cup of coffee.

Why would I want to make coffee straight from the beans?

For one reason and one reason only. Taste. Coffee made from freshly ground beans always tastes better than any other type. Good coffee is like good wine. You develop a taste for it and after you’ve been drinking it for a while you really don’t want to go back to anything else.

Does it really taste so different?

Oh yes. Ask a wine buff if a 2007 Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon tastes the same as a 1945 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. They’re both red wines but are they the same quality? No. Does one taste better than the other? Yes. Would everyone be able to tell the difference? Probably not.

But to those of us who appreciate a good coffee, yes, fresh ground beans make all the difference.

Where can I buy such a machine and how much will it cost?

The best place to look for a bean to cup coffee machine is probably online. There are plenty of Internet retailers who sell them and you can use the resources on this site to find a few. In terms of how much they cost, you’re looking at a minimum of $500 for a decent quality one. Anything industrial strength is going to set you back at least a thousand dollars.

One possible option, if you want a machine for your shop for example, is to lease rather than buy. The advantage to leasing is that the rental payments includes regular servicing and a replacement machine if anything goes seriously wrong. Definitely worth considering if you’re on a budget.

Where do I get the beans?

Again, you can buy coffee wholesale from various online outlets, or you can go to a specialist supplier. Actually visiting a supplier in person is probably the best option, because then you’ll be able to sample the coffee for yourself. If you find a coffee bean supplier with knowledgeable salespeople who can offer good advice and help you choose, that’s invaluable.

Are there any particular types of bean that work best with a bean to cup coffee machine?

Yes, you want a variety of dark roast arabica. Stay away from robusta, which is poor quality in comparison. Also, stay away from “flavoured coffee beans”, they’re complete crap. To go back to the wine analogy, would you want to buy artificially flavoured wine? No? Thought not.

Can the machine make different types of coffee, like espresso, cappuccino, latte, etc?

It depends on the machine. Some machines (generally the more expensive ones) have attachments for heating and frothing milk for lattes & cappuccinos, or for forcing steam through the ground coffee for making espressos. It’s definitely worth going for the espresso option. As for the hot milk option, that’s not so essential because you can always get separate devices for heating & frothing your milk.

Finally, what kind of maintenance does the machine require?

It’s really important to clean out your machine on a regular basis. If you don’t, your coffee will start to taste stale, which would defeat the whole object of having a bean to cup coffee machine in the first place. Other than regular cleaning, there’s not much else you have to do by way of maintenance really.

So, I hope you now know a bit more about bean to cup coffee machines than you did when you first started reading this article. Hopefully it’s been of some use to you.

I wanted to write a post about esspresso coffee, because recently I’ve been drinking lots of it and I’ve developed a bit of a taste for it to be honest. It’s getting to be a little bit addictive!

Anyway, while drinking my third esspresso this morning, I thought I’d write a kind of FAQ on the subject, because if you love the stuff as much as I do, you might find this quite interesting. But then again you might just think it’s a load of old waffle. Whatever.

So without further ado, here’s some frequently (infrequently?) asked questions.

What exactly is esspresso and how does it differ from other types of coffee (or more to the point, other ways of preparing coffee)?

Well, as you may gather from the second part of that question, it’s all in the preparation. An esspresso coffee is made by taking some finely ground coffee beans and forcing hot water through those beans at very high pressure. That’s what gives esspresso machines their distinctive “whooshing” sound. The resulting drink is a very concentrated, much thicker consistency of coffee than you would get from a filter coffee maker for example.

Mmm, makes me want one just thinking about it!

Where did esspresso coffee originate?

A Milanese Italian gentleman by the name of Luigi Bezzera filed the first patent for an esspresso machine in 1901. The first esspresso machines forced steam rather than hot water through the beans. In the 1940’s a new “piston lever” design was introduced, which enabled hot water to be forced through for the same effect. These days, you can get machines that work with both designs.

What is the best way of preparing an esspresso?

Simple. You get some good quality coffee beans (see next question), grind ‘em up, pop them in the machine, switch it on, pull the lever, listen to the whoosh, bask in the aroma of the steamy vapours and wait for the syrupy nectar to flow into your little cup. Nothing to it really, as long as you’ve got the beans and the machine.

What are the best beans to use for making an esspresso?

Ah, now you’re asking! It all comes down to personal taste, but my own view is the stronger the better. First of all, you want to make sure your beans are arabica, not the inferior robusta rubbish. You’ll want a dark or very dark roast. Surprisingly, the lighter roasts contain more caffeine, but the darker roasts have a much richer, fuller flavour.

How strong should an esspresso be?

Esspresso coffee is naturally strong due to the way it’s prepared. The only things you can really control are the type of bean/roast you use, and how much you dilute the end result. A straight or double esspresso shot can be pretty strong, which is why it forms the basis of more diluted drinks like latte (add lots of hot milk) or cappuccino (add frothy milk and a dusting of cocoa powder).

How much do esspresso machines cost?

Now that depends on whether you want a little one for the home or an industrial scale one for that coffee shop you’ve always wanted to own. You can get small esspresso machines for as little as $50 but they’re probably crap. Then again you could go completely over the top and splash out a couple of thousand dollars. You could probably get something decent for the home for about $100.

What are esspresso coffee pods?

Esspresso coffee pods and the machines that use them have been growing in popularity recently. They’re quite useful devices actually and the coffee they produce can be pretty good. Basically the way they work is you insert a small plastic pod with a foil lid into a slot in the machine, pull the lever down and the machine then penetrates the foil and forces hot water through the ground beans in the pod. Ingenious! The nice thing about them is that everyone in the house can have their preferred flavour of coffee. Very handy!

Where can you go to get a really good esspresso in New York?

There’s a great little place on East Seventh Street called Abraco. Small, crowded and noisy, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better esspresso in the Big Apple. Tell them Big Mike sent you :)

What are the dangers of drinking too much esspresso?

Addiction, fluctuations in energy levels, artificial highs and lows, yeah yeah we get it.

Esspresso? Is that the right spelling?

Probably not, but it works for me.

Anyway, hope you got something out of those esspresso tips. Must go, need another coffee….

The Braun coffee maker is an inexpensive yet high quality coffee machine. The machines come in both stainless steel as well as black or white plastic. Braun has a variety of sizes to choose from depending on your requirements. Sizes range from one cup (single cup), 2 cup, 4 cup, 6 cup, 8 cup, 10 cup, right the way up to Braun 12 cup drip coffee makers. One of the important features of the larger Braun coffee machine is the built in water filer. The Brita water filter ensures that the water used to brew coffee in this machine is free of all sorts of impurities that are present in the water out of the faucet.

The single serve coffee maker is technologically beyond the super automatic espresso machine, where a single button can dispense a good espresso. It combines the advantages of full automation with the convenience of providing 1 cup when required. Single serve coffee makers do away with the grinder by capsuling grounded coffee in specifically measured pods. All you need to do is to insert the capsule into the machine, the water is controlled and out comes an espresso or long black depending on the water injected. The machine does not have a ’standard’ cup amount and so any mug/cup can be used. This is good if you only want a small cup of coffee as the cup will not over fill and cause a lot of mess.

Before Braun Coffee Makers were invented, people would use percolator machines that were put on top of a stove to brew coffee. Whether at home or for commercial use, the only way to have a cup of good one was to perk it up. After a few years electric coffee makers were introduced into the market. When Braun Coffee Makers became available to the public, coffee as we know it is changed forever! Now all people have to do is grind their favorite bean, fill up a reservoir and brew coffee. Although the Braun Coffee Maker was not the first on the American market, it definitely sets the bar high for quality that delivers.

Depending upon which version of history you look at, Braun may have come up with the world’s first coffee maker. Braun Coffee makers were made for commercial use during the 1960’s; it revolutionized coffee making and it was never the same again.

So whether you’re a morning person, a late sleeper, or an overnighter a cup brewed in a Braun will surely make your day that little bit better. The “Impressions” design from Braun is in a league of it own. This coffee maker combines harmonious looks with excellent design features.

The Aroma Deluxe is one of the latest offerings from Braun. It has a fast brewing system for those rushed mornings that need a little pick me up. Braun added a Brita water filter to add an even cleaner taste to your coffee. For that unmatched easy pouring Braun also added a non-slip handle. Yes indeed, a Braun coffee maker can not only make your coffee, but make your day!

The present economic situation is causing lots of people to be a bit more strict with their budget, focusing more on essentials and less on luxuries. This is probably the reason why more and more individuals prefer to stay at home and enjoy things they usually do outside the comforts of their own homes. The old time pleasure of dining out has now been replaced by many into cooking food at home and inviting some friends round for special occasions. Could this be one of the reasons for the popularity of the Tassimo Coffee Maker?

One thing that makes Tassimo coffee makers really stand out among traditional coffee makers is their user-friendliness. All of the features are representations of everything that any “java lover” would certainly appreciate and love. The undersized sleek design of this coffee machine makes it a great choice for those who do not have a big space to provide room for a huge home beverage system. The unit can be permanently set secure on a designated countertop without any need to have additional space for filters and grounds as compared to traditional coffee makers. This is because a Tassimo coffee machine can conveniently produce coffee by means of coffee pods. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with what a coffee pod is, it is actually a single serving of coffee that is wrapped together with a filter in an individual miniature package.

And since this coffee machine makes use of a reusable coffee pods, there is no more need to grind or measure the coffee that you will mix up because all you have to do is place the T-Disc in the machine and click the “on” button. The bar code present and printed on the label of the T-Disc will provide the coffee machine with all the essential information like the water temperature to facilitate the most favourable brewing, how long is it necessary to brew the beverage and the amount of water necessary to come up with the finest tasting concoction. When the process is completed, all you need to do is throw the disk away, and enjoy your coffee. Less mess and fewer chores, easy isn’t it?

Aside from the capability of brewing coffee quickly and quietly, the Tassimo single serve coffee maker can definitely come up with more than just one cup of steaming and great-tasting hot coffee. And if you are the owner of this home coffee system, you would absolutely love the idea of concocting a wide variety of hot beverages such as cappuccino, milk-based latte, cafe mocha, and even hot cocoa and hot tea.

The Tassimo coffee maker is definitely a wonderful coffee making system allowing you to realize your dream of having your own Starbucks coffee plus other hot concoctions right in the comforts of your own home! With just a single press, you are now ready to enjoy your own cup of freshly brewed coffee without no mess and no work!

The way you prepare a coffee is not the only thing that influences its flavour. Equally important as the preparation is the quality of the coffee itself. Buying coffee wholesale can greatly increase this quality.

The real fun starts with looking for (and finding) the right type of coffee in the first place. Buying your coffee wholesale instead of retail allows you to exercise some real quality control. To start with, this allows you to buy whole grain coffee beans, which always have much more flavour.

What to look out for when buying coffee beans

Keep an eye out for broken beans when you’re shopping for wholesale coffee because those broken beans will have lost a lot of their flavour. And watch out for beans with small holes. The holes are the result of a parasite, fairly common in Columbia, that has somehow found its way into the bag.

Also make sure the beans are not wet. Wet beans can lose some of their essential oil, which again can adversely affect the flavour of the coffee. Keep an eye out too for coffee beans that have been fried too intensely, because this will give them a bitter flavour. The best way to test for this is to press a few beans between your thumb and forefinger. If they feel a bit squidgy and don’t emit any kind of crackle, then this batch of beans is dud. They’ve probably been incorrectly fried. However, if you hear a nice crackle when you press the beans in this way, then get your cash out and buy the beans, they’re good!

Storing your coffee beans

Once you’ve gone through the process of buying coffee wholesale, you’ll have to make sure you store it properly, so that it keeps its flavour. Always keep your coffee beans in a tightly closed container, in a cool place (a larder for example). And don’t forget, you will need a grinder for the beans, which you can find at most good retailers as well as various online outlets. Get yourself a good coffee mug too and you’re all set!

Buying coffee pods wholesale

As well as buying coffee beans wholesale, you can buy coffee pods wholesale too, in big boxes containing hundreds of pods. If you’re a big coffee drinker, then it’s definitley worth buying these coffee pods in bulk. Some of these coffee pods make incredible tasting coffee, almost as good as grinding your own!

You can get different types of coffee pods for various flavours of coffee, some of which are mild and some with a stronger flavour. The nice thing about this is that if you like a good strong coffee for example, but your wife prefers hers mild, you can both have a cup of coffee that suits you!

Buying coffee wholesale, whether you are buying bags of beans or boxes of coffee pods, is the ideal way to get yourself some good quality coffee at a low price!

Coffee pods are basically self-contained filtering systems. The ground coffee is placed inside two circular filters, which are then sealed together. The coffee pod is placed inside the receptacle, on the Senseo machine this is at the top, water is then forced through the coffee pod and out through the discharge nozzle into your cup or mug, giving you a fantastic cup of fresh coffee. And, buying coffee pods couldn’t be simpler.

Senseo – The Original Manufacturers

Senseo was the original manufacturer of the coffee pod and the coffee pod machine. The Dutch company, who owns the trademark for Senseo, took several manufacturers to court trying to uphold their rights to the patents for single serve coffee pods. Although they still hold the patent for the Senseo coffee pod machine, they lost the case when it came to protecting the coffee pod. The judge who was presiding said that the coffee pods were available before the patent was filed.

Consumer Choice

What this has done is to open up the market so that any manufacturer of coffee can make their own version. Sometimes these are the coffee manufacturers are making coffee pods which are far cheaper than the original Senseo branded version… great for the consumer.

Where to Buy

There are several places where you can purchase both the coffee pod machine and the coffee pods themselves. First of all you should try your local department store. If they sell the machine, then they are more than likely going to sell the pod as well. Just make sure that when you purchase one of these pod coffee makers that you are guaranteed a reliable supply of your favorite coffee flavor. There’s no point in being able to buy coffee pods in a flavor that you do not like.

Internet Outlets

Another great place to look is on the Internet. You should try sites such as Amazon and eBay. Here you are going to be able to find not only the machines themselves at reasonable prices, but you will also be open to find coffee pods to suit your taste, such as espresso coffee pods. Once you have purchased your own machine, you may find that you like a certain blends of coffee that you cannot get from coffee pods available in your local area and which is only available for drip filter systems. You can purchase a refillable coffee pod for this purpose. You simply add your own blend of coffee, place it in the machine and press the button.

There are many different types of coffee makers on the market, each making different varieties or blend of coffee. The pod coffee maker uses a system where the ground coffee is placed inside small filter bags, known as coffee pods. The coffee pod is placed inside a receptacle, usually at the top of the machine, where hot water is forced through it. These pod coffee makers were designed to serve one or two cups of coffee at a time. They are much easier to use than the standard drip filtering coffee systems.

Some History

The Dutch companies Douwe Egberts and Philips developed the coffee pod maker in 2001 under the trademark Senseo. The early days of the Senseo coffee pod was sullied with court cases. The original patent for the coffee pod and the coffee pod maker was filed in 1998. After permission had been granted in 2001, a ruling was made against Senseo in 2004 by a Belgian court. The ruling was made because the coffee pod had already been in existence previous to the patents filing. Although this meant that Senseo were still able to retain ownership and patents over their design of coffee pod machine, the ruling led to many different coffee manufacturers making their own style of coffee pod, such as the Melitta coffee pod.

Check the Supply

There are many bit different places where you can purchase your pod coffee maker and your coffee pods. Of course, the Nederlands is going to be the cheapest place to go to purchase them, but you can also buy them in many other areas. Before you purchase a pod coffee maker, you should make sure that you can get a good supply of the pods. The machine itself comes with a sample box of pods, but this is only enough to give you about 6 cups of coffee. One place to search for your coffee pods is on the Internet. Here you will deal to buy not only your regular coffee pods, but also many different blends of coffee. You can also purchase a refillable coffee pod.

Drip Coffee Maker

Of course, as good as pod coffee makers are for making single cups, they’ll never replace the good old drip coffee makers that can make up to 10 cups at a time (for example, when you’re preparing coffee for a bunch of your friends after a dinner party).

But one of the best things about purchasing a pod coffee maker is that everybody in your home will not have to drink the same coffee. For instance, you can get up in the morning, open up your favorite package of coffee pods, which may happen to be Colombian dark roast, make yourself a steaming hot cup of coffee, and then have the ability to provide your wife her cup of mild blend.

The phenomenon of espresso pods was developed within the last 10 years by a Dutch subsidiary of the Sara Lee Corporation. Due to a court case which rescinded any rights that Douwe Egberts had for their Senseo brand of coffee pod, the coffee pod is now manufactured by many different coffee makers. You can purchase single coffee pods in a whole range of different tastes. The espresso coffee pod is one of many different varieties that are available on the market.

Wide Range of Coffee Flavors

The coffee pod machines offer not only greater variety, they are also extremely flexible. If you’re the type of person who is looking for a wide range of coffee flavors, which can be available to you at the touch of a button, then the single serve coffee pods make one of the best coffee tastes on the market. The principle of a single serve pods for coffee is that there is no longer a need for the filter. This means that all you have to do is place the coffee pod into the machine, once you have selected your preferred taste, press a button and you will have a great cup of coffee.

A Personal Espresso Maker

Espresso pods are basically espresso coffee which is placed inside its own filter pack. They’re used in the Senseo machine, or any other coffee pod machine, and they are fairly cheap, at around $.40 per cup, and extremely clean. The best thing about using these types of coffee making machines is that everyone else who doesn’t share your particular tasting coffee does not have to wait until a fresh pot is brewed. You can put your espresso coffee pods into the machine, press the buttons, and out pours you’re beautiful hot cup of espresso. Next, your wife might fancy a strong cup of Kenyan dark roast. All she has to do is to flip open the top of the machine, remove the spent espresso coffee pod, inside her own brand of Kenyan dark roast coffee pod, and repeat the process.

Senseo Espresso Machine

Senseo launched a new coffee pod machine in 2007; this is known as the new generation. It has several distinct advantages over the previous model including the ability to raise and lower the discharge chute, allowing you to use cups of varying height. It also has a built in indicator letting you know when there’s not enough water. Senseo also makes speciality machines for their speciality espresso pods, such as the ones that can produce cappuccino, macchiato, and cafe latte.

For those who like coffee there is a new system which brews coffee using coffee pods. Coffee pods offer a unique way of making coffee. It is not only quick to make a cup of extremely tasteful coffee, but there are so many different varieties of coffee pod available that nobody in your household has to have the same taste in coffee. The coffee pod idea allows one coffee drinker to consume one type of coffee, and the other coffee drinkers to consume a different kind of coffee at the same sitting. This is just not possible with the normal drip feed filtering systems.

Keurig K Cups

But the coffee pod machine is not the only coffee maker on the market that allows for single serve coffee. There are many different coffee brewers out there but this article is going to compare two different types, those being the Keurig K cups versus coffee pods. There are many different types of questions that are asked when it comes to purchasing a single service coffee system. Which coffee maker is the best, which one is the cheapest, or which one is going to give you the best coffee? Is the Senseo coffee pod machine the best or is the Keurig K cup? Will your coffee drinking habits be satisfied with either of these systems? And what is the price per cup of each system?

The Keurig System

The biggest problem with K cups is you can only use them with Keurig brewers. The Keurig system allows you to choose whichever coffee flavor you want, whatever you feel like at the time, because there are so many different types. The temperature of the water can be adjusted so that you are getting a gourmet coffee which is just to your liking. The K cup is a small plastic container with a foil lid which actually locks in the freshness. The machine costs around $90 with a 25 pack of K cups for around $10, which is around $.40 each.

The Coffee Pod System

Coffee pods, on the other hand will work with several different machines. This is because the original manufacturers, Douwe Egberts, lost a case which they had taken to court over the patent rights for the coffee pod. This means that there are plenty of manufacturers who are making their own style of coffee pod, including the espresso coffee pod. The coffee pod machine costs between $70 and $100, with the coffee pods costing around $.40 each