Best Coffee, Tea & Espresso Appliances
WHAT'S IN THE BOX: The Keurig K55 K-Cup Single Serve Coffee Maker includes 4 K-Cup pods and a water filter handle + 2 water filters to help your beverages taste their best. This process helps to remove calcium deposits, or scale, that can build up inside a coffee maker over time. AUTO-OFF: An auto-off feature is easily programmed to turn off your coffee maker after it has been idle for two hours, helping to save energy.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We already had a standard coffee maker but I didn't want to brew a whole pot of coffee at once and single-serve coffee makers seem to be very popular so I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try. I had seen several different Keurigs from the basic ones to very fancy ones but wanted to purchase one that both fulfilled my needs to brew a single cup of coffee and wasn't too expensive so I opted to buy the Keurig K55 Coffee Maker in black. Brewing: To brew a cup of coffee is very simple. When the three cup sizes illuminate in blue, you know it's time to brew your coffee. If someone else wants to brew a cup of coffee right after yours is done, all they have to do is remove your K-cup pod since they are single-use pods, add theirs and repeat the process. Water Reservoir: The reservoir holds 48 ounces of water so you don't have to fill it up every time you want to brew a new cup of coffee, which is one of the reasons I selected this model. ): The Keurig K55 Coffee Maker uses the K-cup pods, which you can purchase nearly everywhere and there are many brands and flavors to choose from. For instance, my mom and I have brewed cups of coffee one right after the other (different flavors) and neither of us have noticed the other flavor in our respective cups. I've only brewed one cup of apple cider with this and haven't noticed the previous coffee flavor in the apple cider or the apple cider in my next cup of coffee. It's not too loud when it's brewing the cup of coffee. It's a great model that is nice on your wallet and will brew a great cup of coffee as often as you'd like! I typically brew four cups of coffee a day now to keep up with my kids and I've had no trouble with using this Keurig."
"This is what made me a fan of coffee."
"However, we feel that the Keurig K55 coffee maker has proved superior to any of our previous coffee brewers. I like strong coffee, or sometimes I like to have flavored coffee, and my sister-in-law likes the same coffee that I do. Aside from the 5 press buttons to regulate the Keurig coffee maker, there are 3 other LED light indicators. Add Water – a Blue LED will light up. If there is not enough water, the coffee maker will not work, therefore I consider this indicator as a safety feature, as well as a resolution to a possible ‘user error’. WATER RESERVOIR: Included with the Keurig K55 is a Charcoal Water filter Cartridge Kit with 2 charcoal filters. This will eliminate the unwanted chemical taste that is in some water systems, and good tasting water is essential for a delicious cup of coffee. In addition, this coffee maker will accommodate my 7 ¼” coffee thermos by sliding the drip tray out from bottom base, and I can have my thermos filled when placed on the bottom flat tray base. THE KEURIG K55 ACCOMMODATES REUSABLE COFFEE FILTERS: My favorite coffee is from fresh beans that I grind myself, and therefore it’s important to me that a coffee maker will accommodate a reusable filter. The reusable coffer pod filter that I use is the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter (Single) – and this is compatible with the Keurig K55 model. This machine comes with a ‘Charcoal Water Filter Cartridge Kit and 2 charcoal pod filters, which guarantees excellent coffee, even though we have ‘hard water’ (which tastes awful) in our water system."
"The first one lasted many years and finally died (after very hard daily use)."
12 cup glass carafe included or brew into a travel or regular sized mug using single serve function.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is a really great coffee maker, if you would like to have the option to have a single serve or a coffee pot full of coffee, then this is a great coffee maker for you."
"And with the single-serve side, we're actually using LESS coffee than we were using with our previous coffee maker, which was a standard "carafe" style coffee maker. So it turns out that we like the single-serve side so much that, one month and more than 100 cups of coffee later, we have yet to use the carafe side of the coffee maker."
"Keep in mind there is a filter already in the single serve, but if you make a pot of coffee you will need your own filters."
"I even liked how my stainless steel to go cup fit perfectly in the single brew space for storage. BUT I was extremely disappointed when I realized the reason my coffee wasn't ready when I woke up for work this morning, was that the clock for programming the wake alarm is only in PM now! Having a programmable clock to set a timer is one of the main reasons why I purchased this coffee maker."
"We will be happy to send you a replacement product. Under the terms of your limited warranty, you must first return the defective product to us and pay for the cost of sending the replacement product to you. Instead of returning the full product, please unplug your appliance, cut off the plug, and send a picture of the disabled unit to photo@hamiltonbeach.com. When we receive the picture of the disabled unit AND your payment of $11.49 to cover the cost of sending you a replacement product, we will ship the replacement directly to you. Once we receive your payment and picture of the disabled unit, you should expect your new appliance to arrive within 7-10 business days."
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Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Place a silicone lid cover like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KX1FKGK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 on top of your mug while it sits, makes a HUGE difference."
"OK, I read a number of the reviews posted here before purchasing this mug warmer, and did a little research to check what the power used (wattage) was supposed to be. But for such a simply made device, like all the others I see advertised too, it appears to generate a majority of the heat energy at the indented area where the cup will sit. The depressed area where your coffee mug sits gets noticeably warmer than the sides of the device. The mug warmer doesn't heat it to a hot coffee temperature but check it's name -- it isn't supposed to. You can't have a relatively small, inexpensive plastic device have a red-hot burner on it, not when it's intended use is sitting next to my monitor amidst piles of note and maybe near a textbook or two."
"That being said, as a precaution I placed a stone coaster with a cork bottom under my warmer and also purchased a silicone beverage cover from BBB (they also sell them on Amazon) as to deter loss of heat through evaporation. I the conducted an experiment where I filled my coffee mug with room temp coffee and creamer from the fridge and placed my mug with cover on burner."
"I bought this to keep my tea warm I figured I could use it on the cup but actually decided to try it on the pot I have a small 24oz pot and I sip on tea all day and it stays quite hot to where I have to let it cool a bit before I can drink it hot."
"This one is super-cheap, but takes weeks for delivery (straight from China). Crqes 1 Pcs S Anti-dust Silicone Glass Cup Cover Coffee Mug Suction Seal Lid Cap."
"The mug warmer does an excellent job of keeping ceramic mugs warm, to my surprise it even did and excellent job of warming room temperature coffee back up."
"When it becomes or stays as hot as the plate, it is warm enough."
"It quit working ..the light is on but the burner is cold. I will buy items like this at Walmart, where I know I can return or exchange it."
Best Tea & Espresso Beverage Warmers
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Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"OK, I read a number of the reviews posted here before purchasing this mug warmer, and did a little research to check what the power used (wattage) was supposed to be. But for such a simply made device, like all the others I see advertised too, it appears to generate a majority of the heat energy at the indented area where the cup will sit. The depressed area where your coffee mug sits gets noticeably warmer than the sides of the device. The mug warmer doesn't heat it to a hot coffee temperature but check it's name -- it isn't supposed to. You can't have a relatively small, inexpensive plastic device have a red-hot burner on it, not when it's intended use is sitting next to my monitor amidst piles of note and maybe near a textbook or two."
"Place a silicone lid cover like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KX1FKGK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 on top of your mug while it sits, makes a HUGE difference."
"That being said, as a precaution I placed a stone coaster with a cork bottom under my warmer and also purchased a silicone beverage cover from BBB (they also sell them on Amazon) as to deter loss of heat through evaporation. I the conducted an experiment where I filled my coffee mug with room temp coffee and creamer from the fridge and placed my mug with cover on burner."
"I bought this to keep my tea warm I figured I could use it on the cup but actually decided to try it on the pot I have a small 24oz pot and I sip on tea all day and it stays quite hot to where I have to let it cool a bit before I can drink it hot."
"I have this warmer plugged in next to my makeup mirror and can enjoy taking my time drinking my tea without worrying about it getting cold. If you enjoy taking your time with your coffee or tea, you will love this handly little warmer."
"I wasn't very happy with this product to begin with, it didn't seem to be keeping my coffee hot - warmish but not hot like I expected."
"Both sizzle if you get a little water on them and they keep our drinks hot. I'm sure because of the bigger base on them (both cups hold same amount of liquid)."
Best Coffee Machines
Brew strength control allows you to select regular or bold coffee flavor.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"(In the attached comparison photos, the 1200 is on the left and the 3200 is on the right): Taste: Coffee in the 3200 is more flavorful. They seem to get the extra capacity by making the 3200 a little deeper from front to back. (I read some complaints about the lid on an intervening model with a spring opening, but if so, they fixed that by going back to the 1200 style). Still the 3200 is easier to fill, and I suspect that the restriction on the tilt may help preserve the integrity of the hot water tube. Taking out the carafe to sneak a cup during brewing worked great on the 1200 with little dripping, and still does on the 3200. The basket on the 3200 is very similar to the 1200, but a slightly different shape to accommodate more grounds for 14 cups. The extra stainless steel looks good on the 3200 but probably shows smudges more and might benefit from special cleaner fluids. The larger basket (with possibly a bigger drip opening), the deeper reservoir and longer case, and the more stable, non-tilting lid may help with this, but we will see how it works over time. I do notice that they made the bottom panel easier to remove, with regular screws instead of Torx, if it ever comes to that. In all, the 3200 is an excellent replacement for the 1200, and worth the extra money if you are choosing between the two models new."
"After doing a LOT of research, I decided to order this coffee maker. Taking into account the negative reviews, my personal experience is a mix but mostly on the positive side. When you go to fill the water reservoir, the lid doesn't open far enough to use the coffee pot. Not really, it's just a minor annoyance and the primary reason I didn't feel this coffee maker was 5 star worthy. Towards the end of the cycle, the unit will start this series of clicking and chunking sounds, like it can't siphon the water. The maker will make its series of beeps like it's done but there will be "4 cups" worth of water left in the reservoir. It seem to be boiling off a LOT of the water and as a result there is a large amount steam coming off the machine. UPDATE #2: As it turns out, it appears that the maker just needed a good cleaning."
"I eliminated a lot of brands from numerous website reviews and looking at the quality of them in the stores. The 2650 offered a few more features but the lid still leaks water off the back end when you raise it and the on/off switch looks like it could give me problems sooner rather than later. After using it I would say that the engineers at Cuisinart finally put their heads together and worked to resolve the nit picky issues buyers had been complaining about with prior models."
Best Electric Coffee Percolators
Percolators have come back to home kitchens, and the Presto 12-cup stainless steel coffee maker is a prime example. This coffee maker brews up to twelve cups of coffee at a cup-a-minute rate, which it then keeps at a constant, piping-hot serving temperature. Before cleaning the coffee maker, unplug the unit and allow it to cool completely. The coffee maker measures 10 by 5 by 13 inches (including handle, lid, and spout). Made of durable stainless steel including the filter basket and perk tube; Signal light indicates when coffee is ready to serve.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This pot has consistently delivered the best tasting coffee - better than all restaurants we frequent, better than friends and family's coffee... just awesomely, amazingly good. Using the metal basket without a paper filter allows the flavor oils that naturally exist in the coffee bean to STAY in the coffee and contribute to its amazing and full flavor. If you use a paper filter, you'll lose the oils and get an "over-extracted" flavor that's more bitter than bold... so don't use a paper filter, follow the instructions, and you're GOLDEN - perfect coffee every time. The key place for build up is the receiving "hole" at the bottom of the pot for the metal tube. I prefer the wire brush route and just tap the bottom of the basket, which instantly clears the holes and allows you to keep the years of perfect seasoning intact. When assembling the pot in order to brew coffee, if you don't get the metal tube lined up with the receiving hole in the bottom of the pot, you'll get a misfire where you'll get a weak pot of coffee (at best), if not a mere pot of hot water. Don't overfill the basket with coffee - the closer you are to the top of the tube, the more likely to get grains in the bottom of the pot. It's OK to let the coffee sit plugged in and ready to go for a long time as a FULL pot. If you're going to be leaving less than half a pot for more than an hour, UNPLUG IT, the coffee can burn if it sits long enough, just like ANY coffee pot. Obviously, the fresher the better - just don't let it sit plugged in with very little coffee left, or your coffee will be understandably less delicious than you were expecting. Finally, stop reading reviews, buy this pot, and enjoy your awesome coffee!!"
"2) Coffee must taste good. 3) NO plastic - at least where the nearly boiling hot water comes into contact with it. 4) Ease of use - KISS rule applies here, as we're operating on very little sleep these days. How it performed. 1) This pot knocks this out of the park. It is HOT and it stays hot for a long time (actually, it will stay hot as long as you have the machine plugged into the outlet, which is a really nice feature when we're home on the weekends). A couple of our other machines actually took longer to brew coffee as we encountered filter problems and other issues. 2) The taste of coffee will be affected by many factors, not the least of which is the quality of your selected beans, the roast, how freshly ground it is, and using COLD water to begin, however even with the best coffees our previous coffee makers left something to be desired. This machine consistently makes delicious coffee. As we increased the amount of coffee we drink, we realized that pretty much all other machines involve plastic parts somewhere in the brew process, despite having metal baskets and the like. Sometimes we grind the coffee the night before to save time, but plenty of mornings we have grind it just before making the coffee. I think this has to do with how hot this machine gets the water prior to brewing. I've been raving about how hot it makes coffee, and that it's made of metal. Plus, my husband is so sweet about getting up first and making the coffee, so not much has changed for me in this way ;-). Well, this is the longest review I have ever written, but I know how people are about their coffee...because I am one of those people. We've had this machine for 6 months, it's going strong, it looks cool on the counter, it's easy to use and it makes one darn good cup of coffee."
"I loved hearing that percolator and to my delight was a piping hot cup of coffee that I longed for that was brewed to perfection. I found using the 1-4 cup coffee filter fits perfectly into the basket which is a must to absorb the 2 types of diterpenes found in coffee."
Best Electric Kettles
The PerfecTemp for Every Occasion Equipped with 1500 watts of power for fast heating, this electric kettle brings up to 1-2/3 liters of water to a rolling boil in a matter of minutes. Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp Cordless Programmable Kettle The control panel also offers blue LED indicators, a "start" button, and a "keep warm" button, which will maintain the set temperature for 30 minutes. For added convenience, the kettle's 360-degree swivel base allows for pouring without the hassle of a power cord getting in the way, and its memory function makes it possible to remove the kettle from its base for two minutes without it shutting off or losing its place in the heating process. Other highlights include a stay-cool nonslip handle, an "open" button for lifting the lid, a blue backlit water window with measurement marks, a concealed heating element to prevent mineral buildup, a removable/washable scale filter, a dripless pour spout, and boil-dry protection with auto shutoff for safety. Product Overview 1.7-liter capacity 6 preset temperatures One-touch controls with blue LED indicators 30-minute Keep Warm option Memory feature allows kettle to be lifted off base for 2 minutes without shutting off or losing its place in the brewing process 1500 watts for fast heat-up Blue backlit water window 360° swivel cordless connector Stay-cool nonslip handle Concealed heating element to prevent mineral buildup Removable/cleanable scale filter Auto shutoff and boil dry protection Limited 3-year warranty. Special Features • Memory Feature The kettle features an internal “memory” that lets you leave the kettle off the base for up to 2 minutes without it going into standby mode. • Keep Warm Mode Keep Warm is the kettle’s default function that automatically maintains selected temperature for 30 minutes. 1500-watt/110-volts stainless-steel cordless electric kettle with 1-2/3-liter capacity and concealed heating element.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This has review three parts: (1) why you should get something like this in general, (2) specific concerns about this product not addressed in other reviews, and (3) detailed operational measurements (water temperature range). === Part 1: Why to get an variable temperature electric tea kettle ===. For anyone who drinks tea (unless it is exclusively black) or makes coffee outside an all-in-one, department store drip-brewer, this is absolutely indispensable. === Part 2: Concerns / questions raised (and/or) left unanswered by other reviews ===. I won't go into detail about well-established pros and cons covered in other reviews, but I would like to make clear a few things I couldn't determine from reviews/specs before I bought mine: ("Hot sides/surfaces"): Yes, the sides get hot, and yes, it is startling to touch the metal outer wall when the water is hot. === Part 3: Operational test data ===. As a tea fanatic with a minimum of four kinds of tea always on hand (black, red/oolong, green, and white) and general geek, I have meticulously measured the actual temperature of the water in the kettle for the various settings."
"Hopefully, one day when they are all blank, I'll remember what button does what."
"What I don't like is that the screws on the inside of the lid began to rust about 2 months in."
"When I called to request that they replace the kettle, I discovered that (1) I'd have to ship the kettle back to them first, and (2) I'd need to enclose an extra $15 payment to cover Cuisinart's return shipping expense for the replacement unit...because the kettle only has "a limited warranty." So (counting $15, plus my own packaging and shipping cost) I'm being to told to expend at least $30 in order to get a replacement for a unit I had for three months--a unit that has never been abused or mistreated in any way. It should have a PREMIUM warranty policy--just ship me the replacement, place a hold on my credit card until I return the bad one in the replacement packaging, etc."
"Time to give up with technology and get a whistling stovetop model "KitchenAid KTEN20CBPR 2.0-Quart Kettle with C Handle and Trim Band - Pyrite" this should last longer than three years and is much cheaper."
Best Espresso Machine & Coffeemaker Combos
With one simple touch, Mr. Coffee Café Barista Premium Espresso & Cappuccino System brews espresso and automatically froths milk for cappuccino and latté selections. Semi-automatic 3-in-1 espresso maker, cappuccino maker, and latte maker.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am an average person who likes mochas from the coffee shop, but I live 80 miles from town, so I don't get them very often and wanted to try making them at home. I read a lot of blogs and watched online videos from real baristas giving tips how to make good espresso drinks at home before purchasing this. The call: In short, customer service told me to run a cleaning cycle per directions from page 16 in the user manual. Anyway, after a couple times running the double shot espresso button the temperature went from consistent 157*F to 175-182*F. Wahoo! BTW, I was using a good quality quick, calibrated thermometer that I use for caramel making, which is a very exacting process to do right. So I figured it could accurately measure the espresso before it cooled from air temperature, which by the way is mere seconds I found out. NOTE: The higher temperature is NOT for drinking comfort (how hot you like it) it is what the espresso NEEDS to properly extract and not be bitter. You can let it sit a few minutes if you don't like it that hot, personally I don't want a burned tongue, so I wait a little. Honestly though it's faster shipping it back and waiting for a replacement machine because it doesn't get hot enough, this WORKS. You can use the hand held cone burr grinders for the most accurate fine ground. Too fine (Turkish grind, which is like flour) and it clogs the filter making the machine unable to push all the water through. Too course (regular coffee machine grind) and the water goes through too fast making it bitter. However, in the morning I am cranky and impatient, I'm also lazy, so I've ordered a couple different electric burr grinders to see if that works as well. Also, but a metal tamper, the plastic one isn't sturdy enough for 30 lbs pressure, it bents and packs unevenly. Before you make your cup each morning, warm the machine as directions indicate, but ALSO run a shot of plain water through first. You can open the lid and fill the reservoir with it ON the machine with a pitcher if taking it on and off is too hard. This is a good machine for the average espresso based specialty coffee drinker."
"Several days I spent reviewing 'all in one' espresso machines, and there's a lot to filter through (get it? What I REALLY like about it is that it's pretty much an all in one system without the thousand dollars plus all in one cost. I push one button and all the magic happens, and it's quite entertaining to watch the espresso cascade through the milk and create separate layers. Just hold the top button for the coffee grind connector (w/e you call it) to get cleaned and hold the bottom button for the milk frother to get cleaned... that's pretty simple! I did notice that the milk froth cleaner doesn't get all the milk out of the metal tube, but since it slides right off and is pretty easy to clean it's not that big of a deal to me."
"I also have a Mr. Coffee burr grinder Mr. Coffee BVMC-BMH23 Automatic Burr Mill Grinder, Black/Silver so that I am making the freshest coffee possible and I buy my coffee freshly roasted from a local company. The milk container lid is where it connects to the main part of machine. Before going out and buying another machine if one of the parts fails... see if they carry a replacement. I was impressed with the reasonable prices and quick shipping on the Mr. Coffee website. I had another machine that had great reviews made by Hamilton Beach back in the day, but it was really lacking compared to this machine."
Best Espresso Machines
Purge Function: Automatically adjusts water temperature after steam for optimal espresso extraction temperature.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Every day it makes amazing espresso, and as long as I keep it clean it preforms beautifully. This thing is also easier to maintain and requires less cleaning than other cheaper espresso machines I've tried. If the machine keeps going over or under on the pressure gauge, try cleaning the grinder. And remember to clean with those desolvable tablets when the clean me light comes on! I chose Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets here on amazon, and they work great! I know many would rather use a separate burr grinder, but this thing works perfectly fine, and is easy to clean. Many complained about the coffee machine heating up the beans too much if you leave them inside the hopper, but I actually store my beans in a special container outside of the hopper, and use the included the scoop to pour in the beans when I grind them. 12) Has an automated cleaning cycle to clean the insides of the grouphead. 15) Includes tools to clean out the filters. Some things that bother me (Cons)*. 1)The top of the machine is plastic. 2) The bottom sides of the machine is plastic. 3) The water tank needs to be refilled often. 4) The bottom water catcher thing (sorry) needs to be emptied often, but its not too bad. Edit: It seems quite a few people had problems with the machine dying on them, If your machine died on your please comment on this review with any information you think may help, such as the level of maintenance you preformed while your machine was working, the brand of water filters and cleaning tablets you used, etc."
"I had a $30 Mr Coffee machine, then when that started acting up replaced it with a $150 Cuisinart that served well for about 6 years. I did work at a coffee cart for a couple years in college, though I was the first employee, so my training may have been lacking. If you're looking for a mess free experience, you may want to double or triple your spending and look at fully automated machines. I am the only coffee drinker in the house, so it is harder for me to justify spending money on high end separate components. So when I purchased this machine, I only spent a couple hundred out of pocket for it (if it breaks after 18 months, I'll be sad, but I'll probably buy it again since I didn't `pay' full price for it). I've seen some people say they had issues with it not registering any pressure, but it's hard to know their circumstances- beans, grind, tamp, broken gauge, etc. If you want to minimize the amount of grounds falling onto the counter, you can rest your index finger cross ways on the front exposed lip of the filter when the grinding process is halfway done. When you turn the steam off, there is supposed to be an 8 second wait before the machine purges, I think it's closer to 5 from my experience. On occasion the filter basket will get stuck to the shower head, mostly when it's an empty shot, once in a while when there are coffee grounds in it. If that happens, I just put the portafilter back over the filter about half way up, then give it a little tug and it usually pops off easily. If you're looking for dry pucks, the key to that is to steam the milk after getting the shot of espresso with the portafilter in place. The steaming process directs pressure to the filter basket, which will squeeze out more water from the grounds. I have dumped grounds without steaming afterwards, and while they were noticeably wetter, when the puck dropped it stayed together as one formed piece instead of falling into pile of mush. (I did that last week, knocked over my travel mug while steaming milk, so I needed to do a second shot, now my 2 year old gives me a friendly reminder to not spill my coffee every morning). For maintenance, I perform the clean cycle with a tablet every 2 months (I average using the machine once a day). I have been very happy with this machine with very few complaints (some issues have been self-inflicted, like forgetting to add water to the tank, it survived). The prices on most of the pieces are not outrageous, so that leaves me hope that a year or two down the road as components wear out, it should be possible to replace them yourself and keep the machine running. Sorry this got long... Hopefully someone finds this information useful, and if you're looking for an easy to use machine that still gives you room to play around with, this is a good one to consider, I highly recommend it. Also, I stepped away one time with the steam wand in milk to finish heating it up, and ended up getting distracted and forgetting it. I had quite the mess and felt a little dumb, but cycled the machine off and on and started over to heat the milk appropriately this time. I've continued to have good luck with it, just needing to adjust the grinding settings on occasion when switching beans or seasonal changes that affect the house temp and humidity. It did seem the frothing wand was not expressing its usual amount of steam at one point, so I cleaned with it a small little pin, inserting it in the tip (I can't recall if one of those came with this machine or if it was from a previous one, I think one came with it tho, little metal stick in a black plastic thumb drive looking thingy)."
Best Iced Tea Machines
Brewing fresh, homemade iced tea or coffee has never been easier thanks to the Mr. Coffee 3-Quart Iced Tea and Coffee Maker. pitcher capacity; can brew tea bags or loose tea.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have been making iced tea the old school way by boiling water, added my tea bags, steeping for 6-7 minutes, then adding to a container of cold water.....for years I've done it that way. One thing I will add in my review that I wished I had read in others -- the way this iced tea maker wants you to make tea is filling the pitcher up with ICE and having the tea brew on top of it."
"Fill pitcher to the top of the word "Water", not the water line, and pour into tea maker. 2. After brewing completes, pour 1.5 cups of sugar into the still warm tea. Add cold water until tea reaches the 3 QT line."
"Im a HUGE Arnold Palmer fan and you can brew up a pitcher in no time flat with this thing."
"We couldn't get the tea stains off the old pitcher and there was mold in the top where the tea bags go."
"However, the machine can only make enough iced tea at one time to fill about 1/3 of the pitcher."
"So it takes up lots of space in the refrigerator and while I can handle it with one hand (one hand opening the refrigerator and the other to lift and put the pitcher back in) my sister who doesn't lift weights (and has small hands...size small in gloves) can not! Because of the size of the pitcher I will be looking for something with a smaller footprint to transfer the tea."
"I always have to restart it several times before the pot brews because the water doesn't drain correctly from the tea bag holder."
Best Milk Frothers
Luscious lattes, creamy cappuccinos and more ... get the gourmet coffee experience in your own home with the Epica Electric Milk Frother & Heater Carafe. So it's perfect for topping off iced coffee or trendy cocktails, as well as cappuccino or hot cocoa. Carafe Detaches from Base for Easy Pouring Some electric frothers are difficult to handle because the cord gets in your way. 2-year warranty NOTE: If the product is not heating properly, make sure you are pressing hot frothing button (number 4 in the user manual ) If you press number 5 it will only froth without heating . The higher max line is only for heating without frothing .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I worked for years at both Starbucks and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as a manager so I know more than the average person when it comes to making Froth.. I have a Keurig and I make 4 oz of dark coffee (instead of espresso) and pour it into the foam (Macchiato style)."
"I have been using a hand held frother for years and by comparison Epica frother generates smaller denser bubbles. Whole milk, of course, makes the thickest creamiest foam, soy milk and almond milk also work with less dense bubbles. The frother can also be used to warm milk without frothing (minimum of 1/3 cup and maximum of 1 1/4 cup)."
"As it turns out, one of our favorite restaurants serves a nice frothy cappuccino and I asked the waiter if they have one of those big steamers. A little cinnamon on top if I'm making it for my wife and we have a tiny touch of elegance every morning."
"The milk is also warmed at the same time and you can just use the warm function by pressing the bottom button instead of the top frothing button. The TOP MAX line is for warming only, not frothing. It will spill over the edges if you try to froth above the max froth line (the lower set of lines in the frother)."
"I'll include a photo of the matcha tea. Keep in mind - adding matcha tea to the mixture prevents large amounts of frothing but there is still enough for you matcha tea lovers to have fun with it and it would also depend on the milk you use - when I froth with 2% milk and matcha - I get a lot more bubbles/froth. I'm including video of what it looks like when you pour the almond milk out from frother with matcha tea in - listen you can hear it. I add the tea to the milk and turn the machine on."
Best Single-Serve Brewers
Discover hundreds of K-Cup pod varieties from all of the brands you love, including Green Mountain Coffee, Starbucks, and Lipton, and enjoy coffee, tea, hot cocoa and more. WHAT'S IN THE BOX: The Keurig K55 K-Cup Single Serve Coffee Maker includes 4 K-Cup pods and a water filter handle + 2 water filters to help your beverages taste their best. This process helps to remove calcium deposits, or scale, that can build up inside a coffee maker over time. AUTO-OFF: An auto-off feature is easily programmed to turn off your coffee maker after it has been idle for two hours, helping to save energy.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We already had a standard coffee maker but I didn't want to brew a whole pot of coffee at once and single-serve coffee makers seem to be very popular so I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try. I had seen several different Keurigs from the basic ones to very fancy ones but wanted to purchase one that both fulfilled my needs to brew a single cup of coffee and wasn't too expensive so I opted to buy the Keurig K55 Coffee Maker in black. Brewing: To brew a cup of coffee is very simple. When the three cup sizes illuminate in blue, you know it's time to brew your coffee. If someone else wants to brew a cup of coffee right after yours is done, all they have to do is remove your K-cup pod since they are single-use pods, add theirs and repeat the process. Water Reservoir: The reservoir holds 48 ounces of water so you don't have to fill it up every time you want to brew a new cup of coffee, which is one of the reasons I selected this model. ): The Keurig K55 Coffee Maker uses the K-cup pods, which you can purchase nearly everywhere and there are many brands and flavors to choose from. For instance, my mom and I have brewed cups of coffee one right after the other (different flavors) and neither of us have noticed the other flavor in our respective cups. I've only brewed one cup of apple cider with this and haven't noticed the previous coffee flavor in the apple cider or the apple cider in my next cup of coffee. It's not too loud when it's brewing the cup of coffee. It's a great model that is nice on your wallet and will brew a great cup of coffee as often as you'd like! I typically brew four cups of coffee a day now to keep up with my kids and I've had no trouble with using this Keurig."
"This is what made me a fan of coffee."
"However, we feel that the Keurig K55 coffee maker has proved superior to any of our previous coffee brewers. I like strong coffee, or sometimes I like to have flavored coffee, and my sister-in-law likes the same coffee that I do. Aside from the 5 press buttons to regulate the Keurig coffee maker, there are 3 other LED light indicators. Add Water – a Blue LED will light up. If there is not enough water, the coffee maker will not work, therefore I consider this indicator as a safety feature, as well as a resolution to a possible ‘user error’. WATER RESERVOIR: Included with the Keurig K55 is a Charcoal Water filter Cartridge Kit with 2 charcoal filters. This will eliminate the unwanted chemical taste that is in some water systems, and good tasting water is essential for a delicious cup of coffee. In addition, this coffee maker will accommodate my 7 ¼” coffee thermos by sliding the drip tray out from bottom base, and I can have my thermos filled when placed on the bottom flat tray base. THE KEURIG K55 ACCOMMODATES REUSABLE COFFEE FILTERS: My favorite coffee is from fresh beans that I grind myself, and therefore it’s important to me that a coffee maker will accommodate a reusable filter. The reusable coffer pod filter that I use is the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter (Single) – and this is compatible with the Keurig K55 model. This machine comes with a ‘Charcoal Water Filter Cartridge Kit and 2 charcoal pod filters, which guarantees excellent coffee, even though we have ‘hard water’ (which tastes awful) in our water system."
"The first one lasted many years and finally died (after very hard daily use)."