Single Cup Coffee Maker

savumaki

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Jan 27, 2005
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Temagami, ON
I love coffee----in small doses;
I currently use the tried and true 8-10 cup brewer but only make 4 cups of which I drink 2 in a single serving, I use canned, ground coffee because it is quick and easy.
My son has a single cup maker that I had the fortune to sample coffee from on my last visit--Oh my what a difference; just great coffee.

I am moving north (Temagami, ON) and want to pitch my old coffee maker and move up to something that produces a better product than I am currently consuming. It would be required to produce 2-3 cups (at different times) during the day and maybe some tea.

Reviews; there sure are a lot of them and of course each one is the best.
I know from past threads that we have quite a group of coffee aficionados on CPF so here is my question;
-what are your experiences with single cup coffee makers and recommendations?
BTW- if you feel that perhaps I should not even be looking at a machine then alternatives are welcome.
Karl

I did read the post from 04 but wondered if time had developed a better machine.
 
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angelofwar

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South Carolina
Love my Keurig...Although they are limited to one "larger" cup at a time, there a multiple brands/flavors of Coffee's and teas available. Plus, it's practically mess free. Some of my favorites are the Sumatran Bold and the Black Silk.
 

bltkmt

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Oct 2, 2007
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Connecticut
+1 on the Keurig. Very simple and no mess. Coffee taste is not quite as good as brewed, but the ease trumps that IMO.
 

StarHalo

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Dec 4, 2007
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California Republic
I like drinking/making one cup at a time, but I don't like the idea of my choices being limited to a "format" for the coffeemaker. I use the Krups Cafe Express 4-Cup brewer; it's just a scaled-down auto drip unit with a mesh filter; no filters to buy, and no limit to your coffee choices.

krupscafeexpress.jpg
 

Lite_me

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Jun 29, 2006
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I used a cheap Black & Decker single cup coffee maker for years. I've gone through several of them. They did the job alright and the coffee was good so long as you kept everything clean.

I've recently purchased a Keurig and like it. It is a single cup maker but will dish-em out one after another if needed. There are ~200 different kinds of K-Cup coffee & tea to choose from so flavor should not be a problem. It's quick & easy but expensive. I got a model that makes a larger cup and glad I did. Not all models will make a larger 11-12oz cup. I found making a smaller cup to be too strong for my liking and always make the larger cup just to thin it down some. I like being able to have a different flavored cup of coffee anytime I want. I usually keep 6-10 different kinds on hand at all times. Switching and experimenting with different flavors/brands is interesting. I think it's pretty slick!
 

UberLumens

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Feb 24, 2010
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A hot water machine will give you the most choices.

It eliminates the proprietary plastic cups that cost so much and you can brew any hot beverage/soup etc (i often make cup o noodles as well as drinks)
(It will mean you need a cup top filter setup,no big deal)

Single cup :sunbeam hotshot

Pro:works great for all hot drinks one cup at a time, inexpensive, small, zero maintenance
Con:can be hard to find

---------

Larger Scale:Bunn professional coffee maker

Pro: its always on, puts out as much hot water as you put in(1 cup or 3 pots). Fast brewing 12cups in about 3min. easy maitnence

Con: Is large and exspensive

---------

Multi-Use: one of those office water coolers with a hot water option.
Pro: always on, hot or cold, bottled water
Cons: cost, harder maintenance than bunn, bottles

Let us know how you make out
 

ma_sha1

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Jan 10, 2009
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CT, USA
I love single cup coffee making.

I have gone through a few different brands & tried those that use sealed single packs as well.
The one method I love the most & have since settled with is getting a double dose Expresso Machine to make coffee.

Put coffee instead of expresso in there, you can put twice amount into the double doze metal holder, The advantage is that its pressure driven, goes fast, finish in 15-20 sec, really hot too.
This way, you get max flavor w/o bitterness.

Illy had a book on expresso i read a while ago, it had a study & saying bitter taste comes out after 30", thus, for best flavor, one should never use drip coffee making method.

I don't actually put fine grind expresso, too strong for me,
but putting coffee into expresso machine has been great!

Summary of a few key thing to look for in this method:

1, Double doze (double cup) expresso machine, toss the bottom piece that direct flow into 2 small cups. Just use one cup, bigger than expresso cup but you can't fit a big cup down there.
2, Store brand ok, as long as it heats the water really hot. I got from walmart I think & forgot what brand. But generally speaking, expresso machine heat water hotter than coffee maker.
3, Two settings: Heating the water & turn on the flow must be on two separate settings or switches to make this method work. You don't want luke warm water start flowing. I think most expresso machine has the two settings separate.


The Keurig or Philip senso pod machine works pretty well too, but has much higher on going operating cost and limit flexibility on amounts. You can do 1 or 2 pods but not 1.5 :)
My Philips senso crapped out after 2 yrs. My Walmart expresso machine still going after 4 yrs. now.
 
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savumaki

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674
Location
Temagami, ON
Well I certainly got a lot of food for thought very quickly; the Keurig seems to get a lot of attention and sounds like a likely choice- it is also the one my son has so I know it does work.
Another intriguing choice may be the 'french press'- it does not appear to require a large investment and will certainly be on the trial list.

ma sha1 has an interesting concept- wish I lived close to him.
UberLumens concept would certainly add versatility and I believe work well with the 'french press' if I understand correctly how it works.

I think I will try the 'french press' before I move. If I don't like it it will give me time to find something down here since where I'm going is not exactly a shopping paradise.
Karl
 

_Shawn_

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Feb 28, 2008
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CO
1: Insulated thermos of your choice. (I prefer stainless)
2: Manual drip: GSI Outdoors Collapsible JavaDrip Slim Drip Coffee Maker or [FONT=&quot]Melitta Cone Filter Coffeemaker 10 Cup[/FONT]
3: Stainless-Steel Electric Kettle Also works great for tea!!! :thumbsup:
4: Coffee and #4 or #6 filters.

Pros:

  • Quick,
  • inexpensive,
  • easy to clean,
  • Kettle works for the tea-bagging you would like to do.
  • No risk of contamination from aluminum heating element in electric drip coffee makers.
  • If you have a stove... it works when the power is out. :candle:
Con:

  • No automatic timer. (no biggie, that's what alarm clocks are for)
  • Takes a little practice, the first few times you may overfill the cup/thermos. (no biggie)

Coffee is ready in 3-10 minutes depending on how much water you boil. The only extra work (small) is pouring the hot water into the manual drip. Oh, the automatic timer is your alarm clock .

This works better (for me) than any of the automatic drip coffee makers. I have never had a automatic coffee maker last longer than 2 months regardless of cost/quality. And... the coffee is as good as the beans you use.

With the insulated thermos the coffee will stay warm for hours with out getting the burnt coffee taste.

*The key is a good electric tea kettle and to make the coffee just after water boils*

For one to two cups I often use an insulated coffee cup rather than a full size thermos.

If you do go with this rout stick with the 4 to 10 cup manual drip rather than the single cup. The single cup just take to long.

(Another option is a french coffee press but you did say drip.)

.
 
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Kremer

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Jul 23, 2002
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391
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Dayton, OH
We have a Keurig for the wife, she loves it. I picked up a "solofill" cup/insert for it for myself so I can use whatever grounds I want. It's the same concept as Keurig's own my k-cup deal but is better quality, produces better results, is cheaper, and doesn't require you to change the cup holder in the machine to use.

I also have a full size Zoji for myself and large and small french presses ;)
 

bfj2000

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Dec 10, 2009
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Another vote for Keurig. Endless selection, ease of use, plus the ability to brew with your own grounds. I have a Keurig at home, and I am glad we have one at work.
 

CobraMan

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Nov 26, 2005
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Cerritos, California
Add me to the Keurig fanwagon.

Used to buy Starbucks beans (Sumatran, Gold Coast, or Verona), grind, brew in a drip machine or French press - great coffee with a mess and wait time. Tried Keurig at a friends house and thought it tasted pretty darn good with very little wait time and no mess - plus my wife can have her foo foo flavored coffee while I stick to bold brew. Works out great and have not looked back since about a year and a half ago.

Current favorite is Green Mountain Sumatran Extra Bold - run the smallest cup setting twice and get a much better result then a single big cup brew. Also tried the reusable pod where you can put your own grounds in but did not get a very stong brew out of it - looked to me like there was not enough backpressure to extract the coffee since the screen surface covered to much area in my opinion.

My all time favorite was Gloria Jeans Sumatran Extra Bold but that was discontinued a while ago.

I buy pods from either Amazon or CoffeeGiant for the best price I have found and works out to about 45 cents/pod which is cheaper than what it was costing me to buy Starbucks beans, etc.

Also recently read a news item that Starbucks will be making K cup pods and am looking forward to that.

Cheers,
Tim
 

angelofwar

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South Carolina
Add me to the Keurig fanwagon.

Used to buy Starbucks beans (Sumatran, Gold Coast, or Verona), grind, brew in a drip machine or French press - great coffee with a mess and wait time. Tried Keurig at a friends house and thought it tasted pretty darn good with very little wait time and no mess - plus my wife can have her foo foo flavored coffee while I stick to bold brew. Works out great and have not looked back since about a year and a half ago.

Current favorite is Green Mountain Sumatran Extra Bold - run the smallest cup setting twice and get a much better result then a single big cup brew. Also tried the reusable pod where you can put your own grounds in but did not get a very stong brew out of it - looked to me like there was not enough backpressure to extract the coffee since the screen surface covered to much area in my opinion.

My all time favorite was Gloria Jeans Sumatran Extra Bold but that was discontinued a while ago.

I buy pods from either Amazon or CoffeeGiant for the best price I have found and works out to about 45 cents/pod which is cheaper than what it was costing me to buy Starbucks beans, etc.

Also recently read a news item that Starbucks will be making K cup pods and am looking forward to that.

Cheers,
Tim

Foo-Foo COffee...Love it! :hahaha:

+10 on the Sumatran Bold...what ercks me is when a group of ten guys makes a pot of Hazlenut coffee...and I have to wait for the pot to be empty...nah...I just brew my own and bring it in everyday.
 

savumaki

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Jan 27, 2005
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674
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Temagami, ON
I seem to be leaning more and more to the Keurig and I guess I'm wondering why and I find I'm liking the fact it seems to be 'no muss, no fuss' yet producing a reasonably good product (which I have sampled)
The AeroPress would also be a good choice but it has the same drawback as the French press in that you have to heat the water separately.- I guess I am devoid of excess energy.

I am going to also try the Aeropress while I'm waiting for a Keurig sale.
Karl
 

Pellidon

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As a coffee gadget geek I have the Aeropress and like it immensely. I have the Keruig mini and a larger unit with a water tank. Also have the Tassimo and Senseo but like the Keruig better. Pods go stale or are stale at the store. The variety on the K-cups are better than the T-disk for the Tassimo.

I like Donut shop and Emeril's Big Easy Bold.

I also really like the moka pots for some strange reason. When I am on the road I have a filter holder kit and a kettle, just in case. It can make the coffee packs they have in the hotel rooms almost tasty.
 

savumaki

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Jan 27, 2005
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Temagami, ON
Well, a Keurig it is (for now). Costco had a good buy which included 90 k cups. Now the elimination process begins to find my cup of coffee; going to be a daunting task considering the selection available.

Thanks for the input.
 
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