Posts Tagged ‘beverages’

4 Awesome Single Cup Coffee Makers to Try

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

One cup of coffee at a time – That seems to be the mantra of these single serve coffee machines. Considering the popularity of these machines, it seems that the trick is working. These machines may not be a delight to use by coffee purists, but people who love having gourmet coffee are absolutely feasting at the prospect of having a cup of coffee from these single serve coffee machines.

Wonder why you would resist using these machines when it is able to produce a cup of nice and steamy coffee in half the time of a drip machine!

Presented here are our top 4 choices of best single cup coffee machines available today. Try them all, or at least find a demo at a retail store. Check them all out at least once to know which one you like the best.

1. Keurig Coffee Machines – Coffee lovers would agree to the fact that Kuerig makes the best coffee makers of them all. The patented K-cup technology makes brewing your favorite blend of coffee or tea a snap! Just insert the k-cup flavor of your choice and in under a minute you have a perfectly brewed beverage. The science of the Keurig machine involves an exact blend of correct temperature, turbulence, and grind. Of course the ease of using the Keurig is what most popular among consumers.

2. Krups Dolce Gusto – If you wished to have a machine that whips up coffee, cappuccino or Latte in double quick time, you should have the Krups Dolce Gusto. What works for this model is its refurbished retro look, which allows you to think of coffee making as a stylish act.

3. Senseo Supreme – The Senseo Supreme is often considered to be the first of coffee makers in the niche. It is very simple to use, and as you would expect with the first products in any niche, it is a no-nonsense product too. With the Senseo Supreme, you could work on any tea or coffee, but you cannot use them to have steamed milk drinks.

4. Cuisinart Cup-o-matic – Bring out the control freak in you with this great coffee maker. The Cuisinart Cup-O-Matic offer the most flexibility and controls out of the this group. With this machine, make a cup of coffee any size and strength, tailored right to you.

Each of these machines has their own strong points. In our tests we’ve found the Keurig single coffee makers to be the best. But we recommend that you try them for yourself. We think you will be amazed at the great coffee and tea these brewers can make.

Still unsure which single cup coffee makers is right for you? Visit us at http://www.keurigdeals.com to find more great reviews and tips as well as some great deals on Keurig coffee machines and k-cups best prices.

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Cleaning Coffee Makers Guide to a Sparkling Clean Coffee Machine!

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

If you are after the freshest, most flavorful cup of coffee in the morning – you NEED a clean coffee maker. A build up of oils from your coffee beans and hard minerals from your water – yes, even filtered water – will dramatically effect the taste of your coffee, and the life of your coffee machine.

Having a clean coffee machine IS VITAL – in not only having the best tasting coffee you can, but also in adding to the life-span of your coffee maker. It doesn\’t need to be a big deal to clean your machine, but if you let it go too long, it will definitely reduce the life of your beloved coffee machine.

Steps to clean your coffee maker:

1. Tip out any old coffee grinds from your filter basket, and rinse thoroughly with hot water.

2. Make up your cleaning mix (2/3 boiling water water and 1/3 vinegar). Fill your coffee brewer\’s water reservoir and your coffee pot, and let stand to soak for 10 minutes.

3. Empty our the coffee pot and run a full cycle of your coffee machine, using the cleaning mix from your water reservoir.

5. When the cycle has finished, let the machine sit for another 15 minutes or so.

6. If it\’s been a long time since you cleaned the inside of your machine, you may want to repeat steps 2-5 again.

7. Rinse everything thoroughly with fresh hot water, and run a cycle through your machine with fresh hot water to remove the vinegar taste. This step may also need to be repeated if you can still taste or smell the vinegar.

8. Hey Presto!!! You now have a fresh, clean and healthy coffee machine.

If you follow these steps every 1 or 2 dozen cycles, you will have far better coffee, and keep your machine running for longer. If you aren\’t a regular coffee drinker, you should still do this every few months to stop the calcium build up in your pipes. Maybe write down a reminder on your calendar so you don\’t forget!

Billy\’s site is a guide to coffee machines including where to find the best coffee makers. There are independent ratings and reviews of coffee machines and more information on cleaning coffee makers.

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Studying Millstone Coffee Pods Ahead Of Procuring

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Although the Millstone name is not the best known, Millstone coffee pods are quite popular. With so many coffee pod options out there to choose from, it stands to reason that there must be a reason for this. However, coffee pods aren\’t cheap, so it\’s worth learning a bit about them before ordering a package from your favorite coffee pod reseller. Let\’s take a look at Millstone coffee pods to give you an idea of if they are right for you.

What Company Produces Millstone Coffee Pods?

Millstone began as a company over 25 years ago in a small town in Washington. Ironically, even though they\’re currently well known for their single serve coffee pods, the company pioneered the selling of whole coffee beans straight to supermarkets. In 1996, Proctor and Gamble purchased much of the little company, with the remainder being retained by the founder in the form of Cascade Coffee Company. Proctor and Gamble then spun off The Folgers Coffee Company, including the names Millstone and Folgers. The Folgers Company and The J.M. Smucker Company merged later that same year.

Millstone Coffee Pods In Your Coffee Pod Maker

Millstone coffee pods can be expected to work just fine with the majority of pod coffee makers out there. They use the Home Cafe coffee pods name, which is synonymous with \”generic coffee pod\”, so unless your coffee pod machine is a weirdo, they\’ll fit. Many people opt for these pods when using a pod holder in their K-Cups machine, as well. Like all quality coffee pods, you\’re likely to get the best cup of coffee by massaging the pod a bit to loosen the grinds from shipping, and wetting the pod before inserting.

What Can One Expect From The Millstone Label?

Although the name has been traded around quite a bit, it seems the various companies who have owned it have made an effort to keep the quality intact. Indeed, although they make no secret of owning it, The J.M. Smucker Company seems to be positioning the brand to be their gourmet coffee pods. This means that Millstone coffee pods can be expected to have a richer, fuller taste than your average brand. Reviews compare them directly to Senseo coffee pods, and all seem to prefer Millstone. Millstone produces more than 30 different varieties of coffee, including decaf coffee pods. Millstone does not currently offer ESE coffee pods, so if you\’re wanting espresso from your pod coffee maker, you\’ll have to look elsewhere.

Finding Millstone Coffee Pods

Millstone coffee pods can be hard to find in low population areas. Since they own the Folgers brand, which is a much better known name, The J.M. Smucker Company tends to shy away from trying to sell Millstone in areas that are less likely to purchase expensive coffees. However, Millstone coffee pods are easily obtainable through a variety of online resellers and, because of the way they are packed, coffee pods do ship exceptionally well.

Want to learn more about Millstone Coffee Pods? Check out Great Coffee Pods.

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Coffee Pods

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

What exactly are coffee pods, you ask? They\’re not little spaceships in which coffee travels through space, though the term may induce such thoughts. Other than that, the term coffee pods doesn\’t exactly endow itself with a ready explanation.

What Are Coffee Pod Brewers?

Basically, coffee pods are small, single serve packages of coffee that come wrapped in their own filter. They can only be used with certain types of coffee makers, called pod brewers, but they can be far more convenient. Imagine not having to worry about buying filters and grind separately, or pouring grinds or water whenever you want just one cup of coffee. Unfortunately, this convenience is a bit more pricey than your standard cheap coffee maker. Coffee pods brewers, while still fairly budget friendly, are not nearly as cheap as the old standard. Also, there are many different manufacturers of coffee pods brewers, and not all brewers are compatible with all pods, so there is sometimes confusion as to which brewers use which pods.

Who All Makes Coffee Pods

Fortunately, however, coffee pods are sort of an open format as far as coffee goes. Although they require the special brewers to use, they can be produced by pretty much any company, and many companies to make and sell both pods and brewers, meaning there are quite a few different options when you go hunting for your pods or your brewer. Prices are all over the place, from as little as $5 per package to in excess of $30 per package for the more premium pods. It\’s up to you to taste them both and see if it\’s worth spending the extra money. There are also ways to make your own coffee pods, and it\’s not very difficult, though one of the main reasons people like coffee pods is convenience, and making your own sort of negates those conveniences.

Coffee Pod Brewers Can Be Pricey

Coffee pod brewers range from $10 to well over $400 for personal one cup brewers, and upwards of $1100 for commercial grade brewers. They can be purchased from most regular department stores, as well as online. As with most things, if you have the patience to wait for it, it\’s probably better and cheaper to order it online.

Coffee Pods Are Worth It

All things considered, coffee pods are a big more expensive than those mundane coffee makers that have been around for decades. However, if you regularly only make one cup of coffee, or your brewer caters to people who want coffee at different times of the day, then coffee pods will probably save you money in the long run, and will always give you the fresher cup of coffee on demand.

Corky likes to write articles about pod coffee maker and senseo coffee pod .

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Blooming Tea Make An Elegant Gift

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Outside of drinking water, tea is the most ingested liquid in the world. Combining all others would only equal the power of this one beverage. Found thousands of years ago in Southern Asia, the plant spread around the world and was personalized across cultures who adopted it heartily. The beauty of tea which comes in a four main varieties: oolong, green, white, and black is that it is the result of one plant. Processing the Camellia sinensis differently has resulted in a number of different flavors or varying intensity. Whether you drink it cold, hot, with or without milk, it is most likely part of your life.

This amazing plant contains just over 700 components that can effect our internal systems, either from the naturally occurring caffeine or inherent vitamins. The health benefits of tea have been touted by cultures all over the world, especially within ancient Chinese medicine which prescribed it to help with blood pressure. This effect has been validated medically.

Throughout time, tea has been associated with higher classes in society and in fact there are a number of tea ceremonies across the world, the most notable of which is the Japanese tea ceremony. With a world of tea treatments and flavors available, a tea lover has hundreds of variations to taste in a variety of ways from bagged tea, to loose tea, to the more beautiful blooming tea.

Blooming tea is an event in and of itself. The addition of this bundle of tea to boiling water is a ballet of unfurling leaves and blossoms which impart a strong flavor when brewed.

These teas are harvested and then sewn together with cotton thread into various bundles and shapes while still damp. Many blooms are more than the tea that makes them up, usually scented with flower blossoms for a stronger flower. Standard blooms used in their construction include jasmine, lily, chrysanthemum, and hibiscus.

The construction of these bundles is short in time, about one minute for simpler designs. More elaborate blooms can take up to ten minutes to create. Once the right shape has been made be it a ball or cone, they are dried through the usual avenues.

Drinking blooming tea should involve a glass tea pot, acting as a window onto the show. The tea bundle begins to unfurl when boiling water is added. The effect is that of a suspended flower bloom. These tea creations can be re-used up to three times and due to their strong and exotic flavors should not be steeped very long.

Tea is at once a simple and egalitarian beverage that can imbue any situation with grace. As a gift, blooming teas offer an experience head and shoulders above the standard loose or bagged tea variety baskets.

Looking to find the most complete information on tea gifts?

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