Feb 5

Where can I get "to-go" paper cups that fit in the machine? I have an office, and I would like to offer my clients some coffee in a nice looking paper cup, preferably with a lid. The Starbucks ‘tall" cups are too big…where can i get a variety of sizes of starbucks type cups with lids?
Thanks!

i use dixie brand "to go cups" available at target .

Nov 17

  • Automatically prepares freshly brewed hot drinks at the push of a button
  • Includes Caffe Crema, Espresso, Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino, teas, hot chocolate and more
  • Barcode system ensures perfect drink every time
  • Manual adjustment of drink strength
  • Flow heater technology means virtually no heat up time and minimal waiting between drinks

I’m going to have to be upfront about this – I love Bosch!  My garage is like a Bosch showroom of tools.  Why? They are just so well built and go on forever and this machine is pretty much the same.

The machine above is the red version (obviously!) but you can get one in black or silver (£69.90 and £74.97 respectively).  I think the red one just looks so much snazzier!

The bar-code technology, means the machine reads information off the special T-Disc (Tassimo Disc) beverage containers, and adjusts brewing time and temperature accordingly. 

The Pros

  • Build quality is excellent!!
  • The coffee is lovely and the ‘discs’ come in a variety of flavours.  More than 40 beverage varieties are available in the special T-Disc packages, including ones for cappuccino, tea, latte, and hot chocolate.
  • Very very quick to get a cup of coffee
  • Very simple to clean – jug at the back and the drip tray are both easy to fill and clean

The Cons
Well, believe it or not there are some drawbacks:

  • The discs.  Please bear in mind the costs of these. Whilst not massively expensive they can surprise some people.  Discs are readily available from all high street supermarkets.

Overall Verdict        5/5
This model is slightly more expensive than the other 2, but the way it looks more than makes up for this!  Coupled with the fact that it produces great coffee as well, this really is a fantastic machine.

For more information, click here

Oct 27

There really is nothing like a great coffee.  I honestly can’t function well in the mornings without a coffee.  Well, to be really honest – I don’t function at all.  I love fresh coffee from a filter coffee machine, the aroma, the taste and to some extent the ritual of making the coffee).  Needless to say, my enjoyment of coffee, led me to be really surprised when I saw a whole range of filter coffee machines on sale at a recent car boot sale.

Now it wasn’t just one or two machines for sale, but there was one stall that was selling nothing but regular 10-12 cup filter machines.  The guy told me that he ran a market stall selling all types of electrical appliances (he also did repairs) and one of the items that had been selling really well was the single serve coffee machine.

People were trading in their filter coffee machine, for a single serve one and if it was broken the guy took it in, repaired it and was making a bit extra on the side at the car boot.

I got thinking about this and couldn’t see now he could be making any money as the single serve machines are pretty realistically priced for an entry level machine (less than £50 for an entry level machine).  I also began wondering if people really knew what their options were with these machines.

Now coffee drinkers do not always come in pairs – my wife is an avid tea drinker and there have been many times when I wanted a coffee but have not wanted to brew an entire pot.  I know I could alter the quantities of coffee and water for fewer cups, but I have found that I can never get it just the way I like it.

This is why single serve coffee machines are great.  You get just the right brew for one cup.  One thing to note though is that single serve machines use a pod delivery system to get your coffee, whilst a one cup coffee maker use a filter system – a slight difference that you need to be aware of.

The pod systems are great as they allow you (almost force you) to be a little more adventurous in the style of coffee you try.  You could buy the same pod with the same coffee in each time, but you can also get a range of selection boxes with a whole range of different coffees in there.  Find the ones you like (you will also taste some that you don’t like!) and then you can just order the ones you like.

Single serve coffee machines brew a coffee in only a couple of minutes and there really is no mess – just throw the pod in the bin – simples!

A filter coffee machine still has it place in many kitchens and I for one really love them, but if you are just after a single cup in double quick time then a single serve coffee machine may be just the thing for you.