We dug into the manuals, cleaned and disassembled the machines, and measured coffee temperatures and brew times. We used coffee pods in the pod machines and reusable pods in the machines that would accept them. We only used filtered water and freshly hamilton beach dual coffee maker ground coffee and maintained a constant indoor temperature to ensure our data was as consistent as possible. The Aeropress, an immersion brewer, is closer to more traditional brew methods than any other single-serve options we tested.
Makes a full pot of coffee, but the boss doesn’t roll in until after nine, his coffee will be stale, taste burned, and probably end up going in the microwave. Instead of a lever that opens to reveal the K-Cup compartment, the Mr. Coffee pod compartment slides out completely and you pop the pod into the chamber before sliding it back in. A bit of care needs to be taken because this exposes the small sharp needles that pierce the pods during brewing. The pods, or capsules, as Nespresso calls them, are primarily made of aluminum which can be recycled.
As a bonus, you get four K-Cup pods and two free water filters with the machine. What makes Keurig machines such a popular choice is the fact that they can give users hot coffee fast without sacrificing too much flavor. Plus, the machines are reliable, simple to use, and pretty low maintenance. While the travel mug has a stainless steel facade, it’s also plastic on the inside (you won’t want to swap it for your trusted Yeti, in other words). So, yeah, there are other machines available that will do fancier things and will likely stand up longer to wear and tear. But for just under $60, the Sboly will keep you well-caffeinated, allow you to switch between grounds and pods, depending on what’s in your pantry, and is so small you can easily stash it away.
Otherwise, it’s a great coffee maker that just about anyone would be happy with. It’s all the drink options you get from an automatic espresso maker , but in a more compact device. The Essenza Mini is roughly 4 inches wide, so it can slide between cookbooks, canisters, keurig k mini coffee maker and other countertop accoutrement. And the separate milk frother, measuring 3.5 inches in diameter, takes up little space too; it can also go in a cupboard when not in use. A coffee grinder is the best accessory you can add to make a fresher, tastier cup of joe.
As a bonus, the espresso maker comes with 12 free capsules to get you started. We evaluated the ease of cleaning by measuring the time spent cleaning after each use and the machines’ long-term cleaning needs. The Keurig and Nespresso machines required minimal daily cleaning, but they needed to be descaled every three to six months. The Keurig descaling sequence hamilton beach dual coffee maker took about an hour for the big machines, while the Nespresso machines required less than 15 minutes. By contrast, the Aeropress, with no water heating element, required cleaning three pieces with each brewing, but it had no long-term service needs. Makers like the Hamilton Beach Scoop required a fair bit of cleaning with each use as well as periodic descaling.
Some of the machines needed water each use and had fill doors conducive to counter spills. The ease of use metric favored the Nespresso machines due to how simple the inputs were and how quickly we had coffee. While we like many things about this machine, the taste of the coffee to a trained tongue is rather unimpressive. The chemical taste from the Keurig pods is accentuated by this machine, making for a chemical-infused tasting cup of joe. Even when using higher quality grounds through a reusable cup, the taste left a sting that none of our testers would recommend to their friends.
Single-serve coffee makers are great for busy individuals, as they can heat water and brew coffee in a fraction of the time it takes traditional coffee makers to. Total brew time can range anywhere from under a minute to up to four minutes total. If speed is a priority, keep this in mind when choosing your coffee maker. This device has user-friendly buttons to switch between single-serve and carafe, program the time you want it to start brewing in the morning, and choose the strength of your drink—regular or bold.