Hamilton Beach sells over 35 million appliances every year, including various coffee making devices and related accessories. On their website, you can find all sorts of coffee makers from one cup machines to get your morning started or 10-12 cup machines to keep the whole family caffeinated. They also sell coffee grinders and espresso makers.

So make sure you check them out and tell them Daily Shot Of Coffee sent you!

Introducing Hamilton Beach: Daily Shot Of Coffee’s Newest Advertiser is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Kaldi Single Serve Coffee Machine from CBTL
Suggested Retail $179.95
CBTL Kaldi Single-Cup Brewer and Milk Frother Bundle on sale for $98.85 at Amazon
Box of 10 capsules: $5.50

The latest addition to the serve coffee machine market is Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s line of machines called CBTL. Not too long ago, one of their machines, the Kaldi arrived on my front porch for me to review. Since then, the machine has been going through some very thorough testing in the Daily Shot Of Coffee kitchen.

I looked at how easy the machine was to use and clean. I did some extensive taste testing of the coffee it produced. The whole time I wondered, can it compete with the big dog in the market, the Keurig?

Pros:

• Easy To Use (Once I Got The Hang Of It)
• Makes Espresso, Cappuccinos And Other Drinks
• Easy To Clean

The Kaldi looks a little intimidating at first. It doesn’t look like any other single serve coffee machine. It has this bar that goes across it, that I didn’t know what to do with. The capsules drop into the main body of the machine, instead of just above the brewing area. However, it wasn’t long before I became a pro at it and realized that it really is a simple machine to use.

A huge plus for the Kaldi is that it makes cappuccinos (with the purchase of their milk frother), espressos, mochas and many other drinks. It’s similar to the Tassimo and maybe even makes better espresso based drinks. The Kaldi leaves the Keurig in the dust, which is just limited to just coffee and tea.

The Kaldi might be the easiest single serve coffee machine that I’ve tried yet. It has a drop down space that holds up to 15 spent capsules and a large drip tray area. Both are easy to remove and are dish washer safe…at least I hope they are.

Cons:

• Only Fits Small Mugs
• Messy
• Limited Varieties
• What’s This Beeping About?

The only major thing that I didn’t like about the Kaldi was that I could only fit small (AKA normal) sized mugs in the brewing tray area. Their website says it fits a variety of sizes, but unless it’s small, smaller and smallest, I’m not counting that as a variety.

I’ve got a few small mugs hanging out in my kitchen cabinet, but with all of the coffee I drink, I’ve been phasing those out and moving on to bigger ones. I don’t know if other CBTL models allow for bigger mugs, but I do hope future versions allow them.

While the Kaldi was very easy to clean, it did require a lot of cleaning. It drips long after the “I’m Finished” beep and when I removed my cup too soon, a lot of my coffee ended up in the drip tray….which makes me sad.

I think the biggest problem for any challenger to the Keurig is the large variety of coffees and tea K-Cups. Rumor has it that there are more than 200 different types of K-Cups. CBTL has only 12 different types, four espresso, four coffee and four tea. They were good, probably better overall, but it’s hard to compete with that many different K-Cups.

The Kaldi beeps a lot. It’s not a loud beep, probably as loud as a digital watch (does anyone still have those anymore?). It beeps when it’s finished, which is nice. Not so nice is when it starts steadily beeping for no apparent reason. It took me a little while to figure out why it was constantly beeping. It took a minute or two for me to realize that it was because the water was low. Two or three beeps would’ve been enough, but it didn’t stop beeping until I refilled the water.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I did like the Kaldi. It’s a high quality machine that easily and quickly produced high quality single serve coffee. However, if I was buying a new single serve coffee machine tomorrow, I’d probably go with the Keurig. The variety of K-Cups available can’t be beat. If I was buying one in six months, it would be interesting to see if CBTL adds more capsules to their lineup and changes the height of their brewing station.

>>Learn more about the CBTL machines here.<<

What did I miss? Do you have any questions about the CBTL? Have you tried it? What did you think?

If anyone out there wants a small or a medium (men’s sizes) CBTL shirt, send me a message via the contact form. I’ll ship it out for free to the first two people who message me.

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Fine Print.

Final Review: Kaldi Single Serve Coffee Machine From CBTL is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

The often told legend goes something like this: Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder that gets credit for discovering the coffee plant. His goats were acting strange, full of energy for some unknown reason. He discovered they were eating the berries of the coffee plant and he couldn’t resist trying them for himself.

Present day, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf uses the Kaldi name for one of the machines in their line of single serve coffee machines. This week, the family run chain of coffee stores sent me one these machines to review.

According to the box, the CBTL is a complete beverage system that makes fast, fresh and flavorful espresso, coffee and tea. With a CBTL milk frother machine that’s sold separately, you also make lattes, cappuccinos and other specialty style beverages.

It uses capsules that have a two-filter system to ensure evenly balanced extraction and optimal flavor. There words, not mine. They also say that every serving is freshness-sealed within it’s capsule. Overall, they promise the same quality beverages found at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores without leaving you’re house.

It all sounds good, but I take my reviewing serious. I’ll get to the truth, no matter how many coffees and related drinks I have to make with this machine.

My Initial Thoughts

I like the way the Kaldi looks. It’s sleek and stylish looking. Plus it takes up a lot less counter space than my Keurig. If you’re like me and have a lot of coffee equipment, that’s a huge plus.

Based on the instructions that came in the box, it looks pretty easy to use. Of course, I’ll report back on exactly how easy those instructions are to follow.

If you like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, you’ll love the Kaldi. They have lots of coffee and tea options. Of course all of those options are from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. There’s no other brands.

The packaging looks better than the packaging that the K-Cups come in, but how does it taste compared to coffee brewed in the Keurig? And how fresh tasting can it be if it’s stored in a capsule?

Overall, I’ll be looking at how this machine stacks up to other single serve machines on the market.

What questions do you have about the CBTL?

Have you tried the CBTL? What Did you think?

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Fine Print.

First Look: Kaldi Single Serve Coffee Machine From CBTL is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

The Keurig Coffee Maker goes for about $100 depending on which version you are looking for. This coffee maker is quick and easy to work, but is it really worth it? If you are a coffee drinking fool, are buying one or more cups a day, or just a snob that likes “micro brewed” coffees, this is a device to consider. Here are some things we like & hate about the Keurig.

Yes! Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee:

It only takes about a minute to prepare for brewing, which is essentially the heating of the water. Then it takes less than a minute to brew your fresh cup of coffee. There is no annoying set up with filters and coffee beans. The only preparation needed is the selection of your flavor (yummy). By simply placing the flavor into its slot and closing the top, your coffee is ready to brew.

There are three size options. Each of the three sizes work well for the various size mugs and cups and various coffee strengths. You can basically use a strong coffee and set the size to something small to make an espresso equivalent. How European!

Money saving per cup of coffee – kind of. If you buy the coffee cups (called K Cups) in bulk, the individual coffee flavors are cheaper than a cup of coffee from a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Not to mention the time you’ll save from not stopping at a coffee shop.

The flavor choices are incredible. Hundreds of coffee flavors from different makers are available making coffee drinking fun. Any coffee flavor imaginable is offered for this device and other beverage choices like hot chocolates and teas are also available!

No! This Coffee Smells Like Dirty:

The individual coffees are expensive. It is much cheaper to buy instant coffee or a normal coffee maker for at home or work use. Cheaper yes but if you are a coffee lover, do you really want that cup from the pot after the brew has been sitting stagnant for 5 hours?

There can be a lot of trash. If you’re into the environment, you might not be into the Keurig. Sure, all products need to dispose of some waste, but each cup brewed leaves the small plastic cup for trash. These can build up if you use this device in the office or with a whole family. On the other side of the coin, the extra energy from a super caffeinated cup can give you the steam to plant a tree and help offset the carbon footprint created by the Keurig.

4 to 2. Based on that battle, it seems like a good purchase to us, but then again we are coffee people. If you’re a coffee drinker, just go for it or give it a shot in the office. Suggest the product to your boss, and see if he or she wants to make the investment or steal from the petty cash drawer and make one suddenly appear in the break room.

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Nicolas D’Alleva is the owner of Specialty Answering Service, a full service telephone answering service for businesses and individuals. Specialty provides the highest quality coffee to its employees and strongly believes that good coffee makes great employees.

Photo by pjinomaha.

Is the Keurig Coffee Maker a Smart Investment? is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

The Tassimo T20 is pretty straight forward. You just put in their T-Disc, the machine reads the bar code, which tells the brewer the exact temperature, pressure and time it takes to brew your drink. It takes about a minute for a coffee, two minutes for a cappuccino. It’s quick, easy even for me to clean and has a slim to design to fit anywhere.

On Tassimo Direct, the T20 is $129.99, or I did spot it at Amazon for $99.99.

The main difference between the Tassimo and other single serve coffee machines is the barcode. On the label of each T-Disc is a barcode that the machine reads to determine the best temperature and brew time for your drink. It doesn’t allow you to choose different sizes, like some Keurigs.

• Convenience: Easy To Use And Clean
• Small: Can Fit On Crowded Counters Or Dorm Rooms

The Tassimo T20 is very simple and easy to use. I didn’t even read the directions until after I had used it. I’m sure it would be even more simple if I had read the directions. Plus, it was very easy to clean with many machine washable parts.

I also like the size. It’s smaller than many drip coffee machines and most other single serve machines. If you have limited counter space or live in a dorm room, this machine would be perfect.

Cons

• Have To Buy T-Discs (Limited Variety)
• Environmental Issues With T-Discs?

I see two main issues with the Tassimo T20 – the T-Discs and the possible environmental issues with them.

I like the T-Discs themselves and the barcode system, however there is just a limited variety and they aren’t available everywhere like the K-Cups. Only forty different varieties, right now, with limited options from Starbucks, Gevalia and Maxwell House for coffee. My local Target had T-Discs, but the grocery store where I go more often didn’t have any.

Plus, I haven’t seen something for the Tassimo like the reusable K-Cups, so we’re stuck with just what’s available at the store.

With all single serve coffee machines, there is the environmental impact of the single use capsules. Most that I’ve come across aren’t recyclable and are quickly filling up landfills. According to Tassimo Direct, the used T DISC is suitable for energy recovery through incineration. Not exactly sure what that means or if it’s a good thing. The good news however, The label can be cut away, T-Disc rinsed and the chamber and label can be put in the recycle bin with general plastics (non PET). However, that might be a little too much effort for busy (or lazy) coffee drinkers. I’d also love if the T-Discs were made out of recycled materials, so at least they weren’t resources used just once and thrown out.

Overall, I like using the Tassimo but I’ll probably stick with my Keurig when I’m in a rush and need a quick dose of coffee. I love that the Tassimo can make cappuccinos and things other than coffee, but there are hundreds of more K-Cups to choose. I worry that the Tassimo might go the way of Betamax if it doesn’t increase it’s market share, so right now I’d be worried about making an investment in a Tassimo.

Have any questions about the T20 that I missed? Have you used at Tassimo? What’s your opinion of them?

—

Fine Print.

Tassimo T20: Single Serve Coffee Maker Review is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

If you’ve been charged with buying new office coffee machines for your colleagues, you will doubtless be starting to feel overwhelmed by the choice and range available.

Office coffee machines are a highly specialised purchase and everybody needs some help in order to ensure they choose the right one for their requirements. Start by asking yourself five key questions:

1. What do you want the office coffee machines to offer?
Will your colleagues be demanding a variety of drinks 24/7 or just a few carefully selected brands? There are a wide range of drinks available including single cup coffee, tea, hot chocolate and specialty drinks such as cappuccino.

2. What space do you have available for your office coffee machines?
An office of ten will need a very different solution to a factory of 500, so whether you’re looking for a small and perfectly formed coffee machine that can be popped on a desk or a full blown office coffee machine which offers the works, the choice is very comprehensive.

3. How do you want your drinks dispensed?
High capacity office coffee machines will have a one-touch operation, delivering a wide selection of hot and cold drinks brands with no waiting and zero mess. You can choose the menu on offer, how the machine looks, and whether or not your employees pay for their drinks. Usually designed with 250 plus employees in mind, these office coffee machines offer a reliable and consistent drink time after time.

If you’re looking for something a little smaller, try to find something efficient and compact, specifically designed to cater for the small to medium sized workplace. You could choose an office coffee machine with the capacity to deliver up to 400 cups from a wide drink selection, and you still get to choose the initial menu. These products are easy to operate, clean and maintain.

For companies a little smaller, drink stations, which are small office coffee machines, will create a stir. They brew direct from pack to cup, with users selecting the strength and size of the chosen drink. They can froth, whip, mix and blend, ensuring a coffee-shop experience in the office.

4. Will it be energy efficient?
Most offices today have energy performance ratings to reach, making your choice of office equipment more selective. Quality office coffee machines will have good insulation as they will keep water hot for longer and reduce energy costs.

5. Is the Supplier Reliable?
From single origin to blended coffee, achieving the flavour and aroma of a fresh hot drink is an art. Give some thought to a reliable supplier for your hot drinks vending supplier.

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Richard Woods is a writer by profession and a complete coffee connoisseur. Richard unites his love for coffee and his career by writing on behalf of Mars Drinks and their KLIX and FLAVIA brands.

Photo by phil dokas.

How to Choose Office Coffee Machines is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Bodum Chambord Coffee Press
Normally $54.oo. Buy on sale at Amazon for $27.68.

If the coffee addict shopping list doesn’t have a French Press, you need to get one for them this year. A French Press will bring them into a whole other world of coffee, full of delicious flavors and tastes that they can’t get from a traditional drip brew coffee maker.

• Brews 32 ounces of coffee; retains beans’ oils for rich, complex flavor
• Sturdy, chrome-plated brass frame; easy-to-clean glass carafe
• Stainless-steel press mechanism; replacement parts available

Read the Daily Shot Of Coffee review.

Presso – Portable Espresso Maker

Buy for $150 at Presso USA

I haven’t tried the Presso yet, but I’ve heard nothing about amazing things from other coffee bloggers and fans who have tried it. It’s perfect for the person on your list that wants an espresso machine and you don’t have the budget to pay thousands of dollars for it, or the person that has a regular espresso machine but needs a new gadget to experiment with.

• Portable – Make espresso anywhere you can boil water
• 5 to 10 bars of pressure depending on how firmly the arms are pressed down
• Body made of recyclable aluminium
• Easy to clean

Please note, Presso USA is a Daily Shot Of Coffee sponsor, however I’m still a huge fan of this product.

Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew Coffeemaker

$185.00 regular price. Buy at Amazon on sale for $89.99.

When I’m not using my French Press, this is the coffee maker that I use on a daily basis in the Daily Shot Of Coffee kitchen. It does have a blade grinder, but I love that the grinder is included in the coffee maker.

• 24-hour fully programmable 12-cup automatic coffeemaker
• Grinds whole beans right before brewing to produce fresh and flavorful coffee
• Brew-pause function; auto shutoff up to 4 hours; grind-off option; water filter
• 1 to 4 cup feature; 60-ounce glass carafe with ergonomic handle and dripless spout

Read the Daily Shot Of Coffee review.

Zojirushi Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffeemaker

Buy for $89.98 at Amazon.

The Zojirushi produced the best coffee from a drip coffee maker that I’ve had yet. It heats the water with 1025 watts and I could taste the difference. Plus, it had a thermal carafe, which I loved because it kept my coffee hot all morning long.

• Stylish automatic coffee brewer with 1.5-liter thermal carafe
• Stainless-steel carafe keeps coffee hot for hours
• 1025 watts; electronic clock/timer with preset function; auto shut-off for safety
• Clever brew-and-serve lid design; easy-to-read water gauge

Read the Daily Shot Of Coffee Review.

What coffee maker or coffee making device would you add to the list?

Coffee Makers And Machines – 2010 Holiday Shopping Guide is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

In last year’s Single Serve Coffee Makers Shopping Guide, I mentioned a variety of different brands. This year, there’s one clear favorite and it’s the Keurig brand. By far the best made machines that I’ve used and the K-cups are always notch or two better than anything else that I’ve sampled.

Don’t forget about the Keurig and K-Cup giveaway going on this week, maybe you could get lucky and win one instead of having to buy one.

Keurig B30 Mini Brewer

The B3o Mini Brewer is the smaller, more simpler Keurig. It’s basic, but it does get the job done. They’re perfect for your cubicle office or dorm room.

$79 on sale at Amazon. Normally $89.95.

• Single-serve brewing system for gourmet coffee or tea
• Uses patented K-Cups; no messy grinding or clean up
• Brews an 8-ounce cup at a time; ready in less than 3 minutes
• 1-touch technology; variety pack of 10 K-Cups included

Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System

$139.95 Directly From Green Mountain Coffee

This is the mid range Keurig and does more than gets the job done.  It has many of the features of the higher end models without having to pay for the premium price.

• 1500-watt single-cup brewing system for gourmet coffee, tea, or cocoa
• Uses patented K-Cups; no messy grinding or clean up
• Removable 48-ounce water reservoir; removable drip tray
• 3 brew-size options; 2-hour automatic shut-off; descale indicator

Keurig B-70 B70 Platinum Single-Cup Home Brewing System

$169.95 At Green Mountain Coffee

My personal favorite. It’s the one that I have in my kitchen because it has all of the right features, a nice sized water tank and gets the job done quickly when I need that first shot of coffee in the morning.

Single-cup home brewing system for use with patented K-Cups
One-touch control panel; blue backlit LCD display; digital clock; programmable on/off
5 brew-size options; adjustable brew temperature; removable drip tray
Blue-lit removable 60-ounce water reservoir; descale indicator; dishwasher-safe parts

Read my review of the Keurig B70.

Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter

$17.95 at Green Mountain Coffee

If the person you’re buying the Keurig brewer is concerned about the environment like me or would want to brew their own coffee, I suggest checking out the reusable K-Cup.

• Reusable K-Cup coffee filter exclusive to the Keurig Home Brewing System
• Allows users to use their own gourmet ground coffee in a Keurig brewer
• Works in Keurig home brewers B40 Elite, B50 Ultra, B60 Special Edition and more

Do you have any single serve coffee machines, Keurig or not that you’d recommend?

Single Serve Coffee Makers – 2010 Holiday Shopping Guide is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Whether you need to brew coffee for a church social, a school function, or 12 step meeting, brewing for a crowd can be a headache. Face it, for many people, they are at these functions because they feel they have to be there; and they could get very crabby without some java to keep them going. So if organizing the event in question is your responsibility, here are some tips to help you do it cheaply, and well.

Brewers:

Coffee Urn

The first device that everyone thinks of when they think of coffee at the event I mentioned is an electric coffee urn. These have been around forever, and just like Grandma’s old brewer, these are percolators. For you young folk, a percolator brews a batch of coffee by utilizing two separate heating elements. The first element is high wattage, and it boils the water (or nearly boils it) until the water moves up a narrow tube and spills over the grounds in a basket at the top. Once brewed, a second, lower wattage element kicks in and keeps the coffee at serving temperature.

This type of brewer has the advantage of being a once and done device. Load the coffee, load the water, plug it in, and that is it. It also has the advantage of being, just like any old technology, cheap. But the disadvantages are big. First, it takes about 40 seconds per cup for a coffee urn to brew, so in a 101 cup coffee urn, this will translate to a water to coffee contact time of over an hour. Consider that for most grinds of coffee, about four minutes provides proper extraction. So at an hour, you are virtually guaranteed of drawing out every last bitter element of the coffee. In addition, the water being used is boiling, and that also draws more of the bad elements out of coffee. In the holding phase, this coffee is still being subjected to heating, and that further degrades the coffee. In short, you can make a lot of coffee with a brewer, but it will not be good coffee.

Commercial Drip Brewer

A commercial drip coffee brewer is the other way to make coffee. Why a commercial unit when a regular home type is so much cheaper? Well, that is easy: time and durability. A commercial unit is made to withstand vigorous use, so it will last longer. But the main thing is that commercial brewers, have a water reservoir, and will hold that water at close to brewing temp. When you pour water into a commercial brewer you are filling that reservoir, and the hot water that was there begins brewing coffee in seconds. What is more, if you spend a bit more, you can get an airpot coffee brewer, with a 2.2 liter tank that will brew into an airpot. Because airpots are airtight, and can keep coffee warm and tasty for hours, I recommend them over using decanters on warmer. When you set a glass decanter on a warmer, you have 20 minutes before the coffee starts turning bad.

The disadvantage of this system is the cost. It is more expensive even when going with an economy commercial brewer. Not to mention, that you will have the cost of airpots as well. But both of these things have come down in price in recent years. The other disadvantage, is if you were replacing a 101 cup urn, is that you would have to go through seven brew cycles to get the same amount of coffee. But the advantages are great: you get much, much better coffee. The coffee is extracted just right, and if using airpots, held in a much better way than an urn. Also, that you have to brew several times has an advantage: you can brew different types of coffee, like decaf. If your event is in the evening, folks will really appreciate that. And of course, this gives you the ability to set up many coffee stations at strategic locations, which will avoid the traffic jam at the coffee maker.

Next week in part 2 of this post, I will get into some of the other things one needs to set up a good coffee station for an event.

Steve Ziegler is the Product Expert at the WEBstaurantStore.com. He has over 20 years experience in the restaurant supplies business, and loves helping restaurateurs and coffee shop owners . He is a long time coffee lover.

Coffee Brewing For A Crowd Without Breaking The Bank (Part 1) is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

The red espresso machine is the ENA5 from Jura. If Valentine’s Day red isn’t your color, it comes in six other colors. At less than 24 centimeters wide, it’s the world’s slimmest bean-to-cup coffee machine. The ENA5 includes innovative features such as rotating and height adjustable spout, intuitive rotary control dial and display, and a cappuccino frother.

“Whether with breakfast in bed on a lazy Sunday or after a dinner for two, share a JURA-made espresso or cappuccino and enjoy the aromatic coffee flavors.”

Find it at http://www.juradealers.co.uk/

If anyone wants to give me this machine for Valentine’s Day or really any day of the year, I won’t stop you!

Do you have any other Valentine’s Day gift suggestions for a coffee lover?

Valentine’s Day Espresso Machine is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee