Today, I’m excited to announce Daily Shot Of Coffe’s newest advertising sponsor, it’s small kitchen appliance distributor Hamilton Beach.

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

This is a guest post by Nicolas D’Alleva. Learn more about how you can guest post for 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

This is a guest post by Richard Woods. Learn more about how you can guest post for Daily Shot Of Coffee here.

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

If you get the right coffee maker or coffee brewing gadget, the person that opens it on Christmas morning will think of you fondly every morning when they use it for many years to come. Here’s a few ideas to get your shopping started.

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

When I went away to college, there were three things that I needed: a television, a computer (three gigs of ram was top of the line back then) and a coffee pot. I had no problem getting the television or computer to work, but the coffee maker was a different story. I had coffee before, but I had never brewed it to myself. I didn’t understand where the water was supposed to go and tried pouring it directly in with the coffee grounds. More coffee spilled on the counter, then made it into my coffee mug that morning. Luckily, by the second day of classes, I figured out that the water went into the water chamber. Simple concept, but I was too cool to read the directions.

Anyways, check out this required reading on what coffee equipment to bring to college and make sure you practice before the first day of classes.

Coffee 101

On the first day of classes, the last thing you want to be doing is running around trying to brew a cup of coffee to keep you awake for your 8am class. The perfect solution for the student that wants something easy and convenient is the single serve coffee machine. My recommendation is the Keurig B70. It’s been a few too many years since I had to wake up for an early morning class, but this coffee maker is great for when I’m half asleep and in a rush to get somewhere.

Keurig Platinum B70 Single Serve Coffee Maker $169.95
The Good:
* Easy To Use
* Makes A Quick Cup Of Coffee
* Easy To Clean

The Bad:
* Price Per K-Cup
* Isn’t Tall Enough For Travel Mugs
* How Environmentally Friendly Is It?

Do your homework and read the complete Daily Shot Of Coffee review.

Coffee 202

Single serve coffee makers aren’t for everyone. They’re convenient but the price is on the higher end of things and when you have hundreds of dollars worth of books to buy, I could understand why you would want to spend a little less on a more traditional coffee maker like the Black & Decker (DCM18S) Brew ‘n Go Personal Coffeemaker.
Black & Decker DCM18S Brew ‘n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug $19.99

This personal coffeemaker brews 15 ounces of coffee directly into a stainless-steel travel mug. The mug has a rubber handle for a safe grip and a lid to keep coffee hot. It’s tapered to a 2-1/2-inch-diameter bottom, so it fits most vehicle cup holders. The coffeemaker itself is designed for an on-the-go coffee drinker. It has a permanent filter–no messy disposable paper filters required–and shuts off automatically after brewing. The mug, filter, filter basket, and mug lid are dishwasher-safe, and the coffeemaker can also be used to heat water for tea, hot chocolate, and instant foods like oatmeal and soup.

If you’re looking for something that can brew more than one cup of coffee, you have to check out the Zojirushi Fresh Brew Thermal Coffee Maker. It produces some of the best tasting coffee that I’ve ever had, plus it has a thermal carafe so you could go to your 8am class, go back to the dorm and still have hot coffee waiting for you.

Zojirushi (EC-BD15BA) Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker $79.99

The Good:
* Thermal carafe keeps coffee warm without burning it.
* Coffee brews hotter, bringing out more flavor.
* Easy to set the time and to program it.

The Bad:
* Tall, may not fit under some cabinets.
* Thermal carafe with no marking for cup measurement.
* Coffee filters didn’t fit in perfectly.

You can do your homework on this one too, check out the full Daily Shot Of Coffee review.

Coffee 303

Now this only for advanced coffee geeks. When you break out the French Press, it’s sure to impress any member of the opposite sex. Plus, it’s the ultimate way to make coffee anywhere – the dorm, the off campus apartment, etc.

Bodum Chambord Coffee Press $29.02

The Good:
* Excellent Coffee
* Price Is The Same As Most Drip Coffee Makers
* Did I Mention It Makes Incredible Coffee

The Bad:
* Fragile & Lack Of Padding In Shipment
* Not As Quick And Easy As A Drip Maker To Make And Clean

Required Reading: Full review of the Bodum French Press

Extra Credit

For extra credit, make sure you get a burr coffee grinder. Pre-ground coffee will get caffeine into your blood stream, but nothing compares to the taste of coffee made with freshly ground beans.

Breville BCG450XL Conical Burr Grinder $90.11

This conical burr grinder features adjustable settings for various grind options. Choose from ultra-fine for Turkish coffee or large and coarse for percolators. The settings offer consistently shaped grinds and even extraction, which is the key to producing flavorful coffee. In addition, the unit’s metal conical burrs preserve more natural bean flavor than blade drivers due to the slower grind nature. The grinder comes equipped with a removable bean hopper that holds 1/2 pound of coffee beans, and its stainless-steel/polymer base offers start and stop control, as well as an on/off switch. Other highlights include a variable timer with 10 to 30 seconds of grind time, anti-static technology, and a removable burr for convenient cleaning.

What coffee related advice do you have for college students?

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Photo by Infidelic.

Back To School Guide To Coffee is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Hourglass Cold Brew Coffee Maker System
On sale at Amazon for $50.43. Regular price $59.95

The Good

• Delicious Cold Brew Coffee
• Coffee With Lower Acid Levels
• Environmentally Friendly

The Bad

• Hot Coffee, Not So Hot
• Tricky To Use Initially
• More Expensive Initial Price

If you’re looking for a cold brew coffeemaker, there’s two devices that battle for the cold brew market. There’s the Toddy Cold Brew System (reviewed in July) and then there’s the Hourglass Coffee Maker, which was in the Daily Shot Of Coffee kitchen this month.

Both cold brew coffeemakers work basically the same. Instead of using hot water to extract flavor quickly, the cold brew coffee makers soak up the coffee flavor over a longer period of time (twelve or more hours). They’re great for summer, but you may want to plan ahead.

Hourglass With Filter Full Of Coffee Grounds Before Brewing

My number one concern with any coffee making device, hot or cold, is the quality of the final product. The Hourglass Coffeemaker produced cold coffee that was smooth and delicious. Compared to hot brewing methods, the flavor does seem slightly muted. Compared to other cold brew coffee makers, the Hourglass brought out more flavor of the bean.

The cold brew concentrate made iced coffee that scored high on the drinkable scale, but I can’t say the same thing about the hot version. After trying different methods of making cold brew coffee, it’s safe to say that nothing compares to the taste of a hot cup of coffee from a French Press.

If acids from traditional methods of making coffee like the French Press or drip coffee maker cause you to have problems like heartburn, check out the Hourglass Coffeemaker. It was easy to determine that there were significantly less acids that can cause upset stomachs.

Coffee Concentrate Dripping Into The Lower Chamber

Besides the taste, one factor that really scored points for the Hourglass Coffee Maker is that this device is environmentally friendly. Like all cold brew coffeemakers, it doesn’t require any electricity to heat the water during brewing. Unlike other cold brew coffeemakers, it doesn’t require filters that need to be thrown away and replaced. The Hourglass comes with a stainless steel filter. If you don’t plan on using your cold brew coffee maker often, it’s not that exciting of a feature. However, if you plan on using it often, the savings could add up.

The Hourglass Coffeemaker gets bonus points for having a portable and unbreakable carafe. The Toddy has a gallon sized glass carafe, while the Hourglass would be easy to carry around to the office or even outdoors when I go camping.

One distinct difference between the Toddy Cold Brew System and the Hourglass Coffee maker is the amount of coffee that each uses per batch. The Toddy uses a whole bag of coffee per use, while the Hourglass Coffee Maker uses about half a bag. However, they even out because the Toddy produces more coffee concentrate with each batch.

The only major drawback that I found about the Hourglass Coffeemaker was that it was tricky to piece together as I set it up for the brewing process. Pieces didn’t seem like they wanted to fit together and there were small leaks around the seams. After reading reviews on Amazon written by people with similar problems, it seems like the issue disappears after a few batches. I’ll update the blog post after a few more uses to give my final answer.

It’s difficult to determine the differences between the Toddy and the Hourglass Coffeemaker. Both make delicious cold coffee, but the Hourglass is more expensive. If I was going to be making a lot of cold brew coffee, I would go with the Hourglass because the quality of the product (besides the way the pieces fit together) seems like a better investment over time.

What’s your opinion? Have you tried the Toddy or Hourglass? What did you think?

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Fine Print.

Battle Of The Cold Brew Coffee Makers: Hourglass Coffee Maker Review is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Toddy Cold Brew System
On sale at Amazon for $30.99. Retail price is $37.50

Just in time for the real heat of summer, Seattle’s Best sent for review one of their Toddy Cold Brew Systems. It sounds like the perfect way to keep cool and stay caffeinated during the hottest months, but I’ll give it a thorough inspection to see just how good it is.

“(The Toddy) is the ultimate coffee maker.” -The Washington Post Now you can create a ‘coffeehouse’ coffee – served steaming hot or iced cold, and in the comfort of your home – for much less than expensive signature coffee drinks! As important as those fresh roasted beans are to your cup of coffee, it’s what you do with them that counts the most. In 1964, as a chemical engineering graduate of Cornell, Todd Simpson developed and patented a cold brew system that, using regular coffee beans, creates a superior-tasting cup of steaming HOT coffee. And, with 67% LESS ACID than coffee made by conventional hot brew methods, it’s easier on sensitive stomachs. The Toddy coffee maker extracts the coffee bean’s true delicious flavor and eliminates much of the acidity, producing a bold, super-smooth coffee that can be served one cup at a time. The Toddy brewer is also ideal for making tea – served hot or over ice.

- description from Amazon

During the testing of the Toddy Cold Brew, I’ll attempt to tell if it causes less problems for my stomach. But the most important test will measure how the coffee tastes.

I’ll also look at how difficult it is to use and brew the coffee concentrate.

Have you tried the Toddy Cold Brew Coffee System? What did you think about it?

And finally, do you have any questions about the Toddy Cold Brew System that you would like answered?

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Fine Print.

Toddy Cold Brew Coffee System Preview is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Earlier this week, I received an email from a reader named Ken that came up with the quandary:

In the mid 60′s I had a drip coffee maker that sat on top of the coffee cup. It was a simple aluminum 2 piece device. Bottom was a strainer that held the grounds and top held the hot water. It brewed straight into the cup. Wonderful for camping, hunting and hurricanes when you woke up with the bare necessities. I would like a 3 piece item made of Stainless Steel. #1- 16 -20 oz SS cup #2- SS strainer capable of holding 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds and #3 a reservoir that would invert and fit in the coffee cup using the strainer as a snap top. I use a multi-fuel camp stove as a heat source for boiling my water. It would be convenient and durable and priced out in the $20 – $30 price range.

He even took the time to put together this sketch when I told him that I was going to share his search with you guys and gals. (Click picture for full size).

I’ve never seen a coffee maker that fits his description, but do you know this coffee maker? More importantly, do you know where to get it?

Searching For The Perfect Coffee Maker is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

This is a guest post by Steve Ziegler. Learn more about how you can guest post for Daily Shot Of Coffee here.

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

There’s a new coffee maker slated for review in the Daily Shot Of Coffee kitchen. It’s the Kalorik CM-25282 1000-Watt 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Aztec Copper. The FedEx man dropped it off last week and this weekend, I started out the testing process.

Kalorik is a company that’s relatively new to me, but it’s one of Europe’s oldest manufacturers of kitchen appliances, they were established in Belgium, in 1930.

A little bit about the Kalorik Aztec Coffee Maker:

• 1000-watt fully programmable coffeemaker brews up to 12 cups
• Push-button control panel with blue back-lit LCD display; digital clock and timer
• Brew-pause function; nonstick hot plate; 2-hour automatic shut-off
• Transparent water tank with hinged lid; glass carafe included

The coffee maker stands out with it’s cooper color, but I want to know if it just looked pretty or if it’s a quality coffee maker.

I’ll be looking at several things with this coffee maker. First and foremost, I’ll be testing out the quality of the coffee that it brews. I’ll be looking at how easy is to use, testing out the different features. Before I’m done, I’ll compare it to other coffee makers that I’ve reviewed.

The early results are all positive, but there’s a lot more testing to do.

Is there anything that you’d like me to look at with this coffee maker? Do you have a Kalorik coffee maker, what do you think of it?

Kalorik Aztec Coffee Maker Preview is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee