Sunday, December 29, 2013

Mr. Coffee BVMC-FM1 20-Ounce Frappe Maker

Mr. Coffee BVMC-FM1 20-Ounce Frappe MakerMany people buy this machine to save money from the expensive coffee houses.

I bought it because the nearest location I can buy a Frappe is 25 miles from home ...

I also bought it because I like coffee in the afternoon, and I could use decaf ...

And then there's the fact that I'm diabetic and need low carb choices ...

So for me, it not only saves money, but it makes the impossible possible.

I've been using the Gevalia Dark Chocolate Truffle Ground Coffee, Decaffeinated, 8-Ounce Packages (Pack of 3), with 1/2 cup water in the top. Then in the blender I add 2 cups of ice, 3 TBS low Carb chocolate syrup, Equal, and 1/4 cup nonfat milk.

Three minutes later I have a scrumptious frappe, fully approved by my doctor! Because of the low calorie count and the lack of caffeine, I can have as many of these as I want at any time of day. Right now I'm whipping one up for breakfast and another one in the evening as a low calorie substitute for ice cream.

Everything on this is easy to use and easy to clean. It made no more noise than the blender I was using to try to make my own (unsuccessfully), and not a drop leaked anywhere. Everything locks tightly for a safe and mess-free experience.

I love the recipe book included (which even has some alcoholic options), but the best part for me is being able to substitute what I like to make my very own perfect frappe. I like mine light (like McDonalds), but if you want a heavier coffee flavor, you simply add more grounds to make it your way.

I've put my coffee maker away for the summer (maybe forever), and moved the blender back under the counter. Since this is smaller than my blender, it hardly takes any counter space.

Fortunately, I opened the box before I brought it home and realized it needed the 4 cup basket filters, so I was able to grab them while I was still at the store. I bought the 2-4 cup size which fit perfectly. But other than wishing the information on the filters was included in the details on the outside of the package, it was a wonderful purchase for me.

I bought this locally on sale, and as a result this will more than pay for itself in about two weeks ...

*** NOTE *** The video is "real time" so you can see exactly how long it takes to go from beginning to end. It actually took me longer to upload the video to Amazon than to make the Frappe and in the time it takes you to watch the video, you could be sipping yours!

SPECIAL NOTE

Mr. Coffee has recently come out with a latte maker Mr. Coffee BVMC-EL1 Cafe Latte. If you are looking for something similar to use for your winter drinks, it is nearly as awesome as the frappe maker. I have posted a video there as well, and now rotate between them based on season.

*** Edited Review *** I purchased a second Frappe machine for my daughter which we used about 5 times a day for a week. She is using ice cubes from her freezer, and even though we were sure her lid was secure, one of the ice cubes caught the lid wrong (or is it right) and loosened it, causing the "kitchen mess" others have reported occurred. This happened once in about 35 times of use.

I am using smaller crushed ice and ice from an ice machine (small and round) and have not had it happen on my machine yet, even though I have made more than 70 frappes in my machine but I have removed a star, Mr Coffee really does need to make sure the lid is secure and locks.

****Second Edit**** This morning (about 10 months after I purchased the Cafe Frappe, my unit would not power up. :'( However, I called customer support and they were able to walk me though a quick fix. I'm back up and running. Since customer support is important to me, I wanted to add this to my review.

*** Updated Dec 2012. The Frappe maker survived the move to a more civilized location, in easy driving distance, but the ice maker that keeps it supplied did not! After looking at the price of Frappes, I am continuing to make my own.

*** Updated May 2013. It started getting warm again, and I pulled out my Frappe Maker once again. It works just as good as ever! You should know that I am now on my third ice making machine to supply ice to this, my favorite appliance. If it ever gives up the ghost for real, I won't have to even consider whether it is worth replacing, I will buy a new one, with overnight shipping since I have prime, it costs less to ship overnight than to buy even one frappe.

This product doesn't do anything you couldn't do on your own with a blender and a coffee machine, but the combination of the two makes the frappe-making process much more convenient. In the few weeks I've owned it, I've found myself just making my own frappes instead of running to the local coffee shop. The accompanying recipe book offers some great ideas, including tea frappes. As a warning to those who don't keep paper coffee filters around the house, the package doesn't even include a sample filter, so you'll need to purchase four-cup size filters before you can try out the product.

The process is simple. Set up the coffee brewer by placing a filter, 3-6 scoops of ground coffee, and water in the machine. In the blending pitcher, add ice cubes and other ingredients (e.g. ice cream, milk, flavor syrup, alcohol, etc.). Turn it on, and the coffee (or tea) brews directly into the pitcher, which then automatically starts a pulsed blending cycle. There is a separate "blend" button that can be used if you find the drink requires further blending once the automatic cycle is complete.

The machine has worked great for me, but there are a few reasons I'm not giving it a full five stars. The coffee flavor is a bit weak, so I sometimes also add my own shot of espresso in the blending pitcher, which sort of defeats the purpose of the product (though I'm someone who prefers the darkest straight espresso shots, so I realize others might find the by-the-book frappes fine as is). Ideally, the product would have a built-in coffee grinder so I wouldn't also have a grinder to clean, but that would obviously increase its cost. In regards to cleaning, it's worth mentioning that the components of the machine aren't dishwasher safe.

If you're like me and tend to keep a collection of gimmicky small kitchen appliances to inspire you to make things you might not otherwise think to make, this is a great item to have around. It operates well, and some of the little details like the automatic pulsed blending as well as the option to perform extra blending as needed render it truly functional.

Buy Mr. Coffee BVMC-FM1 20-Ounce Frappe Maker Now

I recently purchased the Mr Coffee Frappe Maker after seeing an ad for it. I thought of the times I have had to stand in the long lines at the local coffee house, how many times they have made my Frappe wrong because they were in a rush to deal with the long lines and of course the cost they charge. I figured for $ it was worth a shot. The Frappe Maker gives you the control of strength of coffee or other goodies you may want in your drink, syrup, sugar, etc. The ad claims in delivers the product in 3 minutes and it does! I was personally delighted with the end product. It will have paid for itself after a mere 20 visits to the local coffee house. I am pleased with the ease of use and the convenience it provides. I can make myself a Frappe in my own home saving time and money, this is a great product for those that do not have a need to impress others by drinking coffee house Frappes. I anticipate many other copycat products following suit. Every so often a product comes along that is affordable and does exactly what you want it to do.......this is that product and it's affordable. Try it, if you don't like it, return it, you will be surprised how convenient it is however.

Read Best Reviews of Mr. Coffee BVMC-FM1 20-Ounce Frappe Maker Here

I am a "frappe-aholic" to say the least. I saw this frappe maker and just had to have it. I have to say for the most part I am pleased with it, But~ they really need to redesign the lid on this thing. Every morning I am cleaning the counter and all around the frappe maker due to the mixture that is shot out of the top when the blend feature it on. It is seriously insane the amount of liquid that is shot out of this thing. I've tried everything to ensure this isn't a daily mess. I now have to wait just prior to the blend and place a washcloth over the top to catch the mess. For the price they could at least fix this problem. Just a note as well, the parts are NOT dishwasher safe. If they spend a little more time in the design room fixing this issue.. it would be a 5 star machine in my eyes. I do love it, just hate to spend the extra time cleaning a mess that could easily be prevented by a redesigned top. Get to work Mr. Coffee... : )

Want Mr. Coffee BVMC-FM1 20-Ounce Frappe Maker Discount?

If you like Starbucks' Frappes, then read on. As a "smart shopper" I love finding deals that will end up saving me money; ultimately, saving me enough that the product pays for itself. I used to buy real iced tea by the gallon until I bought Mr. Coffee's Iced Tea machine... now I smile as I pass the aisle at my grocery knowing that I no longer have to lug those containers around and that my appliance has saved me lots of extra food money. With the Mr. Coffee Frappe Maker, I will be able to say the same every time I pass by a Starbucks (i.e. every other block!).

I have tried using a blender for similar results, but trust me when I tell you that is a waste of time. The results from the Frappe Maker are far superior. The ice breaking power and the appliance's "technique" were not only made for frappe making but is also as simple as can be. A note on its power: make sure you place this machine on a sturdy surface as it kind of jumps a bit when the blend takes place -although I was never in doubt that the Frappe Maker would ever be too unstable (as tall and powerful it is) even during the first time I ran it... it is a legitimate piece of machinery.

I used Hershey's dark chocolate syrup to make a mocha frappe and followed the directions without modification... the results were perfect! The recipe booklet it comes with has several great concoctions that I would have never thought of on my own... I can't wait to try them out! Seriously, if you were to pour your homemade frappe into an empty Starbucks container and gave it to someone, they would NOT know the difference (and I say that without exaggeration!). One extra note: when you are at the store picking up ingredients, don't forget the straws... take it from me who learned the hard way! Also, the directions call for crescent-shaped ice cubes, but I used regular medium-sized ones and the results were just fine. Enjoy!

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