Showing posts with label single cup coffee and espresso maker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label single cup coffee and espresso maker. Show all posts

Monday, April 21, 2014

San Francisco Bay Coffee OneCup for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, French Roast, 12-Count (Pack of 3)

San Francisco Bay Coffee OneCup for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, French Roast, 12-CountI just received these 'k-cups' a few days ago. I ordered them on subscribe and save because of the value. I failed to read all reviews, just a few to make sure they were good. When I opened the package, I thought I was sent a wrong item...until I realized these are k-cups, but not the usual looking ones. They are foil sealed with a plastic ring around the top, and the rest of it is a filter. When placed in the brewer, just a hole gets punched on the top, not bottom. Something new perhaps? I tried a cup and I admit, it was very good coffee, full flavor. I will purchase these again and do recommend them. These do arrive in a shipping box, but the k-cups are sealed in plastic bags.

With the recent price hikes for K-Cups, I was starting to question the value of using my Keurig anymore. I saw the San Francisco Bay Coffee OneCups on Amazon and was intrigued by the price and the unusual design. I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the coffee. The only downside I have experienced so far is that the pods do need to be stored in a zip-lock baggie since they are not airtight.

Buy San Francisco Bay Coffee OneCup for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, French Roast, 12-Count (Pack of 3) Now

Full disclosure I worked briefly for the people who make this product back in the late '70s. Since I had a personal connection to the product, I really wanted to like it. And it's not bad it's OK, but it's just a bit odd.

First off, the packaging. These aren't your father's K-Cup, where it's an actual cup. These have a top like the traditional cup (so they'll fit in the brewer) but the bottom is completely different. It's almost more like a filter than a cup, and kinda rounded rather than cup-shaped. They come in sealed plastic bags of twelve, so you need to keep them in a ziplock bag or some kind of airtight container once you open the bag, unless you're planning on using them all right away.

Second, the flavor. It's OK, not bad at all, but it just tastes a little off for some reason. A hint of odd flavor. Also, it seems to lack body, for want of a better term. It doesn't have that rich, full, satisfying flavor I expect from a good cup of French Roast.

Lastly, it seems to leave more sediment in the bottom of the cup than traditional K-Cups not sure if that's a by-product of the design or what.

Bottom line it's not like I'm going to throw them away. I'll keep them and drink them, but I probably won't buy them again. I much prefer the flavor of just about any regular K-Cup to these, even non-premium brands like Folger's.

UPDATE: After drinking my way through the whole case and comparing them with other K-Cup products, I have a bit more appreciation for these and might consider buying them again, particularly given the excellent price of around 38 cents a cup if you use Subscribe and Save. One other point I neglected to mention in my original review is that these seem to produce more "crema" the brownish foam that appears on top of a good cup of coffee than most K-Cup products. Keep an eye out for my reviews of the Rainforest Blend (which I found somewhat weak and flavorless) and Fog Chaser (which just arrived and I've yet to sample) varieties coming soon.

Read Best Reviews of San Francisco Bay Coffee OneCup for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, French Roast, 12-Count (Pack of 3) Here

I've been a San Francisco Bay coffee fan for years, and was delighted to learn of their one-cups. The flavor is great and the pods are eco-friendly. I like my coffee strong and have found the French Roast to be just right. Don't know what a reviewer meant by "weak and watery." Not so! I like the price too.

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I have tried each of these New K-cup like items from San Francisco Bay. This one is darker than the Rainforest blend but not as dark as the Fog Chaser (my personal favorite).

Great coffee...great alternative!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Krups 088 Espresso/Cappucino Artese Water Filter, 1 Filter

Krups 088 Espresso/Cappucino Artese Water Filter, 1 FilterThis item is exactly what I needed for me krups xp7225 all in one machine. Item arrived in a good time frame.

These work great in my Krups espresso machine. I just have to put them into the water reservoir when the machine instructs me to do so. They are very nice.

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It is original filter requested by manufacturer and works very fine.

If you have a unit who required this product cannot go wrong with it.

Read Best Reviews of Krups 088 Espresso/Cappucino Artese Water Filter, 1 Filter Here

I love Krups. I am glad I found replacement water filter here. It's so hard to find it store now days. If you are looking at this replacement filter, you must be same as me -having Krups machine and enjoy coffee. My mom likes Krups too. I can keep enjoy my coffee every day with clean filter.

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Works well on my Krups coffeemaker. I wish they lasted longer. Our coffeemaker requires us to change them about once a month.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Breville BMF600XL Milk Café Milk Frother

Breville BMF600XL Milk Café Milk FrotherLike one of the 1 star reviews, I really didn't think this machine worked at all when I first tried it. But upon giving it another try before returning it, I realized it was just having trouble spinning up. It is magnetic action that turns the disc, not a motor, so it can get stuck; make sure it is clean and spins freely. It still sometimes has a problem spinning up, I just use a spoon to give the disc a little turn and that gets it going. Makes perfect frothed milk for my lattes, much easier than frothing by hand on my espresso maker. I fill it to just over minimum and the frothing/heating takes about 3 minutes.

The first couple of times we tried the milk steamer, it was a bit fussy about turning on. Press the button, the light came on, but nothing happened. After a lot of tries, we developed a routine of seating the pot firmly on the stand, twiddling the temperature dial, and then pressing go: then it works! It's been running smoothly lately, so I tried to start it recently without turning the temperature dial--no go. Once it starts, it produces luscious foam and lovely hot milk. So be prepared to pamper it a little and murmur to it softly in Italian and it will produce a wonderful result.

Buy Breville BMF600XL Milk Café Milk Frother Now

I purchased this frother after trying out a different product. I could not be happier! The Breville makes perfect froth for any kind of coffee drink you want. It's super easy to use. As long as you make sure the disc is pushed all the way down inside the frother, you will get the exact froth you want. It took a couple of tries to figure out the perfect temperature and froth I liked. The clean up of this product is what sold me the most. I have tried other frothers and cleaning was an arduous task at best. The Breville cleans up in a snap and can be put in the dishwasher. I have had no problems at all and would buy it all over again!

Read Best Reviews of Breville BMF600XL Milk Café Milk Frother Here

This milk frother is incredibly well designed and manufactured.

It should also be marketed as a hot chocolate maker because it also does this extremely well and none of the hot chocolate makers on the market are this well made. The instructions say to use chocolate shavings but I have used whole chocolate chips to make at least 25 batches of hot chocolate with no problems at all. Just run it with only milk until it gets warm, then add the chips.

Here's why it is so awesome:

Stainless steel jug with NO electrical parts, no moving parts, no crevasses or strange concavities for milk to collect in, and it is DISHWASHER SAFE (unlike nearly all frothers and hot chocolate makers).

Frothing disc is propelled magnetically through the bottom of the jug that's right, the jug has no drive shaft at all (and hence no moving parts). The discs are also dishwasher safe, although the permanent magnets inside them will wear out faster in the dishwasher due to the extreme temperature and cycle length.

Control dial lets you pick your desired temperature and the frother stops automatically once this is reached. Cold frothing is also available.

Base has storage in the back for the disc that is not in use so you don't lose it. But it's magnetic so you could always stick it on your fridge so your guests ask "What is that?" and then you can show them the most awesome milk frother ever made.

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Yes, yes, I know you can just heat milk in the microwave or on the stove, but I inevitably either scald the milk, or heat it so slowly for fear of scalding it that it takes 15 minutes. I got a Nespresso CitiZ for Christmas, and wanted something quick that I could set and forget while I was getting the coffee ready.

After much research, I chose this one over the Aerolatte for a few reasons: it has a greater milk capacity; the temperature is adjustable; and the milk container is dishwasher-safe (as opposed to the Aerolatte's, which has electronic parts attached to it and has to be carefully hand-washed). I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the purchase. Some of the other reviews made me nervous about ordering, but the features were important enough to make it worth a try. Trust me, it really is a matter of adjusting to the quirks--although the manual isn't really helpful with those!

For me, it was the cold milk that was usually the problem. I'd pour in the milk, then assemble coffee stuff or mix-ins, and in the meantime it would get condensation on the bottom that would somehow fool the machine into thinking something was wrong. It would start up, then beep three times and shut off--which the manual says means the milk level is too low, although that clearly wasn't the case. But I've found that as long as I start the machine as soon as I pour in the milk, it works fine every time. Basically, any kind of moisture on the outside of the milk container will cause it to shut off.

But once you get going, it takes about three or four minutes for huge, billowy clouds of to foam form on top of the perfect-temperature milk--every time. (I use skim, and unlike other cappuccino makers I've used, the brand doesn't seem to make a difference in the amount of foam.) I've had good success making hot chocolate with cocoa powder and sugar. Although it does foam much less than plain milk, it's creamy and gorgeous, with no graininess or undissolved ingredients (and it's great with Kahlua mixed in!). With the adjustable thermostat, I can make a vanilla steamer for my four-year-old daughter that's the perfect temperature for her. Even at the higher temperatures, I've never had a problem with scalding or burning or sticking.

Cleaning is a breeze--the stainless-steel milk container can go in the dishwasher, but it's so easy to hand wash that I've actually only run it through the DW once. The milk really just rinses right out without scrubbing.

And the cord storage and the storage space for the extra frothing disk work well, unlike some other appliances I own that make it impossible to wind the cord up neatly.

Aside from the diva factor, my only complaint is that the minimum amount of milk required is too much when I just want to make a small, one-shot cappuccino; but I think this is the case for the Aerolatte as well. My daughter doesn't mind, though, because she's the beneficiary of all my extra foam!