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Coffee People: Donut Shop Coffee (K-Cup)

Posted in Review

February 18th, 2010

A Traditional Cup of Coffee With Surprising Depth

One of my favorite things about the Keurig brand, besides its amazing coffee pod makers, is the K-Cup format for coffee pods. So many third party companies have embraced this system that you can find just about anything the imagination can conjure in the coffee world. One shining example of these third party companies is the “Coffee People” brand. With their “Donut Shop” offering, they’ve creating a fantastic example of slick marketing (seriously, check out the box and tell me it’s not eye-catching) and more importantly, delicious coffee pod products that contain a surprising amount of depth. Before analyzing the taste, my first impression was that the Donut Shop coffee is most like a traditional cup of “diner” coffee. It’s the sort of roast that brings back memories of the 89 cent, no-nonsense cup of joe that would get you up and running at any time of day. The great thing about Donut Shop, though, is that it really runs much deeper than the traditional cup of coffee if you continue to drink it. I know: A multi-layered coffee experience like this sounds a bit like a joke when I describe it, but this stuff shouldn’t be underestimated.

The Taste Test

In a more detailed taste-test, the Donut Shop K-Cups deliver on their promise. During my test, I was greeted with a very bold flavor but without the characterstic bitterness that plagues so many other bold coffees currently on the market. Added to the initial boldness, the after taste is a really wonderful, subtle, syrup flavor that mixes with a smooth finish. Overall, you’re definitely in for a stronger, richer experience than you might have gotten with other K-Cups, and coffee pods in general. I think the Coffee People are one of the few companies that is going to up the ante for the coffee pod craze, raising the bar to a level of quality that may even establish single serving coffee as a more-than-viable alternative to traditional brewing.

Conclusion

I was honestly taken aback at how well the Coffee People pulled this off. Keurig should be grinning ear to ear with such a solid product that is using their K-Cup system, and I’m hoping they have others lined up for release in the near future. For now, though, I’ll be making the Coffee People’s products a regular part of my coffee subscription from Amazon, and it should go well alongside my other K-Cup flavors.

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Posted in Review

Tags: coffee pod coffee pod machines coffee pods Keurig coffee pod brewer single cup coffee single serving coffee

The Best Single Cup Coffee Makers

Posted in Comparisons, Review

February 18th, 2010

I’ve been reading tons of reviews lately, trying to collect the various opinions on pod coffee makers and testing out the products on my own. Through this research and generating my own opinions, here are the results on the top 3 units in the search for the perfect small coffee maker:

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

Out of all the coffee pod brewers that I could find that were getting great reviews right out of the gate, the Keurig units were the absolute best performers. Out of Keurig’s offerings, the B60 seems to be the real winner in terms of build quality, features, and most importantly the quality of the brewing process. The favorite features among reviewers included one-touch configuration for fast brewing, multiple cup sizes for different amounts of coffee output, the excellent K-Cup coffee pods, and removable drip tray.

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

Based on the well-established tradition of french press coffee makers, the AeroPress units are at a real advantage in terms of aesthetics as well as quality brewed coffees. People really seem to like the fact that this unit uses a gentle air pressure process combined with properly heated water to do its magic. This is not the same process that is used in the more common single cup coffee makers that you’ll see on the market. Additionally, while we tend to get caught up in the fancy features on the the Keurig units like the touch screens and digital readouts, there’s a lot to be said for a coffee maker that has fewer mechanical elements. Since we’re dealing with a french press style brewer here, you’re relying more on the natural pressure that you expend when pressing the handle down than on a mechanical element that has a better chance of breaking down. This results in a brewer that needs to be serviced far less (if at all), while still giving you a great cup of coffee. For these reasons, the AeroPress units really deserve a special mention in this list.

Breville BKC600XL Gourmet Single-Cup Coffee Brewer

Last, but definitely not least, we have the Breville series. Although less known than the Keurigs and Senseos on the market, the Breville’s really deliver. I actually already had experience with the BKC600XL because a fellow coffee enthusiast owns the unit. I was quite impressed with the quality of the coffee that this brewer was able to deliver. One of my favorite things about this unit is the compatibility with the “K-Cup” system that is manufactured by Keurig. Combined with the programmable LCD screen and rock-solid construction, the Breville name is definitely a great contender.

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Posted in Comparisons, Review

Tags: coffee pod coffee pod machines coffee pods Keurig coffee pod brewer senseo coffee pods

Senseo Cappuccino Coffee Pods

Posted in Review

February 18th, 2010

I recently had the chance to try Senseo’s attempt at cappuccino in coffee pod form. Ever since I heard that people were attempting to do espresso-based coffee products in pod form, I have been incredibly skeptical. There’s something quite special about an espresso drink that just doesn’t lend itself to being stuffed in a convenient little pack as if it were tea.

When I tried a sample cappuccino pack the other day, I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised! Now look, I’m not saying that this is ever going to replace real cappuccino that you pay decent money for in a coffee shop where a barrista carefully heats the water, froths the milk, etc. That being said, I think Senseo has done a fantastic job with their version, and it’s so ridiculously easy to make that the tiny hit you take in quality really doesn’t matter at all in the end. After all, if you want a delicious cappuccino drink at any time and don’t want to brave the line at Starbucks or the crummy weather, you’d be extremely well-served to try these delicious coffee pods.

The Senseo cappuccino pods, like most of the Senseo products, can be purchased in a big 40 count box, although smaller amounts are available if you just want to sample the product and see what all the fuss is about. I have heard of some people actually doubling or tripling up on the amount of pods that they brew at one time in order to get the cappuccino up to their preferred level of strength. When a friend suggested this to me, I figured I’d give it a shot and double up on my next cup. And this brings me nicely to another great thing about these single serve coffee pods in general: You can always start weak and move your way up a level until you hit the desired strength. This is not exactly an easy thing to do with a traditional coffee brewer where you have to ditch the whole pot of coffee if the strength is off.

So there you have it, I was pretty much completely wrong in my initial impressions of the Senseo Cappuccino pods. Although not a perfect replication of the real thing, it the closest that anyone has ever gotten, in my opinion. I would highly recommend these coffee pods to anyone who wants an efficient, no-fuss way to have a cappuccino any time of the day or night without the hassle of waiting in line at an expensive coffee shop.