Many people are looking for a way to enjoy at home the same single cup coffee they often purchase at their favorite specialty coffee shop. People are buying machines that do just that because of their flexibility factor. In the past, coffee lovers had been limited to their choices of coffee maker. For these reasons, single serve coffee makers have been picking up momentum and growing in popularity. There are many advantages to owning one of these machines, but as with any product, there are drawbacks as well. Once you know the best single serve coffee maker on the market, you’ll be on your way to enjoying your favorite hot beverage.
The 3 Main Types of Single Serve Coffee Makers
T-Discs fits Tassimo machines. These containers hold espresso, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. The container has a bar code that tells the machine how much water to use and the right temperature needed to make the beverage.- K-Cups are used in Keurig brand machines. They are small cups (similar to creamer cups) that sit in the top of the coffee maker. The machine then pops holes in the cup that allows water to pass through.
- Coffee Pods are very similar to tea bags in their look and design. This system is best suited for tea and coffee beverages. These machines tend to be more compact and affordable when compared to T-Discs and K-Cups.
The Advantages
There are many advantages to purchasing a single serve coffee maker with the main reason being convenience. Typically, within 60 seconds you can have a hot cup of coffee. The ease of use couldn’t be better. Single servings of coffee tend to taste better rather than large pots of instant coffee that have perhaps been sitting for some time inside a machine. The coffee is fresh! Individual servings of coffee means that everyone can have a roast that they love. It will no longer be a problem for you to enjoy French Vanilla when your best friend craves Hazelnut. Furthermore, variety packs are available, so you can enjoy a different blend everyday.
Coffee is not only the hot beverage that can be made in these coffee makers. You can make espresso, hot chocolate and tea. These machines also save lots of space. No longer do you have to find room for coffee filters, bags of beans or coffee cans. Also, these single cup makers are stylish. They come in a variety of colors including, silver, black, white and red. Their modern, professional look is sure to fit any kitchen or office decor.
The Disadvantages
There is, however, a few disadvantages to single serve coffee machines. The leading drawback is the lack of an industry standard. Each brand of machine must use it’s particular brand of coffee or tea. You can’t mix and match. The fact that you can only make one cup of coffee at a time verses maybe two or three is seen as a disadvantage by some. This is especially true for busy office settings and large households who use coffee makers frequently. Generally, these single cup machines can be quite expensive when you factor in the cost of all the plastic cups or pods that hold the actually coffee. K-cups, for example, often cost more than standard coffee grounds for traditional coffee makers. Finally, as the market stands, there is a limited choice of flavored coffee available compared to regular ground coffee.
The 3 Most Popular Single Serve Coffee Makers
Tassimo T-Disc machines are made by Bosch. They offer many styles and models of single serve coffee makers. Tassimo also carries Starbucks flavored coffees for those who are fans of the brand and wish to have it at home. It’s the second most popular machine next to Keurig’s K-Cups.
Keurig has plenty of K-Cup models with numerous features in which to choose. Such features include one to two cup specifications, instant hot water and espresso compatibilities.
The selection of coffee pods is quite vast. Many companies have single serve coffee makers that use pods on the market right now, including Hamilton Beach, Breville, Senseo and Black and Decker. These brands offer several flavored pods like medium blend, decaff blend, Colombia blend, espresso blend and a line of hot chocolate and teas. Also, these coffee machines are tiny and can fit on most counters or desks with ease.
Which Single Cup Coffee Maker is Best?
Coffee is subjective to personal tastes. To mitigate this problem, Keurig sells the largest selection of coffee (K-Cups) when compared to the competition. Keurig is the leading brand on the market simply due to the fact that they sell their machines at reasonable prices while fulfilling consumer need for a great tasting cup of coffee. We know that single serve saves money, Keurig goes a step further by offer an array of flavored coffee in bulk or at discounted prices. In addition, they have an inventory of unique hot beverages, such as hot apple cider and hot coco that you won’t find with Tassimo, for example. Unlike other brands, you can enjoy an espresso or cappuccino with a Keurig coffee maker as well.
At the end of the day, the Keurig single cup coffee maker works best for most tastes and lifestyles. You may even choose to buy more than one machine and keep them at home and work-they are just that affordable! Just keep in mind that you can get great bargains and discounts from retail stores such as William Sonoma. Buying in bulk ensures that you keep your cupboards stocked with your favorite K-Cup brew for any given time of the day.