Single Serve Coffee

Europe: Pod CM02 Single Serve Coffee Machine - Uses Italian Coffee Capsules

2010-03-19T11:55:49Z

The Pod CM02 is a single serve coffee machine using rigid capsules, and looking like something out of a sci-fi film space opera a al 2001 a Space Odyssey. Designed by Vinod Gangotra for Selec Line (Asia), the one push button operating machine makes it easy and practical for small to medium sized businesses or for domestic use. We don't know just who will release this cool looking machine and under what final brand, but thanks to Vinod for sending this in prior to release.

Features:

-1.o Litre water tank
17 bar pressure
Automatic capsule ejecting system
Capsules from Italy availiable in 6 different aroma's
Availiable in White, Black, Red

At Gangotra

Travel Mug K-Cup Portion Packs - Brew K-Cup Coffee In Your Travel Mug

2010-03-18T11:43:41Z

Green Mountain Coffee has introduced Travel Mug K-Cups portion packs for the Keurig single serve coffee brewing system. For most of us making a travel mug cup of coffee means 12oz of steaming hot coffee, and these K-Cups will hold their own. We're pretty excited to see three of our more travel friendly flavors available in this travel mug k-cup size:

French Roast Travel Mug K-Cups
Donut House Travel Mug K-Cups
Breakfast Blend Travel Mug K-Cups

We'll have some of these Travel Mug K-Cups to review soon, and we're also anxious to try them using less water than the travel mug setting. Perhaps we'll get a super dark brew?

These K-Cups will work in your Keurig Elite B40 Brewer, Keurig B50, Keurig Special Edition Ultra Elite B60, Keurig Platinum B70 Brewer, Breville BKC600XL Gourmet Single Cup Brewer, and other Keurig K Cup brewers including the Keurig Mini B30.

At Travel Mug K-Cups

Redesigned Nescafe Dolce Gusto Surfaces at Chicago Housewares Expo

2010-03-17T11:27:45Z

We featured this redesign that we thought might only surface in Europe last Fall, and now it's nice to see we're going to get an "O" shaped Nescafe Dolce Gusto sometime this year in the US. This sneak peek at the new Dolce Gusto coffee brewer at the 2010 Home and Housewares Expo in Chicago was captured by the crew over at CoffeeWiz.com. Thanks for getting the picture - and what do you think? Are you buying? Or are you crying? Sound off in the comments with your feelings about this novel design.

Via Coffeewiz's Photos

The Coffee Party - No Tea for You

2010-03-16T11:55:43Z

There's always a Yin and a Yang in politics, so when you have a Tea Party you need a Coffee Party. We're not going all political here at Single Serve Coffee, but when a group of people call themselves the Coffee Party we take notice. The Coffee Party formed around drinking well - coffee in coffee houses and is made up of frustrated liberal activists, disheartened conservatives and political newborns. They're young and old, rich and poor, black, white and all shades of coffee. Well - that just makes them coffee drinkers right?

With any new party it's hard to say what they're about, but we do know drinking coffee and talking politics can either be fun or infuriating. One thing of note - in the time of Charles II coffeehouses and drinking coffee was outlawed because it made for such fierce political maneuverings to the king - so it's nice to see this movement at least not being banned but celebrated.

Via CNN.com at The Coffee Party

Canon L Lens Look-Alike Travel Coffee Mug - More Than Meets the Eye

2010-03-15T11:28:24Z

We like to think of this Canon travel mug as the transformers of coffee mugs. This deceptive lens looking travel mug was handed out at the Vancouver Olympic games. Josh Weisberg, director of the Microsoft Rich Media Group, got one at the Olympic Press Center, and sent the above photograph of it to PDNPulse. Alas - they are not for sale to the general public, but perhaps you can write Canon and tell them how much you want one. We'd like one too.

At PDNPulse

Review: Caffè Americano capsules for Nescafé Dolce Gusto

2010-03-12T12:44:10Z

It had never dawned on us that we reviewed the Nescafé Dolce Gusto system a while back but had completely forgotten to follow-up with reviews of the individual capsules which were available for it. Well readers, rest assured that glaring omission has now been resolved starting with this very review. From its quirky "alien duck thingy" looks to its professional quality 15-bar pressure (which produces incredibly rich, frothy drinks) to its fully manual controls & 100% no-mess cleanup... we love just about everything on this machine and we love the variety of its coffee capsules even more.

We decided to start with the most basic of all capsules, Nescafé's Caffè Americano, which is actually a recent addition to the lineup as it appeared online & in stores only within the past several months. A quick gander at Wikipedia reveals that an Americano is "a style of coffee prepared by adding hot water to espresso, giving a similar strength but different flavor from regular drip coffee". We didn't have any of the cool Nescafé color-coded mugs seen on the packaging and certainly wouldn't mind if the kind folks at Nescafé would send a few our way the next time they have an overstock *cough*. So, all shameless begging aside, pardon us for using a plain 12oz glass mug instead. We decided to limit the amount of water to approx. 8 or 10oz as to not dilute the coffee too much.

Billed by Nescafé as a medium roast with "smooth, mild flavor", we would tend to agree. Aroma was earthy with notes of molasses & dark chocolate, plus we were pleased to see that even this "basic cup of coffee" had a nice little bit of crema on the surface (all thanks to the 15-bar pressure, we're sure). Flavor was exactly as expected, that of a toned-down, smoky espresso but definitely not to the point where it seemed too watered down. We now understand how restraining one's urge for a bigger cup can help improve flavor in some circumstances, as adding a full 12oz to fill our cup would have resulted in a tepid serving of coffee-scented water. The key to a good cup here is not going overboard with the serving sizes.

Acidity is obviously not as strong as a standard espresso, yet you can still taste sour notes primarily in the aftertaste. Still a pleasant balance overall which results indeed in a smooth profile that isn't too strong but isn't washed-out either. Body is dark with unique reddish hints of burnt sienna when held to a light source (the crema layer adds to the muted effect). Mouth feel, which we were expecting to be watery, actually turned out to be surprisingly silky smooth & we suppose this will vary from user to user as you experiment with different serving sizes.

Aroma – 8 – Earthy, with hints of molasses & dark chocolate.
Acidity – 8 – Mostly present in the aftertaste (which is a bit sour), yet the addition of extra water to this espresso-style brew helps mellow things out considerably.
Body – 9 – Dark until held to a light source where the crema layer helps project a reddish-brown or unique burnt sienna color.
Flavor – 9 – Just what an Americano should be... not too heavy on the taste while not too watered down to destroy the espresso flavor lurking underneath. If kept in the 8-10oz range, very well balanced. Nice smoky espresso flavor overall.
Mouth Feel – 8 – Varies depending on the amount of water you use. 6oz would be thick, 8oz-10oz can be smooth & velvety to light & silky. Ours came out in the "smooth & velvety" category.
Coffee Drinker – Since you manually control the amount of water that ends up in the final drink, this can range anywhere from casual strong coffee drinkers (6oz) to casual coffee drinkers who like something with a bit of a strong taste (10oz)

Overall Rating: 87 - Good

We find the manual aspect of the Dolce Gusto is like throwing a bowling ball into a minefield of mouse traps. You're bound to set off more than one outcome depending on the brew size you select. This is a first among the single serve coffee world... you and ONLY you control the outcome of your drink. No other machine (to our knowledge) offers this level of customization. As a result, any of our Dolce Gusto reviews will be guidelines only in order to give you a basic idea of what the capsule can produce.

Each user experience will be ultimately different and heck... we LOVE that! Why? Because if you don't like the drink, you can keep tweaking it until you get it just right. Some will argue that other single serve machines can be setup, albeit more difficultly, to produce "customized" results as well, but it doesn't get any simpler than pulling and releasing a single lever... you don't even have to keep your finger pushed down on it during the brew process.

The #1 thing we ADORE about the Dolce Gusto? The no-mess cleanup. The dispensing spout is built-into each capsule, so there's virtually no gunk build-up to clean-out. The worst you may have to do is use the included tool to clear blockages in the water needle, but we've been using our machine for months and haven't run into that problem yet. Overall, we feel this is a decent alternative to your conventional-drip coffee each morning and since you control the output, it may even taste better too. Definitely worth a try.

Nescafé's Caffè Americano capsules will work in all Dolce Gusto models and are available in 16-pack boxes for $8.49 USD at Nescafé's www.dolcegustostore.com or Amazon.com. They're also available for $8.99 CAD at Nescafé's www.dolce-gusto.ca or various grocery stores across Canada.

Read how we review and rate single serve coffee and other single serve coffee beverages here.

Go Green with 50 Count Packed Jet Fuel K-Cups for Keurig

2010-03-11T12:55:17Z

We love the low earth orbit we achieve after drinking a cup of Jet Fuel coffee. With speeds approaching Mach 5, this coffee is bold and rich with a dark intense set of coffee flavors. Jet Fuel K-Cups also come packed in a 33% reduction in packaging with a single 50-Count box. The 40% recycled cardboard in every package also helps to make this purchase of single serve coffee even greener with soy based non-toxic ink on all the packaging. And if that wasn't enough you can thank yourself for helping reduce carbon emissions due to more efficient packaging and transportation.

Coffee People Jet Fuel K-Cups for Keurig Brewers will work in your Keurig Elite B40 Brewer, Keurig B50, Keurig Special Edition Ultra Elite B60, Keurig Platinum B70 Brewer, Breville BKC600XL Gourmet Single Cup Brewer, and other Keurig K Cup brewers including the Keurig Mini B30.

At Coffee People Jet Fuel K-Cups for Keurig Brewers Pack of 50

Behind the Scenes with Jim Evans from CoffeeWiz.com

2010-03-10T12:27:03Z

We've got something a little different for you this morning. How about behind the scenes footage of the upcoming episode of "Live It Up" with Donna Drake featuring Jim Evans from CoffeeWiz.com? Yup - we thought you'd enjoy this. Filmed at Digital Waterworks in Long Island, NY the segment will feature a comparison of that boring old regular drip coffee to what we all know is the future of coffee - Single Serve Coffee.

At YouTube

Dunkin Donuts Announces Dunkin Turbo Flavored Coffee

2010-03-09T12:13:42Z

With the announcement of the Smucker's deal and K-Cups to be made for the Millstone and Folger's brand of coffees, we couldn't resist thinking about all the flavors of Dunkin Donuts coffee that maybe in the future could be made into K-Cups. Though there's no mention directly of Dunkin Donuts K-Cups - how about some Dunkin' Turbo K-Cups? Dunkin' Turbo is the new rich, smooth, medium roast coffee that has an extra boost of delicious Dunkin' Donuts flavor to kick-start your day. Dunkin' Donuts flavor?

We'll have to get some and try it as we do enjoy a "Medium Regular" cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee every once in awhile. Would you like to see Dunkin' Donuts K-Cups? What are your favorite Dunkin' coffees you'd like to see in a K-Cup if they ever made them?

At Dunkin' Turbo

Coffee Powered Car - Where We're Going We Don't Need Coffee - Just the Grounds Please

2010-03-08T12:28:51Z

The Carpuccino, a 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco which has been modified to run on ground coffee, will drive 210 miles between Manchester and London in the coming weeks. The trip will require over 150 pounds of coffee, with the car getting a mileage of roughly 1.4 miles per pound (now that's a lot of coffee). The vehicle can hit speeds of 60mph, though the trip could take as long as ten hours, as the car has to stop every 60 miles to clean out its coffee filters- no joke.

The Carpuccino was built by the BBC1 show Bang Goes The Theory as a reminder to show how unconventional fuels can power vehicles. Now the sad part - the Carpuccino's trip will cost up to 50 times as much as it would if it were running on gas. Maybe they should have run it on espresso alone instead of just the grounds? Thanks to Michael for sending this in.

Via Gizmodo and Daily Mail

ECO CUP - Save the Planet One Cup of Coffee at a Time

2010-03-05T12:43:52Z

We're always on the lookout for a coffee cup that both helps us use less throwaway cups, and looks pretty cool. We've seen many versions of the "faux" porcelain cup, and we think the sleeve and lid in silicon makes this one a winner. The sleeve may come brown or white when you order this, and the single-walled, porcelain cup with attachable silicon lid keep drinks warm while helping the environment.

Update:CoffeeWiz.com just sent us word they've sold over 1000 cups since introduction last year of the ECO-Cup. That means they've helped to save 300,000+ paper, plastic, and styrofoam cups the fate of ending up in a landfill. Our hat is off to CoffeeWiz.com for featuring this product and promoting eco-friendly ways of enjoying coffee.

At ECO CUP and CoffeeWiz.com

Review: Milka Hot Chocolate T-Discs for Tassimo

2010-03-04T12:44:31Z

After our recent battle with a frozen downspout, we didn't quite feel like getting a coffee buzz once back inside the house, so instead, we started craving some good old-fashioned hot chocolate. This got us to thinking, it's been ages since we reviewed any hot chocolate T-Discs for the Tassimo system and there hasn't been anything available to our liking... until the introduction of Milka Hot Chocolate T-discs on tassimo.com several months ago.

More common to the European market than on "this side of the pond", Milka Hot Chocolate is a combination of chocolate syrup T-Discs blended with European milk creamer T-Discs. The goal is to create a creamier version of hot chocolate than what we're used to with the Tassimo system. We've tried to enjoy the only other option, Suchard T-Discs, through their original version to their larger creamer-sized version and back to their recent "European Recipe" version, but they're just too watery for our liking and left a lot to be desired.

Milka's addition of its milk creamer helps go a long way in fixing this issue but is not the only factor in a better overall cup... instead, it's the taste of its chocolate syrup which helped sway us in its favor. This is not your typical hot cocoa taste... it's a rich, silky taste more akin to pure Swiss chocolate (think Toblerone). A quick look around the British Milka website reveals that they do indeed use "Alpine Milk" in all their products and as for a bit of odd irony, the site also reveals Milka's parent company to be none other than Suchard (Kraft does own both brands, after all).

The creamer has a somewhat sweet taste compared to your typical American milk creamer T-Discs and this only further enhances the final taste of the product. We're not sure if this is due to 1% skim milk being used instead of 2% milk (we couldn't find any indication of this on the packaging) or if it's just due to the way European milk is supposed to taste. Alone, the creamer has some of the "chemical" flavor we've experienced in the past with the American version, but once you add the chocolate, it disappears.

Aroma is definitely more pronounced than the Suchard T-Discs and is identically matched to the flavor profile of "Alpine Milk Chocolate". Froth is present until you stir the cup (as instructed on the packaging) which quickly starts to dissolve remaining bubbles back into the drink. It's certainly a very pleasing alternative to your typical cup o' joe on a cold Winter afternoon (and believe us, we've been seeing quite a few of those around the Single Serve Coffee kitchens lately).

Overall, we love these Milka Hot Chocolate T-Discs and feel they're a long overdue and much welcome addition to the Tassimo line-up. We can't find any faults with this flavor and highly recommend it. It's a hit with adults and due to the constantly disappearing packages around our kitchens, a MAJOR hit with the kids as well. There's no competition, if you've got the choice between Suchard T-Discs and Milka T-Discs, Milka wins & is our top pick everytime. Unfortunately, for our Canadian readers North of the border, Kraft Canada has yet to release these T-Discs on their Tassimo.ca website (we feel your pain), so we can only recommend you start bugging your American friends or relatives to ship you some Milka gift packages ASAP.

If we were to rate this on our conventional coffee scoring scale, it would probably score in the very high 90s... maybe even our first 100 (yes, they're THAT good). Milka Hot Chocolate T-Discs will work in all Bosch Tassimo models and are available via tassimo.com for $9.99 USD. Each package includes a total of 16 discs (8 hot chocolate + 8 milk creamer).

Milka Hot Chocolate T-Discs for Tassimo will work in your Braun Tassimo TA1200 or TA1400 models as well as the Bosch Tassimo T45 and Tassimo T65 hot beverage systems.

The Single Serve Coffee staff purchased these T-Discs directly from Tassimo for purposes of this review.

Follow Single Serve Coffee on Facebook, Twitter, RSS, and Receive Our Weekly Newsletter

2010-03-03T12:29:17Z

All of the articles we post and other fun stuff here at Single Serve Coffee can be followed in a variety of ways. Each day we post an article here or two so make sure and visit us on the web, and weekly you can of course get our newsletter via email. You can also now follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you're using a feed reader such as Google Reader or the like make sure and use our RSS feed. So make sure and take advantage of the variety of ways you can get our Single Serve Coffee news, and we also encourage you to visit us right here every day as well.

Thanks again for being a loyal reader, and we look forward to sharing lots of Single Serve Coffee news in whatever format you desire.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Caffe Americano Coffee Capsules

2010-03-02T12:44:50Z

Packed in a 3 count box pack, these smart capsules make a perfect Americano using the Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine. We love a good Cafe Americanano, and can't wait to try these for the Nescafe Dolce Gusto. Has anyone else tried them?

At Nescafe Dolce Gusto Caffe Americano

February 2010 Monthly Round-Up for Single Serve Coffee

2010-03-01T12:55:02Z

February 2010 was another month of amazing single serve coffee news and reviews. We did an extensive hands on review of the Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee K-Cup Brewing System, along with reviews of the Nescafé Taster's Choice Single Serve Instant Coffee Packs. If you're new to our site and single serve coffee you can also follow Single Serve Coffee each month on Facebook and Twitter for the latest single serve coffee news, reviews, and deals.

Coffee Concentrates & Extracts

Review: Nescafé Taster's Choice Single Serve Instant Coffee Packs

Coffee Cups & Travel Mugs

Cuisinart

General News

Keurig & K-Cups

Monthly Round-Up

January 2010 Monthly Round-Up for Single Serve Coffee

Portable Single Serve Coffee

Review: Nescafé Taster's Choice Single Serve Instant Coffee Packs

Reviews

Single Serve Coffee Deals

Join the Café Express Coffee Club and Save $2.50 Per Box of K-Cups

Single Serve Coffee Machines

Review: Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee K-Cup Brewing System

2010-02-26T13:58:47Z

The Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System is the first Cuisinart coffee brewer to use K-Cups for making tea, hot chocolate, and of course coffee. The Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System features a very large 80 oz water reservoir, iced and regular coffee brewing settings, along with storage of a My K-Cup resusable coffee filter. It also features a very fresh yet angular Cuisinart industrial design, along with a very easy to read blue LCD display. We've been looking forward to more options in K-Cup brewers, and it's really nice to have a brewer from a major brand like Cuisinart.

If you want to compare exhaustively the features of other Keurig Brewers we suggest reading the following Single Serve Coffee reviews, however we'll do our best to cover all the differences and innovations we find in this review as well.

The SS700 has an 80 oz water reservoir. Yes - we said 80.

There is also a ton of info and reviews in our Reviews, Keurig & K-Cups, Keurig Reviews, and K-Cup reviews categories of entries. That's just the prep - now on with the review.

Features of the Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System

Five cup sizes, including an iced beverage setting. 4 oz Iced, 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz coffee settings.
Travel Mugs fit by removing the drip tray
The hot water button is great for instant coffee, soup, tea and hot cocoa.
There is a rinse button that cleans the brew chamber
The brewer is fully programmable with auto on/off and adjustable temperature control, and the blue backlit LCD display with digital clock is easy to read at a glance.
Quiet brew technology, an extra large removable 80-ounce water reservoir
Charcoal water filter that only works with the Cuisinart - you can't use the Keurig Charcoal water filters
Includes a 12 K-Cup® portion pack
Reusable My K-Cup coffee filter for ground coffee and spoon included with storage area on brewer for My K-Cup only

So this means you have a very large reservoir, the ability to use K-Cups and the coffee of your choice using the My K-Cup filter, and a very nice looking new coffee brewer for your countertops. Okay - seriously besides the lack of storage integration for the spoon used to fill the My K-Cup filter, this brewer for the home has the most features available for $199 in any Keurig brewer.

Integrated My K-Cup storage - however the spoon
does not store in here.

The brew temperature is also controllable, so you can set it to 187 to 192. We suggest just leaving it at 192 - because if you want hot coffee the brewing process we found knocked 10-15 degrees off the 192 at the brew head to have coffee arrive at 180F or so at the cup.

First Impressions Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System

We published some first impressions in our earlier article, but we thought we'd publish some more as well.

The Reservoir is huge - at 80oz if you stick with the 8 oz cup that's 10 cups without refilling over the the standard Selecct Keurig 60oz water reservoir
The My K-Cup storage on the side is novel - but we don't like the fact the spoon that comes with the Cuisinart has no place for storage. We think this is a big miss on the part of the designers of the brewer because once you move the spoon and don't store it away (like you can in the Breville brewer) then it's just going to be missing
The controls are nice and the display icons are a bit clearer - showing the ounces in the silhouette of the cup icon
It's very quiet so that's nice the Quiet Brew technology is throughout all the Keurig models now
The metal outer coating wipes up easily and is very solid - but it also feels really industrial
The setting menu is a bit confusing - for some reason the flow of the Keurig Select B70 menu is better and easier to setup
We love the brew head - it reminds us of again - some Star Trek starship - and it's slippery coating wipes up easily
The hot water option is okay - we just wish you didn't have to open and close the brew head - but what if there was an old K-Cup in there? Hmmm....

Brewing a Cup of Coffee with the Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System

As we stated earlier you can use the K-Cup portion packs, and the included My K-Cup reusable coffee filter to make coffee with the Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System. There are over 200+ K-Cups coffees, teas, and other hot beverages available, so selection and choice isn't a problem.

To make a cup of coffee you do the following:

Turn on the brewer - the brewer has an auto-on and auto-off feature and has timed on and off settings as well
Open the brew head
Insert the K-Cup portion pack
Shut the brew head
Put your coffee under the brew head
Pick your brew size and hit the brew button
In less than 60 seconds you'll have a steaming hot cup of coffee

Brew time is the same, and the brewer is very quiet. The My K-Cup has to have the brew chamber removed and then you insert it into the brew chamber area just like any other Keurig model.

Open brew head.

Questions and Answers from the Single Serve Coffee Community

We asked the Single Serve Coffee community to sound off with questions and in our Cuisinart Questions thread in the Single Serve Coffee Forums. Also we had many comments and questions on our set of articles over the past two weeks and we try to answer them here as well.

Question: How does it compare to Breville. What is the water temp? does it brew a better cup? Quieter? Faster? filter better? Made as well? Anything it has the Breville doesn't that makes it worth buying?

Answer: This is a great set of questions and we'll be to the point. How does it compare - besides the scoop storage we think it's on par, and we love the design of the Cuisinart. Brew temp is 187 to 192 with about 180 at the cup. It's quiet, it's the same brew speed, the filter works but is unique to the Cuisinart. It had the larger reservoir and the hot water and rinse features.

Question: Does the SS-700 brew a robust cup of coffee without having to use extra bold coffees?

Answer: No. There isn't any strength features to make medium or light coffee magically become bold coffee. If you want bold coffee - use extra-bold K-Cups. If you want medium or light coffee - use those K-Cups.

Question: What differentiates this unit from the Keurig and the Breville? Other than aesthetic reasons, why would someone want to buy the Cuisinart over the other two comparable options?

Answer (we think Jim Evans from CoffeeWiz.com answers this best):From a consumer point of view I can answer that in one word .. Cuisinart ... They sell way more traditional coffee machines that anyone else and have a huge loyal following. In addition because it's Cuisinart it screams quality. And we also think the brewer is of high quality and if you have other Cuisinart appliances it will fit right in.

Question:Definitely a compare against B40/B70/OPOD/BUNN in quality of coffee produced.

Answer: The coffee produced from the SS700 is on par with the Keurig B40 and B70 - any of these brewers with the brew temp of 192 produce excellent coffee. Comparing this to a coffee pod brewer like the OPOD or Bunn is more difficult. The different coffees produced and pod size can be a factor in producing bolder coffee in the pod brewers, but you can achieve similar results with the SS700 or other Keurig brewers using the right K-Cups or My K-Cup with the right coffee. Also factoring in the Perfect Pod Holster or the new EZ Cup accessory you can use coffee pods, K-Cups, and ground coffee in any Keurig brewer - allowing for an amazing variety of coffee tastes, strengths, and preference.

Question: Any idea if Cusinart intends to roll out a version of the mini? or maybe some color options - anything leaked about metalic red, blue, gold, black, etc.?

Answer: No other colors or the mini has been brought up. We imagine for this year - this is the only Cuisinart K-Cup brewer you'll be able to get.

Question: Will I be able to get the Cuisinart at Keurig.com or other retailers besides Bed, Bath, and Beyond?

Answer: We don't know. Right now Bed, Bath, and Beyond seems to be your only option. We think as the year goes on there will most likely be more availability at other retailers.

Question: Can I use the Keurig charcoal filters in my Cuisinart SS700?

Answer: No. They are indeed different, so you'll need to use the Cuisinart filters with your brewer.

Question: Is the hot water and rinse options just a gimmick?

Answer: Yes and no. They are indeed useful - the rinse is really great after hot chocolate or something messy. The hot water features allows you to quickly make hot water and once you close the brew head - it's only 1 minute or so between uses. You can still use any Keurig brewer to make hot water by removing any K-Cups and making a cup without a K-Cup in the brew head. However for people who want more buttons - we think you'll like have more buttons with dedicated reasons to be.

Conclusions

Pros:

Large Water Reservoir at 80 oz - this is the killer features
Integrated My K-Cup storage
Hot Water and rinse feature - works and we like the dedicated buttons
Many brew optionsBrewer is very quietNice industrial designEasy to read LCD screen for brewing options
3 year limited Warranty - most other brewers have a 1 year warranty

Cons:

At $199 it's expensive
Lack of storage for the coffee scoop

We think you can't go wrong with the Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System if you want a top of the line single serve coffee brewer. The large 80 oz reservoir is the thing you're buying in our opinion, along with a generous 3 year warranty on a very well designed brewer. We love the ease of use, and the fact the Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System works with all K-Cups and the My K-Cup reusable filter gives you as the coffee and hot beverage drinking consumer the most options.

At Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Coffee Brewing System

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Smuckers to Make The Folgers Available In K-Cups for Single Serve Coffee Brewers

2010-02-25T13:14:44Z

The best part of waking up is Folger in your K-Cup! This is big news as Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. and The J.M. Smucker Company today announced a multiyear manufacturing and distribution agreement under which GMCR will manufacture certain coffee brands owned by Smucker, including Folgers® Gourmet Selections¢ and Millstone® in single-serve K-Cup® portion packs for Keurig® Single-Cup Brewers. Smucker is a leader in the U.S. retail coffee market with its brands Folgers, Folgers Gourmet Selections, and Millstone. Smucker also manufactures and markets the Dunkin Donuts® coffee brand through retail channels in North America.

Under terms of the agreement, Smucker will have the ability to market and sell a variety of Folgers Gourmet Selections and Millstone K-Cups to consumers in the U.S. and Canada through grocery stores, mass merchandisers, drugstores, and wholesale clubs, as well as through Smucker retail websites. GMCR's Keurig business unit will have the ability to market and sell Smucker coffee brands of K-Cups direct to consumers via its website: www.keurig.com.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. will be the exclusive manufacturer of Smucker coffee brands of K-Cups using roasted and blended coffee beans provided by Smucker. A select offering of Smucker coffee brands of K-Cups are expected to be available to consumers beginning in the fall of 2010.

That's right - we can expect even more K-Cups to be available starting this Fall and on grocery shelves across the US. We really hope we see some Dunkin Donuts K-Cups - but who knows - right now it looks like Millstone and Folgers will be the front runners from the Smucker brands.

"Adding the power of well-known Folger's Gourmet Selections and Millstone coffee brands to the broad and growing assortment of K-Cup portion pack varieties available to consumers expands the appeal of the Keurig Single-Cup Brewing system, and will allow us to reach more consumers in more geographies," said Lawrence J. Blanford, president and CEO, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. "We look forward to Smucker's participation in aiding Keurig Single-Cup system adoption through grocery channels."

"We are excited about the opportunity for our coffee brands to reach consumers through the fastest growing singleserve coffee brewing system," said Vincent C. Byrd, President U.S. Retail Coffee, The J.M. Smucker Company "With this agreement, consumers of our coffee brands will benefit from the quality coffee experience and convenience provided by Keurig's Single-Cup Brewing technology."

Additional terms and conditions of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (Nasdaq:GMCR - News)

As a leader in the specialty coffee industry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. is recognized for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. GMCR's operations are managed through two business units. The Specialty Coffee business unit produces coffee, tea and hot cocoa from its family of brands, including Green Mountain Coffee®, Newman's Own® Organics coffee Tully's Coffee®, and Timothy's World Coffee®. The Keurig business unit is a pioneer and leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems. K-Cup® portion packs for Keurig® Single-Cup Brewers are produced by a variety of licensed roasters, including Green Mountain Coffee, Tully's Coffee and Timothy's. GMCR supports local and global communities by offsetting 100% of its direct greenhouse gas emissions, investing in Fair Trade Certified¢ coffee, and donating at least five percent of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects. Visit www.gmcr.com for more information.

GMCR routinely posts information that may be of importance to investors in the Investor Relations section of its web site, including news releases and its complete financial statements, as filed with the SEC. GMCR encourages investors to consult this section of its web site regularly for important information and news. Additionally, by subscribing to GMCR's automatic email news release delivery, individuals can receive news directly from GMCR as it is released.

About The J. M. Smucker Company

For more than 110 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that help families create memorable mealtime moments. Today, Smucker is the leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker's®, Folgers®, Dunkin' Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation®, Europe's Best® and Bick's® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. The Company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States 12 times, ranking number one in 2004. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks, except Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC used under license; Carnation is a trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., used under license; and Dunkin' Donuts is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder LLC used under license

At Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.

Thermos 16 Ounce Leak-Proof Travel Mug - Built Rugged for the Outdoors

2010-02-24T13:28:44Z

We've just spent the morning trying to unfreeze a downspout, and thought how a really great rugged travel mug of warm coffee could have made the job easier. We have just found the TherMax double wall vacuum travel mug which locks in temperature to preserve flavor and freshness. We'll just take some warm coffee please.

This mug also features a unbreakable 18/8 stainless steel interior and exterior which would come in handy from the frustration of unfreezing the downspout. The mug has a Leak-proof 360° drink lid which makes coffee drinkable from any direction, and has a large footprint and sturdy rubber bottom.

At Thermos 16 Ounce Leak-Proof Travel

Timothy's Sugar Bush Maple K-Cups Available for Pre-Order

2010-02-23T12:43:14Z

It's that time of year when Timothy's creates one of our favorite K-Cups - Timothy's Sugar Bush Maple K-Cups to be exact. We love the maple meets coffee goodness, and each cup reminds us a french toast morning growing up in Maine. If you want the entire flavor review, please check out our full review of the Sugar Bush Maple K-Cups.

At Timothy's Sugar Bush Maple K-Cups

Wolfgang Puck Keurig K-Cups - Entire List of Coffee Flavors

2010-02-22T12:28:50Z

We recently brought you news that Van Houtte will be producing K-Cups for Wolfgang Puck coffees, and now we have the entire lineup of the K-Cups that will be available. There will no less than 12 coffee blends available at launch which is double the amount we expected.

Breakfast in Bed: Wake up on the bright side, with fresh aromas and a smooth taste.
Beverly Hills Blend: When only the best will do... Live the good life, and drink great coffee!
French Roast: Bring the aromas of France home with you and "profitez des bons moments (enjoy the good moments)"
Vienna Coffee House: Close your eyes, breathe in the aromas and take a sip. Savor the moment.
Sumatra Kopi Raya: A full body with spicy notes. Flavors from around the world, at your table!
Chef's Reserve Colombian: "A really good cup of coffee is truly one of my greatest pleasures." -Wolfgang Puck
Chef's Reserve Colombian Decaf: "A really good cup of coffee is truly one of my greatest pleasures." -Wolfgang Puck
Hawaiian Hazelnut: The flavor of rich coffee blended with tropical hazelnut. sure to delight the senses.
Francais Vanilla: A subtle flavor of vanilla adds just a touch of sweetness to this extraordinary coffee.
Creme Caramel: The sweetness of rich caramel mixed with gourmet vanilla ice cream, delicious!
Jamaica Me Crazy: You may do a little dance for this fantastic cup of Joe. Yes a dance, but who doesn't love a crazy jig in the morning?
Sorrento: Take a moment to simply enjoy the great flavor and aroma of this perfect blend. Live, love, eat and drink great coffee.

Via Shoffee

Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve K-Cup Brewer First Impressions

2010-02-19T13:14:48Z

We've been using the Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve K-Cup Brewer over the past week, and we thought we'd share some unboxing pictures and of course our first impressions.

The Reservoir is huge - almost a 1/3 larger than the standard B70 Keurig water reservoir
The My K-Cup storage on the side is novel - but we are missing the coffee scoop spoon that comes with the Breville - we like not having to find a scoop to add the coffee
The controls are nice and the display icons are a bit clearer - showing the ounces in the silhouette of the cup icon
It's very quiet so that's nice the Quiet Brew technology is throughout all the Keurig models now
The metal outer coating wipes up easily and is very solid - but it also feels really industrial

The black larger reservoir next to the Keurig B70 reservoir.

You get the brewer, sample K-Cups, charcoal filter, and instructions.

More impressions in our full review next week where we answer your questions as well. You can sound off in the comments or add to our Cuisinart Questions thread in the Single Serve Coffee Forums. Also you can tweet us a questions or two, and send us questions on our Facebook page. Whatever the method, we'll try and get these questions answered within the context of the review.

Eric's K-Cup Reviews - Single Serve Coffee Forum Member Highlight

2010-02-18T12:29:50Z

We'd like to call out a Single Serve Coffee Forum Member Eric for a rather long and intense set of K-Cup reviews. Eric has long been a coffee pod and K-Cup single serve coffee user, but recently started a set of K-Cup reviews. We love the rating system and the to the point reviews. Great stuff!

I enjoy K-Cups, so I decided to post a review of my samples. I am using a 1 to 4 star rating system along with a quick summary by brand, below this I added a numeric rating system of scoring along with some comments on my results. My K cup machine is the Keurig B40 "Elite Brewing System". I use the smallest drop possible with my unit, which is 7.25oz. The link below shows the template that is the basis for my ratings:

Full read at Eric's K-Cup Reviews

Keurig B150 and B155 Touch Screen Single Cup Brewer Arrives for Review - We Answer Your Questions

2010-02-17T13:29:11Z

When it rains it pours single serve coffee brewers here at Single Serve Coffee. We just received the new Keurig B150/B155 brewer to review from Keurig. Both the Keurig 150 and 155 models feature a new touch screen user interface to help assist in making your piping hot cup of single serve coffee, tea, or cocoa. Though these brewers are aimed at the small business and home office market, you can also purchase these brewers as a consumer for your home.

We want to know your questions prior to our review in the coming weeks. Do you have questions about the brew temp? How about the reservoir size? How does this brewer compare to the Keurig B70 or the Breville or other commercial Keurig brewers? Ask away and we'll get your questions answered.

You can sound off in the comments or add to our Keurig B155 Questions thread in the Single Serve Coffee Forums. Also you can tweet us a questions or two, and send us questions on our Facebook page. Whatever the method, we'll try and get these questions answered within the context of the review in the coming weeks.

Caffeindicator Can Detect Decaf or Regular Coffee

2010-02-16T12:42:46Z

Caffeindicator is printed on the little paper packets that sugar and artificial sweetener come in. When your coffee arrives, you put a drop of it from your spoon onto the packet. If the paper turns pink, then you know that caffeine is present. We think this is going to be a crap shoot, as different decaf methods produce different amounts of caffeine in the decaf coffee. Whatever the method you need - it's definitely better to know if you're going to get all jittery in an hour instead of thinking you're having a cup of decaf over regular.

What we'd really like to see is a test that can tell if it's ethically grown and if it's going to be a decent cup of coffee.

Via Gizmag

Van Houtte to Produce Wolfgang Puck K-Cups for Keurig

2010-02-15T12:14:02Z

Van Houtte is set to produce Wolfgand Puck K-Cups for the Keurig single serve coffee brewing system. We've been missing our Wolfgang Puck coffees as of late, and it's nice to see even more coffees coming to the Keurig system.

There's no official word on the exact line of flavors, but we expect they'll be some returns from the earlier coffee pod days, and hopefully the Wolfgang Puck Rainforest K-cups will appear from the coffee abyss.

The Wolfgang Puck K-Cups once they are released will work in your Keurig Elite B40 Brewer, Keurig B50, Keurig Special Edition Ultra Elite B60, Keurig Platinum B70 Brewer, Breville BKC600XL Gourmet Single Cup Brewer, and other Keurig K Cup brewers including the Keurig Mini B30.

MONTREAL, Feb. 11 /CNW Telbec/ - Van Houtte and Wolfgang Puck Coffee announce today that they have signed a Joint Venture Agreement for the roasting, packaging and distribution of Wolfgang Puck K-Cup(R) portion packs in the U.S. and Canada. Van Houtte will be the exclusive manufacturer of Wolfgang Puck specialty coffees packaged in K-Cup portion packs designed for use in Keurig(R) brewers.

The Wolfgang Puck K-Cup portion packs will be available in grocery stores, retailers, office coffee service and hotels, along with other Van Houtte branded products including coffee K-Cup portion packs, in North America. This agreement represents an important step in each company's strategy to strengthen their respective presence in the North American market.

"We are extremely satisfied with the Van Houtte standard of quality in manufacturing specialty coffee K-Cup portion packs," stated Eric McCoy, President of Wolfgang Puck Coffee.

Sylvain Toutant, President of the retail division of Van Houtte L.P.

stated, "The joint venture with Wolfgang Puck was a natural step to increase our presence outside Quebec." Van Houtte believes Wolfgang Puck to be a brand with similar values and quality.

About Van Houtte Founded in 1919, Van Houtte is one of North America's leaders in the roasting, processing, marketing and distribution of high-quality coffees. The Company roasts and processes fine coffees, which it markets in Canada and the United States throughout grocery, club and specialty stores, a coffee services network, Van Houtte branded cafes, and online.

About Wolfgang Puck Company Wolfgang Puck Coffee brings estate grown and organic coffees created by chef Wolfgang Puck to market as a licensee of Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.

The coffees are harvested from the world's finest coffee growing regions and roasted to perfection in small batches to ensure freshness. Thousands of hotels, offices, and foodservice establishments throughout North America currently serve Wolfgang Puck Coffee. Retail coffees can be found at select grocery chains or online.

-0- 02/11/2010 /For further information: Marianne Boulet, (514) 395-0375 ext. 234; Source: Van Houtte, www.vanhoutte.com/ CO: VAN HOUTTE INC.

Via Canadian Business Online

Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve K-Cup Brewer Arrives for Review - We Answer Your Questions

2010-02-12T12:43:39Z

Cuisinart has sent us the new Cuisinart SS700 SIngle Serve K-Cup Brewer to review. This brewer comes with a charcoal water filter, and has a My K-Cup reusable filter stored away in the side of the brewer. The Cuisinart SS700 Single Serve Brewing System is compatible with all K-Cups including the coffee, tea, and hot cocoa K-Cups. Pricing is set at $199.99.

We want to know your questions prior to our review next week. Do you have questions about the brew temp? How about the reservoir size? How does this brewer compare to the Keurig B70 or the Breville? Ask away and we'll get your questions answered.

You can sound off in the comments or add to our Cuisinart Questions thread in the Single Serve Coffee Forums. Also you can tweet us a questions or two, and send us questions on our Facebook page. Whatever the method, we'll try and get these questions answered within the context of the review next week.

Join the Café Express Coffee Club and Save $2.50 Per Box of K-Cups

2010-02-11T11:47:45Z

Now through April 1, 2010 you can save $2.50 off K-Cup boxes instead of the standard $2 the Café Express Coffee Club normally offers. You can choose from over 70 varieties of coffee, tea & hot cocoa at the Green Mountain Coffee super site which now offers Green Mountain, Tully's, Caribou, and Newman's Own coffees and K-Cups.

Change your order, check order status & order history – all on-line!
FREE gift for new members
No fees, no cost to join, cancel anytime
FREE standard shipping when you buy 4 or more K-Cup boxes
$1 off each bag of coffee and 10% off all non-coffee products
Receive personalized order reminder emails 14 days before your order ships so that you can make any changes you like

All of these K-Cups will work in your Keurig Elite B40 Brewer, Keurig B50, Keurig Special Edition Ultra Elite B60, Keurig Platinum B70 Brewer, Breville BKC600XL Gourmet Single Cup Brewer, and other Keurig K Cup brewers including the Keurig Mini B30.

At Café Express Coffee Club

Pixel Coffee Table Brings Out the 8 Bits In You

2010-02-10T12:27:26Z

We love some good geek furniture, and this pixel table by Joongho Choi expands the boundaries of geekdom. The pixels start at the base expanding upwards into the coffee mug perch of your dreams. We'll have to see where this coffee table will fit in our house, but it may make it's debut in our sun porch area if it becomes commercially available.

Via Hometone

Review: Nescafé Taster's Choice Single Serve Instant Coffee Packs

2010-02-09T12:18:36Z

With the recent arrival of some new Nescafé Taster's Choice Single Serve Instant Coffee Packs, it can only mean it's time for another one of our "mega reviews". Apologies in advance to our readers if this article seems rather long, but we're reviewing over 6 different flavors at once, so keep that in mind.

As we had previously noted, we always thought of Taster's Choice coffees as being something along the lines of our parents' bland freeze-dried crystals and the brand itself has been around since forever, but it appears they've taken a new competitive approach towards Starbucks' VIA instant coffees as they claim the samples they sent us were made from 100% pure coffee beans and their marketing is obviously aimed against Starbucks.

The main difference between these Taster's Choice packs and the VIA packs would be the amount of hot water required to brew a cup... Nescafé only calls for 6oz in order to obtain maximum flavor. Add any more and you risk watering-down the taste. Further evidence they're taking aim at Starbucks is present when you take a look at the sample sleeve as it asks what would you rather have? "A lot of hype" or "A lot of flavor"? Need further proof? Check out the clever ad video they have posted on their site (see link at bottom of review)

So, DO these packs offer a lot of flavor? Let's have a go at all 6 to find out. We won't use our usual scoring scale for this review but will instead provide our general impressions/likes/dislikes for each flavor.

Taster's Choice Original

The tried & true "old timer" of the bunch. This is the classic original Taster's Choice flavor which has been around since our parents started drinking it back in the '70s. Nescafé even claims they're the original "inventors of instant coffee" and a quick Googling of "World's first instant coffee" yields a Nestlé page showing that they did indeed introduce the World's first commercially-available instant coffee in Switzerland back in 1938. So with such history & family tradition behind it, we naturally had to start our review with this flavor.

The granules of Taster's Choice coffee from the packet.

The granules are the same stuff you can get in the glass jars at most supermarkets and as expected, the flavor still tastes somewhat watered down despite using the recommended 6oz. Billed as between mild & medium roast, this one is definitely more on the lighter side of things with a slightly sour finish. Not what we were hoping for, but for those who like the original flavor, this is bang-on identical to the jar variety but in a more convenient "carry anywhere" format. We think only the die-hard fans of the brand will care for this flavor.

Taster's Choice Decaffeinated

This is the same as the original, minus the caffeine. What more can we say? On the bright side, they did manage to capture the same flavor as their "original" without making it taste any further watered-down than it already was. The taste profiles and characteristics are pretty much identical. Once again, we feel the die-hards will prefer to use this as their decaf option.

Taster's Choice Gourmet Roast

Billed as their "boldest, darkest blend" between medium & dark roast, we were expecting a bold aroma & taste. Aroma-wise, we found the scent to be a bit bolder than the original but nothing out of the ordinary. It all but disappeared a few seconds after we stirred the cup. As for flavor, this is indeed bolder than the "original" but still nowhere near what we'd get from a K-Cup. That might be comparing apples to oranges, so we won't hold Nescafé too much at fault here since we don't usually drink instant coffees in the Single Serve Coffee kitchens.

After all, a look on the Nescafé site does show this as falling between medium & dark, so we suppose it can't really be considered a true dark roast. Flavor is somewhat woodsy/smoky with a VERY faint hint of mocha undertones. Finish is less sour than the "original" likely due to reduced acidity. Unfortunately, as far as bold flavor goes, we hate to say that Starbucks VIA has them beat.

Taster's Choice 100% Columbian

Labeled as having the taste of 100% pure Arabica, this flavor turned out to be 10x stronger & bolder than the aforementioned "gourmet roast". If ever there was a bold flavor in this lineup, THIS is it & it's definitely more in line for what we were hoping for. The aroma put us off at first since bizarrely enough, it came across as somewhat oily, but the taste more than made up for it. Lots of smoky notes here with dark, almost molasses-like characteristics throughout.

If we had to pick an unflavored selection as our favorite out of the bunch, this would be our top pick. We had some orange-infused almond cantuccini (mini biscotti) with a cup of this coffee and the flavors blended together quite well. Acidity was a bit more pronounced but still in check. Finish was smooth overall. Yep, we're really liking this flavor a LOT and will likely use the coupon from the sample pack to purchase a box for when we're on the go. Really not bad for an instant coffee & given the past 3 flavors, way above our expectations. Good job Nescafé!

Taster's Choice Hazelnut

We've had some bad experiences with flavored instants in the past... some REALLY bad experiences which make us cringe just thinking about them. We're glad to say this experience was a little bit better. While not overbearing, the flavoring is rather on the sweet side of things (hmm... maybe we should have saved our cantuccini for this flavor?) but the hazelnut flavoring is too bland for our liking... we felt like there should have been a bit more flavoring and less sweetener. At least the aroma was spot-on full of rich hazelnut scents, but the texture of the grounds however was not the same as the previous flavors... this was more a mix of the crystal-style bits and a micro-grind powder (the flavoring or sweetener perhaps?)

The overall flavor was just a bit too light for our tastes. After searching the website for nutritional info, we found out that the artificial sweetener in these flavored varieties is ace-k (acesulfame potassium), something some coffee drinkers might not care for. If that doesn't bother you, then you'll find that the hazelnut flavor is complemented by very faint hints of caramel and low acidity. The finish was clean with little aftertaste.

Taster's Choice Vanilla

The second of the flavored varieties, this offering is also sweetened with ace-k and is done much in the same style as the hazelnut flavor, however, since some of us here at the Single Serve Coffee kitchens don't care too much for vanilla, the milder flavoring actually appealed to us and we found ourselves enjoying the flavor more than the hazelnut. Bizarre, yes, but totally unexpected.

Sweet vanilla scents are present in the aroma while as noted, a light vanilla flavoring is present throughout. Once again, low acidity and a clean finish are present with little aftertaste. Those of us who actually prefer vanilla were in the same boat as the hazelnut crowd, wishing that more flavoring had been present.

Overall conclusion

Overall, we think this is a hit or miss venture by Nescafé which will appeal more towards its already established fans & perhaps those who have never tried or those who are curious to see just how this stacks up to the VIA packs. The strongest flavor, being the 100% Columbian, was a welcome surprise while the flavored varieties such as Vanilla & Hazelnut will definitely appeal to the fans' wishes for a flavored version of Taster's Choice which they can now carry anywhere.

The 2 advantages these packs have over Starbucks VIA? No micro-grit at the bottom of the cup when you're done drinking it! There's nothing more disconcerting than to see something which was supposed to be 100% soluble turn out to be the exact opposite, so Kudos to Taster's Choice on that front. The main advantage & reason we still recommend giving these packs a try has to be the price. Not only because Nescafé is offering free samples (see below) but mainly due to the fact that you won't go broke buying them at your local supermarket if you decide to do so.

Do these Taster's Choice varieties beat Starbucks VIA offerings? Price & grit-wise, definitely but strength & boldness-wise, no. We still think the VIA flavors are the darker & bolder of the bunch which taste more like traditional coffee without any watered-down taste. Still, you shouldn't let that fact deter you from at least giving these flavors a try. Who knows? Maybe you'll end up preferring them over the VIA after all. Everyone's tastes are different & we have a feeling most readers will prefer more exotic offerings such as Trung Nguyen's G7 lineup (see our review here), so we can only suggest you use this review as research towards your purchase and not "the final word" on the product.

In closing, we would like to thank Nescafé for sending us these sample packs for the purpose of this review. You can find more info about Taster's Choice Single Serve Instant Coffee Packs via their official website at Smart Choice where you can even register to receive a free 6-flavor sample pack of your own (while supplies last).

USB Powered Travel Mug Keeps Your Coffee Warm

2010-02-08T12:35:00Z

This travel mug can use the power from one of the USB ports on your computer or usb hub to keep your coffee warm. It also has a 12V car adapter to keep beverages warm in the car, so when you're on the go you can stop worry about ice cold coffee (unless you are drinking iced coffee). The Electronic USB Travel Mug fits most drink holders, and the mug holds 16 ounces of your favorite beverage. This features a spill-proof lid, and the rubberized handle makes for a comfortable hold. Works with both PC and Macintosh computers and is USB ready.

At Random Good Stuff at Taylor Gifts