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Philips HD7810/95 5-Cup Coffee Maker Product Technical DetailsHD7810/95 Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity5 CupOperat...

Philips Senseo Single Serve Coffee System HD7810 Not My Cup Of Tea Philips HD7810/95 5 Cup Coffee Maker We're used to stovetop perked coffee in our old Pyrex percolator... and lots of it. It's for this reason, the Phi...

I have to start by saying “thank you” for the opportunity to review the Philips Senseo HD7810. I received my complimentary unit (a little ceramic cup was included) and coffee to try out for review and it was a wonderful chance to try a new product.

The Coffee Machine

The machine I received was a beautiful blue color, similar to a dark corn-flower blue. My kitchen has red cabinets and white walls, so I had a patriotic ‘thing’ going on with the Senseo machine.

I also received six packages of coffee ‘pods’ to use. They included a Mild, Medium, Dark and Decaffeinated Roast. Each package contains 18 pods which resemble a round tea bag but without a string and filled with coffee.

The contemporary design was very attractive to me. The machine resembles a tube that is ‘nodding’ or ‘bowing,’ leaning forward with a graceful motion.

Water is poured into a removable plastic reservoir holding about 25 ounces of water. It fits snugly on the back of the machine over a hole where the water flows into the machine to be heated and dispensed. It is plainly marked for measuring different amounts of water for a different number of cups of coffee. The water reservoir is for water only! Never put milk, hot water or other liquids in it.

The upper portion of the machine consists of a removable coffee outflow unit (the place where the coffee pod holders go and where the coffee flows out), a metal distribution disk and sealing ring (the water flows through the distribution disk and through the pod) all resting under the top or ‘cap’ of the machine. An attractive pull lever lifts the apparatus open for easy access to the outflow unit. There are two spouts on the outflow unit, both of which dispense coffee and allowing you to fill one or two four-ounce cups with each use.

Two different pod holders are included with the Senseo machine. They are round concave holders with small handles. The smaller holder holds one coffee pod for single cups and the deeper holder will take two coffee pods for two cups. You can experiment with the pods to make weaker or stronger brews; for example, you might try using one pod for two cups or two pods for one cup.

The bottom of the machine has a removable silver metal cup tray with a removable plastic drip tray underneath. Spills are quickly wiped up since these pieces remove very easily, wipe clean and slip back into place in a flash.

The indicator light and buttons are easy to see and read. The light is located between the two coffee buttons. The buttons are also easy to use; one button illustrates one coffee cup (for one cup) and the other button shows two coffee cups (two cups). Simple enough!

The cord is a nice length, about 38″including the plug. It’s not too stiff and is easy to roll up if you don’t require all of the length. There is no place on the machine to store the cord.

Operation

The Senseo Coffee Machine is incredibly easy to operate. First, you must flush the machine with water prior to its first use. This simply involves filling the reservoir with cold water up to the MAX level, releasing the lever and opening the lid, inserting an EMPTY pod holder into place, closing and locking the lever, placing a 27 oz. size under the outflow unit to collect the water, pressing the on/off button and then both coffee buttons. The machine will sound pretty noisy during flushing; it makes more noise during flushing than brewing so don’t let that alarm you.

After flushing, you are ready to brew! First, fill the reservoir with the amount of water you like and push the on/off button. The light will blink while the water is heating up, which takes just 90 seconds! Then select if you want to use one pod or two, then place the coffee pod into the appropriate size holder. The pod and holder slip into place and the lever is closed. Place one or two cups, depending on the amount of water, pods and strength of brew you desire, and push the one or two-cup coffee button. If you are only brewing one cup, be sure it is placed under both spouts as coffee flows from both at the same time.

The machine will automatically sense the amount of water to use for each cup, so you don’t have to worry about precise water measurements. You can stop the brewing cycle by pressing the on/off button, but the cycle will not resume; you’ll have to start the cycle over.

The instruction manual, which is written in very clear and concise language, contains complete operating and cleaning instructions accompanied by easy-to-read illustrations. Additional descaling instructions are also included. Descaling is recommended every three months for a machine that is used on an average of twice a day. Descaling will prolong the life of your Senseo machine and keep it brewing at the optimal level.

There is also a handy troubleshooting guide in the manual and the tips there should answer nearly all questions about the Senseo Machine’s operations. A toll-free phone number is also included if you need additional assistance.

My Experience

I found the Senseo Machine incredibly easy to unpack, clean, assemble and use. The manual was very helpful in understanding each step and learning the different coffee machine parts. Since this is not a traditional drip machine, it operates differently, but it is a very efficient and streamlined operation. The design is much more functional and attractive than your standard drip machines.

The coffee pods are very neat and eliminate measuring, grinding beans or spills of coffee. I invited my sister (a BIG coffee drinker/lover) over for a ‘tasting’ of the different roasts. We tried each one, preferring the dark roast over the others. Making new cups of different strengths and roasts was a breeze because of the ease of use of the water system, the neat and tidy pods and the speed of the operation. CAUTION! If you are caffeine sensitive, be careful! This is strong brew and we were buzzing around the kitchen after the tasting. I did, however, get a lot of housework done after about seven cups. (Hey, they’re little four-ounce cups!)

The clean up of the machine was a piece of cake. Simply remove and discard the used pod, slip the pod holder and the outflow unit out and wash it with soapy water. The drip and cup trays slip out for easy wash as well. The water reservoir removes for rinsing and the blue exterior just wipes clean. Re-assembly is so simple you could do it blindfolded.

My Thoughts

The Senseo Coffee Machine has a gorgeous and efficient design. It is incredibly easy to operate and clean. Its speed makes it superior to a drip-machine if you need a fast cup of coffee. The coffee is fragrant and the Senseo system makes a cup that has a wonderful foamy top on the coffee. It’s a nice extra touch.

BUT…I didn’t care for the coffee.

I tried the coffee a variety of ways. I used one pod to make two cups, one pod for one cup and two pods for two. I added warm milk and sugar to my cup. I added a healthy shot of Irish Creme to a few cups as well. I tried all of the roasts, preferring the dark roast every time but not really liking any of them.

My reaction to the flavor of the coffee was that, while it’s strong, it’s also ‘thin.’ To me, it was rather institutional in texture, reminding me of old-fashioned percolator coffee. My sister said it reminded her of Quik Trip or McDonald’s coffee. According to my taste buds, the strength of brew and the foamy top didn’t compensate for the light texture and lack of body.

I must caveat this opinion by saying that my normal cup of coffee is made in a French press with freshly-ground beans roasted by a small, locally-owned coffee company. I like my coffee strong and enjoy it in a variety of ways…with warm milk and sugar, with milk only, just black and with the aforementioned Irish Creme. Perhaps I’m spoiled or just accustomed to a different brewing method, but the Senseo was not a cup of coffee that I would enjoy sipping. It simply wasn’t robust enough for my personal tastes.

Final Thoughts

While I don’t think the Senseo Machine is for me, other Epinions reviewers are impressed with the machine and I am impressed with its design and operation. I think coffee taste and style is a very personal decision; as my son tells me every time I try to coax him to eat his green vegetables, “Everybody has different taste buds!” While my taste buds say “no no” to the Senseo, my appreciation of excellent design, smooth operations and durable construction backed up with a two-year warranty say “yes yes!”

Do I think you’ll like the Senseo? “Maybe maybe!”

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