Coffee & Espresso Makers Tips

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My love of coffee and inability to make a good cup gave me reason to try my first pod style coffee maker a while ago. I returned my Black & Decker Home Cafe to the store and decided to try the similarly designed Mr. Coffee 1-cup Coffee Maker.

The Basics

This Mr. Coffee model brews a single cup of coffee at a time using pods. Pods provide the coffee and filter in one convenient package. Depending on the strength and amount of coffee that you like you can use either one or two pods to make a 7 oz, 9 oz or 14 oz cup of coffee. Included with the brewing unit was a 14 oz travel mug and 18 Folders coffee pods.

The unit fits easily under my cabinets and includes two pod holders, a removable, covered reservoir and the brewing unit. The reservoir holds 28 oz of water and is marked off in 7 oz intervals. On the front of the unit are three buttons, each one corresponds to the size cup you wish to brew. There is also a cancel button to stop the brewing process at any time. You can use the included travel mug or any mug of your choosing. If you use your own mug a short stand is provided to bring your cup closer to the spout in order to minimize splashing.

This machine is available in black (SSP23), stainless steel (SSP25) and white (SSP10).

My Experience

Making coffee is easy. Fill the reservoir with at least as much water as the size cup you wish to brew. Next slide the lever on the front of the unit to expose the pod holder. Put in either one or two pods depending on the strength of the coffee you like and close the door. There is one pod holder for regular coffee and one for specialty coffee. Place your coffee cup under the dispenser on the brewing plate and press the button for the size cup of coffee you wish to make.

Having already had some experience with a similar pod machine I didn’t even bother to open the bag of Foldger’s coffee that came with my machine. I went right for my JaVaNa Breakfast Blend pods that fit nicely into the machine. The Mr. Coffee 1-cup makes a nice hot cup of delicious coffee every time, in about 1 minute. The taste rivals any coffee shop. You cannot vary the amount of water or coffee used, unless you make your own pods. While some may find that to be a disadvantage I like that all of the guess work and variation has been removed so I can always make a good cup of coffee.

Cleaning is minimal. The pod holder and travel mug are all top rack dishwasher safe, but the reservoir must be hand washed. Since it only holds water and pops of the machine it is easy to clean. You will occasionally need to descale the machine with vinegar to remove any mineral deposits from the water to keep your coffee tasting good.

Should You Buy a Mr. Coffee 1-Cup Coffee Maker?

I love the pod concept for a coffee maker and the Mr. Coffee seems built to last. If you are thinking of taking the plunge and trying pods I highly recommend this machine. Currently it is only $35 from Amazon.com with free shipping so it is quite the bargain.

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