Coffee & Espresso Makers Tips

Flavia Coffee System Replaces Coffee Shop FLAVIA® FUSION (FL401) Espresso Machine & Coffee Maker The Flavia Coffee System; particularly the Flavia Fusion is a great coffee maker, but it's even more! This single...

FLAVIA® FUSION™ (FL401) Espresso Machine & Coffee Maker Key FeaturesTypeEspresso Machine* Coffee MakerOperation SourceElectricMax. Power1400 Watts ...

The Flavia Fusion is one of those hidden gems that makes you scratch your head and wonder why it’s makers don’t promote the heck out of it. About a month ago I had to get an oil change and noticed a very techno looking coffee machine in my dealer’s waiting room. Beside it were single serving cartridge-like packs of various types of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. I really wasn’t too interested in a cup of coffee at the time because it was about 80 degrees outside. But I was dying to see how it worked.

I popped in a Milky Way (yes, same as the candy bar) hot chocolate pack, put a cup underneath the machine and pressed the hot chocolate button. In about 20 seconds I had a cup of hot chocolate…and I do mean HOT! Pretty cool I though. I assumed the fun was over and what I had in my hand was brown colored water, as vending drinks tend to be. To my delight, it tasted, well, like, hot chocolate. Go figure. I quickly downed it, and had another. It was 80 outside, but this was too tasty.

Shortly after, a technician came to tell me my car was ready. The Flavia machine and I had to part ways until next time, or so I thought. I just assumed the Flavia was a commercial product. Then as fate would have it I was buying a gift for my niece in the girl’s department at Bloomingdales. You have to pass through small electrics to get there and that is when I saw IT…a Flavia machine for the home! I took a mental note and later that night did a price search on the Internet (no way am I going to pay Bloomingdales prices for a coffee machine). I saw that Linen n’ Things sold it for $99. So I grabbed a current Bed, Bath, and Beyond 20% off coupon (they take competitor coupons) and off I was to buy my very own Flavia, the Flavia Fusion. (They stock the black one in-store, but if you prefer red or light blue you can order on-line. Check sites like Fatwallet.com for online coupons. They are frequently available).

The Fusion is about 1/3 larger, mostly deeper, than the Senseo. I personally don’t think the design is as good looking either. It almost looks Frankensteinish, but hey, I didn’t buy it for its looks. I’d love it if it were as cool looking as the commercial model, but I’ll be happy with just getting a quick, but decent, cup of coffee. For the extra size though, you do get a water reservoir that holds a cup or two more water than the Senseo, and also has a replaceable water filter, also absent in the Senseo. That is a big plus to me.

The Fusion’s operation is exactly like that of the commercial model. Put the drink cartridge in, push the button for the type of drink you are making: Coffee/Tea, Hot Chocolate, or Frothy (cappuccino). Done. Even a 5 year old can make drinks with the Flavia. A button on the side allows you to slide the dispenser up or down to fit the size of your cup or mug. There is also a serving size knob at the top so you can adjust how much coffee equals a serving. You can go as small as 4oz or as large as 8oz. And unlike the Senseo, you only need one cartridge for an 8oz cup.

Included with the Fusion is an 18-pack sampler of many of the drinks available. All the old standbys are there: Breakfast Blend, Hazelnut, Sumatra, French Roast, on and on. I think there is a total of 17 different coffees, including many in decaf. There is a wide assortment of teas too. This makes the Flavia unique because very few single serve machines offer tea or hot chocolate.

The only downside to the Flavia is that the flavor packs have to be ordered online. You can buy them direct at myflavia.net or from a few other eStores. They cost between .35 and 1.00 a serving depending on the type of drink. The average drink is about .45 per serving. Expensive compared to regular ground coffee, but only slightly more than what other single-serve coffee pods cost. And if you compare to Starbucks it’s quite a savings. Flavia cartridges are sold by the “rail”(usually 18 or 20) and by the case (80 or 100), depending on the drink.

But enough about the Fusion machine. What you want to know is how is the coffee. And to that I say anywhere from wonderful to OK. Personally I like a dark, bold coffee. That is something the Senseo has never been able to provide me with no matter whose brand pod I used. So when I tried the Flavia version of Sumatra and it actually tasted like Sumatra coffee I was overjoyed. It was perfect. Bold, but not bitter or burnt, and yes, it gave me a little jolt…something else the Senseo can’t deliver me. On the other hand I found the Breakfast Blend to be a bit too light and bordering on barely tasty. Not terrible, but hardly spectacular either.

As you may have guessed, my Senseo has found a new home on the other side of my kitchen countertop. The Flavia Fusion is my new and undisputed single serve champ. Give it a try and I think you’ll declare it a winner too. It’s worth putting up with having to order drink cartridges on-line. I’m not sure why Flavia’s makers don’t publicize this model better because it could outsell Senseo easily if people knew about. My new mission is to make sure everyone I know does. Maybe that way I won’t have to panic if I’m running low on cartridges close to the weekend.

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