Coffee & Espresso Makers Tips

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

Great coffee maker. KitchenAid Pro Line KPCM050 Coffee Maker We bought this machine after numerous disappointments with other brands. It was quite pricey so I expect alot fro...

First let me preface this by saying we like coffee. We are used to freshly ground coffee-either from our Cuisinart Grind and Brew at home, or, by first grinding and then brewing coffee when we are camping (many weekends in the summer months). We were interested in the pod type coffee makers for a while, both for convenience and the promise of a great-tasting, European-style, frothy coffee. We finally purchased and immediately returned a Home Cafe, if interested, my review is at http://www.epinions.com/content_166576164484 .

Having decided to give the pod coffee systems another try, I ordered the Senseo from Amazon, I thought it was a great deal at $59.00, plus I found a coupon online for a $20.00 rebate, plus Amazon is supposed to send me a $10.00 gift certificate in a few weeks. It did come with 2 bags of pods (1 medium and 1 mild roast), and I purchased a bag of decaf pods while we were awaiting the delivery of the machine. We immediately tried it with the decaf pods (it was at night) and were very pleased with the results: good, hot coffee with the frothy layer my husband was looking for!

Set Up

The coffee maker is very easy to use right out of the box, and according to the directions, you need to “purge” the system before using it, or the results may not be satisfactory. The Senseo has a button you press to prepare the machine for brewing. I think this is one of the most important features it has over the Home Cafe, which brewed only lukewarm coffee. This keeps the machine in ready mode for 1 hour before automatically shutting off.

Machine

The machine is all plastic, and it does seem to be durable. It comes with a single and a double pod holder. You can choose to brew a single “cup” of coffee (4 oz) or a double (6 oz). Even though I mostly drink decaf, 4 or even 6 oz of coffee is not what I consider a cup! One thing that I think could be better is the outlet on the coffee maker is very low. You need to be careful what kind of mug you use-a travel mug will not work. That means that I must use a mug that fits under the outlet, brew it, and then transfer it into my travel mug, put in a new pod (or 2 depending on how strong you like your coffee), and do the process all over again. It’s not a big deal,it’s just something I think could have been planned better. Also, the machine comes with a 1 or 2 pod holder. I absent- mindedly put 1 pod into the 2 pod holder and the coffee was very weak, so you need to make sure you are using the appropriate holder.

Pods

You can make your coffee different ways to suit your individual tastes. My husband has been using 2 pods to make a 2-cup (6 oz) of strong coffee. I use 2 pods to make a 2-cup (6 oz), and then I brew a 1-cup (4 oz) cup of coffee using the same pods into the same cup. My father thought the 1 pod to 4 oz was a little too strong, so for him, we use 1 pod to 6 oz. The Douwe Egberts pods are meant to be used with the Senso, and of course, the manufacturer recommends you only use those pods. Not me. At our local Wal Mart, I paid almost $5 for a 18 pod bag of Douwe Egberts. They were almost $1 cheaper at Target, but I also noticed Jaun Valdez pods at Target on special for $14.00 for a variety 6-pack of 18-pod boxes. I bought them as the box said they fit most pod coffee makers. They fit, but only 1 pod at a time. They taste pretty good, though. Also, I was going to order pods on Amazon, but when I tried, they did not qualify for free shipping, even though my entire order met the $25.00 free shipping requirement. This put the cost up significantly, so I did not get them from Amazon. Also, different manufacturer’s have different ideas as to what volume constitutes a “cup” of coffee, so you need to keep that in mind when trying different pods.

Water Reservoir

I have read other reviews where Sam’s club has the larger reservoir, or you can purchase the larger reservoir. While we do not have the larger reservoir, I will be looking for it, as I think it will be a good added feature. I could not find the coffee maker at either Sam’s or BJ’s.

Leakage

I have read other reviews where some complained of water leakage around the coffee maker. I agree it may have something to do with the way you place the pods into the pod holder. I have had minimal problems with leakage, but it’s something to be aware of and make sure you place the pods very flat. This is probably also where the manufacturer’s statement “you can’t use other pods” comes into play as well.

Clean up

Rinse the pod holder, that’s it! I believe the pod holder is probably top rack dishwasher safe, but there’s really no need. It cleans easily. The catch tray also is removed easily for cleaning. This the one thing I love most. No grinds, no coffee waste. No fumbling to clean and then make coffee in the morning because you forgot to clean it the day before. This was my biggest problem with the Cuisinart Grind and Brew. While the taste of the coffee was worth it (until now), the clean up was messy and time consuming.

Overall impression

We love it. It brews a good, hot, frothy cup of coffee fast. While the size of the cup (4 or 6 ounces) could be larger, we will work around that. Also, as these become more popular, I think others will get on the pod-making bandwagon, so the selection of pods will be even greater. Some complain that the pods are costly, and yes, it is more expensive than brewing coffee at home, but it is much cheaper than buying a cup at the convenience store. Plus, there is no worry of burnt coffee or coffee sitting for hours! I put our Grind and Brew in the appliance garage for when we have company, but I think in no time, it will make its way to the basement storage. I know my husband will be looking to buy one for our camper in the spring. My husband is even (joking??) that he wants one for his office.

If you are looking to buy one now, then I certainly recommend this. If not, I am sure either Senseo will come out with a new improved model, or other manufacturers will. A higher outlet would be something that I would look for in a newer model.

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