Posts Tagged ‘beverages’

Single Serve Coffee – 4 Recommended Machines for You

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Why brew an entire pot when you can have one perfect cup of coffee – That’s the idea behind single cup coffee makers. These machines are becoming extremely popular, and it seems that this idea is working. These machines make a great cup of coffee un under a minute and offer coffee lovers everywhere a change to enjoy some fresh brewed gourmet coffee every day.

Wonder why you would resist using these machines when it is able to produce a cup of nice and steamy coffee in half the time of a drip machine!

Presented here are our top 4 choices of best single cup coffee machines available today. Try them all, or at least find a demo at a retail store. Check them all out at least once to know which one you like the best.

1. Keurig Brewing System -One of the best of the group, Kuerig makes the best coffee makers of them all. With it’s patented K-cup technology the Keurig is a snap for making your favorite coffee or tea. Just pop-in you favorite flavor coffee and in less and a minute you have a perfect cup of coffee.

2. Krups Dolce Gusto – If you wished to have a machine that whips up coffee, cappuccino or Latte in double quick time, you should have the Krups Dolce Gusto. What works for this model is its refurbished retro look, which allows you to think of coffee making as a stylish act.

3. Senseo Supreme – This single cup coffee maker is considered the first ever in this niche. The Senseo Supreme, is a basic no nonsense, easy to use machine. It brews a great cup of coffee or tea, but doesn’t have the ability to steam milk.

4. Cuisinart Cup-o-matic – If you had wanted to buy a single serve coffee machine primarily looking at the number of controls it offers, the Cuisinart Cup-O-Matic is probably the best option for you. With this in hand, you could have a cup of coffee, tailored to the size and the strength of the coffee you so much desired.

Each of these coffee machines have their strengths and weaknesses. From our tests we feel the Keurig single cup brewer was best overall. But don’t take our word for it, try them out for yourself. We think all of these machines will impress you with each and every cup.

For more great tips on single cup coffee makers visit us at http://www.keurigdeals.com. Here you can find the best deals on Keurig coffee machines as well as k-cups best prices.

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Timothy’s World Coffee – A Curious Joint Venture Partnership with Keurig

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Timothy’s World Coffee has been selling premium roasted coffee beans for quite a while. Though its main presence has been in Canada, where it produces most of its revenue from, America and Korea are other countries that Timothy’s World Coffee has dabbled in. The United States operations of Timothy’s World Coffee was shut down following the 9/11 tragedy.

So, what is Timothy business relationship with Keurig? Was Keurig a company that acquired Timothy’s? These questions are typically asked by people after they hear Timothy and Keurig being discussed at the same time. Actually – Timothy’s is simply a roaster associate of Keurig and is to produce the single serve K-Cups for the line of single brewers from Keurig.

The K-Cups tend to be slightly more advanced than the run of the mill coffee cups in their design and make. The K-Cup is a plastic container and features a coffee filter built in to the cup. The K-Cup contains the ground coffee beans. This K-Cup is then placed in a Keurig coffee maker, which then uses it’s patented technology to produce the final product – One of the best cups of high quality coffee you’ve ever had. Timothy’s World coffee’s contribution to this joint venture process is supplying the K-Cups, which form a ciritical part of the complete coffee brewing process.

A little while ago, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters had made an announcement of their intent to purchase the Timothy’s World Coffee brand for $157 Million. Bruegger’s Enterprises bought into the retail operations of Timothy’s, while so it could also play an active role in acquiring mmmuffins and Michael’s Baguette, two partner dining establishments owned by Timothy’s World Coffee. It was widely believed that the earnings from this acquisition activity would be seen reflecting on the Green Mountain’s balance sheets from the fiscal of 2010.

It remains to be seen if the acquisition was a smart decision by Green Mountain, or not!

Just recently, on President Obama’s visit to the Canadian republic, the U.S. President was pleasantly surprised with a commemorative blend called Presidential Number 44. This brand of coffee was introduced by Timothy’s specifically to pay tribute to the honored presidential visit.

Keurig’s single cup machines are becoming extremely popular among a lot of people and the use of K-Cups has decidedly been playing a crucial role in growing the success of the coffee brewer. Up until the time this joint venture existed though, Timothy’s World Coffee was doing exactly what it does best then – Deliver great K Cups to Keurig.

Find the best Keurig Deals and learn more about Timothy’s World Coffee, visit http://www.keurigdeals.com.

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Cleaning Coffee Makers Guide to a Sparkling Clean Coffee Machine!

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

If you are after the freshest, most flavorful cup of coffee in the morning – you NEED a clean coffee maker. A build up of oils from your coffee beans and hard minerals from your water – yes, even filtered water – will dramatically effect the taste of your coffee, and the life of your coffee machine.

Having a clean coffee machine IS VITAL – in not only having the best tasting coffee you can, but also in adding to the life-span of your coffee maker. It doesn\’t need to be a big deal to clean your machine, but if you let it go too long, it will definitely reduce the life of your beloved coffee machine.

Step-by step guide to cleaning your coffee machine:

1. Rinse any old coffee from your coffee filter, and carafe.

2. Make yourself a vinegar cleaning mix (2/3 boiling water and 1/3 vinegar, or citric acid). Pour this cleaning mix into your machines water reservoir and coffee pot. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.

3. Empty out the coffee pot and turn on your coffee brewer. Run a full cycle.

5. When the cycle has finished, let everything stand for another 15 minutes or so.

6. If you haven\’t cleaned your machine in a while, you might want to repeat steps 2-5 a second time.

7. Rinse everything thoroughly with fresh hot water, and run a cycle through your machine with fresh hot water to remove the vinegar taste. This step may also need to be repeated if you can still taste or smell the vinegar.

8. And there you have it… You now have a clean coffee maker!

8 steps, not too difficult or costly. If you can clean your machine thoroughly like this regularly, you will really notice the difference. Not just to the taste of your morning brew, but to the life of your machine. If you use your machine everyday, once a month or so would be good. If you aren\’t a daily drinker of coffee, still try to do this every few months. Writing down the date on your calendar will help you remember.

Billy is the editor of a coffee maker website (coffee maker reviews). All sorts of information about coffee machines and how to choose one, including more advice for cleaning coffee makers.

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Scrutinizing Millstone Coffee Pods In Advance Of Ordering

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Millstone Coffee Pods, a name you may not have heard of just yet, is one of the fastest rising names in coffee. There must be some good reason as to why they\’re becoming so popular, considering how many options there are, right? Since coffee pods can be pricey, trying by purchasing from a coffee pod retailer can end up costing you some unnecessary cash. Before you do that, read on to learn if Millstone Coffee Pods are likely to satisfy your needs.

What Company Produces Millstone Coffee Pods?

Millstone began as a company over 25 years ago in a small town in Washington. Ironically, even though they\’re currently well known for their single serve coffee pods, the company pioneered the selling of whole coffee beans straight to supermarkets. In 1996, Proctor and Gamble purchased much of the little company, with the remainder being retained by the founder in the form of Cascade Coffee Company. Proctor and Gamble then spun off The Folgers Coffee Company, including the names Millstone and Folgers. The Folgers Company and The J.M. Smucker Company merged later that same year.

Millstone Coffee Pods And My Coffee Pod Maker

Very few pod coffee makers should have any problem working with Millstone Coffee Pods. When you see coffee pods with the Home Cafe Coffee Pods label on them, you can consider them a generic coffee pod, and bet they\’ll fit in just about any coffee pod machine. Millstone pods are also reported to be a good fit with K-Cups machines using pod adapters. Be sure to wet your pod just before inserting it in the machine, as with all coffee pods, to get the best results.

What Can One Expect From The Millstone Label?

Though the Millstone name has seen more than its share of owners, they each seem to have made a real effort at keeping quality part of the brand. Even now, The J.M Smucker Company seems intent on Millstone being the gourmet coffee pods of their various lines. Although you may pay a bit more, you can generally expect Millstone coffee pods to provide an unusually rich and full taste. Many reviews pit them against Senseo coffee pods, since they fit in the Senseo machines, and Millstone is seen as the superior brand. Options include over 30 various flavors, decaf coffee pods included. Millstone currently does not produce ESE coffee pods, meaning you will need to look at other brands if you want to make espresso in a pod coffee maker.

Obtaining Millstone Coffee Pods

Remote, lower population areas will often have a hard time finding Millstone Coffee Pods. This is because remote areas are far less likely to purchase high end coffees, such as Millstone, so The J.M. Smucker Company avoids having them compete with the better known Folgers name. However, coffee pods are easy and cheap to ship, and you can find them at all sorts of online outlets.

Want to learn more about coffee pods? Check out Great Coffee Pods.

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Blooming Tea Make A Great Gift

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Outside of drinking water, tea is the most ingested liquid in the world. Combining all others would only equal the power of this one beverage. Found thousands of years ago in Southern Asia, the plant spread around the world and was personalized across cultures who adopted it heartily. The beauty of tea which comes in a four main varieties: oolong, green, white, and black is that it is the result of one plant. Processing the Camellia sinensis differently has resulted in a number of different flavors or varying intensity. Whether you drink it cold, hot, with or without milk, it is most likely part of your life.

This amazing plant contains just over 700 components that can effect our internal systems, either from the naturally occurring caffeine or inherent vitamins. The health benefits of tea have been touted by cultures all over the world, especially within ancient Chinese medicine which prescribed it to help with blood pressure. This effect has been validated medically.

Elegant and simple, tea has been a staple of the poor and rich, with those in higher society creating rituals out of the beverage. Britain is known for its devotion to tea and drinking it every day as ritual. The world of teas is brimming with flavors and methods of consumption including loose tea, bagged tea, cold brew ice tea bags, and blooming tea.

Blooming tea creates a reproduction of a blooming flower when steeping in hot water and results in an exotic, almost bod flavor different from most other teas. Blooming teas are not made with oolong tea, but do use the green, white, and black varieties in conjunction with other elements.

Made by hand, these blooms are sewn with thread while damp and combined generally, with flower buds to make a more appealing presentation when blooming. These buds are what adds to the overall stronger flavor of blooming teas and are usually made with lily, hibiscus, chrysanthemum, and most often jasmine flowers.

Made by hand, the resulting shape be it a sphere, cone, or even mushroom dictates the time it takes to create, usually 1 to 10 minutes. Once a shape has been created, the drying and oxidation process is the same as with any other tea.

Using a glass pot, blooming tea interacts with boiling water by gently unfurling itself and turning into a bloom of tea and flowers that is colorful and fragrant. Because of the intensity of this type of tea, steeping should not be longer than 3 minutes. The good news is that blooming tea can be used 2 to 3 times before having to be thrown out.

Giving tea as a gift can be a thoughtful endeavor, taking into account the tastes of the person you are creating the gift for. In the future, if you\’re making a variety basket of teas, throw in some blooming teas and watch your recipient react with joy and wonder.

Looking to find the single source of helpful information on tea gifts?

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