Though single serve brewers have been on the market for over 10 years, they have trickled into the mainstream market over the years and are on track to take the place of the standard drip drip brewer in many homes. They will not be for everyone, however in a world consumed by convenience, most people will find the single serve coffee approach works well with their lifestyle, and in a lot of cases it will permit them to lower costs and waste.
Why Brew By The Cup?
The answer to that is pretty straightforward. You consume your coffee one cup at a time. How often have you brewed coffee, and find that there is usually some left in the pot that you end up pouring out later due to it becoming stale, or was more than you intended to drink to begin with. If you are brewing coffee for yourself, and you don't aim to sit around and knock back a whole pot, you will benefit greatly from only brewing what you will drink. No coffee will have to be poured out. Another plus besides reducing wasted coffee, you will have a single fresh cup of coffee so conveniently at your fingertips that you may be more prone to brew at home instead of stopping by a coffee shop. Imagine how much you could cut back on your expenditures and still have your treat of a fresh terrific cup of coffee.
There is a terrific array of brew systems available today. They are called systems because they each have their own unique method of packaging the single portions of coffee grounds. Some use small cups or capsules with paper filters and foil lids, some use discs with foil lids, and others use pods, in which grounds are sealed within a small round filter. The 'system' involves the coffee machine and compatible single serve portion packs, and any accessories available. Except for pods and pod brewers, the other popular systems are closed-loop, meaning the single portion packs will not work with other brew systems. This is an important factor in considering which brewer to purchase, because you will be restricted to the beverages compatible for that brewer.
Keurig - Keurig has over 200 unique varieties of beverages from coffees, teas, hot cocoas, and iced drinks and other specialty beverages, in their established single portion pack referred to as 'k cups'. You will discover k cups by many well-known brand names such as Timothy's, Celestial Seasonings, Wolfgang Puck, Dunkin' Donuts, Gloria Jeans, and by November of 2011 Starbucks will be on the list. Presently, there are 9 brewers on the market that are compatible with k cups, with Keurig manufacturing 5 of the nine, and the remaining coffee makers are by Cuisinart, Mr. Coffee, and Breville. Brewers range in price from $79.95 to $249.95.
Dolce Gusto - You will find 14 unique beverage capsules for the Dolce Gusto, including various roasts of coffee, cappuccinos, lattes and even an iced tea. Dolce Gusto aims for quality, not quantity with their beverage line-up, and many happy consumers substantiate that concept in reviews. There are 4 brewers in the Dolce Gusto product line and they range in price from $89 to $170.
Tassimo - There are 21 beverages available in 'T Discs', which are Tassimo's exclusive single portion packs. They offer coffees, teas, espressos, and there is even a milk creamer t-disc which permits for cappuccino and latte drinks in the array of Tassimo beverages. There are three Tassimo brewers on the market, and they are priced between $99 and $169.
Nespresso - Nespresso is a chic addition to the single cup market. There are 16 varieties of beverage capsules for Nespresso brewers, but you won't find tea or hot chocolate here. What you will discover is an array of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees from around the world. The Nespresso is geared toward making espresso and espresso based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. Though there are numerous Nespresso brewers on the market, there are three main coffee machines intended for single cup brewing at home, and they range in price from $199 to $280.
Senseo - Senseo has been around for a long time. It is a popular pod brew system, with 12 unique flavors of coffee pods from house blend to espresso. Senseo pods are easily found in local stores like Walmart and Target, or online from various retailers like Amazon. Four coffee machines are offered by the Senseo system, and they cost between $19.99 and $139.99. Clearly, this is one system that is very inexpensive to start out with, and beverages are also reasonably priced and easy to find.
Flavia - Flavia has a limited availability, as it is found only online on the Flavia website or on Amazon.com. Flavia uses foilpacks for its single portion beverage packets. There are more than 25 varieties of beverages including coffees, hot chocolates, cappuccinos, lattes, and espressos. There are two brew machines for the home, and they range in price between $125 and $190.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) - Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, or CBTL for short, is the newcomer to the single cup coffee market. The popular caf chain got into the single serve coffee market in 2011, seeking to give patrons of their cafes the ability to create CBTL coffee drinks at home. They offer 12 different beverages consisting of coffees, espressos, and teas. There are two CBTL brewers on the market priced at $129.95 and $149.99. If you are in the vicinity of a CBTL and enjoy their drinks, you might give this one a try.
Pod Brewers - Pod brewers have been around for a while now, and while there are not a lot of options as far as the more sophisticated drinks like lattes and cappuccinos, there is a simplicity offered for getting a single cup of fresh coffee will little cost and complication. Another plus about pod brewers is that you are not tied to one company's drinks; you can use any brand pods you want as long as they are the proper size for your brewer. You can buy a pod brewer for $19.99, or you can get really sophisticated and purchase one for $299, or you can meet your needs somewhere in between.
In conclusion, if you have yet to try out single cup brewing, you can see that there are a ton of great options out there. You can get your feet wet with an inexpensive system, and see if brewing by the cup suits your needs, or you can delve into this market and find out which system does all of the things that you want and give it a shot. You may find drinks or brew capabilities that you didn't even know that you wanted! Bottom line, it's a great time to get started in single cup coffee brewing because there are a variety of quality systems available that offer their own unique brewing capabilities and drink options.
Why Brew By The Cup?
The answer to that is pretty straightforward. You consume your coffee one cup at a time. How often have you brewed coffee, and find that there is usually some left in the pot that you end up pouring out later due to it becoming stale, or was more than you intended to drink to begin with. If you are brewing coffee for yourself, and you don't aim to sit around and knock back a whole pot, you will benefit greatly from only brewing what you will drink. No coffee will have to be poured out. Another plus besides reducing wasted coffee, you will have a single fresh cup of coffee so conveniently at your fingertips that you may be more prone to brew at home instead of stopping by a coffee shop. Imagine how much you could cut back on your expenditures and still have your treat of a fresh terrific cup of coffee.
There is a terrific array of brew systems available today. They are called systems because they each have their own unique method of packaging the single portions of coffee grounds. Some use small cups or capsules with paper filters and foil lids, some use discs with foil lids, and others use pods, in which grounds are sealed within a small round filter. The 'system' involves the coffee machine and compatible single serve portion packs, and any accessories available. Except for pods and pod brewers, the other popular systems are closed-loop, meaning the single portion packs will not work with other brew systems. This is an important factor in considering which brewer to purchase, because you will be restricted to the beverages compatible for that brewer.
Keurig - Keurig has over 200 unique varieties of beverages from coffees, teas, hot cocoas, and iced drinks and other specialty beverages, in their established single portion pack referred to as 'k cups'. You will discover k cups by many well-known brand names such as Timothy's, Celestial Seasonings, Wolfgang Puck, Dunkin' Donuts, Gloria Jeans, and by November of 2011 Starbucks will be on the list. Presently, there are 9 brewers on the market that are compatible with k cups, with Keurig manufacturing 5 of the nine, and the remaining coffee makers are by Cuisinart, Mr. Coffee, and Breville. Brewers range in price from $79.95 to $249.95.
Dolce Gusto - You will find 14 unique beverage capsules for the Dolce Gusto, including various roasts of coffee, cappuccinos, lattes and even an iced tea. Dolce Gusto aims for quality, not quantity with their beverage line-up, and many happy consumers substantiate that concept in reviews. There are 4 brewers in the Dolce Gusto product line and they range in price from $89 to $170.
Tassimo - There are 21 beverages available in 'T Discs', which are Tassimo's exclusive single portion packs. They offer coffees, teas, espressos, and there is even a milk creamer t-disc which permits for cappuccino and latte drinks in the array of Tassimo beverages. There are three Tassimo brewers on the market, and they are priced between $99 and $169.
Nespresso - Nespresso is a chic addition to the single cup market. There are 16 varieties of beverage capsules for Nespresso brewers, but you won't find tea or hot chocolate here. What you will discover is an array of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees from around the world. The Nespresso is geared toward making espresso and espresso based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. Though there are numerous Nespresso brewers on the market, there are three main coffee machines intended for single cup brewing at home, and they range in price from $199 to $280.
Senseo - Senseo has been around for a long time. It is a popular pod brew system, with 12 unique flavors of coffee pods from house blend to espresso. Senseo pods are easily found in local stores like Walmart and Target, or online from various retailers like Amazon. Four coffee machines are offered by the Senseo system, and they cost between $19.99 and $139.99. Clearly, this is one system that is very inexpensive to start out with, and beverages are also reasonably priced and easy to find.
Flavia - Flavia has a limited availability, as it is found only online on the Flavia website or on Amazon.com. Flavia uses foilpacks for its single portion beverage packets. There are more than 25 varieties of beverages including coffees, hot chocolates, cappuccinos, lattes, and espressos. There are two brew machines for the home, and they range in price between $125 and $190.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) - Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, or CBTL for short, is the newcomer to the single cup coffee market. The popular caf chain got into the single serve coffee market in 2011, seeking to give patrons of their cafes the ability to create CBTL coffee drinks at home. They offer 12 different beverages consisting of coffees, espressos, and teas. There are two CBTL brewers on the market priced at $129.95 and $149.99. If you are in the vicinity of a CBTL and enjoy their drinks, you might give this one a try.
Pod Brewers - Pod brewers have been around for a while now, and while there are not a lot of options as far as the more sophisticated drinks like lattes and cappuccinos, there is a simplicity offered for getting a single cup of fresh coffee will little cost and complication. Another plus about pod brewers is that you are not tied to one company's drinks; you can use any brand pods you want as long as they are the proper size for your brewer. You can buy a pod brewer for $19.99, or you can get really sophisticated and purchase one for $299, or you can meet your needs somewhere in between.
In conclusion, if you have yet to try out single cup brewing, you can see that there are a ton of great options out there. You can get your feet wet with an inexpensive system, and see if brewing by the cup suits your needs, or you can delve into this market and find out which system does all of the things that you want and give it a shot. You may find drinks or brew capabilities that you didn't even know that you wanted! Bottom line, it's a great time to get started in single cup coffee brewing because there are a variety of quality systems available that offer their own unique brewing capabilities and drink options.
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Want to find out more about Keurig k Cups, and single-cup brewing, then visit Sara Shepherd's site and find helpful info on k cup brewing.