Coffee. I operate on it daily. I wasn’t always this way, but now that I am I prefer a life with coffee to a life without.
A few months ago our beloved coffee maker died. The power stopped working properly and it had been dying a long, slow death anyway so we knew it was time to say goodbye.
It was not just any coffeemaker, it also made espresso, steamed milk, and more. It didn’t just make you coffee it made you c o f f e e. Amazing coffee from whole beans. RIP Magnifica.
It’s a pricey machine that we received as a gift, so when I looked at replacing it I had a bit of sticker shock. No, spending $700+ on a new machine was not going to happen no matter how much I wished it would.
So, we began a hunt for a new coffee maker. I started with asking friends on Facebook and twitter-isn’t that what everyone does? There were a wide range of responses from Keurig lovers to French Press is the only way to ever drink coffee people. People had OPINIONS.
I have opinions, too. As does my husband. We like dark roasted coffee that’s bold. We like our coffee to have complex flavors and body. A smooth coffee with a caramel aftertaste is perfection in my book. If I am starting to sound like I’m talking about wine it’s because I’m evaluating it the same way I would with wine. I can be a bit of a coffee snob for sure. All that to say my coffee needs may not be yours. You may love something I don’t, but here’s what we tried and what we liked best.
Which is the best coffeemaker?
French Press
Now I love a good french press pot, but in the morning when I’m bleary-eyed and anything but coherent the process of boiling water (on our electric stove) grinding beans, measuring, pouring, waiting, and pressing is NOT going to happen. Maybe if I was a morning person or our kids didn’t have to get up so early for school, but nope-not going to cut it for our regular morning routine. The french press is reserved for weekends or brunch-not everyday.
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Moka Pot
Basically the moka pot is great, but like the French Press is a pain to use in the early morning hours.
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Keurig
Before you yell Keurig at me, we are familiar with them. My Mom has a Keurig machine and our doctor’s offices do, too. We’ve had coffee from them in a pinch (or tea or cider), and I sampled the Keurig 2.0 at an event in the Fall. I just don’t like them. I find the coffee they make very plain. It’s lacking in flavor, body, and even the aroma is missing. It’ll do in a pinch, but I’m not a fan.
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Starbucks Verismo
I’m a fan of Starbucks coffee and a friend raved about their machine, the Verismo. It has little pods (like a Keurig) and when I tried it at Starbucks I thought it did a good job for being a home coffeemaker. So, off to Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy one.
A note about Bed, Bath & Beyond: ALWAYS buy there when you can because they never turn down a coupon that’s expired and they have an amazing return policy that allows you to return anything at ANYTIME. This is crucial when you’re buying anything. Where else can you return a $100 coffeemaker months after your purchase and get a full refund?
The machine itself is compact and easy to use. You buy pods of the blends you like and simply plop it in and push a button and you have a cup of Starbucks coffee!
What we liked: We’re fans of Starbucks coffee, so we liked the options offered. It was easy to use and made a decent cup of coffee.
What we didn’t like: It only makes coffee can make steamed milk from Starbucks pods which are pricey. The pods only come in dairy-which I don’t drink. It added up quick! The cost of their pods are way pricier than anything else, and wasteful as heck.
The cost: It’s not expensive at around $100, but the pods add up fast.
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Cuisnart Grind & Brew
Prior to our Maginifica (RIP) we had a Cuisnart Grind & Brew machine. I remembered it as being serviceable and decent but most importantly easy to use. So when we did the math on how much we were spending on the Verismo pods we opted to give this machine a try.
What we liked: It’s easy to use fresh beans. It allows you to customize the amount of coffee you’re making pretty easily.
What we didn’t like: The coffee was…fine. It was nothing special. It had no crema. It was better than drinking coffee at a diner or from the Keurig, but not great. It was a pain to clean out the grinder.
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Nespresso
What we liked: Easy to use-so easy my kids can make me coffee (that’s why I had so many after all) and more importantly it creates an incredible cup of coffee or espresso with crema on top. They have a variety of types of coffee cups and espresso cups. While I’m not overall a fan of single-use coffee they provide a way to recycle them that’s 100% free. You can drop them off at a local retailer or receive a prepaid envelope that allows you to ship them off for recycling.
What we didn’t like: It’s a little pricey to stay in cups, so it limited our coffee consumption-honestly not a bad side effect. Otherwise I love, love, love it. Like you better not get between me and my Nespresso in the morning love.
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The verdict? The Magnifica is amazing if you have it in your budget. The Nespresso is perfect for one cup a day folks and people who LOVE their coffee. A french press or moka pot is where it’s at when you have a bit more time to make your coffee, are coherent and awake before coffee (weirdo) or you have a gas stove. It’s been several months and we’re still in love with the Nespresso, so for now we’re sticking with it.
Do you have a favorite coffeemaker? Share in the comments.
Kelly
There are a ton of K-cup manufacturers out there. Good to know you like that brand! I’ll have to take some to my mom’s on our next visit to see if we find them any better.
I have never had a good cup of coffee from a Keurig. The french press is the best if you don’t mind heating the water first and getting or grinding beans fresh. The flavors are just amazing!
Same here. We try to pull out the french press on weekends that are a bit quieter. 🙂
I love french press but for my busy life, I love, love, love the Nespresso–always a great copy of coffee!
We have a Keurig, and it is the worst. I would really like to get something different. I have always wanted to get a French press for making coffee, but I haven’t yet tried to do it on my own.
San Francisco Bay also sells fully-recycle k-cup/one-cups and they even have a thingamajig to by-pass Keurig’s latest model to be able to use non-Keurig k-cups! I like Keurig’s coffee-maker, just not their coffee!
Thanks for the tip! Off to search them out now! I don’t typically buy any Nestlé products, but I didn’t realize they were Nestlé owned until after my purchase. :/ In any case the coffee was too good to give up at that point. I will DEFINITELY check out Hiline!
I LOVE my Nespresso! Good call!
The only thing I don’t care for is buying the pods through Nestle. After the initial purchase I’d prefer not to give them any of my $ (and that’s a LOT of $!). But Hiline Coffee is a great little indie company that produces fully recyclable, great quality pods at a lower cost.
I especially like that my kids can steam milk for hot cocoa with the milk pitcher, or quickly get an espresso-shot worth of hot water for oatmeal without heating a whole kettle on the stove.