Single cup coffee brewing

I’ve had a Black and Decker single cup coffee maker for five or six years now – it’s one of the cheapest ones on the market, and it’s one of the better investments I ever made in the kitchen.

I initially bought it when I was the only brewed coffee drinker in my household, so I could just make one cup at a time. But even after that changed, and I had roommates with whom I could split a pot of coffee, I still love this thing because it lets everyone have exactly what they want, when they want it: strong or weak, flavored or not, decaf or regular, one brand or another. And it brews so quickly that you can easily make two customized cups in much less time than it takes to brew a pot. It’s also easy to clean – it’s got a permanent filter that’s dishwasher safe. (I love making homemade mochas with this thing.)

You can find single cup brewing machines for upwards of $100. This one ranges from about $18-25, depending where you find it and whether it’s on sale, and it seems to do everything the others do. The first one I had broke after a couple of years and had to be replaced – maybe the more expensive ones last longer, but I haven’t found that to be the case with many household gadgets. Still, your mileage may vary.

You can also use it to boil a cup of water for tea, soup packets, or anything else you like. It comes with a commuter mug so you can make your own Starbucks drinks at home and save money (and time in line at the coffee shop).

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Posted in Easy Food on August 28, 2009