Coffee Gear at Home

Review of DeLonghi 3-in-1 Specialty Coffee Brewer – Is It Worth It?

It seems like Specialty coffee makers are on the rise, and that’s great news for us coffee lovers! Popular brands like DeLonghi are coming out with SCA certified coffee makers means that a nice cup of coffee is now more accessible to everyone.

What Is a Specialty Coffee Maker and What is SCA Certification?

Before I get into the DeLonghi Specialty coffee brewer, let’s talk about what is ‘specialty’ and what is SCA.

SCA is the Specialty Coffee Association, which does a lot of testing on coffee makers to ensure that they meet the Golden Cup Standard. Coffee makers must meet certain requirements like proper water temperature, brewing time as well as other recommendations from the association.

Coffee makers that pass the tests of the SCA are granted the Golden Cup standard certification, and you can rest assured that you’ll be getting a great cup of coffee out of them.

You can read more about SCA Golden Cup certification here.

SCA Certified coffee makers I previously featured are Bonavita, Braun Multi-Serve, Breville Precision Brewer, Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker and Technivorm Moccamaster.

Features of DeLonghi Specialty Coffee Maker:

Brews coffee in three ways: Drip, Pour-over or Over Ice.
SCA Golden Cup Certified.
Pour-Over option gives you an even water distribution using a pulsing showerhead action that ensures all coffee ground is fully saturated, just like it would if brewed manually.
Over Ice option uses proprietary process that brews a smooth, full bodied coffee that is never watered down.
Borosilicate glass carafe.
Warming plate with 1 hour auto shut off.
Water tank capacity: 42 oz.

Click here to learn more about DeLonghi Specialty Coffee Maker, read the customer reviews and buy it.

How Does DeLonghi Specialty Coffee Brewer Make Iced Coffee?

To make Over-Ice coffee that will not taste watered down when ice is melted in it, DeLonghi asks that you add the same amount of coffee ground, but you’ll use less water. It will also alter the water temperature so the coffee isn’t brewed too hot that it will melt the ice right away. On the carafe, you’ll see the lines that indicate the amount of ice cubes you add. When choosing the Over Ice option, the machine will use the pour-over pulsating method to brew the coffee, which means you’ll get a bolder cup.

Is The DeLonghi Specialty Coffee Maker Worth It?

According to customer reviews, this coffee makers produces a great carafe of coffee. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:

The coffee basket is located inside the carafe, which can be quite annoying. This means when the coffee is ready and you want to pour a cup, you’ll have to remove the basket first. The machine does come with a basket holder just for this purpose, but it’s still a somewhat of a design flaw – for me personally at least.

The Over-Ice option is great and works as promised. However, it doesn’t make a single cup. This isn’t a problem for anyone who wants to make a patch of iced coffee to keep in the fridge. But if you prefer just a single cup of iced (or even hot) coffee, you might want to consider a machine like the Ninja Specialty coffee maker, which has a lot more serving options.

Should You Buy the DeLonghi Specialty Coffee Maker?

Overall, the DeLonghi Specialty coffee maker is a decent coffee maker, but for its price point, it’s not the best. Being priced the same (at the time of writing this post), I would absolutely recommend the Ninja Specialty Coffee maker instead.

Ninja Specialty Fold-Away Frother (CM401) Coffee Maker, Single Serve to 10 Cup (50 oz.), Glass Carafe

Specialty brew: brew super rich Coffee concentrate that you can use to create delicious lattes, macchiato, cappuccinos, and other coffeehouse style drinks
Iced Coffee: brew fresh over ice for flavorful Iced Coffee that's never watered down
6 brew sizes: brew anything from a single cup or travel size to a half carafe or a full carafe in your Coffee maker
Fold away frother: turns hot or cold milk into silky smooth froth
Sca certified home brewer

The Ninja Specialty Coffee maker overs a lot more brewing and serving options, including full/half carafe, XL cup (travel mug) and single cup. It also has a built-in milk frother for times when you want to make a latte or a cappuccino. You’ll get a lot more for your money with the Ninja coffee maker. Click here to read my full post on it.

Review: Mr Coffee All-in-One Pour Over Coffee Maker

Pour over is one of the most popular manual methods for brewing coffee. It has recently regained popularity with the introduction of specialty coffee, and with tools like Hario V60 or Chemex widely available, many people gave it a go.

However, there’s still a number of people who are still intimidated by pour-over and all the tools it requires just to make a cup of coffee. Why does it require a lot of tools? Is it really worth the time and effort?

To do Pour-over correctly, measuring and timing are everything! You have to measure the amount of coffee ground and water, and you have to time every step. So to do your pour-over, you’ll need a grinder, a scale and a timer. That’s a whole lot of things just to make coffee. And it’s okay, many people enjoy the process of making coffee this way, and that’s exactly what matters.

Now if you’re one who have always wanted to try pour-over but don’t want to buy all those accessories, or even find it such a hassle to do all the steps required, you’ll like what Mr. Coffee has created in this coffee maker.

What Is Mr Coffee All in One Pour Over Coffee Maker?

You’ve probably seen some automatic pour over coffee makers that imitate the method of pour over (blooming, showerhead water spray and so on… Bonavita and Moccamaster are fist to come to mind), which is a great solution for anyone who wants the taste of a pour-over cup but don’t want to do any of the work. This coffee maker is not one of those…

Mr Coffee Pour Over Coffee Maker is still somewhat of a manual method of pour over, but it guides you through the process entirely to make it easier for beginners. It has everything you need for the perfect pour over built into it (including a scale and a timer!)

The coffee maker consists of:

Electric gooseneck kettle
Cone dripper and a glass pot.
The base that holds it all together.

The base of the coffee maker is where all the magic happens. The interface of base unit displays step by step guide to help you make the perfect brew:

Select the amount of coffee you’re brewing: 2, 4 or 6 cups.
The guide will prompt you to add your coffee ground and it will automatically measure the correct amount with the built-in scale. Once you have added enough coffee, it will prompt the next step…
Adding water is also measured using the built-in scale. Now you’ll have to slowly pour in the water in circular motion until the progress bar is full. First, you’ll add just a little to allow your coffee to bloom, then you’ll add the rest of the water required for your serving size.
How long do you have to wait? The base unit has a timer, too. While it doesn’t show you the time in seconds or minutes, it does tell you to wait and continue when you need to.

Is The Mr. Coffee Pour Over Coffee Maker Worth It?

This coffee maker makes a great all in one solution for someone who wants to start using pour over as their brewing method. It includes everything you need except for the grinder.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll love the ease of use this coffee maker provides. In fact, even if you start getting the hang of things, in pour over, you’ll always need your coffee and water scaled and timed. So even if you advance in your brewing method, the automatic guidance will still be useful.

The question is, is it worth the effort? This is only for you to decide. Pour over is a manual method that takes a bit of time and effort on your part. It is important that you like taking time off to make your coffee manually and enjoy the process of preparing your coffee. If you’re someone who wants a quick cup of coffee or don’t have the time, this is not a machine for you. I’d highly recommend getting an automatic pour-over coffee maker that automates the whole thing and makes your coffee for you with a push of a button (while getting the same results). However, if you ever feel like you want to take a real coffee break, and take your time doing it, this would be a cool way to do it.

One thing to keep in mind is, this machine does not have a warming plate to keep coffee hot. When it comes to manual brewing, keeping your coffee on constant heat is not recommended as it makes the coffee bitter. So only make the amount you’ll be consuming at the time.

Another thing about Mr Coffee Pour Over is, if you plan on experimenting with recipes (use different measurements of coffee to water ratios…), it will be hard to do so using this machine. As it doesn’t show you exactly in grams the amount coffee or water you’re using, it’s hard to know the exact recipe you’re following. The display only shows you that you’ve used the correct amount for the coffee volume you want to brew, but not the exact measurement. So if you feel like you want to experiment or use different ratios, you’re better off buying your tools separately.

Recommended Grinders for Pour Over:

Getting your coffee grind right is as important as everything else in pour over. If you’re using the wrong grind, your coffee will not taste good. A hand grinder is always a great option to start with, here are a few high rated recommendation:

Review of Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker

Braun has been working towards creating better coffee makers for the home user to take their experience to the next level. With the release of MultiServe, it’s evident that Braun is no longer doing only the ‘basic’ drip coffee maker anymore.

Braun MultiServe is a coffee brewing station that offers multiple serving sizes for every mood and occasion. From single serve, half or full carafe, travel mug size and more. The machine is also pre-set with multiple brew settings to make it even easier for you to prepare your coffee to your liking with a press of a button.

Features of Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker:

Brew Choice Plus: choose from different coffee brewing settings: Light, Gold Standard, Bold or Over Ice.
Multi-sizes: Dial your choice of serving size: single-cup (5, 8, 12, 16, 20 oz), half carafe or full 10-cup carafe.
Pod-free system. Use your favorite ground coffee.
Specialty Coffee Association Golden Cup certification ensures coffee brewing at optimal temperature to meet the association’s standards.
TempSensor System: three sensors monitor temperature through out brewing process to achieve SCA brewing standard and keep coffee at the perfect temperature.
Freshness Indicator: visible indicator to let you know your brewed coffee is fresh.
Removable 50 oz water reservoir.
Includes glass carafe and gold-tone mesh filter.
Programmable digital clock with auto-brew settings.

Click here to learn more about Braun MultiServe, read the customer reviews and buy it.

Watch How It Works:

Braun MultiServe vs. Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker, What’s The Difference?

If you’re familiar with Ninja’s popular Specialty Coffee Maker (also known as Ninja Coffee Bar System), you’ve probably noticed by now how similar it is to Braun’s MultiServe.

The Ninja System is also a pod-free system that offer multiple sizes from single cup up to a full 10-cup carafe. Brewing programs include: Classic, Rich, Over Ice and Specialty. So far, they’re pretty much alike… but there’s one difference:

Ninja Specialty Fold-Away Frother (CM401) Coffee Maker, Single Serve to 10 Cup (50 oz.), Glass Carafe

Specialty brew: brew super rich Coffee concentrate that you can use to create delicious lattes, macchiato, cappuccinos, and other coffeehouse style drinks
Iced Coffee: brew fresh over ice for flavorful Iced Coffee that's never watered down
6 brew sizes: brew anything from a single cup or travel size to a half carafe or a full carafe in your Coffee maker
Fold away frother: turns hot or cold milk into silky smooth froth
Sca certified home brewer

The Ninja Coffee Bar has a built-in milk frother that allows you to create delicious milk froth for making coffee drinks like Cappuccino or Latte. But does the Ninja coffee maker make espresso? No, it doesn’t. But it makes something close enough. The ‘Specialty’ program creates a 4 oz coffee concentrate to replace espresso for specialty coffee drinks. This gives you the choice to make more coffee recipes than Braun’s MultiServe, which does not have a milk frother or a coffee concentrate setting.

The Ninja Coffee Bar is also available with an option of glass or thermal carafe, which (as of now) the Braun MultiServe doesn’t have.

Read our previous review of the Ninja Coffee Bar here and Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed system here.

Review and Comparison of Keurig K-Duo and K-Duo Plus

A few years ago, Keurig Introduced Keurig 2.0 as a way to brew a single cup of coffee as well as a carafe. Keurig 2.0 used multiple sizes of K-Cup pods (K-Cup, K-Mug and K-Carafe), you could not use ground coffee unless you’re using a refillable filter, which doesn’t always lead to the best results.

Now, Keurig is introducing a much better option for anyone looking for a single cup and full carafe coffee maker. K-Duo and K-Duo Plus are Keurig’s only coffee makers (as of the time of writing this) that can use both K-Cup pods and ground coffee (in an actual paper or permanent filter).

In this post, you’ll read about the features of each of these models and how they compare to each other.

Features of Keurig K-Duo Coffee Maker:

Easily and conveniently brew a single cup or a carafe, using either K-Cup pods or ground coffee.
Choose from multiple sizes for each brew type. Single cup: 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz. Carafe: 6, 8, 10 or 12 cups.
Strong brew option for single-serve brewing allows the K-Cup pod to steep a bit longer for a stronger taste.
Single cup side can accommodate travel mugs up to 8” tall.
Programmable settings for carafe brewing: setup your machine auto-brew for up to 24 hours in advance.
Pause & Pour: automatically pauses mid brew for 20 seconds allowing you to pour a cup before the full brew cycle is complete.
Large 60 oz water reservoir, shared between both single-serve and carafe brewing.
Includes: 12-cup glass carafe.
Compatible with all K-Cup pods including branded and non-branded pods from 3rd party brands. It is NOT compatible with K-Carafe, K-Mug, Vue or Rivo pods.
Dimensions: Height: 12.92” Width: 10.94” and Depth 12.76

Click here to learn more about Keurig K-Duo, read the customer reviews and buy it.

Features of Keurig K-Duo Plus:

Brew a single-cup or a carafe.
Multi-serve sizes: 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz for single-serve cups and 6, 8, 10 and 12 cups for carafe brewing.
Strong Brew option for single-serve brewing.
60 oz water reservoir that can be repositioned to left, right or back of the machine.
Programmable auto-brew allows you to setup auto brewing up to 24 hours in advance.
Pause & Pour: automatically pauses mid brew for 20 seconds allowing you to pour a cup before the full brew cycle is complete.
Includes a thermal 12-cup carafe that keeps your coffee hot for up to 2 hours.
Dimensions (with reservoir positioned at the back): Height: 14.19”, Width: 7.68” , Depth: 15.88”
Compatible with all K-Cup pods including branded and non-branded pods from 3rd party brands. It is NOT compatible with K-Carafe, K-Mug, Vue or Rivo pods.

Click here to learn more about Keurig K-Duo Plus, read the customer reviews and buy it.

K-Duo vs. K-Duo Plus, What’s The Difference?

For the most part, the K-Duo and K-Duo Plus perform the same tasks for brewing a single cup or a carafe using either K-Cup pods or ground coffee. But here’s a few things that set them apart:

Design:

K-Duo has two sides, on the right is single cup brewing and on the left is carafe brewing with the water reservoir positioned at the back of the machine where both sides share it.
K-Duo Plus is a slimmer machine with only one spout that can be used for single serve brewing or carafe brewing. The reservoir of the machine is repositionable, so you can swivel it to either side of the machine or keep it at the back.

Included Carafe:

K-Duo includes a 12-cup glass carafe. The machine does have a heating plate that runs for 2 hours before automatically shutting off.
K-Duo Plus has a 12-cup thermal carafe that keeps the coffee hot for up to 2 hours. The machine does not have a heating plate (as it’s not needed).

Which One Do You Buy?

Sale

Keurig K-Duo Plus Coffee Maker, Single Serve and 12-Cup Carafe Drip Coffee Brewer, Compatible with K-Cup Pods and Ground Coffee, Black

WHAT'S IN THE BOX: 12 cup thermal carafe and mesh reusable ground coffee filter included with your brewer
BREW A CUP AND A CARAFE: use both ground Coffee and K Cup pods
STRONG BREW: brew a stronger, more intense single cup and carafe
MULTIPLE BREW SIZES: Brew a 6, 8, 10, or 12 cup carafe and a 6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces cup
MULTI POSITION 60 ounces; WATER RESERVOIR: can be positioned to the right, left, or along the back of the brewer to optimize counter space

Sale

Keurig K-Duo Coffee Maker, Single Serve and 12-Cup Carafe Drip Coffee Brewer, Compatible with K-Cup Pods and Ground Coffee, Black

WHAT'S IN THE BOX: 12-cup glass carafe included with your brewer along with a heating plate to keep coffee hot.
BREW A CUP AND A CARAFE: use both ground Coffee and K-Cup pods.
MULTIPLE BREW SIZES: Brew a 6, 8, 10, or 12-cup carafe and a 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. cup.
COMPATIBLE WITH KEURIG GOLD TONE MESH FILTER ACCESSORY: a reusable coffee filter you can use to brew your perfect carafe (sold separately).
LARGE 60 OZ. WATER RESERVOIR: the 60 oz. Water reservoir is shared between the single serve and carafe brewing, saving you time and simplifying your morning routine. Removable reservoir makes refilling easy.

Picking between the K-Duo and K-Duo Plus would depend on, whether you want a thermal or glass carafe and if countertop space in a priority to you.
K-Duo Plus, being slimmer and with a repositionable reservoir, would be the best choice for someone with limited countertop space.
Other than dimension and carafe material, you are getting the exact same features from both models.

Other Dual Coffee Makers to Consider:

While the K-Duo and K-Duo Plus are great, they’re not the first to implement the idea of dual coffee makers that have both carafe and pod brewing. There are solid options to choose from, click here to see our recommendations.

Keurig K-Duo vs. Keurig 2.0, Which Is Best?

While Keurig 2.0 does brew single cup and carafe, it did so using pods only. You had no option of brewing a carafe of coffee in the traditional way, which many people still preferred. Using K-Duo, you have the choice of brewing a carafe using your favorite brand of ground coffee, no pods necessary. And for single cup brewing, you can use any type of K-Cup pod, either by Keurig or from other brands (as long as they are K-Cup Pods, and not Vue, Rivo or K-Carafe, K-Mug).

Keurig K-Duo vs. Hamilton Beach FlexBrew:

Hamilton Beach Flexbrew is one of the earlier dual coffee makers that brew both full coffee pot as well as K-Cup pods. So it’s pretty much what the Keurig K-Duo does. But is there an actual difference between them? Which of them should you go for?

The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew (model 49976 to be exact) has a 12-cup pot side and a single serve side that can accommodate a cup or a travel mug. Much like the K-Duo, it is programmable, and it can brew 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 cups of coffee. Here’s where they’re different…

The water reservoirs on the Hamilton Beach are separated for the single serve and full pot sides.
It includes a filter basket and adapter for the single serve brewing side that allows you to brew your coffee either using a K-Cup pod or ground coffee.
Using the Keurig K-Duo, if you choose to brew a single cup using ground coffee, you can do so using the Universal My K-Cup pod, which you’ll have to buy separately.

These two machines are pretty similar. However, it seems like – according to customer ratings – that the Hamilton Beach has some quality and longevity issues where the machine starts leaking few months in. So that’s one thing to keep in mind when making your choice.

Click here to learn more about the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew, read the customer reviews and buy it.

Breville BMF600XL Milk Café vs. Nespresso Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother: Which Is Best?

Two of the most popular electric milk frothers on the market right now are the Breville Milk Cafe and Aeroccino by Nespresso. These two units give you delicious froth for a Cappuccino or Latte with a simple touch of a button, with the ability to create hot or cold froth. But which of them is best for you to buy?

Breville Milk Cafe vs. Nespresso Aeroccino, What’s The Difference?

Breville BMF600XL Milk Cafe Milk Frother

Nestle Nespresso 3694-US-BK Aeroccino3 Milk Frother, One Size, Black

Capacity

up to 750 ml

up to 250 ml

Included Whisks

Dishwasher Safe

Temperature Settings

Variable temperature settings

Hot or Cold

Material

Stainless Steel exterior/interior

Plastic exterior/ teflon non-stick interior

More Info

Buy on Amazon

Breville BMF600XL Milk Cafe Milk Frother

Capacity

up to 750 ml

Included Whisks

Dishwasher Safe

Temperature Settings

Variable temperature settings

Material

Stainless Steel exterior/interior

More Info

Buy on Amazon

Nestle Nespresso 3694-US-BK Aeroccino3 Milk Frother, One Size, Black

Capacity

up to 250 ml

Included Whisks

Dishwasher Safe

Temperature Settings

Hot or Cold

Material

Plastic exterior/ teflon non-stick interior

More Info

Buy on Amazon

Price wise, the Aeroccino is a little under $100 while the Breville makes a more expensive choice with around $30 price difference (as of the time of writing this post, prices may change), which might make the Aeroccino more popular. However, when it comes to features, the Breville can give you a lot more than the Aeroccino, which justifies that price difference right away.

Capacity:

The Aeroccino takes up to 130ml of milk max for froth preparation and 250 ml for milk heating without froth.
As for the Breville, it has a higher capacity (max being 750 ml or 3 cups and minimum is 1 cup).

Whisks Included:

The Aeroccino has two whisks one for cappuccino and one for latte.
The Breville Milk Cafe has two whisks for thick Cappuccino froth and smooth Latte froth. With on-board storage for whisks.

Operation:

The Aeroccino is very basic to use. Hit a button to get either hot or cold froth within 70 seconds.
The Breville is just as easy to use, but gives you more options. You can select your desired temperature, from warm to hot or cold. You can also create hot chocolate by adding chocolate sauce, powder or shaving directly to the frother.
The Breville Milk Cafe has a sensor that knows if you’ve filled it over the max capacity and it won’t operate if it’s over-filled.

Design:

The Aeroccino features a detachable base, stainless steel interior but it is NOT dishwasher safe.
The Breville Milk Cafe uses induction heating element with a detachable stainless steel pitcher that is fully removable and dishwasher safe. Making it a lot easier to use and clean.
Both units have clear lids so you can look through as your milk froths.

Watch Breville Milk Cafe in action:

Which Is Best, The Breville Milk Cafe or Aeroccino Plus?

We definitely prefer the Breville Milk Cafe as it gives you more bang for your buck. It has features that aren’t available in other frothers like: Control of temperature, hot chocolate preparation and induction heat. It has the largest capacity, and being dishwasher safe is also a plus.

Got a question about the Breville Milk Cafe? We probably have your answer here!

Aeroccino Plus vs. Aeroccino 3, What’s the Difference?

The Aeroccino 3 is the upgraded model of Aeroccino Plus, which is now a discontinued model. Both frothers perform the same tasks of creating hot or cold froth as well as just heating milk.

The design of the Aeroccino 3 is totally different from the Aeroccino Plus, which had a stainless steel body and a handle. Now, the Aeroccino 3 has a cool-to-touch body so the handle is not required anymore.

The other difference is in the whisk. The Aeroccino 3 has a single whisk with a small detachable part that converts it from a cappuccino whisk to a latte whisk. The Aeroccino Plus had two separate whisks to do that.

Click here to learn more about Aeroccino 3, read the customer reviews and buy it.

What About Aeroccino 4 vs. Aeroccino 3, What’s the Difference?

The Aeroccino 4 has a beautiful design. Although Aeroccino 3 has not been discontinued, the Aeroccino 4 offers more options. You can read our full comparison between the Aeroccino 3 and 4 in this post.

Breville Milk Cafe vs. Breville Milk Frother (BMF600 vs. BMF300):

Breville BMF300 Milk Frother is a basic frother that can operate in three modes:

Cappuccino, Latte or Hot Chocolate.

The only difference these three modes perform is the foam density. Cappuccino has the most dense foam, the Latte is more creamy and less foamy and then the Hot chocolate, where it just heats milk and blends it with any chocolate you add (syrup, shavings or powder).

This model has 8.5 oz capacity, so it’s much smaller that the Milk Cafe. It does not have any temperature control and cannot create cold froth.

Unlike the Milk Cafe, this frother does not work on induction heating. Which means the jug does have some electrical parts, it is not dishwasher safe and cannot be submerged in water.

The Breville Frother, also knowns as the Hot Choc and Froth, is a basic frother that does an okay job of creating milk froth. However, the Milk Cafe offers way more options and makes a better choice.

Click here to learn more about the Breville BMF300 Milk Frother, read the customer reviews and buy it.