coffee

What's the first thing you do with a new kitchen appliance? In our house, I go for the instruction manual, but my husband tends to plunge right in. This has resulted in more than a few mishaps over the many years of our marriage.

The Primula Speak n' Brew, the world's first talking coffee maker, aims to simplify the coffee brewing process and eliminate the need to push a dozen buttons to program the machine. Instead, you can just tell this 10-cup stainless steel coffee maker when you want your coffee made.

It's pretty straightforward: press Talk, … Read more

They say a watched pot never boils, and in the morning it is especially true. Waiting for the water to get hot enough to pour over coffee grounds can feel like an eternity. If you are using a French press for your morning brew, you know exactly what I mean. But it is not just the coffee addicts who must wait to get into hot water; tea drinkers suffer the same fate. Either way, in the end it comes down to needing hot water for your beverage. But what about the people who prefer coffee and tea?

More water means … Read more

It's a good feeling when at the end of the workday all that is left to do is to go home. While a pile of completed tasks and jobs may appeal to our inner need to check things off of a list, our productivity needs fuel to sustain its drive. Hunger can be a powerful distraction, as well it should be. But sometimes, its too powerful. A 2-hour lunch break is nice, but sometimes you've just got to bear down and plow through the day. Next time, don't settle for a candy bar to power your way … Read more

The chaos of the morning can be a time-crunching affair. We fall out of bed, slam the alarm clock off, and proceed to get ready for the day. Most people enjoy a set routine and stumble through it on autopilot. Anything that shaves a moment or two off the routine gets us out the door that much sooner. (In theory, at least; in reality it just translates to extra time in bed.) Instead of waiting for the coffee to be ready, you can save a couple of minutes by taking it with you and have it when you're ready.… Read more

Anamorphosis refers to a distorted image that only appears normal when reflected from a special device--generally a cylinder with a highly reflective surface placed the in the center of a painting lying face up. This visual play, popular in 18th century Europe, has been modernized in the Anamorphic Cup, created by American-born designer Ross McBride, now living in Tokyo.

The cup is stainless steel with a polished mirror finish. Its porcelain saucer is printed with a distorted image. Separately, the cup and saucer are ordinary--an unlikely match, even. But put them together, and that indecipherable graphic is suddenly reflected in … Read more

As awesome as the kitchen is, sometimes you have to leave it. And if you've invested in a great home coffeemaker, you've got a cup of great coffee ready to go with you--but perhaps your hands are too full to carry your joe. What do you do?

Whip out your Beverage CADDi, of course, and off you go. The CADDi is a fun new gadget that does one thing really well: it lets you hold onto a drink with one finger.

Here's how it works: instead of the thick cardboard sleeve the coffee shop places on your … Read more

The neverending search for the perfect cup of coffee is a well-traveled quest. Sometimes the journey takes us to the perfectly hot cup of coffee, other times to a place with full-bodied flavor. Perhaps the occasional espresso brewed to perfection makes an appearance. But one thing matters most when that coffee first hits your lips in the morning: you should know what you're getting.

The corner coffee shop may deliver a consistent brew, but for those who cannot wait, a home brewing machine is the only answer. The Krups Power Brew Coffeemaker is a solid alternative to the corner … Read more

With the launch of Windows 7 this week, we've seen a number of product marketing attempts that made us ask "what on earth does this have to do with anything?"

Windows Cafe in Paris

Windows 7 Whopper marketing promotion

I'm a PC USB keys

Pistachio ad campaign featuring Levi Johnston

Dolce & Gabbana Sony Ericsson Jalou

Regretsy… Read more

It's always been a dream to have kitchen appliances know what we want for dinner--or if not what we want to eat, at least how to make it. From the popcorn button on our microwaves to toaster ovens with preset functions, kitchen appliances have always strived to be more accommodating to our wants and needs. While we may not yet have fully integrated kitchens, we do at least have a continuing trend of smart appliances geared to automatically make adjustments as needed.

The Bosch Tassimo Titanium Single-Serve Beverage Brewer takes a familiar technology and uses it to facilitate effortless … Read more