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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, then tell the machine you want to set the coffee brewing time, and tell it when to brew. The machine repeats the time back to you as confirmation, and then, at the proper time, it goes to work.
Too tired to talk? The machine also uses old-school button-type programming.
It's available now for about $80.
Don't look now, but your coffee is ready.
(Credit: Hammacher Schlemmer)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 more waiting, but at least with the Complete Coffee And Tea Station, it's all in one place. While the press pot steeps the coffee, the integrated electric kettle could be brewing tea. (Or heating up water for the next round of coffee with no waiting.) The kettle may not make water boil faster, but unlike a pot on the stove, it knows when to stop. With the capability to provide water at temperatures specific to distinct drinks, the kettle heats perfect water for brewing coffee (198 degrees F), steeping tea (190 degrees F) or making hot chocolate (165 degrees F). A warming plate under the press pot keeps your beverage warm until the next round.
I'm not sure of the math, but I would like to believe that if a watched pot doesn't boil, two somehow makes it quicker. While that may not be true, at least the integrated timer will beep when it is ready.
Tame the taskmaster.
(Credit: Kalorik)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 through those long afternoon hours; instead, make a meal.
The Kitchen Outpost (aka Kalorik Breakfast Set) is a small desk or countertop appliance that provides throughout the day. Featuring a coffeemaker, a toaster oven, and a griddle all in one, the multiuse appliance measures 20.25 inches across and 9.3 inches in depth, with a height of 9.25 inches. With such a degree of usefulness, you'll be sure to revisit the device many times a day. Use it to heat up a prepared sandwich, or create your own. The integrated coffee maker supplies the ever-important caffeine fix throughout the day. With such conveniences right in front of you, your productivity is sure to shoot right through the roof--just be sure to come up for air every now and then.
Ready to go.
(Credit: Hammacher Schlemmer)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.
The French Press Commuter Cup is a 16-ounce travel mug that also happens to brew your morning beverage. Add freshly ground coffee or loose-leaf tea to the bottom of the mug, pour in hot water, and head out the door. Sometime down the road, hit the plunger and the grounds are separated from the resulting brew. The double wall construction along with an incorporated rubber grip ensures that it is easy to grab this beverage cup while on the go.
Everybody needs a time-saver in the morning, and one that helps us to grab our coffee to go is an added bonus. No added parts are necessary, as the plunger features a built-in screen, so getting out the door becomes a breeze. At the end of the day, you're going to want to wash this commuter contraption by hand, unless of course you want to add it to your morning routine.
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 the surface of the cup to reveal a word--coffee, tea, his, hers, and so on.
The cups are great conversation pieces--but a little hard to track down in the States. You can, however, find them abroad, or contact the manufacturer directly for a special order.
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 cup to let you carry it without scalding your hand, the CADDi is a sleeve made from soft vinyl, with nylon strings secured to it. You slip the sleeve onto any tapered coffee cup, all the way up to the rim, and slip the strings over your finger, as shown.
Choose from 10 designs, and snag one for just $5.50.
There for you in the morning.
(Credit: Williams-Sonoma)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 cafe. Featuring 1,400 watts of power, the coffeemaker belts out a pot of coffee fast and hot, delivering it between 195 degrees F and 205 degrees F. A showerhead-type nozzle gives full coverage of the grounds, assuring a brew that is well-rounded with full coffee flavor.
The stylish coffeemaker is decked out in a piano-black finish and features an easy-to-read angled LCD control panel. Programming options exist for weekday and weekend cycles, along with a small-batch setting. The glass carafe holds up to 60 ounces and is easily accessible at any time during the cycle, due to a brew-pause feature that lets you sneak out a cup before brewing is complete. Save yourself a trip to the coffee shop; even though getting there may be half the fun, it is more fun to have a well-brewed cup of coffee waiting for you in the morning.
No muss, no fuss.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)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 coffee making. Using bar-code technology, the machine reads information off of special T-Disc (Tassimo Disc) beverage containers, and adjusts brewing time and temperature accordingly. More than 40 beverage varieties are available in the special T-Disc packages, including ones for cappuccino, tea, latte, and hot chocolate.
With virtually no cleanup or setup, brewing is made as easy as can be. Each cup is predetermined in volume, so this really is a machine built around ease of use; those that prefer control should look elsewhere. Meanwhile, the effortless aspect of this beverage brewer is certainly a plus, and bound to be an appealing aspect to those that want simplicity of use. Until that time when the integrated kitchen can learn how to read minds, appliances that just know how to do their job will have to do.
No more playing the coffee guessing game.
(Credit: Cooking.com)I don't think I have ever measured coffee in order to extract the correct brew. I am simply not capable of such calculations in the precoffee morning. It is a paradox that I find myself in on a daily basis: I need caffeine to have the necessary motor skills to have the coordination to even make a pot of coffee. Luckily, I have found a workaround. Experience has taught me when to stop pouring beans into the grinder. After eyeballing the level, I know that the resulting brew will be enjoyable for all. However, switch out my familiar grinder or put me near a new coffeemaker and all hope is lost.
This malady of morning ineptitude must be a common affliction, for there is hope in the form of a new coffeemaker from T-Fal. The Emerilware Coffeemaker with Built-in Scale makes it easy to determine how just how much ground coffee to use. The clever contraption houses a hidden scale that weighs the ground coffee and lets the user know the recommended amount of water to use.
Of course, those who like their coffee on the strong side will add a little more ground beans, and those who don't will use less. So, I suppose in a way, we are back to square one: guessing how much coffee to use. Luckily, there is a backup plan with this coffeemaker and you can always set the programmable timer the day before while you are wide awake.
Coffee when you need it.
(Credit: Williams-Sonoma)Sometimes there is no substitute for convenience. When out and about and hunger strikes, there are many options available to satiate an appetite. While fast food and snacks can hold off the hunger, caffeine lovers go another route. Luckily, corner cafés and coffee carts are plentiful, accessible and usually offer a quality product. But what of those moments when convenience is needed at home or in the office?
The Nespresso Citiz Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Plus Automatic Milk Frother are a convenient duo designed to eliminate any hassle involved in getting a cup of coffee. The machine uses Nespresso premeasured coffee capsules. Simply pop one into the machine and push the button for your espresso. The heating system and high-pressure pump deliver hot coffee at optimal extraction, while the adjustable tray accommodates different size cups. The included milk frother finishes your drink, and holds up to 8 ounces of frothed milk.
Well-suited for parties or an office environment, the coffee duo is easy to use and a breeze to clean up. Clearly, the draw with this pair is the lack of coffee grounds to deal with. Simply remove the capsule when finished and add another when ready. With premeasured coffee capsules, you won't unlock the full-bodied flavor of freshly ground coffee beans, but sometimes, it's all just a matter of convenience.
