Help our small-office caffeine delivery system!
October 27, 2011 1:31 AM Subscribe
Our office of around 10 people is in desperate need of a better coffee-making setup.
Currently we have a contract to 'rent' a fairly crappy Kenco cartridge machine.
We'd like something much better (we're not coffee snobs here, but this stuff tastes like dirt).
We mostly drink filter/drip coffee. Good (i.e. proper) espresso would be nice, but if it can make good drip, not needed.
Points:
* We're in the UK, so my preferred option (having done lots of US travel to various companies) of a Keurig K-Cup machine is out.
* We don't care much about other drinks. We can use a kettle and bags for tea. Foamy milk isn't a requirement.
* Something easy to use. First in in the morning sets the machine up - it'd be nice if it wasn't a long-winded process for the poor soul.
I've been recommended the Cuisinart Grind & Brew machines, which look good and Amazon reviews seem nice - is this the best option?
Is there a K-Cup alternative (or reliable UK dealer!) I'm missing?
Currently we have a contract to 'rent' a fairly crappy Kenco cartridge machine.
We'd like something much better (we're not coffee snobs here, but this stuff tastes like dirt).
We mostly drink filter/drip coffee. Good (i.e. proper) espresso would be nice, but if it can make good drip, not needed.
Points:
* We're in the UK, so my preferred option (having done lots of US travel to various companies) of a Keurig K-Cup machine is out.
* We don't care much about other drinks. We can use a kettle and bags for tea. Foamy milk isn't a requirement.
* Something easy to use. First in in the morning sets the machine up - it'd be nice if it wasn't a long-winded process for the poor soul.
I've been recommended the Cuisinart Grind & Brew machines, which look good and Amazon reviews seem nice - is this the best option?
Is there a K-Cup alternative (or reliable UK dealer!) I'm missing?
Look for a coffee maker with a thermal carafe instead of one with a heating element. If you rinse the carafe out with boiling water and then make coffee the coffee will stay hot all day without getting burnt by being left on the warming plate.
posted by koolkat at 1:47 AM on October 27, 2011
posted by koolkat at 1:47 AM on October 27, 2011
What about a Nespresso Machine?
I have a K-cup machine at home, but these seem neat, and available in the uk.
posted by j03 at 1:51 AM on October 27, 2011
I have a K-cup machine at home, but these seem neat, and available in the uk.
posted by j03 at 1:51 AM on October 27, 2011
Another vote for Nespresso for an office. It occupies a decent coffee / minimal hassle sweet spot that makes up for the expense.
posted by Dr Dracator at 2:02 AM on October 27, 2011
posted by Dr Dracator at 2:02 AM on October 27, 2011
Having just solved this problem myself, I'd say you want this Cookworks Signature Espresso Maker from Argos, currently a shade over £30.
It comes second only to a £200 Gaggia coffee maker according to Which? and takes ESE coffee pods as well as regular ground coffee. You can buy the pods for as little as ~8p each (pack of 18 for £1.50) from Aldi and a bit more from all major supermarkets, with a wide selection of brands and types. The machine is very easy to keep clean. It is distinctly cheaper than Nespresso or Tassimo pod machines, without being more fiddly or the coffee of poorer quality.
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 2:13 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
It comes second only to a £200 Gaggia coffee maker according to Which? and takes ESE coffee pods as well as regular ground coffee. You can buy the pods for as little as ~8p each (pack of 18 for £1.50) from Aldi and a bit more from all major supermarkets, with a wide selection of brands and types. The machine is very easy to keep clean. It is distinctly cheaper than Nespresso or Tassimo pod machines, without being more fiddly or the coffee of poorer quality.
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 2:13 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Saeco rocks my world. It can rock yours too. Beans are cheap.
posted by jannw at 2:48 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jannw at 2:48 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
We have a Keurig in our office which is similar to your current setup and K-cup based. I wholeheartedly agree that the coffee is questionable only I'd say it tastes more like socks than dirt.
I've tried coffee from a Nespresso and it is good -- it does not taste like socks/dirt. While I was suspicious about more coffee from pods, Nespresso didn't suck.
If you have a stove, there are better options (moka pots) but if you need to plug something in, Nespresso isn't bad.
posted by countrymod at 5:39 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've tried coffee from a Nespresso and it is good -- it does not taste like socks/dirt. While I was suspicious about more coffee from pods, Nespresso didn't suck.
If you have a stove, there are better options (moka pots) but if you need to plug something in, Nespresso isn't bad.
posted by countrymod at 5:39 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
My office has a Keurig, and people buy their own coffee cups for it. The coffee is adequate - doesn't taste of socks or dirt, but it's not freshly-ground deliciousness, either. Since people's tastes in coffee vary widely, you could get an electric hot water kettle (bonus, they shut off automagically) and some single-cup Melitta holders & filters. Bring your preferred grind, make your coffee. Tends to be a little messy. Otherwise, get a good coffeemaker that gets the water sufficiently hot, and make pots of coffee into a thermal, metal carafe. Glass carafes break, causing all sorts of headaches.
Office coffee suppliers all seem to use the pre-measured, bagged coffees; they're stored too long, and the bags have air in them, so the coffee is usually stale.
posted by theora55 at 6:08 AM on October 27, 2011
Office coffee suppliers all seem to use the pre-measured, bagged coffees; they're stored too long, and the bags have air in them, so the coffee is usually stale.
posted by theora55 at 6:08 AM on October 27, 2011
Technivorms are the gold standard for drip coffee machines. They heat the water to the right temperature, unlike many machines which have more poorly regulated heating elements, that overheat the water, thus making bitter coffee.
They are more expensive so it might be hard to convince your office to buy in, but I guarantee it will last longer than a K-cup machine, there will be less disposable packaging, and quite easy to use and they have many models to accommodate a large or small office. Pretty much just 1) grind beans 2) put filter and grinds in machine 3) fill water tank and turn it on.
Get a good grinder and have beans delivered to the office every two weeks. You can even mail order good coffee beans on subscription these days from many small roasters here in the US, but I have no idea who does that in the UK. Someone must.
posted by slow graffiti at 6:49 AM on October 27, 2011
They are more expensive so it might be hard to convince your office to buy in, but I guarantee it will last longer than a K-cup machine, there will be less disposable packaging, and quite easy to use and they have many models to accommodate a large or small office. Pretty much just 1) grind beans 2) put filter and grinds in machine 3) fill water tank and turn it on.
Get a good grinder and have beans delivered to the office every two weeks. You can even mail order good coffee beans on subscription these days from many small roasters here in the US, but I have no idea who does that in the UK. Someone must.
posted by slow graffiti at 6:49 AM on October 27, 2011
I just got rid of a bank of coffee pots in our office for a Keurig. While cost per cup is higher the selection of coffees/teas are great, it's effortless, quick and a decent cup of coffee. (and I'm realatively snobbish about my coffee)
posted by jamesalbert at 8:42 AM on October 27, 2011
posted by jamesalbert at 8:42 AM on October 27, 2011
Be careful of the pod machines re cost; at my previous office we computed that once we had even four people regularly drinking coffee, the costs of pods were higher than the cost of just having the local coffee shop deliver ground beans every Monday. With ten people drinking, the cost of a good coffee machine was covered in just a few months. YMMV depending on your local market, I suppose.
posted by introp at 9:13 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by introp at 9:13 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
In the UK Flavia are a common alternative to nespresso. I don't know how expensive they are, but I doubt they are any worse than supporting the evil Nestle empire.
posted by Lanark at 10:28 AM on October 27, 2011
posted by Lanark at 10:28 AM on October 27, 2011
I think depends whether you are at all nerdy about your coffee. If most people want brewed coffee, then you can't go wrong with Chemex, or something from Hario, or even just a Bialetti, or a French press. If you want espresso, then while Nespresso is consistent, it is also expensive and soulless. I've had extremely good espresso from a Rancilio Silvia, which is considered perhaps the best consumer machine. If you have a more substantial budget, then perhaps a Nouva Simonelli Oscar might be suitable.
posted by roofus at 10:42 AM on October 27, 2011
posted by roofus at 10:42 AM on October 27, 2011
+1 for the Technivorm and a decent blade grinder. If you can afford it, even the coffee snobs will be pleased, as long as you buy decent coffee. I'd love one, but when Mrs. Hylas balked at the price tag, we settled on the Krups 10-Cup with stainless steel thermal carafe. We're well pleased with it, but you may want a dual-carafe version for the office.
I'd also recommend a permanent gold filter. For the initial investment of $20 and your willingness to rinse with every use, you'll save money on filters.
Avoid glass-carafe models, and all-in-one machines.
Glass carafes with burners to keep coffee warm invariably result in a bad brew that quickly gets worse as it burns. All-in-one machines are usually a Frankenstein's monster assembled from mediocre components; it may do everything, but it won't do any of them very well. A $20 Krups or Braun blade grinder is perfect for drip coffee makers, easy to clean (just brush it out) and cheap to replace when it dies in 10 years or so.
I'm a coffee snob, so your mileage may vary, but I have yet to taste coffee sourced from a pod that tastes good. (In all fairness, some are drinkable.) The economics of pod coffee and their makers don't make much sense.
posted by Hylas at 3:55 PM on October 27, 2011
I'd also recommend a permanent gold filter. For the initial investment of $20 and your willingness to rinse with every use, you'll save money on filters.
Avoid glass-carafe models, and all-in-one machines.
Glass carafes with burners to keep coffee warm invariably result in a bad brew that quickly gets worse as it burns. All-in-one machines are usually a Frankenstein's monster assembled from mediocre components; it may do everything, but it won't do any of them very well. A $20 Krups or Braun blade grinder is perfect for drip coffee makers, easy to clean (just brush it out) and cheap to replace when it dies in 10 years or so.
I'm a coffee snob, so your mileage may vary, but I have yet to taste coffee sourced from a pod that tastes good. (In all fairness, some are drinkable.) The economics of pod coffee and their makers don't make much sense.
posted by Hylas at 3:55 PM on October 27, 2011
There was a superautomatic in a French company I worked in for a while. It changed my life, I have had superautos ever since and they are absolutely the most wonderful thing you can do with money except for maybe decent sound systems.
posted by jet_silver at 6:44 PM on October 27, 2011
posted by jet_silver at 6:44 PM on October 27, 2011
We've had a Cuisinart Grind & Brew for about a month now, in a shared kitchen used by many tens of academics.
I definitely wouldn't recommend it. The grind varies from "too coarse for a basket" to "way too coarse for a basket" and can't be adjusted further. Even with the dial set to maximum and filled with much less water than specified, the result is weak and unsatisfying. (Though, I've certainly been served worse coffee by smiling people who've brewed their cups by hand, so your tastes may vary.)
The really silly part, though, is the amount of manual interaction required. Every time you use it, you have to remove both a rotating mechanical assembly and a basket, clean them both, and fill the machine with water. Ever six or eight uses, you have to clean the coffee grinder chute. In short, it takes significantly more effort than just grinding the coffee yourself and using a drip machine, and produces inferior coffee. And that's before you factor in all the cleanup when well-meaning passers-by attempt to run the thing without removing the old grounds first, gumming up the works and causing a big mess.
But, it *is* better than the watery and mechanically unsound pod machine it replaced.
Looking forward to investigating some of the suggestions in this threat.
posted by eotvos at 8:22 PM on October 27, 2011
I definitely wouldn't recommend it. The grind varies from "too coarse for a basket" to "way too coarse for a basket" and can't be adjusted further. Even with the dial set to maximum and filled with much less water than specified, the result is weak and unsatisfying. (Though, I've certainly been served worse coffee by smiling people who've brewed their cups by hand, so your tastes may vary.)
The really silly part, though, is the amount of manual interaction required. Every time you use it, you have to remove both a rotating mechanical assembly and a basket, clean them both, and fill the machine with water. Ever six or eight uses, you have to clean the coffee grinder chute. In short, it takes significantly more effort than just grinding the coffee yourself and using a drip machine, and produces inferior coffee. And that's before you factor in all the cleanup when well-meaning passers-by attempt to run the thing without removing the old grounds first, gumming up the works and causing a big mess.
But, it *is* better than the watery and mechanically unsound pod machine it replaced.
Looking forward to investigating some of the suggestions in this threat.
posted by eotvos at 8:22 PM on October 27, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by flabdablet at 1:42 AM on October 27, 2011