"coffee machine" news and stories

Coffee lovers know that the most important ingredient in an excellent cup of coffee is the beans. Not only should they be high quality, but they need to be freshly roasted. The easiest way to get freshly roasted beans is to find a reliable nearby roastery and buy theirs, but there are methods for roasting green beans at home, as well. The iRoast 2 is easier than both of these methods. The small appliance, upgrade from the original machine, safely and accurately roasts coffee beans to perfection in the comfort of your own home.

With a built-in timer and thermometer, the iRoast 2 uses hot air to roast beans evenly and quickly. It has programmable roast profiles that let you choose light, dark or in-between roasts from pre-set temperature options, simplifying the process of getting the perfect result by taking out the guess work. This is especially useful for someone new to home-roasting, as well as for anyone looking for consistency, which other home-roasting methods aren't able to provide without hours upon hours of experience.

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While running out to Starbucks is one way to get your coffee fix in a flash, the Cuisinart Coffee on Demand is an even easier way. The small, stylish machine takes up less room than most countertop coffee makers and dispenses one cup of coffee at a time, directly into your mug without the need for a carafe. The way that it works is that the coffee is brewed and stored inside a thermal reservoir inside the machine, which keeps it hot for up to 4 hours.

The product is suggested for entertaining, perhaps so guests can refill their mugs easily at a party, but the real target audience is anyone who has more than one cup of coffee per day. It would work particularly well in an office or home office, where you are likely to "refresh" your coffee every hour or so anyway.

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Even though it is dangerous to drive while eating or drinking, most morning commuters still want to have their coffee on the way to work. Car designers know this, which is why they install cup holders that are easy for the driver to reach. Audi took the idea a step further and designed their concept Roadjet with a fully-functional espresso machine (above left) on the arm rest between the driver and passenger seats. This enables the driver to get his or her caffeine fix without having to pull into a Starbucks, though hopefully they will wait until the car stops before pulling a shot.

One enthusiastic Audi fan couldn't resist making a mod with his own Audi and installed a Capresso 1500 (above right) in the back seat. It is securely tied down to the seat and is powered with an inverter that is mounted on the dash. It's also a bit safer than the Roadjet model because, since the machine is in the back seat, the driver cannot operate the machine while behind the wheel.

Last month I posted about the recall of the Krups Orchestro Espresso Maker due to a fire hazard involving eroded electrical connectors. This week, a similar recall was issued on the Capresso C1000 Automatic Coffee Center, made by the same manufacturer, Eugster/Frismag, of Switzerland. As with the Krups model, the electrical connectors on the Capresso machine are prone to eroding and causing fires. Four fires have been reported so far, none with injuries, according to a release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC estimates that there are roughly 28,000 machines affected by this recall.