[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Disclaimer: I received this item free from Influenster in exchange for my honest review.
I love coffee, in all its forms, from the simplest instant coffee to the most expertly crafted dry cappuccino. I’d gladly visit a coffee shop every day, but I’m far too broke for that, so I make most of my coffee at home. I’ve tried just about every coffee making method known to man. I’ve gone through many regular drip machines, a couple of Keurigs and other single-cup brewers, French presses, moka pots…
No matter the brewing method, though, I almost always just make a regular coffee, throw in some creamer, and call it a day. Even though I love lattes and frappes, even though I have the tools at my disposal to make fancier drinks. Because as much as I enjoy those drinks, I don’t often have the time or energy to put into making them.
So when I was presented with a coffee maker that claimed to make regular coffee AND iced coffee AND frappes and make it all basically foolproof, I was intrigued, excited… maybe a little skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I expected it to do what it said on the box. I just didn’t expect it to necessarily do all of those things especially WELL.
I put it to the test on a regular old cup of joe first. I didn’t buy any fancy beans or anything. I just used a store brand light roast - good, cheap, simple. I was pleased to discover that it made an excellent cup of coffee. But that seemed like the easiest task to accomplish. Especially for Mr. Coffee.
What about the iced coffee? Would it be good? Would it be weak and disappointing? I was honestly kind of expecting the latter. I was using plain old cheap coffee, after all. But I grabbed one of the included tumblers, added the ice to the prescribed line, measured my coffee with the included scoop, added a little caramel syrup… and had my socks promptly blown off. It was amazing. Easily as good as any iced coffee I could go out and get.
Finally, there was the frappe to try. Definitely the most complicated to make. This was where the problems would arise, right? Some design flaw would make itself present, surely. I glanced over the directions - though I didn’t really need to because the steps and measurements are printed right on the pitcher. I measured the water and the coffee, let it brew, added the milk and ice, and then put the pitcher in place to start blending. It was loud. That’s the one thing I could find to complain about. The blender is very loud (though, it should be noted that I am particularly sensitive to loud noises). But the blender is also fully automatic, so I could easily leave the room and just come back when it’s done.
The noise is absolutely worth it, though. That loud and somewhat violent blending process created the most perfect, frothy, creamy drink. SO much better than I imagined. Better, I think, than I could ever have done with a regular blender. I counted approximately three small bits of ice, but other than that it was perfectly smooth. No chunks. No slushy bits lingering in the bottom of the cup. Perfection.
Aside from just making amazingly good coffee drinks, I have to say this machine is incredibly well designed. The measurements on the tumblers and the pitcher make everything so simple. The scoop that’s included is genius. There’s a small end and a bigger end, and the measurements required for each beverage are written on the scoop. One of my favorite features is the little cubby that the scoop fits in for storage. Unlike every other coffee scoop I’ve ever had, this one will NOT be getting lost in a drawer.
Another thing I love about this machine is that there is no waste! I enjoyed the convenience of the Keurig, but I moved away from it, in part, because it felt very wasteful. And that same issue has kept me away from some other fancy coffee makers. This one, however, doesn’t require any single-use plastic cups or even disposable filters. It includes its own washable filter. And washing the filter is probably the most labor intensive part of using this machine. That’s how easy it is to use.
Overall, I’m thrilled with this product, and I’m looking forward to making many more delicious drinks. I’ll probably work my way through the whole little recipe book that’s included. And I’ve already started thinking of all the other uses beyond just coffee. I’m imagining iced tea… smoothies… slushies…
This might just be my favorite appliance ever. Thank you, Mr. Coffee!