| The best coffee is always the freshest coffee. That's why it makes no sense to brew by the pot: by the time you get around to drinking most of the joe, it's been sitting in a carafe (or worse, on top of a burner), going more bitter and stale with each minute. The Breville single-cup brewer takes a different tack. It makes coffee one cup at a time, so each cup tastes as fresh as the first one in the pot. Each cup is also 100% customized--by brew temperature, by grind, by varietal, even by cup size--so it's perfect for households or dinner parties in which everyone likes a different brew. Best of all, the brewing process is very, very difficult to mess up. The Breville's patented "showerhead" sprays a precisely calibrated amount of water through a "K-Cup," a technology made famous by Keurig's single-cup brewers, using temperature and pressure designed to extract the maximum amount of flavor from the grounds. More than 150 pre-packed K-Cups are available for beverages ranging from hot chocolate to organic dark-roast Columbian, produced by roasters from Tully's to Green Mountain Coffee. Like all of this company's handsomely designed kitchen equipment, the Breville single-cup coffee brewer is aesthetically gorgeous and feels solidly constructed. It's made from heavy-duty stainless steel with a die-cast safety locking arm, and comes with an internal water filter system to remove impurities that can impart off flavors and smells. A backlit reservoir holds 60 ounces of water and can brew up to 10 cups before it needs refilling; the programmable LCD screen has a refreshingly easy-to-use interface. The Breville single-cup coffee brewer measures 14-3/4 by 12-3/4 by 16-3/4 inches --Mary Park |
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 It made a convert out of me |
| Review Date: December 26, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Mark Husson, Denver, CO USA |
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2RS9R6OQ5JBJW This is a review for the Breville BKC600XL k-cup coffee maker. I didn't know what a k-cup was until just recently so I thought a video review would be helpful. For the record, a K-cup is a mini single serving of ground coffee design by the Keurig company and their special brewers. I believe they were originally meant for commercial use but recently came onto the personal consumer scene (and I'm rather glad).
You may not think it's true but I consider myself a coffee snob. My last two coffee makers were 1500 dollar fully automatic espresso machines but the fear of them breaking down and the cost involved always diluted my true coffee experience. When I saw the makers that were involved in the K-Cup industry, they got my attention. Green Mountain, Caribou, Tully's, Newman's Own and even Celestial Seasonings tea are just a few of the over 150 varieties they offer.
So, here's the Breville in action, I hope it helps you make up your mind (btw, the Breville includes the K-Cup that allows you to put any coffee you desire into it. It works like a charm! I'm also trying this Pod Holster so that I can use less expensive pods in my brewer Perfect Pod Holster Use Any Pod in Your Keurig Coffee Maker I'll let you know how it works!
I hope to list a review of the k-cups that have been outstanding. |
It Made A Believer Out of Me!
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| Review Date: March 31, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Melissa A. Delgaudio, Shepherdstown, WV United States |
I have no trouble admitting that I'm a complete coffee snob. I love the stuff, but it has to be brewed well, and brewed STRONG. I've been devoted to my French Press for years, but because I'm the only one in my house who really drinks coffee, I often end up pouring lots of coffee (and lots of money in the process) down the drain. So, I started investigating single-serve coffee machines.
I had tried a Keurig K-Cup in the industrial machine at my office and I was not terribly impressed, to say the least, so I nearly passed the Breville system by. However, after trying coffees from Nespresso (their pod system is abhorrently expensive, and quite limited in selection), as well as Tassimo and a couple of others, I decided to give this one a try.
The options that the Breville gives really set it apart from the competition. The fact that I can select the size of my cup of coffee (less water + more grounds = better coffee) as well as have the option of using the "My K-Cup" filter (so I'm not beholden to any given type of coffee pod) helped nudge my buying decision along nicely. Once I'd tried a cup, however, I was *completely* sold (there's a high-end kitchen store, whose name rhymes with "Shilliams-Bonoma", at which you can sample cups of coffee from the various machines that they sell, so I tried all of the single-serve machines). I highly recommend going through the exercise of trying coffees from various machines, because everyone's coffee needs/tastes are different.
The coffee produced by the Breville is rich, strong and exactly the way I like it. I have the option of using over 150 different coffees (I have found the ones labeled "extra bold" to be the best and brew them at the 7.5 oz setting) or K-Cups of tea or cocoa, and cleanup couldn't be easier (just open the machine's head and discard the K-Cup; what could be easier than that?!?)
I had a little buyer's remorse after my initial purchase, but with each passing day (I've been using the machine for a little over a month, now), I am happier and happier that I got it. It's an expensive machine, but for me, it was worth every penny. If you're a coffee aficionado and want an easy way to get your cup on each morning (and afternoon, and evening), I couldn't recommend the Breville BKC600XL more highly. Happy brewing! |
BEST SINGLE CUP ON THE MARKET
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| Review Date: November 15, 2007 |
| Reviewer: K. McNally, NE |
This machine has it all. Do you want choices? You've got them like crazy with this single cup brewer: coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Choose your own ground coffee or pre-portioned packs from brewers like Gloria Jean's, Celestial Seasonings, Tully's, Green Mountain, or Caribou...to name a few. It's amazing to be able to press a single button for Kona coffee, Masala Chai tea, something flavored like mocha java or vanilla caramel and absolutely nothing to clean afterwards...unless you use your own ground coffee in which case the cleanup is a quick rinse of an individual filter cup.
I've tried nearly every single cup out there and nothing I've tried compares in taste, versatility, durability and options. Speaking of options, I forgot to mention that you can select 4 different sizes of beverage. Naturally the smallest cup will be the most robust since it uses the least water. The size range is between 5.25 oz and 11.25 oz. Oh, and temperature. You select the brewing temperature between 187 - and 192 degrees in single degree increments.
Now I know looks alone shouldn't be a deciding factor but if it were, the Breville would take that category too. When you turn it on, blue lights illuminate the LED screen and the water tank. If your water level gets low, the blue light in the tank will flash--no annoying beeps or alarms. You can add water while it runs or remove the tank to fill and replace when finished. The unit comes with a water filter, 18 sample single portion coffee blends, and a grounds filter cup and scoop which store right inside the machine.
This is a new machine so there weren't any reviews at Amazon yet when I was researching it but I got to play with a demonstrator at Williams Sonoma and was convinced right away. I couldn't be happier with my purchase and everyone who tries it wants one too. Fantastic machine!
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Makes a great cup of coffee
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| Review Date: December 6, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Shiren, |
After reading some reviews of the Keurig machines I was afraid the coffee would be too weak for me. It turns out that this machine can make very good and dark coffee. Some brands of k-cups are really too weak and make the coffee taste like water. Just stay away from these.
If you want dark coffee, use the 7.25 oz setting (the default one). 7.25 oz is just about the amount of coffee I expect to drink when I want a cup so that's perfect for me. The coffee it makes also depends on the k-cup you use. I like Green Mountain Dark Magic, Coffee People Black Tiger and Van Houtte Eclipse. Those three K-cups give me coffee as strong as I used to make with my standard coffee maker (and I used to put a lot of coffee in the pot). You need to put a lot of milk/cream to get a pale color out of these k-cups. If you expect stronger coffee than this you need an espresso machine. Another alternative to making strong coffee is using the MyKCup which comes with the machine. Just fill it like crazy with your own coffee.
The tea is also very good. It makes great black and green tea although I find using K-Cups to make tea a bit weird. How hard is it to put a teabag in hot water (which the machine can also dispense)? I guess the advantage is that the tea will never be bitter from over brewing.
The coffee is hot enough (192 degrees F) to make good coffee but not too hot so that you have to wait before drinking. I still would have liked an option to set the temperature higher (something closer to 200 degrees F).
What makes this machine great for me is that it's quick and easy. No more grinding, measuring, adding water, waiting and washing. It's also great when people come over to let them pick their own flavor of K-cup. No more making a second pot of coffee for those who want decaf. |
Way better than Keurig brand
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| Review Date: April 9, 2008 |
| Reviewer: dessny, pittsburgh, pa |
I bought a Keurig brand coffee maker about 4 years ago. Loved it! 5 of my friends bought them! I figure, for the coffee kick my husband was on, it paid for itself in a couple of months. He would either make a whole pot in the evening, drink one cup, then make a fresh pot later on in the evening. OR drive to Dunkin Doughnuts and buy coffee and doughnuts there. Once we didn't have to go thru all that, he could drink fresh coffee all night for a fraction of the time and money. So what this comes down to is, I love k-cups!
Eventually, the old brewer stopped working. After ALOT of research in all price ranges kcups and pods, for the best tasting coffee, I decided to get this Breville. One, because of the water filter; two, because of so many great reviews; and another, because Breville makes great quality products. This brewer is $299, consider that they make $175 TOASTERS! That makes this feel alot less expensive. Plus, Bed Bath and Beyond has all of those 20% off coupons, that saves you $60!
It feels much better quality than the Keurig brand brewers. The tank is much easier to get on and off. The blue tank light flashes when it needs water (I thought that was cute.) Stored in the top of the machine is a superior container for using your own ground coffee (vs. the open mesh cups you get for the other Keurig brewers). Pointless but cute is, the drip tray has a water level indicator to tell you when to empty it. The buttons are easier to understand if you dont know the machine.
We have low cupboards and would have to pull the old brewer way out to put the kcup in because the whole top has to come way up. This one, only the front half has to come up, so we are able to leave it sitting in one place because only 1/2 of it needs to open instead of the whole top.
About my only complaint is that its not smudge free stainless. Its constantly covered in fingerprints. A small price to pay. |
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