I was referring to “machines” - k cup, drip brew, etc.
Yes, I saw that, but don’t understand why people need a “machine”.
Sorry I’m not being clear. The OP was asking about a machine that can make a pot and single serving.
There are good home machines for making a pot of coffee. Very common in the US, with widely varying degrees of quality. Some expensive models are actually rather average.
IMO, manual single cup brewing is superior: pourover (v60), clever dripper, aeropress, french press, vietnamese drip, moka pot, etc. I have yet to see a good electric single serving brewer.
What is often overlooked is the grinder. It has a big impact on the cup, especially with espresso and moka pots.
Most Americans love to drink french press - but not to make it or clean it up. The clever dripper is a nice compromise.
We have a Keurig (and I can’t stand them so guests are on their own to bring pods if they want to use it). We also have a KitchenAid coffee maker (and a back-up in storage if it breaks). We supplied good coffee but it was used (or walked) so fast that we now we have “decent” (
) ground coffee, loose sugars, dry creamer, and sweetner packets.
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A really cheap way of providing a single-cup coffee maker is a pour-over like this one:
I buy the brewer in the grocery store for under $5, and the store also carries filters that are less expensive than the Melitta version.
They also make a larger version.
I travel with this in case where I stay doesn’t have a coffee maker. All you need is a way to boil water and some coffee (which I frequently bring with me) and you have a fresh cup of coffee.
I provide a Mr. Coffee, a Keurig, and an electric kettle. There is an assortment of pods available (including hot cocoa, which is often a hit with my guests), ground coffee, and tea bags. Also creamer, sugar, and Splenda.
We have a single-serving pour-through funnel. It makes a great cup of coffee, provided you start with excellent and fresh coffee beans, grind them appropriately, use a high-quality filter, have the water at the right temp, and do the pour-through correctly.
Granted, a pour-through like this isn’t a machine. But it works perfectly well.
I tried to provide loose sugar in a closed shaker type container. Turned into a rock. Would only recommend in dry climates.
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That’s what I use, too.
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We launched last September and I wanted to be free of concern about carafes breaking (and replacing), so I ordered this 12 cup machine that just dispenses coffee like a soda fountian, right into their mug:
I buy a 3 pound bag of medium roast beans at Costco and provide some ground coffee (just enought for say, 6 cups) in a nice glass jar with a scoop. Small mason jars with sugar packets and a few teas. I figure so many people are fussy about the coffee they drink, I’ll just provide something so they can get started and go find what they really want. Guests seem to love it more than I expected, and usually polish off the coffee grounds.
For three years I only supplied instant coffee and a water boiling kettle. If increased competition forces me to drop prices in the future I may go back to that. I used to tell guests it was just emergency rations in case, like me, they “need coffee so they can go get coffee.”
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I must be a lousy host. I don’t offer coffee anymore. I had keurig at my space but then realized i would have to supply cream and sugar. Now I just tell them theres a Starbucks across the street.
I bought the same one, easy to clean , no carafe, not messy at all and makes a good cup of coffee. I had a more expensive one with a built in coffee grinder and a metal carafe.It did not pour easily, it took 3x as long to clean ,and I had to take it apart to clean out the condensation in the grinder. It was a hassle. I also switched to individually wrapped packets of coffee that each make around 10 cups. They sell them on amazon. I too used to provide an open can of good coffee but covid hit and felt it was safer to discontinue that.
We provide two French press coffee pots, an electric kettle with temperature control, a small grinder (all items stainless steel) and a mason jar of whole beans (Costco Costa Rican), a mason jar of organic raw sugar and individual organic, non-dairy creamers. There are simple instructions on a laminated 3 by 5 card on how to use a French press.
Most coffee makers have unknown materials inside so we’ve always avoided those. Aluminum tanks, BPA plastics and plastics in general are not good for people (especially when heated) or the environment. Those individual makers, Keurig and such, are extremely wasteful, some pods can be recycled but it can be difficult. https://www.consumerreports.org/recycling/recycle-k-cups-nespresso-capsules-coffee-pods/ Are you, or your guests going to sit around at the end of a week’s stay with a box cutter opening all those pods? I don’t think so.
The French presses go right in the dishwasher, are very sturdy, take up little room, certainly not as much as a standard coffeemaker and the kettle does double duty for making teas, many of which have optimal temperatures (lower than coffee temperatures) as does coffee. It’s an environmentally friendly method of making really good coffee.
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I’m with you on the environmental waste and maybe some of the materials used in the coffee makers not being good for you, healthwise (which I didn’t know). I’ve also read that they did some studies and found that many coffeemakers were harboring a lot of bacteria.
But I’m curious as to how you reconcile something not being good for your health with providing non-dairy creamer? No way I’d use that stuff.
I’ve found that most people, and certainly myself, choose which environmentally friendly actions they will follow based on personal preferences. The most environmentally conscious person I know (vegan, childless, cold house in winter, that kind of thing) loves to go for drives in her car. Another friend was an earth mother, vegetarian, midwife who smoked.
I can refuse to provide a keurig and did for a long time because of the pods. Then I lost a booking because I didn’t have a coffee maker. With the size of my room and no kitchen, the pod maker makes the most sense. Sure I could not provide it and inconvenience the guest and they could go to McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts and get a nice disposable cup.
I take other steps to mitigate environmental effects. If I was really adamant about the environment I wouldn’t be a host at all since all discretionary travel is bad for the environment.
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Do what you can do and you can not sweat everything.Totally agree. Covid has also made things more difficult. I will choose the lesser of the evils whenever possible, using some common sense, as well.
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Once a month put the coffee maker outside and run white vinegar and water thru the coffee machine followed by clear water. Bacteria , mold, fungi and hard water deposits all gone.
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You’re right on the bacteria issue. Lots of folks leave water in the tank which is begging for growth. And really, how do you clean the insides of those? I’m not convinced a vinegar cycle really does the trick.
I drink black coffee, have for over 60 years so don’t use creamer on any regular basis. (Maybe once a year, I treat myself to a Thai iced coffee.) The creamers we do supply are organic, individual packets and we occasionally supply a small carton of oat creamer, also organic. I’ve not heard of these being bad for you. I’m sure some are loaded with sugar and trans fats but we tend to buy ones similar to Coconut Cloud.
We have been vegan/vegetarian for over 50 years so will not have flesh or dairy products in our house or the rental. Milk and cream are so much worse for people and the environment than non-dairy creamer but some guests require something.
You do what you can within your own convictions and boundaries.
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So you only accept vegan/vegetarian guests? If a guest like me wanted real cream for their coffee and went out and bought some, that wouldn’t be allowed? Of course, hosts can have any rules they want, just curious. I don’t know if your rental is separate or you home-share, but dictating what guests can eat in a self-contained space would seem strange to me.