Flavia J10NBK Fusion Drinks Station

I won''t attempt to compare this machine to the other brands out there, but I CAN attest to the fact that Flavia is darn good coffee.

My office has the great big Flavia machine that automatically disposes of the used packs, and is plumbed for water. Right beside that machine we have a coffee maker that is only brewed with Starbucks. For the past three years, the Flavia machine is ALWAYS more popular. It''s just fun to use also.

For anyone considering the middle of the line SB100 machine, keep in mind that it does NOT handle multiple-pack brews. That means no creamy toppings.

This machine comes with the Drinks Medley for $20 extra. I couldn''t find the contents of that Medley anywhere, so here it is:

2xHouse Blend

2xHouse Blend (Decaf)

2xColumbia (my personal favorite)

2xSumatra

2xRoasted Safari Nut

2xFrench Vanilla

2xHazelnut (Decaf)

2xEspresso Roast

2xChoco

6xCreamy Topping

2xEnglish Breakfast Tea

2xGreen Tea

2xRasberry Spark

2xLemon Calm

2xExotic Chai

2xCaramel Syrup (very thin, sugary syrup)

2xVanilla Syrup (very thin, sugary syrup)

2xChoco Sprinkles (very tiny pack)

2xCinamon Sprinkles (very tiny pack)

You also get a Travel Mug (a standard-issue tall mug with no handles. Slider on top is not spring loaded. You could pick one up at the store for about $7).

So, you get 34 brew packs worth about 45 cents each, plus the syrups and sprinkles (about $2 more), and the travel mug (worth about $7). That''s about a $24 value for $20. The Medley is definitely NOT worth the normal price of $30.

The Flavia does have one BIG downside (hence 4 stars) there are very few places that carry the brew packs. Worse, most of the on-line stores can only sell to certain states per their agreement with Flavia. So, you may very well be forced to buy your refills from Flavia.net. A ''rail'' of 20 coffee or tea packs runs about $8.50-9.50. The creamy topping is 25 cents a pack. Add shipping and tax, and that creamy cappuccino with sprinkles costs over a buck for a 7oz cup. The going rate at E-bay is 40 cents a pack before shipping. Once Amazon starts selling Flavia coffees, this machine will get 5 stars.

UPDATE:

I''ve made about a dozen cups of coffee with this machine. The adjustable height of the dispenser is really handy; if you lower till it touches the rim of your cup, there will be no splashing. You really should dab a paper towel underneath the dispenser after you use it (especially if you just used creamy topping or choco). I can see how the machine can get yucky if you don''t do this. The machine IS surprisingly noisy, but only for about 15 seconds per cup. Flavia makes great brew packs they do not leak when you remove the used ones. Of course, if you squeeze a used coffee pack, it will leak.

The medley kit comes with a travel cup, yet the cup is too tall for the machine as pictured. You need to remove the overflow tray to make it fit. The travel cup holds 14 ounces (two brew packs worth) comfortably.

If you are going to be buying disposable cups for this machine, I recommend getting 8 ounce and possibly 16 ounce cups. This way, you can keep the volume setting on the machine at 7 ounces, using one or two coffee packs, respectively. If you use your own coffee cups, you''re going to have to constantly be changing the volume setting for different cups. We bought cheap styrofoam cups from our local warehouse store and keep a stack (with lids) nearby.

I almost bought a Tassimo, but glad I read the reviews, which is what caused me to look into this unit instead. I read all it''s reviews and couldnt find anyone who had a bad experience with it. ONE NOTE...... the TRAVEL MUG that comes included in the MEADLY PACK DOES FIT. You have to read the instruction manual which most people dont. It specifically says on PAGE 9, and I quote " THE DRIP TRAY CAN ALSO BE REMOVED TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR TRAVEL MUG". Reading ALL of the isntruction booklet is highly recommended.

Anyway, the best part of this machine is that it accepts any size mug or cup by way of it''s sliding head adjustment. It slides down covering your container opening, so there is absolutely no splash out as the beverage is dispensed directly into your container.

I love the removable water reservoir, which will holds 32 oz of water...or about (6) 7oz cups of your favorite brew.

You can use or not use the optional water filter. Your choice.

The BEST part of this unit is it''s simplicity. Slide your selected beverage packet into the holder, close the lid, push a button and PRESTO, in 30 seconds you have a wonderful fresh brewed drink, then open the head and dispose of the empty packet. I can go from making a cup of Columbian Coffee, to Lemon Calm tea and then make a cup of Hot Chocolate Cappuccino and not have to "clean" out anything. There is no way to transfer flavors from one brew to the next. No drippy pods to fool with, no filters to trap flavors, no splash back, no post beverage dripping.

The Flavia Fusion is actually better than their SB100. Like the others said, you cant brew the two packets which makes their Cappuccinos and other "speciality" drinks, like Chai Latte, Milky Way Chococcino. Pumpkin Pie Latte, Irish Cream Mochaccino, Milky Way Latte and a fabulous Chococcino.

The unit is smaller than the Tassimo and some others, but you''ll still need some counter space. But, It''s well worth it.

The Maximum drink volume the packet can make is up to 7 oz.....which to some may look small. I''ve found that I can immediately "re-use" the same packet for a second brew cycle to double the volume of the coffee and tea drinks.

Flavia has 30 different beverages available, and some can be used together to create speciality drinks. They are also in the process of creating more products. Flavia is a division of Mars Inc.....the same people who make Milky Ways, Smickers, M&M''s and other confections. I wonder if they''ll come up with a Snickers Latte??? in the future.

As my Title says, I''m so happy I bought this unit. It''s a tea, coffee, hot chocolate, latte, espresso cappuccino machine all rolled into one, WITH NO MESSY CLEAN UP of the unit or your counter inbetween drinks. Just pop a new packet in and you''re good to go.

I hope Amazon.com will look into selling the drink packets.

For someone who likes variety, and doesnt want to have a half dozen machines laying around......take a hard look at the Flavia Fusion. You wont be disappointed.

UPDATE.......... FLAVIA PACKETS..........

If you go to bfcoffee.com and email them about Flavia coffee''s and teas, they will send you back their current price list. They will sell to individuals, but the minimum order is a "case" (which is 100 packets of Coffee, 72 packets of Cocoa or 140 packets of Tea)...but the good news is they do offer a VARIETY CASE, which allows you to mix and match flavors to make a case of Coffee''s or a case of Teas.

I know a case sound like a lot, but once you get hooked on Flavia''s ease of use, you''ll find you''ll have that late evening cup of cocoa, decaf coffee or tea, or a second cup of Java in the morning. Prices per case start around $34.50 for the Coffee''s and $36.60 up to 58.50 for the teas. The cocoa is going for $29.95 a case. So, between Flavia''s web site and this vendor, and ebay, you should have no problems finding replacement packets.

March 25, 2006

Flavia machine still going strong. I use it at least 2-3 times a day. Have already had to re-order packets, like the Chai Tea, Cocoa, Froth packet and Breakfast Blend coffee. BFCOFFEE.COM is the best place for prices anywhere....even better than Flavia''s own site. I''m sipping a cup of Columbia coffee right now. Americans dont usually like a "strong" cup of coffee, so after the unit brews the packet the first time, I just re-push the light and let it brew again in the same mug. It comes out just the right strength for me. I would buy this unit again, without a second thought. It''s that good.

May 13th.....

Thought you might like to see my unit and how I store my Flavia Packets...so look for my 2 photos under " customer photos" just below Amazon''s picture of the Falvia Machine.

Buy Flavia J10NBK Fusion Drinks Station Now

As the only person that drinks coffee in our home, I have used a one-cup coffee maker for over 20 years. I have tried them all, most recently the pod ones, but this one beats them all. It is so simple and quick. All you do is load a packet, hit a button, and voila, coffee that is comparable, if not better than that sold at coffee houses. In addition, the Fusion offers options to just coffee in the way of Tea, Hot Cocoa, and other "wellness" drinks.

The only drawback is that you are limited to puchasing the coffee packs from Flavia as there are no generic options available. None the less, their selection is superb and their prices are reasonable (about 40 cents per cup). I''m hooked.

Read Best Reviews of Flavia J10NBK Fusion Drinks Station Here

I''ve been using a high-capacity flavia machine at work for many months before deciding to take my flavia experience home. There are more than 200 employees in my office, and they use the flavia machine like crazy. I myself have quite enjoyed the teas and the flavored coffee. I''m not a caffeine drinker, and happily there are some tasty flavors to choose from.

Let me cover the details that were falsely conveyed in the previous review.

1. POURING HEIGHT: The adjustable height does, in fact, accommodate a travel mug. You simply remove the drip tray, and, voila, your 16 oz. travel mug slides in with ease.

2. FLAVOR: The coffee does not taste horrible. My 200+ co-workers seem to agree with that statement, given their relentless use of the machine that, I might add, has yet to malfunction. In the end, everyone has different likes and dislikes about their coffee flavors and richness. Luckily, Flavia currently offers 16 coffee varieties, 4 tea varieties, 5 well-being (aka tea) varieties, 5 indulgence varieties (i.e. choco and chai tea,) and they also provide different mixes and flavorings. My husband is a coffee snob and he needs his coffee insanely strong. He found his desires met in the Sumatra blend. The handy strength meter on each packet has this blend at a 5+ factor. He loves it and drinks it in his travel mug every morning. The only thing that has not worked out flavor-wise for us is the creamy topping. It tastes like a very watery skim milk.

3. PACKAGING: There is no measuring. You just slide the packet in place, press the button and off to work. Using the travel mug, you''ll need to press the button twice once on the largest volume setting, and once on the smallest volume setting. It still takes less than a minute to brew. The one drawback of the packing and Flavia as a whole: you can only get the coffee/tea packets from Flavia and eBay. (Thus my four-star rating.) However, the cost savings between what you would buy at a coffee shop or even a bag at the local grocery store is felt immediately.

4. SHIPMENT: The machine''s packaging is not that cumbersome or painful to unpack. In fact, I had no trouble at all removing it from the box. After all, it is shipped for free from both Amazon and Flavia at the same price.

5. MACHINE SIZE: The machine''s dimensions are indeed accurate. Granted it was a little deeper than I had anticipated, but it still fits neatly on my counter top.

6. NOISE: The machine is slightly noisy, but, again, the brew time is ~30 seconds tops! Not to mention there are five different capacity settings, so you can have a little bit of coffee in ~15 seconds, or a lot of coffee in ~30 seconds.

7. CLEANUP: There will be splattering. You can not avoid that with any coffee maker. It is not excessive and requires light wiping probably once/week. That''s much better than having to clean a coffee pot and throw away filters with wet coffee grounds inside.

I would recommend this product to the coffee snob and caffeine hater. My husband and I are happy with it, and I love showing it to our guests everytime they come over. It''s a fun little addition to our kitchen, and I just love it.

Coffee Snob: Try Sumatra

Caffeine hater: Try Lemon Calm (yum-my!)

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I''m a single, on-the-go, coffee drinker whos career requires long hours and not much free time. I like quality so I''m picky about what I drink. I prefer that my coffee beverages are strong and like to have them at home, on the road, in the office, after dinner, etc. I also like a variety of drink types, which is just one of the reasons why I love the Flavia Fusion drinks station! Not only can I make a good, strong cup of coffee, I can also make a cappuccino, coffee with chocolate, tea and many other varieties of hot or cold drinks quickly, easily and neatly. The filterpacks that come with the system make it super easy to create the variety I enjoy. Finally! Now I can make a great drink right from my home -and I can vary my drink choice with the push of a button. Plus, when I have guests over, they can make the drink of their choice quickly and easily as well. This would make a great Christmas gift!