I have had the Zuvo system for one year now and absolutely love it. Super clean water and these filters are easy to make the replacement. This 3-pack is the way to go and will last you 1 1/2 years! Highly recommended!Save 10% Off
Showing posts with label water filters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water filters. Show all posts
Filter Replacement Cartridge (3 pack) Save 10% Off
I have had the Zuvo system for one year now and absolutely love it. Super clean water and these filters are easy to make the replacement. This 3-pack is the way to go and will last you 1 1/2 years! Highly recommended!
Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch Automatic Coffee Center Save $0.05 Off
If you don''t plan to make use of milk steaming, my original 4 star rating stands, and I might even bump it to 4.5 stars. But the milk frothing IS a big part of the selling point of the machine (otherwise, you could buy a much cheaper, much smaller unit for just making espresso/coffee). And they still didn''t get it right this time, although it IS better than the previous model. They completely removed the horrible steam wand from the previous ENA version, and incorporated the FrothExpress accessory into the new models, as the sole milk frother. The problem is that the heat is just not there for the (barely) steamed milk. I can literally put my finger under the stream of milk before it goes into the cup, and it''s BARELY warm. Warm, not even hot. In frustration, I just got my dedicated milk frother from the garage and started using that instead. Very disappointed that they couldn''t get this right, since both my wife and I are heavy latte drinkers. IMO, Jura should scrap this FrothExpress deal altogether, as it has been shown to not work over several iterations, in different units. Add in a traditional steam wand, but one that doesn''t try to kill you (as in my previous gen Jura). I guess there is a reason that so many other companies just use a basic steam wand instead of this high tech voodoo gadgetry to do the same thing. I really hate to, and hesitated to knock off a star for what is otherwise a spectacular piece of machinery and technology, but I just can''t overlook this big of a flaw.]Get comfy, and grab a coffee this is going to take a while. :D I''m going to split this review into three parts, since it''s long (this is a very complex machine, with many functions, and expensive to boot, so I think it warrants the length):
First, how this machine performs on its own. Second, how this new model compares to the ENA 5 in their classic line (in case someone is wondering what the differences are, and since the Jura website doesn''t really do any kind of comparison for you). And finally, some "pro" tips, since I have used one of these machines for more than a year, at least three or four times a day, to make all kinds of drinks, and am very familiar with all the little ins and outs. These are so-called super automatics, but there are plenty of tweaks and tips that are not immediately obvious, that can seriously affect the way your drinks come out.
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1. On its own:
PROS:
Small (compared to other superautos)
Aesthetically, awesome
Fast (both in delivery of the final product, and in usage)
Built in conical burr grinder, with SEALED compartment for beans
Jura brand superautos seems to have much better reliability than other brands (again, used one for a year, daily, and never a problem)
Delicious output (with some tweaking). Even default output is surprisingly good.
Lots of options to make drinks customized to your taste
Potentially replaces a LOT of stuff on your counter top bean grinder, coffee maker, espresso maker, hot water pot, milk frother, beans container
CONS:
Small RELATIVE to other Superautos, but this is still a big machine (not really a con for me personally, but if you are seriously low on counter space, just consider the dimensions since the "micro" is a wee bit of a misnomer IMO.
STILL not quite as good output as a good barista. :D Pretty darn close with some settings tweaks though
Cost (obviously, but then again, go price a very good conical grinder, with a very good espresso machine, and you will easily be close to this cost)
Requires some significant and frequent cleaning to keep in top shape. This could be the Achille''s heel for some, but you MUST clean these per instructions, if you want to keep your machine running smoothly. I really think this is where the complaints of reliability of superautos comes from people not cleaning as often and as thoroughly as they should (it IS a pain, but worth it IMO)
Cost of filters and cleaning materials you have several recurring costs here, and due to the amount of cleaning required by these machines, it''s nothing to sneeze at: Clearyl filter (for the water tank, which I personally do not use more below), replace milk hose every 6 months, descaling tablets (unless you use the Clearyl filter), cleaning tablets (everyone needs these)
lack of an actual temperature setting. It would be nice to dial in EXACTLY how hot you want your steamed milk and/or coffee/espresso/water. As it is, you have just two settings, and even the hottest setting is not as hot as I would prefer personally. In fact, I am adding this bit several weeks after writing the initial review because sometimes my lattes come out just "warm" (usually the first one I make, but what am I supposed to do, throw that one out?!) Not acceptable in this price range IMO. I even considered knocking off a star for this, but I am going to keep working with it to see if I can somehow overcome that issue (will also call Jura to see what they say). Stay tuned.
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2. Relative to the previous gen model (ENA 5)
When I was shopping for a superautomatic coffee machine last year, after much (and I mean MUCH) research on the subject, I settled on the Jura ENA 5, which is still being sold today. With the exception of one major problem with the steam wand (you can see my review of that model here () on Amazon), I have really enjoyed using it on a daily basis (at least two latte''s a day, plus espresso at night, for the past year or so).
First off, the "micro" designation, due to this unit being 11% shorter than the older models. That translates to about an inch and a half shorter, and when I put the two units side by side, my wife just laughed, because the overall difference is so minimal, but I had told her (before unboxing) that this was a mini version of the one we had.
The footprint of the two units is exactly the same, the width and depth is the same, etc, only that the new model is slightly shorter. Now if you have very little space between your counter and the bottom of your cabinets where you want to put the unit, this could be significant, so YMMV. I ordered this unit, without really reading the details about the size, thinking "hey, a mini/micro version of the ENA I have at home could work in my office" but this, like all superautos, is a large countertop appliance (yes, relatively small considering the sizes of other superautos, but still big if you are not familiar with superautos).
Overall, I definitely prefer this new unit, and it has nothing to do with the fact that it is marginally shorter, but with the many, small changes (and some big ones) and tweaks they have made to the user interface. In almost every way, it is superior to the normal ENA line (again, at least to the 5 model that I have), so IMO, if you are considering the two product lines, I would definitely recommend this newer Micro model, even though it likely costs much more.
In terms of similarities, the most important features of any espresso-based auto machine IMO, are the quality and pressure of the pump and the type of bean grinder. Both of these models have a 15 bar pump (plenty), and both have conical burr grinders, so the output of the two models should be very similar, and it is. The differences, though seemingly small individually, add up to a much slicker, more polished, and ultimately more enjoyable user experience with the new Micro model.
Here are the main differences between the two:
The ENA 5 has a much ballyhooed "dual spout", so in theory you can make two drinks at once. However, the reality is that the amount of coffee ground is the same as if you were making one cup, so to me, this is a useless feature (selecting TWO CUPS on that model simply forces the unit to the STRONG setting, and doubles the water amount, effectively watering down a regular shot). The new Micro model does not have dual spouts, but again, not a big deal IMO since the feature on the original was a bit deceptive anyway.
The awesome height adjustable spout has more travel in the new model, so now you can fit taller mugs underneath. The new spout can go both lower, and higher than its predecessor (a common complaint for the older ENA was that travel mugs would not fit underneath). A big ol'' travel mug will not likely fit under even this new taller spout, but that is asking too much IMO...some of those things are monsters!
This new unit is made in Portugal, the older ENA was/is made in Switzerland, if that matters to you (interestingly, the new model "feels" better made somehow, somehow tighter in operation).
The whole system of creating milk based drinks has changed, and for the better IMO (this is the biggest difference between the new model and the old). With this new model, you can simply press one button for the type of drink you want, and as long as you have your milk hooked up, that''s all you need to do to produce a latte or a cappuccino. Love it. With the older ENA, it was so complicated (and dangerous, at least using the unpredictable steam wand (aka hot metal bottle rocket of death)) to create a latte, that I ended up buying a separate milk frother, which kind of defeats the purpose of these superautos.
Overall, I highly recommend this unit, and there are only two small nits (and 1 big nit added in later) I have to pick about the new model. One, is that the clear plastic cover over the LED display seems to make the display blurry in comparison to my old ENA. This could just be specific to the unit I got though, and I doubt anyone would notice unless you were directly comparing the two models. Second, the new dial that you press to "select", is quite a bit harder to press, but perhaps it will become easier over time/use. I actually prefer the dial on the older model, as it both turned more easily, and was easier to press. I feel like I am fighting the dial and select button on the new Micro ENA. Biggest fault currently, is that the milk output is not NEARLY as hot as it should be. Interestingly, I only noticed this lower temperature output after several weeks of use, so I am thinking it is something that can be adjusted, or fixed or cleaned maybe. It is a pretty big deal though (the milk is coming out JUST warm on the first prepared drink, not even hot), so if I can''t resolve it, and have to resort to a standalone frother again, I will be disappointed (and possibly take star away)
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TIPS AND TRICKS (not necessarily specific to this model, but probably all ENA''s):
EXTRACTION AND FLAVOR SETTINGS
I find that Jura "cheats" in some ways, to make the drink making process as simple as possible, with as few steps as possible, at the expense of the quality of the drink (a decision that many people would probably agree with since most buy these machines for convenience over all else) The good news is, you can EASILY adjust settings (which are saved), to optimize the way the machine works, and IMO results in a much, much better end product. I personally prefer my espresso and resulting coffee drinks to be strong, so I set all FLAVOR settings to strong, immediately. On my previous ENA, in searching for the strongest possible coffee, I also turned the bean grinder settings to the finest (something I have not yet done on the Micro, but will play with later) which in theory should give you a stronger shot.
On to an example of flavor tweaks: the default latte. You CAN simply push the latte button, and in about a minute, you have a beautiful looking, layered drink. The problem comes when you drink the latte, because it will most likely be bitter and weak (for MY tastes, YMMV). Why? Because instead of a multi shot process (again, to save on steps I guess, and for simplicity sake), Jura''s answer to more coffee = more water through the same grounds. That results in over extraction, which makes things more bitter and watery than they should be. The easy solution to this is to reduce the amount of water (I think the default latte water amount is something like 3 or 3.5oz or even more IIRC) that the machine uses in the process, to a more normal 1.5 oz (typical shot) or 2.0, then if you are like me, and prefer a stronger latte, you just hit the "espresso" button after the latter completes, and voila...double shot latte, and not over extracted. Of course this makes the machine work harder, and longer, and will require you to dump more grounds and water, more often, but still worth it to get a decently strong drink IMO.
Related to that is their "coffee" setting. Jura''s answer to making "coffee" is to simply run a ton of water through a tiny bit of coffee grounds, again, resulting in some seriously bitter coffee (which they call "crema coffee" I believe, and I call "''tastes like someone ground up an uncoated aspirin in my coffee'', coffee'') The preferred way to do this, IMO, is to simply make an Americano, which is one or two shots of espresso (at 1.5oz ea or maybe 2oz at most) then simply add some hot water from the hot water spout on the ENA, amount according to your taste. The difference in taste and smoothness (and flavor) is significant, and I really don''t understand why anyone would want to drink the default "coffee" output when it''s so simple to make an Americano with this machine. I fully understand this sounds like snobbery, but guess what, you are considering paying $1400 for a coffee maker let that sink in, oh newest member of the coffee snob club! :D
TEMPS
You definitely will want to heat up your coffee mug before using these machines, especially if you are making a milk based drink, and especially if you are making the FIRST drink after powering on the machine. So put that handy hot water spout to good use for your first drink at least, and just run a few seconds of water into your mug, and let it sit for 15 secs or so (then dump it out of course). Amazing how much of a temperature difference that simple act makes (Edit: but this is still not enough see above notes about temps with milk based)). Also check to make sure the settings in the various drink menus are set to the highest temp setting (iirc, all the defaults are set to that anyway, but doesn''t hurt to check if you temps seem low).
WATER
I find the water reservoir to be annoyingly too small, considering I often make 3-4 lattes every morning, depending on who wakes up when. One very easy way to help with this problem, is to simply not use the Clearyl filter in the tank. That thing displaces a LOT of water, and IMO is unnecessary if you are already using filtered water (like from your fridge). This also eliminates the cost of the filters, BUT does add the cost and pain of descaling (which you don''t have to do if you use the filter). It''s a good trade off because you only have to descale rarely (much less often than CLEAN for instance), and the cost of the descale tablets compared to the filter is significantly lower. OTOH, the small size of the reservoir forces you to constantly put fresh water in the machine, so I can see why they might have designed it that way (and they do stress to use fresh water, daily).
While this sounds like some kind of cheap skate workaround (which I am normally all about with other products), I do HIGHLY recommend that you actually pay attention to the cleaning messages when they appear, as well as to use Jura cleaning products only. Why? These are extremely high precision machines (for coffee machines at least), and high precision machines require constant upkeep to perform well, and stay running. If you read reviews of superautos (not just Jura, which have better reliability records than most), you will see a lot of complaints about reliability, and I feel certain that the reason lies with users not doing the proper, required (and frequent) maintenance. I understand completely, because it''s a big pain, but do you want to some small, but annoying regular maintenance, or do you want it to break down and have to send the monster in for repair? Easy choice IMO. Also, after doing a full "cleaning" or descaling (to a lesser extent), there is a noticeable increase in taste quality.
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Final thoughts:
Think of these Juras (and really all superautos) as Lamborghinis, which are notoriously high maintenance divas. You just have to be anally pro-active about their maintenance and upkeep, and you are rewarded with a marvel of high performances engineering that goes like Superman. It won''t hurt to whisper sweet nothings in its ummm...steam holes/speakers. On the other end of the scale is maybe your typical Bunn commercial coffeemaker, and in car terms....maybe a VW bus. Basic, frumpy (or retro hipster cool, depending on your age), but simple, and very few parts to break down. It can stay on, without being cleaned or maintained...for seemingly years on end, 24 hours a day (and of course your coffee tastes like that too). You can (and should) verbally abuse these machines on a constant basis, and they will continue putting out their swill, day in and day out, unaffected by your lack of respect, love or maintenance (hell, don''t even bother cleaning the pot it''s going to taste the same anyway! ;D )
Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section, as I know I had tons when I was researching which superauto to go with. I have also tried pretty much every coffee and espresso maker out there, to be able to compare, if you are interested how these stack up. From the AeroPress, to Italian moka pots, to normal auto coffee makers, to espresso machines, capsule based, pod based (three kinds!), french press, single servers...you name it, I''ve tried it.
In summary, I can easily, and highly recommend at least this particular superauto, for anyone in my situation (which is Dad of a young family, where lots of caffeine is required by Mom and Dad, and pronto, every morning), or anyone that prefers convenience without sacrificing too much quality. I previously did the manual routine every morning, in which I would transfer coffee beans from their container, to a separate burr grinder, then scoop out the grounds, turn on espresso maker, steam the milk with the wand, tamp grounds just so with a specific tamper, pull a shot, knock out the old grounds, and repeat multiple times to make two large lattes (two shots each). The resulting time required, and mess from so many machines, and grounds and water and beans everywhere was too much, especially as I usually had the baby with me while I was trying to do all this. Yes, you do sacrifice some output quality with superautos, but for me, at this time in my life, the trade off is well worth it. IMO, if you use good, fresh beans (this is so key), you can easily beat Starbucks (which I am not a big fan of) in terms of taste, but you will still not outdo a barista in a non-chain atmosphere that knows what they are doing. I can make VERY GOOD lattes (I would rate a Starbucks latte as POOR) with either of my ENA superautos, but I can not make a GREAT one, like I could when I used the separate machines. For what it''s worth.
WHAT CAN IT DO?
Once set up, I made two shots of espresso, two latte macchiatos, a cappuccino, a cafe crema and poured hot water for tea before I needed to refill the water tank. These were all done using the Jura factory presets for each drink. During this run of 7 drinks I didn''t have to stop to empty the knock box or drip tray; so if you have a dinner party going you could serve everyone in under 10 minutes with no interruption. A note about using ground coffee bypass shoot: unlike other automatic Jura machines that accept 2 scoops, this Jura ENA Micro only accepts one scoop.
HOW DID THE DRINKS TASTE?
All drinks were nicely hot and full of rich espresso flavor. They tasted like a skilled human made them. The simple shots had very nice crema on their surface, the latte macchiatos were well delivered with color striations as you made your way down the glass. The cap was as good as I get in a cafe. The crema cafe was good and the water for tea was instant, no waiting required for the water to come to temperature. I should add that all drinks were hot but immediately drinkable; if you want a lava-hot milk drinks you should try a Jura machine that has programable temperature options since this unit does not.
DRINK TIP:
When you run through the menu to see and sample the amounts the machine presets deliver, I recommend using a large squat pub-style glass (an "old fashion"), that way you can see what is delivered and not run the risk of overflow. I overflowed on my first latte macchiato because my glass was too small, but it ran into the grid-topped drip tray so no immediate action was needed, I just cleaned it up later. After you are familiar with quantities find tall and skinny glasses to hold your latte macchiatos since the striations look best in a tall and narrow cup in comparison to the cappuccinos.
WHAT ABOUT THE FOAM?
I used to pull espresso shots at a cafe in college and am impressed with the density this machine can accomplish with the foam. It is also instant, no waiting for the milk to get hot: I poured a glass of whole milk and sat it next to my machine, inserted the tube and that was all I had to do. Espresso and milk come out the same adjustable tower spout, so you don''t have to move your glass for milk drinks. I do not have other milk in the house to try, but have read elsewhere that lower fat milks also foam up nicely. After you make a milk drink, the unit will auto rinse when you turn it off, so make sure you have a cup under the spout when you do. It is very easy to disassemble and rinse the hose and spout.
FOAM TIPS:
To deliver the beautiful striations on the latte macchiatos you need to have the adjustable spout tower just above the rim on your glass, too high and the momentum of the pour will simply mix your drink below the foam cap. The foam this automatic machine delivers is firm and thick.
A fun thing for your cappuccino: Since the espresso comes out from one tube (not two) located in the front of the spout tower, you can "draw" with the stream of espresso on the foam layer if you fancy making a little doodle to make your hubby smile.
I use a 16 oz insulated tumbler for my milk, I just took out the straw and inserted the milk tube -easy peasy! Make sure your mik source is lower than the intake valve on the spout tower. See my pic.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
The design and casing look good in person, it is encased in hard plastic with a matte silver finish, the drip tray and spout tower have chrome-look accents. The top is shiny black that feels like lucite and is very easy to wipe clean. Despite all the plastic it feels solid and weighs over 20 pounds I think, if it were cast in a metal shell you''d need two people to lift it. The lines of this machine are unobtrusive and modern looking, the entire unit has a forward angled profile, so it looks like it is perched and ready for your order. It is a tad bit smaller than my bread machine (9.06 x 12.72 x 17.52 in). I am 5''3" wearing 1" heels and can easily reach to top controls, read the angled prompt screen, adjust the grind selector and access the ground coffee shoot without problem.
IS IT HARD TO USE?
NO. I have two small children under 3 years old, so if I can get it going in 12 minutes with my scattered brain you can probably train your cat to use it. The rotary control dial lets you toggle though set up and drink customization very quickly. Each drink has its own button The display is color coded to display red green or yellow depending on status so you can tell from a distance if it needs your attention or is running as intended. If the only thing keeping you from drinking 5 lattes a day is time and money, then this machine could be a dangerous!
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ESPRESSO?
In college I worked in a decent cafe making espresso drinks for 2 years. Since then I have made pretty dynamite espresso in my vintage Vesubio Via Veneto stovetop espresso maker; that maker takes a lot of time, weekend use mostly. During the week I was using French press and cold brew before now.
DID THE JURA ARRIVE IN ONE PIECE?
I was impressed with the packaging since the box had a huge kick in the side of it but the machine was pristine and undamaged, the tennis Hunk on the box wasn''t bad to look at either. I don''t think it even wobbled an inch within its packaging on its entire way to my house.
Another nice touch is a card inside the bean hopper, it says that there may be a bit of coffee residue on the grinder from testing the machine before shipping it to you. I was so happy to see that card, it meant I probably didn''t get a lemon with any added hassle of trying to replace a faulty unit, I wish more companies did that!
OVERALL IMPRESSION?
The speed that the Jura ENA Micro 9 instantly delivers my order is really amazing considering how good they taste. This is a great help when trying to get out the door in the morning for work or making guests coffee drinks. I drink a lot of coffee and am so excited that now I can drink a lot of GOOD coffee that is a breeze to make. I am glad that my tiny kids will have a kooky caffeinated mama from the get go, rather than the sleepy morning grumperpuss waiting for water to boil.
I want to disclose that I received this machine for review at no cost, but this detail does not affect my review by swaying it to be more positive than it should be. After using this machine I can say that I would be saving up the money to buy one if I had to. As time goes on I will update this review to reflect any changes that occur with my experience using the unit.
UPDATE 12/31/12:
Last month, after only 5 months of daily light use, I awoke to an ERROR 8 message on my machine and it would not work and the error would not clear. I called customer service and was happy to get EXCELLENT attention to my problem. They emailed me an overnight shipping label and I dropped it off at a UPS store that afternoon. They emailed me the next day to let me know they had it. Three days later they overnighted it back to be and it is good as new. All of this service was provided to me free of charge since the unit was so new, they said it has a full warranty for 2 years. This entire process was so painless and fast I was amazed. It stopped working on Thursday and it was delivered to me at 9:00 AM on Tuesday in time for my morning java fix. It is nice to know that a machine this pricey comes with excellent service! I waited to post this update to make sure the machine had been properly refurbished and it appears to be in great working order. I will update should things change; but it is STILL a 5 star product.
Buy Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch Automatic Coffee Center Now
As I write this, I am sipping and enjoying a lovely Caramel Macchiato. Made at home. Simply and quickly. And it''s quite yummy. I LOVE this coffee pot.It has been said by some that the ability to make a good cup of coffee (in a traditional coffee pot, anyway) is a "gift." And quite frankly, it''s a gift I''ve never had! I can make only marginally okay coffee with a traditional plaugged in coffee pot. Now, I CAN manage a mad-good cup of coffee with the Bialetti 6800 Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker Bialetti coffee pot I picked up in Italy a few years ago (mine is slightly smaller than this one, which is 29.95). It also is easy to use and consistently performs, but it (the Bialeti) has some draw backs: you are committed to making an exact number of expresso shots and the pot is just too-darn-hot to immediately open and reload. It''s quick enough, but not as quick as the Jura. (The Jura is insanely superior to all the other electric cappiccino makers I''ve tried in my lifetime.)
I love my Jura. It''s like my favorite coffee shop just moved into my house. How cool is that?
The 136 page manual made me nervous: then I realized that it was nine languages, and only about 20 of those pages were English. There were also diagrams. All in all operation was pretty simple to figure out. Language options include: English, Swedish, Italian (yay!), Spanish, Portugese, German, Russian, and French. The Jura Ena Micro 9 itself is as multilingual as it''s manual. The display can easily be set to any of the languages.
The proof is, of course, in the coffee, which is quite delectible. (And from me this may be an accomplishment.)
Eleven Positives:
1) Excellent coffee.
2) Sleek appearance.
3) Ease of use.
4) Multilingual.
5) Clear instructions.
6) Easy to clean.
7) QUICK coffee.
8) Versatile settings (traditional coffee to expresso, to cappiccino)
9) Programmable water levels.
10 Grind variety. Uses grounds or beans, and will grind beans to five different grind sizes.
11)The best and fluffiest milk foam. Yum.
Three negative
1) Kind of tall. I (and I am very short) actually stood on my Firm Fanny lifter step to see the display during set up! I wish the controls were on the front rather than the top.
2) Also, the spout, sadly, does not lift up *quite* high enough for my tall travel mug. (Solved by holding the cup at angle.
3) It''s rather expensive. (It seems...quite indulgent to spend 1399.95 for a coffee pot! But if you make daily coffee shop trips, it is perhaps going to balance out....)
Having owned this for two days, I cannot comment on its longevity. I will say that the water filters are suggested to be replaced every 2-3 months. The milk tube suggested to be replaced every 6 months.
If you drink A LOT of coffee, I would recommend this. It will suit a wide variety of taste buds in your house. However, if you drink it rarely, save your cash and try the Bialeti.
Read Best Reviews of Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch Automatic Coffee Center Here
Yes, I know. Five star review....am I just blinded by the sheer beauty of this? Nope. I''m a tough one to impress, so I''m going to explain it all for you. Please note, there are some other reviews that are also glowing...some by ones who have worked as baristas, or owned a similar product before. They have some great advice, so read them all.From me, you are getting the rookie/newbie version,and I admit, I was overwhelmed at first. For me, it was very hard to reconcile the price they ask for this, given it costs more than my fridge and stove combined. So, for me, this would never happen in real life. But here it is, and here goes:
FIRST OFF, THE PROS:
*it fits well under a cabinet, only needing to pull it forward to fill the water tank in back. Four inches shorter than my Cuisanart coffee maker (photo with mixer shown to give you an idea on size).
*all the instructions are simple in the manual, they are explained very easily. Just start with the beginning and you''ll be up and running in ten minutes tops. For me, it helped to go to the JURA website to watch the videos on using it. Roger Federer is on the website too (a perk!). The website offers suggestions for using up old coffee grounds, recipes, etc.
*changing anything is easy, from dumping grounds out, removing milk nozzle, altering finished cup size...all easy to do, even if you didn''t have the manual, you could figure it out.
*to make a cappucino or machiatto, there''s no switching the cup from milk nozzle to coffee...the cup sits for both and there''s less risk of getting burnt this way. Also, with the buttons on top, not on the front, I don''t worry that my kid will climb up and push buttons.
*if you want a bigger cup of coffee, you can adjust anything. It does make hot water for tea instantly, and regular coffee too. Besides the whole bean section, you can add a decaf powder if you want to make another coffee (but only in the powder holder).
*the grind is adjustable, as is the heat level.
THE CONS
*this isn''t a big deal, but the machine is obsessed with clealiness. It''s a bit OCD...constantly prompting you to do a rinse cycle. At first it annoyed me, because after two coffees one rinse seemed excessive. But it takes less than 15 seconds to rinse, so....not a big issue once I got used to it. It also prompts you to clean it after any milk drinks for your own safety (and yes, they do get gunky even in one day).
*the water needs to be filled up often, maybe once every three regular size cappucinos. Easy to do, but still. If you leave the water filter out of the water reservoir(it''s optional), you could probably have it store one more cup.
*the base where the cup sits to await the coffee is fake chrome covered plastic. Why not the real deal? Not sure but this portion felt cheap while the rest felt solid.
*for the price, I wish JURA would have included an insulated container for milk to connect to. I believe it''s about $60 on the website to add. I just use a small cup (you''ll see it in photos...any cup will do) for milk and there''s a plastic tube that connects and just sits in your milk container. I rinse it daily (easy) and put it away.
*the adjustable height for the nozzle isn''t as big as possible. In the photo with the red mug, that is the highest level it will go, which means tall cups or travel mugs need to be tilted to work.
Two things you may want after you get this: clear mugs (so you can see the levels of foam and coffee) and if you''d like, flavorings. Smart and Final sells flavorings that coffee shops use for $3.99 each. A bit in each cup can add a flavor.
I''ve attempted to insert some photos: orange mixer and red cup are mine. Yes, my tile is ugly. I hope you find this helpful.
EDITED TO ADD: after several days of usage, I have gotten the coffee making down pat. It''s quite easy and there''s really very little to do other than dump the grounds, add water, and rinse the milk tubing and nozzle each day. It takes just a few seconds. I also found that leaving a pretty cup out on it all the time helps when I have to rinse the machine, I just keep it there and hit rinse and it catches it and I can dump it and replace. I never really thought it would be this easy to use.
Want Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch Automatic Coffee Center Discount?
It was hard to imagine that this machine, as small as it is, less than half the size of my first Jura machine, could be capable of making a cappuccino. However, it made a much better cappuccino than that machine ever did, with a fraction of the mess and cleanup. It makes many of the same coffee drinks as my Jura Impressa J9 One Touch TFT Coffee Machine does. It does most of the things the large Impressa machine does, but it has a much smaller footprint on my counter and it makes a lot less noise.For the past two weeks, I have made espresso after espresso, cappuccino after cappuccino, latte after latte, ENA vs Impressa, side by side and still have not been able to see or taste any difference between the two machines, not in the output anyway. There are fewer choices of coffee drinks to be made with this machine, but 99% of the drinks we make are the ones that can be made with this machine.
Some ~small~ flaws caused by size:
1. The water tank is at the back of the machine and thus not fill-able, at least without risk of overfilling, while it is in place on the counter;
2. The lid lifts straight up; so, for those of us who would risk over-filling it anyway, it is impossible to put water in while the tank is in place;
3. The lid lifting straight up at the back also makes the water tank difficult to remove if there is either anything on your wall above it, or perchance a cupboard;
4. The handle for the water tank is plastic and the lid has a lifting action that will surely cause the plastic parts to break sooner or later. This is probably not much of a problem, except for changing the water filter, as it corrects the problems #1 and #2. Oh, and that would probably fix problem #3.
There are other flaws of course, like having to refill it and empty it much more often; however at this size and this price, it is an amazing machine.
We have had illy issimo Coffee Drink, Mochaccino and illy issimo Coffee Drink, Cappuccino on the boat all summer because my husband banned my large Jura from the boat. The counter just isn''t big enough. However, I have finally been able to find a place to safely stow this machine on board. No more cold coffee in the morning and no more messy French press coffees. It is superb!
Save $0.05 Off
The Original SUNHEAT Electronic Infrared Zone Heater Save 23% Off
I have tried many other heaters and this one is the cadillac of all heaters. Heater is rock solid and cranks out heat. It has a made in the USA wood case and is on wheels. The heater on off switch is located at the front top. Nothing on this heater gets hot.....very safe for pets and kids. 5 year warranty! A little more expensive then some heaters but worth every penny. Ignore the morons that claim all heaters are the same. I have had 1500 watt plastic junk heaters from walmart.....huge difference! A strong wind will blow the cheapies over or can get knocked over by a pet......Sunheat would take a hurricane to topple it.You pay a lot more for a Mercedes then you do a Yugo for a reason.....I wonder if the same morons think the Mercedes is just the same as a Yugo and not worth the extra dollars??!! Buy this heater......best on the market!
Also, it is important to note I do not run the unit 24/7 nor do I rely on the on-board temperature gauge to regulate the heat in the room. Instead, I plug the Sunheat into a Lux WIN100 Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat (which can be bought from Amazon for $30), and it basically turns my basement into a separate heat zone of the house. I can program when the heating unit comes and and what temp I want the room at based on when I use the space, just like I do on the other programmable thermostats in my house. I leave the Sunheat switched on and on the high temp setting, but it only comes on when my separate thermostat tells it to. A big reason that I bought a Sunheat 1500 is because it has a non-digital on-off switch, which is only thing that is compatible with this type of thermostat. The Duraflame (which is the top rated unit on Consumer Reports) and others will not work with a separate programmable thermostat because when they are plugged in, they require a person to actually turn them on by pushing a digital button. The Sunheat has a manual switch, which is exactly what I needed.
The rest of my house is on oil heat. I priced out adding a heating zone with forced hot water baseboards through my oil furnace in the basement, and installation alone was $1500-$1700, plus the cost of the oil heat. For around $275 I can accomplish the same with the Sunheat and outlet thermostat. I cannot say exactly how much my electric bill went up from using the Sunheat because it can be common for my bill to fluctuate $10-$20 each month yearround depending on other variables. I haven''t seen an noticeable increase since I started using the Sunheat so that tells me it likely increases my electric bill around $10 monthly.
Again, I knew exactly what I needed when I bought the Sunheat and it does the job well.
Buy The Original SUNHEAT Electronic Infrared Zone Heater Now
Pentek DGD-7525 Sediment Filter
- Reduces the need for multiple housing step-down filtration systems
- Filters extra-fine dirt, sand, sediment, silt, rust particles, and scale particles effectively
- Bacteria resistant and chemical resistant
- 3 times the dirt-holding capacity of similar sized sediment water filters
Essick Air ED11 800 Euro Console-Style Humidifier
While it was a little frustrating to put together as the plastic parts need to snap together and you need a screw driver to wedge the plastic base for the top to fit properly. Make sure you wait 30 minutes after filling, for the wick to absorb the water, as the fan won''t work. Also be sure the over hang on the back of the wick filter is hung on the over hang at the back of the base unit. But we started with 34% humidity and in less than 24 hrs it came up to 50%. We used level 3 on the fan, as the higher levels are noisy, but at this level and result for what this product is supposed to do, it was great. Easy to fill, no taking out bottles, just pour into the reservoir. The humidistat on the unit registers too high. I put tape over it and use my small humidistat to measure the humidity. They could have left this part off. Anyway if you want the humidity to raise quickly, this is your item. A lot better than the old filter belt circular kinds.
Secrets to making it work: I use the 1041 wicks. Every two weeks or so, I take it into the bathroom, pull out the wick and using a hand held shower, spray off the wick thoroughly. This helps lower the mineral build-up and the wick lasts longer. Also I change wicks about every two months. So I need about three for the heating season.
Yes the electronic "humidistat" doesn''t work. Simple, I set the unit to a higher humidity than what is displayed. When I want to run it, I turn the unit on. When I want it off, I turn it off. And I use a separate humidity gauge. This one works wonderfully:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F0RBI8/
Taylor 1523 Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer and Hygrometer
As for noise, I only run it on the 2, 3 or 4 level. Yes, you can crank it up, but just like any fan, the more you crank it the louder it gets... and I can hear the TV just fine even when this is running...
It''s much easier to carry a bucket of water to this unit to fill it up than clumsy bottles to drag out and carry elsewhere.
GREAT humidifier and I''ve had this one for several years and if I need another one, I''ll hope to get another one of these.
Here''s another hint. Don''t mount it on the wheels that come with and then put the entire unit on a towel or carpeting scrap. Also helps if you spill a bit of water when filling.
Do NOT forget the bacteriastat either, but be careful when using this additive, as always. And yes, it is normal for the wick itself to be about half dry (at the top) and half wet (at the bottom). The entire wick does NOT need to be saturated soaking wet for this to work as the "well" of water is only the few inches at the bottom...
Buy Essick Air ED11 800 Euro Console-Style Humidifier Now
I paid 113 USD for this unit. It was awkward to use, and felt cheaply made. It did a fine job humidifying the house but the humidistat was broken. Its humidity reading would not drop below 50%, when other humidistats in my home were indicating 30%. According to it, the humidity level was about 60% ! I have found a review elsewhere indicating the same problem. I returned it and bought a unit for 70 USD that works much better.Read Best Reviews of Essick Air ED11 800 Euro Console-Style Humidifier Here
I followed the instructions by filling the tank, turned on high, and never let it run dry. By mid day 2 the wick was 3/4 dry. The unit on high was so loud that it can be heard on all 3 stories of my house. In their defense, this was my first humidifier. It''s going back tomorrow.Want Essick Air ED11 800 Euro Console-Style Humidifier Discount?
We''ve had one humidifier for 2 years and another for a year (put on on top floor and one on main floor). My only complaint is the sensor is too close to the unit so reads higher than it really is. We wrapped something around the sensor to keep it running. Works nicely and the sound level is perfect for us.
Capresso 464.05 CoffeeTeam GS 10-Cup Digital Coffeemaker Save 12% Off
I''m writing from the perspective of someone who has owned more grind&brew coffeemakers than the typical coffee addict. This one is as good a grind&brew machine as anyone makes.First, the negatives:
It is definitely loud and long in grinding, as other owners mention. The burr grinding process is wonderfully consistent compared to blade grinding, but it seems to take forever and the noise is enough to wake up the ... sleeping.
It doesn''t have a way to dump out the unusued coffee beans if you want to change blends to another bean (though you can still put pre-ground coffee in the basket while there are beans waiting to be ground.)
The carafe does tend to make a sort of "cracking" sound when it sits on the hotplate sometimes.
I have owned some of the most popular, and some unusual, grind & brew machines in the past 30+ years, including a very different Capresso long, long ago. There are some models/brands that only have a single grind possibility (no settings), some that require constant cleaning of parts, some that fall apart within the year and don''t have even that much warranty, and one that was going to cost an extra $65 to replace the faulty super-recessed lid switch, which died after 4 months, without which it was totally unusable. There''s only one of those previous coffeemakers that I''d buy again by choice, and they stopped making it over 20 years ago.
This Capresso is well made, nicely packaged, and has all the features I want:
Fineness of grind is controlled with 5 possible settings
Amount of beans ground (from the hopper that holds approx. 2-3 pots of beans) is settable in 2-cup increments from 2 to 10 cups.
"Aroma" (i.e. darkness & flavor) is controlled with 3 settings, which in combination with other controls seems designed to yield every possible preference for "perfect" coffee.
It has automatic shut-off. (One of the much-lower-priced grind&brew machines doesn''t have this feature, which I think should be mandatory on coffeemakers considering how many fires are started by overheating appliances.)
It has drip-trip, which is critical as I often don''t want to wait for the full pot to brew before I take a cup in the morning.
It''s completely programmable. Not only can you set a start time, but you can associate specific settings with the programmed time that are not the same as the current settings.
Other pluses that are less quantifiable:
It doesn''t seem to cause me to spill water all over the counter in filling it, like the last one I had. I have no idea what design elements affect this, I just know that it happens with some coffeemakers & not others.
It takes some parts in common with the other-brand grind&brew that I last had, which started leaking when brewing. The charcoal filters and basket, at the least, seem in common with many other brands.
It cost quite a bit compared to some of the more popular models but, frankly, I''m convinced it''s worth the extra investment.
--------
ADDED 11 MONTHS LATER:
I had problems with my coffeemaker (not dripping, though the grinder was fine) just under a year from purchase. I contacted Capresso -pay attention to their website advisory that Monday morning is the worst time to contact them! Despite the fact that I thought it was just past the warranty expiration, when actually it was just before the end-date, they were very helpful in getting it repaired at no charge, and they paid all shipping both ways.
Two weeks later, I now have a like-new or new (I''m not sure which) coffeemaker. I have to admit that I had no idea just how hooked I was on the quality of coffee I can make so easily with the Capresso. But in the interim, everything else has been tasting like dishwater by comparison.
I''m not only thrilled to have my coffeemaker back, but I''m happy to report that Capresso stands behind their products so amicably and thoroughly.
First things first. This is not my first grind and brew. My old Melitta Mill & Brew, with its faulty plastic latch long since broken had become a drag. For years I had to put a box of chicken stock on top of the grind chamber to keep it shut so it would work! And while it made pretty good coffee, it seemed to waste grounds by spraying them inside the grinder basket. And the daily cleanup ritual had started to make the whole idea of grinding and brewing in one device seem only of marginal value. And yet, the alternatives, including a best-selling Cuisinart model, have notorious bad reviews here at Amazon for being a total chore to clean.
Enter the Capresso CoffeeTeam GS, which solves all of my problems with its ingenious design. No longer do you have to measure the coffee. The CoffeeTeam GS will brew from 2 to 10 cups automatically, grinding just the right amount of beans with no guesswork. Cleanup is a breeze. The filter basket swings out and is easily washed. And because the grinding occurs in a separate chamber from the filter basket, there is no wasted coffee.
The quality of the coffee is also exactly what I want -hot, and with the full flavor of the bean preserved by the conical burr grinders. If you want stronger or weaker coffee, it''s very easy to do. You can also choose finer or coarser grinds depending on the type of coffee you are using (oily coffee should be coarser, light coffee finer).
There are two items that are drawbacks, but I don''t mind them so am still giving this five stars. First, the grinder is wake-up-your-wife loud. And it can go for 40 seconds if you are making a full pot. It''s not so loud that it hurts your ears, but it is not pleasant, and Capresso would have done well to add some amount of noise insulation. Second, because of the design, a small amount of ground coffee is left in the machine every time. This is an issue in two respects. First, switching from one type of coffee to another is not instantaneous, because invariably there is this overlap. Second, if you leave the machine unused for more than about a week, Capresso recommends cleaning out the coffee chamber and using new coffee. That''s because the coffee will get a little more stale with each passing day. But like I said, in my mind these are very minor complaints to a really great product!
Buy Capresso 464.05 CoffeeTeam GS 10-Cup Digital Coffeemaker Now
This is my first review but I''m taking the time to express how impressed I am with this product and the company. I bought the coffee maker/burr grinder combo because of my annoyance with grinding beans that get all over the place. This coffee maker grinder/combo works wonderfully. Put the beans in, set the grind setting, and there you go. The consistency of the grind is awesome! I have it set to grind the finest with a mix of esspresso and columbian beans with no clogging problems at all for over a month now. I was wary because I had heard gripes about how loud the grinder is but I really found it to be quieter than my previous stand alone Cappresso grinder which cost $60 alone. I get up at 0400 and it doesn''t wake up the rest of the house. The best part was the customer service. After a couple of days, I noticed that the clock appeared to be off. I measured it over several days and it ended up that the digital clock ran fast which messed up the programmed time I wanted coffee in the morning. I was worried that it would be a pain to return since I bought it on the internet and return or repair would be a hassel. When I called the 800 number for Capresso in the manual and told them my story they sent me out a replacement unit (without even requiring proof or info that I purchased the unit from a third party). The new unit arrived with return UPS label (I didn''t need to pay for shipping for the new unit or return) and it works great!I recommend this purchase whole heartedly. If your looking at this machine because you want great fresh coffee with NO mess and NO worries, this is the machine and the company for you!
Read Best Reviews of Capresso 464.05 CoffeeTeam GS 10-Cup Digital Coffeemaker Here
I owned 2 Cuisinart grind and brews. 1 broke in a year, the others grinder stopped grinding well-enough and they both took 10 minutes to clean. You also couldn''t make coffee again until the pieces dried after cleaning. I love this machine! 30 second clean-up, and the best tasting coffee I''ve ever had! Don''t consider any other grinder/brewer, this is awesome!Want Capresso 464.05 CoffeeTeam GS 10-Cup Digital Coffeemaker Discount?
After 2 generations of Cuisenart Grind and Brew frustrations I took a shot on this Capresso unit. So far it has been just great. The set up is easy and the clean up is a breeze compared to the Cuisenart. The noise is lower pitched so it really doesen''t bother me as it is no louder then a stand alone grinder. You must take time to try all the different combinations of grind, aroma and amount to find the perfect blend for your taste. It took us about 2 weeks of trying different combinations but now that we are set the coffee is perfect every time. We had a small issue with the drip stop but customer service was quick to send out a fix at no charge. I love this machine!Save 12% Off
Propur Taveler W/1 ProBlack-D
i just bought this smaller sized propur and after 48 hours my water still tastes like crap or i mean tap :_(the filters takes 24 hours to break in the filter so it will flow properly but thats not a big issue my issue is the water still sucks, now im not really sure if it even lives up to any of the claims it said on the website
PUR QTSS Whirlpool Quarter Turn Refrigerator Water Filter Save 14% Off
- Fits refrigerators with a quarter turn in-grille water filter
- For use with Whirlpool, Kitchen Aid, Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air and other Whirlpool manufactured brands
- Replaced regularly, reduces contaminants to provide clean, fresh tasting water and ice
- Reduces lead, cysts, benzene, and other contaminants and chlorine taste and odor
- Does not remove beneficial fluoride from drinking water
Buy PUR QTSS Whirlpool Quarter Turn Refrigerator Water Filter Now
Is a less expensive replacement for whirlpool filter #4396510 and appears to filter the same contaminants.Original Whirlpool filter label claims: NSF/ANSI Certified against standard 42 for Chlorine taste & odor; particulate reduction class 1; certified against ANSI standard 53 for Lead, Mercury, Benzene, p-Dichlor., Toxaphene 2, Asbestos, Cysts, Turbidity, & Altrazine.
PUR replacement filter label claims: tested and certified against standard #42 and #53. Carton specifically mentions Chlorine taste/odor, Lead, Sediment, p-Dichlor., Benzene.
Read Best Reviews of PUR QTSS Whirlpool Quarter Turn Refrigerator Water Filter Here
I''m always a little afraid to order substitute brands, but the price and the picture of the Pur Filter product gave me a little more confidence to give it a try. It took a little long to get delivered than I expected, but once here it fit my Kitchenaid Side-By-Side Refrigerator perfectly and was easy to install. Would recommend this replacement product to others.Want PUR QTSS Whirlpool Quarter Turn Refrigerator Water Filter Discount?
I went out on a limb, trying to see if this would replace 5231JA2006A. It didn''t. Hopefully this answers your question.LG 5231JA2006A Water FilterSave 14% Off
Unlike the review below that states "Fits all Quarter turn refridgerators", this filter DOES NOT FIT LG Refridgerators quarter turn. The filter is too short and the connection head is too big.Luckily Amazon was awesome enough to refund me, and I am stuck buying the expensive manufacture brand.
The pur filter is great in price and researched function though....
Rainbow Canister Bagless Pet SE Vacuum Cleaner w. tools and warranty NEW PARTS
Got one of these for $10 at a tool shop and blew the motor after 3 years. Bought a second off ebay for $160 and its been going for 2 years. Keeps going like the energizer bunny and a God-send in a house with small children and liquid spills on carpet! Great when the laundry tub overflows and cleaning carpets too! Best vacuum I''ll ever own!
Hoover Nano Cyclonic Compact Bagless Upright Vacuum
I picked this up at Walmart and I''m quite happy with this purchase for the money I paid and the value. I hope Amazon ends up stocking this vacuum and competes against Walmart as I would have gladly bought this item from Amazon if it had been available. However, buying it at Walmart did have the slight advantage of being able to see the vacuum in person before purchasing.PROS:
The suction on this vacuum is quite strong for the size. The cyclonic makes it pretty much suck as well as any other 12A vacuum I think I''ve ever used in the past.
Very lightweight vacuum (less than 12 lbs as advertised) as I''m not a strong guy but I can pick this thing up with one hand which is great because my house is a 3-floor townhouse with a lot of stairs. If my mom''s vacuum ever breaks, I know what vacuum I''m having her buy as a replacement. Heck Mother''s day is coming up.
The handle is used as part of the extension of the vacuum hose so you don''t need to have an addition part/piece that you might lose. everything is on-board.
Very easy to clean-out, dyson style one-button push bottom empty canister.
The brush attachment even works with my Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum to make a great combination.
Even with a 1 year warranty, you can buy one of these each year for 5 years and still end up paying less than a Dyson. That''s a better warranty than having one vacuum with a 5 year warranty.
CONS:
The vacuum cord is very short. Its fine if you vacuum one room but you do need to keep unplugging and replugging into another wall socket a bit too often. Or buy an extension cord but having to remember to grab that each would be a minor annoyance.
Knowing to push down with your foot rather than having a button or lever was a little weird and took me a bit to figure out.
8/13/2011 UPDATE
I just used this vacuum again today and figured I would do an update on my review. It''s been around 3 months now and this vacuum has still been worth every penny spent. I''m quit glad I purchased this at Walmart and I hope in the future amazon will be able to compete on the price. This vacuum is still great and covers everything I need for my house, is light-weight, has very good suction, and reminds me each time I use it how glad I didn''t buy a Dyson for like 8 times the price.
I''ve been able to figure out that for the small problem of the cord sometimes getting in the way while vacuuming that there is a small hook under the handle to keep the cord out of the way so that I don''t have to keep grabbing the cord.
The bagless cyclonic keeps the dust and dirt from getting out and I have not had any issues with feeling like I was breathing or smelling anything from vacuuming.
I still wish there was a lever for pulling the handle back to vacuum but the little foot icon is a good reminder that I just remember to hold it down when needed and it is sturdy enough where it hasn''t caused any concerns.
If you are at all on the fence just go to Walmart''s site to check out the 80 plus positive reviews.
This also has the power button that you operate with your foot, step on to turn it on, step on again to turn it off, simple.
There is another button that you step on with your foot to make it so you can sweep your hardwood/laminate/tile/whatever floors without the brush spinning, just the suction. I really like that, I''ve found with brush cleaners, the brush would grind against the floor (so much for auto-adjusting) and fling the bigger stuff back under the vacuum and at my feet. This one doesn''t do that at all. We have dogs, cats and kids and just on my first run-through I swept two area rugs with popcorn kernels, dog hair and heaven only knows what, all of it came up without a problem. Then I ran it under the kitchen table, sucked the cheerios up with no problems and grabbed the dust bunnies right out from under the sideboard. It doesn''t lie completely flat for getting under the sofa/tables, but it comes pretty close.
It''s very lightweight, I am able to hold it with one hand and use the hose part with the other to get the steps.
The only negative I have with it is that it has a shorter cord than I''m used to. Easy enough fix with an extension cord, but something to mention.
There are two sponge-type filters that say they can be cleaned with water and one that looks like it may also be able to be sprayed off with water, and of course no bags, so the only things you''d have to replace on this would be if you broke the belt (or when the belt eventually stretches out like it does with all vacuum cleaners). I priced the replacement at the store, it was about $4. The dirt container is very simple to take off to empty and snaps right back on, it''s also light weight but sturdy.
So, for right now, this is a great vacuum, it only cost me fifty bucks (plus tax) at Walmart. I will update this review should there be any issues that pop up or if I discover anything else that I really love about it.
Buy Hoover Nano Cyclonic Compact Bagless Upright Vacuum Now
This is the second Hoover product I''ve purchased since my Oreck died a year ago. Both under $100. Again, I am amazed at what I got for the money. I have had cheap vacuums before (dirt devils, bissels, etc.) that were junk. Got this one as a second vacuum for the kids to use in their rooms upstairs (tired of lugging my other one upstairs -or not lugging it upstairs, so that the floors never get cleaned!).PROS: This little machine was $50 at Walmart and is cyclonic, bagless. Very small and light. The roller motor can be turned off for bare floors, which I have a lot of. Not a typical feature in a low price vac. Does a pretty good job on the hard floors and a better job on the carpet. But a better job on the hard floors than any other vac. I''ve had since my Oreck (which didn''t do so great on carpet, and had a roller motor I COULDN''T turn off). Dirt compartment opens easily: trap door at bottom of removable canister that opens with the touch of a finger. So you can just hold the cannister well into your trashcan, open trap door, and let the stuff fall in. No "poof" of dirt from yanking open a tight compartment from the top (like I''ve experienced with other bagless machines).
CONS: Short cord, and the hose requires 2 hands to assemble for use. Not a deal-breaker for me because of what I paid. You really wouldn''t expect a machine of this size and weight to have a super-long cord anyway.
Read Best Reviews of Hoover Nano Cyclonic Compact Bagless Upright Vacuum Here
For the price I can''t really complain. I paid about $60 + tax @ Walmart locally for it around the end of April/early May and it worked great at first! The vacuum is easy to clean, you can wash out the sponge-type filter but make sure it''s 100% dry before replacing as it''ll grow mold AND any moisture will affect the suction. I''m not too fond of the handle wand as it has a permanently affixed crevice tool on it which then goes into the brush tool. The crevice tool seems to leak around where it''s attached to the handle/wand although the suction is pretty good. Just recently I decided to vacuum up the same area a few times to have almost the same amount in the dirt cup each time which lets me know that it''s not working to its'' fullest potential anymore. You can''t adjust the height of the brush head to different carpeting, rugs, etc. but we don''t have rugs here so it''s fine with our particular type of carpeting but I don''t think it''d work as well on shag carpet. Cord is slightly short but I don''t mind that so much. All in all, for the price, it isn''t BAD but I wish they had the vacuum I''d wanted in stock at the time so I wouldn''t have to replace the vacuum within 6 months or so.Pros:
Very lightweight
Compact
Simple to operate (push down with foot to use & foot pedal to turn on)
One-touch dirt cup emptying
Price
Cons:
Leaks around wand crevice tool
Filters cost 1/2 as much as the cost of the vacuum itself
Crevice tool isn''t removable & no extension wands
Lasts about 6mos
Want Hoover Nano Cyclonic Compact Bagless Upright Vacuum Discount?
When we got this vacuum, it was awesome. Strong suction, cleaned up everything. This lasted for exactly a week. Then the clogs started. Now the vacuum has to be completely disassembled every time we use it. Why is that? Pet hair completely clogs the hoses. I haven''t emptied the tank in several months, because nothing ever makes it there, it all gets stuck in the hoses. Emptying them completely does no good; they just clog right back up. The clogs cause suction to decrease drastically, and the vacuum winds up moving more dust around than it cleans up. Complete waste of money.
Holmes HWF100-UC3 Humidifier Replacement Filter Save 43% Off
I bought a bionaire humidifier that uses 2 of these wicks. They''re a necessary evil, because the humidifer wont work without them.My humidifier (a Bionaire BCM645) is basically a glorified self-refilling water bowl, with a pair of wicks dangling down into the water in the lower backside of the unit ... the wicks absorb water upwards, and the humidifier (basically a vertical tube with an exhause fan up up equipped with a humidistat) draws airflow in crosswise through the body of the wicks down below in order to blow humidified air out the top ... it''s a simple design that sorta works.
The problem is that mineral deposits build up in these glorified (and overpriced) sponges, and they lose their ability to wick water upwards fast enough to keep up with the rate of evaporation ... the result is that they become dried out and crusty (and slowly stained with mildew), and only stay wet on the part that''s dipped in the water.
Now, here''s the annoying part, and why I only gave this product 3 of 5 stars ... they''re needlessly fragile by design. The manufacturer WANTS you to keep reguloarly buying replacement sponges, just like inkjet printer manufacturers want to keep selling you overpriced ink cartridges. Even though I have fairly soft water, and use a carbon block filter, these wicks only seem to last me about 2 weeks per pair, by default, before they lose their ability to absorb/wick moisture and/or fall apart. Perhaps someday someone will make longer-lasting reuseable cloth replacement filters, but as of this writing, there dont appear to be any available ... because it''s against the manufacturer''s fiscal interests to make and sell such.
You can save money 2 ways:
1) SHOP AROUND: you can save as much as 50% by shopping around for the cheapest supplier, and scoffing at any implied manufacturer product loyalty. How ? The replacement filters for Holmes (HWF100) and Bionaire (BWF100) are functionally identical and interchangeable. They come 6 to a package (3 pairs).
2) RINSING: These wicks are rather fragile resist the urge to wring them out when rinsing them, or you''ll damage them. Instead, fill a sink with body-temperature water, let them soak for 5-10 mins (to let the deposits soften & par-dissolve), then gently press them flat (while submerged) a few times. Then drain them (dont wring them) and reinstall. That should extend their performance by another week or so. Each subsequent rinse will yeild only half the benefit though. At best, you''ll be able to double their lifespan.
Bottom line: I dont really recommend these wicks ... but if your humidifier requires them, there isnt much choice. However, if you use the tips I listed above, you can save up to half the cost, and make them last as much as twice as long.
Fortunately, just by stuffing the new filter into my machine, it worked Ok. I really hate returning stuff. It is just frustrating when they show a picture and you receive something else.
Buy Holmes HWF100-UC3 Humidifier Replacement Filter Now
I have a hard time finding filters for my Sunbeam cool mist humidifier. These are a little long, but when trimmed they work fine. They come 3 to a pack and the unit needs 2 filters at a time, so I buy 2 packages at a time.Read Best Reviews of Holmes HWF100-UC3 Humidifier Replacement Filter Here
Walmart in my area, St. Louis carries the same filter but has Sunbeam package Filter # hwf100 / sf235 for $8.00 for the 3 pack. The package says different Humidifiers that it will fit. Holmes & Sunbeam are 2 of them.Want Holmes HWF100-UC3 Humidifier Replacement Filter Discount?
I have had a Holmes tower humidifier for several years and it requires two of the HWF100 filters. This particular model forces air through the bottom at the back and through the filters out the top. I guess like most filters, the top of the filter dries out quicker than the bottom where water is absorbed. To get a longer life from the filters I reverse the filters top to bottom about 2 times per week. This extends the life of the filter about 2 times. Other brand filters don''t live up to the quality of the Holmes HWF100. Prices vary so shop around.Save 43% Off
Keurig K75 Platinum Brewing System Save 7% Off
Unboxing:Item was purchased from Amazon directly; Arrived triple boxed and in perfect condition. I was presently surprised to find a little note from Keurig stating I was amung the first to receive the new K-75 this seems to be a silent upgrade as the UPC, and printed box specs are for the current model B-70.
The unit was packaged securly with an instructional/promotional packet above the top piece of styrofoam that was 1/2 of a steady shell that surround the fully assembled unit. Packet contained a "Buy two get two free offer" for K-Cup packs if purchased from Keurig directly, the owners manual, and the surprise note mentioned above along with specials directions on how to install the included water filter.
Setup:
Setup was easy, and took less than ten minutes complete. (This includes the brewing of the first cup) I found the most difficult part of the process was installing the water filter into the unit, as it must be lowered into the units tank, and seated on an inlet hole towards the rear of the tank. I would say most people would not have an issue with this however, and fully blame my ape hands for the difficulty I encountered.
Use:
The unit was ready for its first brew about 4 minutes after turning it on. Prep is simple and consists of raising the front lever, dropping a K-cup into the hole, closing the lid, and hitting brew. Not much more to say about the possess, it just works. The one thing that did stand out is how quite this unit is from start to finish. It is not much louder that the Bunn pour over machine it replaced!
Misc:
This unit looks great with the blue LED lit tank, and matching buttons. The larger 75oz tank slightly reduces the drip try area as it extends past the base as a result of the larger size. This in no way hinders use of the unit.
The directions for the water filter say each filter pod should be changed every 60 tank fills or every two months; which seems more than reasonable as a three pod replacement pack is about $12.
Brews coffee as well as any of Keurig units I have tried, and water temp is accurate to within 1 degree of its set point measured at the very top of the stream coming out of the unit.
All in all I am very happy with this product, and as a result I just purchased another for my office.
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I gave this to my husband for Christmas and he LOVES it! I purchased the personal k-cup that you can use with your own coffee. He used to go out to work without making his morning coffee and purchasing it on the road. Now he just makes a cup and goes. The purchase price of this coffee maker will pay us back very soon now that he is making his coffee at home.Read Best Reviews of Keurig K75 Platinum Brewing System Here
We should have got this long before now. Makes perfect coffee every time. I even love the ice tea it makes.It''s fast, doesn''t drip after it makes a cup of coffee, easy clean up, magic!
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I purchased the Keurig B70 for work. When I make coffee at home I prefer to grind my own beans and will drink an entire pot but at work I wanted something convenient that would give me a fresh cup every-time, never burnt. The Keurig fits the work environment perfectly. Everyone can drink whatever they want, dark roast, blond roast, tea hot chocolate, etc. with never any waste or mess. I''m still looking for the perfect K-cup, most are not quite strong enough for my taste but at least no one is fighting over how to make the coffee or who will clean up the mess.Save 7% Off
Senseo 7810 Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine
We have this machine, bought in 2004 and used 2-3 times a day. It still works fine, but it''s white and we wanted a black one to match our new kitchen appliances. So the old one goes into storage in case the new one breaks down.There are a lot of so-called "single-serving" coffee makers on the market today. My wife and I have been very select coffee drinkers all our marriage nearly 30 years. We started with a beautiful La Pavoni expresso maker, which we still have although we had it completely overhauled about 8 years ago.
When we saw the Senseo we thought we''d try it because it seemed much less trouble although we were highly suspicious of anything that made coffee from "pods" because we were used to grinding our own coffee from beans stored in air-tight containers in the freezer and each cup of coffee we made was made from freshly ground beans.
From the very beginning we were impressed with the Senseo. Push a button and 90 seconds later the water for coffee is at temperature. Push another button and you have a fresh cup of delicious hot coffee, complete with a nice "creama" or frothy top just as you would get from an espresso coffee machine. The single serving button gives you a cup a little larger than the single serving espresso you typically get say in a Parisian or Italian coffee house. This may not be enough for American coffee drinkers used to a large mug of coffee. If not, you can push the "double" button and get either a large cup of coffee or two small cups the size of an espresso drink described above. Coffee pods come in all strengths (light, medium, dark roast), flavors etc. and are sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway etc. and online at Amazon and lots of other places.
The pods come 18 to a package and a package costs about $4.75 $5.25 depending on how many you buy and where. That averages about 25-30 cents per cup of coffee if you choose the single serving button twice that for the double serving button. This is more than if you make drip coffee or do espresso with fresh ground beans, but I think it''s worth the convenience. The resulting cup of coffee is really good rich, hot, flavorful and frothy. We used "Dark Roast" but tastes vary.
As I said earlier, our 6-year-old machine still works pefectly and we use it every day, at least twice but more often quite frequently.
When we have guests we sometimes go back to the automatic drip coffee maker so we can put a whole pot of hot coffee on the table. But even then, if guests request, we can make cups so fast that it''s no problem to serve 4-6 guests a hot cup, all done within 4-5 minutes.
We recommend the senseo to friends without reservation.
However, there is one thing you must remember if you use this machine and this is probably true for any machine: If your water has a lot of minerals in it especially calcium you must clean this machine periodically. The instructions say every 90 days but where we live the calcium builds up quickly so we do it about every 60 days. This is important. A friend of ours through out his machine because he said the coffee started tasting bad and I''m sure sure it was because he wasn''t cleaning the machine at all. It''s easy to clean just run half vinegar and half water through it once, and then pure water once. All you do is put in the vingegar and water, then push both buttons (the single serving and the double serving) and the machine pumps all of the water / vinegar solution through the machine without stopping. Of course, you have to be sure it has a contained below large enough to receive all of this liquid.
Also, depending on the mineral deposits in your water, you may need to push a needle or pin through the pod holder drain hole once in a while because sometimes a grain of coffee or calcium build-up clogs the hole.
The machine comes with a reservoir tank for water, two pod holders (one pod and two pods) and a supply of coffee (one package of 18 pods).
You can order accessories for the machine, which include:
A double sized water reservoir (I recommend it highly), replacement pod holders, and a specil pod holder for making espresso coffee especially. You can also buy other replacement parts, but there are only two other parts besides the reservoir and pod holders. These two parts are the small overflow or spill catcher plastic part and a metal "grill" where you sit the coffee cup.
The new machine we ordered from Amazon (in black rather than the white one we already had) has one difference from the machine we bought 6 years ago: the spout where the coffee comes out it shorter, making it higher from the grill where the coffee cup sits. This is an improvement because now you can sit a large mug under the spout whereas the old machine made this difficult because the spout extended down quite far made to accommodate short little demitasse (sp?) or espress cup sizes. You can still use these smaller cups with the new spout but now you can also use a large mug if you want a "full-size" cup of coffee.
Summary Good Points:
1. The coffee is very good.
2. The coffee maker is very reliable. Our first one has worked without fail for 6 years and is still working. We just wanted a different color.
3. The coffee maker works very fast. A fresh cup of coffee from "0" to finished cup in about 3 minutes. After the first cup, the next cups can be made in less than 1 minute.
4. The price is far below most other single serving coffee makers: We bought our new one from Amazon in April 2010 for $49 with no cost for shipping.
5. The price for each cup of coffee is below any other single serving coffee makers that I have researched. This coffee maker costs between 25 and 30 cents per cup. Double that if you make a typical American "mug" sized cup of coffee.
6.Coffee pods are available at Wal-Mart, Safeway, Targe and other major chains. You can buy a "pod-maker" which allows you to make your own pods. This may be cheaper but we prefer the convenience of commercially produced pods since the coffee is still very affordable even if you buy the pods ready-made.
Caveat: Coffee will turn bad if you do not perform simple regular cleaning i.e. run half vinegar/half water through the machine at least every 90 days. Every 60 days is better if you live where the water has high mineral content and creates build-up in the machine. If you have a water softener or filter or use bottled water this may keep the machine cleaner longer.
Summary bad points:
We have had good experience with Philips products. They are a Dutch company (perhaps owned by the Royal Family, I''m not sure) and they seem to research companies and then buy them. Some examples are this Senseo machine and their Sonicar electric toothbrush.
Except for their TV, we have had good experience with Philips products. We bought a Philips TV and a Philips DVD/VHS player. The TV works OK but we can''t get the player/recorder to work with the TV. When we called their support line the only suggestion they had was to buy another player. So for TVs and DVD/VHS player / recorders we stick to Japanese products.
But the Senseo coffee maker is an excellent machine and we recommend it highly.
The Senseo coffee maker has a reservoir that is easy to fill, and the pods are very convenient to just drop into the pod holder. Two tips I picked up from a single-serve review web site:
1: Pre-moisten the coffee pod so that the edges seal better to the holder, and
2: Preheat your milk so that the milk doesn''t cool the coffee when it pours into your cup. I preheat my milk for 30 seconds in the microwave, easy to do while the water is warming up.
I like being able to make a quick double for my travel mug when I''m running late--much faster than driving to Dunkin'' Donuts or Starbucks and not knowing how long the line will be.
I love to show off my machine for company. I can accommodate everyone, whether they want regular or decaf, mild or strong, etc.
My only wish is that there could be more varieties to choose from. Plus a little hot chocolate would be nice--especially with the foam on top that the machine makes with every cup. K-cups seem to own the market on variety.
Yes, my machine was one of the ones that was recalled. While I had no problem with the old machine, Philips made it very simple by shipping the new machine by FedEx and requesting that the old one be shipped back at their expense in the same packaging. And I was surprised with a pretty white one which replaced the old black one. The white one goes better in my kitchen, a silly thing to obsess about, but I like it.
All in all, the Senseo is quick, easy, fun, and convenient. It''s also a lot cheaper than buying on the road.
Buy Senseo 7810 Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine Now
For the most part I love the coffee that comes out of my Senseo. Unfortunately there''s too little of it.Before you start railing against over-sized everything, look at your coffee cup. I bet it''s a 12 ounce cup, or at least a 10. A 4 oz cup is an espresso cup, tiny, great for espresso, too small for coffee.
So, it takes 2 pods to brew an 8oz cup. I''ve lived in Japan, and it''d be perfect for the way they drink coffee, but not the way people seem to drink it in the states. Mug in the morning to get going, mug mid day to keep going. Two "cups" of coffee would mean using six senseo pods in a day, every day.
The coffee is delicious, rich, soft... yes its crema. Very yummy. But it costs roughly 40 cents per 8oz, depending on which pods you buy and where.
My buddy gave me his Senseo machine because it was impractical to fill a travel mug with it, and it only filled his coffee mugs (12oz) 2/3 with the 8oz max pour (yes, you could do multiple runs, but doesn''t that defeat the purpose of a pod system?)
So I like the coffee a lot, but the servings were too small, the water reservoir too small, and the coffee too pricey. Great espresso machine, not so great coffee machine.
I''ve stayed with a pod system, but switched to Keurig. Their K-Cups are roughly the same cost, but you get a lot more variety, and more coffee per pod. 12oz instead of 4oz. Also, you can do tea and even fill a mesh pod with your own coffee.
Keurig has a better system with about the same upfront cost, same pod cost, but you get more coffee, more conveniently, and it tastes great.
Read Best Reviews of Senseo 7810 Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine Here
I purchased this coffee maker to replace the same make and model that has become less efficient after 3 or 4 years of daily use.The new machine has a STRONG plastic or burnt electronics smell that permeates the water and coffee making it undrinkable. We cleaned it repeatedly with no improvement at all. I returned the machine for replacement. The replacement is just as bad and has been returned for a refund.
Amazon should pull this item from the site and send the remaining stock back to the manufacturer. I suspect the entire lot is BAD.
The Senseo working properly makes the best coffee I''ve ever had, but I am now afraid to purchase another. I switched to another more expensive brand, it''s not as good as an original Senseo, but at least I don''t feel that I might be drinking toxic coffee.
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Do not order extra coffee. The machine comes with a bag of coffee pods but I didn''t know it so I ordered 20 dollars worth and it is not returnable. Washed everything good w/hot soapy water first. Coffee had an extremely strong plastic taste and smell. Called Senseo they sent out another one which had the same awful taste and smell. I really do not think Senseo is doing as much as they should to make sure these are off the market. I also did as another reviewer said and ran vinegar through the machine twice, the first cup of coffee tasted better after that but then the next one was gross again. Can''t believe I kept tasting this stuff. It can''t be good for you. Also took up alot of my time washing all this stuff, priming the machines, packing the two back up again to return. And stuck with coffee pods I cannot use. You would think Senseo would make sure your second one is a good one. Said they would send me another one. Just the thought of tasting that coffee again makes me want to throw up.