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Alexa can order Dunkin' Donuts upon request
Dunkin' Donuts wants to be an even bigger part of your morning routine. The bakery chain is adding voice-ordering via Alexa to its futuristic repertoire. Assuming you're a DD Perks Rewards member and have linked the mobile app with Amazon, you can place your order right after your flash briefing each morning and grab it on your commute.
The best drip coffee maker
By Cale Guthrie Weissman and Liz Clayton This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. Since 2014, we've spent 71 hours brewing in 19 coffee makers to find our top home brewer. After tasting hundreds of pots of coffee, we think the OXO On 9-Cup Coffee Maker is the best automatic drip coffee maker for most people. It's fast and convenient, with a programmable start time and a well-insulated carafe, and it makes a good pot of coffee. We love the features of the OXO On 9-Cup Coffee Maker, like its timer function and automatic pre-infusion cycle (which briefly wets the coffee before brewing for better extraction). The machine has a handsome design, with a well-made thermal carafe that pours easily and keeps coffee hot for hours. We found the coffee from the OXO a little less reliably nuanced than brews from our runner-up, the Bonavita Connoisseur. But it still makes coffee far better than the average machine, and unlike the Connoisseur, allows you to wake up to a fresh pot in the morning or pour yourself a cup while the machine is still brewing. The Bonavita BV1901TS Connoisseur brewed the best-tasting coffee of any machine we tried, with minimal (read: zero) bells and whistles and an uber-simple interface. Like the OXO, it has a pre-infusion cycle (though it's not automatic) and can still brew fast, making a six-cup pot in less than 5 minutes. It also has an improved design over older Bonavitas, with a brew basket that slides right into the machine instead of resting awkwardly on top of the carafe. As a bonus, it sits on the low end of the price spectrum for the high-end coffee makers, costing about $160. We love the simplicity of the Bonavita and think it's a great choice if flavor is your number one priority. But unlike our top pick, it has only an on/off switch, so you can't program it to brew at a set time. And the carafe is clunky: You have to brew into it with the lid off, but can pour only with the lid on. It also didn't keep coffee hot for as long as the OXO did.
PicoBrew moves beyond beer to tackle coffee, kombucha and more
You've got to hand it to PicoBrew: The company is ambitious, if nothing else. After years of trying to perfect an automated, counter-top beer brewing machine, it's branching out to other beverages. In fact, it's basically branching out into all beverages -- at least all the ones you would call "brewed." The Pico U is what the company is calling a "universal" brewing machine, capable of making beer, coffee, tea, kombucha, horchata and a host of other drinks.
The best cheap coffee maker
By Thais Wilson-Soler This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After considering 17 cheap coffee makers and testing the six most promising candidates, we think that the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker (46205) is the best. In addition to winning over our tasting panel of pro coffee roasters, it has a host of user-friendly features like a removable water reservoir and a programmable auto-brew timer. Best of all, it was the cheapest model we tested.
Starbucks offers AR tours of its lavish Shanghai coffee shop
Starbucks has a long, long tradition of using tech to bring you into its coffee shops, and that will be truer than ever with the latest supersized Reserve Roastery location in Shanghai. The beverage behemoth will use a mobile app to offer guided augmented reality tours of the coffee-making process when the restaurant opens on December 6th. Point your phone at equipment like the roaster or cask and you'll get an explanation of what happens as beans eventually turn into your venti latte.
London buses to be powered by coffee grounds
As part of ongoing efforts to reduce pollution in the capital, London's buses are set to utilise a new source of fuel: coffee grounds. Thanks to a collaboration between Bio-Bean, Shell and Argent Energy, double deckers will be filled with a B20 biofuel created by blending oil extracted from coffee waste with diesel. So far, they've produced enough to power one London bus for a year, but as Londoners drink 20 million cups of coffee a day, it could provide enough oil to power a third of Transport for London's entire network.
Google tests VR as a replacement for dull training videos
We've heard about medical professionals using VR to augment their suites for years, but Google is testing its fit in the broader workplace, starting with employment's least fun experience: Training. The company's Daydream Labs hosted an experiment to see if hypothetical new hires learned better by watching training videos or donning a VR headset and walking through simulations -- and it turns out, immersive education does a better job. For this single trial, anyway.
Bonaverde wants to be the Keurig of raw coffee
Many people take their coffee drinking seriously, but even those with a proper espresso machine at home won't roast their own beans. This delicate step is typically done on an industrial scale using specialist equipment, far from the end consumer. Now, the caffeine addicts at Bonaverde intend to bring roasting to the kitchen counter with the first all-in-one machine that turns raw, green coffee beans into a cup of joe. The company crowdfunded its appliance way back in 2013, and several years later the consumer model is now ready. But several questions have loomed over Bonaverde's vision to change how people drink coffee -- namely, where on earth do you buy unroasted beans?
Amazon UK adds Dash buttons for beer and batteries
It's already pretty easy to find and purchase products on Amazon, thanks to a wide array of apps and additional hardware like the Echo and grocery scanner. However, Dash buttons make things even simpler. Fix one to the fridge and every time you run out of your favourite home product, hit the button and it'll instantly re-order what you're after. In the US, the program is already two years old and spans over 250 different products, but in the UK, where the program isn't yet a year old, things are a little more sparse. That changes somewhat today with the addition of 20 new products that range from batteries and beer, to coffee and vitamins.
Send Starbucks lattes to your lover with iMessage
Saying "I love you" with a Grande Soy Latte just got a little easier. Starbucks updated its iOS app with its first iMessages offering which allows you to send anyone you chat with a Starbucks gift card without interrupting the flow of your conversation. The Starbucks app update also includes enhanced push notifications, a new mobile ordering interface and new filtering options for locating a nearby location.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella joins Starbucks' board of directors
Starbucks has long had a fondness for technology in its coffee shops, and it's now reflecting that philosophy in its directors. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has just joined the Starbucks board, giving the restaurant chain a major voice from the technology industry. While it's not clear just what got Nadella on to the board (besides his clout in Seattle-area business), he doesn't mince words about his potential contribution -- he believes his "years of experience" in tech will play an important role.
The Morning After: Wednesday, January 18 2017
It's Wednesday morning and Raspberry Pi has made a super-powered PC-on-a-stick, the state of AAA cloud gaming and a look at the Army's prototype hoverbike. Grab your coffee. We'll wait.
Starbucks locations are now 'Pokémon Go' Gyms or Pokéstops
We knew a Starbucks collaboration with Pokémon Go was on the way, but now it's official. Niantic, the developer of the massively popular augmented reality game, revealed today that around 7,800 Starbucks coffee shops in the US have been turned into Gyms or Pokéstops. Aside from this, since these are sponsored locations after all, trainers can also pick up a special Pokémon Go Frappuccino drink. And, just like you can do at Sprint stores now, you'll have access to a charging station too.
Mastercard is offering free Tube travel with Android Pay
In a bid to boost mobile payments, Mastercard kicked-off a series of promotional events last year where it would pay for Londoners' travel if they used its cards to tap in and out of the Tube with Apple Pay. It must have been a success, because today the card giant confirmed that it will do the same for cardholders with Android devices, allowing you to travel on London's travel networks for free every Monday throughout October.
Sony sold me on Xperia Agent in one cup of coffee
I like coffee. I like robots. So, when Sony's cutesy Xperia Agent offered to serve me up a cup of Arabica at IFA, how could I refuse? Of course I didn't, and it was probably the best cup of show-floor joe that I had this week. We first saw the Xperia Agent at MWC, but we've barely heard anything from the bot since, so free coffee or not, it was good to check in with the little guy and see it doing its connected thing.
Use Microsoft Outlook to schedule a meeting at Starbucks
At March's Build developer conference, Microsoft gave the full rundown on a number of Office extensions for Mac. Part of that announcement was a Starbucks add-in that allows you to send gift cards and book meetings inside Outlook. Well, that extension, er "add-in," is ready for prime time. This means that you can easily send a "thank you" cup of coffee or schedule a meeting at your nearby Starbucks location while you're looking at a related email. And if you need to place an order, the add-in will boot you out to the coffee company's mobile app to input all the details for your Grand Soy Latte or Iced Americano.
The best coffee maker for camping
By Eve O'Neill This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. In the great outdoors, there's no perfect way to deliver piping-hot coffee directly from the stove to your mouth, but you can get close. After grinding, pressing, and perking 3 pounds of beans on a two-burner camp stove, we think a French press is the easiest way to skip the instant coffee and prep a fresh pot for a large group of campers—just dump in your water and go—and the REI Table Top French Coffee Press is best suited for the job.
Barisieur's coffee-brewing alarm clock might actually happen
When we first spotted the Barisieur coffee-brewing alarm clock back in 2014, it was a pet project for designer Joshua Renouf. The plan was always to turn it into a gadget for the masses, and in the months that have passed since, the overall design and the tech that drives the bedside system were refined for production. To help make waking up to a freshly brewed cup of pour over coffee or loose leaf tea a reality, Renouf and his team are looking to Kickstarter to get them over the hump.
This machine makes cold brew coffee in less than 10 minutes
Cold brew coffee is delicious. It's about two-thirds less acidic than coffee brewed with hot water, which results in a cleaner, smoother and less bitter taste. Unfortunately, making cold brew coffee is a pain. You typically have to let the grounds steep for 12 to 24 hours, which requires a lot of planning ahead. This is not something you want to do when it's a hot summer's day and you want that cold brew coffee ASAP. Fortunately, however, there is now a solution. Say hello to the Pique, a coffee machine that can make cold brew coffee in less than 10 minutes. And, based on the sample I had, it tastes amazing.
Acaia's Bluetooth scale tracks your morning coffee ritual
I'll admit it: I'm a coffee snob. I wasn't even that invested until I became friends with two roasters. Fast forward a few years and I have equipment in my kitchen for six different brewing methods. Yes, it's a bit much. However, that still didn't stop me from being enticed by the Acaia Pearl Bluetooth-equipped scale, which aims to make the daily ritual as consistent and accurate as possible. Do you really need a $129 gadget to help you make better coffee, though? Or will a cheap kitchen scale and timer do the job just fine? After a few weeks with the priciest "Pearl Black" model, which sells for $150, I'm not ready to give up my budget gear just yet.
