coffeemachine
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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?
Keurig revives refillable K-Cups following disappointing sales
Following its first disappointing holiday sales numbers since its coffee machines hit shelves, Keurig will bring back refillable K-Cups. So far, the Keurig 2.0 machines haven't taken off like the company thought they would, partially because new brewers don't allow users to add their own beans with a so-called My K-Cup filter. The machine -- capable of brewing more than one cup at a time -- also costs $200 while other Keurig options have price tags around $100. In an attempt to revive interest, a version of the My K-Cup for the pricier new brewers is in the works. CEO Brian Kelley said on an investor call this week that Keurig "underestimated the passion" customers had for the DIY option. What about the unpopular DRM requirement that nixed some third-party pre-filled pods? It's staying. The company wants to convert all unlicensed cup to official products, adding to the 500 varieties of coffee, tea and hot chocolate from 70 brands.
Surprise! People don't like Keurig's DRM-protected coffeemakers
Keurig's coffee machines have done great business for its owner Green Mountain Coffee. Making coffee in combination with pretty expensive capsules has made a lot of money for the company, but its latest 2.0 machines have left (excuse me) a bitter taste in the mouths of customers, as Keurig has seen, missing sales and earnings targets in its latest financial report. It cited poor machine sales during the typically lucrative holiday season -- the first quarter that the new Keurigs went on sale. The main issue with the new machines, which can now make coffee both by the cup and in larger quantities, is the DRM-style lockdown on the pods it takes. The popularity of the Keurig machines led to no shortage of cheaper third-party pods, but in an effort to reclaim the lucrative cash cow that was its own coffee pods, the company's second-generation machines packed cameras that detected special ink found only on official Keurig pods. Every other kind of pod simply didn't work.
Smart coffee maker brews your next cup right when you get home
Sure, you can get connected coffee makers, but they tend to brew whole pots (or multiple cups). What if you just want a hot cup o' joe when you get home? That's where Smarter's new WiFi Coffee Machine comes into play. The device lets you remotely brew individual cups through an Android or iOS app, complete with scheduling. You can have it wake you up when your coffee's ready, and it'll offer to grind and pour that beverage when you step in the door.
First all-in-one coffee machine that roasts, grinds and brews heads to Kickstarter
Machines that grind then brew your coffee for you all in one are a dime a dozen. But one that fresh roasts you beans first, before grinding them? Well, according to Bonaverde Coffee Changers it's never been done, until now. The company's Kickstarter campaign is underway and chugging along towards its $135,000 goal. The hope is to ship something only slightly larger than a standard grind and brew unit, but with the ability to turn (often hard to find) green beans into delicious dark roast in only minutes. A stainless steel rotating roaster makes a single batch of beans at a time. The small amount of beans take only three or four minutes to roast, but the necessary cool down pushes the total brew to between 12 and 14 minutes. In order to save energy, the same element that fires up the roaster also preheats the water. You'll be able to control the darkness of the roast and the size of the grind from the ceramic conical grinder. Basically, it's a coffee nerd's wet dream, putting every step of the production at your fingertips. To get your own when it starts shipping, hopefully in October of 2014, you'll have to plunk down at least $300 at the Kickstarter page.
TextSpresso machine brews caffeinated goodness via text messaging (video)
The folks at Zipwhip may have unwittingly discovered a new business model. While the company is primarily focused on cloud messaging services, it's recently created an espresso maker that allows employees to whip up custom brews from the comfort of their mobile phone. Known as TextSpresso, it's based on the Jura Impressa XS90, but unlike the retail model, the machine accepts orders via SMS. As if that weren't enough, it's part of a larger system that's capable of printing employee names onto the foam (using edible ink) and then placing the drink onto a warming tray. TextSpresso is very much a custom job, but if you'd like an inside peek of the system -- complete with servo motors, an Arduino microcontroller and a retro-fitted Canon printer -- be sure to hop the break and dream of what could be.
Scanomat TopBrewer brings iPhone control, elegant design to single-cup coffee makers (video)
There's no question that we love our coffee, but we're often far less intrigued by the brewing process than we are the result. With its incredibly sleek design and simple iPhone or iPad control, Scanomat's faucet-like TopBrewer could easily become one of the few exceptions, however. This fully automatic coffee machine grinds your beans, measures out ingredients and foams milk, before dishing out the perfect cup. But iOS control is the keystone of this elegant solution, letting you make your beverage selection from a wireless device, leaving nothing but the stainless steel tap exposed. Craving a cappuccino? Simply toss your cup under the spigot and tap an icon. You can also dispense cold milk or water, hot chocolate and even carbonated water -- all from the same head. Scanomat has yet to hint at a release date or price, but if you have to ask... Jump past the break for a quick taste, courtesy of some lucky folks at a hospitality industry expo in Milan. [Thanks, Fredrik]
BeMoved coffee machine will make you jump for your caffeine fix
A robot barista-filled future may still be a long ways off, but it looks like you may just be answering to a machine of another sort for your coffee sooner than you think -- at least if Douwe Egberts has its way. While it's still a concept, the company's so-called BeMoved coffee machine promises to finally bring the disparate worlds of hot beverages and motion control together at last, and do nothing short of raise "human interaction with a coffee machine to a higher level" in the process. Because, really, you can never truly feel close to a coffee machine until it's taunted you to jump up and down to fill your cup of joe. Of course, you can also do some slightly more practical things like tailor your coffee exactly the way you like using the massive touchscreen, and even check up on the weather and news while you wait. No word on any test markets just yet, but folks can apparently check out the concept first-hand at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven this week -- or simply head on past the break for a video. [Via Appliancist]
