home coffee & hot water setups - favorite appliances?

[CloudBee]

I'm not looking to create a stand alone coffee station, although having one of those little nooks in our kitchen would be a dream. We currently keep our coffee maker and electric kettle next to the sink.  

Currently we have an old Keurig coffee machine that we run with reusable metal pods.

I'm home 7 mornings / wk, and drink a cup of coffee every morning. Sometimes I have a second, but more often than not I'm drinking tea in the afternoons, not coffee. DH is home 4-5 mornings a week, and drinks 2-3 cups of coffee a day. He even has a second coffee maker in his home office. DS is home 7 days a week and drinks tea at least once. We seem to be boiling water multiple times throughout the day. I bake bread and often need to warm water. I'll boil it to soak things in the sink, to pre-boil water I need for the stove, and once I hit "post" I will be heading to the kitchen to boil bagels. Our kettle is getting so much use and I'm looking to replace it.

Currently our kettle is a cheap electric Amazon Basics brand stainless model. It works fine, but it's looking dingy. It's handled so much throughout the day and lives near the sink, so it's often got tarnish marks and such on it. I don't want stainless the next time around. Maybe enamel coated? White?

I may replace the Keurig as well as it is SO bulky. If I had my way I would get rid of it and just use our French press, but DH prefers brewing with a one cup machine. The Keurig takes up a lot of counter space, so I'm often pondering if we could either upgrade to a coffee/water boiling "station" type of two in one product with a similar footprint, or downgrade to a smaller one cup coffee maker and nicer/easier to keep clean kettle.

We don't do fancy coffees, so I don't think I would use a milk frother (steamer?) attachment, unless that would be life changing?

I've also contemplated a Zojirushi water boiler for the kitchen counter. Huge footprint, but it would fit the bill for our frequent hot water needs. This would ultimately be my dream, but I can't convince DH to ditch the single cup brewing feature of a coffee machine.

Here's the Keurig and kettle we have. Black and stainless aren't really our aesthetic, outside of our main built in kitchen appliances. I would really like to go with softer colors. We could really use white or a pop of color in our kitchen.

What do you own that would fit the bill? Any suggestions for all in one stations for a family that goes through a lot of hot water? Currently I would NEVER use the hot water feature of our Keurig, because it comes out with a coffee essence and stain.

 

[gerberdaisy]

Is there a reason you don't just make a pot of coffee in the morning? I always find the reusable cups just a pain to fill and clean, and it seems like you go through enough coffee. We have a mochamaster coffee maker which has a smaller footprint than that keurig, then a glass water kettle for tea and such. I prefer glass as I find its easier to keep clean and to me its easier to see when it needs to be descaled (as I would forget to look inside stainless)

Sorry, not very helpful, but I never knew of the zojirushi water boiler, thats pretty cool. I LOVE my zojirushi rice cooker.

[CloudBee]

Jan 22, 2024 9:01:42 GMT -5 gerberdaisy said:

Is there a reason you don't just make a pot of coffee in the morning? I always find the reusable cups just a pain to fill and clean, and it seems like you go through enough coffee. We have a mochamaster coffee maker which has a smaller footprint than that keurig, then a glass water kettle for tea and such. I prefer glass as I find its easier to keep clean and to me its easier to see when it needs to be descaled (as I would forget to look inside stainless)

Sorry, not very helpful, but I never knew of the zojirushi water boiler, thats pretty cool. I LOVE my zojirushi rice cooker.

You know, I've considered a traditional coffee maker. I don't drink enough coffee on the days that DH isn't home to justify brewing a pot. And half the time he's drinking his second cup downstairs out of the machine in his office. Maybe I should break down and order a $20 coffee pot from Amazon or look at Goodwill later this week and give that route a try.

Our rice cooker died last week, and I was SO CLOSE to buying a Zojirushi rice cooker to replace it! I was excited that I was finally due for an upgrade! Then in a pinch (had rice on the menu to pair with salmon) I tried making rice in my Instant Pot for the first time. I was both happy and sad that my rice turned out well. LOL. I never thought a single cup of rice would cook evenly in the Instant Pot, but it came out even better than our old rice cooker! I had been researching zojirushi models earlier that day because I wanted one with more functionality. Such a bummer, because I just feel as if I can't justify a new rice cooker now that we know the Instant Pot already lives in our cabinet AND makes a great pot of rice. 

Do you cook anything other than rice in your Zojirushi?

[orval]

We have a dual pot/keurig similar to link below. Not sure if this would help at all but it might save space.

www.cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/coffee_makers/ss-16/?item_list_id=Category+Page&item_list_name=Coffeemakers+%26+Coffee+Machines&index=3

[tacokick]

I do love my Zojirushi rice cooker and bread machine so anything they make is probably amazing.

We had a Breville kettle for years that was/is amazing but then my husband got one as a gift from Adagio that heats the water to specific temperature he uses daily for tea. I think they are kind of ugly and bland looking but the pretty looking ones don’t get as good reviews.

If your husband has a coffee maker in his home office, I’d do whatever you want in the kitchen. Pour over, French press, Aeropress.

[womet]

Can you switch to French press for your coffee, and your H can make his coffee from the coffee maker in his office? We have the Mueller electric kettle and have been happy with it. But I would look into finding somewhere other than by the sink for it to sit. 

[gardengal]

I have a glass kettle from Amazon. Personally I don’t find frequent boilings a problem (we are also avid tea drinkers & my son eats ramen as a snack & uses it)

For single cup coffee making that doesn’t take up space, what about Aeropress or pour over? You’d need a bit of drawer or cabinet space but you’d reclaim your countertop

[CloudBee]

Jan 22, 2024 9:34:27 GMT -5 womet said:

Can you switch to French press for your coffee, and your H can make his coffee from the coffee maker in his office? We have the Mueller electric kettle and have been happy with it. But I would look into finding somewhere other than by the sink for it to sit. 

Maybe I will remove the coffee maker while he's at work today and give this a try. He's pretty easy going, despite being a creature of habit. He probably wouldn't push back if we are really happy with the reclaimed counter space. 

[CloudBee]

Jan 22, 2024 9:38:39 GMT -5 gardengal said:

I have a glass kettle from Amazon. Personally I don’t find frequent boilings a problem (we are also avid tea drinkers & my son eats ramen as a snack & uses it)

For single cup coffee making that doesn’t take up space, what about Aeropress or pour over? You’d need a bit of drawer or cabinet space but you’d reclaim your countertop

You know, he would probably be more likely to use a pour over than the French press. I'm going to see if I can order something for $20 or less on Amazon today and play around with one on my own this week.

[jamaicam]

I use a french press for my daily coffee, I have a nice stainless steel single cup one. But then I have a large one that I use when I am home and drinking more than one cup or when someone else is drinking with me. It lives in the cupboard with my coffee mugs so no counter space needed. THen I have my regular old electric kettle that is used many times a day for tea/hot chocolate/ pasta water....

[gerberdaisy]

CloudBee, I've never ventured beyond rice in our rice cooker, although I keep meaning too. We eat enough rice in the house, and I am that bad at making it on the stove that it is still well worth having a single use appliance. 9 years and still going strong!

[livinitup]

I have a stainless steel electric kettle that I keep on the counter by a plug. It is not part of the kitchen sink traffic and it’s a good location to keep clean and in easy reach to the stove and tea pot (I make a pot of tea most nights). Does your kettle have a base - so when you lift the boiled water, it is not attached to the kettle? That’s the only requirement I have.

I have a one-cup coffee maker at the end of the counter. Not really a nook, but it’s off the side of the counter facing the end of the counter. By a plug, too. It is not Keurig (those broke 2x on us) but it is thin even though it has a large, round well for water (it’s long & thin). If I remember when I get home, I’ll add the name/product.

ETA : It’s made by Ninja - works great.

[kitty]

What about a keurig k-mini in a fun color? This is the style without the reservoir so you put in just what you need each time for the single cup which gives it a smaller footprint. I use it with a metal reusable kcup lined with a mini paper filter because I don’t like sludge at the bottom lol.

No advice on the kettle but we are in the same boat with an old dingy one. Ours is enameled but somewhere along the line someone dropped it and the enamel chipped off in a circle at the impact point. I guess we were lucky it wasn’t glass!

[7costanza]

It seems like an on demand hot water setup at the sink would be best since you’re boiling water so frequently. I’ve only ever used one at work so I don’t have a recommendation.

I also really love my Ninja coffee bar, it can brew anywhere from a small cup to a full carafe. It does have a milk frother but it’s kind of tucked behind the machine so doesn’t add bulk to the machine.

[spinnaker5]

We’ve had a Breville electric kettle for years and use it multiple times a day (esp with both of us working from home).: it’s easy to clean, no tarnish, and works fast. H uses a French press for coffee (insulated, also stainless, pretty indestructible) and I do pour-over. For beans we have a Capresso burr grinder that I got him for Christmas ages ago - I occasionally wonder if the thing is just going to conk out one day or if the burrs get dull over time, but so far so good.

[VillainV]

We have the Ninja Coffee Bar for H to make a travel mug of coffee every morning. It can also do a carafe if we have guests.

I use an electric kettle to boil water. I have this one and I like it, but the capacity isn’t very big. You can select different temperatures for green tea, black, etc.

COSORI Electric Gooseneck Kettle with 5 Temperature Control Presets, Pour Over Kettle for Coffee & Tea, Hot Water Boiler, 100% Stainless Steel Inner Lid & Bottom, 1200W/0.8L a.co/d/6HazTlm

[UMaineTeach]

We have a French press. It makes probably 3 cups of coffee at a time. (H’s regular mug plus fills his skinny travel cup).

We get whole beans and grind them with a small electric grinder, the pre-ground was too fine and left grit.

We also have an electric kettle to heat the water for all hot beverages.

www.lecreuset.com/french-press-caribbean/70706200170171.html?src=gads&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuJP1svDxgwMV02ZHAR3y5wZlEAQYASABEgIF7vD_BwE

www.williams-sonoma.com/products/breville-crystal-clear-glass-tea-kettle/?catalogId=79&sku=888008&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Electrics%20%3E%20Tea%20Kettles®ion_id=658780&cm_ite=888008_14571727833&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_bmY5PDxgwMVD01HAR38CACNEAQYAyABEgLbXvD_BwE (I got it on sale at a discount and salvage store, I wouldn’t pay that much for it.)

www.blackanddeckerappliances.com/products/coffee-and-tea/coffee-and-tea-accessories/smart-grind-stainless-steel-cbg100s.aspx (ours is an older version)

[BlondeSpiders]

Jan 22, 2024 12:14:30 GMT -5 kitty said:

What about a keurig k-mini in a fun color? This is the style without the reservoir so you put in just what you need each time for the single cup which gives it a smaller footprint. I use it with a metal reusable kcup lined with a mini paper filter because I don’t like sludge at the bottom lol.

This is what I would recommend as well. It's pretty narrow and takes up much less space. It's 5" wide x 12" high x 11.3" deep. I have one downstairs next to my office and it's exclusively used for tea. (Please don't come for me, tea purists!)  I prefer loose leaf teas and find the reusable Kcup with a paper filter best.

[alicethellama]

If you’re open to pour over I love my Hario ceramic dripper since it takes up very little space and is easy to clean. It does work best with their filters. I don’t have a helpful suggestion for the hot water- I use a gooseneck stainless steel tea kettle for it.

[bittybomb]

Our water is bad, lots of breast cancer in our area so I won't drink our tap water.  I wanted a whole house filtration system but its crazy $$$.  So we compromised and got a water cooler instead of drinking bottled water and using all that plastic.  Our water cooler has hot water too, and it comes in very handy.