Telling It Like It Is» chicago vacation

Consumer Reports Coffeemakers – Best Single Serve One Cup Coffee Maker

Lin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:00:18 +0000

Single-serve coffeemakers, coffee makers that make one cup of coffee, are very popular nowadays. Enjoying a good cup of coffee depends more on the coffee brands consumers choose to buy rather than the coffeemaker itself, says Consumer Reports. Tests completed by Consumer Reports on single cup coffee makers and two cup coffee makers helps consumers choose the best coffeemaker for their needs and price range.

CR reviews and ratings show that coffee drinkers don’t have to spend a lot of money on a coffee making machine to get a good cup of joe, plus CR reports that features on some of the higher priced coffeemakers aren’t worth beans. One single cup of coffee in the morning wouldn’t come close to jump-starting our day, since we can easily finish off a twelve-cup pot of coffee with our large coffee mugs, and a two or four-cup pot would be laughable at our house.

Many hotel coffee makers are now either one cup or two cup coffeemakers, compared to the large coffee making machines from past years. We were not impressed with the hotel room coffee maker we discovered during a Chicago vacation trip, but only because one or two cups of coffee just won’t cut it for us. One cup single coffeemakers rank high for travelers and office use, especially for regular coffee drinkers trying to cut back on their daily coffee and caffeine consumption.

Best One Cup Single Serve Coffeemaker

I’ve been considering buying a single cup coffee maker with a travel mug to use at the office on occasion, so I read Consumer Reports and several customer reviews to help me decide which coffee maker to buy. Consumer Reports rates the Black & Decker DCM18S Brew ‘n Go model as the best single cup coffeemaker, and since it’s currently listed amongst the best selling single serve coffeemakers today, that’s probably a good enough choice for some.

The Keurig Special Edition B60 Gourmet Single-Cup coffee maker has received rave reviews by customers who love the Keurig pod coffee machine, and even though it is more expensive than the Black and Decker model, the additional features have me sold on a Keurig. I just have to choose between the B60 3-brew size options and the Keurig B70 Platinum single cup coffeemaker with 5-brew options, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Consumer Reports also ranks the two travel-cup Toastess TFC-42T coffeemaker very well in test results, and several Toastess coffee makers make the list of top coffee makers on the market today, plus they’re cheaper for budget buyers. The Nespresso D290 is said to be the best luxury pod coffee maker, for consumers who prefer espresso and want the convenience of its fast brewing time and 16 varieties of high-quality coffee, at a hefty price.

Programmable pod coffee makers are great and easy-to-use, but the Aerobie AeroPress is considered by reviewers to be the best manual one cup coffee maker and is cheap, compact and very easy to use. When shopping for coffeemakers, consumers will find there are several different types of coffee machines to choose from, including manual-drip coffee makers, coffee presses, coffee percolators, espresso makers and “pod” coffeemakers that brew individual cups of coffee using ready-to-use packets of coffee. Consumer Reports says consumers buy more automatic-drip coffeemakers than any other small kitchen appliance—about 14 million a year.

Even though the most basic, inexpensive coffeemaker can make a good cup of coffee, some features make a machine easier and more convenient to use. Before buying any kind of coffeemaker, consider what features and options you want and need, and carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of each model prior to making a final selection. Reading unbiased single serve coffee maker reviews, and understanding the rating systems applied, helps a lot in choosing a coffee maker for home, travel or office use.

An unbiased review of the Keurig Special Edition B60 has me leaning towards choosing the Keurig Special Edition Home-Brewing System, and considering the fact that it can make a perfect cup of coffee in less than 60 seconds flat, that means I’ll be enjoying great coffee at the office whenever I want to drink coffee. If you are still undecided about what coffeemaker is best for you, check out this brief Consumer Reports coffeemaker buying guide youtube video, which explains the various types of coffeemakers and some interesting features available you might want to consider.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Top 10 Best Selling Coffee Makers and Single Serve Coffee Makers

Lin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:00:53 +0000

For people that drink as much coffee as we do, our recent experience with a single serve coffee maker in our hotel room during our Chicago vacation created temporary disappointment. I can only guess as to why hotels choose to provide hotel guests with one-cup coffee machines versus one that brews more than one cup of coffee at a time, but we weren’t impressed.

The moment we checked into our hotel room and saw the tiny coffee making appliance sitting on the counter at the hotel we stayed at, we knew we weren’t going to make it through our entire vacation trip with that silly looking coffee maker. We made a beeline to the nearest store and bought a cheap, black 12-cup automatic coffee maker that was sitting all by itself on a discount clearance shelf for just ten dollars.

We also bought our favorite coffee creamer, two large coffee cups that only cost 99 cents each, and a decent size container of our favorite brand of coffee and coffee filters. We couldn’t help but laugh when we read the front of the coffee maker provided by the hotel, where it claims to be a two-cup coffee machine that comes with pre-measured coffee pods. The only way it would be possible to get two cups of coffee from that machine would be for us to use cups from a little girl’s toy tea set. Simply ridiculous.

Top Ten Best Selling Coffee Makers

Even though the automatic coffee maker we bought during our vacation doesn’t appear anywhere on the list of best selling coffee makers, we were pleased with the results even with the slow brewing time. We’ve been talking about replacing the lousy Proctor Silex coffee maker we have at home for a better quality machine, and since we donated the one we used during our trip to the kids, we’ve been checking out coffee maker reviews and ratings for all the different kinds of coffee makers.

Apparently, single serve coffee makers like the Keurig coffee maker are a growing trend amongst many coffee drinkers as a way of reducing their caffeine consumption, but we would just switch to decaf coffee if we were concerned about caffeine addiction problems. We’ve never been espresso/cappuccino coffee drinkers, and hot tea never appealed to me, but we do love the taste of great coffee brewed at home.

You might think that the amount of coffee we drink everyday might lead us to buy a large commercial type coffee maker, perhaps one that brews upwards of 100 cups of coffee at a time, but that would be overkill. We’ve read review articles on various types of coffee makers that brew 10, 12 or 14 cups of coffee at a time for comparison purposes, and even checked out ratings on Consumer Reports.

What is the Best Home Coffee Maker?

Trying to compare coffee makers for personal home use versus industrial sized coffee makers appropriate for business offices became somewhat frustrating. All we wanted to know is, What is the best home coffee maker on the market today? Until we began our search for a new coffee maker, it hadn’t occurred to me that there are so many brands of coffee machines to choose from! DeLonghi, Cuisinart, Gaggia, Braun, Krups, Saeco, Capresso, Bunn, Sunbeam, Senseo, KitchenAid, Black and Decker, Mr. Coffee, Coleman, Jura and Zojirushi are the brands that come to mind. That’s a lot of competition for coffee makers, and each wants to be considered the best.

After reviewing customer reviews and online ratings for coffee makers, it became clear that deciding which coffee maker machine was the best is just a matter of opinion and personal experience. There also appears to be a certain amount of hype surrounding some coffee makers which caused some doubt in our minds as to the reliability and trustworthiness of some online reviews. However, if you’re interested in an honest, unbiased review of the Keurig Special Edition B60 Single Serve Coffee Maker, I can personally vouch for the source.

A few years ago we had a Bunn coffee maker that worked like a champ until it was dropped and broken, and even though it can be a bit pricey, it was our favorite over all the other brands. The fact that a full pot of coffee was brewed and ready in two minutes flat was just one of the reasons why we chose the Bunn. That old saying “you get what you pay for” probably rings true when it comes to buying a good quality coffee maker.

Types of Coffee Makers

I certainly wouldn’t attempt to convince anyone that one brand of coffee maker is better than the other, because there are many factors to consider in the selection process. Whether you buy an automatic drip coffee maker, manual drip, French press/Plunger Pot, stove top percolator, espresso/cappuccino/latte machine or pod coffee maker, consider your personal preferences of what you need your coffee maker to do and what features are important to you.

Should it have programmable settings? An automatic on/off safety feature? Brew interrupt/pause feature? What is your price range? Color preference? Amount of available space for the coffee maker? Do you need a space-saver undercabinet type coffee maker? Do you need a single or dual cup model, or perhaps a family size standard coffee maker with 8, 10, 12 or 14 cup options? Once you decide what features and options you want in a coffee maker, choosing the right one for your home or office becomes much easier.

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Chicago Vacations – Things to Do in Chicago

Lin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:33 +0000

What are some cheap and fun things to do during family vacations to Chicago? Anyone who has been to Chicago during the winter months knows that taking a Chicago vacation requires bundling up with warm winter clothes to offset the cold, blustery, freezing temperatures and winds from the Windy City. There are a lot of fun and cheap things to do in and outside of Chicago, indoors and outdoors, including things to do in the suburbs for families, kids and adults of all ages.

Looking for fun things to do in Chicago during the summer or winter? Chicago has a lot to offer tourists and vacationers throughout the year with favorite places including museums, parks, indoor and outdoor swimming, golf courses and mini-golf courses, family entertainment centers, live theater, ice skating, comedy clubs, festivals, art galleries, restaurants, working farms and orchards, amongst thousands of other Chicago attractions.

Whether you take a vacation to Chicago in the spring, summer, fall or winter months, make sure you plan your itinerary to include the popular places in downtown Chicago and in the suburbs north, west, east and south of the city. Coupons, discount tickets and pass cards like the Go Card help a lot to reduce the overall costs of a vacation trip and tours around Chicago, or anywhere else you want to go.

The Go Chicago Card provides unlimited, FREE admission to 30 top tourist attractions, activities, tours and museums with the card, with a savings of up to 55% compared to the cost of purchasing individual tickets. See as many of the best attractions as you want for the number of days chosen for a very low price. Go Cards are available in single and multi-day increments and come with a full-color, pocket-size guidebook included. Vacations to Chicago don’t have to break the bank!

Things to Do in Chicago and Surrounding Chicago Suburbs

There are thousands upon thousands of children and family activities to do in downtown Chicago, in the suburbs and outskirts of the city, but a list of some ideas of the most popular destinations will help complete your vacation itinerary.

Haunted Trails in Joliet
1423 North Broadway (Rt. 53) in Joliet, IL – (815) 722-7800
This open year-round family entertainment center features go-karts, laser tag, rides, games, miniature golf, batting cages, restaurant and a picnic grove. Birthday parties and group package options for up to 2,000 guests are available.

Haunted Trails Family Entertainment Centers
7759 South Harlem Avenue in Burbank, IL 60459 – (708) 598-8580
This open year-round family entertainment center features 100s of games, rides, award-winning miniature golf, Go Karts & Batting Cages, Restaurant/Party room featuring karaoke. October Haunted House information can be found at (www.frightmarehauntedhouse.com). Birthday party and group packages are also available.

Hollywood Park, Crestwood Family Entertainment Centers
5051 Cal Sag Road in Crestwood, IL 60445 (708) 389-7275
Award-winner! Features miniature golf, Hollywood Speedway go-kart track, arcade games, indoor bumper cars, indoor children’s playland, rock wall & Hollywood Memorabilia on display, CafÃ©-Pizzeria.

Kidswork Children’s Museum
11 South White Street in Frankfort, IL 60423 (815) 469-1199
KidsWork is a fun, interactive educational experience for kids ages 0-8, with two floors of exhibits including theater, art room, tot spot, pet vet and more.

Odyssey Fun World
Located at 19111 South Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park, IL 60477 (708) 429-3800
Games, Laser Tag, Batting Cages, Soft Playland, Miniature Golf, Go-Karts, Bumper Boats, Inflatable Park and much more.

Chicago Indoor Racing – Addison
Located at 2381 W. Army Trail Road, Addison, IL 60101 (847) 941-9400
Chicagoland’s most exciting indoor European Kart Racing and entertainment facility with 105,000 s/f of space, featuring CyberSport, Clark’s CafÃ©, meeting & event space for groups of up to 800 guests, and a multitude of alternative entertainment options.

CyberSport at Chicago Indoor Racing
Address is 2381 W. Army Trail Road, Addison, IL 60101 (847) 941-9400
Located inside Chicago Indoor Racing, CyberSport is a multiplayer game that blends bumper cars, lacrosse and basketball into an alternative to racing for groups of 10 to 400.

Enchanted Castle Restaurant & Entertainment Complex
1103 S. Main Street, Lombard, IL 60148 (630) 953-7860
Premier entertainment complex with 60,000 square feet of fun! Indoor go karts, laser tag, bumper cars, games, mini golf, Kid’s Quest Softplay, future Sir Bounce-A-Lot Jumpland, special events, and 625-seat restaurant with karaoke.

Safari Land
701 W. North Avenue in Villa Park, IL 60181 (630) 530-4649
Family entertainment center featuring Illinois’ largest indoor roller coaster, Kiddie go-karts, bumper cars, Tilt-A-Whirl, Monkey Jump, Merry-Go-Round, and hundreds of video & redemption games. Activity-based fees apply.

Wagner Farm
1510 Wagner Road in Glenview, IL (847) 657-1506
Historic Wagner Farm in Glenview is am 18.6 acres farm and a popular destination for locals and tourists. Families, adults and children alike learn about a real working farm. The farm is open to the public, offering educational programs for all ages, and special events throughout the year.Â Public hours are Monday – Saturday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.Â Admission is free on those days (unless there is a special event) and a farm story time is featured at 4:00 pm each Thursday.

The Mitchell Museum
3001 Central Street in Evanston IL (847) 475-1030
The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian portrays the Native American cultures of the Woodlands, Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast and Arctic. Closed on Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Thursday 10:00 am – 8pm. Sunday 12pm to 4pm.

The Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center
The Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center has 3.5 miles of trails for walking and education. The schoolhouse contains interpretive exhibits and hosts events. It is located at 9800 Willow Springs Road, Willow Springs IL (708) 839-6897.

Mayan Adventure Indoor Water park at the Holiday Inn in Elmhurst has 24,000 square feet of water activities for all ages. It’s located at 624 N. York Road, Elmhurst IL (630) 279-1100 or (877) 426-4386 The Mayan Adventure Indoor Water park is Chicagoland’s first indoor water park with 24,000 square feet of wet and wild fun for all ages. Kids, adults and families will have lots of fun slipping down the body and tube slides and landing in the plunge pool. Toddlers will delight in the interactive water station. Game room, poolside cafÃ©, bar and more!

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
2001 N. Roselle Road, Schaumburg IL (847)843-3900 or (888) 935-6878
Journey through time to the age of chivalry and knighthood. Feast upon a scrumptious banquet and cheer your own knight to victory in the tournament of games.

Want some fun activities outside of the Chicago area? Chicagoland tourists should also keep in mind the many exciting attractions, water parks, theme parks, venues and hotspots just across the Wisconsin and Indiana state lines. The Wisconsin Dells in WI, Horseshoe Casino in Hammond Indiana and the Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks Indiana are three more children and family activities to be enjoyed while vacationing in and around Chicago. The Horseshoe Casino is located at 777 Casino Center Drive in Hammond IN – (866) 711-SHOE. The address and phone number for the Fair Oaks Farms is 856 North 600 East in Fair Oak IN – (877) 536-1194.

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