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Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860 Pickwick Tea Gift Set

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:06:09 +0000

I recently wrote about the new Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860 machine. This machine uses the unique Senseo pod system to brew hot beverages, with many available coffee flavours. Now you can also make delicious tea with one of two available sets by Amazon.

Check them out:

Pickwick Big Set

Pickwick Gift Set

The Big Set includes:

Senseo Pickwick tea pod holder (compatible with Philips Senseo Quadrante HD 7860)
60 x Pickwick tea pods (3 varieties with 20 pods each: Earl Grey, Tempting Red and Fruity Forest).

The Gift Set includes:

Senseo Pickwick tea pod holder (compatible with Philips Senseo Quadrante HD 7860)
1 x Senseo Pickwick tea pod can
1 x Senseo Pickwick tea glass (200ml)
60 x Pickwick tea pods (3 varieties with 20 pods each: Earl Grey, Tempting Red and Fruity Forest).

Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860 Coffee Machine Review

admin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:07:16 +0000

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new Senseo Quadrante HD7860 by Philips today. This is a brand new machine by Philips and it is being launched these days (Sept. 2009) in Europe and is available in major retail stores and online. So here is my review and initial impression of this slick very sharp looking coffee machine.

Senseo Quadrante

The Senseo Quadrante joins the Senseo Latte Select which was launched exactly one year ago – to the range of Senseo pod system coffee machines. The Quadrante has a very clean square shape design, and is currently sold in two colors – Black or white.

Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860

Philips Senseo Latte Select HD7852

Senseo Pod System

For those who aren’t familiar with the Senseo pod system – It is a single serve coffee machine system that combines uniquely designed coffee pods which hold fresh ground coffee in pre-dosed filter packs with compatible coffee machines. The special pods are available in various flavors offered by Philips & Douwe Egberts. What’s nice about the Senseo pod system, is that unlike some capsule systems such as Nespresso or Tassimo, you are not restricted to only Douwe & Egberts products. So can actually buy empty pods designed for the Senseo system, and fill them with your favorite blend. However, most of us will be more than content with the wide range of coffee blends offered by Douwe & Egberts, including decaffeinated coffee, and even hot chocolate!

Senseo Pods

Senseo Quadrante First Impression

My first impression after taking the machine out of the box was – It is EASY! There is no assembling necessary. A simple and easy to follow flushing process to get the machine ready for brewing your first cup of coffee and I was ready. And this is all you have to do to make 1 or 2 cups of coffee in less than a minute:

Fill the 1.2 Liter water tank with cold water. This will be enough for up to 8 cups so no need to do this every time. The tank tilts out and slides back in very naturally and easily.

Turn the machine ON – You don’t need to worry about turning it off when you are done thanks to an automatic off feature which I really liked.

Open the lid by pulling the lever up.

Place your selected coffee pod in the pod holder – The pod holder will already be place in the center of the machine. If you want to prepare two cups at the same time, replace the single dose pod holder with the double dose pod holder, and place 2 pods instead of 1.

Senseo Quadrante Single Pod Holder

Senseo Quadrante Pod in Machine

Lock the lid by pulling the lever back down till you hear the ‘click’.

Place one or two cups in the cup tray – You can adjust the height of the tray to fit the cup you are using.

Press the 1-cup or 2-cup button to brew 1 or 2 cups.

Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860

That’s it! Now just watch the machine brew the perfect dose in to your cup/s. Don’t worry about stopping the brewing. Thanks to the auto-dose system, this process is completely automatic so all you have to do is dispose of the used pod once the beverage is ready.

Senseo Quadrante Video

I have made a short video that shows the brewing process:

Senseo Quadrante Summary

To summarize, I really liked the Quadrante and most importantly – The coffee was good. If you fancy espressos and lungos this is a very reasonable option to consider priced at £100. If your main beverage is cappuccino, then the Quadrante will not handle the milk frothing for you. For that you can use any of the available standalone automatic milk frothers, or go for the Senseo Latte Select.

A technical specification of the Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860:

Uses the patented Senseo coffee brewing system (pods)
Power: 1,450 W; Voltage: 220-240 V
1.2 Liter water tank (8 cups)
Auto-off 30 minute feature
Brew volume (per cup): 120 ml
Height adjustable drip tray
Price: ~ £100

Antique Coffee Machines at Coffee Weekend

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:59:10 +0000

In my last post I told you about the Jura booth at the “coffee weekend” show I attended. This time I want to share some photos and impressions about a beautiful showcase of antique and original looking coffee machines by Elektra, La Cimbali, and more. I only took photos of some but you don’t see these every day so enjoy.

Elektra Belle Epoque (1997)

This is just an old world styled espresso machine. Selling for around 11,000 GBP, the Belle Epoque is a machine in a class all of its own, where beauty, functionality and reliability merge together. The brightness of its metal, shaped to a design with the fascination of the past makes an immediate impact and provides a striking finishing touch for elegant, refined premises (excuse me if some of the text is from the website, it just sounds exactly like what I was thinking).

Elektra Belle Epoque

La Cimbali (1950′s)

Two lever system espresso machine from the 1950′s by La Cimbali:

La Cimbali 1950

Mystery Espresso Machine

I have no clue what machine this is but here it is for you:

Oldie

If you recognize this last machine, please tell me what it is

Jura Impressa Z5 Bean to Cup at Coffee Weekend Show

Gaggia Baby Twin Traditional Coffee Machine

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:33:49 +0000

This is an exciting coffee maker of the traditional coffee handle type by Gaggia. It has 2 boilers to separate the heating operations for the water and milk (Rapid stream method). This means that the Gaggia Baby Twin can froth your milk and brew the coffee at the same time without switching between modes. There is also a dosing system to automatically control the amount of water in your espresso drink.

Gaggia Baby Twin

It has a 1.6 Liter removable water container, but is recommended for no more than 20 cups a day. You can use both coffee grounds and pods when preparing your espresso. You will get a 15 Bar water pressure with this machine. The machine has an aluminum boiler and a stainless steel base. For milk steaming, use the built in Gaggia Pannarello.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Gaggia Baby Twin

Coffee Maker Summary

Size: 24.5 cm X 40 cm X 26.5 cm
Weight: 7.5 KG
2 boilers for steaming milk and brewing coffee without switching modes
Up to 20 cups per day
Touch Ring control panel
Professional coffee handle
15 Bar water pressure
1.6 Liter water container
Aluminum boiler w/ temperature control machanism
Pannarello milk steaming system
Dosing system

Gaggia Baby Dose Red Traditional Coffee Machine

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:33:02 +0000

This coffee handle type espresso machine looks very much like the Baby Nero, and is another one of the new generation coffee makers from Gaggia, with the difference of having a dosing system. It has a red design and will look great at home or a small office. The Gaggia Baby Dose Red has a 1.6 Liter removable water container, but is recommended for no more than 20 cups a day.

Gaggia Baby Dose Red

You can use both coffee grounds and pods when preparing your espresso. You will get a 15 Bar water pressure with this machine. The machine has an aluminum boiler and a stainless steel base. For milk steaming, use the built in Gaggia Pannarello.

This machine has a dosing system which lets you, at a press of a button, decide on the exact amount of water for your espresso drinks, so you always get the same perfect amount.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Gaggia Baby Dose Red

Summary

Size: 24.5 cm X 40 cm X 26.5 cm
Weight: 7.5 KG
Up to 20 cups per day
Professional coffee handle
15 Bar water pressure
1.6 Liter water container
Aluminum boiler
Pannarello milk steaming system
Dosing system

Gaggia Baby Nero Traditional Coffee Machine

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:32:18 +0000

This coffee handle type espresso machine is another one of the new generation coffee makers from Gaggia. The Gaggia Baby Nero has a black design and will look great at home or a small office. It has a 1.6 Liter removable water container, but is recommended for no more than 20 cups a day.

Gaggia Baby Nero

It differs from the other “Baby” products in its control panel type and color, and is also a little lighter.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Gaggia Baby Nero

Coffee Maker Summary

Size: 24.5 cm X 40 cm X 26.5 cm
Weight: 6 KG
Up to 20 cups per day
Professional coffee handle
15 Bar water pressure
1.6 Liter water container
Aluminum boiler
Pannarello milk steaming system

Gaggia Baby Class Traditional Coffee Machine

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:31:24 +0000

This coffee handle type espresso machine is one of the new generation coffee makers from Gaggia. It is recommended for use at home or a small office for up to 20 cups of espresso a day. The Gaggia Baby Class has a 1.6 Liter removable water container, and a chrome coated coffee handle.

Gaggia Baby Class

You can use both coffee grounds and pods when preparing your espresso. You will get a 15 Bar water pressure with this “baby”. The machine has an aluminum boiler and a temperature control mechanism. For milk steaming, use the built in Gaggia Pannarello.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Gaggia Baby Class

Coffee Maker Summary

Size: 24.5 cm X 40 cm X 26.5 cm
Weight: 7.5 KG
Up to 20 cups per day
Professional coffee handle
15 Bar water pressure
Aluminum boiler w/ temperature control
Pannarello milk steaming system