Senseo Single-Serve Coffee Pod Machine

Not since Madonna or Roseanne has a one-word brand been such a powerful force. When you hear the word Senseo, you don't have to add "coffee machine" to the end of it. Senseo says it all. You know what it is. And it is coffee. But that's such a simple term for something that is more like a way of life. You'll have to excuse me, as this review is being written on a medium roast Senseo buzz.

It is pronounced sen-SAY-oh, and it's name means deliciousness. Senseo is one of the most popular brands of single-serve coffee machines, and it is gaining a pretty hard grip on home coffee making. When this baby hit my kitchen cabinet, I immediately washed and put away my old drip coffe maker (a phillips, by the way), to make space for the only coffee maker I would ever need again. The old machine, "whitey" is his name, will not be thrown out, but put away for when company is staying over. To be honest, I'm not sure company is good enough for the Senseo. Unless, perchance, the Queen is sleeping over.

TheWife and I have only been drinking coffee on weekends, because we do so much rushing around with the kids on weekday mornings. There's just no time to brew and wait for a pot of coffee. But with the speed and ease of Senseo, that has all changed.

The Senseo doesn't really have "features" to talk about. It's a simple, yet elegant machine. The main point to the Senseo is the speed at which it makes quality coffee. It's design is a sleek, hunched over design. It gives sort of an impression of a person hunched over making you delicious cups of coffee. The machine has a removable water reservoir that can be filled at the sink ... no caraffe or measuring cups involved, and the water heats up within 60 to 90 seconds after powering up. There's even a 1-hour auto shut off feature to protect the heating element from overheating and to protect your home from fire.

Look who else likes Senseo:

It works perfect for our schedule. I walk downstairs in the morning, press the power button. While the water heats up, I let the dog out, get two mugs, two Senseo pods, and load the machine. By that time, the water is heated and ready to brew. I punch the 2-cup button, feed the dog, and it's all finished within in 30 seconds.

Senso does sell its own line of coffee pods, which is manufactured by the folks at Douwe Egberts, world renowned coffee experts. Whenever I'm in Amsterdam, I pick up a couple of bricks of Douwe Egberts. It's just that good. I happen to know that you do not have to use Senso pods in your Senseo, but of course, they would like for you to do so. I was reading an article just today on Single-Serve Coffee.com about Nescafe having a line of pods for the Senseo. But that's really not what this review is all about.

I love this machine. It does what it says it should do, and it tastes delicious. We got the blue model, but you can get it in black, red, and white. In October, Senseo will be releasing it's Supreme Coffee Maker which will feature an expanded reservoir, customizable volume selector, and adjustable spout. Right now, I think the basic machine is perfect as is.

To Charlie, Jackie, and the whole gang over at MS&L in NYC. You have been so kind to the crew here at Men in Aprons, I am beside myself. You have my eternal gratitude. I truly appreciated this opportunity to be part of the consumer process. Thank you.