Single cup coffee has been the latest revolution within the brewing industry. The ability to make a single cup tailored directly to one’s own individual tastes has completely changed how people brew their coffee at home and at the office. They are no longer subject to the whims and tastes of the first person into work each morning. (On a personal note, it was always frustrating for me to arrive to work and find hazelnut on the pot. I have nothing against the flavor, but it is not one of my favorites. Anyhow, I digress…) The speed, efficiency, and taste targeting offered by the single cup brewers – most popular brands being Keurig and Tassimo – are a breath of fresh air to an industry that already has gained acceptance as the world’s second most consumed drink after water. But how does the single cup brewer work?

Even if you have never used a single cup brewer, you are probably familiar with the K (Keurig)-Cup, having seen them at a department or grocery store – or at office coffee supply areas. It is little more than a small cylinder cup-like apparatus about the size of a golf ball. The inside of this cup is more conical with a paper filter surrounding the coffee pod. Pressurized hot water is forced through a pin hole in the top and drains out the bottom similar to the process of a standard coffee brewer. Depending on what style of Keurig brewer is purchased, the brewer itself is first filled with the amount of water desired. The K-cup is next placed into a tray with dual needles that puncture the apparatus on the top and bottom to allow for water flow. The user then needs only to close the device, put his or her favorite coffee mug underneath the nozzle, and then press the on button. Within sixty seconds or so, they will have a perfect hot cup of coffee ready for consumption.

The T-disc is the counterpart for the Tassimo system. It operates under a similar concept to the K-cup, but throws in some twenty-first century technology into the process. The t-disc includes a barcode that can be read by the brewer that tells the brewer the portion, brewing time, and best temperature for the beverage being produced. Because of this barcode “intelligent” brewer system, the Tassimo brewer does not used pressurized water. Some users believe that this leads to a higher quality beverage, but that is obviously at the eye of the holder.

While both brewers have each gained a foothold and produce wonderful coffees (and other beverages) in a more efficient and timely manner than anyone could have expected just a few years ago, the one negative to the whole process is a lack of interconnectivity. Unfortunately, there is a bit of a VHS/Betamax battle ongoing in this market, with neither system’s coffee pods capable of interacting with the other. This means that users who enjoy both brands would have to buy a brewer from each company. While versions of both brewers are available at relatively reasonable rates, needing to buy both could prove to be a bit expensive.

Author Bio: By Felix Chesterfield III
For a list of Keurig & Tassimo products, such as Tassimo T-Discs, please contact the author. There is also a wide variety of coffee products and accessories available at Amazon.

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: Coffee, coffee products, coffee accessories