Senseo has Landed

Mark is wondering what sort of coffee maker he should get. Well, shortly after observing that ads for the new Senseo hint at its euphoric appeal, I decided to acquire one for myself. Here are my observations so far:

• I'm not a big coffee guy, but it's darned good coffee. Much better than what you get out of drip, and to my taste buds, just as good as any "coffee of the day" you get at your typical cafe.


• The industrial design is sexy and functional. While not quite as artistic as a G4 Cube or iMac, it definitely has a pleasing and functional presence. But art requires sacrifice, and I found that many of my coffee mugs won't work with the machine -- the spout is too low.


• Clean-up is less messy than my previous machine, but it still involves removing a half-dozen parts. Easy and fast, but not as simple as some reviews might have you believe.


• Hands-down, the Senseo is the easiest coffee maker to fill. The water reservoir is perfectly designed and gracefully fits into place. No pouring, no spills, and no measuring. For this alone I'm glad to get rid of my Cuisinart.


• The best price I found was at Smart and Final. Only $59 with their discount card, plus you get the $10 mail-in rebate from Senseo.


• Senseo likes to advertise that it's only 30 seconds to brew a cup of coffee. That's true, but only if the machine is already warmed up. Your first cup is going to take longer. You need 90 seconds to heat the water, then 30 seconds to blast out the first cup.