TrulyObscure - article - domicilia - gadgeteer - Melitta: Coffee / Grinder / Brewer

Posted by Greg May Mar 20, 11:39 AM to domicilia : gadgeteer -

Melitta makes a wide variety of coffee-related products, and we’re going to review three of them: their grinder, Hawaii Estate Blend coffee, and One:One pod brewer.

Let’s start with the good news: their burr grinder is nice. It’s not going to get your grounds as fine as a professional-grade machine, but it cleans fairly easily, is widely adjustable and consistent, and is attractive to boot. We found the process to be relatively quick, and maybe just a bit louder than comparable blade grinders. Priced at $30 retail, but available at Amazon for around half that, it’s a good bargain. Some on Amazon have suggested a way to produce a much finer grind and with their suggestions the MEBG8B works like a charm- though it doesn’t appear to be listed on Melitta’s website any longer.

On a, well, more bitter note- the Hawaii Estate Blend coffee! just doesn’t cut it around here. Of course, getting coffee that’s probably travelled from Hawaii to the mainland and back to us doesn’t help it’s freshness much. But with so many varieties of great Kona coffee available, we recommend sticking with another brand. The price is reasonable at around $7 for 10 ounces, but it’s dark roast mutes any subtle Hawaiian tones.

The last, and most mixed review of this group goes to the One:One Pod brewer. We’ve taken a look at several pod brewers before, and we found the Melitta brewer to be the most economical of the bunch. For only $50, this is one of the cheapest single serve coffee brewers on the market. And, for better or worse, you get what you pay for- the coffee isn’t as good as with other systems, and the unit takes quite a while to heat up. There are plenty of pods available though, and the One:One is fairly stylish and easy to use. Ultimately, it’s not a bad machine- nice design, mediocre coffee, decent price.