Built in Coffee Maker Appliances - Rethinking Kitchen Design
The coffee pot! It used to be a non issue, never on the radar screen when planning a kitchen. Now, it's absolutely a checklist issue to discuss.
I'm in the middle of the kitchen design process with a client. Up to now, we had talked about having a place for his coffee/espresso maker and other small appliances, perhaps in one area of the kitchen. Sort of an appliance "center."
Then, I received an email from the client saying he would like a built in coffee maker system. Shortly after, he said, "oh, let's just put a pot on the counter, that's good enough." I then realized that I had not told him the concept behind the built in coffee maker.
It's about convenience. Convenience is nice. It means always having a cup of coffee when you are ready.
Here are the reasons why one may want to consider a built in coffee maker appliance:
Here is more information from The Appliancist on coffee maker systems. It has good information for comparative purposes.
- convenience - always ready for one cup
- time saver - no more multiple steps of prep/clean up for one or two cups
- infrequent water filling, if at all (tank or plumbed)
- fast response, rather than waiting for the whole pot
- choice of different coffees and grinds
- no coffee wasted by making more than you need
- may select specific amount for a small or large coffee cup
You may read that the coffee maker system will "declutter" your countertops. I'm not so sure of that. The reason is, these appliances are fairly large in width, often 24". Now, space has to be found in the kitchen design, another challenge, which usually eliminates counter space and storage and has a large impact on cabinetry and the entire design.
In our house, the coffee addict (my husband) has, for now, found his solution. The one cup Tassimo. Can this $100 coffee maker compete with these gorgeous appliances in terms of taste? I'm sure the answer is no, especially, as most of the built in appliances grind the coffee beans to taste. So, there is convenience in the countertop one-cup models. The question then becomes, "at what price, taste??" (Shhhhh....don't remind my husband these appliances are available!)
Would you like one of these?
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 08:10AM
Reader Comments (12)
I love it!! Talk about a ingenious and luxurious solution to cluttered counterspace and freshly brewed coffee. I especially love the handy dandy location of the mug drawer.
Danica
Good point, I didn't mention that. That's in the Miele, and may be in others. If I'm not mistaken, I do believe that warms the coffee cups and can be a plate warmer as well!
I finally have this machine in my kitchen, after years of putting them in client's kitchens. Fortunately I was able to get the plumbed version which is brand new on the Market. This cool machine has a built in computer.
I am loving, loving, loving it!!!
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ! A definite plan for my future home.
My wife and I are currently remodeling our kitchen and I myself am a very heavy coffee drinker. We want to reserve counter space so I am interested in this model. The only set back is the $2200. price tag and that it doesn't have a coffee pot brewing option. Another model that I am interested in is the Brew Express, built in. This is about $400. but it is only a coffee pot carafe without the espresso options. I think I am just going to buy a Starbucks or a Dunkin Donuts franchise and take it from there. Whatta ya think??
My wife and I are currently remodeling our kitchen and I myself am a very heavy coffee drinker. We want to reserve counter space so I am interested in this model. The only set back is the $2200. price tag and that it doesn't have a coffee pot brewing option. Another model that I am interested in is the Brew Express, built in. This is about $400. but it is only a coffee pot carafe without the espresso options. I think I am just going to buy a Starbucks or a Dunkin Donuts franchise and take it from there. Whatta ya think??
haha...either that, or employee a full time messenger, always at the ready to get you the coffee you need, another viable option!
Built-in coffee makers is definitely the way to go...They are stylish and free up counter space leaving room for other kitchen appliances, such as mixers.
Ditto to the mobile chef. I just saw a small (no larger than a typical drip machine) Krups Espresso at Sears for around $65. This would pair nicely with the Brew Express in the small space I have available, and is small enough to store easily. This is likely the route I'll be going, as I can now have both without spending a fortune on the Espresso which will be used only occasionally.
I am in the process of building a new kitchen and have already built the space in the cabinets for a built-in coffee maker. Every time I find a brand that I think is the one....I then see a review on the web that says it is crap and has problems or doesn't make coffee hot enough, flavorful enough, etc...Can someone tell me what are the top three fully plumbed coffee makers out there, regardless of price? Thanks.
You clearly know so much about the subject, you've covered so many bases. Great stuff from this part of the internet. Again, thank you for this blog.
I suppose that it is a clever idea for those whose budget knows no bounds, however, I would say with the advancing technology of single cup brewers, the built in coffee machine is nothing more than a novelty. For a fraction of the cost you can purchase a commercially made Keurig Brewer that has a plumbed line. Also, coffee beans do go stale so if the beans sit there waiting to be ground for an extended period of time it will certainly lose flavor and quality.