
We explore specific use cases as best as we can. We also sip each cup we brew to see which one makes the tastiest coffee. We look at how easy the machines are to use and clean. Testing also relies on subjective criteria. We calculate the average Brix measurement for each cup and use that to calculate the extraction percentage. A refractometer calculates Brix, and other measures) by reading how much light bends when passing through a liquid.) For each machine, we brew three test cups and take 10 Brix measurements from each. (Brix is one measure of dissolved solids in a liquid.

We calculate this by starting with a Brix reading from a refractometer. The most valuable data to ranking Keurig-style coffee makers is the extraction percentage - the amount of coffee that is actually moves from the ground coffee to the final cup.

Because the conditions are harder to control outside the coffee maker (mug temperature being the big variable), the temperature reading has less weight in the rankings here than in other coffee makers. For these Keurig-style machines, we measured the temperature in the mug of brewed coffee rather than the brew basket. Measuring temperature is less reliable in single serve machines than in drip machines because it can't feasibly be measured at the point the grounds and water are actually meeting. The speed test is a simple matter of using a stopwatch to measure the time from pushing the button to start the brew to the time the cycle is complete. To test single-serve coffee makers, we measure how fast the machine brews, and the extraction percentage and temperature of the final cup of coffee. Testing K-cup compatible coffee makers varies from testing other coffee makers, but still involves a mix of objective and subjective measures.
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(Your phone will need to be running iOS 13 and higher or Android 8 and higher.) In the mobile app, through which you can connect your phone to the K-Cafe Smart, you can find and customize recipes and control the coffee maker. (Adding 6 ounces of hot water was my favorite form.) To my taste this wasn't close to a shot of espresso, but it did brew coffee that could be used to make tastier drinks. The K-Cafe Smart has the unique ability to brew "shots" of coffee: smaller, punchier portions of coffee aiming to approximate a shot of espresso.

It accurately identified every K-cup variety I tried.)
#KEURIG DUO COFFEE MAKER HOW TO#
(I had a hard time figuring out how to test or verify this feature. It also reads the QR code that comes printed on most K-cups and adjust its brew settings to fit that specific coffee. The K-Cafe Smart has a single-serve brewer, a detachable water reservoir and a milk frother. If you want the convenience of K-cup coffee, but also want to customize brew recipes and create unique drinks from what you make, the K-Cafe Smart gets you.
