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Product Description

The Toddy Maker is a simple device that uses cold water and a carefully designed filter system to produce an exceptionally pure coffee concentrate from ground coffee. The advantages of coffee brewed with the Toddy Maker make it a popular choice among both individuals and the food service industry. Read the rest of this entry »

AeroGarden Silver with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com
5 new or used available from $149.95

Average customer review:
The AeroGarden? uses NASA-tested aeroponic technology to grow plants faster and more reliably than with any other method, with no dirt, weeds or mess for you to clean up. Simply add water, drop in the pre-seeded grow plugs, turn it on and watch it grow. The system automatically turns the grow lights on and off and reminds you when to add water and nutrients. Comes with everything needed to get you started but the water. Comes with a free Gourmet Herb Seed which includes: Thyme - Chives - Italian Basil - Purple Basil - Dill - Mint - Parsley Read the rest of this entry »

Gaggia 35004 Carezza Espresso Machine, White
Buy new: $199.99

Good: The best buy in espresso. The same as the Gaggia Baby/Classic but minus a solenoid valve (makes the grounds drier/cleaner). Sells for $200 usually. This and Gaggia Espresso are the best <$300.

Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel
Buy new: $499.95

Good: The Carezza but with the nicer chassis and drier pucks. Is it worth it? The Baby is the same machine but with a plastic casing for $50 less.

Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine
Buy new: $595.00

Good: Along with Gaggia, the best sub-$500 home machine. Pricey compared with a Carezza. Pair it with a Rancilio Rocky grinder.

FrancisFrancis! X1 Espresso Machine, Orange

Ridiculously overpriced, but stylish. About the same espresso as a Gaggia Carezza. For the same money, consider going up to a Bezerra, Expobar, or Quickmill HX machine.

FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine, White

Okay: Overpriced, nonstandard portafilter a minus, but takes pods easily as well as ground. Same espresso as the Carezza provides but much more beautiful! Get a 57′ tamper too.

Krups 867-42 Il Caffe Bistro 10-Cup Coffee/4-Cup Espresso Maker

UGLY: I owned this machine. Lacking a pump and boiler, its “espresso” was cold, burnt coffee. What a rip off.

Krups 888-43 Caffe Centro Time 10-Cup Coffee/Pump Espresso Machine
Buy new: $299.95

UGLY: As bad as the Bistro, but a hundred dollars more. It should be a crime to sell this machine.

Gaggia 8002 MDF Burr Grinder with Doser, Black
Buy new: $217.49

Good: The least expensive semi-commercial grinder capable of a consistent and properly adjustable espresso grind. Or spend some more and get a Rancilio Rocky, Cunill Tranquilo, or Mazzer Mini.

DeLonghi EC140B Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
Buy new: $79.99

Fair: Better than Krups, and similar to Briel ES15BF, but buying this over a Gaggia Carezza is like buying a Miata over a BMW Z3 to save $300. (Sells on Ebay for $45.)

Krups FNP112-42 Espremio Espresso/Cappuccino/Latte Maker
Buy new: $46.31

UGLY: Same deal as the above. Avoid Krups for espresso, and any pumpless model like the Capresso 302.01. Will make fair coffee, like any $5 drip maker.

I-Roast #40011
Buy new: $199.00

Good: Espresso is impossible without freshly roasted coffee beans. The I-Roast 2 is amazing. Get some beans at sweetmarias.com and make the best coffee of your life.

Bodum Pavina 9-Ounce Double-Wall Thermo Glasses (Tumbler), Set of 2
Buy new: $14.99

Revolutionary: Shot glasses for espresso. Larger cups for cappa or latte or coffee, NEAR PERFECT HEAT retention, but cool to touch, and no condensation. Fragile, but cheap to replace.

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com
8 new or used available from $169.95

Average customer review:
Enjoy fresh greens at every meal no matter what the season. With AeroGrow’s AeroGarden garden kit, it’s easy to cultivate lettuce, cherry tomatoes, herbs, chili peppers, edible flowers, and more in an energy-efficient, organic-based environment right in the kitchen. This compact chef’s tool includes everything the indoor farmer needs: a preseeded bio-dome grow pod, two daylight-spectrum bulbs, nutrients, and a helpful tending and harvesting guide complete with recipes. Just follow the simple instructions to set up, and the growing process starts immediately, with germination occurring within 24 hours and a mature plant that is ready five times faster than if grown in soil. Read the rest of this entry »