Coffee

I started drinking coffee when I was rather young (too young probably, I’m pretty sure I was supposed to be six feet tall but the caffeine probably stunted my growth at about five-nine). I remember the stuff my mom used to make; putrid, overly strong Maxwell House swill, the kind of stuff they would give you during jury duty or in coach class on American Airlines. Since we don’t really eat breakfast around here, the coffee is the one thing that gets us going in the morning, so Courtney and I are determined to make sure it is at least good. Here are some items essential to that process.

Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker
This is the best coffee-maker I’ve ever used. When our first one died I had to run out that same day to buy the exact same one since we couldn’t imagine using another type. I’m not sure what I would call my “favorite” feature. It has a built in grinder, re-usable filter basket, water filter, thermal-carafe and nice looking stainless steel exterior. Just – awesome.

Cuisinart DGB-600BC Grind and Brew, Brushed Chrome

One-Cup Coffee Maker
There are two certainties regarding the office coffee maker: a)if the coffee-pot is already full, the coffee has probably been sitting around for hours and is already cold, so you’ll need to make more and b) item (a) doesn’t matter since the pot is almost never full when you want it to be, you always have to make more.

The Keurig One-Cup machine is the best solution to this problem. The on-demand approach ensures that you never make more than you need. This method also means that everyone can buy their own preferred brand of coffee. At the old office we used Starbucks (which tastes like liquefied asphalt to me) because that was what our office-manager ordered. Being beholden to someone’s preference in this area just sucks. Now, everyone gets whatever they want – a good thing in an office full of self-centered, obnoxious complainers like me.

Keurig Single-Cup System