Рецепт Making coffee with the Starbucks® Verismo™ 580 Brewer
The single cup brewing market has exploded in recent years, and I’m a little embarrassed to say that I now have three machines – the Tassimo T20 (review here), the Keurig® Platinum Plus Brewing System (review here), and most recently Starbuck’s Verismo System 580. And this is in addition to my regular coffee machine and a hot water kettle!
Originally, I loved the Tassimo because they made Starbucks coffee, lattes and cappuccinos pods for it. After they stopped carrying Starbucks coffees, I was happy to switch over to Keurig – until I realized that you couldn’t make lattes and cappuccinos with a Keurig! Plus the Starbucks coffee it made tasted pretty weak. While the other coffee brands that Tassimo now works with are OK, I missed my Starbucks coffee!
A couple of years ago, I saw the Starbuck Verismo coffee brewing system demonstrated at a blogging conference. What an amazing machine – it was like having a Starbucks coffee shop in your home! However, at the time the price tag was prohibitive, like in the $200 to $300 range. Well, I’m happy to announce that brewing Starbucks coffees – including lattes and cappuccinos – has just become more affordable with the Verismo System 580. Depending on where you shop for it online or in stores, you can purchase it for around $100 to $149.
Why I like the Verismo System 580
Affordable – My Verismo System 580 came from Staples – yes the office supply store! I never would have thought to buy a coffee maker from Staples, but they have a huge selection, which makes sense since most offices and workplaces have coffee machines. Until March 15, you can purchase the Verismo for $119 in black, red or champagne colors. (If you read this after that date and the price goes up, do a Google search to find the best online price.)
Staples also has the best online selection of coffee pods for the Verismo System 580 at the cheapest prices. The pods are $11.95 for a 12-pack of Starbucks coffee and espresso and $9.95 for a 12-pack of milk pods. This makes having a venti sized Starbuck coffee around $1-2, less than half of what you’d pay in the store.
My Staples store is over 20 miles away from me, so I shop with them online. Usually, Staples.com ships orders over $50 for free. However, if you have a rewards membership with them, all shipping is free no matter how much you spend. Also, you get 5% rewards back from any purchase, which you then can use to buy more Starbucks pods. Perfect!
Easy to Use – With any new coffee brewing machine, you should at least read the quick start directions. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that the Starbucks Verismo 580 brewer is very easy to use. All you need to do is make sure there’s water in the tank and a coffee cup under the spout, then you pop in a pod and press the appropriate button. There are three buttons – one for milk, one for regular coffee and one for espresso. (Note: if you accidentally press the espresso button for coffee or milk, the water will be too hot and scorch your milk or coffee.) I also find that I can hit the espresso button a few times – about times is optimal – to get a triple shot of espresso in my large mug.
Simple to Clean – The Starbucks Verismo 580 has an integrated rinse feature that helps keep it clean and sanitary. After your brewer heats up, only the espresso button is lit up. Place your mug under the spout and press the button to rinse out the machine. Dump the water and you’re ready to start brewing coffee!
I also like how the drip tray and pod disposal container can be removed. I’ve found that most brewers have to be wiped down because the coffee will inevitably splash on the machine. With the Verismo, you can remove that backing area where the mugs sits, and rinse it easily.
Heats up Quickly – What drives me crazy about the Keurig is that it takes forever to heat up if you don’t leave it on all the time. I don’t find that’s the case with the Verismo 580 since it’s ready to brew in 15 seconds.
Delicious, Healthy and Safe – First, you have the wonderful flavor of Starbucks coffee prepared very similarly to how it’s made in the stores. Second, the milk pod contains only milk (actually powdered milk) and no flavorings, sweeteners, or other funky ingredients. It always bothered me that the Tassimo milk pods contained liquid, which can messy if they’re crushed – and I’ve bought a few bags that had been in the store. Plus the Tassimo milk pods have a bunch of other stuff added to them that I was never too thrilled about drinking. I’d rather add my stevia or Swerve Sweetener and avoid the unnecessary calories from added sugar and fillers. Now if only Starbucks would come up with soy, coconut or rice milk pods for those who have to avoid cow’s milk!
For those of you who are concerned about BPA in plastic, the water tank is BPA-free. And if you’re the type to leave your coffee pot on accidentally after leaving the house, the Verismo has an Energy Saving feature that automatically switches to standby after 5 minutes and an auto-off after 30 minutes.
Any drawbacks?
Well, maybe a few minor ones:
You can’t get the Starbucks pods at your local grocery store. However, if you’re used to shopping online, it’s just another thing to add to your normal online purchases for home or the office.
The pod has a habit of slipping through the machine and into the disposal container even before you have the chance to start brewing. This means you have to remove your mug and the drip tray, dig it out, and start all over again. I think the trick is to not push the pod through too quickly but let it fall gently.
No you can’t use Starbucks Keurig pods in the machine. This kept being mentioned in the online reviews, which is why I bring it up. My answer is, “Duh!”
You’ll need to buy a pod storage holder if you don’t want to keep the boxes of pods on the counter. I purchased the Nifty Home Products Drawer that holds 32 Starbucks Verismo capsules on Amazon. (Staples also sells the Nifty Home Product Drawer , but for a few dollars more.) The 32 capsule size is perfect for the Verismo 580 and since it fits under the machine, it doesn’t take up too much more counter space.
All in all, I heartily recommend the Verismo 590 brewing system for Starbucks coffee fans looking to buy an inexpensive and easy to us single cup coffee brewing system.