MixCups Review: April 2015

Now that Crafty has introduced me to the wonderful world of the reusable K-cup, I have been drinking a lot more whole bean coffee. Still, there are times when even that is too much work and MixCups comes in great for those times! I skipped last month because I had my Bean Box delivery coming, but this arrived in good time as I am down to my last K-cups. 

Blue Moby Coffee Review by Crafty (March 2015)

This review has taken me a while to get around to, because, to be completely honest with you all, it wasn't until Boxy brought it up this morning that I remembered I still had two of the four coffees to try so that I could review them!

Here's the scoop on Blue Moby Coffee. Blue Moby is a subscription box coffee service that will provide you with four different coffees from around the world for $17.99 plus $1 for shipping, which is awesome. The other thing that is unique to Blue Moby is that, each month, they choose a nonprofit and give back 10% of everything you purchase. The March nonprofit was Bring Love In, an organization located in Ethiopia that pairs widows with orphans to build new families, or as they call them, "forever families." Boxy mentioned before in her Causebox post that some people say they would rather donate to the organization directly but few do. Blue Moby offers you a way to do good, and get great coffee in return!

Boxy's Kitchen Supreme French Press Review

Recently, Crafty tried her own French Press for the first time, and I knew I had my own to review from Kitchen Supreme. She was new to the concept entirely, but I have actually used a French press for a very long time - since high school, in fact. I am slow in getting this review up just because with the move, I have been in a state of constant chaos!

In theory, I think a French press really is the way to go when drinking coffee, although I admit I do love the convenience of something like a Keurig. However, a French press has a ton of benefits, including the fact that it makes the best possible coffee if done correctly. It's a bit more complicated to get it perfect, of course, but once you do, you can't beat the flavor.

Another reason I always loved my French press was simply that it was allowed in my dorm. I worked at a cafe in high school and then for a while in college, so when I went away to school, I wanted coffee at the ready. I didn't feel like trekking over to the college center to get it in the cafeteria when my classes were in the opposite direction. My university didn't have a giant campus, but it gets cold up here and roaming around at 8 am without coffee? No. Of course, the dorm was about 200 years old and we weren't allowed to have anything that could be a potential fire hazard. There was a coffee maker in the kitchen in the dorm, but this was before the days of Keurig and you just didn't want to drink from a communal coffee pot. So the French press was great, because I could walk to the kitchen down the hall, heat my water, and bring it back, letting my coffee brew while I showered. No electricity needed and no fire hazard.

It's been a long time since I have owned a French press, or at least a usable one. I have a decorative one that was expensive that I bought with a full week's pay when I worked at the cafe, but that has never been used. So this came at a great time. My old one broke in one of the moves after college and I just never replaced it.

Francois et Mimi French Coffee Press Review

"A what? How do I use that?"

Those were my first questions to Boxy when she said I was getting a French press to review (she is getting her own and reviewing later this month). She humored me, though, and explained what a French press is, as well as why it's actually her favorite method of brewing coffee. Then I was excited because I LOVE coffee!

My Francois et Mimi French Press arrived on my doorstep and I was still nervous, yet now also excited to try it out.

Bean Box Review: March 2015

After Crafty tried Bean Box last month for review, I decided to sign up for my own subscription. She had sent me some reusable K-cups and now I can have more variety in my coffee. All of the coffees from Bean Box are from Seattle-based roasters.

I was excited to see that the packs were freshly roasted and contained all the info I would need to decide what to try each time. I also love that it's whole bean coffee, since I was able to make a single cup of each for this review but have more to enjoy later!

Product Review: Reusable K-Cup from Melitta

Since I'm the only person in the house to drink coffee and I rarely drink more than a cup or a two a time, a regular coffee pot is somewhat useless to me. So I've had my Keurig for a long time and I do really enjoy its convenience. On the other hand, I'm bothered by the waste, not to mention that I'm limited to drinking coffee available in K-cups. I'm actually quite the coffee expert, having worked in cafes and in roasting for some time, and I have a grinder for whole beans but no place to use the ground coffee. 

Bean Box Review by Crafty: February 2015

This month I had the pleasure of trying Bean Box.  I was excited to receive this box for review because I LOVE coffee, and I pretty much drink it all day long.

In this box, I received four different coffees from four different companies. One of the things that stands out about Bean Box is that they feature only independent roasters from Seattle. Both Boxy and I love when companies take time to showcase smaller companies and individuals.

My box arrived beautifully wrapped with pink tissue paper and all four bags of coffee neatly tucked away underneath. Also in the box was a chocolate strawberry candy, which was delicious!

MixCups Review: February 2015

They're not environmentally friendly, but Keurig coffee makers are useful, especially when you're like me and are the only coffee drinker in the house. Making a whole pot is usually useless so I find the one cup machines helpful. Getting the K-cups can be expensive, and you are limited in trying many varieties, though, because it's hard to spend $10 or more if you aren't sure you'll like a flavor.

That's where MixCups comes in. They have several plans, including decaf and tea plans if you prefer those, and their most popular options are either a 10 cup or 30 cup box. I started with the ten, which is one of each flavor (five flavored and five not, although you can get only nonflavored if you like). However, I went through those fast so I signed up for 30. I still have a few left over from last month, but I also have several of my own boxes I got for Christmas in the cabinet. This is a good option for me, because you still get the ten flavors, but three of each. Again, if you hate a flavor, you're only stuck with those three cups rather than a box.

Another thing I like is that you are introduced to different brewers and these are usually companies you wouldn't find in regular stores. I love the companies I've gotten and I get excited now when I see new cups from them.

Francois et Mimi Stacking Mug Set with Rack

I received the Francois et Mimi stacking mug set with rack for review in the mail the other day. In our house, we LOVE coffee, hot chocolate, and even tea on occasion. Having more mugs in the house, therefore, is never a bad thing, and one that comes with its own rack for holding them is awesome.

This set comes with four mugs and a metal wire rack to store them. Each mug is 12 oz., which is bigger than the mugs we have that came with our dishes. I really like the fact that they are larger since it seems like we never have enough coffee in one of the regular mugs.

One of the other things I really liked about these mugs were the colors. They are each uniquely painted, with a different color for the mug, the handle, and even the bottom of the mug.  The colors are not too bright, and they add a little excitement to your kitchen counter.

Mixcups Review: January 2015

I'm the only person in my house who drinks coffee, which makes it somewhat tough to buy and drink a variety of new coffees. So I use the Keurig because it gives me a chance to sample lots of brands and flavors without committing to a bag that no one else will touch.

Mixcups is a provider of small brand coffee K-cups. They have two basic subscription plans - 10 cups a month (mini) or the regular box of 30. Both include ten flavors, but the regular box includes three cups of each, so you essentially get a cup of coffee a day. For some people, that is nowhere near enough, but it's perfect for me. There are also create your own options and more filtered choices like sweet or decaf or bold, etc. The monthly mix has three options - coffee mix, coffee (nonflavored only), and tea. I'm not a big flavored coffee drinker, but I like trying it once in a while. In fact, last month's Vanilla Skyline by Brooklyn Bean was amazing!

Little Miss Crafty gets her first box - and it's Motorhead Coffee!

What is Motorhead Coffee?  It is, as their site says, an artisan coffee subscription service delivered monthly. If you ask me, it's simply an amazingly flavorful coffee that not only tastes great but awakens your senses as you brew it - and your taste buds as you drink it. Since Boxy and I live in different states and are unable to share products from boxes, I want to thank her for having me receive this box for review from Motorhead! She has a Keurig, and her husband isn't a coffee drinker so we agreed I would be able to review quicker in this case (and I did so ignore any hyperactivity on my part!)

Box full of coffee makes a happy Crafty.