You know it makes Senseo. (Philips Senseo)

Member Name: SRowlands

Product:	Philips Senseo
Date:	27/12/05 (1843 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great tasting coffee in 90 seconds

Disadvantages: A little bit on the expensive side / small servings

When I recently received a phone call stating that I'd won a prize in a raffle I'd entered, I was fairly excited. When I found out that I'd won a coffee machine, I was a bit disappointed. (We already have a coffee maker that we rarely use, due to the effort of getting it out the cupboard, setting it up and cleaning it afterwards !).
What I wasn't expecting, however, was the "Phillips Senseo" - the most up to date coffee machine available.

The Senseo hit the shelves in the beginning of July, and is a joint product between electronic manufacturers Phillips and Douwe Egberts, who produce coffee. Their aim is to provide great tasting coffee in a quick and convenient way.

Upon opening the box, you are presented with the coffee machine, a few loose parts and a bag of coffee pods.

The machine itself measures approximately 13" x 12" x 10", and looks very streamlined and modern. It comes in one of three colours - Black, White and Blue.
They have a semi-transparent water reservoir that cleverly sits on the back of the machine, and forms part of the sleek contours of the machine.
The reservoir can hold enough water for around 5 cups of coffee. (Please note the emphasis on cups - mugs are not compatible with this machine).

Setting up the machine is a very simple process.
Before the first use, or after a long period where the machine has not been used, you first need to "flush" the machine. This involves filling the reservoir with water, and then press two buttons. This transfers all the water from the reservoir into a collection bowl, whilst cleaning the machine.
Preparing coffee is just as easy - you simply select the "pod holder" to hold either one or two pods, and slot it in. You then just need to add the coffee pod, and click the lid shut. Then, just press either the "one cup" or "two cup" button.
The machine then draws water from the reservoir, and heats it in around 60 - 90 seconds. It then pumps the hot water through the coffee pod and into your cup.
There is a very handy drip tray which collects any spillages.

By now, you're probably wondering what the heck these "pods" are. Imagine a tea bag, but instead of tea inside, these contain Douwe Egberts ground coffee. Each bag contains the perfect amount of coffee for one cup.
The advantages of these are that they are quick and easy to use, provide the right amount of coffee and after use, you simply remove from the machine and throw away.
There are currently four types of pods available -

Dark Roast - My personal favourite... it produces a strong, aromatic coffee which is as good as any you will get from a coffee house. Perfect first thing in the morning or after a meal.

Medium Roast - This blend is supplied with the machine. It is a lighter coffee that the Dark Roast, and can be drunk at any time.

Mild Roast - A lighter coffee again - not one I'd drink regulary, but shall keep for visitors who prefer a lighter blend.

Decaffinated - A medium blend of coffee, but without the caffine. Again, I shall keep this for visitors !

The pods are sold in bags of 18, at a cost of around £2.00 - £2.70. This represents fairly good value - just over 12p a cup (compared to coffee houses !).
I expect that there will soon be other types available, but at the time of writing this, these are all that are available. *(See update at end of review !) Also, in case you were wondering if you can put tea bags in the machine, the official website and instructions advise against this. Apart from the tea having a strong coffee taste, it may damage the machine !

Cleaning the machine is also very quick and easy. The main parts likely to get dirty are removable (the drip tray, the pod holder and distributor). All these parts can be washed by hand or in a dishwasher. For the machine, a damp cloth efficently cleans it.

The main aim of the Senseo coffee machine is to have fresh, great tasting coffee more readily available. In my opinion it has acheived this aim. The reservior holds enough water for five cups, and you can keep water in there all day if required. It keeps water sufficient for two cups hot for up to an hour, after which it turns itself off (however will reheat the water again within 90 seconds).
Of course, the proof is in the taste of the coffee. The first couple of cups I made had a slight plasticy taste, despite following the "flushing" instructions. I would recommend flushing the machine at least twice before first use.
However, after this, the coffee was great. Whilst it was being produced, the room filled with a lovely, fresh coffee aroma. The coffee was hot, but at just the right temperature to drink within a couple of minutes. The coffee also tasted great - I've already compared it to certain coffee houses, but again, if I was served this in Starbucks or Costa's, I would be very impressed !

I really can't think of anything negative to say about the machine, other than the price. If you are not lucky enough to win one of these machines, it will set you back around £50 - which is quite costly for a coffee machine. In comparison, you could get a combined coffee and capachino machine for the same amount of money.
However, it all comes back to how quick and easy it is to use this machine. I can make a cup of hot, great tasting coffee within two minutes with the Senseo - compared to around 8 - 10 inutes with our other maker. Also, cleaning the Senseo takes around 2 - 3 minutes, compared to 6 - 8 minutes with the other machine.

The Senseo really is a neat gadget that will sit neatly on our working top and get used frequently - unlike so many other kitchen gadgets !

For further information, check out the official website - http://www.senseo.com.

*Update - Well, what do you know ! I have just found some new blends of Douwe Egberts coffee pods for this machine on... eBay ! The new blends are "Vienna", "Milano", "Rio De Janeiro" and "Mocca Gormet". Please note that I have not tried these varieties, and cannot state if they are yet officially available in the UK - but I will probably give them a try !

Summary: The UK's best selling coffee machine (according to the box !)

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Cleaning/Maintenance:
Quality: