I love my morning coffee. And I mean it when I say that I love "coffee": old fashioned, American-style brewed coffee, produced by an electric coffee pot. I've used about a dozen machines over the years to brew my sweet elixir. The Capresso MT500 has my vote hands down for producing the best tasting, most consistent quality coffee ever.

If you're a zealot about filtration, grind technique, water temps, and bean quality you are likely milking some sweet brews from whatever pot you use now. I certainly thought I was before upgrading to the MT500 a little more than a year ago. But, like all things creative, the right tools make all the difference.

Capresso was born in 1994 to fill the coffee-pot gap left by espresso machine manufacturers. Since then, they have been acquired by Jura, a master in brewing technology since the 30's. My thanks to Capresso for building a machine for Americans. I was starting to get used to buying coffee pots made by hair dryer manufacturers

Here's a short list of why the MT500 works so well:
 

1. Stainless Carafe- easy to clean, doesn't drip, doesn't burn coffee post-brew
2. The stylish polished body holds up well and doesn't scratch
3. Brews a full pot quickly, and has a mode to allow longer steeping for smaller quantities
4. Internal Filter that reminds you when it's time to change
5. Filter basket can be taken to the sink with the filter to keep both clean and taste free
6. Programmable, Auto-shut off, clock, etc.
7. stable brew temperature of 201 degrees F- I've measured my basket at 200 on the nose
8. Stainless lined heater element (no aluminum in your coffee)

For an enthusiast, the most important dynamic is the perfect and stable brew temp. The right combo of temp/time makes all the difference in flavor and aroma extraction. With the Capresso MT500, you'll be so well equipped at home you may start skipping the drive-thru at your local coffee shop, saving time, gas, and money - a perfect trifecta. 

Is the Capresso MT500 the perfect coffee maker? Quite possibly.

Full specs can be found at Capresso. You can get it from Williams Sonoma, or buy one online for ~$180 from Amazon.

It seems like the week flies by. Waking the family, readying for work, dressing the kids, packing lunches, knapsacks, messenger bags; finding shoes, car keys, and bike locks....all this before I'm even out the door headed for work. I treasure those one or two slow mornings we seem to squeak in over the weekend. And sometimes, when we're all feeling it (and a parent has gone to market for extra eggs), we bring on the Belgian waffles.

This appliance is one of our well-loved additions to the kitchen. It cooks reliably perfect waffles with its handy timer lights -and pops them out 4-up, every four minutes. (That's 60 per hour for the economy crowd.) We often make extra to store; but I've been known to raid the fridge before they're even cold. Sometimes a daddy has to get a little extra.

The Wafflechef, by Krups. You can find yours for ~$50.