(OLDEST TO NEWEST - Scroll down to the bottom for 2020)
These are products I've gathered through the years on sale or a good buy and are not 'top of the line' due to budget constraints. However, they have all been great purchases and I use all of them. Some of the products are no longer made - so in that case, I found the closest item (usually just an updated model) and I will note that below.
Here is what you will find the Coffee Talking House;
(Links are through Amazon if you want to read further or purchase - except one link to Best Buy, which I have no affiliation with but that's where I got mine and I don't see a brand name on mine so I can't look it up on Amazon.)
Newest updates are at the bottom.
"We first bought a Keurig in 2005? or 2006? We've never been without one since -
although we've gone through perhaps 5 (?) of them as they used to tend
to break down easily. One lasted just 2 weeks. I think Keurig improved
some of those glitches as we've had this one for almost 3 years now
with no problems. We buy k-cups but also have resealable k-cups to
use our own ground coffee - to save money & not send plastic to the landfills.
Because we love our Keurig so much, two brothers became Keurig owners and
we all went together to get one for my parents for Christmas a couple years ago."
Update: We gave this one to our son when he moved out. He's still using it - (2019).
Keurig Brewing System
- 1500-watt single-cup brewing system for gourmet coffee, tea, or cocoa
- Uses patented K-Cups; no messy grinding or clean up
- Removable 48-ounce water reservoir; removable drip tray
- 3 brew-size options; 2-hour automatic shut-off; descale indicator
- Brewer requires 4 minutes of priming before being ready to use. See Product Manual below
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"We liked our Keurig so much that when traveling, the hotel coffee was hardly drinkable.
(Not to mention only giving you 1 or 2 little packets to brew.)
After bringing our large sized Keurig with us one year on a trip to the beach in 2010,
we opted to purchase a 'mini' model which we keep for traveling.
It goes into our suitcase and we never have to drink horrible hotel coffee!"
Update: We gave this one to our oldest daughter when she went to college. She replaced it with a bigger model and I'm not sure where this one went after that! 
Keurig Mini Plus Single Cup Personal Brewer
- Black exterior
- Includes a 6 count K-Cup variety pack
- Cup size options: 6, 8, or 10 ounces
- Brews in under two minutes
- 1,425 Watts and 120VAC/60Hz
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"When we have coffee-drinking guests visiting for a week or weekend,
we found we were going through a lot of k-cups! Having a pot
of coffee makes more sense (Now they have a Keurig 2 'pot' version
but they hadn't came out with that yet when we bought our coffee pots.)
This is a Mr. Coffee maker - very simple and typical but when we
are serving coffee to 4, 6 or 8 people, this is nice to have as a backup to the Keurig."
Update: One of our daughters borrowed this one and accidentally broke the carafe when washing it in the sink.
Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black
- 2-Hour auto shut-off keeps your coffee hot for two hours and then automatically shuts itself off
- Removable filter basket lifts out for fast and easy filling and cleaning
- Brewing pause 'n serve lets you pour a cup of coffee while the coffeemaker is still brewing
- Dual water window shows the amount of water in the reservoir for accurate filling
- Cord storage safely stores excess cord to keep your counter neat
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"We have a second cheap back-up coffee maker that I didn't
see a brand name on, but I knew I had got it dirt cheap
at Best Buy when I was ordering another product and had a credit
to use up. I looked for it this morning and didn't see the 10 cup model,
but even better; they have a 12 cup model that as of this morning was available
for just $7.99. I think regular price is only $15 so it's a steal either way!"
Update: my son needed a coffee maker so we gave him this one. He's used it for 1 1/2 years
now and it's still going strong! Not bad for a cheap little coffee maker!
Update: my son needed a coffee maker so we gave him this one. He's used it for 1 1/2 years
now and it's still going strong! Not bad for a cheap little coffee maker!
12 Cup Coffee Maker from Best Buy (As of 2017 no longer available but they do have similar models!) Update: This carafe got broken and because they were no longer made, and it was so cheap to begin with, I think it simply got thrown out. We don't have anymore, one way or another!
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"We own two of this Mr. Coffee single serve brewer style!
It works with Keurig k-cups. We bought the first one
for my husbands office at work and he liked it so well
we bought a second for our daughter to take to college."
(We almost bought a 3rd for our kitchen after our last Keurig broke but I decided to
try a new brand out - see the update at the bottom of this post to see the one we bought!)
we bought a second for our daughter to take to college."
(We almost bought a 3rd for our kitchen after our last Keurig broke but I decided to
try a new brand out - see the update at the bottom of this post to see the one we bought!)
Mr. Coffee Single Serve Coffee Brewer 24-Ounce, Black
- Powered by Keurig Brewed technology for coffeehouse quality at home
- Uses Keurig K-Cup packs
- Removable 24-ounce water reservoir for multiple brews without refilling
- 2 brew-size options (6-ouce or 10-ounce)
- Removable drip tray for larger cups or travel mugs
Update: My husband is still using this one at work and our youngest daughter that took hers to college used it after she graduated in 2014 until 2019, when it was upgraded to a full size (more on that below).
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"Yes, we own a coffee urn! It's a 42 cup capacity and works
great for hosting a gathering at the house; whether it's a morning
coffee group or a Baptism or Graduation reception, etc. I actually have
this in mind for the next time a large group of family comes to visit. With 8 coffee
drinkers, this urn not only will have plenty of good, hot coffee for morning
but will keep hot coffee going all morning long - leaving me free to visit and not worry about it."
Hamilton Beach 42-Cup Coffee Urn
- Makes 12 to 42 cups
- Ready-to-serve light
- Easy to fill
- 2-way dispenser
- Product Built to North American Electrical Standards
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"One of my favorite coffee appliances! This was a prize I won and I had never
seen or heard of it before I received one. It quickly became a huge hit in our house!
Not only does it make amazing and incredible frozen coffee drinks, but I use it without the
brewing option to make icee's and slushy drinks too! The iced coffee frappe drinks
I make with this are unlimited It's a product I LOVE and wish more people knew about it."
Update: 2019 - The carafe portion fell on the ceramic tile floor and the top broke off. Thankfully you can still get parts from the company website! I ordered a new carafe, and I've been using it 1-2 times a day to blend ice for slushies, etc. not only iced coffee!
Mr. Coffee Frappe Maker
- Frappe maker brews and blends at the touch of a button
- Cross between a coffee machine and a blender
- Removable brew basket; "pulse" button for control over consistency
- 20-ounce dishwasher-safe blending jar; small footprint
- Uses 4-cup basket coffee filters (not included)
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"I own a Melitta espresso and cappuccino machine but I got mine back in
December of 2006 (?) and although I love it and it still works perfectly for me,
they don't make this model anymore. Actually, the newer models are pretty
cool looking and look just like what you find in coffee shops. It brews the espresso,
it also has a steam wand so I froth my own milk - it's powerful, hot and delicious.
The cappuccino's I brew remind me of the same drinks I had when I visited Italy."
Update: 2016 and it's still going strong. Love the Melitta brand!
Update: 2016 and it's still going strong. Love the Melitta brand!
Update 2019: I still own it, it still works great but I don't use it often as I typically brew my morning at 4 and 6 ounce anyway and love it strong, hot and black. But this is still a favorite, and guests love it when they visit. 
My Melitta 4-Cup Cappuccino Espresso Maker that they don't make anymore is long gone, but they do have newer versions that look waaay more impressive than mine anyway! Ha ha.
Melitta Espresso Maker
- Powerful 15 bar Italian Pump
- Slide and Lock filter holder is specifically designed for fast, easy use
- Removable water reservoir
- Uses easy serve espresso pods or ground espresso
- Heats water quickly to provide hot water on demand
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"I have sung praises of my French Press Travel Mug on my blog
numerous times as well as on Twitter. I bought it thinking I'd use it
when camping but it actually is used at least a couple times a week in my own kitchen!
I put the coffee in, and then simply use the 10 oz. capacity on my Keurig brewer
to add piping hot 192 degree water straight into the mug. I do this twice (for 20 oz.),
and carry it into the office with me with an empty mug.
I pour from my French Press into my mug for piping hot, fresh,
French Press brewed coffee. Love it."
GSI Outdoors 30 oz Java Press - Blue
- 30 oz french press coffee maker that is simple and portable
- Crystal-clear, BPA-Free Carafe is lightweight and shatter-resistant allowing you to enjoy French Press coffee anywhere
- Double-walled, insulated lid holds in temperature while brewing and serving
- Silicone ring plunger design virtually eliminates coffee 'blow-by' for the most flavorful, mud-free coffee.
- Insulating EVA sleeve removes easily for cleaning.
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"My camping coffee pot! The reason I love these is not just because they heat up so
quickly and make amazing tasting fresh coffee, but the clear knob on top let's you see
the coffee go from water to a deep, dark brown so you know when it's ready and
the little wire handle on the back makes it easy to pour.
Regular handles get far too hot over a fire but this style let's you grab
the top wire handle with one hand and you can use a stick or your fingers to grab
the little hook on the back to tip it. Love this little pot!"
Aluminum Camper-Feets Percolator Coffee Pot
- Made of durable, rustproof, high gloss Polished Aluminum
- Percolator stem and basket included
- Comes with top and side handles
- Easy pour spout
- Heats quickly
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UPDATED 2016: After our Keurig started to leak terribly (I was patient and lived with it for a few months but it got to the point we were setting it on kitchen towels and some days it soaked 2 towels as it tried to suck in fresh water to the tank but only 1/4 of the water was making it. The rest would run out the bottom - even though the hose was still inserted into the machine, it was leaking farther up than I could see) ANYWAY! After a lot of research and pricing I just decided to bite the bullet and we are now giving the iCoffee brand a go.
UPDATED 2016:January 2018 - this is still our daily most-used coffee maker. It's held up great and works awesome. We haven't gotten any new coffee makers or brewers lately because honestly we've been so happy with this one. Unfortunately, it seems they suddenly and unexpectedly stopped making them. (Like - closed up shop in the middle of the night type thing). I have no answers, but I know you can't easily find them any more. That's a shame, because their 'spin' technology made an excellent cup of coffee. I can only hope they sell/sold that patent to another company and someone else will take over making a good competitor to Keurig using that same 'spin' brew.
January 2020 - this is still in our kitchen, still being used daily and it's my favorite brewer in the house. I love the spin technology and love that I can brew 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. at the push of the button. I find myself angry with the company for disappearing overnight. They had a great product.
 |
| You can't find them very easily anymore but this was it. |
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2019
Our iCoffee (that you can't buy anymore) is still going strong and brewing like a champ in the kitchen but this year we added TWO new Keurigs to the household(s).One of our daughters was married this summer and for the reception we wanted a self-serve coffee bar. I ordered two of the classic Keurigs for the wedding reception, knowing that they would get used one way or another afterwards.
The classics have really come down in cost and are super affordable. You can get these for about $99 (link included).
Oh! And I was right about using them after the reception! One went to the newly married couple as a gift and the 2nd is sitting right next to me at this moment... in my office!
Keurig K50 The All Purposed Coffee Maker, Black
- Brews multiple K-Cup Pod sizes: (6, 8, 10 ounce) The most popular K-Cup Pod brew sizes. Use the 6 ounce brew size to achieve the strongest brew
- Large 48 ounce water reservoir: allows you to brew 6+ cups before having to refill, saving you time and simplifying your morning routine. The water reservoir is removable, making it easy to refill whenever you need to
- Simple button controls: just insert a Pod, select your desired brew size, and brew a fresh, great tasting cup in under a minute. Brew Time: Less than a minute
- Descaling: an important part of cleaning your Keurig brewer. This process helps to remove calcium deposits, or scale, that can build up inside a Coffee maker over time. Please refer to our descaling video for step by step instructions
- Auto off: an auto off feature is easily programmed to turn off your Coffee maker after it has been idle for two hours, helping to save energy.Removable Drip Tray
2020
And the latest! After one of Keurig's started to dispense water/coffee and would not stop... as in, literally would not stop - I finally gave in and got a coffee maker I had been looking at and thinking about but hadn't purchased yet. The CUISINART! I went with the single brew that did NOT have the option of a pot of coffee as well because we never use the drip option and if we want to, we have many other coffee makers here that can do that. I wanted a single serve brewer that was NOT a Keurig, with a large water reservoir. And I got it.
2020
2021
Unfortunately - yet another because yet another machine would give me 12-14 oz. when I pushed a button for 6 oz. It was a coffee emergency so I went to one of the few stores open today (It's Easter Sunday as I post this) and got whatever they had on hand.
I got this one - but not in red. In black. The red was $12 cheaper but I just couldn't live with looking at a bright red coffee brewer in my (cream white and wood) office every day. So I got black.
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I also added TWO different brands/versions of these SELF HEATING tumblers!I make a lot of cross country road trips as well as camping trips so I finally decided to stop debating about these and just try them.I have two brands, that are basically the same, but the 2nd brand was on clearance because they aren't selling them anymore. The Magic Cook brand and a second Barocook version are though!
Magic Cook Triple Layers Bottle Tumbler Cup with 11 Refill Leaked Proof Sealed
- Traveling cup with options to heat up anytime, anywhere without fire, gas and electricity
- Water activated heat packs which can generate heat of up to 203 F Degree
- Magic Cook Heat Packs 20g works with Magic Cook Cup Cooker
- Compact lightweight and durable
- Materials Container: Stainless & Triton Durable Copolyester
- Includes 11 Refill Heat Packs