Single serve coffee machines, those that brew one cup at a time, offer several advantages over multiple-cup coffee makers.

While our research indicated that Senseo single serve coffee systems were the most popular, we found that Keurig single serve coffee makers were the most highly rated. Keurig makes several different systems, from the B40, a basic model, to the more advanced B60, all the way up to the Keurig B70, loaded with bells and whistles.  All the Keurig coffee makers use “K-cups,” or “pods,” which are specially made to work with the Keurig coffee systems.  One of the reasons Keurig enjoys such great reviews is that many gourmet coffee, tea, and cocoa manufacturers support its products. You can get K-cups from Green Mountain, Celestial Seasonings, Ghirardelli’s, Diedrich, Timothy’s, Newman’s Own, and many more suppliers of fine coffee.  The K-cups are widely available where consumers shop for fine coffee.

The entry-level Keurig single serve system is the Keurig B40 coffee maker. You can can insert a K-cup into the B40 and select one of two sizes, a 7 1/4 ounce cup size, or a larger 9 1/4 ounce mug, and your coffee will be ready in seconds.  A 48 ounce water reservoir allows you to brew multiple cups of coffee without having to refill the B40.  One reviewer complimented the B40 on “no mess and fuss,” and points out that you can find a wide selection of K-cups online at very reasonable prices.  She and her husband like to have friends over to try the coffee maker, and “our guests are always impressed that they can choose their own blend and flavor.”  Several reviewers gave or received the B40 as a gift, expecting it to find its way into the closet soon after; but instead, they have loved it so much that they ended up using it every day to brew coffee.  “So easy,” wrote one reviewer who is the only coffee drinker in her house.

The Keurig B60 coffee maker offers an additional cup size (a 5 1/4 oz. cup), and also gives you more control over the brewing temperature and time. One Keurig B60 owner points out that you also get “beautiful blue LEDs behind the display and water tank, as well as a polished chrome handle and a polished chrome outer ring to the display.”  Another pointed out that after finishing one cup, the B60 was ready to brew another in only 30 seconds.  Another reviewer went into more detail about the temperature control:  It can be adjusted between 192 degrees and a cooler 187 degrees Fahrenheit in 1-degree increments.  “My kids loved using it for hot chocolate,” wrote the author of another Keurig B60 review.  Another owner notes that you can find the K-cups just about anywhere – “Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears, Macy’s, and even some supermarkets.” Or, if you don’t want to buy K-cups, you can purchase the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter to use any gourmet coffee with the Keurig B60.

The Keurig B70 Coffee Maker offers the most convenience, cup sizes, and brewing options. It adds a 9 1/4 ounced cup and an 11 1/4 ounce sized mug to the options the Keurig B60 offers. The blue backlit 60-ounce reservoir, larger than the other Keurig coffee makers’ 48-ounce reservoir, allows you to brew additional cups of coffee without a refill.  It has an Iced Coffee setting, piping 4 oz. of brew through for an especially strong iced beverage. “The smaller amount of hot liquid gets diluted to exactly the right strength when you add it to ice,” a reviewer wrote.

Another reviewer uses his B70 coffee maker every morning, and estimates his K-cups cost about 60 cents apiece, compared to the $1.93/cup he used to spend every morning at Dunkin’ Donuts. Other reviewers loved the fact that the B70 is programmable.  You can schedule the Keurig B70 to power up and heat the water shortly before everyone wakes up, and schedule it to power down at a later time, after everyone will have had their coffee for the day. As with all the Keurig units, reviewers loved the large number of options available in K-cups, including “a yummy white hot chocolate” and Timothy’s Lemon Blueberry tea among the many options for the non-coffee drinkers in the house.

Amazon carries a large selection of K-cup coffee, tea, and cocoa as well as the Keurig coffee makers themselves.

The Senseo coffee maker uses “pods,” similar to K-cups, to brew single-serve cups of coffee. The Senseo appears to be more popular than the Keurig models, based on the number of reviews written on Amazon and on Google search results; however, the Senseo coffee maker is not quite as highly rated, although still very well liked. In addition to the mild, medium, dark, and decaffeinated pods, specialty pods are available including Paris Vanilla Bistro, Killarney Irish Creamery, Vienna Hazelnut Waltz, Senseo Sumatra, and Senseo Cappuccino. The cappuccino pod is specially designed with the creamer in a separate “honeycomb,” so that it blends with the coffee easily, producing an extra-luxurious drink.  There are also non-Senseo pods available, and several reviewers thought those were much better than the Senseo-brand pods.

A couple of others you may want to consider:

• Bunn MCP My Cafe Professional-Grade Single-Serve Coffee/Tea Machine
• Flavia J10NBK Fusion Drinks Station

Whichever model you choose, you’ll be able to brew exactly the cup of coffee you want, for far less than you would pay at Starbucks or other major coffee chain stores.  Happy drinking!

Among traditional oil-based outdoor turkey fryers, the Bayou Classic turkey fryer has received plenty of high marks. One reviewer had a Thanksgiving taste-test: She prepared a 13 lb. turkey in the Bayou Classic fryer, and her in-laws prepared a traditional oven-based turkey. They had the most honest judges you can find: children. The result? The fried turkey was picked to the bone, while the oven-baked turkey was hardly touched.

Another reviewer commented that setup was simple, and complimented the burner, which was sturdy beyond his expectations. Whether you choose this or one of the other products mentioned here, it’s a great idea to read all the reviews on Amazon to get tips for getting the most out of your turkey frying pot.

By the way, turkey fryers can cook a lot more than just turkey. The book 103 Uses for Your Turkey Fryer lists many more uses for your fryer. Lobster and crawfish boils were mentioned by many turkey fryer reviewers, but the book also shows you how to use the equipment to prepare maple syrup, prime rib, and many other foods you’d never think of putting in the fryer.

A review of another top-rated model, the King Kooker Turkey Fryer, used it for homebrewing. This cooker comes with recipes for blackened, boiled, and fried seafood, as well as for Dutch Oven Jambalaya and for traditional fried foods such as onion rings, fried chicken, and chicken wings. Calling the purchase “as much a cooking school as it is a cooking product,” the manufacturer includes injecting tips to help you make your deep-fried turkey even more full of flavor. If you’ve never had a fried turkey that has been injected with Cajun seasoning, you’ve been missing out.

One thing to consider about traditional outdoor turkey fryers is that they use hot oil, usually peanut oil, to cook. (There are alternatives if you’re allergic to peanuts.) You have to be careful not to spill 350-degree oil on yourself as you cook (especially an issue if you tend to drink a lot of beer while you’re frying ). You also have to figure out a way to dispose of the oil once you’re done – you can’t just pour it down the kitchen sink. The combination of hot oil and open flame also makes it unsafe to use these fryers indoors. Below we’ll look at oil-free and indoor options.

The Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey Fryer by Char-Broil received higher marks overall than any of the oil-based fryers. This patented infrared turkey fryer allows you to not only flavor the bird by injection, but to use rubs and seasoning flavor on the outside as well. A drip pan catches the turkey’s juices, which you can then use as a base for delicious gravy.

People who bought this fryer loved the fact that they didn’t have to deal with oil. They didn’t have to worry about burning themselves, they didn’t have to go buy oil, and of course clean-up was a breeze. One reader was impressed how well the Big Easy cooked wings, rigging up baskets inside to cook 3 dozen at a time. Another reader cooked pork loins, a standing rib roast, and a pork butt, and said “all were great.” Once again, if you buy this product it’s an excellent idea to read all the Amazon reviews to get great cooking advice – there were a few reviewers who were disappointed with the way the meat turned out, and we suspect (based on the many other good reviews) that they didn’t understand how to properly use the cooker.

Another option to consider is the Masterbuilt Electric Turkey Fryer (model 20010406). A digital countertop turkey fryer that is safe to use indoors, the Masterbuilt uses oil but has no open flame. One reviewer praised this model for clean-up, thanks to a convenient bottom spout. Another reviewer’s holiday crawfish boil got rained out, but he still managed to cook delicious shrimp and crawfish indoors, thanks to the Masterbuilt. Another reviewer uses the fryer exclusively for turkeys, and has had it for 3 years without a problem. “It’s all automated,” he wrote. “Punch in the weight of the turkey, and Masterbuilt does the rest.” However, one reviewer commented that the Masterbuilt is not ideal for wings, so if you’re a big wing fan you’d probably be better off with the Big Easy, reviewed above.

Want to look at more? Check out Amazon’s complete supply of turkey and fish fryers. You’re sure to find something that will cook juicy, delicious turkey, and lots of other foods too.