Melitta Ready Set Joe - The No Fuss Single Cup Small Coffee Maker

In it's most basic form, a cup of coffee is derived by using a specific amount of water to extract oils and flavor compounds from a specific amount of ground coffee beans. While the process is actually much more complex, most people aren't concerned with the details.

They simply want a great cup of coffee without a lot of fuss and fancy equipment. For these people there is no better alternative than a Melitta Ready Set Joe filter cone for the ultimate in simplicity and economy. While the Melitta doesn't come with any fancy buttons or flashing lights, it is quite capable of producing a fantastic cup of coffee at a very attractive price. The following article will serve to outline the pros and cons of this fantastic little piece of coffee hardware.

The Pros

The Melitta Ready Set Joe is extremely easy to set up and use.

Its only requirements are freshly ground coffee beans, water heated to about 200F and your favorite coffee mug. Simply place the device directly over your mug, insert a filter inside the cone, place a specified amount of coffee in the filter and pour the preheated water over the grounds. The water will infuse the grounds and extract the flavors into your mug for your drinking pleasure. With fresh beans that are ground immediately prior to brewing using a conical burr grinder, the results can be truly amazing for a brewing device priced at under $10.00. Another great feature of the Melitta Ready Set Joe is its portability; it can be taken to work, to the campground or on an overnight backpacking trip with ease. Perhaps more than any other small coffee maker, the Ready Set Joe takes up very little space and can be easily packed away when not in use.

The Cons

Because the Ready Set Joe is a completely manual device, it will not keep the coffee hot after brewing, since it doesn't contain a hot plate. However, this can be seen as a positive if you're not interested in having your freshly brewed coffee burned by the "burner." The device also requires that you have access to very hot water (between 195 and 205F), so it may not always be a convenient method for brewing unless you have access to a stove or an electric kettle.