This Budget-Friendly Coffee Machine Is My Secret to Making Café-Quality Frappes at Home (It Saves Me So Much Money!)
As long as it has a healthy amount of sugar and milk in it, I love coffee in all of its forms, but there’s something about cold coffee that’s particularly appealing. Even during the winter months, you’ll likely find me carrying around an icy brew over a hot one, and now that warmer weather has arrived, it’s basically glued to my hand. Up until recently, I’ll admit that I was sourcing my iced coffee and frappuccinos from a shop rather than at home, but now that I’ve swapped my classic Keurig for a Mr. Coffee machine, everything has changed.
First, I tried the brand’s budget-friendly, 4-in-1 Latte Lux Maker, which totally blew me away. I didn’t think that it could get any better, but I found another model that proved me wrong. They have a 3-in-1 machine that includes a built-in blender, which whips up barista-quality frappuccinos in minutes (along with hot and iced coffee, too). Read on to find out why I’m going to use it every day this summer — actually, every day this year.
Mr. Coffee 3-in-1 Single-Serve Frappe
A Quick Look At Mr. Coffee’s 3-in-1 Single-Serve Frappe, Iced & Hot Coffee Maker
Three functions — frozen, iced, and hot coffee — all in one compact design
Built-in blender and automatic blending cycle for perfect frappes
Measuring system and scoop guarantee the correct ratio of water, coffee, and ice
Fast brewing, with the longest frappe function taking about five minutes from start to finish
Includes two reusable tumblers with measurement guidelines
Design Features That Stand Out
As you might’ve already guessed from my frequent coffee shop visits, I’m no barista or coffee snob. I’m all about convenience and ease, at least right now, and this Mr. Coffee machine offers that in spades. It only has four buttons — hot brew, over ice, blend, and pulse — and the water reservoir and single-serve reusable filter (no wasteful pods here!) are accessible at the top. There’s virtually no chance of messing anything up, since every piece is marked with the correct measurements along the way, including the blender, the scoops, and the tumblers. The guided ratios ensure optimal taste, though you can definitely adjust a little bit depending on how strong you like your brew. The same goes for when it comes time to actually do the blending, because once you press the button, it’ll give your frappe the perfect consistency. It’ll create iced and hot coffee and frappes anywhere from six to 16 ounces.
How It Performed
After following the instructions to the letter every time, I have virtually no complaints about this affordable coffee maker. Of course, I’ve been using the frappe mode way more often than the other two, simply because I love an icy drink. As great as the iced and hot functions are, it’s almost as easy and fast to make a frappuccino, so I’ll opt for that nearly every time. All of Mr. Coffee’s measurements and ratios have delivered perfect results thus far, and the pre-programmed blending option replicates a similar consistency to Starbucks’ frappes. (I don’t trust myself to achieve the same with my regular blender.) The blender is more powerful than I expected, too; so far, I haven’t had any uncrushed ice cubes in my drink. From beginning to end, it typically takes me a little over five minutes to make a frappe. The brewing is complete in about three or four minutes, while the blending takes a minute or so.
What We Loved
It has a foolproof design: This machine is perfect for those who favor simplicity and ease when it comes to their morning brews. With four buttons, pre-programmed features, and guided ratios at every step, you can make hot and iced coffee and frappes in your sleep.
The frappuccino function puts it over the top: If you’re an icy drink lover, this is the brewer for you. With hardly any effort required, you can have coffee shop-quality frappes in minutes, without the $5-plus price tag.
Good to Know
If you don’t have an ice maker, it does require a little more time and effort to get the cubes out of your mold and into the blender, but I’ve been ice maker-less for so long that I’m used to it at this point. Another important thing to note is that the blender is definitely not quiet. Be warned that if you make your coffee early in the morning and share your space with others, they’ll probably wake up from the noise (I’m speaking from experience here).
Should You Buy the Mr. Coffee 3-in-1 Single-Serve Frappe, Iced & Hot Coffee Maker?
You should grab this budget-friendly brewer if you’re looking to:
Save money by cutting out coffee shop runs
Make quality beverages without too many steps or taking up too much time
Whip up refreshing, icy brews all summer long
