Back to Basics CM300BR Cocoa-Latte Chrome 32-Ounce Hot-Drink Maker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Back to Basics CM300BR Cocoa-Latte Chrome 32-Ounce Hot-Drink Maker
Customer Review: Makes tasty chai and hot chocolate, but a pain to clean
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this Hot Drink Maker for two reasons: The $3.50 I spend on chai every morning at the local coffee shop adds up very quickly on a graduate school stipend; and when I want instant chai or hot chocolate at home, I end up with a gritty drink, since the powder doesn't dissolve well in soy milk. With this product, I save money and get deliciously smooth coffee shop-tasting chai and hot chocolate.
My only gripe is that it's not as simple to clean as I had expected. I'm a put-it-in-the-dishwasher sorta girl, and this is not a dishwasher-safe product, which is not explained in the product specs. Despite using the techniques described in previous reviews (rinse with warm soapy water), I still find myself scrubbing the plastic container. Residue collects at the bottom of the "non-stick heating surface," which could be due to the soy milk or chai mix I use. I do wish it was simpler to clean; I'd use this more often if that was the case.
Because it's not a simple-to-clean product, I can't convince my fiance that this was a good buy, despite the fact that he agrees that now our chai and hot chocolate made at home taste as good as our favorite coffee shop.
Customer Review: Just plan phenomenal
Summary: 5 Stars
The best thing about this hot chocolate maker is that you can just turn it on, add the ingredients, and BAM, awesome hot chocolate. I am not a coffee drink, however, I love hot coco. So two years ago my wife bought me one of these machines. It was just the other day that I had my first instant hot chocolate in a very long time, and there is a huge difference.
The device comes with a booklet of about a dozen recipes for hot chocolate, however, you can do cider, punch and other stuff in this maker. Each recipe makes the hot chocolate super creamy, and in my opinion, the perfect temperature. The device does last a long time as I am going on my third year with the same machine. It is easy to clean (as long as you don't let it sit out after using) and simple to put together.
There have been reviews stating how short the cord is, however, the cord is the same length as all my other kitchen appliances. It is not dish washer safe, though I think putting in the dishwasher would be pointless as it is that easy to clean. Overall I am happy with this machine, and I plan on buying it for some people I know for Christmas.
Customer Review: does what I purchased it to do
Summary: 4 Stars
It works. It is also easy to clean. Big bonus there! I had bought this little machine for my hot chocolate loving boyfriend in the fall. And then when the doctor told me to stop coffee, I switched to chai. And borrowed his machine to keep my chai hot and flowing. See, I've fallen in love with Bhakti chai. It is fresh, organic, and all ready to go, just heat up and add whatever "milk" you like (in my case, vanilla almond milk). His machine worked perfectly! But he wanted his back. I hesitated ordering mine for just my chai, when really, how lazy am I, I could just heat it up in a saucepan stove top... But I decided I was in fact quite lazy and didn't want to have to drink my hot chai burned, boiling over, cold, with a skin, etc etc. My only real sadness is that unless you enjoy instant tea/coffee, there doesn't seem much else to do with it. It's work to brew espresso and then pour that in then add "milk" etc.... but I've done that too when there's company over and I need to keep coffee hot. I've only a little one cupper. So, like I said, it does exactly what I purchased it to do. The only drawback is my lack of imagination....Customer Review: Almost Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I as given this as a gift for xmas and use it everyday. I personally like the temperature of the drink as it is hot enought to require gentle blowing, but not so hot that you scald your tongue. I use it for cocoa, chai tea, and warm drinks. Like others said, it is supposed to hold 4 cups, but if you go above three it will spill over the top when it starts to foam. I tend to do 2 cups at a time, so this is not a huge issue for me. I like that it stays hot as long as it is plugged in so I can make one batch of tea and have some in the morning and then later in the day. I find that it is plenty frothy as well. I do agree with others that cleaning is an issue. With mine, the tea and cocoa tend to leave a residue on the bottom which is hard to clean since you can't submerge it. Not the best design in regard to that. It is loud, but I put my ingrediants in and then go and take a shower so I don't really hear it. You can do coffee, teac, cocoa, warm cider, hot toddy's etc in this little pot. Overall, I like having it and it for the price is a nice little appliance to have if you like hot drinks.Customer Review: Great for entertaining or just for relaxing evenings
Summary: 4 Stars
We've had this drink mixer for 3 years now and it still works great. It has always been a big hit at holiday parties and family get togethers that last long into the night.
To me, the temperature is just about perfect. No worries about buring your tongue on molten hot chocolate, but it is warm enough to chase the chill out of a cold day.
We have used instant coffee, lattes, and hot cocoa mixes and all the drinks have come out great. The instant latte mix is extra fun because of the froth feature on the machine, its almost like having a barista in your home.
First time users should be careful not to overflow the machine! We have filled it just centimeters above the max fill line and sent hot chocolate flying all over the room.
Cleaning is easy, the spigot screws off for easy rinsing and the base can be wiped clean with a washcloth. Generally, it is not too messy.
The only draw back is that it is a little bulky and therefore difficult for us to store in our smaaaaaal kitchen, but all-in-all I think its worth the space it takes up!