Senseo SL7832 Supreme Single Serve Coffee Machine Chrome

The new Senseo SL7832 Supreme Single Cup Coffee Maker in Metallic Chrome is actually made of plastic and coated in silver.

Classed as a gourmet coffee maker, it serves single servings and has features which allow you to customize the strength and flavour of your brew. It sells for $129.99.

You can easily adjust the cup size for 3 oz, 4 oz, 5 oz, 6 oz, 8 oz or 10 oz and have a variety of brewing options ranging from a small espresso to a giant cup of strong or mild frothy coffee, cappuccino or tea.

This coffeemaker has no exposed heating element which is good news for those living in dormitory rooms, retirement and assisted living or nursing homes because they would be allowed them in their rooms.

The water spout is the same height as in the previous model, but now adjusts downwards, not up, meaning it won’t splash when you use a small cup. Although the spout accommodates different sizes coffee cup, a travel mug is too tall and does not fit. The way round that is to put an extra large wider but shorter mug under the machine, brew it, and pour it into your travel mug, dirtying an extra cup in the process.

The larger drip tray under the coffee mug has a split base which eliminates most of the splashing from the still dripping brew head.

A great development is the removable reservoir which holds up to 32 ounces of water, so you don’t have to re-fill it as often. Unfortunately it doesn’t fit very well, and water sometimes leaks out the back.

The modern design and sleek good looks of the Senseo SL7832 Supreme single cup coffee maker enhances the look of your countertop. Measuring 12 inches wide, 8-1/2 inches deep, 13-1/2 inches high and weighing 7 lbs, it is compact and light, but you need vertical clearance between your countertop and cabinets.

Controls for cup size, power and brew modes light up with blue LED lights.

On top of the Senseo coffee machine, the cup size and water temperature are displayed. Indicator lights tell you how much water is in the reservoir, when you are running low and when you need to clean the machine.

Like many other single serve coffeemakers, the Senseo Supreme uses premeasured coffee pods, where you simply peel off the top and drop it in the machine without dealing with sometimes messy coffee grounds. The number of pods you use depends on the flavour you want and the size of mug you use.

Douwe Egberts from Sara Lee supply the 7-12 gram pods which are sold individually or in boxes of 10 or 20. You can buy an assortment pack or all the same kind.

If you prefer to use regular ground coffee with the Senseo, you may but would need the Presto Senseo MyPod Refillable Pod Holder which costs $9.99 from Amazon.

Cleaning is easily done because the drip tray, coffee spout, reservoir, metal cup tray and pod holders pull apart and are dishwasher safe.

The Senseo SL7832 Supreme comes with a single and double coffee pod holder. It features a patented pressure brew head and frothing chamber where hot water is pushed through 5 small holes in the coffee cup or pod. Because the water runs through quickly and brews the coffee so fast, it produces a frothy crema coffee.

You can easily program this pod brewer to produce a cup of coffee by touching the interactive LCD display screen.

Various permutations allow you to customize the coffee to suit your taste:

Choose a single or double pod holder.

Choose a 4 oz or 8 oz brew.

Add water - if you chose 4 oz you can pick 3, 4 or 5 oz of water; if you chose the 8 oz you can pick 6, 8 or 10 oz.

Insert the single or double coffee pod holder and press the brew option button. If you select the double pod holder with two standard 7 gram coffee pods, you get a rich cup of coffee with a frothy top.

Selecting one 7 gram coffee pod and the single pod holder also produces a rich cup of coffee with a frothy top, but in a smaller cup.

If you like your coffee darker, use the double pod holder on the 8 oz size with the new Sumatra Blend coffee pods from Senseo and you get a very good cup of coffee.

It sounds complicated but it's not. The Senseo SL7832 Supreme is easy to use - just push a button. Capable of brewing at 1.2 bars it is super fast at 45 seconds.

The pressure system heats the water up to 205 degrees Fahrenheit so your coffee is very hot.

For those people who have the older Senseo HD7810, the taste of the coffee is the same. But if you decrease the ounce setting and use two coffee pods you get a slightly better brew.

The main disadvantages are its high price tag, the water reservoir doesn't fit as snugly as it should, the machine is made of plastic, a travel mug doesn't fit under the spout, and you have to use two pods to get a decent sized cup of coffee.

The two year warranty gives you peace of mind that in the unlikely event the machine breaks, you will get a replacement. And in the space of two years, a heavy coffee drinker will get a lot of use from the machine.

Currently, this item can be shipped only within the U.S.

Despite the drawbacks, the Senseo SL7832 Supreme coffee maker produces an excellent cup of coffee, allows you to customize your brew easily and is ideal for those who don't need a full pot.