Author
Nora Pell
Hi, I'm Nora Pell, and I write the guides on Kettle Nook. Each one points you to the coffee or tea gear I'd buy, so you buy once and enjoy it every morning.
Guides by Nora Pell
Coffee BarThe Best Half Caff CoffeeSix half caff coffees from about 75 cents to $1.70 an ounce, dark or mellow, ground or whole bean, with about half the caffeine of your usual cup.Tea & MatchaOolong Tea vs Green Tea: What's the Difference?They come from the same plant. What changes is how far the leaf is left to oxidize, and that changes how the cup tastes and how you should brew it.
Tea & MatchaSachet vs Tea Bag vs Loose Leaf Tea: What's the Difference?Same plant, three ways to buy it. What's inside each, what a cup costs when one tea comes all three ways, and which one I'd keep in the cupboard.
Tea & MatchaJasmine vs Oolong Tea: What's the Difference?One is a kind of tea, the other is a flower scent added to tea, usually green. Here's how they taste, which one has more caffeine, how to brew each, and the cup that's both.Coffee BarThe Best Coffee SyrupsMonin Vanilla for everyday lattes, a four-bottle Torani set, two sugar-free picks, chocolate for mochas, pumpkin spice and salted caramel, from about $6 to $32.Coffee BarThe Best K-CupsCaribou for every morning, a mellow Green Mountain, a dark roast with a jolt, a decaf made with water and a cinnamon roll in a mug: seven K-Cups at about 58 cents to $1.10 a pod.
Coffee MakersPercolator vs Drip Coffee: Which One Should You Get?A drip machine runs water through the grounds once. A percolator keeps sending it back through. Here's what that does to your cup, and which pot to buy.
EspressoThe Best Coffee Beans for EspressoSeven bags from about $13 to $28, whole bean and pre-ground, for lattes, straight shots and the machine you already own.
Know-HowThe Best Way to Make Coffee at HomeWhich brewer fits your mornings, how the seven common methods differ in the cup, and the four habits that make any of them taste better.
Coffee BarThe Best Gifts for Coffee LoversDon't know what they own? Buy the $60 Atlas sampler. Seven other gifts from $25 to $180, with a basket, an advent calendar, and picks for a coffee snob or an espresso lover.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Tea Gifts for Tea LoversNot sure what they drink? Buy the $40 Tea Forte box. Seven other gifts and presents from $12 to $70, with samplers, an advent calendar, a teapot and a kettle.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Green TeaEight green teas from about 7 to 67 cents a cup: everyday bags, loose leaf, organic, jasmine and decaf, and how to keep any of them from turning bitter.
Coffee BarThe Best Mushroom CoffeeA few of them taste just like your usual coffee. Others are earthy enough that most people reach for the cream. Here's which is which, and what the mushrooms in a single mug can and can't do.
Coffee MakersThe Best Coffee MakersSeven drip machines from about $30 to about $330, and what the coffee from each one is like on an ordinary weekday morning.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Tea Brands You Can Buy on AmazonMost tea companies are really good at one tea. These are those teas, from a breakfast mug that costs 7 cents to a cinnamon sachet that smells like dessert.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Teas for a Sore ThroatA warm mug won't cure a sore throat, but the right one makes the week easier, and the herb most throat teas share isn't right for everyone.
Tea & MatchaRooibos Iced Tea BenefitsNo caffeine, no bitterness and almost no calories if you skip the sugar. What rooibos has really been shown to do, what's still lab talk, and how to make a pitcher for the fridge.
Tea & MatchaTypes of Chai TeaMasala chai is what most people order, but chai also comes hot with ginger, sweet with cardamom, pink and salty from Kashmir, or with no caffeine at all. The box to start with for each.
Pour-OverPour Over vs French Press: Which Coffee Should You Make?A French press steeps the grounds and pushes them down; a pour-over runs water through them and a paper filter. Here's how the two cups taste, which is better for your cholesterol, and how to brew each.
Tea & MatchaHerbal Tea BenefitsChamomile, peppermint, ginger, hibiscus and three more: what each one is good for, how solid the evidence is, how much to drink, and when to leave it in the cupboard.
Tea & MatchaRosemary Herbal TeaA savory, piney cup that Europe recognizes for indigestion. What the memory studies really gave people, how to brew it from a sprig or a bag, and who should leave it alone.
Coffee BarThe Best Coffee CanistersSix airtight canisters for whole beans, from an $18 vacuum jar to a $70 lid that pumps the air out on its own, sized from one 12 oz bag to a 2-pound sack.
Coffee BarTypes of Coffee BeansAlmost every bag you'll ever buy is arabica, robusta or a mix of the two. Here's how the four species taste, where the other two come from, and a bag to try each one.
Cold BrewThe Best Cold Drip Coffee MakersIce water, a valve and a few hours: what a Kyoto tower makes that a pitcher can't, which one fits under your cabinets, and the Hario that needs no babysitting.
GrindersThe Best Burr Coffee GrindersYour coffee maker only brews what the grinder hands it. An even grind is what takes the bitter edge off and lets the sweetness through, and none of these costs more than about $260.
GrindersCoffee Grind Size ChartWhere each brewer starts, what the grounds should feel like between your fingers, and which way to turn the dial when the cup comes out sour or bitter.
Know-HowSwiss Water Decaf Coffee, ExplainedWater, time and a carbon filter, no solvent. Here's how the caffeine comes out, what's left in your cup, and the bags worth buying.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Herbal Teas for Acid RefluxFive caffeine-free teas for heartburn and reflux, from about 37 to 47 cents a cup, plus the mint, licorice and caffeine teas to leave on the shelf.
Tea & MatchaHow to Make a Matcha Latte, Hot or IcedThree ingredients and about five minutes. Here's the amount of powder, the water temperature that keeps it from turning bitter, and how to make it sweet, iced or without a whisk.
Coffee BarThe Best Instant CoffeeEight instant coffees from about 9 cents to $1.50 a cup: an everyday jar, packets worth carrying, a dark one for iced lattes, a decaf and a 300 mg wake-up, with what owners say about each.
Cold BrewThe Best Cold Brew ConcentratesPour some over ice, add water or milk, and you have cold brew without the overnight wait. How much of each to pour, what a glass costs, how strong it is, and how long an open bottle lasts.
EspressoThe Best Espresso Machines for HomeSeven espresso machines from about $139 to about $995, for beginners, lattes, a built-in grinder or push-button coffee, and what owners report after years of use.
EspressoThe Best Nespresso MachinesSix Nespresso machines from about $99 to about $524, for a big mug of coffee, a straight espresso or a latte, and what owners report after months of use.
EspressoMacchiato vs Latte: What's the Difference?Order a macchiato in Milan and you get a tiny cup. Order one at Starbucks and you get sixteen ounces of vanilla milk with espresso poured on top. Both are easy to make at home once you know which one you're after.
Pour-OverChemex vs V60: Which Pour-Over Should You Buy?Both are hot water poured by hand through a paper filter. The V60 sits on your mug and costs about $12; the Chemex is a glass carafe that pours for three. Here's how they taste, what the filters cost, and how to brew each.
Tea & MatchaTypes of Black TeaMalty Assam, flowery Darjeeling, smoky Lapsang: they're all the same leaf. Here's how they differ in the cup, which ones take milk, and how long to steep them.
EspressoThe Best Decaf Espresso BeansWater, CO2 or sugarcane: how each bag lost its caffeine, and which ones still taste like espresso once the steamed milk goes in.
Know-HowHow to Roast Coffee at HomeA batch takes about fifteen minutes, some smoke, and green coffee at about $10 a pound. What you get is a bag of beans roasted the day you want, as light or dark as you like.
Know-HowIs Decaf Coffee Fattening?Black, it's close to zero. The calories come from the sugar and cream, and here's how much they add.
Coffee MakersThe Best Plastic-Free Coffee MakersSeven brewers that keep plastic away from your hot coffee, what each one makes in the cup, and exactly where the silicone is.
Pour-OverThe Best Pour-Over Coffee MakersA $20 dripper for most kitchens, a $12 cone for light roasts, three that work with any kettle, and a carafe that pours for three.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Herbal Teas for BloatingSix caffeine-free teas for a full, gassy stomach, from 12 to about 47 cents a cup, with what the people who drink them say about the taste.
Coffee BarThe Best Single-Origin Coffee BeansSeven single-origin bags, from Ethiopia to Hawaii and from about $6 to $33, with what each one tastes like and what owners say about it.
Coffee BarThe Best Coffee BeansWhatever you brew in, one of these eight bags was roasted for it: what each tastes like, what a mug costs, and which ones to skip if you take milk.
Coffee MakersMoccamaster Review: Which Model to BuyEvery Moccamaster makes the same coffee. The carafe, the basket and the price are what change, and they decide which one suits your mornings.
Cold BrewHow to Make Cold Brew at HomeIt tastes smoother and rounder than hot coffee poured over ice, and it's mostly waiting. The one real decision is how strong you make it, because that decides the jar.
Cold BrewNitro Cold Brew: What It Is and How to Make It at HomeIt pours like a stout and drinks like coffee with cream in it, with nothing in the glass but coffee and gas. How strong it is, the cans worth buying, and the right gas for a home keg.
EspressoEspresso Beans vs Coffee BeansCan you pull a shot with the bag you use for drip, or brew a pot with espresso beans? Yes to both, and here's what changes in the cup, plus what to look for on the label before you buy.
Know-HowDoes Chai Have Caffeine?All of it comes from the black tea, none from the spices. Here's how much is in your mug or your latte, and which box to keep for the evenings.
Pour-OverHario V60: Which One to Buy, and How to Brew ItIt's the cheapest way to a cup of coffee that tastes like the beans you bought, as long as you get the grind and the pour right. The recipe is further down, in grams.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Matcha WhisksGood foam comes from a quick wrist and a lot of thin bamboo. Here's the whisk to start with, a cheap second one if you want finer froth, and when plastic or a battery wand makes more sense.
Tea & MatchaThe Best Holy Basil (Tulsi) TeasClove, pepper and a cool finish: the tulsi blend to start with, the box that quietly has caffeine in it, and what the research on holy basil does and doesn't show.
Tea & MatchaWhat Is Matcha Made Of?One ingredient, grown in the shade and ground slowly on stone. Why a bowl of it tastes nothing like a green tea bag, and which tin to start with.