Are you ready for your first WiFi-enabled coffee maker?

I’m surprised it took this long to happen.

After all, Internet-enabled fridges have been around for a while. So why are most coffee makers still stuck in the 1950s? This is particularly true of drip brewers.

So far I have looked into three different coffee makers, each of which is leveraging the advantages of WiFi to some degree.

The first one, which is fairly basic, is the Mr. Coffee Smart Wifi-Enabled WeMo 10-Cup Optimal Brew Coffeemaker.

This is a simple drip brewer and, as far as I can tell, the WiFi connection simply enables you to turn the brewer on from a distance.

In other words, you can start your brewer – using your phone - as you step out of bed, instead of waiting until you get down into the kitchen.

It’s a neat idea, but only scratches the surface of what this technology can provide.

BTW – the Mr. Coffee WiFi brewer is already available at Amazon.com.

The second brewer I’ve found is the Smarter Coffee brewer that will be available in the UK in May 2015.

This is a grind-and brew machine and the remote smartphone control offers a little more.

Yes, you can use your phone to start the brew. But you can also control the grind of the beans and adjust the strength of your coffee. You can even decide on whether to brew one cup of 12 cups, right from your phone

Their website boasts that their brewer spells the demise of baristas.

Not quite. 

But the Arist coffee machine might do just that.

It is a WiFi enabled brewer that makes espresso-based drinks. It grinds its own beans. It has a milk container. It even has a built-in container for flavorings.

Sweetened soy latte? No problem. Cappuccino with a touch of cinnamon? It can do that too.

Better still, it remembers your preferences and even makes suggestions.

And its app is truly social. You can share your own recipes, and get ideas from other coffee lovers and professional baristas on the network.

It even comes with some NFC stickers. (Near Field Communication). If you have a favorite drink you have each day, you can teach the sticker, fix it to the bottom of your favorite mug, and each time you use that mug the Arist will know what to brew for you, automatically.

The Arist is super-cool and for me signals the future for coffee makers of all types. Great coffee, totally social.

The Arist was funded through Kickstarter, and I was one of the lucky investors. Unfortunately, I still have to wait until some time this summer before the first batch of machines are shipped.

When I take delivery of my Arist coffee maker, you can be sure I’ll post a full review.

Beyond that, I’ll be watching this space closely. I think the Arist has got closest to tapping the potential of a coffee maker that can be controlled through a smartphone app, and also be truly social at the same time.

But who knows, maybe there will be some even more exciting launches later in the year.

In the meantime. These social brewers may put a big dent in the plans of companies like Keurig, Tassimo and Nespresso.

Who would want to brag about owning a Keurig 2.0 when their neighbor has a Wi-Fi enabled Arist?

About the author: Nick Usborne, aka Coffee Detective, is a writer and long-time coffee enthusiast. Read more…