When the alarm goes off at 3:30 am, there are few rational reasons for me to crawl out from under the comforters and start my day. But, since I'm working full time and making do with no childcare, I've switched my California living for East Coast hours, and I'm on the computer, typing away by 4 am.

You want to know what makes these wee hours bearable?

You see that big steamy, frothy cup of coffee coming out of that spigot? The photo doesn't do it justice.

That, right there, is a good cup of coffee.

I've been a big fan of the Senseo system since I purchased my first one in September 2004. I even played around with the coffee/water ratio. And despite my initial doubts that something called a "pod" could yield anything other than an alien life-form, what I found then, and is still true now:

Senseo Coffee Pods make a damn good cup of coffee. In like, a minute.

A month or so ago, I was offered the chance to review the newest model of the Senseo. Yeah, I didn't even hesitate for a minute. My trusty "Ole Blue" was still blowing coffee out her spout on demand, but my neglect of the de-scaling process has made her a little, um, crusty.

When the shiny new model arrived - we'll call her Midnight - I ran it through the rinse cycle and fired that baby up. Within a minute, I was wrapping my lips around the rim of my mug and sporting a foam mustache.

You wanna piece of this action? I have five special coupons worth $20 off a Senseo coffee maker. First five commenters - I'll send the coupon on down to you. You want a chance to receive your very own Senseo? Check it out here!