Recommendation needed: Coffee Maker

[5lima30]

We have the K-Cup by Keurig and love it! It replaced an all stainless Krupps which is way over-rated IMHO!

 

[amolaver]

i wouldn't say i'm a coffee snob, but i like dark and rich coffee. i've tried a few different models, and love my keurig. the key, as others have said, is 1) filtered water. we have a well, and its filtered before it gets to the tap. then i filter it again. 2) get one of the variety packs of the k-cups for guests who want vanilla whatever. super nice to make only one cup of decaf instead of a pot! get the solofill metal reusable filter http://www.solofill.com/ 3) go to a REAL coffee shop and ask for a sample size of a bunch of their different beans. try each one and pick your favorite. buy whole beans and grind a day or weeks worth at a time. i'm lazy, and usually grind 2-3 days worth at a time then dump them into a ziplock bag and scoop from there.

most important thing is finding coffee you like and using filtered water. the machine really isn't that important...

i brew into a metal travel mug and keep that with me at all times. as the sign in my office says, coffee is not a matter of life and death, it is much more important than that!

ahm

 

[Danglerb]

We have a Bunn Thermal Carafe going on 10 years. Home version of a commercial Bunn it has a preheated reservoir and instantly starts running 195 degree water when you tell it to go and is ready for another pot 3 min later. 195 degree at the filter is a GOOD 20 degree's hotter than most coffee makers. The thermal carafe is a stainless vacuum pot that seals with a flap at the drip and keeps plenty hot with no added heat for hours.

We use ours for tea and it will never see coffee.

Cuisinart we hated from the first use, the 12 cups it makes are 4 oz each, and the water at the filter was no more than 180 degrees. Sitting with a pile of stuff waiting for Goodwill.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Those of you with those high dollar, metro-****** coffee makers need to turn in your man-cards...

+1 !

 

[shoturtle]

Oh wow that unsecured about someones manhood, that enjoying a good cup of coffee makes someone uneasy.

The men that buy tools for show vs really using them should turn in their man card imho then someone that enjoys a good cup of coffee. At least the coffee machine gets used.

 

[markl]

Cant beat this one. http://www.bunnathome.com/products/velocity-brew/velocity-brew-gr
Brews a pot pretty quick as the water is already hot in the tank. Keurig with the K-cups is a cute idea but it gets EXPENSIVE, especially if you brew 2 or 3 pots a day. I bought my wife a Keurig and it died in less than a year, went back to the Bunn.

 

[shoturtle]

we have the keurig in the office, and the 20 guys in there are coffee drinkers. So it goes through 60 a day. And the keruig has held up for 3 years. And at one of the regional office, there are 400 people and there is one keruig in the employee lounge, that machine must see over 300 cups a day. So it does get expensive with the individual coffee packs. But the machines in general are pretty durable.

 

[TreePointer]

I've tried many coffee makers types and I used to sell them and our beans in a fancy cookware store (not a national chain). Each has its advantages.

As far as a standard automatic drip machines go, I like those with thermal carafes (I can't stand brewed coffee that overcooks on a heater). One of my favorites that made pretty darn good coffee, kept it hot for a decent time, didn't break the bank, and looked pretty cool in the kitchen was the Braun Impressions KF600. It was easy to clean and had a large reservoir opening for adding water. I'm talking in past tense because, sadly, you can't get it in the USA anymore. Maybe you can find a NOS model somewhere? There is a 220V version (KF610) that you might be able to get.

 

[Nozzlejocky]

I have a small Krups 4 cup unit for those mornings when I only need a bit of coffee before heading to work and a 12 cup Presto percolator for those longer days or weekends when I drink a bit more. It's an oldie, made in the USA, that my parents passed down when they didn't use it much anymore. Works like a charm, super coffee, and definitely better than the little plastic one. I also like the Bunn makers, though I don't regularly see the ones they had with the metal insulated carafe in stores.

 

[DRhodes]

Bunn

 

[Stevenc942]

We have a a Keurig and a Cuisinart Brew Central that were both wedding gifts. The coffee is great and the CBC has an old school toggle switch that I like. They replaced a failed $100 Bunn which replaced a failed $100 Kitchenaid. We still have another spare Bunn but the wife is against it due to what we found in the "always hot" holding tank. Nasty residue and chunks of the split open heating elements. Another knock on the Bunn is it's most talked-about feature...the speed. It pushed the water out so fast that it blows the grounds out of the way leaving you with weak coffee. I took the spray head out and put a tiny "restrictor plate" in the threads and drilled some lateral holes for a wider drip/spray. It worked well for years but that holding tank was the end, not mention the juice it was drawing to stay hot 24/7.

 

[Cameronl]

I second this

I'll UNsecond the Grind and Brew. Noisy, messy, and you have to keep the grinder clean and dry. It's much easier to use a separate grinder. I was happy the day it broke.

My criterea are:

1. Thermal carafe
2. Timer (for auto start in the morning)
3. Cone filter prefered, but not a deal-breaker
4. Brews the coffee HOT

I've been looking at this one:

Optimal Brew™ Thermal Coffeemaker. It claims to brew the coffee hotter than typical makers.

 

[acer66]

I myself am pretty basic in the moment, I grind the beans by hand when I make a coffee and use a french press.

 

[acer66]

Don't get sucked in by the little screen cup you can fill with own grounds.. nasty results.

That is good to know, since that feature made me almost buy one.

 

[coolreed]

Give Keurig a try. There are sooo many choice of great coffee for it.

I love my Keurig and the Samatran Extra Bold. Best coffee I ever had.

 

[cascivic]

I'll UNsecond the Grind and Brew. Noisy, messy, and you have to keep the grinder clean and dry. It's much easier to use a separate grinder. I was happy the day it broke.

My criterea are:

1. Thermal carafe
2. Timer (for auto start in the morning)
3. Cone filter prefered, but not a deal-breaker
4. Brews the coffee HOT

I've been looking at this one:

Optimal Brew™ Thermal Coffeemaker. It claims to brew the coffee hotter than typical makers.[/QUOTEypi

you really cant beat a mr coffee for the price...they did after all invent the drip coffee maker! all brands now a days are saying they brew "hotter" but its ******** they all should brew at a temp that is ideal for the beans to be brewed at which is usually like 193 degrees. I would prefer these over a mr coffee personally because that is a more expnsive one and i see less returns on the cuisinarts for the same money

 

[Zeke]

Wow. I didn't that many people had Keurigs. I have one and it erases its start time so I don't try to program it. About half the time after brewing it pumps and pumps until it shuts itself off. I've had bad luck with coffee makers so I just figure this POS is par for the course.

Had the Cuisinart. Junk. Died twice. I read about the fault on the appliance repair forum. That was some serious money thrown away. I have the Senseo too. Leaks coffee all over the counter.

Did I mention I have bad luck with CM's?

I hate the things. I've had 2 that went up in smoke, one starting a fire in the middle of the night. I guess if you want auto brewed coffee when you wake up, you leave the thing plugged in.

The best way to get coffee is to drive to 7 Eleven.

 

[jaredlucky16]

Bunn

 

[amolaver]

That is good to know, since that feature made me almost buy one.

the solofill metal / reusable filter for the keurigs works great - zero grinds come through. i brew probably 6-8 mugs a day with it, been going for almost two years now. it comes with the top 'hinged' to the body (its plastic that flexes). eventually the 'hinge' fails, but i actually think its more convenient with it in two pieces and when i got the 2nd one i cut it immediately - i find it easier to clean.

i've also got an early consumer prototype model that is based on the commercial unit minus the k-cup auto-dumper and takes a 5 gallon water cooler bottle. that thing has seen THOUSANDS of cups (got it around 10 years ago) and still works perfectly.

ahm

 

[spongerich]

For my next one, I'm thinking about something like this:

 

[jamesemery728]

First of all I am not a coffee snob and I only drink 2 8oz cups of coffee a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. No Starbucks for me, Great Value $2.98/pound from Wally World. We have been using Black and Decker one cup Brew and Go coffee makers for years. I have a few of these bought at yards sales usually new for a dollar or two. My wife decided she wanted to try a Keurig a few months ago and to me the coffee was too expensive and too weak for me. Took it back to Costco after about 6 weeks of trial. I said good riddance to that thing.

 

[j.c.whitney]

Those of you with those high dollar, metro-****** coffee makers need to turn in your man-cards...

My recommendation? Mr Coffee, $19.95 at Wallymart...

^^What he said^^

 

[Socophreak]

Slightly off topic, but maybe not. My Coffee maker died yesterday, so Im in the market for a new one. I usually go through a couple pots a day, year round.

What do you guys prefer?

-Jeff

Bunn pourover will be your best bet. They are simple, effective, and won't break the bank. Just make sure that you're using proper water. If you do have hard water, I suggest running filtered water of some kind and grinding your own beans.

Sorely dissapointed with keurig coffee makers. Will never own one.

 

[tool_scrounge]

This is my morning ritual http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

$25 and it is made in the USA. I have a fancy espresso maker and but it sits collecting dust. The Aeropress is what I use every morning with fresh beans and a burr grinder. If you do not mind 1.5 minutes of effort, the used hand crank German coffee grinders off of ebay work quite well and can be pretty cheap.

 

[Jvvmusme]

After looking at your location I think you might be just a tad biased.

A little ....

 

[shannonw]

One thing about that technivorm i really like is the heating elements cuts off when you remove the carafe, put it back it turns back on. There's a button on the side the carafe has to be firmly against to cut the heating on. The whole thing is dead simple. I've burned out a few of those cheapo espresso makers and switched coffee makers that way.

of course you can still put the carafe back and accidently leave it on but i never put it back until the next due to instinctive lazyness