Coffee Hound's Opinions wanted...

[BCB]

I know many of you drink coffee, among other things of course, but what coffee maker do you use or recommend?

I have been using the inexpensive models one gets at discount stores and I thought about getting a better brand name this time. Maybe a Bunn or other brand?

Some brands, I understand keep a reservoir of water hot all the time until it is time to make the coffee. By doing this, it takes only a few minutes to brew a pot of java.

Any coffee connoisseurs out there? Thanks…BCB

[felix]

I looked into the matter off and on for the last several years. Conclusion: If you just want a pot of coffee, just get the el cheapos at the cheapest store in town. I like the DeLonghi brand because it seems to hold up over a years time, sometimes two pots per day. So, let's say 1000 cycles for kicks. The other cheapos break down far too soon. Now, the emphasis shifts to use much higher quality machines for taking on a pound or more per cycle, where a cycle is defined to be: dump in the beans and close the lid. ... felix

There are three kinds of machines: beater, slicer, grinder. The beater is the cheapest, and the grinder the most expensive. Just about all one pot machines are the beater type. The grinder is what the commercial guys like Maxwell House, Folgers, etc., use. High dollar, 5 star resturants, usually use the slicer type. The grinder is the best because it more or less guarantees that each granule will be the same size. ... felix addendum

[dragonrider]

If you want a coffee maker, you want a "Keurig". I really like coffee, tried many coffee pots, makers, etc, nothing is a good as a Keurig. One cup at a time at the right Temperature. Using a small container called a K-cup. Many styles of coffee are available. My favourite is Colombian Supremo, or Sumatran Reserve. Excellent.
Or if you want to use coffee from a can, get a French Press. Two tablespoons of ground coffee in the cup add 200 degree water, attach the press and press it down, drink, you can add creme and sugar, but who in their right mind would do that. :-D

[Kraschenbirn]

I've had a Krupp drip machine for the last (3) years and it's given good service. I'm fortunate to have a roastery nearby so I've always got (fairly) fresh beans on hand. My favorite for "everyday" brew is a 50/50 mix of Kenya AA and Costa Rican Tres Rios...a very smooth, low-acid blend.

Bill

[felix]

Right on about the blends of beans. There are two kinds of beans for human consumption: Aribica (low caffine) and Robusto (sp) (high caffine) varieties. There are many more kinds of coffee trees, but the beans generated are too stout one way or another, like impurities (if you will) which are not fit for a cup of coffee. The way the beans are roasted makes all the difference in the world for taste. Low acid beans need a darker roast; high acid beans need a lighter roast. High caffine beans add the kick to the coffee as we all know, and even low caffine beans can generate a higher amount of caffine depending on where grown and the season. Don't forget the growing season! Coffee is just like powder as being very lot dependent. Some areas in the world are very consistent in terms of soil throughout the coffee zone, such as in some of the Caribean (sp) islands, especially Jamica (sp) in the Blue Mountain region. However, the roaster can alter the final taste of the bean dramatically. The bad side of coffee is not the caffine (except for headaches in high dosages), but the oils. The oils can be highly acidic, and when the trees are grown on a calcium based soil, the oil content seems to dwindle down to a less dangerous level. What I am saying here, is to try different mixes (like for lead boolits) of beans from a local bean vendor. If your water quality changes, so must your bean mix to come back to the same flavor. However, like wine, different mixes will taste different at different times of the day. ALWAYS STIR (MIX) THE COFFEE IN THE POT AFTER BEING MADE. Use microwave to reheat. ... felix

[woody1]

I know many of you drink coffee, among other things of course, but what coffee maker do you use or recommend?

I have been using the inexpensive models one gets at discount stores and I thought about getting a better brand name this time. Maybe a Bunn or other brand?

Some brands, I understand keep a reservoir of water hot all the time until it is time to make the coffee. By doing this, it takes only a few minutes to brew a pot of java.

Any coffee connoisseurs out there? Thanks…BCB

Not a coffee conna...conis...conasewer but like coffee pretty good. Have been using a Bunn for 20 odd years. I think it's a Pouramatic or some such. It's one that keeps a reservoir of hot water all the time. We like it so well, my wife picked up a spare at a yard sale last summer. It's quick. Stumble to the kitchen in the morning...the wife put in the coffee the night before...pour in the water and stumble to the head. Take a whiz and come back ... the coffee's done. Regards, Woody

[Junior1942]

Mine is a $15 Wal-Mart special. It makes good coffee. My sister's is $100+ black thang with a weird name. It makes good coffee, too. I don't know if it's $85+ better than mine, however.

[wills]

Got to plan on replacing the cheap ones about once a year. Seems I have bought them for less than that.

[fourarmed]

Our Mr. Coffee got broke when we retiled the kitchen at the farm. Moved the cabinet it was on without unplugging it. In desperation, I dug out the folks' old Drip-o-lator. Liked it so well, I've been using it ever since. Put coffee in the lower part, pour boiling water in the upper. Doesn't keep it warm, though, so I pour it into a vacuum pot.

[BCB]

Yep, coffee is a complex issue in all ways. Even as I type this, The History Channel is doing an hour on coffee that is pretty interesting…

I’ve drunk the best (or close to it) and I’ve drunk the bottom end also. I’ve mostly used the 35-50 dollar range coffee makers from the local discount stores. They have worked fine, but as mentioned by others, their lives can be short. They don’t seem to be too consistent in the end product though. Might just be my water source though…

Woody1—since the water in the reservoir of the Bunn coffee machine is kept hot always, I wonder how much electric that critter would use in a year? Any thoughts on that? Where I work, they have a Bunn coffee machine and it keeps water hot all the time. It seems to make a pretty consistent cup of coffee and it is fairly good too. I don’t frequent the office much, but when I do, I have a cup or two of the coffee…

Thanks for the replies…BCB

[dubber123]

One of my favorite sayings is: "If we were meant to drink coffee, why did they invent beer?" I'm about a two cup a year coffee drinker, the beer on the other hand.....

[woody1]

Woody1—since the water in the reservoir of the Bunn coffee machine is kept hot always, I wonder how much electric that critter would use in a year? Any thoughts on that? Where I work, they have a Bunn coffee machine and it keeps water hot all the time. It seems to make a pretty consistent cup of coffee and it is fairly good too. I don’t frequent the office much, but when I do, I have a cup or two of the coffee…

Thanks for the replies…BCB

According to Bunn (and you can google up the specs for the pouromatic) the tank keep warm heater is 34 watts, the tank also has an 800 watt heater I suppose to give it the jolt it needs to get cold water hot, and there's the 65 watt decanter keep warm unit also. Ours is on all the time when we're at home but we turn it off when gone like for a weekend. Just got to remember to turn it back home!

Regards, Woody

[SharpsShooter]

Bunn makes a darn good machine. Expensive thing though. We have one at work that has been in service since 1997 and is still going. Seems like it was $150 when we bought it so that works out to about $15 a year. It makes 2 to 3 pots a day, 6 days a week. You only buy quality once is the saying, or at least replace it less often.


SS

[Taylor]

Cuisinart--about a $100, damn good coffee maker! Kohls or Linen N Things. Got toogle switches for on and off,looks pretty cool, manly.

[Shepherd2]

Black & Decker about $35.00. I've had it about 5 or 6 years. The thing I like about it is that it has a thermos type pot. There is no heater to keep cooking the coffee making it thick and bitter. I can make a pot of coffee in the morning, have a cup or 2, go out and do some farm stuff for a few hours and come in to a good hot cup of coffee.

As for the coffee itself. Give me Columbian every time.

[FISH4BUGS]

Once I got one of those, I never went back! I get organic anything from the health food store. Fair trade grown and only $8.99 a pound! Pure coffee....no filters....no chemicals.....the way coffee should be!

[Char-Gar]

I moved up to a Cuisinart after 25 years of low end machines. I don't think the coffee is any better, but the machines has some nice bells and whistles that I like.

[RugerFan]

I was given one of those large grocery store grinders years ago. Comes in handy for different grinds depending on how I'm brewing. The drip makers are cheapest, but I prefer the taste of coffee brewed in a percolator. Also a French press is handy if you only want a cup or two and makes very fine coffee. The Mr. Coffee brand has served me well with coffee maker and espresso makers.:coffee: