Coffee Makers

[fishnhunt]

My 3 year old Mr Coffee died last week and I've been trying to find a great coffee maker for at home. Ordered a Presto electric peculator. Used it once and noticed small metallic stains at the bottom of the cup. It brewed a great tasting cup of coffee though. Spent some more money and ordered a Bunn Heat and Brew. Read lots of great things about Bunn. All of my favorite coffee places use Bunn makers. However, I'm not overly impressed with it. Can't notice much of a difference between the $123 Bunn and my old $20 Mr Coffee.

Any other suggestions out there? Right now I'm leaning towards trying another Presto peculator because it brewed a great cup, just thinking maybe I got a bad one?

[Pinotage]

First - bless you for this non-corona topic

Second - Have you ever tried a pour over?

Went through the same process as you a few years ago, tried a simple $20 glass carafe/metal filter model from Target. Heat water in an electric tea kettle. Pour over ground coffee. Simple, consistent, and very good end product.

Love it!

[TomatoTomahto]

Search for past thread that had lots of suggestions.

After $xxxx machine and $xx machines, my favorite is the Technivorm MoccaMaster (various models around $300). Simple and reliable.

[Rudedog]

I went to a pour over about a year ago, using a tea kettle to heat water to 200 degrees. I control how hot the water is. Easy to clean. Makes good coffee. I order the filters on Amazon.

[WildBill]

Howdy

French press and coarse grind coffee.

Yum

Happy caffeinating

W B

[El Greco]

I am a big electric percolator fan. I think they make the best coffee. Most people are doubters until they taste a cup. That being said, I never used a Presto Percolator, however, I've been using this Hamilton Beach model for the last few years. Makes EXCELLENT coffee and it comes in 8 cup and 4 cup versions as well:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Bea ... jgEALw_wcB

[lurker415]

I have used immersion drippers for the last several years - both Bonavita and Clever Coffee. They make a great cup, and I love the simplicity of them.

[JoinToday]

I have used immersion drippers for the last several years - both Bonavita and Clever Coffee. They make a great cup, and I love the simplicity of them.

lurker415 gives the final answer!

I have a technivorm, and use it daily ... but the best coffee I make is with the Bonavita Immersion Drip, OXO tea kettle (205 deg temp), Red Bird coffee beans (plus an expensive grinder). Beats everything. Noticeably better than the technivorm.

I can't stand Starburnt or Peets beans. Unpalatable, and I don't have a refined sense of taste. I almost hate to admit it, but I bring a 1 cup drip coffee maker & ground coffee when we go on vacation. I don't want to drink bad coffee anymore.

[Invest4lt]

Search for past thread that had lots of suggestions.

After $xxxx machine and $xx machines, my favorite is the Technivorm MoccaMaster (various models around $300). Simple and reliable.

+1 for Technivorm MoccaMaster

[Housedoc]

Cusinart 14cup available at Costco. Under $60 and is bulletproof.

[gtd98765]

The Wirecutter has some reviews here: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best- ... fee-maker/

While it won’t make the absolute best cup of coffee, a cheap coffee maker does the trick when you just need a big hot pot to fuel a busy morning or long day at work. After testing 12 promising cheap coffee makers since 2016, we think the Mr. Coffee Easy Measure is the best. It reliably brews strong-enough coffee, is simple to program and use, and takes up minimal counter space.

[likegarden]

I am totally satisfied to make my half Decaf coffee in a 10 cup Mr.Coffee once a day. Every 10 years or so I buy a new one. My wife makes her coffee in a cup in the microwave.

[Chrono Triggered]

Make sure it's SCAA certified. If you're looking to save some money, look at models by Bonavita.

[lazydavid]

I happily used a Technivorm Moccamaster for about 12 years before it finally died. Replaced it with a commercial Bunn automatic pourover (like you'd find in a diner), and love it. I expect to gift it to my grandchildren in 30 or 40 years when I'm no longer able to drink coffee.

[Dottie57]

Aeropress makes great coffee - one cup at a time. No pot of coffee just one or two cups.

[ARoseByAnyOtherName]

My 3 year old Mr Coffee died last week and I've been trying to find a great coffee maker for at home. Ordered a Presto electric peculator. Used it once and noticed small metallic stains at the bottom of the cup. It brewed a great tasting cup of coffee though. Spent some more money and ordered a Bunn Heat and Brew. Read lots of great things about Bunn. All of my favorite coffee places use Bunn makers. However, I'm not overly impressed with it. Can't notice much of a difference between the $123 Bunn and my old $20 Mr Coffee.

Any other suggestions out there? Right now I'm leaning towards trying another Presto peculator because it brewed a great cup, just thinking maybe I got a bad one?

Do you really need to make more than one cup at a time?

If not consider getting the gear for pour over:
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/gear- ... at-coffee/

Makes great coffee and relatively inexpensive. We have two drippers, one each for my spouse and I, and are very happy with them.

[GlennK]

Personally, I do not like the k-cup or k-cup wannabes cup of coffees. But others in my families like to use them. So two years ago I bought a combo coffee brewer with a k-cup option. I believe it was a hamilton beach. Anyhow, it was worked wonderful. If you buy a drip coffee maker, make sure you get one that has a slow brew option. I find that much better tasting then the fast brew.

This isn't the one I bought but it's similar (might be newer model as it was called FlexBrew).
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... lsrc=aw.ds

[Chris001122]

I received some free coupons at my dad's grocery store where he worked. I bought a Cuisinart 12-cup (maybe 14 cup?) coffee maker with it. The thing is pretty awesome. I don't like that it beeps when the coffee is ready, but I have gotten used to it. It makes good coffee day after day. I think it's well over 9 years old.

I've tried the Kuerig at work and I know lots of people love them but I do not.

[urodoc1]

Check out the aeropress: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/aerop ... fee-maker/

[dsmclone]

Maybe I'm expecting too much, I don't have a good palet, or maybe I haven't tried enough but I find the difference in taste between most coffee in the same styles to be very minimal. On the other hand, with craft beer I find there to be huge differences even staying in the same styles.

[onourway]

Maybe I'm expecting too much, I don't have a good palet, or maybe I haven't tried enough but I find the difference in taste between most coffee in the same styles to be very minimal. On the other hand, with craft beer I find there to be huge differences even staying in the same styles.

You likely haven't gotten the right combination of types (a French roast or Columbian from one roaster or another is unlikely to have major differences) and/or your brewing techniques are not refined enough to highlight the differences - instead the major flavor being whatever flaw dominates the technique. Try a light roast Ethiopian or Central American vs. the typical French or Italian roast and the differences should be apparent, no matter how it's brewed. If you want the nuances between varietals grown in similar regions and roasted to a similar degree, your brewing technique needs to be on-point.

This as opposed to beer or wine where the brewer or vintner does all that work, and you the consumer just opens the bottle and has a drink.

[ScubaHogg]

my favorite is the Technivorm MoccaMaster (various models around $300). Simple and reliable.

+1. Really happy with ours. It’s a little pricey, but I can tell a difference.

[ScubaHogg]

First - bless you for this non-corona topic

Amen to that!

[bondsr4me]

First - bless you for this non-corona topic

Amen to that!

+1
Virus stuff getting a little tiring.

[lazydavid]

If you buy a drip coffee maker, make sure you get one that has a slow brew option. I find that much better tasting then the fast brew.

It's probably not better because it's slow. It's slower AND better because it heats the water to a higher temperature than the standard cycle. For example, on my father-in-law's old Kitchenaid, I taught him to always use the 1-4 cup cycle, even for a full pot. This heats the water more and results in a better cup.

But if you buy a coffee maker that gets the water hot enough to begin with, you don't need any of that. My Bunn literally has no controls whatsoever. You pour water in the top and coffee starts coming out about 3 seconds later, before you're even done pouring. It brews a half-gallon of perfect coffee in 3.5 minutes, at 200F.

The Technivorm (and Bonivita, and probably one or two others) also brew at the proper temperature and make a great pot of coffee without needing any special modes.

[Cubicle]

A coffee thread on BogleHeads a few months ago led me to this.

https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Class ... B00005NCWQ

Cheap. Works on any heat source. Darn good coffee. No filters needed. But I am not an exquisite coffee connoisseur. My favorite thing about this percolator though is I can leave it on my stove, on "simmer", for hours, & have a boiling (or near boiling) cup of coffee on demand.

[tennisplyr]

Buy another Mr Coffee....I've been using them for years and you can't beat the price.

[adamthesmythe]

Interesting that the percolator* is coming back. My sainted parents would only drink percolator coffee. I had one in the basement used only for their visits (now given away). I always thought it was exactly the wrong way to make coffee, as it involves boiling the coffee.

My thought is that tastes for coffee vary far too much to ask for recommendations on an internet forum, except, possibly, to gain insight into the large number of options.

Has no one advocated cold brew yet?

* A peculator is an embezzler. Ah, the dangers of spell-checkers.

[Nicolas]

I prefer the french press method of brewing coffee as it tastes the best to me. You use boiling water, no coffee maker that I know of heats water as hot, unless you consider a percolator. The water must be hot to make good coffee, drip makers fail in this regard. In addition it requires little cash outlay. But obviously you can’t use a timer, it’s entirely manual.

[tooluser]

Search for past thread that had lots of suggestions.

After $xxxx machine and $xx machines, my favorite is the Technivorm MoccaMaster (various models around $300). Simple and reliable.

Ditto. I have a smaller (1L) one from c.2008. Still going strong. Very consistent brew.

[WS1]

I just purchased a Bonavita. I had set out to buy a machine certified by the Specialty Coffee Association because I knew the importance of getting a machine that actually gets the water hot enough to correctly brew the coffee. Just like with every other coffee question I started here
https://ineedcoffee.com/

[smitty1515]

French press

Pros- cheap, makes delicious coffee, no additional cost (eg filters), no build up in water lines

[Sandtrap]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

[FoolStreet]

First - bless you for this non-corona topic

Second - Have you ever tried a pour over?

Went through the same process as you a few years ago, tried a simple $20 glass carafe/metal filter model from Target. Heat water in an electric tea kettle. Pour over ground coffee. Simple, consistent, and very good end product.

Love it!

After countless hours researching pour overs, I realize that it is just the same as a drip coffee maker, except with a better water heater to get consistent water temp. Wow. Mind blown.

[FoolStreet]

I just purchased a Bonavita. I had set out to buy a machine certified by the Specialty Coffee Association because I knew the importance of getting a machine that actually gets the water hot enough to correctly brew the coffee. Just like with every other coffee question I started here
https://ineedcoffee.com/

I’ve had a bonavita for 10 years plus. Two over that time actually. After hard water killed it again, we went with a temp controlled kettle and chemex 6 cup carafe. Simple and easy.

[FoolStreet]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

But how do you control the water temp? And when you clean it, don’t you get grounds everywhere?

[GeoffD]

We have a Zojirushi 10 cup drip coffee maker with a thermal carafe. The water tank removes so you fill the tank at the sink rather than pouring water into it. The coffee reservoir is flat bottomed so the basket for the coffee grounds is easier to fill an clean than a cone-shaped one.

[onourway]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

But how do you control the water temp? And when you clean it, don’t you get grounds everywhere?

Boil water, wait 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on your beans and preference. I have been rinsing grounds down the drain for 25 years with never an issue.

[ARoseByAnyOtherName]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

But how do you control the water temp?

You could buy something like this, an electric kettle that lets you control temp to 1 degree. $45:
https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV38251 ... B005YR0F40

[TomatoTomahto]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

But how do you control the water temp?

You could buy something like this, an electric kettle that lets you control temp to 1 degree. $45:
https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV38251 ... B005YR0F40

Dang! I got one that has preset temps, for more $, for making tea. Wish this thread had been here earlier.

[midareff]

Cusinart 14cup available at Costco. Under $60 and is bulletproof.

+1 ... on the second one now. First died more than ten years in.

[Sandtrap]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

But how do you control the water temp? And when you clean it, don’t you get grounds everywhere?

Sunbeam Hot Shot (used these for decades)
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1
Then
French Press
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1
Then
Stainless Pour Over coffee filter to get the fine grinds out. (gag!!!)
No paper.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DSDWTYA/ ... ljaz10cnVl
For the Beans.
Electric or manual conical ceramic burr grinder.

I only drink 1-2 cups of coffee at sunrise so this small setup is enough for me. Also takes little counter space.

j

[lurker415]

I have used immersion drippers for the last several years - both Bonavita and Clever Coffee. They make a great cup, and I love the simplicity of them.

Just a follow up note to my earlier post - I used to use a French press, but hated the clean-up. But the clincher for switching was that I wanted to reduce my cholesterol (LDL, specifically). Apparently, there is a compound called cafestol that has the effect of raising LDL. Paper coffee filters remove the compound, but French presses do not.

[mrtiger]

Search for past thread that had lots of suggestions.

After $xxxx machine and $xx machines, my favorite is the Technivorm MoccaMaster (various models around $300). Simple and reliable.

I second these choices... amazing machines and great tasting coffee. If you want to stay on the cheep side go with Hario V60 pour over cup.

[c.coyle]

We went back to an old fashioned percolator a few years ago. It makes great coffee from fresh, coarsely ground beans. And it only has three internal parts, so it's easy to clean, unlike modern coffee machines which taste soapy if you're not careful to rinse thoroughly.

https://tinyurl.com/srwvf6j

[ARoseByAnyOtherName]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

But how do you control the water temp?

You could buy something like this, an electric kettle that lets you control temp to 1 degree. $45:
https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV38251 ... B005YR0F40

Dang! I got one that has preset temps, for more $, for making tea. Wish this thread had been here earlier.

They're not very expensive and they work quite well. I never measured the temperate accuracy independently but it seemed quite consistent. You need to descale them every month or so - at least where I live you do. But, this is the case with all the electric kettles I've owned so it's likely a result of the water, not the kettle.

[BionicBillWalsh]

I have owned and used nearly every high and low end piece of equipment in search of the best coffee experience in the world. Ultimately, my Keurig machine from Costco is my go-to every-day, perfectly-acceptable choice about 99% of the time. No mess. Coffee tastes fine, and it is a fresh cup, every time. Plus my family can all drink what they want without wasting coffee.

But for that 1% of the time...Sandtrap nailed it. Kona peaberry in a French press is like you died and went to Heaven.

[Swee'pea]

Another bonus for making coffee and tea at home - the coffee grounds, tea leaves, and paper filters are excellent additions to a garden compost pile.

DH and I use a french press and coffee beans from a local roaster. And (slightly off topic) we use loose leaf tea from the Upton Tea Co. This was a Boglehead recommendation from an earlier thread and we have been very pleased with the quality and variety of teas. The boglehead community has been a great resource in many ways.

[FoolStreet]

Kona Coffee Peaberry Beans
Burr Grinder
Double wall stainless French Press

J

But how do you control the water temp?

You could buy something like this, an electric kettle that lets you control temp to 1 degree. $45:
https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV38251 ... B005YR0F40

Yes, this is exactly what I have now in my new setup. I pour it into a 6 cup chemex. What # grind do people use for chemex filters?

[FoolStreet]

Search for past thread that had lots of suggestions.

After $xxxx machine and $xx machines, my favorite is the Technivorm MoccaMaster (various models around $300). Simple and reliable.

I second these choices... amazing machines and great tasting coffee. If you want to stay on the cheep side go with Hario V60 pour over cup.

I also bought that to compare with the chemex. It is $15 and great for single serve. The larger chemex is a nice option to make enough for the missus.