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Whats the best automatic drip machine?

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Discussions > Coffee > Machines > Whats the best...

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PaulWatson
Senior Member

Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 5
Location: Elgin
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: Gaggia
Grinder: La Pavoni
Vac Pot: Bodum
Roaster: Fresh Roast

Posted Sat Dec 13, 2003, 12:05pm Subject: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

Hi I'm looking for a new automatic drip coffeemaker & am wondering what makes the best coffee? I have other makers that I primarily use when I want a cup, but also want something thats easy to use & I can make a pot for myself & guests after dinner or whatever. To give you an idea of what I like, if I'm just making a cup for myself I will usually make an americano with my gaggia classic. I also have & enjoy a french press & a vacuum pot. But I am looking to push a button & have 8-12 cups to share with friends with little effort. Is there any that are known for being the best? One friend recommended the Bunn another Krups, Someone else said Capresso, I like the look of the Bosch "Porsche design" but know nothing about its cup? Please give me some recommendations. Price is not really a concern, everything I've seen is within my budget but I'm sure there is something I haven't come across that would be higher than I want to spend so figure $300 as a suggested high, but I could spend more if it is truely worth it. I would also buy a $30 pink & green spotted machine if the cup was there. In short its all about the coffee.

cafedj
Senior Member

Joined: 3 Oct 2003
Posts: 577
Location: NC
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Bialetti, Aeropress
Grinder: Rocky doserless
Vac Pot: Bodum
Drip: Krups Moka Brew
Roaster: Counter Culture

Posted Sat Dec 13, 2003, 12:48pm Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

Check out the first class review here on the Krups Moka Brew. I have one and can attest to the accuracy of that article. It makes an excellent cup if you get the grind and amount adjusted properly. Depending on how you define a "cup" it may not have quite the capacity you are looking for. Also, since quality in the cup seems to be your first priority, Technivorm should be on your list. I haven't owned one, but many have rated it very highly. One of the very few drip machines certified to have the correct water temp. Click Here (shop.store.yahoo.com) Both of those are easily in your budget. I've owned a Bunn, and personally I can't recommend it. I don't like the fact that heated water sits in the machine, and also I found it to be inconsistent in brew quality.

js
Senior Member

Joined: 12 Jun 2003
Posts: 37
Location: Ithaca, NY
Expertise: I love coffee

Grinder: Zassenhaus Knee Mill
Drip: KitchenAid 4 cup Ultra
Roaster: Proctor Silex hot air popper

Posted Sun Dec 14, 2003, 7:12pm Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

For what it's worth, I would recommend a KitchenAid. They make a no nonsense, high quality item. There are still places to buy them on the web. If I remember correctly, I think I got mine from Kitchen etc. Anyway, check out the user reviews here on coffeegeek for the KitchenAids. They put the quality where it counts: dual electric elements, etc.

-Jim Sexton

CalicoSkiesNC
Senior Member

Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Expertise: I love coffee

Drip: Bunn

Posted Mon Dec 15, 2003, 5:00am Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

I've used a Bunn for the last 10yrs and love it. Mine does make very consistent coffee, not sure about the comment above. I use the same coffee and the same water and coffee is always great. The pot is not very big, that would be my only complaint. Its 8C but that doesnt mean real coffee cups. Makes about 3.5 mugs for me and hub. Easy to clean, good brewing temp and makes a fast pot.

RoxieL
Senior Member

Joined: 9 Jun 2002
Posts: 972
Location: Phoenix
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Expobar (Control)/Saeco...
Grinder: Cimbali Jr/Rocky/SB Barista
Vac Pot: eSantos/ eSantos Jr.
Drip: Bunn
Roaster: Hottop/FR+

Posted Mon Dec 15, 2003, 7:14am Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

I've had various drip machines & IMO, Bunn's are by far, the best. Could be me, but I think there's something about 'cone' filters (rather than 'basket' filters) that brew coffee that's not to my liking. But a Bunn might not be good for occasional use, since they do keep a tank of water hot at all times. (For nearly instantaneous brewing.) Also, with Bunn's in order to brew coffee to the 'standard' strength, you need to get Bunn filters (they are a bit larger than Mr. Coffee or other off brands) and I use a bit less water. A better option might be the Bodum eSantos. I have both the mini & the full size one. I use Mark's tip of placing a coin or something under the unit to adjust the brew time.

ljguitar
Senior Member

Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 2,675
Location: Cheyenne
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: Expobar Pulsar
Grinder: Mazzer SuperJolly• Baratza
Drip: Bunn
Roaster: Behmor•iRoast2•Variacs

Posted Mon Dec 15, 2003, 7:26am Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

CalicoSkiesNC Said: I've used a Bunn for the last 10yrs and love it. Mine does make very consistent coffee, not sure about the comment above. I use the same coffee and the same water and coffee is always great. The pot is not very big, that would be my only complaint. Its 8C but that doesnt mean real coffee cups. Makes about 3.5 mugs for me and hub. Easy to clean, good brewing temp and makes a fast pot. Posted December 15, 2003 link Bunns are wonderful pots. We have 3 Bunn-O-Matics that are working after a dozen years. We will have to replace one this year, as it began to leak, and the seal it needs is no longer available after that many years. Fast... Bunns hold hot water in a reservoir and when you pour in cold water, it forces a like amount of hot water through the brew basket. Less than 5 minutes to make a full pot. - Some want to debate whether this produces optimum taste, so to them I say... Get a French Press. Pot too small... Who uses the stock Bunn pot? Only the folks who have not broken it yet. The stock pot that arrives with the machine is attractive, and with the smaller opening and cover, it actually keeps an extra cup warm for a few minutes without turning it into walnut stain. - New Bunn replacement pot is around $12-14. - Bunn coffee maker is $100.00 - Commercial version with two pots and two warming plates is $189 @ Sam's Club A thrift store is a good potential source for a larger used pot that is larger if you want to brew larger quantities of coffee. If you have a good thermos to hold the 'extra' coffee you make, a larger pot would be ok, as long as you increase the amount of grounds to compensate for adding more water when you brew. L a r r Y

L a r r Y J <°)))><

Posted Mon Dec 15, 2003, 1:22pm Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

With all this defense of the Bunn I feel like I should be a bit more specific about what I didn't like about it. As I've mentioned the water that's actually used to make the pot has been sitting in the machine and kept hot since the last pot you made, like since yesterday morning for me, which I don't consider to be "fresh" water. Worse than the old, hot water was the fact that even though I was always very careful to put the same amount of water in, I would get a varying amount out. I have no explanation for this other than perhaps evaporation (which could very well vary from day to day due to relative humidity), but with the machine I had it was undeniable. Varying amounts of water would lead to varying consistency in the cup. Perhaps the problem for me was I almost always only make a partial pot, since I can't drink a full pot myself. Perhaps always making a full pot avoids this problem. Since I nearly always made a partial pot, the brew was much too quick for proper extraction, and there's no way I could figure out to control this. Again, it's very possible that always making a full pot avoids this problem. The machine takes up an inordiate amount of counter space. I'd live with it if everything else was good, but for me it wasn't. I can certainly see where making several pots a day would be facilitated by the Bunn system, by for my usage it was not a good fit. I ended up shelving the Bunn for a Capresso and now have a Krups Moka Brew, both of which make much better coffee to my taste.

Posted Mon Dec 15, 2003, 2:32pm Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

Thanks to everyone for all your help. I think I've narrowed it down. The technivorm sounds like a great machine but I'm concerned with the showerhead (or actually lack of) & the lever to stop the flow. I can see myself leaving it off & ending up with a mess. The Bosch still appeals to me but after some research I'm seeing mixed reviews. The Bunn (B10-B or BT10-B) looks like it'll be the eventual winner, I do not mind the fact that water sits in it & ill always brew a full pot. If I want less than a pot I'm drinking alone & will use another brewing method. but I have a few questions about the Bunn for anyone able to answer them. Whats the water temp of the bunn? Has any one used the thermal carafe model? & How well does it keep the coffee? Are there any thermal carafe's that will fit the standard model how well/long does the coffee hold up in the standard carafe on the hot plate? Thanks again for all your help, If I ever see your mug I'll be sure to fill it.

CalicoSkiesNC
Senior Member

Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Expertise: I love coffee

Drip: Bunn

Posted Wed Dec 17, 2003, 4:59pm Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

Paul, I dont know the answer to your questions, but I can tell you the water temp is very good. I make coffee and sometimes it sits on the warmer for 60min and coffee still tastes quite good. I wanted to tell you that the water will evaporate from the holding area. If you dont make coffee everyday, be sure to run a pitcher of water thru at least once a day. This keeps the water fresh as well as maintaining a full pot of hot water. In my house, if I dont make coffee once a day, my water level will drop about 1 1/2" or so daily, depends on humidity in air.

Bdl
Senior Member

Joined: 20 Nov 2003
Posts: 11
Location: Oklahoma
Expertise: I love coffee

Grinder: Capresso
Drip: Capresso MT 500
Roaster: Fresh Roast Plus 8

Posted Wed Dec 17, 2003, 5:36pm Subject: Re: Whats the best automatic drip machine?

My Capresso MT 500 makes a very good cup. It's extraction temperature is pretty close to on. The extraction time is fast, six minutes to brew 2 more minutes to empty the coffee basket. Also the vacumn carafe doesn't burn the coffee. The reviews for the MT 500 have been good. It does have some points you have to pay attention to though, like don't overfill the water tank. Prewarm the carafe with hot water if you want the coffee to stay hot longer. When the pot finished making coffee I transfer the coffee to a Zorjirushi carafe, It keeps the coffee hot for hour and hours. I use a swiss gold filter too, and I roast the coffee myself. My son uses a Bunn and seems to like it but he likes my coffee better. Bdl

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