tealboy1 Senior Member Joined: 1 Jul 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Florida Expertise: Just starting
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008, 5:29pm Subject: Suggestions for 4-5 cup coffee maker, and here's why
I am a newbie for sure. I've been visiting here for a few days and love the site. I went ahead and signed up in hopes of getting some advice. I tried doing a number of searches to find the info i was looking for, and though I learned a lot, I thought i could be more specific to enable me to get something this week.
I am far from a coffee expert, but think i ended up with one pretty good machine and one lemon. It is the Braun KF180 that I like. I've owned it for yrs and find it makes a great cup of coffee. After reading this site, I even checked the temp of the exiting water and it was 200, which i understand to be good.
Anyway, i have a small cabin with an old Mr. Coffee and for years, I have thought the coffee from that machine was bad. I tried various things to improve the taste but to no avail. I hate to throw something away that works, but if it makes bad coffee, it doesnt work and needs to be trashed so it's gone.
So, I am in the market for a new maker, something less than $100 for sure and something that will produce 4-5 cups. I have learned my big 12 cup pots are not great for making the 5 cups I usually make but if this is wrong, i am open to larger units. This coffeemaker will only be used 2-3 times per month, so a simple unit is fine, but most importantly, a simple to use unit that will make great coffee. Consumer reports says the BD 2500 is the top choice, but the rating has nothing to do with water temp and taste, so I'm not sure of the basis for their rating.
Pls help, I am hopeful of picking one up this week. Many thanks.
RobertKWFL Senior Member Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Posts: 30 Location: Key West, Florida Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Elektra Semiautomatica Grinder: Mazzer Major & Super Jolly Vac Pot: Cona
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008, 7:51pm Subject: Re: Suggestions for 4-5 cup coffee maker, and here's why
For a cabin, you can't beat the simplicity of manual pourover drip bewing. You just need good filters and a plastic filtercone holder (or a fancier option like the Chemex glass brewer). (http://sweetmarias.com/prod.brewers.shtml) Heat water in a pot or kettle. Use a milk frothing thermometer to make sure you have the temperature right. For fresh ground coffee--essential for great coffee--add a Zassenhaus hand grinder. (http://sweetmarias.com/prod.zas.shtml). All for less than $100. Detailed instructions: http://coffeegeek.com/guides/howtouseapourover
tealboy1 Senior Member Joined: 1 Jul 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Florida Expertise: Just starting
Posted Wed Jul 2, 2008, 2:25am Subject: Re: Suggestions for 4-5 cup coffee maker, and here's why
Let me add one desired feature. I want one that has a timer so it goes off in the am and is ready when i roll out of bed, so the pourover concept is not desireable to me. I could live with a pot that must be turned on when i awake, but a programable one is much preferred. I am learning carafe's with such makers are good to keep coffee hot but to avoid overheating the brew.
harmolodic Senior Member Joined: 8 Aug 2006 Posts: 66 Location: DC Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Thu Jul 3, 2008, 3:36am Subject: Re: Suggestions for 4-5 cup coffee maker, and here's why
tealboy1 Said:
Let me add one desired feature. I want one that has a timer so it goes off in the am and is ready when i roll out of bed, so the pourover concept is not desireable to me. I could live with a pot that must be turned on when i awake, but a programable one is much preferred. I am learning carafe's with such makers are good to keep coffee hot but to avoid overheating the brew.
Only problem there is that when the timer kicks in, the ground coffee has been sitting for hours. You could get a machine that grinds on a timer as well, but the only really good one (that I know of) is a Capresso model for around $300...
Posted Thu Jul 3, 2008, 4:28am Subject: Re: Suggestions for 4-5 cup coffee maker, and here's why
harmolodic Said:
Only problem there is that when the timer kicks in, the ground coffee has been sitting for hours. You could get a machine that grinds on a timer as well, but the only really good one (that I know of) is a Capresso model for around $300...
There seem to be plenty of people who take ground coffee from a can, let it sit out overnight, and start brewing on a timer. My mom is one of them, and she's been doing it for years. It's what they're accustomed to, they like what they get out of it, and convenience is of paramount importance in their choice of equipment.
We can try to convince them otherwise, but I don't think you can tell someone they have to buy a $X00 grinder and a $X00 brewer and learn to deal with the mess of grinding beans that are 10 times as expensive as their can of Folgers, if it's not worth the trouble to them.
tealboy1 Said:
Let me add one desired feature. I want one that has a timer so it goes off in the am and is ready when i roll out of bed, so the pourover concept is not desireable to me. I could live with a pot that must be turned on when i awake, but a programable one is much preferred. I am learning carafe's with such makers are good to keep coffee hot but to avoid overheating the brew.
I think the challenge here is finding a timer-ed maker that brews at a good temperature. I know there are plenty of time-operated brewers, but I'm not aware of any relatively cheap ones that brew hot enough; the consumer market coffee scene is just waking up to the fact that 180F is really not hot enough for good coffee. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with anything recently; most of the ones I remember are around the $200 mark.
BrownWater Senior Member Joined: 1 Mar 2006 Posts: 212 Location: Ithaca, NY Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Salvatore, Expobar Grinder: Super Jolly Roaster: fluid air
Posted Thu Jul 3, 2008, 5:37am Subject: Re: Suggestions for 4-5 cup coffee maker, and here's why
There's a little 4-cup cuisinart brewer that usually costs $30 bucks. Flow rate and water temperature are very good. Takes a size 2 cone filter. Auto shut off after 30 mins. Stainless steel carafe.
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
= No New Posts since last visit 