hyacinth Senior Member Joined: 14 May 2004 Posts: 228 Location: earth Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Mon Sep 6, 2004, 8:12pm Subject: Bummed with BUNN
I was drawn to the BUNN B-10 because of it's hot water tank that allows for a quick brew. However...
The water isn't hot enough to brew coffee: I get 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer when the brewer is dispensing plain water into the carafe without any coffee in the basket.
Also, the water flows too quickly through the coffee to extract full flavor, to my taste buds, anyway. I understand a flow restrictor is available from Bunn to address this issue.
And brewing coffee fresh enough to release CO2 in this device results in a volcanic overflow in the basket. Learned this the hard way.
Finally, the carafe has a poorly designed lid and spout that drips all over when pouring coffee.
If this had been $30.00 brewer, I wouldn't complain. But for $100.00, this should be a lot better.
"When my examination is complete, all carbon units will be reduced to data patterns."
Agree. I have those complaints, and also I would get an inconsistent amount of water per pot despite being very careful to pour in the same amount each time. Apparently varying evaporation rates depending on the humidity can cause this.
I also tried the flow restricting replacement shower head, but it didn't solve the problems.
I'm waiting for my Capresso Coffee TEC from Dillards.com. The base price was $112.50. Adding for tax and shipping, I am still under $130 for a brand new machine that lists for $199 elsewhere. The TEC and the MT500 both have the same stainless steel boiler, and proper extraction temp should not be a problem based upon what I've read here and elsewhere. Thermal carafe machines are the way to go. Heck, even my $40 Mr. Coffee thermal carafe model has served me well. The BUNN looked appealling to me for a while as well, but your comments only reinforce the negatives I've read about this machine.
I have used (continue to) Bunns for nearly 20 years, and using the Bunn filters, we consistently get uniform pots, plenty hot enough temp and size of brew.
For those who like and use them, you just grind finer for the faster brew times.
That works up to a point. The filter basket only holds so much water, so you can only slow it down to the point where an overflow occurs.
Personally, I love my B-10. I always get consistant results - same amount of water every time, same temperature of extraction every time, and never had an overflow in 3 years of ownership(making at least one pot/day).
I did have to make adjustments to my grind settings and the amount of coffee/pot to get good results though. As far as I can see, it's no different than any other brewer in that regard.
I grew up in a Bunn household & I've used Bunn's for most of the past 26 years. I always use Bunn filters (since they are indeed a bit higher than Mr. Coffee/generic types), use as much coffee as I can w/o overflowing (approximately 1 3/4 of the scoops I have) and use a little less water than the brewer calls for. Great coffee every time, IMO.
I typically make '8 cups' in my Bunn. I haven't had to resort to putting the water into the brewer in portions to avoid overflow and I do use the Bunn filters(regular height filters overflow grounds into the pot every time).
I found that a 6 cup pot actually produces a slightly better cup, but the difference was negligable if I wanted that extra mug of coffee without brewing a second pot. I'm just not that picky.
I had to increase my coffee/water ratio with this brewer, but I'm still below the SCAA recommendations. Previously, I used a Melitta pour-over and could get away with a lower ratio.
I'm wondering how the original poster measured the temperature. There are many ways it could have been done, and not all of them would give consistant results. Personally, I'd remove the top(3 screws), the upper valve, and stick the stem of the thermometer right down into the boiler. Alternatively, I'd have to figure out a way to get the stem into the filter basket without causing an overflow or incomplete extraction. The carafe is not a good option since the water has already lost a lot of heat by the time it makes it there.
I owned the Bunn BT10 and really tried to work with it for 3 months. I own all sorts of coffee makers (Manual & Automatic - Drip and Espresso). I can say that the commercial Bunn makers are mostly excellent. But the consumer BT10 has several major issues. Despite what others have said on this forum, neither the Bunn filters, shower head restrictor, or a finer grind can keep the overflow issue from happening. The reason is simple - the basket is too small. Compare it to one of their commerical models, the volume is lower. It is a simple design flaw. Also, the water is not hot enough, at least according to the SCAA. I ended up selling it on eBay, and glad I did.
What drip coffeemaker(s) does the SCAA approve? Only 2 consumer models the last time I checked - TechniVorm and Newco. I got the TechniVorm 741 and never looked back. I use a Baratza Solis Maestro Plus grinder and I now know that for me, there is not a better cup of coffee for the money.
Anyone out there who is making comments on a certain brand should also mention the exact model, because there can be big differences.
---Despite what others have said on this forum, neither the Bunn filters, shower head restrictor, or a finer grind can keep the overflow issue from happening. The reason is simple - the basket is too small. Compare it to one of their commerical models, the volume is lower. It is a simple design flaw.
Of course the basket on a BT-10 is smaller than the commercial model. The consumer model makes 48 oz of coffee and the commercial 64 oz per pot. The consumer uses 1/2 cup grounds per pot and the commercial 3/4 cup of grounds per pot.
If one adjusts the grind, there is a point at which the coffee is optimum and the basket does not overflow.
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