# Coffee maker and coffee taste



## bulldog (Feb 14, 2006)

My coffee maker suffered a meltdown this morning. Buying a new one seems difficult, given the array of brands and types. What is your experience, in terms of a coffee maker that produce fine coffee, not brown water? I prefer drip makers, but I'm open to suggestions and experience. What are your choices for best beans?


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

I really like the Bunn coffee makers, they are simple and well built. I've heard the trick is to get a maker that will get the water hot enough to brew properly. This means wattage - you want to look for around 1000W heater, more is better. 

My wife is a fan of the vacuum coffee maker, but they are difficult to find.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Braun...with a digital timer, grinder and "thermos" carafe. Fresh, hot coffee by the time you wake up in the morning. Nirvana!:icon_smile_big:


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

TMMKC said:


> Braun...with a digital timer, grinder and "thermos" carafe. Fresh, hot coffee by the time you wake up in the morning. Nirvana!:icon_smile_big:


Ditto, but a b*tch to clean, as seems true with all the all-in-one coffee makers.

After all these years, I have come back to the basic French press or plunger-type coffee maker, the best, IMO, being the Chambord by Bodum.










I have them in several sizes, the smallest being a one (large) cup model with an insulated stainless steel cup. Granted, it takes longer to make the coffee, but the results are worth it. As for beans, I much prefer true Jamaica Blue Mountain, made with spring water.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

rip said:


> Ditto, but a b*tch to clean, as seems true with all the all-in-one coffee makers...for beans, I much prefer true Jamaica Blue Mountain, made with spring water.


True! That is the downside...which probably explains why my wife always has me cleaned the d*mned thing!

Mocha Java or Sumatra!


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## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

bulldog said:


> My coffee maker suffered a meltdown this morning. Buying a new one seems difficult, given the array of brands and types. What is your experience, in terms of a coffee maker that produce fine coffee, not brown water? I prefer drip makers, but I'm open to suggestions and experience. What are your choices for best beans?


We got one of these about a year ago and have been very pleased so far:
https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-EC-BD15-Thermal-Carafe-Coffee/dp/B0000X7CMQ

It's a bit fussy and hard to clean, but most auto drip coffeemakers have that much in common.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

There's another process for making coffee that is responsible for getting me hooked on that vile brew, the Toddy cold process coffee. It makes an essence of coffee that is used like instant coffee. Because the entire process short of the final cup is done with cold water, there is a distinct reduction in acids and oils, as well as a reduction in caffein.

This link goes into much detail about the process and the final product:

https://www.ineedcoffee.com/06/coldbrew/


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

I will second the suggestion of a Bunn coffee maker. Our venerable "Mr Coffee" died about six months ago and it's replacement was a Bunn BTX-B home brewer. The coffee has consistently been as good as any we have ever tasted...no trace of bitterness but, also quite rich and robust!


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

Bunn, hands down. My family knows the Bunns too btw.


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## maxnharry (Dec 3, 2004)

If you put a pot on and drink it over the course of an hour or two, recommend a make that has an airtight carafe. Other makes with an open carafe and heating element burn your coffee over time, making it bitter.


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

rip said:


> There's another process for making coffee that is responsible for getting me hooked on that vile brew, the Toddy cold process coffee.


Wow, thanks for that link! I've been a huge fan of "processed" coffee. The only machines I've found are the big industrial jobbers that cost $1000s of dollars and are designed to make hundreds of cups of coffee an hour. Smoothest cup of coffee ever, right there.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

I like the overall convenience of an "all-in-one" automated coffee maker, but nothing compares to the taste of a cup 'o Joe from a French Press (low acidity, full flavor). That is normally a treat for Saturday and Sunday mornings...along with my signature basil scrambled eggs!


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

Laxplayer said:


> Bunn, hands down. My family knows the Bunns too btw.


Tell them to send me a free machine then!


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## Good Old Sledge (Jun 13, 2006)

I'm in with the French Press crowd.


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## bulldog (Feb 14, 2006)

*French Press experiment*

Thanks for the responses and advice. I remembered that I had a French Press pot in the basement, never used. I decided to take the plunge. The first thing that I learned was that when the instructions said "one scoop per cup" they meant a 4 oz. cup, not an 8 oz. cup.I am now playing around with time, temperature, and proportions, trying to get the best taste. I do like the results a lot, and making coffee in a ritual makes it taste better, I think. Now....if I can find out how to dump the grounds cleanly, I'll be almost finished.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

bulldog said:


> Thanks for the responses and advice. I remembered that I had a French Press pot in the basement, never used. I decided to take the plunge. The first thing that I learned was that when the instructions said "one scoop per cup" they meant a 4 oz. cup, not an 8 oz. cup.I am now playing around with time, temperature, and proportions, trying to get the best taste. I do like the results a lot, and making coffee in a ritual makes it taste better, I think. Now....if I can find out how to dump the grounds cleanly, I'll be almost finished.


If you have a garden, dump the grounds around the base of plants...they'll thank you for it! I agree about the FP pot. It took some getting used to when we first got ours a few years ago. I have heard you should never stir the hot water and grounds with anything but either a plastic or wooden spoon...something about the breaking the glass. Has anyone ever heard that?


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## lithebast (Sep 27, 2005)

*Making Coffee like a Brazilian*

I make coffee as they do in Brazil, because that's where I learned to do it. It's simple and I enjoy it. I buy the freshest roasted coffee I can find --Red Sea blend or French roast, then I drip it through a coffee filter into a thermal cup or thermos.


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## 16128 (Feb 8, 2005)

French press is great.

For drip, I looked into the Bunn makers, but they didn't seem to have automatic timers, which is crucial for us since we are zombies until we have our first cup, which makes actually preparing the coffee difficult. (Since zombies only shuffle and moan a lot, not pour water into receptacles accurately.)

We have a Cuisinart drip maker and are very happy with it.


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