In addition to bean and water quality, water temperature and extraction time also play a huge role in making good coffee. At 200 degrees (the optimum temperature for extraction), a pot of coffee (about 50 oz.) should brew in a little less than six minutes. The problem is that very few auto-drips have the power to heat the water fast enough. You need more than 1300 watts! I had to replace our coffee maker recently. Despite what you might think from the esoterica above, I was trying very hard not to become a coffee snob--can't afford it, and I'm a snob about more than my share of things already. However, I did want consistently decent coffee with minimum of fuss. That meant auto-drip (and yes, cringe if you must, it meant a programmable timer). I hit a lot of web sites and came up short. Many manufacturers don't post this sort of info. For those that did, 1200 watts was the most I could find. I resigned myself to a long search and headed to the local Target, which I expected to be the first of several investigatory stops. Lo and behold, there on the red-and-white shelf, a Philips unit with a honking 1400 watts! Thirty bucks! But shouldn't I spend two or three times that for a good coffeemaker? Uh oh...look at the "flavor control" knob...those things aren't for serious cooks, are they? Can I trust a machine with--with doodads? Never mind--1400 watts! Sold! On the "full pot/wimp--I mean light" setting, it brews a pot in six minutes and ten seconds, at about 195 degrees. When it's fresh, it's some of the best coffee I've ever had. (I've since invested in a thermal carafe.) Another victory for food science! On weeknights, I set the thing up with coffee that has been ground no more than two weeks before and stored in an opaque, airtight container. I fill the reservoir with cold, bottled water. The coldness helps the water absorb more oxygen, and it needs it, since I let the rig sit overnight (remember, I am not a snob). This means that five days a week, I don't get the best I could out of it. But it's pretty darn good considering the minimal effort I put into it. On weekends, I set it up with the good stuff, and it's great. This may be the best 30 dollars I've ever spent on kitchen equipment. And believe me, I've spent a lot.
