Auto Drip Coffee Makers

[Peter B Wolf]

This one is about Coffee Makers. Mainly the ever so common “Drip” Machines.

Mine, a “ Gevalia 12 Cup “. Why are these makers marked with these ridiculous numbers, as these 12 cups will only hold about 57 ounces of water or 4.75 ounce per ‘cup’. Who uses cups in the Morning, and that’s when most Americans drink their coffee, that hold only or less then 5 ounces ?. Who even uses ‘cups’ ? Everyone I know drinks coffee out of ‘mugs’, and none of these holds less then 7 to 8 ounces of liquid. My Cobalt Blue eGullet mug holds 14 ounces and a nice looking Lavazza mug holds 9 ounces.

So , you manufacturers of Coffee Makers, adjust or get mugged !!

Next complaint, maybe even a bigger one. Did you ever try pouring water into these Coffee Makers ? Every single one has the reservoir in the back. One must move the maker away from the wall and the back of the counter in order to fill them. And on top of it, try to slide them back into place with these little rubber feet. Why can these manufacturers not come up with a more practical way ? More than once do I have to sop up a pool on the kitchen counter.

My cat does not do it, unless I add Cream to it.

[moosnsqrl]

This one is about Coffee Makers. Mainly the ever so common “Drip” Machines.

Mine, a “ Gevalia 12 Cup “. Why are these makers marked with these ridiculous numbers, as these 12 cups will only hold about 57 ounces of water or 4.75 ounce per ‘cup’. Who uses cups in the Morning, and that’s when most Americans drink their coffee, that hold only or less then 5 ounces ?. Who even uses ‘cups’ ? Everyone I know drinks coffee out of ‘mugs’, and none of these holds less then 7 to 8 ounces of liquid. My Cobalt Blue eGullet mug holds 14 ounces and a nice looking Lavazza mug holds 9 ounces.

So , you manufacturers of Coffee Makers, adjust or get mugged !!

Next complaint, maybe even a bigger one. Did you ever try pouring water into these Coffee Makers ? Every single one has the reservoir in the back. One must move the maker away from the wall and the back of the counter in order to fill them. And on top of it, try to slide them back into place with these little rubber feet. Why can these manufacturers not come up with a more practical way ? More than once do I have to sop up a pool on the kitchen counter.

My cat does not do it, unless I add Cream to it.

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Try the Moccamaster, by Clementdesign, The Netherlands.

[Kouign Aman]

LOL!!!

I've had one, a Braun, where the water compartment was easy to access.

The current beast has a flaw I've never seen before, in addition to those you pointed out. When the lid is lifted to place the filter, add the coffee and the water, the condensed water runs from the lid, down the back of the pot and all over the counter. Now that's bad design!

We routinely place a teatowel behind the unit before we open it.

And no, I'm not going to buy another one. This one makes drinkable coffee and lots of it, has a timer, and other features I like (plus it was free). But the consistent flaws do boggle my mind.

I'm surprised usability isnt given greater consideration in the design process. They are not complex beasties.

[hsm]

Yes, free and useful are good.

Having gotten used to the challenging pour of the currently-in-use Gevalia, I use it as a measurement of just how much coffee it will take to get me going on said morning.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate a better-designed model one of these days, but iirc, some former Brauns and Krups created a similar problem. Or maybe that's me?

One other kvetch: The thermos, which I like, isn't made for the dishwasher. Should be.

And thanks to whomever edited the thread.

[Porthos]

We opted for the Hamilton Beach Brew Station a couple of years ago. Our coffee maker sits on an area of counter without overhead cabinets so moving it to use it doesn't count. I have always figured that the average "cup" makers refer to is around 6 oz but I have never personally cared. I use mugs ranging from 12 to 16 oz and I always make a full pot. With the Brew Station I can dispense the last cup 2 days later and nuke it back to life with the flavor intact.

We bought a Brew Station for my f-i-l last Christmas. The arthritis in his elbows and hands are getting to the point that picking up a full carafe from an everyday drip maker was causing him pain. He fills the resevoir in 2 or 3 stages so that he doesn't have to lift all of the water weight at once. Once brewed, coffee dispensing is similar to filling a soda cup at the soda fountain so he only has to deal with the weight of one filled mug and he's good to go. Yes, I am a fan of this product.

The only thing I have figured out over the years is that the "cups" a particular machine makes is meaningless to me. I buy a machine and then figure out how much coffee the machine being used needs for the taste I'm looking for. Generally this takes no more than 2 or 3 pots.

[Marlene]

The Black and Decker has a removable water carafe for easy filling. I don't own one of these anymore, but I did, when they marketed this particular design under "Kitchen Tools". It looks like they've brought the Kitchen Tools series back without actually calling it that.

[richardv]

The current beast has a flaw I've never seen before, in addition to those you pointed out. When the lid is lifted to place the filter, add the coffee and the water, the condensed water runs from the lid, down the back of the pot and all over the counter. Now that's bad design!

We routinely place a teatowel behind the unit before we open it.

A

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Our current 12-cup Gevalia has an even worse flaw (for me anyway): When the lid is lifted to place the filter, the condensed water and coffee residue runs from the lid back into the reservoir!

In the past we've had Gevalia coffee makers that had a separate lid for the reservoir.

[Beto]

You might want to try the Technivorm. Not cheap, but it's probably the best home brewer out there.

[jayt90]

One cup equals eight fluid onces Is that too hard for drip coffee makers? We, and they, are not interested in making espresso thimbulfulls; just a morning mug of decent grog.

So wise up, Braun et al, a cup is 8 oz. and you should provide appropriate instructions