Need recs on new drip machine

[bbqer]

My 3-4 year old Capresso has started leaking water and its warming plate has become unsightly due to covering having been scraped off. It has made pretty good coffee but I don't think I want another Capresso. I paid about $180 for it.

I want a 10 or 12 cup drip, automatic timing feature nice but not necessary, gold filter preferred, and hot brewing temperature very important. I occasionally make a 4 cup pot, so some adjustment for smaller pot would be good. I grind my beans in a separate Capresso burr grinder which is still grinding well. I would prefer to pay in the $80-$130 range for the coffeemaker.

I am suspicious of the Krups and Braun top sellers that their brewing temp is not up there where it should be. I have heard some mention that Kitchenaid makes a good coffeemaker.

Any brand and specific model suggestions appreciated. Will not consider Mr. Coffee or any of that ilk. Thanks for your help!

[Alex]

I've been using this machine (Melitta Fast Brew 12-cup, $39.99 at Amazon) for the past year and have been reasonably satisfied. It brews hot (~200°F) and fast. Melitta recommends making a minimum of 4 cups, although I've pushed it to 3 with no loss of quality. There's a little bit of dripping if you remove the carafe before brewing has ended. It works fine with the gold filter that I have, even though the top won't quite close all the way. The only other drawbacks are that the display is hard to see unless viewed straight on, I need to pull it completely out from under the cabinet in order to have enough room to fill it with water and ground coffee, and auto-shutoff is operative only in the timer mode. Still, for $40 including shipping, I think it's a good deal.

[waves2ya]

I paid about $180 for it.

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Hey...

You spend good money for your dripper; congrat's. If you are not opposed to spending that again, and you have the space, the argument ends with a purchase of a Technivorm...

Clubline/Technivorm

I think I could have mustered the ducats but do not have the space; I bought a Kitchenaid Pro Cup 12 (KCM400WH) - now impossible to find except for on Ebay. It gets plenty hot (195-205; I've measured and returned other brands that didn't) but has a hot plate (a no-no for coffee) and don't break the carafe. Equally as elusive to replace...

Edited December 7, 2004 by waves2ya (log)

[bbqer]

The Melitta sounds like a good deal, Alex, but the shortcomings are things I'd rather pay more to overcome.

Thanks for the info on the Technivorm Clubline, waves2ya. It looks like a quality machine but my spatial requirements wouldn't allow its rather substantial size. Also, I read in a review that the Technivorm doesn't do a great job of spreading the water over all the grounds.

I've been looking at a KitchenAid Java Studio 10 cup programmable. Unfortunately, it's not yet available (brand new) but it seems to have the qualities I'm looking for. Nice under-counter size, full dispersion showerhead/flat brew basket, permanent gold tone filter, 1100 watt heat pump with electronic temp control, 1-4 cup brewing, time since brew display, auto shutoff, front fill water reservoir. Will sell for $79.95 and has KitchenAid's solid 1 year replacement warranty.

I may put up with my leaky Capresso until I can purchase this. It looks like a quality coffeemaker.

[waves2ya]

I've been looking at a KitchenAid Java Studio 10 cup programmable...

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I went out to Kitchenaid's site:

New KA Dripper

When do you think these guys will just say something to the effect of "... brews at 195 to 205 degrees..."? How hard is it to get the SCAA's stamp of approval - you'd think building a better dripper was rocket science.

Always wonder if all this 'low end coffee brewing temp' stuff was due to the McDonald's 'hot cup of coffee' litigation. Like having a governor on your throttle of your new sports car...

Grrr.

[bbqer]

I've been looking at a KitchenAid Java Studio 10 cup programmable...

←

I went out to Kitchenaid's site:

New KA Dripper

Yep, that's the 14-cup version -- only differences that I can see from the 10 are the greater capacity and the stainless steel finish. This one should be selling for around $99 as opposed to $79 for the 10-cup.

I dunno, waves2ya, maybe it *is* near-rocket-science to commit to getting those brewing temps up there...or maybe they just don't wanna make any promises they could get dissed for not keeping in a review.

[eje]

Bumping this thread to comment on my new drip coffee maker.

Our venerable Krups drip coffee maker bit the dust a couple months ago.

After doing a bit of research on various drip machines, and being completely frustrated by the size and design of the coffee makers in stock at Macy's, I ended up with the Zojirushi EC-BD15A Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker.

So far, I am reasonably happy with it.

It is a fairly attractive, simply designed maker which consistently produces very hot coffee that is not overheated during brewing or afterwards. If preheated, the carafe keeps the coffee hot for hours. The swing arm water spout seems to do a good job at managing proper water flow into the grounds. The timer function is easier to use than our old Krups. It is also easier to clean than the Krups.

Some disadvantages.

It is pretty tall.

#4 paper Melitta filters are a little tall for the brewing basket. Not a big deal; but, if it bothers you you can always trim them. I've read some gold filters do not fit the basket.

Not great for less than 6 "cups" (2 1/2 American mugs) of coffee; but, for that amount I think you are better off brewing manually or in a press pot.

I dislike that there are not separate lids for the brewing basket and the water tank. When you open the top to clean, it is nearly impossible to prevent some coffee flavored condensation from dripping into the water tank.

For some reason, it seems to me that it was designed for left handed people. If I had my druthers I would put it on the shelf with the carafe on the right and the water reservoir on the left. Unfortunately, if it is aligned that way, the timer faces to the back. Odd.

Coffeegeek Page:

http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/drip/zojirushifreshbrew

added comment about handedness and coffeegeek link

Edited May 3, 2005 by eje (log)

[MGLloyd]

So is it a Capresso MT 500 you are replacing? I ask since that is what I have, and I did a lot of research at the time (two years ago) when I bought it. It is still going strong, but like any coffeemaker, I wonder about the life expectancy. When I think back through the years, it seemed as if I would get five years max from a coffeemaker before it expired. Prior to buying my Capresso, I was a Braun fan. If my Capresso checked out tomorrow, I don't know what I would buy. It is not easy finding a coffeemaker that does not have a warming plate, which I now avoid.