Help, we need a coffee maker

[bobmac]

We have a Krups that makes a real full-bodied pot of coffee, but it leaks and my wife isn't too happy about that. So I got a Braun, a brand I've come to trust, but with the same amount of beans, it produces a much weaker tasting brew. I don't want something with bells and whistles, timers, built-in grinder, etc. Any thoughts?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Home coffee brewers' discussion with some cool ideas ...

[MGLloyd]

Capresso MT 500.

[Live It Up]

I'm surprised that no one on the other thread mentioned the Presto Scandinavian Design Coffee Maker. It's been all the rage over on coffee geek. I got mine from amazon for $34.99 with free shipping, but I see that it's gone up to $45.99. However, it's still one of the only automatic drip brewers for under $100 that reaches proper brewing temperatures. As I said, there's lots of threads about it on coffeegeek.com, but I'm not savvy with the linking yet.

[Grovite]

Have you checked out the Bodum Santos?

We have one here at the house and it puts out a damn fine cup of coffee.

The Cuisinart brewstation that we have at the bakery also does a great job.

Over the past few years, we've spent a lot of money trying to find a better than average coffee maker. The Bodum and the Cuisinart are the two out of that search that consistently produced a good cup of coffee.

Definitely check those two out.

[nessa]

While I'm no expert, I have the Cuisnart, bought it a month ago, and absolutely adore it. I got the Krups burr grinder to go with it and I'm in methylxanthine heaven!

[Taboni]

Love the Cuisinart. Hate the lack of water level indicator

[nessa]

Love the Cuisinart. Hate the lack of water level indicator

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Yeah! I ah, look for it every morning, thinking that I've missed it, somehow.....

[Jay Francis]

Would you object to boiling your water in a teapot? The reason I am asking is, in my opinion, Chemex is the optimum coffee maker. The filter paper is first class. And because you heat the wate separately, you can control the water temperature hitting the coffee grounds. I enjoy the extra puttering around, heating the water, pouring it over the grounds, the whole Chemex process. Plus, I can use distilled or reverse osmosis water, that is my preferred water source for coffee making.

You can find vintage Chemex on ebay.

I have never liked the French Press. Too much grit in the coffee.

Chemex gets my vote.

[Bond Girl]

I have the santos. Hate that. It's a pain in the ass to clean and takes up a lot of space. But, if you don't mind the extra work, the coffee is nice. But, the capresso MT 500 is super. I really love it. Capresso also makes one of those units that has a burr grinder and coffee maker all in one although I'm not sure if that one works just as well.

[TPO]

I had to buy a new coffee maker when mine died last week. I bought the Cuisinart Grind & Brew with the thermal carafe. I really like it. Even though the machine can grind the coffee right before brewing, I grind the coffee separately during the week. The grinding function is too loud in the morning when I'm the only one awake.

[jayt90]

I had to buy a new coffee maker when mine died last week. I bought the Cuisinart Grind & Brew with the thermal carafe. I really like it. Even though the machine can grind the coffee right before brewing, I grind the coffee separately during the week. The grinding function is too loud in the morning when I'm the only one awake.

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I still use one but grind separately. After a couple of years the the top latch broke, and I have to weight it down before it kicks in. I'm not impressed with the overly-plastic design, but it works, and keeps the coffee hot.

I've tried to monitor the brew temp., and the highest I get is 170 F. But it needs a good clean out.

I'll be looking for the Dutch unit MG Llloyd referred to.

[alejita]

What does anyone think about the italian Capresso with the integrated grinder? It holds a whole lot more coffee beans than the Cuisinart, but what about the water temperature? And of course you need a LOT of counter space.

[phaelon56]

Integrated grinders are rarely if ever as good as stand-alone grinders and never better. And if/when the grinder goes you're out of luck - it's typically cheaper to replace that sort of thing than to have it repaired.

Plus, I can use distilled or reverse osmosis water, that is my preferred water source for coffee making.

Here's a vote for either Britta filtered water or bottled spring water as the best choice for home coffee brewing. For all practical purposes one can consider reverse osmosis and distilled water to have all of the mineral content removed. The result is a sort of flat taste to the water and the brewed beverage.

To some people it's more noticeable in espresso than in brewed coffee but go to any progressive coffee/espresso establishment that's in an area where water quality is really bad. They'll typically use RO or some other heavy duty filtering system that totally removes all foreign matter/compounds but have an additional stage to the filter system that adds back in appropriate amounts of certain minerals.

If you're trying to duplicate at home the quality of the drip coffee you get in your favorite local cafe... and you're using a good grinder, proper brew temps etc. but it still doesn't taste the same... look at your water.

[murkcury]

I use the Bodum Santos at home (5 cup, smaller model) and think it makes a good cup of coffee. Besides, it looks cool and it's really fun to watch it in action. Still, the most important element is a good bean and a la minute grinding. Don't skimp on that because no coffee maker in the world can redeem a bad bean. A burr grinder is definitely recommended. I have the Bodum model and find it to be more than adequate.