[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Best Coffee Maker? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/16/2008 9:19:49 AM EDT
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I want to buy a really good coffee maker.. under $125 or so.
Always used one of the better Mr Coffee machines,and they do an OK job.. Just brewing my basic grind of coffee, no expresso or such. And I do love my morning coffee! Currently looking at a Cuisinart DCC-1200. Suggestions? |
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I just got a Cuisinart "grind and brew" and it kicks ass.
http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/product.php?product_id=778&item_id=966&cat_id=3 |
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Is a more expensive coffee maker going to make a better tasting cup of coffee over a cheap one at Wal Mart? If so, how so? They won't make a better cup at all. With coffee its all about the quality of beans used and the ratio of beans to water. You want to use a nice quality coffee bean (Kona grown beans for example) that you grind yourself and then use 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 8oz of water. I can get geekier and explain how freshly filtered water makes it better, but most people probably won't bother with that.  Oh yeah, and its important to use a reusable gold coffee filter. It pays for itself and allows more flavor to get through. 
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Quoted: +1...Good whole beans, hopefully roasted recently and good water are the keys. Don't buy the pre-ground stuff if you can avoid it, they are usually already stale when you get them.Quoted: Is a more expensive coffee maker going to make a better tasting cup of coffee over a cheap one at Wal Mart? If so, how so? They won't make a better cup at all. With coffee its all about the quality of beans used and the ratio of beans to water. You want to use a nice quality coffee bean (Kona grown beans for example) that you grind yourself and then use 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 8oz of water. I can get geekier and explain how freshly filtered water makes it better, but most people probably won't bother with that.  Oh yeah, and its important to use a reusable gold coffee filter. It pays for itself and allows more flavor to get through. |
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good to know. Ive been using a Mr Coffee coffee maker for a few years now, with a gold filter. I buy whole beans and grind them myself, and I used filtered water. Guess Im doing ok! Yup, its all you need unless you want to make something slightly different such as espresso. I've been using a 9.99 coffee maker for a few years now. It makes amazing coffee as long as I use good beans. Don't always do that though. I'm going through some NASTY Maxwell House garbage and can't wait to go buy better coffee. 
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Quoted:
I just got a Cuisinart "grind and brew" and it kicks ass. http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/product.php?product_id=778&item_id=966&cat_id=3 +1 I have the same one but with the thermal carafe. The gold filter is great. |
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I will now share the most significant revelation in coffee drinking in existence...get a French Press coffee maker. While I drink mostly tea now, I do occasionally indulge in a good french press coffee. Why french press? Well, the problem with drip coffee makers is that the paper filter also filters out the coffee OILS. The oils provide a nice mellowing effect to the bitterness of the coffee, making the cuppa a silky smooth, nonbitter cup of heaven. If you want the best damn cup of coffee in existence, do the following: -Buy fresh, full strength, good quality beans and grind them only when you plan to use them; -Get a good French Press coffee pot (about $25); -Use spring water (NEVER tap water); -Put your fresh coarse ground coffee in your French Press, add boiling (or near boiling) water, stir, cover, and let sit about 5 minutes; -Press and let coffee nirvana begin. |
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I knew some people with a vacuum coffee maker. It works in an entirely different way from a drip coffee maker. The only ones I could find online were for use on a stove, and cost around $80. ETA: I also know someone who roasts his own beans - apparently its the best way to have really fresh coffee. |
| I have a fairly nice espresso machine (Gaggia), an old dripolator, a french press, a coffee roaster, burr grinder, etc. But after fussing with all of that for a couple years, I decided my Bunn still makes a decent cup of coffee. If I had time, I'd go back to my coffee snobbery. But with the Bunn I can have a nice hot cup of coffee in 5 minutes. With the other methods, I'd probably still be waiting on the water to get the right temp. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
+1...Good whole beans, hopefully roasted recently and good water are the keys. Don't buy the pre-ground stuff if you can avoid it, they are usually already stale when you get them.
Quoted:
Is a more expensive coffee maker going to make a better tasting cup of coffee over a cheap one at Wal Mart? If so, how so? They won't make a better cup at all. With coffee its all about the quality of beans used and the ratio of beans to water. You want to use a nice quality coffee bean (Kona grown beans for example) that you grind yourself and then use 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 8oz of water. I can get geekier and explain how freshly filtered water makes it better, but most people probably won't bother with that. Oh yeah, and its important to use a reusable gold coffee filter. It pays for itself and allows more flavor to get through. Better yet - roast your own beans. Green beans are cheap, the process is easy, and the quality kicks even the best store-bought roasted beans ass. And to stay on topic, just picked up the DCC-1100, little cheaper than the DCC-1200, just has less "stainless" and more black plastic. Makes a great cup of coffee. |
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Quoted:
I want to buy a really good coffee maker.. under $125 or so. Always used one of the better Mr Coffee machines,and they do an OK job.. Just brewing my basic grind of coffee, no expresso or such. And I do love my morning coffee! Currently looking at a Cuisinart DCC-1200. Suggestions? Run away! Run away! I had one of those, and it was a giant overpriced piece of shit. It kept clogging itself, to the point that it couldn't make an entire pot without the 'clean me' warning coming on. Couldn't be cleaned out internally, either with vinegar solution or a commercial coffeemaker cleaning product. Ended up throwing it away, and got a Mr Coffee––works perfectly all the time, and the coffee's just as good. We still have a Cuisinart burr grinder, though, and that thing is awesome. |
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Come on...y'all get real....he asked for the BEST!!
Save money AND get the best.... 
And check out Boca Java for their beans. They roast them and send them to you the same day. GREAT stuff. I get their Espresso roast and some of their flavored stuff. They have a 'Banannas Foster Float' bean that is extrordinary. |
| I recommend Braun and their grinder. I think the small maker is like $30, and the larger is $40. The grinder is ~$20. They use the generic cone shaped filters that is available at most supermarkets, Wallmart, Target etc. The only drawback is that you need to replace the makers every 2-3 years because they stop working. And it is not worth it to try to fix because I've tried, and they never seem to work right after they break. |
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Cusinarts are fucking junk. As long as you know that I guess they aren't bad until they shit the bed on you.
The is absolutely a difference between a good coffee maker and a $30 unit. The cheap units don't get the water hot enough to make good coffee. Even good beans will produce a shit cup of coffee if the water isn't hot enough, and the grinds aren't exposed to it long enough. A single station Bunn commercial brewer would be kickass. |
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Bunn. Its really easy.
Fill filter with too much coffee add an extra scoop. Fill pot with water and dump in top of Bunn. Put pot on burner before delicious coffee spills out. I though it was easy to make coffe at the office. We got the same industiral Bunn at my house. Turns out you gotta keep the thing turned on. I tried making coffe 3 times before my wife flipped the hidden switch. I was getting nothing but cricket water. |
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I just bought a Hamilton Beach Brewstation.
Awesome as you just walk up and shove the cup agains the release and it fills your cup. For some reason it makes the coffee stronger, so I use less coffee than with the previous black and decker. It's nice not to have a decanter to worry about. For the price, $69 from Target, it is well worth it. |
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Did y'all miss the part in a previous post which made mention of the fact that paper filters rob good coffee of the essential oils? The oils that hold 90% of the flavor?
A french press is the Ultimate in the coffee brewing art. Throw all your electric drip peices of crap away!! Save yourselves!! |
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There it is!! That's the critter!! 
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+1 for the french press
+1 for the Bialetti or if you want a good deal try this for $14.95 then cancel after the trial: www.gevalia.com/Gevalia/coffee/coffee-delivery.aspx?Keycode=120293&redirectInfo=home&usertype=0 We have one and it works just fine. |
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some of us don't want coffee makers that look like bongs |
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How well you maintain your coffeemaker has as much effect on the quality of your coffee as the brand and price. Keeping it really clean (scrubbed with vinegar and/or alcohol and a bottle brush) makes all the difference in the world. In areas with hard water, you'll need to "brew" a pot or two of vinegar every once in a while, to dissolve the mineral deposits.
Thermal carafes are nice, but similar results can be obtained by simply turning off the machine immediately after it finishes brewing a pot. The pot will stay hot for an hour or so afterwards, and individual cups can be re-heated in the microwave hours (or even days) later. Another trick is to brew a full pot - Most coffeemakers don't handle a partial pot very well. |
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I've had several coffee makers over the years. Here is what's important:
1. How easy is it to load? Can you get coffee in there without making a mess? 2. Can it be cleaned easily (i.e. take out one piece and rinse it) when you spill a little off a heaping scoop at 4a.m? Or do you have to take it outside and use a hose? 3. Will it turn off automatically? And can you pull the caraffe while it's running (not something I do, but a pain to clean up if you have visitors that expect that capability). 4. Is the caraffe easy to pour or does it take your full concentration (not available at 4a.m) to keep it from spilling? 5. Adjustable heat is nice. Timer is not something I care about. Had a Krupps; it failed on all points. Nice kitchen decoration piece, but useless for coffee. Mr. Coffee FTW. My first coffee maker was the simplest Mr Coffee, and then I strayed and was punished with German crap. I've come back to Mr. Coffee. It's the one with the one with the LCD analog clock thingy on front, and it's the coffee maker I've been searching for all my life. A press is fine, but I've never seen one that could make more than a single cup at a time, and it won't make coffee while I'm in the shower. |
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Quoted:
I knew some people with a vacuum coffee maker. It works in an entirely different way from a drip coffee maker. The only ones I could find online were for use on a stove, and cost around $80. ETA: I also know someone who roasts his own beans - apparently its the best way to have really fresh coffee. Bodum makes one http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=215746 |
| I have the Gevalia coffee maker, works fine for its purpose, downside is that the Gevalia coffee is a little pricey, but you can get around that by canceling the subscription and buying from somewhere else. However, last Christmas we got the Kureg K-Cup coffeemaker, and it is very much nicer. Fill up the water container, turn it on, insert the K-Cup and brew your coffee. I set the timer for about an hour after the wife gets up as that is about when she has breakfast ready, we can keep several different kinds of coffee on hand for different tastes or moods, and since it only brews one cup at a time, there is no wasted coffee or stale coffee sitting on the burner. Each cup takes about 30 seconds or so to brew. |