Coffee maker suggestions

Butchy340 said:
Hey u guys ever here of the "H2JO" coffee filter ? check it out.
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It looks simple and practical. I find it interesting. I think it would work pretty good. It is very hands on. There would be some temperature coasting downward as the water cools off but probably not to a significant extent provided your jar is glass or ceramic and large. If the jar is small the water will cool too fast and give you a sour, weak, or bitter brew. A good amount of water is necessary for enough thermal mass to maintain it's temperature for the few minutes the grounds saturate. If the jar is thick you would have to preheat it to prevent cooling off the water also. This because the drip method of brewing requires constantly moving water and a few minutes time. I also wonder if the vacuum created by an intact jar (one with no hole in it) would impede the downward flow of water. Think of a soda can turned upside down with a hole punched on top, you take your finger off the hole and it spills, however, if you tilt it a little, hole or no hole, it dribbles out so it probably is with this thing. Hot potatoes for your hands if that jar has no handle or you are not using mitts when you flip it over. This one is not as idiot proof as it would seem at first glance.


The reason why the areopress (looks like a giant syringe) works so well is because you saturate FINELY ground coffee for about only 30 seconds and then PRESS water through the grounds. This involves a short saturation period (less heat loss in the water) due to the finely ground coffee (needs less time to saturate,) and pressure. Pressurized brewing of any kind whether hand or mechanical are very grind sensitive and require quality grinds produced by quality grinders (burr grinder.) Brewers like this and others that use any kind of pressure offer the potential for superior extraction as well as flavor but will produce the worst swill if done incorrectly. Just a note the areopress produces fantastic strong coffee when done right but contrary to it's advertising hype it is not espresso. Espresso requires finer grinds with about 135 psi of pressurized hot water gradually forced through it.

French press does use pressure as well and some presses are small but I would think they are better insulated not by much though. You better preheat the small ones real good or your water will get too cool. I bet the bigger ones make a better brew due to more water but they still must be preheated also. French press is VERY grind picky and you will notice big flavor differences between a poor grind and a good grind. French press has a unique flavor that is fantastic when done right. Remember not to drink the sludge. These are also not idiot proof.

Mr coffee timer type machines offer the ultimate in idiot proof technology but like blade steels there is a trade off, like the cheapest shiniest blades that are tough and almost rustproof but take the worst edge in the world, so is the timed cheapo Mr coffee that automatically brews pre ground coffee that has been sitting in the filter basket overnight at substandard temperatures. A machine that automatically grinds and brews using a quality grinder can not be had at anything that approaches the low price of a Mr Coffee type machine. There are also a lot of rip off machines out there that I like to nickname Mr Coffee deluxe specials. They have gadgets such as alarm clocks, digital displays, and beautiful stainless steel sheet paneling but the same horrible internals of cheapo machines. They approach the price of second hand or even new top quality coffee machines. I would do some research to avoid those. That being said some of the crappo brewers are capable of making a good drip and brew at the right temperature (like some black and decker units mentioned here,) however that is not guaranteed and quality control is spotty. If you read the reviews you will find some do not reach good brew temperatures and contrary to popular belief here a lot of them do burn out prematurely. I bet over time the brewing characteristics change for the worse too with scale build up. They all have the same type of cheap setup inside the guts (a small narrow heated tube, I have never seen anything other than thin aluminum) but to be fair if your are mechanically inclined you can take them apart to clean them. That can keep these running for a long time but good luck if a major plastic part on it breaks or gets lost then you might as well buy a new one. I do not like throw away brewers with or without a facelift (stainless paneled digital crapos) even if do they happen to plop out the factory working right.

The shameless knock offs that you guys here love to rage, rant, and scream about are now also available in coffee land (or places like China.) There is currently a knock off of the Technivorm that used to be marketed by Delonghi (some rebranded machine that is/was ? commonly sold in England) and is still available on the market for about $60.00 (it used to be about $200 can guess why the price is reduced.) It is supposed to brew a great cup of coffee but quality control is very spotty and I give you 50/50 you might get a one year or less clonker special. Good luck with tech support.

The old tried and true kettle with a clean white cotton sock over a mason jar (chemex makes some great filters too.) This is actually an excellent brewing method. The kettle holds a good amount of water (large thermal mass of water equals more temperature stability for more time.) Slowly pouring recently boiled water over the grounds for a few minutes can make a great cup of sock joe (Chemex glass setup works good too.) You can probably get away with using weed wacked coffee with the drip method, especially with paper filters that take some of the edge off the bitterness, but a good grind is always going to taste much better.


If there is one thing that 99 percent of coffee lovers agree on, it is that the percolator produces horrible coffee no matter what you put in it. Water used to brew coffee has to be hot but not boiling hot. Boiling hot water makes a bad brew. Coffee that is extracted more than ONCE makes a bad brew (bad is an understatement, horrible is more like it.) The art of good coffee brewing is to extract the best out of the grounds while leaving the undesired components behind. Of every coffee brewing device I know of, the percolator is the only one that violates every rule of decent coffee making by pushing boiling hot water through coffee grounds over and over and over again. The end result is a horrible over extracted, bitter, nasty brew. If you are looking for the ultimate caffeine rush then the percolator wins hands down since it successfully extracts every drop of this bitter nasty alkaloid as well as other horrible stuff out of the grinds. Percolated sludge may be good for keeping truckers awake as a last resort during long hauls but is to be avoided if you have any regard for your taste buds. For this brewing method you might as well use any kind of a grind from weed wacked to hammered it won't make any difference.



Thermoses are fine for those who want to stretch all they can out their coffee but they do not preserve all the flavors. I like to drink my coffee only a few minutes if not right after brewing. The rest goes right down the drain with absolutely no regrets.


Of course do not forget the grinder is the secrete to great coffee (except percolator brewed.) Whether using a vintage half rusty $40.00 german hand crank grinder with good burrs or a $1700.00 Versalab M3 grinder (fantastic grinder for espresso if I may say,) even quality grinds is where the buck stops.


The most important thing is despite all that has been said is if it tastes good to you and if it is what you like then that is all that matters. I must admit even if it's a percolator if it's what you like that's all that matters. The above is my opinion and that is all, it is just my two cents.

The reason I felt the need to put my two cents in is, I felt a MYTH was being fabricated here whether intentionally or not, even though not directly said but implied, that high quality coffee equipment and time tested principles of brewing good coffee are nonsense reserved for foolish people who like to throw their money away.

It's the same type of argument that a knife ignorant lay person would present when speaking with someone more educated on blade steel, and knife construction quality.

The layman will swear if it's more than $10.00 it is a rip off. I have respect for the lay man's opinion on the other hand I realize that in almost all product fields there is an upper tier of products that are just either better or so unique a higher price tag is inevitable if it is to even be marketed. The last thing I would want is for the people who make these fine quality products to throw in the towel and say it's not worth marketing. Then people like me would have to make the products we like by ourselves at a higher cost plus personal time and labor.

Blade Forums might consider opening up a new area entitled Custom Coffee Machine Makers Section to keep you perked up during those long grinding and polishing sessions, if the above were to happen. Whoops, this is blade forums though.
 
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My used ebay Technivorm is still going it makes a great cup of drip. I did do a descale on it a couple of times after I got it in the mail. I like the brew from the technivorm better than my chemex.

I use the Melitta number 4 cone filters (white.)

The work Bunn is down for the moment it needs a new liquid level control board $64.00 new I brought a remanufactured one for $29 but they rooked me on shipping. I wanted UPS 2 day air and they sent it ground instead. I am not going to see the board until April 25 and they kept the $17.00 shipping fee (package about 1 pound.) I am hoping my getting a remanufactured board was not a hasty decision because they sit near a boiler inside the machine. I am wondering if any other components on the board beside whatever has been replaced will blow soon.

I would have been wise to cough up the few extra dollars and get a brand new board instead. I suppose I will find out if remanufactured is worth it.

I did descale it (citric acid) and cleaned some sludge from the bottom of the boiler. It is now pretty much clean inside and out. The machine is so old there is rust on some of the contacts and components. The limit thermostat (basically a heat fuse in case the boiler gets too hot) is still working but the ceramic housing around it is brittle and cracked from age. I have a new one on the way as well (about $6.00.)

I also cleaned a lot of black gunk out from inside the frame. It looked worse than it was and easily wiped away with a detergent soaked sponge exposing intact stainless steel.

A working plumbed in Bunn is necessary at work because of the more busy environment and people like to use the hot water tap to make tea.

I am now thinking about what I should get to soften the water to lessen the frequency of descaling the machine.
 
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I really like our Hamilton Beach. It's the one that comes with two travel mugs. You can dispense into one or both or the thermal carafe. Keeps coffee hot all morning and into the afternoon if it lasts that long.
 
Machaira said:
If you want a cup or two at a time, try a Keurig which uses K-cups.

There is a large variety of coffees and it is convenient to use.

The basic model starts at about $100.

M.
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+1 Just bought that unit last weekend and love it. Now I just need to find one of the K-cups that I really like, so far the ones we've gotten, even the Folgers Deluxe have been pretty good. Not as good as my French Press but way more convenient and not bad at all.
 
If you will check with every place you go out to eat ~~ 98% of the time you will see a Bunn-O-Matic Coffee Machine being used. I sold Coffee for one of the biggest Coffee whole/sellers and retailers in the USA for 17 years and had Bunns out there that were over 50 years old or better and still made a good pot of Coffee.
I guess you know what I make my Coffee in (a B-8 Bunn-O-Matic) not a Wally World Bunn-O-Matic for the home but a B-8 made for the home {around $325 when I got mine and have never had a bit of a problem and if it should go down I can call them in Chicago and order the part and even ask if they can help me go through installing it. Machine is now 32 years old and makes a good cup of Coffee now as the day I got it.
You will never find a better Coffee Machine {even an A-10 sold in Wally World is better than most out there.} Just my .05 worth on the subject and you all have a nice day and enjoy your coffee.
 
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