Coffee Maker Advice ??

[Stevie Ray]

I replaced my Braun with a Mr. Coffee about 3 weeks ago and my morning "joe" is now pretty lifeless tasting. I've tried a number of variations with the pot (i.e. amount of coffee, paper filter, metal filter, etc), but I'm beginning to believe that the coffeemaker is part of the problem. I know it's a poor craftsman that blames his tools, but I haven't had a great cup of coffee since I bought this pot.

I know some of you guys are near experts on this, so what say yee?

[DAYWALKER]

Uh....java and Vampyrewolf...this is your cue!

God bless ya stevie ray!!!

[java]

I replaced my Braun with a Mr. Coffee about 3 weeks ago and my morning "joe" is now pretty lifeless tasting. I've tried a number of variations with the pot (i.e. amount of coffee, paper filter, metal filter, etc), but I'm beginning to believe that the coffeemaker is part of the problem. I know it's a poor craftsman that blames his tools, but I haven't had a great cup of coffee since I bought this pot.

I know some of you guys are near experts on this, so what say yee?

I'm no expert.... but Mr Coffee????

If you haven't changed your grind or coffee varietal then I wouldn't hesitate to blame the machine. If it's giving you a metallic, plastic, or rancid taste, you might need to run some of the available coffee machine cleaners through it. Mr Coffee should use a drip grind coffee but the machine itself does not have any way to control the brewing time nor does it have the best temperature control. You should start with good pure cold water and it should optimally be at 170 - 190 F by the time it hits the grounds.

I have occasionally used two filters to extend the brewing time when I am desparate enough at the shop to partake the weak oily brown exudate my unenlightened colleagues call (and I use the term loosely) ....coffee.

Other than getting a decent machine you can try using a Melita cone filter device that makes a cup at a time. The cone filters that Melita introduced here make it harder to "messupacup". Some manufacturers have gold mesh filters that are reusable and impart no chemical tastes to the brew. Take your time shopping for a decent machine. You can find quite a line of decent low end automatic breweres now. DeLonghi makes a decent entry line with many auto features and thermal carafes to keep your elixir warm the day through. (Reheated coffee loses a lot of flavor and goes bitter) Melita has some decent autos. Cuisineart has a nice grind and brew thermal carafe maker that works wonders. There are some 1 - 2 cup coffee pod brewers that make a fair cup but the expense of the pods and the limited varietals of coffee do not make these attractive to me.

Coffeegeek (http://coffeegeek.com/) has some good reviews but these are mostly higher end machines. Might give you an idea of what to look for. They also have some good tips on brewing. Check their brewing tips to see if there might be something I've missed here and always remember - "Good friends don't let their friends drink bad coffee!"

Best! :)

(BTW: Ever notice there's not a Mrs Coffee??? Bad coffee is the source for many of the world's problems (and Mr Coffee's weak brewed marriage that ended in a particularly bitter cup of divorce - thankfully there were no children involved!)) :D

[chinook]

I really appreciate a freshbrewed pot of coffee when camping. Doesn't seem to keep me up at night when I drink this brew. A couple cups from this and I sleep like a baby.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/288967/still3.jpg

[Hannibal Lecter]

Seriously, I find a French press to be no more irritation than a drip machine, and the results are, in my opinion, much more consistent. Of course, on the occcasions when I drink coffee, I prefer it strong enough to attempt to crawl out of the cup under its own steam... :D


Ta,

H

[RLR]

I second the French Press - I use a Bodum and love it. Moreover, you can use it for loose tea and other infusions. The coffee is more robust as more of the oils are released. And you get to decided how long you let it sit.

http://www.bodum.com/pages/products/productshow.asp?vFamID=1

[Stevie Ray]

Thanks guys ... I'm gonna shop for a new one. I'm from Louisiana and grew up with a Dad that insisted on great coffee, so this machine ... be it 3 weeks and 28 bucks from Costco ... is gonna go the way of all things ... I did kind of figure that would be the consensus opinion. I was in a hurry ... it looked good ... I bought ... IT SUCKS ...

My Dad actually still orders his beans .... roasts them at the house and now ... has a German coffee maker that he paid a fortune for. My recollection of it is that it heats the water ... shoots it up into the upper chamber ... swirls it ... (like cowboy coffee ... sort of ...) and then when the pressure or temp. gets right ..., it dumps the fine brew into the lower chamber. It tastes great .., but then of course, who knows .. beans ... his roasting ... the machine ...

Java, I have had a Cuisineart in the past, and you're right ... for the money it does produce great tasting coffee ... I wish I had remembered ... I am going to check out the link you recommended too .... I can't deal with this warmed over muddy tasting swill that the Mr. Coffee imparts....

Thanks again,

[java]

My Dad actually still orders his beans .... roasts them at the house and now ... has a German coffee maker that he paid a fortune for. My recollection of it is that it heats the water ... shoots it up into the upper chamber ... swirls it ... (like cowboy coffee ... sort of ...) and then when the pressure or temp. gets right ..., it dumps the fine brew into the lower chamber. It tastes great .., but then of course, who knows .. beans ... his roasting ... the machine ...
Thanks again,

Smart man your father there Stevie Ray!! I roast my own as well. Since you have a good example to follow, you might touch base with him for some recommendations and an intro into home roasting. (Not nearly as expensive as people think and it gives you a feeling of satisfaction experiencing how coffee is really supposed be done. It sound like your dad may have a version of the vacuum brewer. Bodum and Starbucks also offer an electric version.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/espressozone_1821_8509605
This is Bodums Santos set. Water goes in the bottom and the grounds in the top chamber. As the water begins to boil in the bottom bowl, it rises under light pressure to the top chamber and mixes with the ground coffee. After the heat is removed, perfectly brewed coffee is pulled under light vacuum back into the bottom chamber. Most Japanese coffee houses still use this method and prepare coffee by the cup when it is ordered. Fascinating to watch. The Bodum is great in that you can use the oil lamp (it actually uses denatured alcohol for fuel) or place it on the stove.

Sweet Maria's (http://www.sweetmarias.com/) is an excellent source for home roasters, green beans, coffee makers of all sorts, grinders, books on coffee, and advice on roasting and brewing the hallowed bean soup. Best of luck in your brew quest and e-mail me anytime you need further info.

j

[EarthDog]

I heartily recommend the Saeco SuperAutomatico. It makes everything from a single cup of espresso to a good full cup of good strong coffee. It makes it all at the push of a button - grinds the beans, tamps the ground coffee, steams the brew, and dumps the used grounds. Got mine from Whole Latte Love, on the web.

I can also endorse the French press method. Good strong, smooth brew.

[Stevie Ray]

I second the French Press - I use a Bodum and love it. Moreover, you can use it for loose tea and other infusions. The coffee is more robust as more of the oils are released. And you get to decided how long you let it sit.

http://www.bodum.com/pages/products/productshow.asp?vFamID=1
RLR & Hannibal,

I think I'm going to try the 12 oz version of the Bodum Press as well as making the attempt to find the right primary machine. It looks like you can pick one of those up from Ebay for 15 bucks or so.

This morning, I was so desperate for a good cup of joe that I pulled out my ancient stove top espresso maker. Chuckling .. it did work .., but only under protest from the seal (which leaked a bit ...).

[Stevie Ray]

Smart man your father there Stevie Ray!! I roast my own as well. Since you have a good example to follow, you might touch base with him for some recommendations and an intro into home roasting. (Not nearly as expensive as people think and it gives you a feeling of satisfaction experiencing how coffee is really supposed be done. It sound like your dad may have a version of the vacuum brewer. Bodum and Starbucks also offer an electric version.
j
Java,

I actually did call him last night and his ... WAS a Bodum. :D Was ...., in the sense that it ceased to work within the last 30 days or so. It was facinating to watch. He is now messing around with some cheapie one cup coffee makers in his never ending attempt for that perfect cup of coffee. Dad only got into roasting his beans after retiring. He's 71 at this point and "good coffee" is one of his hobbies. He orders the beans from various places, keeps his roaster in the garage and seems to really get into the whole process.

Following on these discussions, I went to the link you provided and .. to my trusty Consumer's Reports and found that the consensus opinion ... for the money ...., is the Cuisinart Brew Central (which I could have bought at Costco for another 35 bucks over the Mr. Coffee :rolleyes: ). I think I'm going to go check it out at Costco. Seems like they wanted 60 - 70 bucks for it.

[chinook]

We have the Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brewcentral (w/o the grinder) which replaced a Black & Decker undercabinet model. The B&D was extremely convenient with the removable water container and it freed up counterspace, butt we could no longer put up with its danm dribble pot. Worse than my uncle Louie. He only dribbled when he spat his tobacco juice. The Cuisinart pours slow or fast with nary a drop lost.

The neighbor bought this same model from Costco just before Xmas butt found on close inspection that theirs is a bit different than ours. For one thing there was no goldtone filter in the box and indeed on Costco's website it is not listed in the contents, and more danming was the slightly shorter power cord.

This is a very tall unit and while it will fit under most cabinets, you will play hell getting the lid up to pour water into its well which is in the extreme right rear of the unit. So it must be pulled out from under the cabinet to fill and in her particular case its cord would have to be unplugged to move the unit. She has a faucet which has a detachable spout which she can use to fill the reservoir, butt the Cuisinart's volume markers are only visible looking directly in from the top, no indicators on the side. She can't use it where she wants without an extension cord. These points might not make a difference in your case and we are very happy with this model, well made and a dependable cup of coffee. (pedestrian as our Folgers/Yuban choice may be)

[vampyrewolf]

Have a Black & Decker machine on the counter upstairs with a timer on it... mine downstairs doesn't have a timer on it. At least it makes a constant cup of coffee.

Even a bad grind in the bodum puts out a better cup than the drip ones we have. If you don't mind a 1/4" of coffee grounds in the bottom of your cup.

Waiting on the grinder to get here, see how much difference a good grinder makes for the bodum, instead of my 2 blade cheapie.

[Hannibal Lecter]

Even a bad grind in the bodum puts out a better cup than the drip ones we have. If you don't mind a 1/4" of coffee grounds in the bottom of your cup.

It has been my experience that a coarser grind on the coffee will go a long way towards minimizing or eliminating the errant grounds.


Ta,

H

[RLR]

Coarse grind = zero grinds in the Bodum. I use a manual grinder on occasion and even with that there is no residue in my Bodum coffee.

[vampyrewolf]

Currently only have a 2 blade grinder, and it's guess work... Waiting on my package from java though, will help a lot to have a burr mill.

The sacrifice with course grind is that it has to steep longer to get as much flavour and caffine out of it. It took me a week to get the grind right for my drip pot, can't imagine any greater "torture" than experimenting with coffee grind. :D 1 second could be the difference between a great cup and a passable cup.

[Joe Talmadge]

I've found through the years that there is a difference in coffee machines, though Consumer Reports disagrees. For all I know, it's not really a difference between makes, but inconsistency overall. The water has to get hot enough, has to sit in the grounds long enough, etc.

I recently got a Cuisinart that I'm very happy with. It's the kind with a thermal carafe. I got this one because, although I always drink my coffee as soon as it comes out, I have various family members who let the coffee sit. Some let the coffee pot sit on the burner half an hour or more, then pour it. I have a couple of family members who will sometimes let it sit for two hours -- after an hour (by now the coffee is burnt), the burner turns off, and the coffee gets cold, after which they (gasp!) microwave it. The thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot and fresh tasting for a very long time, without a burner. It's a pain to wash the carafe, but worth the results.

Joe

[OutofGum]

Since you got the Mr. Coffee at Costco, you might as well return it when you get the Cuisinart... their generous return policy is one of the reasons I'll drive about an hour to get there.

[Stevie Ray]

Since you got the Mr. Coffee at Costco, you might as well return it when you get the Cuisinart... their generous return policy is one of the reasons I'll drive about an hour to get there.
This is an excellent idea, but my wife managed to throw out the box. :rolleyes: I know this has been discussed above, but, just remember that the version of the Cuisinart at Costco indeed DOES NOT include the gold tone basket. That's part of how they get to $69.99. In any case, I put the quest for the big coffeemaker on hold for a little while. I just have a hard time justifying trashing the brand new Mr. Coffee... BUT :D

I managed to snag a new Bodum 6 cup press off Ebay for $15 that came in yesterday. So far, so good. It makes a pretty robust cup of coffee, but I'm still experimenting with the amount of grounds, etc.

[randys42]

I'm trying to find an under the cabinet coffeemaker (black) and the only ones I see are white Black and Decker or a Brewmatic and I can't spend over $400 for a decent coffee maker. (Yeah I have an old Mr Coughee and never liked the coffee but it mounted under a cabinet.) I've redone the kitchen and all appliance are black and I still need to save counter space. Does anyone know where I could find a black mounted coffee maker?

Thanx.

Randy