Caffeine thy name is C8H10N4O2, now get in my belly!

May 17, 2012 4:59 PM

DripCoffeeFilter: Help me find a great drip coffeemaker.

I am looking for a new coffeemaker. I currently have this coffeemaker, which has served me well for about 5 years, but I no longer need nor want something this big.

Some details about my coffee set up:
-I have a great burr grinder and grind my beans fresh, so I do not need a grind-and-brew system.
-I reserve my french press for the weekends, so that's not an option for my weekday coffee needs.
-I don't necessarily need an alarm feature, like I said above, I like to grind my beans fresh right before brewing.

What I'm looking for:
-Small form factor. We just moved and I don't have a ton of space for my coffee station.
-I know it's strange, but if it's not that tall, that would be awesome. It's actually kind of hard to fill up my reservoir because I'm not that tall either (5'8").
-Full pot only. I brew 6-8 cups at a time, every weekday morning.
-Gold filter-capable. Not sure if every pot is compatible, I've never used one aside from the one that came with my grind-and-brew.
-Not that expensive. I can see spending up to about $50 for a decent pot, but I don't think I'm willing to go into 3 digits for this endeavor.
-I do not need a thermal carafe, this coffee goes from the pot to my thermos pretty much as soon as it's done brewing.

Hope me, MeFites, I need my caffeine fix!

posted by ThaBombShelterSmith to shopping (17 answers total)

I got this one a few months back, and I'm a huge fan. It is kind of tall, though.
posted by esmerelda_jenkins at 5:10 PM on May 17, 2012

We bought the expensive one recommended in this video, and my wife the coffee aficionado says it indeed makes a difference.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:11 PM on May 17, 2012 [2 favorites]

(sorry, I forgot to mention that it's pretty easy to fill, though; you lift up the top half to fill the water reservoir. Also, it is carafe free.)
posted by esmerelda_jenkins at 5:13 PM on May 17, 2012

I asked a similar question several years ago, ended up buying a Technivorm, and still absolutely love it! We've used it damn near every morning for the last 4.5 years, and it's still working perfectly. Makes a really good, really consistent cup of coffee. Yes, it's pricier than your budget, but it's built like a tank, works fine with a gold filter, etc. I'm pretty demanding when it comes to my coffee and I would not hesitate to recommend a Technivorm drip coffee maker.
posted by mosk at 5:17 PM on May 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

I like the Technivorm, but sadly it's out of my price range currently.

Keep them coming!
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 5:40 PM on May 17, 2012

Honestly, given your requirements, a Melitta manual drip of the right size sounds perfect. I make a large cup from the number 2 size holders and it's great. You can easily scale up.
posted by mollweide at 6:22 PM on May 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

I have a De Longhi, and love it. As someone who also had some form factor issues (very small kitchen), my favorite thing about it is that the water is added from the front, through a sluice in the same piece that holds the coffee filter. So I can keep it on the counter with low-ish cabinets above it, and not have to pull the machine forward every time I make coffee.

It's not exactly the same as this model, but similar. Despite the poor reviews there, I've had no problems with leaks. And it looks to be on sale to fit within your price range, too. (I think I paid about that same price for it at Target, although it's possible it was as high as $65. No more than that, though.)
posted by Superplin at 6:41 PM on May 17, 2012

Currently at Costco, the Cuisinart 12-cup CBC-00PC for about $45. Comes with a gold filter. It has a clock, timer, auto shut-off, variable warming plate temperature.

Here's a refurbished one at Amazon.

I'm 5'7" and I have no trouble filling the reservoir.
posted by caryatid at 7:07 PM on May 17, 2012

I've had this Bodum electric vacuum pot for several years now, and it's really good.
posted by drhydro at 7:33 PM on May 17, 2012

I have your coffeemaker's grinder-free cousin, and like it a lot, as do many of my friends who own them and recommended it to me. It's only slightly shorter/smaller that the version with the grinder, though, and you'd have to look for a sale to get it under $50. But thought it was worth recommending!
posted by NikitaNikita at 8:21 PM on May 17, 2012

If you want a Technivorm, but are put off by the price, then you get a Bonavita.
It's one a very few that gets the water up to 200 degrees, the correct (best) temp for drip brew.
I've had mine since January, it's simple as can be, love it.
It may not be the perfect form factor for you, and the model w the glass carafe is $129, slightly above your mentioned budget. But be sure to take a look & read reviews, particularly if you like coffee enough to get a good burr grinder.
posted by artdrectr at 8:51 PM on May 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

I've had this one for a good four years and am very happy with it, but it's not small--slightly larger than the hopperless Super Jolly it sits next to, in fact. But I'm sure they make similar models that are smaller. I use a gold basket filter, which I believe is compatible with all 8-12 cup Mr. Coffees. There are some bad reviews on Amazon for this one, but they're probably from amateurs who didn't read the instructions or forgot to plug it in. I take my coffee pretty seriously and I have no complaints with this machine.
posted by désoeuvrée at 1:29 AM on May 18, 2012

Chemex all the way! Small footprint, fits your cup requirements, you already have a burr grinder, it's short, and gorgeous...you might need a kettle to pour it. It's not gold filter capable, but Able Brewing/Coava Coffee sells a wonderful metal filter for them, that works like a dream.

And they make a killer cup.
posted by furnace.heart at 4:13 AM on May 18, 2012

Seconding (thirding?) the Technivorm. We liked ours so much that we gave one to my parents so that the coffee would taste good when we visited. The thermos-style carafes will keep coffee hot for hours.
posted by jquinby at 5:01 AM on May 18, 2012

(damn, didn't see your note re: price...we chose the Technivorm after reading the reviews in CI - the teaser for the article is here)
posted by jquinby at 5:03 AM on May 18, 2012

Do you drink tea? If so, go with the Chemex or the manual drip (this is what I have and I love it) and buy a nice kettle with temperature settings on it.
posted by AmandaA at 6:43 AM on May 18, 2012

Okay, I think I'm leaning toward the bonavita. It IS more expensive, but to see that it has a 1400W power supply is nice, considering the Technivorm is twice as much, I think I can feel better about it. I guess I'll just save for a few weeks instead of buying right away.

Thanks so much MeFites!
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 7:44 PM on May 18, 2012