Need suggestions for new coffee-making machine

April 26, 2004 7:19 PM

Coffee klatch-ure: suggestions for a new machine.

I have this machine; however after using it for some time now, I've found it to be hard to clean and the coffee it makes is very weak due to the design. In addition, ordering parts seems to be very cumbersome.

After reviewing the offerings on Amazon and reading their user reviews, I'm having a hard time finding a good fit. My requirements are simple: Easy to clean (I'm a compulsive coffee-pot cleaner), has a timer, and can grind the beans automatically (Ok, that one wasn't so easy.)

Can anyone make any recommendations based on your personal machine?

posted by jazzkat11 to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

I highly, highly suggest getting a seperate grinder (a conical burr is the way to go) and a good coffeemaker. When you put the two together, coffee tends to suffer.

If you really need a two-in-one, though, this is the only one I'd ever spend my money on.
posted by Jairus at 8:18 PM on April 26, 2004

Switch to a French Press. Awesome coffee.

Even if you don't switch check out ineedcoffee.com. They may be able to help you with this decision.
posted by terrapin at 7:25 AM on April 27, 2004

that's a strange site (ineedcoffee) - doesn't seem to mention what i thought was the most common way of making coffee (stove top).
posted by andrew cooke at 7:40 AM on April 27, 2004

http://www.coffeegeek.com
posted by funkbrain at 8:29 AM on April 27, 2004

I have a Cusinart Grind -N- Brew and I love it. I'm not sure what you consider "hard to clean" but this does have about five parts that need cleaning. (two parts of the grinder, basket holder, basket, basket cover.) plus the pot itself. They're all easy enough to clean and can go in the dishwasher.

It makes a great cup of coffee, it has a timer, but the grinder wakes up everyone in the house if that's an issue.
posted by bondcliff at 9:00 AM on April 27, 2004

I have a Capresso machine like the one Jairus linked to and I love it. Actually, I'm on my second one. After some years of heavy use, the warming unit stopped working on the first one. Since I bought it at Williams & Sonoma, it had a lifetime warranty and I got it replaced with no problems.
posted by maurice at 9:20 AM on April 27, 2004

I'll second the Cuisinart.
posted by sad_otter at 9:53 AM on April 27, 2004

I liked the cuisinart with the grinder, but I decided I wanted something simpler. I was originally going to get a similar cuisinart, but it turned out that sears repackages the same model only with a better looking clock (a big digital-analog instead of a small LCD). I'm very happy with the quality and function.

A few coffee snobs I know swear by the bodum vacuum pots.
posted by milovoo at 10:11 AM on April 27, 2004

I have the same Cuisinart that milovoo mentions, which goes for $100. Great coffee maker, solid construction, and purdy. They make an all-plastic model as well, for about $25 less. Auto-start + auto-off, IMHO, are the only "extras" you really need.

AVOID a grind+brew combo. AVOID! It's the same problem as VCR+TV combo- the moving parts of the grinder/VCR will break well before the coffee maker/TV component wears out, and you'll have to get a new grinder anyway.

BTW, if you're serious about grinding your own coffee, check out the new crop of burr grinders. I don't own one, but they're supposed to provide a noticeable difference. They grind the coffee between burrs (kind of like gears) rather than with a spinning blade- commercial grinders work this way.
posted by mkultra at 11:57 AM on April 27, 2004

milovoo:

i prefer the cona vacuum pot but that's mostly a presentation thing.

i have to agree that the vaccum coffee is really flavorful, but it's a lengthy ritualistic brewing process. i used to use the chemex pot for every day, but now go with the toddy on a daily basis for the least fuss.
posted by crush-onastick at 1:09 PM on April 27, 2004

Oddly enough, I'm in the market for a new coffee maker myself; I recently noticed that Costco has the same cuisinart model that milovoo links to for $70.
posted by adamrice at 1:11 PM on April 27, 2004

I'm telling you though, the clock on the sears one makes it so much nicer.
(and the sears logo is pretty small ... everyone will think you have a cuisinart, just with a better clock)

although I might sell mine and get one of those Cona things, that's freakin' awesome.
posted by milovoo at 3:44 PM on May 2, 2004