Coffee Maker Recommendations

[GoingMyWay]

I think if you are happy with preground- stick with it.  Something like a Technivorm will definitely improve the quality by virtue of having consistent water temperature, but it’s not going to work any miracles.  Getting really good coffee is really a combination of bean type, grind, freshness and water temperature.  I’d still recommend the Technivorm for the durability and simplicity of the thing.  And if you ever do decide to dabble in brewing a higher end cup, then you’re all set.  Oh- one other super advantage of the Technivorm- it’s fast.  Easily twice as fast to brew a pot as the budget models.  I’m always shocked when I go to a rental house or am visiting someone how long it takes the coffee to brew, it’s like torture.

It sounds like a very good brand, but the price is a little bit steep.  Is this a good model:https://www.amazon.com/Technivorm-M...TF8&qid=1531831073&sr=1-5&keywords=technivorm+moccamaster?

And the water quality probably has an even greater effect on the taste as the disolved minerals react with the coffee granules to extract specific flavours.

This article may give you more details of the science involved.

This one tells you how to brew your own water.

Brewing your own water is taking things to a whole different level.

Another followup question: how do most people drink their coffee?  I drink mine only with half and half.  I recently started measuring the half and half for more consistency and it was 3 tablespoons per 10 oz cup of Keurig brewed coffee.  I do enjoy a medium Dunkin Donuts coffee with cream and sugar every now and again.  I like whatever ratios of cream and sugar they use for the medium size.  It's a little bit sweet and so delightfully creamy.

 

[Dogberryjr]

Oh- one other super advantage of the Technivorm- it’s fast.  Easily twice as fast to brew a pot as the budget models.  I’m always shocked when I go to a rental house or am visiting someone how long it takes the coffee to brew, it’s like torture.

What he said.

 

[James Biddle]

In the spirit of German technology, I use the Miele countertop.

 

[Koamolly]

 

[Bob Marino]

WOW.  Thanks for all the replies.  I must say I am very surprised how many people all have a Technivorm!

Followup question: what kind of coffee is everyone using in the Technivorm?  I really don't want to have to buy a coffee grinder to grind the beans every morning.  I know that will yield the optimum flavor and taste and all that, but it's not that big of a deal for me.

When we had the drip brewer I just used the big can of ground colombian coffee from Costco.  That was good enough for me.  Would it be sort of foolish to buy such a high end coffee maker if I was going to use pre-ground beans?

I think if you are happy with preground- stick with it.  Something like a Technivorm will definitely improve the quality by virtue of having consistent water temperature, but it’s not going to work any miracles.  Getting really good coffee is really a combination of bean type, grind, freshness and water temperature.  I’d still recommend the Technivorm for the durability and simplicity of the thing.  And if you ever do decide to dabble in brewing a higher end cup, then you’re all set.  Oh- one other super advantage of the Technivorm- it’s fast.  Easily twice as fast to brew a pot as the budget models.  I’m always shocked when I go to a rental house or am visiting someone how long it takes the coffee to brew, it’s like torture.

What Dane - and others said. I asked the same question here a few years ago and bought the Technivorm and am very satisfied with it.

 

[rmhinden]

If you like espresso, I have an Andreja Premium by Quick Mill.  It's manual and makes great espresso.  I bought it some years ago and now have in plumbed in.  Wasn't cheap, but I am very pleased with it.  Sort of art in Stainless Steel.

I bought it from Chris Coffee in Albany NY.  Seehttps://www.chriscoffee.com.  They have a broad range of espresso machines, grinders, and accessories.  They shipped it to me in California.

They know their stuff and I have been pleased with support.  When I converted it to plumbed in they were very helpful answering my questions.

 

[Dogberryjr]

If you like espresso, I have an Andreja Premium by Quick Mill.  It's manual and makes great espresso.  I bought it some years ago and now have in plumbed in.  Wasn't cheap, but I am very pleased with it.  Sort of art in Stainless Steel.

I bought it from Chris Coffee in Albany NY.  Seehttps://www.chriscoffee.com.  They have a broad range of espresso machines, grinders, and accessories.  They shipped it to me in California.

They know their stuff and I have been pleased with support.  When I converted it to plumbed in they were very helpful answering my questions.

I bought my Andreja from Chris' Coffee as well. It was sight unseen, as it was the first lot delivered to the US. Unfortunately it needs to be overhauled now, but it's a great machine.

 

[Michael Kellough]

This thread seems like a lot of bother for someone who brews the coffee so weakly that he can’t tell the difference between Colombian and Arabica.  [huh]

 

[Koamolly]

This thread seems like a lot of bother for someone who brews the coffee so weakly that he can’t tell the difference between Colombian and Arabica.  [huh]

Region vs bean? Since Columbia grows Arabica coffee, what would the difference be?

 

[Michael Kellough]

This thread seems like a lot of bother for someone who brews the coffee so weakly that he can’t tell the difference between Colombian and Arabica.  [huh]

Region vs bean? Since Columbia grows Arabica coffee, what would the difference be?

I shouldn’t have posted that but now that my ignorance is exposed I’ll explain. Through years of hit or miss tasting of various coffees I prefer French and Italian
roasts. Every time I tried something specifically labeled “Columbian” it had a distinctly different flavor that wasn’t appealing. Even if it is made from the same kind of bean It’s hard to understand why someone would consider it equivalent to “Doughnut store” coffee.

Just it case, I apologize for that post.

 

[serge0n]

Would it be sort of foolish to buy such a high end coffee maker if I was going to use pre-ground beans?

You bring up a good point. I think it would be foolish. Don't get me wrong, Technivorm makes an awesome cup of coffee, but if you are using pre-ground, a cup from a Bonavita will be just as good for far less.

You sound like a person who likes a good cup of coffee, isn't a coffee snob, and values simplicity. My recommendation is to get the Breville Grind Control. Here is why.

I tried many, many drip coffee machines, including both Technivorm and Bonavita. I decided to return the Technivorm as pre-ground coffee tasted exactly the same from both machines. The only difference was that Technivorm was about 20% faster than Bonavita when brewing a whole pot and it looked way cooler (all those bubbles going up!).

Technivorm really shines when you grind your beans just before making a cup. I love the taste of freshly ground coffee, but I rarely have time to grab my grinder from the drawer, plug it in, add beans for 4 or 8 cups, wait for the grinder to complete it's work, find out that I forgot that I made espresso last night and had to change the setting to a coarser grind, throw away that batch, change the setting, make another batch, then finally add the freshly ground coffee to the filter while carefully measuring it teaspoon by teaspoon... It's a very tedious process. It can be enjoyable, when you have time.

Bonavita is a great machine, but, again, you have to either grind your coffee fresh (and Technivorm is better in this case) or settle with using pre-ground (not an option for me).

The Breville machine was perfect for me. You load it with beans, add water, insert a fresh filter, and then select if you want to brew a cup (you can select cup size from 8 options) or a full carafe, hit a single button and forget about it. The machine will measure the appropriate amount of beans, grind them, steep them in hot water (same temp as Bonavita or Technivorm) and pour the coffee into your cup.

You get a great cup of freshly ground coffee, no fuss, no muss.
There are a ton of settings where you can select coffee strength and aroma, schedule the machine to brew a cup at a certain time, etc., but you don't need to mess with any of it. Just set your preferred coffee strength and forget about it, it becomes a one button affair.

After I purchased the Breville, I had concerns about it's longevity. I've been using it every single day since 2012, still works perfectly fine. You do have to clean the coffee dispensing chute every 2-3 months, but that's not a big deal for me.

 

[southrider]

That looks like the same model we bought. On/off switch and 2 different hot plate temps (we've never turned it off of high).

We bought the hot candy apple red color and still love it.

Started with 8 O'Clock (the old A&P store brand) French Roast coffee. Dark roast - very flavorful, rich. Made it with 2 extra cups of water to tone it down. It got harder and harder to find. Winn Dixie stopped carrying, then hit or miss at other stores. Last place was Wal Mart grocery.

About the time that ended we both gave up any milk or creamers and sweeteners - so the dark roast was too strong for our taste.

Have finally settled on Community Coffee (a New Orleans brand) Amber Sunrise Blend, advertised as "smooth and vibrant". It delivers as advertised - very smooth to drink black.

We bought our pot from Seattle Coffee, and got as good or better a deal as Amazon. ended up with a couple free bags of their coffee, and didn't care for it much. But that could just be regional tastes, and not knowing the right proportions to brew it. They also sell fantastic coffee pot cleaner and de-scaler packets. Get some (also available on Amazon).

We tried grinding and all that stuff - and for daily use just buy the pre-ground.

Another feature of the Mocca Master that is easy to overlook - the basket has a built-in "hold" of the coffee for a few seconds that allows it to"steep" for want of a better word, making a richer blend than a basic coffee pot. Their advanced model allows the user to tune that hold some.

We didn't want to get into all that, and just bought their basic model. But it does have the built-in hold. We trusted their reputation on setting that timing for us and it has worked out just fine.

 

[GoingMyWay]

Thanks everyone for the additional feedback.  I realized that I all I had to do was "brainwash" myself by watching some YouTube videos on the Technivorm Moccamaster - now I'm hooked.  I just picked up a 1.25L glass carafe model from the Williams-Sonoma Outlet at the terrific price of $254.36 with tax!

I also looked at the grinders there.  They had the Virtuoso for $183.96 before tax.  I believe that's a pretty good grinder?  They also had a Cuisinart Burr Grinder, The Breville Smart Grinder Pro and an OXO Barista Brain (I had no idea OXO even made kitchen electrics).  I figure I'll try out the Moccamaster with some freshly ground coffee from a store or some prepackaged coffee and see how it goes from there.  I might invest in a grinder soon.

Does anyone have any coffee recommendations that I can pick up locally from like a Starbucks or Peets or grocery store?  I've never bought whole bean coffee before - will Starbucks or Peets grind it for me?  I think grocery stores usually have a grinding machine there that you can use - or is that a bad idea since it's probably never cleaned?

 

[Dogberryjr]

Thanks everyone for the additional feedback.  I realized that I all I had to do was "brainwash" myself by watching some YouTube videos on the Technivorm Moccamaster - now I'm hooked.  I just picked up a 1.25L glass carafe model from the Williams-Sonoma Outlet at the terrific price of $254.36 with tax!

I also looked at the grinders there.  They had the Virtuoso for $183.96 before tax.  I believe that's a pretty good grinder?  They also had a Cuisinart Burr Grinder, The Breville Smart Grinder Pro and an OXO Barista Brain (I had no idea OXO even made kitchen electrics).  I figure I'll try out the Moccamaster with some freshly ground coffee from a store or some prepackaged coffee and see how it goes from there.  I might invest in a grinder soon.

Does anyone have any coffee recommendations that I can pick up locally from like a Starbucks or Peets or grocery store?  I've never bought whole bean coffee before - will Starbucks or Peets grind it for me?  I think grocery stores usually have a grinding machine there that you can use - or is that a bad idea since it's probably never cleaned?

You're in. Soon you'll be lazily browsing through home roasting forums.

 

[GoingMyWay]

Oh no!  That's what I'm kind of afraid of.  I don't want to end being someone who can't drink regular drip coffee in a restaurant because it's not good enough.

 

[rvieceli]

This is the grinder you want. Don’t waste your cash on lesser ones. This will outlast you and gives consistent uniform results.
https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/rancilio-rocky-coffee-grinder

Ron

 

[Goz]

If you're not going to be grinding for espresso, the Baratza Encore is a great coffee grinder for the money.  If you need the extra consistency in the super fine espresso range, the Baratza Virtuoso or Rancilio Rocky would be better choices.

 

[GoingMyWay]

At this time I have no plans on brewing espresso.  I have my Nespresso for that - yeah I know to true coffee connoisseurs that's not really espresso, but it's easy.

What's suitable for the pour over range in terms of grinder?

 

[Goz]

I have the Baratza Encore that I use with my French press, Chemex, Aeropress, and Bialetti stovetop espresso maker.  It's been great for all those. 

Oh, and I have a Nespresso, too.  That's my option for when I need caffeine fast.  [emoji6]

 

[Koamolly]

At this time I have no plans on brewing espresso.  I have my Nespresso for that - yeah I know to true coffee connoisseurs that's not really espresso, but it's easy.

What's suitable for the pour over range in terms of grinder?

Really for drip coffee, you can get by with a $20 Krups blade grinder.  Do a medium grind and invert it (holding the top on) a couple of times while grinding.  Not the perfect grind but after spending $250 on the machine, it’s easier on wallet and it will be fine.  You could also use it later to grind spices.  You can use a blender, food processor, or mini food processor if you have one for spices already.  Your Technivorm’s doing the heavy lifting with temp and time.  You can close the brew basket until water has covered the grinds, stir it up so all grinds are infused, then open it.  Later if you get really into coffee more, splurge on the more expensive grinders.  It’s more important to have coffee ground fresh right before brewing even if it’s not perfect.  One drawback is you might have to grind two batches to get enough coffee for a full pot on the technivorm.  I use 2/3 cup of beans before grinding for a full batch with my technivorm (10 cup).  Unless you have extra money you need to get rid of!

Also you could check what Costco has in the way of a cheap burr grinder.  Costco by me was roasting their own beans.  Had a huge automated roaster in the a couple of stores.  But they seem to be scaling back on roasting their own beans now.  Still worth checking if you have a Costco near you.

My exwife is an entomologist working on coffee crops (coffee berry borer). Best coffee I’ve had was a crop she grew for research and processed one year.  We picked the beans,  processed them, roasted them. This was on Oahu.  Better than any Kona or Kau coffee I’ve ever had.  Next year was just ok.  You never know since there are so many variables in the whole chain.