miniSQ Senior Member Joined: 30 Oct 2010 Posts: 51 Location: arlington vermont Expertise: Just starting
Posted Tue Nov 23, 2010, 9:01pm Subject: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
I have my Bunn Phase Brew for less than 2 weeks and it died on me. It also had a leaky carafe.
I sent back the first unit today and was supposed to receive a brand new Phase Brew today, but it got delayed by UPS....so i am taking that as a sign to step away from Bunn...or at least this Unit.
I am looking for a solid and reliable coffee maker that makes excellent coffee....and to be honest the Phase Brew was not really any better than the Capresso or the Zoljrushi that it replaced...they kind of all taste the same to me...I am looking for the next level....and maybe that is an espresso machine??
JPF Senior Member Joined: 3 Jun 2010 Posts: 207 Location: NJ Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Mini Vivaldi, Pre-millenium... Grinder: Dosered SJ, Resurrected... Vac Pot: Yama Siphon Drip: Technivorm Roaster: Behmor, Poppery I
Posted Wed Nov 24, 2010, 6:12am Subject: Re: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
Well, you can't go wrong with a Technivorm if you're willing to spend $299. Hand built, high power copper heating element. You'll find plenty of discussion right in this forum. Some don't think it's worth the price, but I don't think anyone maintains that it doesn't make great coffee. Plus you can control the speed of the drip manually.
n8opot8o Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2010 Posts: 13 Location: Chicago Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Wed Nov 24, 2010, 8:45am Subject: Re: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
I am a little biased as I am an espresso convert. I have tried every possible method for brewing coffee (that I am aware of) and a proper espresso is far and beyond the most agreeable experience for me (but not for everyone). basically, if you are running coffee through a paper filter you are ruining it. If you let your coffee stagnate in the grinds (as in french press) you are inviting all kinds of unpleasant flavors. If you are willing to spend a little extra money and a little bit more time, you may find that making espressos at home will vastly improve your coffee drinking experience. If you are satisfied with conventional brewing however, I recommend a simple bodum french press. Its the best way to get a basic cup of coffee at home and costs a lot less than all these fancy gadgets that essentially do the same thing: infuse coffee grounds with hot water. The bottom line is, what do you really want to drink? a rich, smooth, creamy espresso, or a cup of nervous-making tweaky rot gut coffee?
Eiron Senior Member Joined: 12 Nov 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Loveland, Colorado Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Quick Mill 0930 Grinder: Quick Mill 031, Solis 166 Drip: TechniVorm KBTS Roaster: frying pan & wooden spatula
Posted Wed Nov 24, 2010, 9:51am Subject: Re: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
n8opot8o Said:
I am a little biased as I am an espresso convert. I have tried every possible method for brewing coffee (that I am aware of) ... The bottom line is, what do you really want to drink? a rich, smooth, creamy espresso, or a cup of nervous-making tweaky rot gut coffee?
Awww, c'mon now.... maybe you're not making it right? :-P
Seriously though, espresso may be "the next level" that miniSQ is looking for.
I enjoy my espressos & breves, I enjoy my TechniVorm drip, & I enjoy my French Press. (Since I can now make cafe creme on my espresso machine, I've retired my moka pot, & I've never really used my briki.) They're each a different experience for different occassions.
I say, get a TechniVorm KBTS for your drip setup & order a moka pot at the same time. Then start saving & researching for the plunge into the black pool of espresso.
"Just what I need - another 'geek' label..." - my friend Mark, on being told of Coffee Geek's existence
iowaboy Senior Member Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 93 Location: Ankeny, IA Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Gaggia New Baby; Vev & GB... Grinder: Preciso, Solis Maestro+ Drip: Melitta Pourover, Krups,... Roaster: Behmor, FR8+
Posted Wed Nov 24, 2010, 4:57pm Subject: Re: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
A simple pourover setup could be your best solution, if you don't mind the "manual" aspect. A Melitta plastic filter holder and some #2 filters, a $3 or $4 investment, just might surprise you. I don't find the paper filters a detriment to my coffee's flavor in any way.
Espresso as the next level? Your call. For me it seems a big step from an auto drip to a home espresso set up. Do you have a good source of fresh beans, a decent grinder suitable for espresso, the time, money and inclination to learn how to brew good espresso at home?
My suggestions would be a "Clever" dripper or a Hario or Yama syphon. Both of these will brew a great cup or mug of coffee.
n8opot8o Said:
basically, if you are running coffee through a paper filter you are ruining it. If you let your coffee stagnate in the grinds (as in french press) you are inviting all kinds of unpleasant flavors. ...The bottom line is, what do you really want to drink? a rich, smooth, creamy espresso, or a cup of nervous-making tweaky rot gut coffee?
Not all coffees work well as espresso. Espresso has it's merit's but it's not the only way to make coffee and not always the best way either. Personally I'm too much a fan of coffee to be limited to one specific way of making it.
Posted Thu Nov 25, 2010, 7:40am Subject: Re: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
al_bongo Said:
Not all coffees work well as espresso. Espresso has it's merit's but it's not the only way to make coffee and not always the best way either. Personally I'm too much a fan of coffee to be limited to one specific way of making it.
Exactly. I love my espresso and Americanos, but I have a lot of great single origin coffees that aren't well suited for espresso.
I own and like the Technivorm, but I mostly use it when I really need multiple servings. Most of the time I make one cup at a time, and for that I use the Clever Dripper or an Aeropress.
$15 for a Clever Coffee Dripper or $25 for the Aeropress is really hard to beat. But a decent grinder and fresh roasted whole bean coffee is a big part of the equation.
roach56 Senior Member Joined: 17 Jun 2010 Posts: 120 Location: USA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Nov 26, 2010, 5:30am Subject: Re: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
I agree with most of the posters. I would buy the Technivorm if I needed to make multiple cups. I went from a Krups moka brew (which I loved ) to pour overs in a cheap plastic mellita cone because I normally only make one to two cups. I'm now using a Saeco Aroma espresso and a Europiccola manual lever for espresso, mostly americanos. Like most others have said fresh coffee,either your own roast or a local roaster made the best upgrade for me. I will eventually toss the plastic cone for a better pour over cone.
Java_Jiver Senior Member Joined: 3 Nov 2010 Posts: 131 Location: Baton Rouge Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Capresso Infinity Drip: Technivorm 741
Posted Sat Nov 27, 2010, 2:15am Subject: Re: I am giving up on Bunn...who makes a great coffee maker?
iowaboy Said:
A simple pourover setup could be your best solution, if you don't mind the "manual" aspect. A Melitta plastic filter holder and some #2 filters, a $3 or $4 investment, just might surprise you. I don't find the paper filters a detriment to my coffee's flavor in any way.
For a single cup of coffee I turn to my Clever Coffee Dripper every time and only use my Cuisinart electric drip for a crowd. I rinse my Melitta filter and don't get any papery taste. I prefer the extra control the CCD gives over a Melitta pour over and its not much more money for such a setup.
I am waiting for opinions on the Bunn Phase Brew HT and may go for that, so its a little disconcerting to hear your negative experiences with the Bunn... I really don't want to spring for a Technivorm but am starting to realize I might have to as no-one seems to be able to match the positivites of this model for less without affecting the quality, reliability or (most importantly) control over the brew.
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