This will be just a really quick overview, but I thought I'd put something out there for people on the fence. I've had my bv1800th for roughly a week now and I'm quite pleased with it. My previous autodrip machine was a Hamilton Beach stay-n-go (or something like that). The shower head was starting to delaminate and bubble, hence the need for a replacement.
I was looking at the Technivorm but didn't like the design of the carafe--was seriously considering the smaller carafe because it had an actual spout. I heard about the Bonavita last fall, and have been eagerly awaiting it ever since. I preordered late December and got a discount and free shipping.
Compared to the old machine, the Bonavita produces hotter coffee and although I didn't do a side-by-side comparison I think the result is more flavourful given the same beans. The carafe pours cleanly though not particularly quickly with the lid on. With the lid off if you try and pour too quickly it will spash over the edges and run down the carafe onto the counter--ran into that issue while filling the reservoir.
The one downside is that it takes up a bit more space since you need to either find a place to put the filter basket after brewing or else put the filter basket on the base and keep the full pot elsewhere. Minor detail though.
cbf123: Thanks for the quick review. Mine is arriving today...how did you prepare the machine before first brew? (i.e., did you run anything thru it? water, vinegar, etc)
I had to replace my beloved Philips 7612 (colour - Aubergine) after 12 and a half years of continuous use when both the heating elements failed Saturday. I ordered the Bonavita and it arrived today. It is an easy coffee maker to use and the carafe is a similar size to the Philips. I think the all stainless steel Philips carafe was a little more efficient after several hours. Also the Bonavita makes it difficult to prepare a fresh pot of coffee when there is still coffee in the carafe as the Melitta filter unit sits on the carafe. This is important particularly on the weekends when I have friends over who drink coffee all evening. I think I need a second carafe or maybe I should use the Philips one to hold the prepared coffee. Regardless, this is an excellent unit and appears to be well constructed. Coffee taste is similar to the Philips but I only use inexpensive brands anyway. The amount of coffee I drink does not lend itself to fancy blends.
- Sure, use the Philips carafe for leftover coffee. But why keep the old stale coffee when you can make a new, fresh batch in 5 minutes?
- The Bonavita brew method is quite different than the Philips (or nearly any department store coffee maker for that matter). Most inexpensive machines won't be able to quickly reach the temperature needed for best flavor extraction. It may not have the bells & whistles, it simply does one thing really well.
- Flavor is not really about fancy blends. The flavor of the coffee will be noticeably better if you use fresh ground coffee from freshly roasted beans. Using inexpensive canned coffee that has been on the store shelf will have less taste in any machine you use. I gently urge you to at least once go buy fresh ground coffee (if you don't have a grinder) from a local coffee bean retailer and see if you can taste the difference. I'll bet your pals will notice right away!
What's the best way people have found to clean the lid on the carafe? It seems to hold quite a bit of coffee in it, I've just been rinsing it when I hand wash the caraffe, but the anal engineer in me knows it's stil trapping icky oils in there...
No No No - please don't put the thermal carafe in there !
Agree with earlier poster - the lid is tricky if not impossible to clean out manually, like most pour through lids I've encountered. It's all plastic though, so should be d/washer safe, but not sure how effective that will be at cleaning it.
The instructions I am looking at say exactly the opposite regarding placing the thermal carafe in the dishwasher - it clearly instructs the user to not do this!
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
• Filter basket can be cleaned in a dishwasher • Do not use wire-brushes or bottle-brushes. • In case of tenacious dirts (lime, co ee residues) clean inner thermal carafe with weakened vinegar or lemon.
Additional instructions for thermal carafe:
• Do not clean the thermal carafe in a dishwasher or immerse it completely in water. • Use a soft damp cloth and mild dish cleaning liquid for cleaning the housing and the thermal carafe.
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