Coffeemaker recommendations?

[vicrock]

Our 12 cup Cuisinart is getting ready to bite the dust - and I'm hoping for some real world advice. No to French Press, no to cup at a time models. We like to set it up the night before and just push the button.

Reviews seem positive for the Bunn NHBX - any comments?

[MacJeepster]

Be sure to get a carafe model. Coffee pot burners burn coffee.
-mj

[Aardvark]

If you are really serious about the "best" coffee you will reconsider the French Press. Nothing else gives you the flexibility of adjusting to your optimum CUP.

Why does the whole world have to be on AUTO????

[Winston]

MacJeepster wrote:
Be sure to get a carafe model. Coffee pot burners burn coffee.
-mj

I assume you mean thermal carafe, i.e. one which keeps coffee hot like a thermos. Most coffee makers have a carafe.

We have one of the Cuisinart models with a built in grinder. The grinder works quite well, and is very quiet compared to stand-alone grinders I have used. But the stainless steel thermal carafe seems to sap the heat from the coffee quickly. Unless you make a full pot the coffee doesn't really come out hot. It also has a lot of parts to clean up. It's fairly easy to set up the night before, and since it can grind beans at the time it makes the coffee you start with fresher grounds. The blade grinder, while it works fine, only has one setting, so you can't adjust the grind. On the whole, a mixed review.

With the exception of the built-in grinder, I preferred the Braun we had before this one. It was much easier to clean up, and made decent coffee. The Braun was a standard style coffee maker with a glass carafe and "burner". But I did hate the noise of using an external grinder. I rarely set it up the night before, probably in part because of using the grinder.

A glass carafe makes it easy to see how much coffee is left. This is difficult with the stainless steel carafe. I also find it harder to pour coffee from a thermal carafe than from a standard glass one.


Good luck.

- Winston

[Winston]

Aardvark wrote:
If you are really serious about the "best" coffee you will reconsider the French Press. Nothing else gives you the flexibility of adjusting to your optimum CUP.

Why does the whole world have to be on AUTO????

Some people are sleepy and rushed first thing in the morning. Using a French press will not fit with everyone's morning routine. vicrock wants to set it up the night before, which I don't think you can do with a French press.

We all make trade offs in how we spend our time, and often accept compromises for convenience. I think he'd appreciate advice that helps him get the best result given his circumstances.


- W

[Jem]

We have this 12 cup cuisinart now and love it. The only real standard is does it brew a good pot of coffee. With fresh ground beans this is the best automatic coffee machjne we've ever had.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DCC-1200..._1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1270686891&sr=8-1

[vicrock]

[quote=Jem]
We have this 12 cup cuisinart now and love it. The only real standard is does it brew a good pot of coffee. With fresh ground beans this is the best automatic coffee machjne we've ever had.

That's the one we have - we have had it for about 2 years, and even with cleaning, it has slowed to a crawl - and now shuts off randomly, sometimes mid-brew, sometimes before the 2 hour cut off.

No complaints otherwise. Maybe we will just buy another - as my husband says - given the number of pots it has brewed, it doesn't owe us anything.

[AlphaDog]

Winston wrote:
I think he'd appreciate advice that helps him get the best result given his circumstances.


- W

Had to chuckle. You've been around long enough to know that one of the favorite pastimes at this place is telling people they don't want what they want, because you know it's not as good for them as what you have.

I've all but given up asking for recommendations. It doesn't seem to matter how clear I am about my specifications, there's somebody trying to sell me on something else.

[Winston]

This is the model we have:
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DGB-600B...B00006F2MI

Cuisinart does have a glass carafe model with a built in burr grinder with adjustable grind, although it's more expensive
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DGB-700B...B000T9SCZ2

or this model with a blade grinder
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DGB-625B...B001G8Y2X6

From a quick look at a few models it appears that none of the Cuisinarts have a warming plate under the carafe, whether they come with a thermal or a glass carafe. If you like setting up the coffee maker the night before I'd consider one with a built in grinder.


Good luck.

- Winston

Edited to strike out comment about the warming plate. I'd misunderstood Amazon's description, which says "no cup warmer" and thought that applied to the carafe. It looks like models with a glass carafe do have a warming plate.

[Winston]

AlphaDog wrote:
[quote=Winston]
I think he'd appreciate advice that helps him get the best result given his circumstances.


- W

Had to chuckle. You've been around long enough to know that one of the favorite pastimes at this place is telling people they don't want what they want, because you know it's not as good for them as what you have.

I've all but given up asking for recommendations. It doesn't seem to matter how clear I am about my specifications, there's somebody trying to sell me on something else.
Ah, but I haven't given up yet.

Thanks for the moral support AD (not meant tongue-in-cheek).


- W