Caffeine addict, need suggestions.....

[Bonnie Campbell]

Okay, our coffee pot (drip) died about a month ago. I bought a pot at a Walgreen's store. The pot wasn't even tall enough to trigger the water flow, so I returned it :( Yesterday I bought another pot, a Westbend. Just going through the clear water first run, after a half hour of running, there was less than an inch of water that made it into the pot. But steamed like mad out the top and if I'd of kept it I could guarantee it would of ruined a cupboard very fast sitting under it steaming like it was. Returned that pot to the store too.

I don't want to pay a fortune for a coffee pot. I just want one that works! I need one that has the 'pause' feature and 'automatic shut off'.

Any suggestions? HELP!!!!

[Joe Mioux]

I have been very happy with our BUNN coffee maker. This is the home version. It cost under $100. I like it because the water you poor in is not the water that comes out. Cold water displaces hot water from the previous pot of coffee. It's faster than the other types of coffee makers.

Now, its time to make a pot!

Good Luck with you coffee maker search

Joe

[Russ Filtz]

Good ones aren't cheap, but last. I've had my Krups model for about 20-yrs. Gone through about 3-4 broken glass pots (also not cheap to replace!). By pause, I assume you mean you can take the pot out for a short time while brewing. None will pause the brew cycle, just temporarily stop the flow out of the grounds. If you're not fast, they will overflow!

I would try the bigger dept. stores like Sears, Macy's, Dillards, Target, or even Walmart, etc.

[David G Baker]

Bonnie,
Pay the bucks and get a Bunn.

[Rob Russell]

Well - I've got 2 suggestions.

The first is stop drinking all that coffee. I used to drink almost a fullpot of coffee a day, by myself. I cut down to a 1/2 pot. A couple of summers ago I stopped drinking coffee all together and just started drinking water. I had the normal caffeine-withdrawl headache for a few days and I was groggier first thing for a little while. Now, I sleep better, my lower intestines are ... ummm ... to say this politely ... less active than before and I'm more alert all day then when I was drinking coffee.

My second suggestion, based on the premise that you're going to completely and unconditionally ignore my first suggestion, is to get a cheap Proctor Silex. I used those every day for years. I'm talking about the kind you can find at a yard sale for $2, or brand new for $10-$15. No timer (can get the autoshutoff), 12 cup - they work great and brew fairly quickly. If I still had my old one I'd give it to you for the cost of shipping.

Rob

[Al Willits]

We use the Cuisinart, has a auto shut off, pause, different hold temps and strength of coffee and auto turn on, probably a partridge in a pear tree too for all I know, couple years old and still works fine.

Stop drinking that morning cup of coffee...hehe..surely you jest...:D

Al

[Belinda Barfield]

For those of us unable to funciton without Coffee, Bunn gets my vote also.

My Bunn doesn't have the pause feature, which I wish it had, but hey - it was a Christmas gift so giftees can't be choosy!

Now there are those out there who are coffee connoisseurs who will shudder at the thought of a Bunn. The best coffee starts with cold water, and the Bunn holds hot water in a resevior which allows it to brew coffee rapidly. Having not quite so refined tastebuds, it works for me. ;)

[Justin McCurdy]

I need caffeine in the morning to wakeup, especially with a one month old at home, but I hate coffee. I heard that apples are actually better than coffee for waking someone up in the morning, so now I have two of them. I really don't find myself yawning much at all anymore.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

THROW THEM OUT~!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Toss all those horrid drip coffee-ruiner-machine-thingies They are abominations~!!

Get a Bodum Columbia 8-Cup Stainless-Steel Thermal Press Pot
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Columbia-8-Cup-Stainless-Steel-Thermal/dp/B00005YY9X

I got one and I LOVE IT~!!

I was turned onto French presses and found they were the absolute SHIZZ. I went through several of those tiny little glass ones before I found this one.

The coffee is never bitter always full bodied and you can drink the coffee the next day heating the cup in the Microwave and - - - It's STILL GOOD!~!!!!

I prefer A&P 8-O'Clock and a 7 second coarse grind on the little electric motor driven grinder thingie. The real coffee folks say never use anything but a disk grinder and do it by hand.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I had a good friend that died last year. After going through two Mr. Coffee in short order I went to the store and tried something else. I got a real cheap one, a Black & Decker that wasn't much over ten bucks. It lasted for the better part of twenty years. I probably just happened to get a good one and the one next to it on the shelf may well have been a dud.

We have a problem here that probably most don't have - very hard water. There is a Bunn at work and besides not liking the coffee it makes (I drink it anyway, but it does help cut down my intake :) ) if someone makes the mistake of putting tap water in it rather than treated water a potful will plug it up.

Something about the way my old Black & Decker was made was such that I didn't have to clean the lime out but maybe five times in it's lifetime. I checked but of course they didn't make that model any more. Right now I'm using a cheap Proctor-Silex (pause but no shut-off) and after several months and two vinegar cleanings so far so good.

Either buy an expensive one and hope it does what you want or go through cheap ones till you get a good one. BTW, I find if I want to cut down on my coffee consumption I take a mug to the shop. I get busy, the coffee goes cold, and that's that. :)

[Jim Becker]

Unfortunately...or fortunately in my mind...I don't drink "regular" coffee, so I can't help you. But if you decide you want to do lattés in the morning, I can point you to some very good stuff... :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bonnie....another vote for a Bunn. They seem to last longer than those regular coffee makers too. You do have to demineralize them occasionally but I've had 2 in the last 20 years. I unplug them when I go on vacation, plug them in and run a full pot of water through when I return.

[Phyllis Meyer]

Hey Bonnie,

After many years of the Mr. Coffee...and numerous other brands, we spent the money on the Bunn!

Phyllis:)

[TYLER WOOD]

I just ordered some coffee from Gevalia, they give you a free coffee pot with your first order. You can choose not to get anymore after that and be ok. You only order, you don't get put into a coffee club or anything. And the coffee is absolutely my favorite. The Costa Rican Peaberry is nice, as well as the Cafe Greco.

2-1 lb boxes of coffee at $6.50a box and free coffee pot not strings attached!! EXCELENT DEAL.

[glenn bradley]

I got a free one (programmable even) with a Gavalia order and have been using it for years. The coffee is a little pricey but I got the initial coffee, a travel mug and the coffee maker so felt it was worth a try. It was definitly worth it. I no longer get the coffee though. I have no idea how much better the coffee could be made with one of those $1200 coffee makers Starbucks sells(?)

[John Shuk]

First I think you might want to spend a few more bucks on a coffee maker. I have a braun and has lasted for years.
Second, THE FILTERS YOU USE MAKE ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!
I have found that to be absolutely true. I use Melitta filters now and my coffee is better tasing and done more quickly since it passes through the filter more quickly. The best way to make good coffee is to get the water to the right temperature and get it through the beans quickly.
I found this out by accident by bulk buying Melita filters on sale. When I ran out and bought store brand I wondered why the same coffee tasted so much worse.
I narrowed it down to the filters and have tried others as well and it seems to be the most important link in the chain.

I have to agree with Cliff about the French press method of coffee making. I use the drip pot most of the time for convenience but I love a nice foamy cup of french pressed coffee more than anything. Some people don't like the resulting sludge though. I don't mind it.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have no idea how much better the coffee could be made with one of those $1200 coffee makers Starbucks sells(?)

Neither does any one who buys coffee at starbucks.

It's awful stuff

[Curt Harms]

We bought one of these around Christmas time. I don't know if it'll brew the gourmet stuff 'cause I'm no gourmet. I do know that it'll keep coffee warm without burning it and isn't too much of a pain to keep clean. We use softened water so lime buildup isn't an issue, I don't know how it'd be with hard water. If it has a fault, it'll occasionally drip one drop after I take the cup away. It does come with a couple extra gaskets for the shutoff valve, we haven't had to use them yet. It does have a heating mechanism that contacts the coffee directly to keep it warm, it doesn't rely on insulation only. AND IT CLAIMS TO BE MADE IN THE USA!!! Proctor Silex makes a similar machine in China for less money.
http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/cgi-bin/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/1064/sesent/00/BrewStationandreg-12-Cup-Coffeemaker

HTH

Curt

[Jason Roehl]

I use a $30 dripper...brew straight into a 20-oz. mug. It's done pretty quick and doesn't burn that way, plus the mug gets heated and the coffee stays hot longer. I also grind 8 o'clock beans fresh every morning. I had to take off the little flapper that allows you to do the pause'n'serve because it doesn't work with a mug.

I've found that if I make a pot too strong (to the point of extreme bitterness), I can just let it sit all day, then re-heat it on the hot plate the next morning, it will still be strong, but butter-smooth.

[Leigh Costello]

Oh how I long for my Mom's old aluminum brewer that we used on the stove. My Mom taught me how to brew to perfection by judging the color of the coffee as it percolated up to the glass top thru the stem. Drips are no comparison, but so convenient. If I ever see one like my Mom had, I will buy or pilfer it, whatever it takes.

[Belinda Barfield]

Oh how I long for my Mom's old aluminum brewer that we used on the stove. My Mom taught me how to brew to perfection by judging the color of the coffee as it percolated up to the glass top thru the stem. Drips are no comparison, but so convenient. If I ever see one like my Mom had, I will buy or pilfer it, whatever it takes.

Wow, Leigh, thanks for the memory. My grandmother had a beat up old stove top percolator, and there was always a pot of hot coffee on the stove. She is actually responsible for my addiction as she gave me coffee probably in my baby bottle, but definitely as long as I can remember. I hadn't thought of the sound or smell coming from that percolator in years.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You can still buy those old perculator coffee pots out here in camping gear section of stores. We used them in elk camp all the time.

[Leigh Costello]

Ken,
Thanks for the tip, I don't hunt or camp so I had no idea the pot is still avialable. I am searching now.

Belinda,
The sound of the pericolating coffee worked much better than any alarm clock when we were kids. If Mom wanted us up, coffee was brewed, if we wanted Mom and Dad up (Christmas mornings), coffee was brewed. Which, interesting enough, the coffee brewing lessons were usually convened the day after Christmas. Co-incidence? hmmm....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Leigh,

Check out this site....... http://store.camping-cooking-supplies.com/copoes.html

[Tony De Masi]

Move next to a Dunkin Donuts store. If that's not possible then I vote for the Bunn.

Tony

[Jim Dunn]

Bun gets my vote as well. Gary can attest to how much coffee I can drink.

[Greg Cuetara]

Not that I drink coffee at all but my old office had a single serve cup coffee maker made for green mountain coffee. Take a look at greenmountaincoffee.com It sure beats the sludge that I always see at the bottom of the pot. You can also have different flavors etc. and go gourmet and it only take a minute to brew your own cup of coffee. It is also very clean that you don't have something you need to clean every day...just a box of empties that need to be cleaned out and thrown away.

[Burt Alcantara]

If you want really good coffee and really good equipment go here:
http://www.sweetmarias.com.

I roast my own. Drink it black. Can't go into any of the so called "coffee houses," because of the rank, dank, swill they serve. Roasting will spoil you to no end.

Burt

[Jason Roehl]

BURT...don't tempt me....grinding my own each day is enough of a hobby... :D I don't need to be further ruined by roasting, too.

[Burt Alcantara]

Roasting takes about 8 minutes. Start it. Watch it. Stop it. Wipe out roaster. Let beans sit for 3 days. Grind and drink the best coffee on the planet.

Burt

[Ed Falis]

Here's another different approach: http://coffeenmore.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=C&Category_Code=KIT

This thing is a cold brewer. The claim is that because you don't heat the grounds, you don't get a lot of acid coming out of them into the coffee. To me, it tastes sweeter and better. You load the thing overnight, then drain the resulting syrup from the bottom. Mix a couple tablespoons of syrup with hot water and you're in business. Will last outside the fridge for a week (good for camping).

Only downside is you don't get the aroma of brewing coffee.

[Jason Boushard]

I have a wallmart special but I have one suggestion for the truly caffine addicted KONA strongest coffee I have found yet. gets me going every morning gonna have to look into those better filters though. I am the guy noone will let near the pot cuse I make it so strong. I am in the Navy and we are known for our strong coffee but they still wont let me near it lol.

[David G Baker]

I have a wallmart special but I have one suggestion for the truly caffine addicted KONA strongest coffee I have found yet. gets me going every morning gonna have to look into those better filters though. I am the guy noone will let near the pot cuse I make it so strong. I am in the Navy and we are known for our strong coffee but they still wont let me near it lol.
Jason,
A little trick I learned when I had to work very long shifts. Let them make the coffee but be at the pot when the first bit of coffee begins to flow and fill your cup with some very very strong brew. Let the folks that like it weak have whats left.

[Ed Falis]

Oh man! I thought that was my trick!

[Bruce Page]

Another vote for the Cuisinart. I like the fact that it doesn't dribble.

[Kent Williams]

In all due respect to the gentleman who suggested stop drinking coffee, you may be right but if you limit your other vices in life, coffee will remain one of your least harmful and most enjoyable items.
If it's just the one or two of you, I suggest the little 4cup Mr Coffee. Yeah I know, you say it's a cheap piece of (put your own one here) but hold on. I have three. One at work, residence and vacation home. They work without a problem, brew fast, and they're less than $20. What I like the best about them is they make only enough to fill a thermos or two large cups. The other important element of this pot is it heats the water hotter than many of the larger more expensive makers which trickles down (humor there) to better tasting coffee.
Oh by the way, strong coffee makes a great stain and it's organic.

Peace

[Darren Ford]

Bonnie,

I have been thru pretty much every department store coffee maker, they all die so quickly I feel like I have been scammed. The moderately priced and up BUNNs are good, but I never liked the idea of using electricity to keep water hot 24/7, just so I could have a quick pot of coffee in the morning.

I bought a Zojirushi with a thermal carafe, and it was wonderful. It brews very fast, and the coffee stays hot and fresh for hours (without getting that burned taste like it does when the heat is on). I made a really bone headed move a few months ago and forgot to put coffee in, and after discovering a pot of hot water instead of coffee, corrected my mistake and tried to run the hot water back thru. I don't know why I did it, I know better, but the coffee maker was dead after that. I plan to buy another one when the weather turns cool and I start drinking a lot more.

You can get one for $89.99 from NewEgg. Often you can get a special deal from them where they throw in an "air pot" for free, but it appears that promotion is not currently going on.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896101308

[Darren Ford]

Just a quick followup. Thanks to Burt for posting the link to Sweet Marias. I ended up springing for a Technivorm coffeemaker, and I really like it. If it lasts anywhere near as long as people claim, it will be money well spent.

I also followed Burts advice to try out roasting my own coffee, starting with a sample 8-pack of green coffee from Sweet Marias and a hot-air popcorn popper for roasting. I'm still perfecting my technique, but even with my lack of skill, the coffee tastes better than what I can buy in the store. Its truly easy, and actually kind of fun. Takes almost no time and there is virtually no mess.