If you're happy with your automatic coffee maker, please tell me what brand and model you have.  I can't find one that makes good, HOT coffee.  Thank you for your time.

PS  Also, please let me know which ones to stay away from if you've had problems.

 I have used the Bunn coffeemaker for many years.  They stand behind their products and are made in USA.  I use one at my food business and at home as well. 

The Bunn has a ready supply of constant hot water and makes your coffee immediately when water is added.    Be careful when pouring your fresh coffee as it will burn your hand.  I know from experience. 

 I had only problem in the distant past.  The heating element started failing to keep the coffee pot hot enough.  Bunn replaced it with another one, a newer model at factory cost. 

Thank you for taking the time to reply.  Do you know the model of the Bunn coffee maker that you have?  There are sooooooo many models to choose from and it can get really confusing.

Thanks again,

Debbie

Sammy, so far I've researched coffeegeek.com and found reviews on the Bunn l0, and GBl0, as well as Al0, but not the exact model you gave me...I'll keep looking.  Do you remember where you bought it?

Thank,

Debbie

Hi Debbie,

Here's a link to Bunn company.  The link takes you to a page with mine and several other
very good, similar models.    I purchased it at this link. 

http://www.bunncoffeemakers.net/Bunn-Coffee-Maker/Home-Coffee-Makers/Coffee-Makers-Home.htm

I couldn't get this to LINK direct so I guess cut and paste.  Let me know what you think.
Sammy

I just found this forum and it may be too late to reply, but I'll second what Samantha said about the Bunn coffeemakers. We have one at work that is a consumer model and it's holding up well to the rigors of making multiple pots of coffee every day, plus the flavor of the coffee is much better than the typical drip coffee maker, and it's *fast*. It only takes a few minutes to brew a full pot of coffee. Highly recommended.

I've been very happy with Braun. One I bought in a thrift store for $8 when I was in college 20 years ago. Used it until I cracked the carafe 2 years ago and just decided to just get a new one. I was contemplating a fancy model, but just decided on the basic 12-cup, in black, as a replacement. Great value for $20.

Several years ago I bought one to use at the office where I worked. It had a temperature adjustment. That exact model is not made anymore, but there are others similar.

Deborah,

I live at 5600 feet where water boils below 200F, so nothing is REALLY HOT.  But in my opinion Mr. Coffee finally got it right: a good machine with enough controls so you can tailor your coffee to your desires, a heated carafe that doesn't drip, an easily accessible basket, and more.  I think it looks good, too -- but that's personal opinion.

We got our model at Costco:  Mr. Coffee model FTX43, just under $30.

Franklin Halasz

Do the Bunn coffee makers allow you to make less than a full pot?  Or does it always brew a full pot?

I'm about ready to go out in my shop and build a time machine to go back and buy an original Mr Coffee. All the other problems aside, I'd be happy to find one that doesn't LEAK!

I went though a Krups and a Braun both of which which routinely pumped water onto the kitchen counter instead of into the basket and my latest--a year-old Black & Decker--has manifested its internal leak by turning the heating plate into a lunar landscape of rust.

We have used Bunn coffee machines for about 15 years.  Need I say I think they are far and away the best-- fast and great coffee.  I've made as little as two cups and it seems to work fine.  We've had two machines.  The keep-warm element on one flaked out.  Bunn replaced it with a newer model.   

I've had some bad luck with Black&Decker and what I think is poor design of some of the working features in current models.  My biggest gripe is that after brewing a pot I almost always had to clean up grounds that would back up to the surface covering the brewbasket.  I had one of these for about a month and finally got too frustrated with it.  Went out and shopped for a coffeemaker who's design was totally different from the B&D.  Ended up with a Mr. Coffee and have been very happy with it.

If you don't object to inexpensive, I can recommend the Black & Decker DCM2500. We've had it a couple of years. It does not leak. It is easy to use (big opening to pour water in). The basket is easy to remove. The pot pours with little or no dripping and it cost under $20. It has clear panels on the tank to show water level. It has no flaws unless you consider a glass pot a flaw (we did break one pot and had to replace), but it is not at all impressive-looking or pretty or sufficiently expensive for some.

Amazon sells it. So does Wal-Mart, I think.

Great price. It is $60 at Amazon. Wow.

Apparently that was one of Costco's one-time deals.  Wouldn't have paid $60 then.  I think I would now -- it really is a good coffeemaker.

Frank

It's taken 4 months to find a replacement coffeemaker but I think we've finally found a satisfactory unit in the Krups FME-02. 

We were obligated to replaced a Braun that was previously rated a "CR Best Buy" when it the on-off switch stopped working.  Although the price for that one seemed right, it lasted less than 2 years.  After purchasing and returning 3 different units this fall, I offer the following comments:

• The CR testers' notions of "convenience" differ considerably from the experiences of those in our household.  What might seem okay to a six-foot man can be unusable to a 5-foot woman for whom many of the current models are too bulky and hard to use.   Any coffeemaker that does not have an externally viewable water level is not convenient.   That includes the curious step in the Cuisnart reservoir (which can only be seen with the aid of a step stool) as well as less exotic  interior markings that are only visible  when the coffeemaker is pulled to the edge of the counter.
• Thermal carafes may hold heat better and black might be the "in" color but the preference here is to be able to see how much coffee is left from across the room.
• The water filters are a rip-off.  One model we tried displayed a constant reminder to replace the unwanted filter (we already have a filtration system) and there was no way to deactivate that message. 

The Krups model we bought was not reviewed by CR.  Our experience though, is that it offers the best combination of convenience, features, and price.

Okay, just so y'all know I am a coffee geekweenieafficianando....

If I want a HOT cup of joe, I break out my melitta coffee funnel, paper filter and a pot of water.

Now, the water is Verrryyy important. In fact, when I get a batch of Blue Mountain beans, I use bottled spring water (Evian or Fiji).  Tap water is tolerable to me for an everyday work day, but when I want a good cup, the water has to be good.

The next most important thing is Cleanliness. It doesn't matter what kind of coffee maker you buy, or how much you spend, you need to clean it REGULARLY. If you don't, you might as well get a cheapie and throw it away every 10 pots. I toss all of the parts that I can into the dishwasher and flush out the coffee maker (following the manufactor's guidelines).

Last, but not least! Use fresh ground beans. I try to grind mine right before I brew. I have a Cuisinart coffee grinder that stores the beans and grinds them using helical gears. The downside to the grinder is how loud it is. If the coffee doesn't wake you up, the noise will. It is annoying, but for me, the quality is worth it.

Now, if you get the food channel, Alton Brown had a good show about coffee on good eats, worth a look-see.

I have the cuisinart coffee maker that I use day to day, because I like the features on it. However, most coffee makers are decent at producing good brew. Just remember that coffee needs to imbibed, not left sitting in a pot.

 

I have a brAun AromaSelect that's several years old, and is on its third carafe (blame my clumsiness, not the quality of construction). This maker, which used to rate #1 or #2 in CRs reviews IIRC, has held up well, still works superbly, makes good coffee, and cleans up easily. Ease of use is something Braun is known for, and this model shines in that respect.

The newer versions of this venerable model have fallen off the CR ratings radar, so I can't speak to the current models. But for critical features (ease in adding water, ease of access to the filter basket, accessibility of controls, customized hotplate temp and shut-off duration), this older Braun raised the bar for programmable coffeemakers. The Cuisinart BrewCentral (current fav) was clearly designed to beat the Braun, but I still prefer my slim, elegant Braun to the boxy Cuisinart.

my relationship with Bunn coffeemakers began about 25 years ago. A co-worker had one set up in the maintenance department for use by fellow employees. A pot of good coffee in about 3 minutes with no steaming, hissing and spitting- something i had accepted as part of the daily coffee making ritual. I am now on my 2nd unit in the last 23 years. I make at least 1 pot per day so i have to say i have recieved my moneys worth many times over. when you find a good reliable product you tell a few people- my son , my daughter, and my mother and father in law now own Bunn coffee makers. actually i would not even consider purchasing a different brand.