Can we talk Coffee makers for a bit

[The empressof all]

I lost my beloved Capresso grind and brew many months back. It died a good death and was used and loved well for a long time. I'm gearing up to biting the bullet, spend the bucks and get another one. My Cuisinart grind and brew is just not up to my "Beloved". Now here's my problem. The Capresso is great for making pots at a time. Usually we go through a Pot between the two of us each morning...But I really like to have a cup in the afternoon. Most of the time, I'm out and about and stop at the espresso joint for my jolt but I've been eyeing those Keurig makers as well. I had a Pod machine for this purpose but it was a hunk o junk and broke after about 3 months so I'm not interested in going with the pods. I'm not interested in French Press or an Espresso maker....I really don't want to grind coffee and I just have never gotten the French Press Pot to give me a decent cup.

So does anyone have the Keurig? I can always make a second pot when I get the new "Beloved" and fridge the left overs....

[Neecy]

1. I have a Tassimo

It doesn't have as wide a variety of coffee available for it as the Keurig, but it's done a good job. Easy to clean, not overly noisy, and it's held up well after a couple of years of steady use.

[chefgirl]

2. I feel your pain

Empress,

After having almost exactly the same situation as yourself, (just wanting a cup instead of a pot, not wanting to spend a fortune and having three different one cup machines die on me within a week or so) this is the one I finally settled on.

http://www.amazon.com/Applica-Cup-At-Time-Coffee-DCM7/dp/B00197S16S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1248918341&sr=8-3

Its very inexpensive, can use pods but comes with a filter basket as well and uses #1 filters, and Im happy to say, is still alive and well almost two years after purchase.

I generally make three or four cups a day with it; a few in the morning and maybe one at night when I get home. Ive been amazed at how well it works and how long its held up, considering what I spent on the other three dead ones and how little I spent for this one.

Hope this helps.

-chef-

[libnnc]

3. I LOVE my Keurig

to the point of being obsessed. My only pet peeve is that I can't get a wide variety of K-Cups in stores. Bed Bath Beyond carries some varieties and my local grocery store has started carrying Newman's Own packs of 12. The best deal I've found on K cups is at BBB--$9.99 for a box of 18. If you order online, usually they cost 11.95 plus shipping.

[NMDemDist2]

4. i just put my Capresso in a box as we are back in an espresso machine

I 'bit the bullet' and bought another Capresso with the thermal pot when my Saecos were both frozen.
Wish me luck with the new 'baby' (also by capresso built by their Swiss partners Jura)

as for your afternoon cuppa, I don't have a clue. I'd probably go the french press but you said you're not interested but if you're only doing an occasional cuppa in the afternoon and it's not your primary CM you may want to replace the 'hunk of junk' pod maker. it would probably hold up with such light use.....

:hi:

[The empressof all]

5. How's the thermal pot

I've been looking at that model myself. Generally we drink a pot in the first hour we're up but the SO likes his coffee really really hot. He always winds up microwaving his second cup but he's really leary of the thermal. I've been putting a little money aside for this purchase so I want to get it right. He wants the exact recreation of the "Beloved" which was the black "Coffee Team". He was a little annoyed that they "improved" it since our model. Now it'll never be the same for him....:rofl:

[NMDemDist2]

6. i liked the thermal pot a lot

it kept it hot without scorching it, but he'll still probably nuke his.

[NashVegas]

7. My Sister Has a Keurig

I didn't care for it because of the fuss to adjust coffee strength for different brews.

Example: I like flavored coffees, which are usually a light blend, but I like it strong. To get it the way I wanted, I'd have to put it on the setting for a strong brew (uses less water) and go through the process twice for one full cup. It was an annoyance.


I wouldn't call it economical in any sense because of that.

Seriously? I'm happy with my Braun duo.

[The empressof all]

8. The Keurig coffee does seem pricey doesn't it

I think I'm just really attracted to the convenience of it and being able to make tea and cocoa too. I love kitchen toys and Kitchen Coffee toys = even better. I really don't have room for two coffee systems on the counter.... I'm so Ambivelent....I want it....I don't need it....But I think I want it....I really don't need it...and all of that...Jiving around.

[NashVegas]

9. Heheh

And the blue lights are so pretty ...

[The empressof all]

10. I ...Take this Longing...for coffee a little too seriously

But you know...There ain't no cure for love.

[supernova]

12. It is a beautiful machine

to sit out on the counter, and love the Enterprize replicator feel of it. :D

I lusted after a Keurig for a long time, and they even make a "mini budget" model for *only* $99!!

:rofl:

I got over it. :-)

[The empressof all]

13. I found it for $79 when I looked the other day..

I figured the best thing to do would be to wait a week. I haven't ordered the "Beloved" yet so I've been surviving with the Cuisinart and drive through Cafe Americano's for a while.

I have at least a good week to obsess about this and figure out where I'm gonna put it.

I'm ashamed a bit that I want it so much...It's really kind of silly. And the fact that I'm depriving myself of this just makes me question it even more.

[NashVegas]

14. My Precious

Oh how we wants it.

[supernova]

11. I make single cups mostly

There's just me, so no need to make a pot.

I have a Cuisanart 12 cup autodrip for company. But for myself I use a melita cone that is small enough to fit over a coffee mug. I put in a cone filter, add the coffee, then pour microwave-heated water over it. It makes a great one-cup. No fuss coffee in less than five minutes.

[elleng]

15. Thats what I used to do,

and as I may be moving, I'd like to do it again! But its NOT EASY finding the Cones!!! Ideas?

[supernova]

16. I found mine at Whole Foods

they were having a sale on coffee and supplies.

[woofless]

17. Check out the Aeropress.

I use this daily and it is painless. Super easy clean up. Very smooth coffee with no bitterness. I use either fresh ground beans or Costco columbian fine grind. http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress_story.htm

Woof

[The empressof all]

18. I have seen this thing

I've also looked at the thingie that makes coffee concentrate. I haven't had a good cup from my French Press and gave up on that. I think the reason I'm attracted to the Keurig is that I don't have to do anything other than load it with the little cup thingie. I don't want to buy ground coffee and grinding extra in the grind and brew is a pain and messy. I don't want to hassle with getting another coffee grinder.

I actually tried the Starbucks instant this week which was pretty decent for what it was. I thought it was totally over priced.

My suspicion is that I'll wait. I've lived this long without the extra pot...When and if the price falls to 59.00 I'll get it. In the meanwhile I'll survive with the Coffee joint runs, fridged coffee and the instant.

[pinto]

19. I like a French press, fwiw. If you use a good grind, your own or pre-ground,

it makes a good couple of cups, quickly. I think the bean and the grind is more a key than the coffee maker.

I use a Gevalia standard coffee maker, 'cause it came free with an order. :hide:

[ginnyinWI]

20. For those who just want a good drip coffeemaker

I recommend the Braun AromaDeluxe. You can get it with or without a timer. Has a cone shaped filter basket and the ability to filter the water inside the reservoir. A good basic coffeemaker.

http://www.amazon.com/Braun-KF510-WH-AromaDeluxe-10-Cup-Coffeemaker/dp/B00006JL0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1249269841&sr=1-1

Mine is black and I didn't get it from Amazon. Another coffeemaker seller online had it for cheaper. Just google it.

Main reason I chose this one: I read that you have to have coffee made hot enough to have good flavor, and so many of them don't get hot enough. You can spend a few hundred to have a Bunn, which keeps the water at a constant 200 degrees, but what an energy waster. This one gets to 195, and that's good enough for a great pot of coffee. It's fast and easy without a lot of gimmicks.

I bought and patiently returned three other coffeemakers before I found this one: a Krups, a Black & Decker and another one, expensive but I forget the brand name. I opted not to get a thermal carafe: I like to see when my coffee is done, and I already have a separate glass thermal carafe that works great.

[pinto]

21. "Cowboy coffee" has its fans.

I've had a lot of good coffee made just this way -

Small saucepan.
Ground coffee.
Filter.

Bring water to a boil and set to a simmer.
Add ground coffee, stir and turn off the heat.
Let it sit.
Filter into cups or mugs.

[Lorax]

22. I have a love/hate relationship with my Keurig.

We bought the Keurig when DH was working nights and I was working days. We were wasting a lot of coffee because there was only one person drinking it at a time, and we never did master the ratio for making smaller than a full pot. At the time, the Keurig was a good solution because you only make as much as you need at once. Now that DH is on days, that's not so much of an issue. As a matter of fact, we are probably moving in a few months and we'll be selling the Keurig when we do.

Pros:
* Each cup is fresh brewed. I am very picky about coffee and I hate when it's been sitting in the pot for more than 20 minutes. But it sometimes takes me more than 20 minutes to drink a cup. By the time I want a second cup, whatever is in the pot is now yucky.
* If you like a different kind of coffee than your SO, you can just pop in a different Kcup. You get exactly the kind you want.
* The tea brewed in the K-cups is surprisingly half decent. Not as good as when brewed in a proper teapot with premium leaves, but decent enough when you don't feel like going through the trouble.
* Quick and convenient. When you are bleary-eyed and desperate for that morning cup, there is nothing easier than popping in a Kcup and pushing a button. The most work you have to do is refill the water tank when the blue light blinks, and occasionally clean out the cup stand reservoir thing.
* You can buy a refillable kcup and use your own coffee in it. You do have to clean it out which is decidedly less convenient than just throwing away the used prefilled kcups.
* It just looks cool.

Cons:
* Kcups can be expensive. We have been buying them at Costco, 80 kcups for around $30-$34. Costco used to only have two varieties but they've recently started carrying a few more. In a pinch, we've gotten them at Giant for $6.99 for 18 cups.
* It feels wasteful. Throwing away all those non-recyclable cups just feels wrong. When we really needed the convenience, I was ok with it. Now that DH and I are both on the same schedule, I am feeling more guilty about the wastefulness.

Lately, I've gone back to using the Melitta cone and using the Keurig with no cup in it to get instant hot water. I just put a measuring cup under the Keurig spout and pour the hot water into the Melitta. I think the cone brews the best tasting coffee and it's only slightly less convenient than using the kcups. Plus, I've been buying Costco brand beans (roasted in Starbucks "style") and grinding them at home. Very yummy. DH still uses the Keurig because he's just lazy and he considers the cone to be too much trouble.

[Lorax]

23. About the cones...

I forgot to mention, I have the small Melitta cone that makes an individual cup of coffee. It takes a small paper filter that you just throw away when you are done.

I also have a large cone that has a narrow stand/opening thing at the bottom. This is for brewing a whole pot of coffee. The stand/opening thing lets it sit securely on top of a large thermos or carafe. When I know I'm going to be drinking coffee all day (rarely) or if I am having company, I use the large cone to brew the coffee directly into a thermal carafe. If you get a good thermal carafe, the coffee stays hot for a long time without getting that condensed burnt taste it gets when it sits in a Mr. Coffee type heated pot.

I love the Melitta cones. I think they make the best tasting coffee.

[elleng]

24. I used the cones years ago,

and have to come up with a coffee method now. I'd like to go back to this one, and hope to find cones.

[Tesha]

25. I finally decided on a Krups

been without one for months now, and it was making me crazier and crazier - so when I told Mr. Tesha what kind I settled on he took me to Macy's because they were having a sale. He got the sale plus a discount for re-upping his credit card there plus it was the last one they had... list price $120 - he paid less than $60. This somehow makes the coffee taste like heaven.



Krups 10-Cup Thermal Coffee Maker FMF5 - got a great deal - and great coffee
cone filter, water filter, and thermal carafe that honest-to-whomever kept my coffee drinkable-hot 7 hours.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

26. Cold-brewed?

I'm late to this party and honestly don't think I ever figured out how to brew a drinkable cup of coffee (my espresso machine and French press were failed experiments in my search for caffeine to keep me up through the graveyard shift and quickly became teamakers), but I have a friend on the other side of the country who swears by her Toddy. Apparently, you take a ridiculous amount of coffee and run your water through it as it sits in the fridge. The result is a super-concentrated coffee and you just measure some out for a cup or a pot, as needed, and add boiling water for instant gratification. Since it's not brewed with heat, it's not so acidic, and she only has to make coffee every couple weeks. I do love the smell of coffee and think it's the oily, acidic part I'm not crazy about, so I suspect I might really like this. Not sure why it's such a secret if it's as amazing as she claims.

[Tesha]

27. This page has some interesting comments

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/coldwater_coffe.php


like this one..
"I've been making coffee this way for 10 years or so. It's really tasty and allegedly contains more caffeine.

All you need is a cheesecloth (fabric), tie up some ground up (not too fine) coffee and throw it in a gallon container of water and wait 12 hours."

[buzzycrumbhunger]

29. Good link!

Even if you wanted to buy the overpriced Toddy, you can easily try it out first to see if you'll like the flavor.

[elleng]

28. I'm going out shopping (ich!)

for stuff for my new apartment,including some sort of coffee thingie; hope to find something like Melitta cone!

edit: How's this for a bit of history: Invented by Dresden housewife Melitta Bentz, 1909, initially using blotting paper in the base of a tin can with holes punched through it.

http://www.answers.com/topic/melitta-drip-coffee-maker

(Something about those Bentz's!!!)