I’m the only one who drinks coffee in my household. I have a nepresso machine (love it!) but there are times I would like or need a coffee pot. So I don’t need anything fancy.
I got out my old bunn coffee maker and made a pot this morning. It was terrible!
I don’t want anything fancy but if it made a decent cup that would be great.
Maybe a french press? I usually make a mug pour over style with a ceramic melita filter holder. French press would give you 1-2 mugs.
I have a French press. I was thinking of something bigger for when I’m hosting. And easy, my mom would be so confused about a French press. She can’t even figure out my Keurig.
When she comes, I’m going to put away my nespresso, it would just too much.
Sorry, I’d like to ideally find a drip coffee maker where the coffee is passable. At least 8 cups, up to 12
I have a farberware percolator…12 cup…and it makes terrific coffee. Not hard to use at all.
The cheapest and small electric makers work fine for an occasional cup. Your Bunn issue may be that it needs cleaning, directions are online.
Thanks, I will look and try to clean the bunn
Aerobie/aeropress - google it. I’m the only coffee drinker in my house, and it’s perfect.
Mr. Coffee and Hamilton Beach both have very solid reviews when I was last looking.
Don’t get a Cuisinart. I had one that caught on fire and it was less than a year old. Turns out it isn’t an issue unique to me.
I have Mr. Coffee that I got from Costco a couple years or so ago for somewhere around $20. It’s been great so far, very dependable day in and day out.
I’m a coffee snob. Not an expert, just a picky snob. My favorite coffee maker is a Braun drip maker that I bought years ago for about $20. I’ve tried to replace it with fancier models that had timers, etc., but the coffee they made was bad. They all went back. The one thing I feel sure of is that cone filters make better coffee than basket filters.
@massmomm I had a very simple Braun that worked great for 30 years. My husband was sad when it finally died.
Thanks so much. And thanks for the tip about cuisinart. That was my last coffee maker and it died fast!
The bunn is old, I can’t remember why I stopped using it, probably because the coffee wasn’t any good now that I think about it. I cleaned it tonight and I’ll see if the coffee is any better.
But I’m not that thrilled with the bunn, so I’ll look into the Braun. And the fabarware percolater.
I appreciate the advice, exactly what I was looking for.
In case you haven’t, try using vinegar to clean your Bunn. You can find instructions online.
Coffee snob here.
Bunn’s make excellent coffee – only drip brand I’ve used for 30 years. But any auto drip maker will be fine – Mr. Coffee or Braun or whatever.
Your problem, though, is almost certainly you and your coffee, not your coffee pot. Nespresso or Keurig handle the coffee for you. When you make a pot, you have to supply the coffee in the right amount and right grind.
Best method, imo, is french press. The large size FPs are 1.5 liters or 51 ounces. Costs like $20. For an occasional big pot, can’t be beat. But you have to get the grind right for your method.
Buy whole beans at the grocery and then use their grinder to get the proper grind. Coarse for FP or percolator. Medium coarse for Chemex. Medium for flat bottom (Bunn, Mr. Coffee). Medium-fine for aeropress (excellent). Fine for espresso.
If you really want good Joe, spend your dough on a good grinder rather than a pot. My grinder is a Baratza Virtuoso – same brand Starbucks uses. Grind right before brewing and dial the grind size in and the pot hardly matters. Baratza is one of the few grinders I’ve found that does well over a variety of different grinds/methods.
https://www.homegrounds.co/coffee-grind-chart/
P.S. For a richer brew from a Bunn. Use a gold filter rather than paper filter – lets a bit more sediment come through but comes out tastier (a la french press). And have Bunn send you the restricted flow nozzle (they will send for free). That nozzle allows for a longer steep time. A pot takes a minute or two longer to brew but tastes better.
P.P.S. Run some plain water through your old Bunn and measure the temperature of the water. Bunn’s are supposed to produce water between 195-205 F, which is good for brewing coffee. If your water is colder than that, the coffee will always be bad.
You can clean your coffee machine (including nespresso) with a citric acid solution. No vinegar smell! You should still flush it with plain water afterwards to remove any residual acid. If you put cream in your coffee and it looks curdled, it might be residual acid in the machine.
Look on youtube for nespresso cleaning formulas with citric acid.
I’d get a glass Chemex coffee maker. It’s easy to use and you can get a 3-cup, 6-cup, or a 10-cup unit.
Kohl’s ‘Capresso’:
https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-923323/capresso-4-cup-espresso-cappuccino-machine.jsp
We’ve been using this model for years. When it wears out we throw it away and order up a new one when there’s a 30% off coupon.
I have a krups that has been very reliable. In addition to doing the vinegar/water cleaning thing it recommends in its manual (run it through a cycle, maybe do 2 cycles), it has a filter that needs periodic replacing. Your Bunn probably does too.
Do you know that the Bunn needs to be always turned on and foiled with water to work right? It is like a hot water heater - keeps a tank of hot water instantly available on demand.
Other drip machines heat the water when you pour it in.
I thought OP just wanted an inexpensive occasional alternative.
Anyway, most amazing for me was yesterday’s coffee machine in the lobby of an upscale Boston hotel- a Brevilor Esprecious. Press a button for one of 8 choices and presto, that baby made me a delicious cappucino. Only about $4k. No chance it’ll show up in my xmas stocking.