<p>Given the criteria of the OP, I second the French Press. It is NOT hard to clean at all. All it takes is to rinse the pot and the plunger. Ten seconds under running water in the sink. And a good flush with the disposal on does the trick.</p>
<p>If you see a lot of grinds, it means your plunger is too loose or you are careless pushing the plunger down. The coffee should be coarse and not fine like for espresso. This might explain why people see too much waste in their cup.</p>
<p>It is one of the few coffee makers that could rival a Nespresso. American percolators are evil and Mr Coffee is pure crap. Keurig is OK to some but it does not use pressure. May as well use a cone filter. The Senseo machines are better but have become rare and pricey. </p>
<p>For the French Press, when your water is reaching a low boil, pour some in the pot to warm it up. Throw it out, and add the amount of coffee to taste. Then add a bit of water and swirl the coffee to let it disgorge the flavor. After that fill the pot and let seep for a few minutes. Plunge down to the bottom and do NOT stop in the middle. Serve at once. Do not let the coffee sit too long as it might get bitter after a while.</p>
<p>I would wait for a 30% off Kohls coupon and then get the $99 Keurig for $69. Handy and kind of fun even for guests to use. If you don’t drink coffee you might try the tea or hot chocolate for yourself.</p>
<p>But maybe that’s more money then you want to spend.</p>
<p>xiggi: what’s wrong with percolators? The old-fashionedness is kind of appealing.</p>
<p>abasket (or anyone else with a Keuring): I find the idea of making coffee (or tea or hot chocolate) from those little cup things weird. Like it’s not real coffee. Do coffee-drinkers really like the coffee from a Keuring?</p>
<p>I think, for the connoisseur, the French press is a great thing, xiggi. But the OP doesn’t drink coffee, so she’s not likely to want to go the the trouble to learn make it in the small batches for her guests, with the temp just right and the grounds just right, and the “swirl” just right, etc. That’s why I think the pour through method, like the Chemex and some of the others mentioned would get a fine result, but be a whole lot easier for a non-coffee lover to master.</p>
<p>Percolators deliver a nasty tasting coffee because of the way they are built. If you like the brewing system, check out the Italian stovetop models for a stronger coffee – but not bitter and burned tasting coffee.</p>
<p>Moonchild, the beauty of the French Press is that it is inexpensive and stores well after an occasional use. It also cleans well. </p>
<p>The brewing is very simple. All one needs is to check a video online, or simply trying it. One could easily forget the (pedantic) steps I discussed and simply add coffee and pour hot water in the press. </p>
<p>I also think it should be the cheapest method. Probably 20 bucks at Target, Amazon, or Zappos.</p>
<p>I’m a relatively new and only one cup a few times a week coffee drinker so I may not be the best judge. But the Keurigs just seem so convenient and easy for entertaining. </p>
<p>I think coffee drinkers can have favorites just lie anything else. For some Starbucks is all that, others don’t care for it at all. Some say buy Folgers, others wouldn’t touch it. My mom has drank coffee for decades but is still content with her $20 coffee maker from Walmart. </p>
<p>Maybe you should snoop in conversation and see what type of maker your friends use OR at least focus more on the type/brand of coffee they like instead of the maker.</p>
<p>abasket: I am definitely leaving the choice of coffee up to someone else. And even though the arrival of one particular set of guests has set in motion the decision to buy a coffeemaker, we do use one often enough that I do want to have one - not just for relatives and other guests, but D and her friends sometimes make coffee. </p>
<p>It is interesting to learn about all of the variations - I am looking in to all of your suggestions.</p>
<p>agree with xiggi and the french press. good taste and very economical (don’t have to buy filters). i was curious after seeing one in a product placement spot on top chef and figured if it was good enough for tom and padma, it was good enough for me! lol </p>
<p>My percolator coffee is not bitter, am having a cup now. I throw in some ice cubes in the water when I make it. H and kids use Nespresso, but I like my one cup regular coffee in the morning.</p>
<p>I’m perfectly happy with coffee from an automatic drip coffeemaker. I believe the one I have at the moment is a Black and Decker. I see now that I am probably offending the palates of at least some of my guests every time I serve coffee, but no one has ever complained. Although I now recall that my parents insisted on driving all over the county looking for coffee after a recent storm took out their power and the power at surrounding shopping centers, in preference to coming to my house…</p>
<p>I have been a guest in a non-coffee-drinking house and I think it’s very nice that you have thought about this and are planning to have coffee available. (You might want to have some half-and-half as well?) I wouldn’t be picky about the type my host supplied, but obviously I have no taste!</p>
<p>I think the cheapest, least complicated choice is to get a plain old Mr. Coffee style drip coffee maker. The problem with those is that they go bad soon, but that’s not your issue. Warmer included, some with timers that get coffee brewing in the AM on their own.</p>
<p>On the other hand, for decades now I’ve used the Melita cone. You have to boil the water separately before pouring it through the cone, but it’s cheap, lasts forever, and makes great coffee. I also have a warming pad that keeps my pot warm for as long as I want. I just searched on amazon for a warming pad and came up with only hot plates. I hope mine doesn’t go bad soon! I use a permanent cone filter along with a brown paper filter to ease with cleanup.</p>
<p>You are a good hostess to offer coffee. I am always shocked when coffee isn’t offered… And an absolute favorite memory of visiting one friend is the coffee she made for me. Very nice.</p>
<p>Another vote here for the Melitta cone and pour-over method. It’s simple, easy to clean up, and IMO makes tastier coffee than the automatic drip machines (I have one of those as well for when I need to make 10-12 cups, and it’s ok, but I prefer the pour-over results.) A French press does make excellent coffee, but it’s not for a novice.</p>
<p>I don’t have an aeropress , but it looks like something I will try.
We have a drip( not mr coffee) that is programmable, so it is all ready for H when he gets up at 4am.
French press makes strong coffee but you have to strain it through your teeth, always mud in the bottom.
[Reviews:</a> Aeropress, Chemex, Mono Cafino, Pina Espresso Maker, Bodum Pebo](<a href=“Brew Edition: 5 Manual Coffee-Making Gadgets Tested | WIRED”>Brew Edition: 5 Manual Coffee-Making Gadgets Tested | WIRED)</p>
<p>I have thrown out several brands of drip coffee makers, some more expensive than others. They don’t keep the coffee hot enough for me. I went back to using a Farberware electric percolator that I received many years ago as a wedding present. I use disc filters. I can make the coffee strong and it stays very hot in the pot. It is easy to set up and to clean. I even bought a 2 cup size in Goodwill and it works great! I would suggest a 4 cup size, with a filter and a 12 oz. pkg of original blend Dunkin Doughnuts coffee to start. Try to buy a used one that you could return if it doesn’t work. It cleans up nicely with Bar Keepers Friend. If you buy a new one, try Bed, Bath and Beyond with a coupon, or on sale in Macy’s. How nice of you to care for your guests.</p>
<p>My husband is a coffee nut and his Miele coffeemaker was the only thing he cared about in our big reno a couple of years ago. My guess is that you don’t want to go that overboard, though, even if they’re your favorite guests. :)</p>
<p>The French Press, or Bodum, is the simplest way to make excellent coffee. Cleaning isn’t difficult. Depending on the size you get, you could also purchase a thermos-type carafe to keep it hot if making a big pot. Just be sure to get the coffee ground to the right size (coarse grind), and not finely or even regular.</p>
<p>My husband is a coffee person and we have a Bodum French press, a cone with a gold filter for pour-over coffee (that makes one cup), an espresso machine and a 10-cup Braun drip coffee maker for when we have guests and need to make more coffee. As long as you make the coffee in the drip coffeemaker strong enough, it all seems good to me. If you’re going to buy a coffeemaker I would highly recommend the automatic drip kind with a carafe, so the coffee doesn’t get cold, especially if you make a lot. We don’t have that kind, so have to be careful to either drink the coffee pretty fast or turn the warmer off so the coffee doesn’t get a burnt taste. I personally think it’s fine to warm up coffee that’s cooled off too much in the microwave, but my husband would never do that. Oh, and we always use Peet’s coffee–that’s been his preference for many years.</p>
<p>My suggestion to the OP is to find out if the people are “coffee drinkers” or “coffee lovers.” The former could mean anything, from Folgers and 7/11 Hazelnut/Vanilla on up. The latter means something else. If they’re coffee lovers, who knows, maybe they have a travel setup.</p>
<p>My husband likes his coffee strong but not bitter. When our old coffee maker died, I found a retired engineer in the mid-west who refurbishes vintage percolators. I won’t buy anything food related (for prep, cooking or serving) that’s made in China, and there are very few options for non-PRC small appliances. The cost was reasonable and dh loves the percolator. I’m sure there are similar ones available for <$100.</p>
<p>I think you are being very nice to buy a coffee maker for guests. In our house we have a drip machine, French press and a melitta drip cone.
In your case I would consider the guests. My Mom loved her coffee but she was happy with a percolator and Folgers. She would never have liked or figured out how to use a French press. I know they are simple but when you think coffee is fine served in a styrofoam cup you won’t care if the coffee is from a Mr Coffee.
When I am a guest I drink what my host is providing. The one exception was when I went to my MIL. The younger generation would bring their own coffee. MIL now has made the switch from MJB and we are all happy.</p>