r/BuyItForLife • u/[deleted] • Feb 07 '12
BIFL Request - Coffee Machine.
In the market for a coffee machine, but I don't want to be spending the earth on some chrome plated monstrosity...
Looking at these, as a friend has a earlier model and it has never let him down and seems to work well enough... Anything would be a upgrade, I am currently working with a shitty walmart one, where the heating plate no longer works, so I am down to making one cup at a time..
Anyone have experience with a BUNN machine who can confirm the newer models are reliable? Or any other brands I should be looking at?
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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '12
I have a Mr. Coffee. The feature set has everything I require - adjustable warming plate, delayed brewing, strong brewing setting, but I wouldn't say it's BIFL quality. I've had mine for around 9 years and it still works. I've had problems with overflows from time to time, but that was because I wasn't properly adhering the coffee filter to the side of the basket. Once I got better at it, overflows are a rare problem. I've looked up the Amazon reviews on it and other people had miscellaneous defects that suggested poor build quality, but mine has worked just fine for a long time.
As for the french press/percolator/moka pot suggestions, any solution that doesn't have a paper filter is likely to require a consistent grind. The cheap blade based grinders don't grind the coffee to a consistent size so without a fine filter you'll end up with sludge in your coffee. The solution is to use a burr based grinder which is more expensive. You can also grind your own coffee at most grocery stores, the grinder in store will have all the settings you need. Of course then you are sacrificing a little freshness.