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Best coffee maker - is there a consensus?

I don't drink coffee, that's why you don't see much of me here.

My Mom wants to know what's the coffee maker that gets the most "press" (sorry I couldn't resist,) around here.

Also my Mom was wanting to know if you could help her out with what proportions to use.

Right now, Mom just tried the Kona Coffee and I told her that there was a B&Ber, that absolutely loves it.

I also told Mom that the proportions might depend on the machine....


Thanks for any help you may give.
 
I have a Capresso MT-500 and I think it's a DFCM. While the coffee always comes out best when a full pot is brewed, there is a 3-5 cup option if making smaller batches and the coffee does come out pretty good. I am a coffee lover with little free time to French Press it or single pour each cup, so I really wanted to get a drip maker for M-F. SWMBO didn't care what we got, her only criterion in a coffee machine was getting one with a timer feature (she gets up at 4AM everyday and needs the coffee to be ready).

Technivorm makes some impressive machines, too. I had every intention of going with a Tech KBT-741 in the beginning. However, I went with the Capresso for two reasons. It has a built-in timer (yes, I know, technically I could hook a manual timer up to the Technivorm, but I don't want MORE stuff to worry about and more clutter in the kitchen), and the MT-500 was significantly cheaper than the Technivorm.

I've had identical brews from both machines and IMO they're very comparable. Maybe the Tech gets a slight nod in overall flavor, but it's really close.

I've never had any leaks or spillage with the Capresso, either. I know some people have complained that it brewed over onto their countertops, but I think if you pay attention to putting the carafe back into its place and you keep the machine even the slightest bit clean, it's a non-issue.

I briefly entertained the idea of getting a Zojirushi machine, but soon thought the better of it. I love my Zoji rice cooker, but I've never tried Zoji-brewed coffee and I don't want to risk it.
 
I love my Senseo, single cup coffee maker. You can get a decent selection of coffee and make your on pods, if desired.

This is not going to win any gourmet contests, but it is fool proof and makes a darn fine cup of coffee, with lots of control on strength.
 
My Mom wants to know what's the coffee maker that gets the most "press" (sorry I couldn't resist,) around here.

Consensus? Here? :lol:

I got a Cuisinart Grind-and-brew with a vacuum carafe for my wedding. It makes very good coffee, and it's great to have hot coffee hours later without it tasting burnt from sitting on a heating element.

But my parents make better coffee with a french press, and the moka pots do better coffee too.
 
I have a Capresso MT-500 and I think it's a DFCM.

How efficient is the carafe at keeping the coffee hot? Like you, time is of the essence, so during the week we sustain ourselves on drip. And even some Saturday mornings, when I know I'm in the mood for mass consumption, I'll brew a pot of drip (saving the french press for the evening, when a cup or two before bed is what I'm looking for).

And what do you run through your Capresso during the week? The commercial stuff (Folgers/MH/etc), or do you still take the time to grind beans up?
 
For the coffee uber-geek, Technivorm is the only machine that gets to the correct extraction temperature and time. It is not for everyone, since there is no timer, etc. Makes fantastic coffee, though.

As for proportions, it is subject to personal taste. I use 7.5g/"cup" where a cup is 6oz in this case.

Of course, as others have noted, there are many ways to brew coffee, each of which will give you different results - french press, drip, vacuum, etc.
 
Just make sure if you get a drip coffee maker that it has at least 1200 watt heating capacity so that the water is heated enough to get a good brew. Otherwise you are wasting your money. And of course you can always boil your own water and use a French Press.:001_smile
 
Its really very simple. There are only two coffee makers out there that brew at the correct temperature. One is the technivorm and the other is some company here in the U.S that sell commercial only. I have a technivorm and it out brews anything out there. Its all in the design. The only drawback is the lack of a timer and automatic gizmo's if that's important to you. But if you want the plain vanilla machine that brews the best then there is no choice.

I used to have a Capresso and I thought it was a great machine until I got the technivorm.
 
The Bodum SS french press for me.

For 2 cups of coffee I use 45 grams of whole bean coffee ground at setting 36 of the Maestro grinder with 0.75 liters of cold spring water. Four minutes later...bliss.
 
I've been loving my Aeropress. It makes a seriously nice cup of coffee in a very short period of time. Quick, clean, mucho caffeine.
 
If you're talking drip machine, and you are only concerned about quality, the Technivorm is the way to go. I love mine.
 
The Technivorms are very nice, if a bit expensive. I guess you get what you pay for. We are happy with ours. A no-nonsense coffee maker.

This is the model/color I have. Note that the faint logo on the carafe is actually the image's "watermark". The "MOCCAMASTER" text is actually on the carafe.
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Am I glad I never got addicted to this stuff. I couldn't afford it. :lol: Although I do remember a post (from Usenet) where this guy said, he was sure that he was drinking 89% of the world's coffee supply. And for him, it was contra-indicated to drink caffeine. Go figure.

My one addiction, the DE, is enough - and it's affordable.

Yeah, I didn't figure y'all would come to any kind of "consensus," but the input thus far has been helpful.

Thanks.
 
I've been loving my Aeropress. It makes a seriously nice cup of coffee in a very short period of time. Quick, clean, mucho caffeine.

The Aeropress does it for you, huh? I've been looking at one of those for Mom and for me too. What do you not like about it?
 
The Aeropress does it for you, huh? I've been looking at one of those for Mom and for me too. What do you not like about it?

Honestly, there's a lot to like. It's small, lightweight, portable and has almost no footprint on your counter. It's very easy to clean and best of all, it makes one fine, potent cup of coffee.

The only strike I can think of is that you have to use roughly twice the amount of coffee to brew a cup.

For the price, I love it.
 
How efficient is the carafe at keeping the coffee hot? Like you, time is of the essence, so during the week we sustain ourselves on drip. And even some Saturday mornings, when I know I'm in the mood for mass consumption, I'll brew a pot of drip (saving the french press for the evening, when a cup or two before bed is what I'm looking for).

And what do you run through your Capresso during the week? The commercial stuff (Folgers/MH/etc), or do you still take the time to grind beans up?

I've ready many complaints from people who are used to screaming hot coffee and they're not getting it from the MT-500. I don't have that complaint at all. I like my coffee drinkable-hot. For me, with an non-pre-heated carafe it's just right when it comes out. It stays warm for several hours. The timer goes off at 4AM. I usually start drinking it at 5:45 and it's plenty hot for me. The carafe is very efficient, and if you want to keep super hot coffee it will, but you need to warm it up with some boiling water before you brew. Obviously, that's contradictory to 'time is of the essence', though. Honestly, I'd rather have two hour old very warm coffee that tastes good than two hour old very hot coffee that's scorched from a hotplate.

I use a burr grinder and I grind right before I go to bed at night. Because we're watching our pennies these days, I had been using Jet City Espresso Roast beans from Amazon, but the price has recently gone up. So now I mostly brew BJ's Whole Bean French Roast. It's fairly robust, under $6/lb, and it's head and shoulders above any canned goo...err, umm, I mean canned grinds. :wink:
 
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