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Best coffee maker - is there a consensus?

L

Lo'Tek

I have owned about every type of coffee maker out there & I've settled with a french press. Don't ever get one of those small one or two cup presses, they don't brew right. People often start out with a small one hoping that if it brews coffee as good as press lover's claims, they will move up to a larger one later. That never happens - they don't like the coffee and don't realize that it's the fault of the economy, small french press. You need to get a large one. You also need the right coffee. Europeans laugh at US coffee "Starbucks & Duncan Doughnuts" - and I'm American raised. I make mine true European (Italian) style. Take a look at Illy's coffee - it's the coffee standard. Also, REAL ESPRESSO is light roasted, full of body and subtle nutty hints, not burnt to hide inferior beans. The same goes for coffee as for espresso.

Have you seen this?

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=105178
 
Illy is stale by the time you get it here in the states.

There is more available in the US (or North America, for that matter) than Starbucks or DD. There is better coffee to be found than what is available in Italy.

French Press quality has to do with brew ratios, not the scale that ratio is applied to.
 
L

Lo'Tek

Yea, you're probably right about Illy. I got mine via mail order and it was more direct, not sitting on a shelf 4ever. Good to keep in mind - but they are still the espresso industry standard when fresh. All beans are best fresh, and a good local roaster can produce great coffee beans that are not burnt.
 
I would say an inexpensive coffee press. One could purchase different kinds of coffee and experiment with the coffee/water ratio until they find what's good for them. Kona coffee is very delicious BTW for those who tend to like a lighter type of brew.
 

simon1

Self Ignored by Vista
I love my Yama vac pot with a Cory glass filter rod (glass filter not included in the factory model).

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I have the same setup. They really ought to include a Cory Rod (or equivalent) with that. I find the supplied filter mechanism to be way too fiddly and simply not worth the trouble. The Cory rod is perfect, requires NO effort to use and clean.
 
Had a Bodum vac pot. I managed to get one, great tasting batch of coffee. After that, it clogged every time and left the coffee in the top half. Is the Cory rod something that prevents clogging?
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Got a Brazen on the way. My Capresso MT600 bit the dust recently and I spent a lot of time researching this. From what I have found, the Brazen is about the best thing to hit the coffee drip brewer world since Joe Dimaggio. It also sounds like with the right settings it can go head to head with a Technivorm but for $100 less.
 
I have the older Capresso MT-500, a Bonavita, and a Technivorm. As much as I like the Capresso, I think the Bonavita and Technivorm brew a better (and very similar) cup of coffee.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
I have the older Capresso MT-500, a Bonavita, and a Technivorm. As much as I like the Capresso, I think the Bonavita and Technivorm brew a better (and very similar) cup of coffee.

What are your thoughts on the Bonavita as a 1/2 price Technivorm? It sounds like it brews nearly the same. Do you thing it is as sturdy?
 
I used a Cuisinart Grind-and-brew for several years and it was a great coffee maker. After it died I replaced it with another Cuisinart and a separate (better) grinder. It's made very good coffee so far. It's used for everyday coffee brewing, but for the weekends when I have a little more time, I prefer my French press. That's simply awesome.
 
What are your thoughts on the Bonavita as a 1/2 price Technivorm? It sounds like it brews nearly the same. Do you thing it is as sturdy?
The Technivorm has the visual advantage with the brushed metal body compared to the metal veneer on the body of the Bonavita. The body will never ever break on either model if used but not abused. The weak link for both is the clear plastic reservoir. This material is reasonably tough and can handle pressure from water forever but would be the most likely part to suffer damage in an accidental fall from the counter. Neither has a clear advantage in this weakest area. The rest of the body is a tie between the brewers for durability.

What might be considered an advantage with the Technivorm is the copper heating coil. The Bonavita heating coil is steel or aluminum - I am not sure - it might even be an aluminum with a steel inner lining like the heating coil in the Capresso MT-500 brewer. Both heat the water quickly and both separate the heated water from the cool water in the reservoir so the results up to the shower head are similar with regard to time and temperature.

$Bonavita and TV Heating-Elements.jpg

I like the shower head better on the Bonavita but the ability (a necessity really to make an excellent pot) to tweak the flow and stir the grounds in the Technivorm is nice. Both of my brewers have glass carafes that look and pour similarly. I doubt you would make a mistake with either brewer. Looks and counter space will matter more than any technical advantage I can see.
 
I love my Yama vac pot with a Cory glass filter rod (glass filter not included in the factory model).

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Amen to the VacPots.

I have a Hario with Cona glass rod (non-stovetop) and a Nicro with the original Metal filter. Both are spectacular but the glass VacPots make the most un-molested tasting coffee. Just pure, clean brew with lots of flavor
 
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