Bonavita vs Bunn?

[LBussy]

Good morning Gents.

My wife and I decided to splurge a little and get ourselves a better coffee maker to replace the one that I am about to drop from a tall building. I have narrowed it down to the Bonavita BV1800 or the Bunn HG. Any thoughts on those?

A second bonus question that may be slightly more contentious: The Bonavita for instance has the same BV1800 in glass or a thermal carafe ... the "lazy Saturday morning" part of me thinks I need the glass with a heater. Anyone want to talk me out of that?

 

[LBussy]

Okay then, Bonavita it is. Should be here tomorrow.

 

[PDman]

I just got the Bonavita Thermal an am very happy with it. Makes a great cup. That said, I wish I had bought the Technivorme only because you can control the drip and I would like to make half a pot at times. The thermal does an outstanding job retaining the temp. It is glass lined as well.

 

[LBussy]

I can't think of a time I've ever wanted a half a pot so I should be fine. I bought the glass carafe since I could not find any reason why I'd want the thermal one. Should be here tomorrow, coffee in the new machine on Sat!!

 

[StillShaving]

That was fast. Hope you enjoy your weekend coffee brewed in the new setup.

 

[PDman]

I can't think of a time I've ever wanted a half a pot so I should be fine. I bought the glass carafe since I could not find any reason why I'd want the thermal one. Should be here tomorrow, coffee in the new machine on Sat!!

No one else in the house but me. Love me some coffee but can't put down a full Pot before heading out the door..On those days I'm around the house for a bit after brewing, the thermal carafe does the job. You'll be very pleased with the Bonavita.

 

[LBussy]

That was fast. Hope you enjoy your weekend coffee brewed in the new setup.

Yes I have OCD and I want instant gratification. That is not a good combination.

 

[Mick]

I can't think of a time I've ever wanted a half a pot so I should be fine. I bought the glass carafe since I could not find any reason why I'd want the thermal one. Should be here tomorrow, coffee in the new machine on Sat!!

Take your coffee from the glass carafe into a thermal as you DO NOT want to keep "cooking" your coffee after it is brewed.

Had I seen this I would have suggested the thermal brewer but since you have ordered the glass cooker model, find a thermal somewhere and transfer the coffee out of the glass into a pre-heated thermal as soon as it finishes brewing to keep it warm.

This is what I do with the Chemex and for other pour over systems I brew directly into a thermal. With with my commercial bunn the brewed coffee goes directly from the glass to an air pot (thermal).

Re-heating coffee, whether in a microwave or cooking it on a warmer will change the taste of your coffee.

 

[tinashubby]

That Bonavita looks nice! Does it heat the fresh water you put in it or does it have a holding tank of pre heated/continusously heated water that it uses to actually brew the coffee?
Mine is pretty bare bones:
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-TF4...id=1411132470&sr=1-4&keywords=mr+coffee+4+cup

 

[Mick]

That Bonavita looks nice! Does it heat the fresh water you put in it or does it have a holding tank of pre heated/continusously heated water that it uses to actually brew the coffee?
Mine is pretty bare bones:
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-TF4...id=1411132470&sr=1-4&keywords=mr+coffee+4+cup

Any "good" automatic drip will heat the water to a 195-200º temperature before starting the brew cycle, not "warm" it as you pour it into the machine which then takes the warm water through the grounds.

 

[LBussy]

Take your coffee from the glass carafe into a thermal as you DO NOT want to keep "cooking" your coffee after it is brewed.

Part of the certification process for these coffeemakers is to assure the temp stays between 80 and 85 C for the first 30 mins post brew:

The container that receives the coffee after brewing must accommodate the quantity of coffee for which the brewing equipment is designed at the maximum water volume capacity designated by the manufacture and maintain the temperature of the brewed coffee at the correct holding temperature. Minimum technical requirement is for the beverage receiver to maintain the temperature of the coffee no lower than 80 degrees C and no higher than 85 degrees C during the first thirty (30) minutes of the holding time. During this time, at no point should the temperature of the coffee increase due to a heating element.

http://www.scaa.org/?page=cert2

While I do understand that one does not want to cook the coffee I think this is a good compromise because I don't want to mess with a thermos. I did find some ad-hoc tests on the Internet where folks chose the glass carafe stored coffee 30 minutes after brew time, but these were not double-blind tests. These were tests done with certified coffee makers of course. At the very least it tells me I don't have much to worry about; whether one is better than the other ... who knows.

Any "good" automatic drip will heat the water to a 195-200º temperature before starting the brew cycle, not "warm" it as you pour it into the machine which then takes the warm water through the grounds.

Not sure if it heats it inline or prior. Again it's certified so there are strict requirements:

The coffee brewer must be able to cycle the gross water volume through the coffee grounds within the prescribed temperature range. Minimum technical requirement is for the water temperature at the point the water contacts the coffee grounds to reach 92°C within the first minute, maintain at least that temperature (92°C) for the remainder of the brew cycle, and never exceed 96°C. Measurement of brewing temperatures will be made by using an RTD (Resistive Temperature Device) placed at the top and in the center of the bed of coffee in the brew basket.

http://www.scaa.org/?page=cert2

I imagine it will be better than my aging Black and Decker coffee maker.

It's out for delivery!

 

[EricBNC]

I have the Melitta Aroma (same thing as the Bonavita) with the glass carafe - it works fine

 

[Mick]

It's out for delivery!

Well?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[Mikefoster75]

Just a thought but I just switched from a bunn to percolator, I loved my bunn, but the percolator coffee tastes a lot better to me

 

[LBussy]

Well?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Got here last night. I made a few pots of hot water to clean it out and prep for this morning.

It does not take long to do a pot. I was a little surprised after reading about some of the others where it heats up the tank then goes. I guess this has a pretty beefy heater so it's definitely in-line. It's also definitely hot when it comes out. It's quick, not too quick though. Just doesn't waste time not brewing if that makes sense.

The cats eat at 6, I'll make my pot after that and report back.

 

[LBussy]

Just a thought but I just switched from a bunn to percolator, I loved my bunn, but the percolator coffee tastes a lot better to me

Mike a good perk cup is very nice, there's no doubt. It's a completely different experience. "They" say all that aroma going all over the house is wasted. I say it's part of what makes a cuppa so good.

 

[Mikefoster75]

I love the way the house smells in the morning now

 

[LBussy]

Okay guys, I'm drinking my first cup. It's not life-changing or anything like that because I did things to make my Black and Decker coffee maker behave properly. This is a VERY good cup of coffee however and required none of the fiddling I used to have to do with the old one. I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The drawback for me is the way the cone fits in the pot and under the spray head. I have no idea why coffee maker manufacturers seem to think if they give me a 1/16" more room to get the darned thing in that it will negatively affect the coffee ... sigh. Nobody makes a coffee pot (except for the big Buns) that fits in there without fiddling.

$149 on sale @ Amazon, here overnight (yes I spent a couple bucks more over Prime for that), and I am sitting with a cat on my lap, reading B&B, enjoying my first cup. Doesn't get much better.

 

[techblade01]

Okay guys, I'm drinking my first cup. It's not life-changing or anything like that because I did things to make my Black and Decker coffee maker behave properly. This is a VERY good cup of coffee however and required none of the fiddling I used to have to do with the old one. I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The drawback for me is the way the cone fits in the pot and under the spray head. I have no idea why coffee maker manufacturers seem to think if they give me a 1/16" more room to get the darned thing in that it will negatively affect the coffee ... sigh. Nobody makes a coffee pot (except for the big Buns) that fits in there without fiddling.

$149 on sale @ Amazon, here overnight (yes I spent a couple bucks more over Prime for that), and I am sitting with a cat on my lap, reading B&B, enjoying my first cup. Doesn't get much better.

I like to have a cup when reading too.

 

[beginish]

Okay guys, I'm drinking my first cup. It's not life-changing or anything like that because I did things to make my Black and Decker coffee maker behave properly. This is a VERY good cup of coffee however and required none of the fiddling I used to have to do with the old one. I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The drawback for me is the way the cone fits in the pot and under the spray head. I have no idea why coffee maker manufacturers seem to think if they give me a 1/16" more room to get the darned thing in that it will negatively affect the coffee ... sigh. Nobody makes a coffee pot (except for the big Buns) that fits in there without fiddling.

$149 on sale @ Amazon, here overnight (yes I spent a couple bucks more over Prime for that), and I am sitting with a cat on my lap, reading B&B, enjoying my first cup. Doesn't get much better.

I agree with you about the fiddling to get the pot + cone under the spray head. It's not a big deal, but I worry about catching it the wrong way when I'm half asleep and knocking it out of alignment somehow. Still, the cup is mighty tasty, and was a big improvement over the Krups. What is really nice about this thing is how there are NO bells and whistles. No timer, no clock, no chimes. Fill it, press the button, check in 6 minutes, and it shuts off. An excellent unitasker.