Bunn NHBB Velocity Brewer issues- not great results

[Dantheman]

I have a Bunn NHBB Velocity brewer that I've had about a year. It just doesn't make the coffee taste near as smooth as it should. I get decent coffee from a local roaster, but if I go in the shop, the same coffee there tastes so much better. Can anyone help? I've tried different amounts of water/coffee, I've even asked the roaster about how much to use, and done so. With similar results. I have a feeling it's the brewer. Any suggestions?
Let me add, I'm not interested in shelling out a few hundred bucks for a coffee maker, I'll get a new one, no problem, but I'd like to keep the cost down if this is necessary. Or is there another way to get this maker to work better?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[StillShaving]

You can try adjusting your coffee grind, making it finer or coarser and see if that makes enough of a difference. It will affect the contact time during the brewing process, so should make some difference but it may not be enough.

I am guessing, but your brewer might not be getting the water hot enough for proper extraction. The most often recommended auto-drip machines are the ones from Technivorm or Bonavita. Though I think some of the Capresso line also brews well. You could try the manual pour-over method, where the equipment is inexpensive but more effort is involved. If you want a better automatic-drip then you might need to upgrade.

...Also you did not mention if you used whole bean or pre-ground. Getting your coffee ground at the shop before bringing it home will have fairly large negative impact. You will lose a lot of the aroma and flavor as compared to grinding it at home.

 

[Dantheman]

Thanks for the input. I buy whole beans and grind at home before brewing. I too, think it's not getting hot enough. I'm buying some decent roasts and really enjoy them in the coffee shop. As stated they're just not as smooth. I'll need to look into a better system for home as I love my daily grind! Any suggestions on the brands given as far as models?

Thanks!

 

[StillShaving]

If you are possibly interested in one cup brewing, then you may want to try an "AeroPress". I still remember the first few times I used one and found the coffee so smooth. It is a brewer you can experiment and play around with before deciding on a new auto-drip machine or not.

 

[AjaxLepinski]

A coffee shop owner told me that drip brewers don't get the water hot enough to make great coffee.
The oils in the bean need a lot of heat to release. The best way to drink coffee, IMHO is when it's made with a moka pot.

 

[Mick]

Put a temp probe in the water stream that comes out under the basket and see what it says.

The "home" grade Bunn brewers don't have an adjustment (at least I don't recall them having any).

I use a commercial Bunn at home and get great tasting coffee but the water is just below boiling when it brews (and the temp is adjustable on the boiler)

 

[Commander Quan]

Melitta Pour-Overs can be had for dirt cheap, and I use a Chemex every morning. Either will give you excellent cup.

 

[RobAtSGH]

Melitta Pour-Overs can be had for dirt cheap, and I use a Chemex every morning. Either will give you excellent cup.

+1

When I want drip coffee, I reach for a Melitta cone, a thermos carafe and the electric kettle. Sure, it takes a few minutes to babysit pouring the water through the grounds by hand, but I get consistently good results from a really inexpensive setup.

 

[intotheforge]

Turtle. I have that exact grinder. It's great!

 

[jzuzphreek]

Turtle. I have that exact grinder. It's great!

I have it's cousin the Encore. Terrific grinders for the price. And Baratza is an A+ company to deal with. Now, if only I could talk my wife into letting me set up a brew station like that....

 

[Mick]

Melitta Pour-Overs can be had for dirt cheap, and I use a Chemex every morning. Either will give you excellent cup.

We travel with a Chemex in the RV. Gotta have good coffee!!!

 

[jzuzphreek]

We travel with a Chemex in the RV. Gotta have good coffee!!!

Our daily brew is either Aeropress or Chemex. The occasional French Press for when we're wanting coffee with more body.

 

[Jasonian]

While it is a good probability that the temperature is the problem, it is not the only possible cause.

You said it isn't as smooth, but that doesn't really say a whole lot in regards to extraction. Is it on the sour side? Bitter side? Is it simply not as clean tasting?

It could be dwell time, grind size, grind consistency, and/or water quality (all this instead of or in addition to the temperature issue).

It would help diagnose the problem if you could describe the difference in taste (rather than only "texture").

 

[Dantheman]

Thanks for the reply Jasonian. I thought for a moment my thread was going to be highjacked into a grinder thread.

I use cold filtered water from the fridge, I've tested it, and it's fairly clean(I don't remember the reading) - I use a blade grinder that wasn't super expensive. So that may not be helping any. I'm using 2 tablespoons per 6oz of water. But the brew part ismwhere I'm concerned. This Bunn brewer brews it so fast and the water comes out very rapidly. When I'm done brewing(usually 36 oz of coffee) the middle of the grinds are hollowed out slightly and the outside of the grinds isn't near as saturated as the inside. Maybe The grinding needs to be adjusted?

Thanks!

 

[Jasonian]

My money is on two factors: the grinder, and the brewer.

Bunn brewers are notoriously fast. Bunn advertises 3 minutes for the brew time. That having been said, some coffees really like that brew time.

Whenever someone asks about an espresso machine (or which $200 brewer they should buy), the first question is always "Do you already have an excellent grinder?" by default. Nothing will improve your coffee quite as drastically as the grinder (assuming the coffee and water are already taken care of.. we're talking equipment, here).

Should you upgrade your grinder? Well, that depends on how important it is to you. If you're not happy with the results you're getting, I would suggest considering it.

in the mean time, I would look into the spray pattern from the spray head on your bunn brewer. See if it can be improved any. A lot of times, these kinds of mods can be done pretty easily. You could look into plugging one (or more) of the spray holes (in strategic locations so as to minimized impact on saturation distribution) to see if that could potentially reduce the flow rate, thereby extending the dwell time.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Dantheman]

Some great ideas. Or I could just suck it up and shell out $150 on a Bonavita and $100 on a Burr grinder. Not that $250 is chump change, but if I CAN shell out $250 and ensure better coffee for many years to come, then I'd do it. I make the effort to buy good coffee, grind my own, and make sure it's good water- but still having mediocre results for the past year with the Bunn. If I'm gonna pay $100 for a good grinder, I'd rather just get it all and make sure I'm going to get great results.

 

[Mick]

Some great ideas. Or I could just suck it up and shell out $150 on a Bonavita and $100 on a Burr grinder. Not that $250 is chump change, but if I CAN shell out $250 and ensure better coffee for many years to come, then I'd do it. I make the effort to buy good coffee, grind my own, and make sure it's good water- but still having mediocre results for the past year with the Bunn. If I'm gonna pay $100 for a good grinder, I'd rather just get it all and make sure I'm going to get great results.

Have you tried a French Press?

they make pretty good coffee and the cost is minimal.

Try one and if you like what you can make, spend your first big money on a burr grinder and use the press for a few months while you decide if you want to buy an expensive drip or get yourself an espresso machine

 

[Dantheman]

Actually, thats a pretty good idea, Mick. Make sure I get the water right, then the right grind, and try it out on a french press. If the formula is right, then I'm ready to get a new brewer-if necessary. I realize $250 for a brewer and grinder is considered cheap for some, but that's pretty much my budget because I buy so many damn shaving supplies So I guess I'd rather try to go from mediocre coffee to at least decent-good as long as I can continue to feed my shaving AD. But I've got to get better results.

 

[Mick]

$35-45 will get you a 4 cup Bodum Chambord french press. They are high quality and will last you a lifetime

https://www.google.com/search?q=fre...=on.2,or.r_qf.&cad=b&sei=w7C_UfyGB9Sz4APoxIE4

 

[intotheforge]

The grinder may fix the problem entirely. I have a the same 3 minute bunn with two tanks and get decent drip coffee. One thing with that coffee maker is that they have two models. Each model has a different temperature setting which is calibrated for different altitudes. You may want to check your documentation to ensure you have the proper brewer for your altitude.

A positive to your current brewer is the CS. My brewer broke 15 days before the warranty ended. They sent me a new one without any hassle.

By all means, get the french press too. You may like that coffee better. Just be aware that the grind for a french press is quite a bit coarser than for a drip coffee machine.