Looking for $100 Coffee Maker

[goby]

I drink 1-2 cups per morning. I love my French Press, but I'm sick of breaking the carafes. I've used a French Press for about 3-4 years, and have gone through 4-5 of them. The insanity of broken carafes must stop!


So I looked for a nice metal French Press, and it seems like this Frieling should last forever.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QM6NKK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AA9YLJ7NMMJPL

It's $80, so I was wondering if there was an amazing coffee maker for about $100 that I should be looking at instead. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[tlentz]

I have a Gevalia coffee maker that you could have for $100... haha

 

[goby]

I have a Gevalia coffee maker that you could have for $100... haha

Do you like it? Does it make great coffee? If so, I'll get it (and I think it's almost free, right?)

 

[the fnger genius]

It's not french press, but i've been using this daily for the past 5 years and I love it.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/11080483

 

[Ultramontanist]

I drink 1-2 cups per morning. I love my French Press, but I'm sick of breaking the carafes. I've used a French Press for about 3-4 years, and have gone through 4-5 of them. The insanity of broken carafes must stop!


So I looked for a nice metal French Press, and it seems like this Frieling should last forever.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QM6NKK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AA9YLJ7NMMJPL

It's $80, so I was wondering if there was an amazing coffee maker for about $100 that I should be looking at instead. Any suggestions would be welcome.

I know that you are asking about other options, but I would highly recommend the Frieling. I don't remember what I paid for mine, but bought one about five or six years ago and it has worked flawlessly since. It has held up fabulously and does a very good job of keeping the coffee hot over an extended period. Also, the one that I bought was a bit larger than the other French press I had, which is nice if you want more than just one or two cups.. I would definitely buy another one. Just my thoughts. Good luck with your search.

 

[Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt]

Well, if you want a drip with a timer I can hardily recommend the Zojirushi. Brews at a constant 195 per my thermapen. I wake up early during the week and just want coffee "there". This works. Down side is that the carafe is near impossible to clean completely. Life has it's trade offs for convenience.

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-EC-...057797&sr=8-2&keywords=zojirushi+coffee+maker

 

[rebarman]

I have had this one for about 3 years, and with daily use, has never given even the slightest bit of trouble.

Set it up the night before, and fresh, hot coffee is waiting on me when I walk down the stairs to the kitchen.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DCC...058147&sr=8-2&keywords=cuisinart+coffee+maker

 

[Mick]

I have a 4 cup (model #6) Frieling press

They are Chinese made (if that is an issue for you).

They are stainless and double walled which means when you drop them and dent them you "should" only dent the outside not the inside so you should still be able to move the screen (as long as you do not deform the interior).

What specifically do you want to know about the Frielings?

 

[Mick]

Are you saying NO GLASS as an option as there are other options besides a press but most are breakable. What about a stainless Kalita pour over filter? I have one of those also and it makes a killer cup of filtered coffee.

 

[Commander Quan]

I have a Barista stainless steel french press made by Bodum, and have no doubt that it will outlast me.

 

[goby]

I have a 4 cup (model #6) Frieling press

They are Chinese made (if that is an issue for you).

Wow, for $80.00 they're made in China? That sucks.

 

[goby]

Are you saying NO GLASS as an option as there are other options besides a press but most are breakable. What about a stainless Kalita pour over filter? I have one of those also and it makes a killer cup of filtered coffee.

What's the difference between a Kalita and a plastic Melitta?

 

[SIG9]

Before you spend $100, try out any of the pourover varieties for less than $20. They're cheap and will make a really nice cup of coffee. Some are plastic which should suffice for being break-proof, although I know some don't care for plastic.

I too like my french press, but the pourover is a nice alternative which truly doesn't cost much.

 

[Mick]

What's the difference between a Kalita and a plastic Melitta?

Kalita is stainless steel and Melitta is plastic (or porcelain for other drippers that use the Melita #4 filter). I have a Bee House (Japan) dripper that uses Melitta #4 filters but it is heavy porcelain (breakable). http://www.beehouseteapot.com/coffee-dripper.htm

The Kalita uses their filters which cost a bit more than the Melitta ones and you have to "order" Kalata filters but you can get Melitta filters at the grocery store.

The Kalita brings out more subtitle notes in the coffee as the shape of the filter is flat bottomed and the ridges down the side make for easier water removal from the filter above the base. Taste differences are subtle but noticeable

The + side of heavy porcelain drippers are that when you rinse the filters with boiling water you heat the porcelain which helps keep a more stable temp while brewing (no drop then rise in temp as the dripper heats up). Stainless does not retain the heat like heavy porcelain but it only dints if you drop it, not shatters.

Bee House dripper with a Melitta #4 filter in it (yesterday's brew for me)

 

[garyg]

I've had a stainless Bodum Chambord for two years now, after breaking the glass ones a couple times. Works great, pretty much bombproof except the filter seems frail, though still running.

 

[merkur59]

Wow - so many choices!

I am using a plastic (crack-able) dripper which I got for SGD2 for office use. And SGD2-for-100 filters.
Microwave hot water and viola - addiction pacified!

 

[DE85]

I have this one in the US (we miss it dearly here in T&T) I would brew a pot at 6am and head to work. the coffee would stay hot till around noon(per my wife) and still fairly hot at 4pm. Never once had the burnt taste as with the glass carafe models.

http://www.amazon.com/

 

[StillShaving]

There is hardly any coffee gear as fragile as those Bodum presses. Your choice for a metal replacement sounds good, especially if you like this style of brewing.

I would also echo comments that you might want to try a pour-over device; whether it is made from plastic, ceramic or glass it will be a lot less fragile. Sure a ceramic one will break if dropped on a hard surface, but my bodum stuff would break in the dish drainer if anything ever tipped over onto it while drying. The Aeropress device is another good choice, if you pair it with a metal filter it will be a little closer to your french press.

 

[tlentz]

Do you like it? Does it make great coffee? If so, I'll get it (and I think it's almost free, right?)

Yes it's not that bad. I was surprised.

 

[goby]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was trying to figure out what to do, and even thought of a super-expensive coffee maker. After reading the reviews and articles, it seems that the best coffee is made with a French Press. Even better than those popular $200 and $300 machines. (Technivorm Moccamaster and Bonavita)

I'm going to do more research, but in the mean time, I decided on this $25 metal French press. If I don't like it, I'll return it. And I'll continue to look into automatic drip makers.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMCZD3I/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1