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Best drip coffee maker?

Sho'Nuff

Sho'Nuff

Diamond Member
Over the years, I have developed a serious caffeine addiction. And by serious, I mean SERIOUS. It is to the point where I literally experience a physical response with the first sip of my morning coffee (no, not that type of physical response). Sad, I know. But unfortunately it is not a habit I will be breaking anytime soon.

My coffee habit has also turned expensive. I can't stand the brown water my wife's keurig makes, and the local coffee shops are charging 2-5 bucks for a good strong cup. So, I typically spend anywhere from 3-5 bucks a day at the coffee shop. Not horrible (especially balanced against the fact that I bring lunch every day), but still expensive. Heck, that is roughly $1200 a year, just for coffee! Yipes!

While I can easliy afford that expense, I am not stupid and I don't enjoy throwing money away. So, I am on a mission to buy a drip coffee maker. Given the $1200/year I'm presently spending on the black stuff, money is really no object. I just want a drip machine that can reliably make ~2-3 super "strong" (as in flavor, not caffeine) cups in the morning with a minimum of fuss.

So, ATOT'ers, what in your opinion is the best drip coffee maker? And please, no suggestions that I should go with a French press or something like that. Sure, they make good coffee. But I really don't want to hassle with boiling water and straining grounds in the morning. I can barely see when I first wake up, much less pour boiling liquid into a dainty thing like that.

EDIT 01/29/2018 - Since someone necroed this thread I responded in post 40 with what I ended up doing. Namely - I purchased a nice espresso machine and grinder and have been making nice espresso drinks each morning for the past several years.
 
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I have a keurig, and buy 'extra bold' pods. If I'm really needing a perk I'll pick the 'small' cup of coffee and just use two pods or whatever they're called

Costco is my friend for cheap keurig coffee
 
I've got a keurig at home and a french press, what type of pods are you buying? I've been getting the "extra bold" from Coffee People and it's got a fairly strong flavor. Certainly not weak. It's certainly nothing like the french press provides though.

If you want *good* coffee, then spend the 3 minutes it takes to boil a cup of water and another 4 minutes to let it steep. Do that while making breakfast or whatever else you do in the morning. You can clean things up later at night when you get home.

There really is no contest between drip and press. The flavor you get from the press is a night and day difference.
 
SpatiallyAware said:
I have a keurig, and buy 'extra bold' pods. If I'm really needing a perk I'll pick the 'small' cup of coffee and just use two pods or whatever they're called

Costco is my friend for cheap keurig coffee
Click to expand...

I have a keurig too. I know a lot of people love them. But in my opinion, it makes horrificaly bland and weak coffee.
 
Ns1 said:
you seriously can't spend 3 minutes in the morning to make GOOD coffee?
Click to expand...

It is not that I can't, but rather that I do not want to. I get up, shower, get dressed, get my 19 month old ready for day care, and head out the door in under 30 minutes (most of that is spent with the 19 month old). So I'm willing to forego the wonders of the French press for the convenience of a drip machine.

C'mon, there have to be some *good* drip machines out there.
 
soxfan said:
It is not that I can't, but rather that I do not want to. I get up, shower, get dressed, get my 19 month old ready for day care, and head out the door in under 30 minutes (most of that is spent with the 19 month old). So I'm willing to forego the wonders of the French press for the convenience of a drip machine.

C'mon, there have to be some *good* drip machines out there.
Click to expand...

I'm just saying - you CURRENTLY go to a coffee shop, thereby taking up valuable time waiting in line and actually going to the coffee shop, but you won't spend 3 minutes at home to make yourself some uber coffee?
 
soxfan said:
I have a keurig too. I know a lot of people love them. But in my opinion, it makes horrificaly bland and weak coffee.
Click to expand...

And they're waste factories. Way to increase American dependence on oil (those pods use plastics which use oil) folks AND create mountains of unnecessary trash. You could just use a paper filter or even a reuseable one, but you're too fucking lazy.
 
Here is what I do with a drip coffee maker and I make some seriously strong coffee this way. Instead of putting the coffee grounds in the drip basket with the filter, put them directly into the coffee carafe at the bottom. Add your usual water to the maker and it will drip the water into the carafe. because the coffee grounds are in contact with the water, first thing, you won't lose any flavor to a paper filter and all of those flavorful oils will remain in the water. Secondly, if you make a few cups, the last cup of coffee you drink will be stronger coffee than the first. The coffee grounds will stay in the water and will increase the coffee's strength over time. When you pour the coffee, simply use a tea leaf strainer between the carafe and the mug to avoid grounds in your coffee. One like this works fine, the one I have is even smaller and fits on top of a mug: http://www.centralchef.com/storefro...aspx?sfid=123094&i=248208924&mpid=7714&dfid=1
 
I have a Bunn coffee maker similar to the one in the pic below. It brews a pot of coffee quickly and with excellent flavor (more dependant on the bean/roast IMO than the coffee maker).

discount-bunn-coffee-maker.jpg


I buy roased whole beans and grind them right before making my coffee each morning. I only make a 1/2 pot because my wife doesn't drink coffee and I usually end up throwing half of that away after drinking a cup to a cup and a half. I generally don't drink coffee after 9AM.
 
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I still prefer a percolator. Makes a good strong cup of coffee. I even have a 30 year old stainless one that I heat over a campfire or on our stove. You wouldn't believe the taste you get from it. Boiling hot water in direct contact with the grounds. I use a metal basket, so there isn't any loss with a paper filter.

You can set it up the night before and start it when you get up. Takes 10-15 minutes. You'll squeal with delight...

Bob
 
If you buy a dripper, I don't know which to recommend, but get one with a triangular rather than circular filter. You use twice as much coffee in the circular filter ones to get the same strength as the triangular filter, in my experience. I like strong coffee.
 
crownjules said:
And they're waste factories. Way to increase American dependence on oil (those pods use plastics which use oil) folks AND create mountains of unnecessary trash. You could just use a paper filter or even a reuseable one, but you're too fucking lazy.
Click to expand...

I use the pods, probably 2-3 a day. I bought one of the reusable filters you can put your own grounds in, but yeah I am too fucking lazy, so I just create wastelands of trash.

I lay them out like a trail for the garbage man every week.
 
Bunnomatic has a reputation for being the best drip brews. They tend to heat up the water hotter than Mr Coffee and other competitors. I've heard their steel/commercial lines are bulletproof, and that they consumer models tend to be cheapened down and not as durable. Check out their "VP" models.

Personally, I use a Mr Coffee thermal for my day to day coffee, and then make french press on the weekends when I have more time. I agree about french press not always being an option, but, to be honest, it is super delicious....
 
I'm going to go ahead and second the Bunn coffee maker. I also get the whole beans and grind enough for a full pot. I saved a ton of money when I was in school by bringing my thermos with me to class.

I got some looks but it was way better than Starbucks coffee and cheaper too!
 
Cuisinart brew central usually comes in top at Consumers reports. I have the 14 cup, but you can get smaller ones with a carafe.
 
Put enough coffee in the cone filter and I've been fine with any coffee maker I've tried. Currently using a Zojirushi with a thermal carafe - I don't like coffee that's been sitting on a heating element for a while.
 
I had a Braun with a reusable conical filter that lasted almost 10 years. I burned out 3 Mr. Coffee's and broke a French-press before getting a Krupps espresso maker 3 years ago. If you're a hardcore addict like me I'd recommend an espresso maker instead of a drip.
 
cold brewing has yielded me excellent results. you can make a batch that can last a few days. it's cheap too, a pound of freshly ground beans will yield about a gallon of concentrated coffee. you mix 1:1 coffee to water/milk/whatever and you're good to go. of course you can use less or more and mix to taste.
 
I've been very happy with my Cuisinart. I always grind the beans right before I brew the coffee. I personally like 8 o'clock coffee. Of the "cheap" brands, it's probably my favorite.
 
Sho'Nuff said:
Over the years, I have developed a serious caffeine addiction. And by serious, I mean SERIOUS. It is to the point where I literally experience a physical response with the first sip of my morning coffee (no, not that type of physical response). Sad, I know. But unfortunately it is not a habit I will be breaking anytime soon.

My coffee habit has also turned expensive. I can't stand the brown water my wife's keurig makes, and the local coffee shops are charging 2-5 bucks for a good strong cup. So, I typically spend anywhere from 3-5 bucks a day at the coffee shop. Not horrible (especially balanced against the fact that I bring lunch every day), but still expensive. Heck, that is roughly $1200 a year, just for coffee! Yipes!

While I can easliy afford that expense, I am not stupid and I don't enjoy throwing money away. So, I am on a mission to buy a drip coffee maker. Given the $1200/year I'm presently spending on the black stuff, money is really no object. I just want a drip machine that can reliably make ~2-3 super "strong" (as in flavor, not caffeine) cups in the morning with a minimum of fuss.

So, ATOT'ers, what in your opinion is the best drip coffee maker? And please, no suggestions that I should go with a French press or something like that. Sure, they make good coffee. But I really don't want to hassle with boiling water and straining grounds in the morning. I can barely see when I first wake up, much less pour boiling liquid into a dainty thing like that.
Click to expand...

I seriously suggest breaking that habit. At the very least, you can reset your tolerance so that 1/2 a cup of coffee will make you wired for the morning instead of 3 full cups. It's much more convenient that way.

Just go a week without caffeine, keep ibuprofen on hand for the headaches... and that's about it. Outside of a headache there is no real withdrawls.

Derp - spam necro'd
 
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