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Best Coffee Makers?

espiritujo

espiritujo

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 19, 2011
95
0
columbia, sc
So next fall, I'm going to be living in a four person apartment with my friends. We want to invest on a nice and easy coffee machine. So far, I've been looking at Keurigs, especially at the B70. Does anyone own this, or any Keurig, and can tell me their thoughts on it? Or does anyone have any preferences for a good coffee maker. I'm looking for one that can easily make coffee such as a keurig, and can also heat water if I ever need it for tea or hot cocoa.
 
Check out a Nespresso machine. Better yet, get a real espresso machine. You'll never go back.
 
I had two B70's. The first one had an issue where the pump just quit, so water would only come out 20% of the time if I was lucky. Keurig had good customer service and replaced it for me. About 7 months later, the same thing happened with the replacement.

I finally threw it out and replaced it with a Bunn My Cafe. It's worked very well and I love the results. It doesn't have a reservoir like the B70, but I've gotten use to it and really like it.
 
miles01110 said:
Buy a French Press.
Click to expand...

For ease of use and not a lot of fussing, French Press makes great coffee. Just make sure you have a good burr grinder coffee mill f you grind your own beans. No question the coffee is best if you grind your own.

If you go for pre-ground coffee, makes sure it is a French Press grind, it is a coarser grind then the usual drip grind.

If you don't mind a little more work, and you are really a coffee freak, an inexpensive espresso machine is wonderful. With espresso, IMO, the important elements in making espresso are (in descending order of importance) the beans, the grinder, proper tamping, and the machine. As long as the machine developed 15 BARs of pressure, the main difference between inexpensive and expensive machines is the construction and materials from which it is made. If you have great beans (e.g. illy beans or grind), a really good burr grinder, and you get the tamping right (takes some practice to get the right pressure for your particular machine), an inexpensive machine can do the trick. I have a De Longhi BAR32 Retro machine. Very inexpensive, and with great beans, etc. it makes great espresso with thick, delicious crema.

It all depends on how much fussing you are willing to do. I think fresh ground beans can't be matched by the pods, but many like them and they are quick and easy to use.
 
acidfast7 said:
I make Cafeellatte every morning with a Bialetti Moka Express (9-Cup)

http://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-Expr...FSS5/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1332161629&sr=8-4

YouTube: video
Click to expand...

Please tell me how you use your moka pot! I'm still experimenting with mine, but the results are inconsistent. Best results so far: pour the espresso shot into steamed milk, or top up with hot water for "regular" coffee. Still has a slightly burnt taste, I'm trying to nail the timing for turning the stove off.

I really want to try different coffee beans like Jamaican Blue but it's way to expensive to "experiment" with :p
 
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miles01110 said:
Buy a French Press.
Click to expand...

Word.

MacCruiskeen said:
Plus a decent grinder.
Click to expand...

And word.

You don't really know what you're missing if you just cheap out and get a Keurig. French Press is the way to go - it's almost impossible to make a bad cup of coffee with one. Smooth, full bodied... I don't care what blend or type of beans with which you start. And grind is a lot more important than one might realize. If you can, get a burr grinder not a blade grinder. It's a more consistent grain.
 
At work, I'm happy with my Nespresso sitting on my desk. It makes a tolerable cup of coffee for a low price. :) (And yes, I know pods are more expensive per gram of coffee.)

However, a french press is good, too. I used to let the coffee roasters near my house (there are 3!) grind it for me, so I don't know much about grinding. However, if you get it ground by the person working there, it's best to use the grind within ~2 weeks. I'm not picky, so I'll even consume it if it's older than that. However, it's better if you finish pre-ground coffee within 2 weeks.
 
Tsuchiya said:
Please tell me how you use your moka pot! I'm still experimenting with mine, but the results are inconsistent. Best results so far: pour the espresso shot into steamed milk, or top up with hot water for "regular" coffee. Still has a slightly burnt taste, I'm trying to nail the timing for turning the stove off.

I really want to try different coffee beans like Jamaican Blue but it's way to expensive to "experiment" with :p
Click to expand...

The beans should be ground for "espresso" and if you want crema, you should fill the lower tank such that the bottom of the nozzle of the inlay doesn't touch the water. If you don't want any crema, you can fill up the bottom section all the way. The pot makes a huge amount of noise when it's done, one can hear it bubbling, when the bubbling stops, it's done. It's also easy to watch the inside (like in the youtube video).

Also, you should never clean it, the natural oils from the coffee should coat the inside aluminum surface and this alone will help with the burning.

As far a French press goes, it's not a bad option for a brewed coffee, but it's nowhere near as good as an espresso, especially because it doesn't generate any crema :p
 
I'm not really a picky coffee drinker.. I'm more in need for something on the go so I can make a quick drink and then drive to class. Are the keurigs really notorious for their pumps not working?
 
espiritujo said:
I'm not really a picky coffee drinker.. I'm more in need for something on the go so I can make a quick drink and then drive to class. Are the keurigs really notorious for their pumps not working?
Click to expand...

Kettle, spoon, paper filter in holder. Rock solid... has never ever 'not worked'... Downside... you can't set a timer, you have to actually do it itself....

Grind your own beans.... works better..... I suppose.
 
espiritujo said:
I'm not really a picky coffee drinker.. I'm more in need for something on the go so I can make a quick drink and then drive to class. Are the keurigs really notorious for their pumps not working?
Click to expand...

Mine's over two years old and I've never had a problem with it. Get the water filter kit, or use filtered water in it. And yes, it works great for a "quick drink."
 
I got a Keurig in February.

So far it's great for me. I'll make a coffee in the morning, and oatmeal sometimes too (using the machine rather than a kettle for water). It's pretty quick, so is great when I've just woken up.

At work, there's a proper cafe grade Espresso machine, with a grinder, proper tampers and great beans. I love using that at work for a shot of caffeine during the day, but is a lot more effort than just popping a k-cup into a machine and pressing the cup size (if I had an espresso machine at home, it would barely get any use).

I tried a drip coffee machine at home, but would waste 3 quarters of a pot of coffee, so it felt like a waste of electricity, water, coffee, filters and time.

I wouldn't say it's the best machine by any stretch of the imagination, but it makes a good enough cup of coffee (for my tastes).
 
I'm a big fan of the French Press, and it's what I use when I'm not in a rush.

My daily driver is a Keurig B70. I've had it for around two years, and it make a decent cup of coffee. Besides the prepacked K-Cups, I also have a refillable K-Cup filter that I use at times.

My office has a crappy Mr. Coffee that makes liquid mud, so I usually buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks (tall Pikes, 3 pumps of toffee nut) on my way to work.
 
If you aren't picky and want quick coffee on the go a Keurig type machine will suit you (I say Keurig type because there are many single serve coffee machines out now that aren't Keurigs). I have a Cuisinart branded Keurig machine and while it is great at making coffee fast and very convenient - if I had to do it again I wouldn't get it because the coffee isn't as good as grinding your own beans and using something like a french press or a drip machine that is actually good (Bunn makes some good ones and Technivorm is a great one). I even grind my own beans for the Keurig but it still doesn't make a great cup of coffee - just ok.
 
I use drip, french press, stovetop espresso pot, and Saeco Barista espresso maker (which I picked up at a thrift store for $15--original price over $300) to make my coffee. Which one I use depends on the time I have available to make it. French press coffee is the fastest and always tastes rich, but it is hard to beat espresso with frothed milk (sugar added) made from the Saeco, though it takes a little longer to make and to clean up. This thread is making me crave coffee--It's late and I won't sleep, but I'm headed to the kitchen to make me a quick cup from the french press...
 
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