After 16 years of faithful service, my 10-cup Krups drip coffee maker has finally brewed its last cup.
Now that i'm out shopping for a new one , i'm appalled that coffee makers, too, are infected by the plague of overly-complicated, useless design.
Virtually EVERYTHING out there seems to have an LCD or LED clock/programming/standby light feature that will constantly suck electricity (nevermind that the digits are so tiny that they're virtually unreadable).
My old Krups had ONE tiny light that was only on when the machine was operating. Other than that, i could leave it plugged in all day without any power being consumed.
So far i've only found one, but the design seems a bit tragically sleek-o for me:
Plus, its a bit too tall and the indicator light is a bit too hidden to quickly check that the thing has been turned off (as i'm running out the door, late for work as usual).
I've already got a French Press and i've found that i really do prefer the electric drip machine.
Any ideas out there for a decent electric drip machine ?
Or am i just being a cantankerous, curmudgeonly coot?
Oh, and i'm in the U.S. so it has to be available/work here.
May I recommend...
this Cuisinart carafe-less coffee maker? Its virtues are many: it's low tech, there's no glass carafe to break, it has a nifty 'fuel gauge' that shows how much coffee's left, and it allows you to pour a cup just by pressing a lever.
I've had mine for about two years. My only gripe is that, once in a blue moon, it dribbles water onto the counter, inexplicably.
Chemex
Yeah, i know. All you young ones want the plug-it-in, keep it warm and
burn the crap out of it. The heat on elec drips never get up to good temp.
And they burn your coffee while burning electricity. Is it 200 a year?
Only a few give a good drip temp. I forgot what ones. I was researching on
amazon before i bought a couple Chemex on e-bay. Actually 3, needed
a couple spares in case of breakage.
the best size in a chemex-
Eight Cup Handblown Series Glass Coffeemaker
Includes a polished wood collar with leather tie.
(40 Ounce)
Height: 9 ¾" Diameter: 6"
Item: CM-3
I like the ritual and the simplicity. Incredibly good cup of coffee.
Unfortunately most care what it looks like more than the end product.
edit and addition...
I took the cuisinart to the country home like the one WHC posted. It is
really good. And perfect for the situation. Not as good a brew but easier.
http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/Coffeemakers.htm
If you're in the market for another well made electric
then I highly recommend
CAPRESSO
They were started about 10-15 years ago by the then-president of Krups USA and their products are vastly superior....and well designed too.
http://www.capresso.com
Here it is
the Technivorm was the only highly recommended elec auto drip
in the recent Cooks Illustrated testing.
The Technivorm KBTS has a 1 liter (34 oz.= 8 four oz. cups) capacity, and brews directly into an all stainless steel thermal carafe (which is included).
Height 13", Width 11.2", Depth 6.7"
Coming in second, recommended with reservations, the Krups model FMF5
All the ones tested use the thermal caraf method that does not continue
to heat and burn the brew.
http://www.technivorm.com/pages/products.htm
Another one
i have saved in bookmarks.
It mounts in the wall between studs.
'Freeing up counterspace'. Nice idea, corny commercial
on the website.
http://www.lancelarkin.com/htmls/brew.htm#
The Cuisanart...
might be a good solution, if it: a)were to make good coffee; and b) not burn it once made.
But I've never had a good cup from a Cuiz and suspect it would burn it in the reservoir just as it burns it in a glass carafe.
Also, cleaning the reservoir seems an inherent bitch.
Still, eliminating the glass carafe entirely in one's morning routine would be elegant. I never bring a glass carafe to my table. And though I have tried out insulated carafe's various time, I have always quit them over time. I have opted instead for a single large cup of coffee, which has eliminated carrying the insulated pot AND the cup to the table, or leaving a coffee pot on the table. Also glass carafe's break.
But pulling off a large cup once from a reservoir via a valve would be progress for my large cup routine, if the coffee could stay un-burned until my wife comes for her cup.
...
not what you're looking for (as far as convenience), but I thought this coffee pot looked so cool I had to post it. I see lots of beautiful old machine age coffee pots on ebay. This is one that I had found, it was in brand new condition, worked perfectly! It sold for very little to some guy in Brazil.
For me personally though, I just get a good old espresso machine and make americanos.
DCWilson--
The Cuisinart's reservoir is a plastic bucket-like thing with a handle that lifts out for cleaning-- simple.
While I don't consider myself a coffee aficionado, I'm capable of perceiving "burnt" coffee, and the Cuisinart doesn't burn it.
I'd recommend it unreservedly, were it not for the occasional leaking issue. Perhaps they've fixed this bug in the current production?
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