What is the best home coffee maker you can buy?

Question

I have a bunn b-10 and I grind my own beans. However my coffee is still not restaurant quality, and I need to use twice the amount of coffee with it.

Answer 1

Actually, there are a thousand different things that could be going wrong, and I highly doubt it has anything to do with your coffee maker! Focus on these first:

1) Are you sure you like the flavor of coffee beans that you're drinking? Fight the belief that "coffee" is "coffee." You could be drinking a coffee that has been roasted in a way so that it is a mild brew. Have you tried a bolder coffee?

2) How are you storing your coffee beans? Freezing them is not the way to go, because it distorts the chemistry of the beams (specifically, the oils). Store the unground beans in a cool, air-tight container and use the beans within a week of opening the bag. Furthermore, only grind your beans immediately before you use them. Old beans acquire a sour/bitter taste.

3) You talk about using twice the amount of coffee than you are supposed to. This could mean that you are grinding the beans too coarsely. The finer the grind you use, the more time the water will spend with the beans, and the stronger it will be. The coarser the grind, the less time the water will spend with the beans, and the weaker it will be. (Be careful not to grind your beans too finely, or the water will back up so that the pot overflows.) If you buy your beans a coffee shop, you may want to ask the employees what grind they recommend for your particular brewer.

4) Pay attention to the water you are using. I know, it seems ridiculous to say this, but most coffee shops will only use filtered water to brew their coffee. This really adds a cleaner, crisper taste (-I promise you, I"m not crazy!). Furthermore, take a measure of the temperature of your water. You want really stinking hot water to get the full taste to your beans. Think 180 degrees or higher (-please be careful). That is the only place where your machine could be deficient, in my opinion, but you would have to be one to test that.

Those are my recommendations. If that's not working out for you, send a reply my way, and we'll trouble shoot. And always remember... coffee will always taste better when you don't have to make it yourself! :)

Answer 2

I'd say what you make at home would have to be better than any restaurant I ever went to. I use a Gevalia... it's great. The bunn would be faster tho. You might try adjusting the amount of coffee you use. And then, there is the actual "right" way to brew coffee... involves pouring hot water over the grounds slowly, so you can see the coffee colored foam that forms when the coffee is released... it's the best coffee i ever had... I love this method.

Answer 3

Personally, I LOVE, my Senseo Coffee Pod System...but I hated the coffee that came with it...since then I have ordered "pod coffee" from the Internet and it is GREAT. I love the foam on the top and you can have a cup anytime you want in about 60 seconds. My faves are Baronet pods.