I had what I thought was a terrific coffee maker, the Krups Fresh Aroma with built-in bean grinder. It was exceedingly convenient to be able to add beans to the hopper, set the timer, add the water and walk away. Then at the designated time (7 a.m.) the grinder would spring to life, deposit the grinds into the filter and then the coffee brewer would start dripping hot water to extract the life-giving nectar to the waiting carafe below.
Well, yesterday the grinder gave out - for the second time. This model was the replacement for the first that quit working last year. I thought perhaps I had a lemon and gratefully accepted the replacement. Now that it has died, I’ve given up on the Krups name. So I started researching other coffee makers with built-in grinders and so far the reviews have not been promising. The best I’ve found gets poor marks on it’s brewing abilities, although it does feature a burr grinder rather than a blade grinder.
I’m starting to move in the direction of buying a good burr grinder and a great brewing coffee maker, perhaps one that also does espresso and cappuccino, and just get up a little earlier to grind the bean manually.
So which coffee maker is the primo (read: brews with hot enough water), best value, and best all-around?
So many people hate Starbucks on general principles, but they have a great coffeemaker!
My MIL has the Barista Aroma, which brews straight into a thermal carafe to keep hot coffee hot for hours. The best part- there is no “hot plate” for my kids to touch! It has all the cool features like auto brew. She uses a pretty good burr grinder from Solis.
I always shy away from combination machines myself, like grinder/coffee maker, TV/VCR, DVD/VCR, etc, because if it breaks, then everything is broken!
Good luck!
PS- my home machine? Black & Decker, $19.99 from the hardware store. It’s a sin, considering I spend more than that per pound of Kona cofee, not counting shipping from Hawaii! I’ve really got to upgrade…
IANA coffee drinker, but it seems to me that brewing it with fresh water in the morning is better than having the water sit and go flat during the night. Also, I’ve heard that it’s best to start with cold water, which the timer feature would also negate. If I wanted a truly great cup of coffee (not that I think there is such a thing), I’d grind and brew it fresh.
Homebrew, I think I have the same Krups coffee maker as you but sans the automatic timer.
One thing I noticed about it is you’re not supposed to get water in the compartment for the whole beans. I know the compartment for the water is separate and even has it’s own cover but condensation collects on the underside of the cover for the grinder compartment and drips down. What I’ve found, especially if I’m going to use the coffee maker two days in a row, is after my coffee has brewed I have to immediately wipe the underside of that cover dry and I just keep it open to prevent more condensation from collecting.
I hope all this makes sense. My grinder stopped working a couple of times but then would be fine a few days later and I think the water in the no-no compartment was the culprit. Keeping it dry is a bit of a pain but I really like my coffee maker.
I do not understand your use of the word “if” in this context. Is it not axiomatic that coffee is made daily, sometimes multiple times per day?
Yes, indeedy, this bean chute must be absolutely dry before adding the beans. No doubt about that or else the beans will stick together and not fall into the area where the grinding blades reside. However this is not the problems because I thoroughly dry as per the Users Manual.
However, the reason there is so much water to dry is because the water drips through the bean hopper as it’s “self-cleaning” method. If you open the lid, you’ll notice the grey arm extending from the water chamber at the back to spray directly into the chute where you put the beans. After grinding the hot water sprays into that chute and washes any remaining grinds into the filter basket on it’s way to the carafe. That’s also why if your grinder fails to start, you end up with a mass of wet, ruined beans and lightly tinted water in the carafe. That’s part of the supposedly simply, elegant design. And it works beautifully, when operative. But alas, my grinder has twice died.
Perhaps that quizzical “If” of which you speak is the key. Perhaps daily use is too much for it.
I stick to the “old fashioned” method. I get up, grind some beans, throw them in the $20 coffee pot I have, and let it run while I am in the shower. Same amount of caffeine, same taste every time.
But, I do have the hookup with the coffee, as my best friend is the district manager for a couple of local coffeehouses. (And it’s not Starbucks, thank goodness.)
I’m quite happy with my $50 Braun coffee pot with timer. I use it on the weekends when I’ll be lounging and drinking multiple cups.
Really though, for the best cup I just use the single-cup cone filter with water boiled on the stove. So my coffee maker’s a LeCrueset whistling water kettle, and a $3 plastic filter cone.
I find it easiest (don’t have a bur grinder) to grind enough in advance for the week, and store it in an air-tight canister.
Just get the caffeine patch. Open the box, peel the backing off, apply to upper arm. Doughnuts get to be a problem, but it’s generally much more convenient.
Homebrew, if you’re especially concerned with brewing with hot enough water, get a Capresso. I’m on my second one, this one, to be exact, only I didn’t get the free thermos.
I had a different model capresso for a couple years. The damn thing broke once, I got it fixed under warrantee. Then the little thing that kept it from dripping coffee when you removed the carafe broke. The day I got the replacement parts in the mail the heating element died. WTF? I vowed NEVER to buy another Capresso machine in my lifetime.
I proceeded to buy machines, try 'em out, and return 'em cuz the coffee sucked. I ended up buying another Capresso and resigning myself to replacing it once a year if necessary. Ain’t no other machine that makes the coffee as good as the Capresso. The secret is that it heats the water up MUCH hotter than any other machine. The coffee this little machine makes is worth the hassle of replacement.
So far, Machine #2 has lasted about 6 months. <crosses fingers>
In addition to the Capresso, I have a burr grinder - can’t recall which brand, but it’s your basic $60-$70 grinder. Also have one o’ these for my espresso needs. I’m pleased to say the espresso I make at home in this machine with Illy coffee is better than just about anything I’ve ever gotten out.
Lol…yeah, that ‘if’ statement does make one question if I’m truly the caffeine addict/coffee aficionado I claim to be.
See, here’s the deal. I buy coffee on my way to work and get my second (and sometimes third) cup while I’m in the office. On Sundays I get my coffee while I’m at the Farmers’ Market so that just leaves Saturdays and holidays. We eat breakfast out on Saturday mornings at least twice a month so I’ll get my coffee at the eating establishment in those cases. So as you can see, my coffee maker doesn’t get quite the workout yours does.
I have a Braun, bottom of the line. No automatic timer. No automatic grinder. No automatic butler who makes my coffee.
It does have a filter, which is irrelevant because I use filtered water anyway.
I enjoy the grinding myself because nothing in the world beats that freshing ground smell.
Anyway, I’m sure there are better models out there but I can still make a great cup of coffee…it just takes a bit more work.
I have a Braun, bottom of the line. No automatic timer. No automatic grinder. No automatic butler who makes my coffee.
It does have a filter, which is irrelevant because I use filtered water anyway.
I enjoy the grinding myself because nothing in the world beats that freshly ground smell.
Anyway, I’m sure there are better models out there but I can still make a great cup of coffee…it just takes a bit more work.