Help me find the right coffee maker. I can spend up to $500 - but would like to spend much less

Belligerent Ghoul

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I have not had a coffee maker (for lack of more fancy language) since I had a French Press in 1999. For 15 years, I have been going to Starbucks, or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, or Pete's, or Diedrich Coffee (when they still had stores in O.C.). I spend approx. $100 a month or $1200 a year on outside coffee - and this is just having one espresso or brewed coffee drink a day. I never have more than one. I would like to buy a fairly awesome coffee maker. I have never owned a coffee pot but we have three of them at work and the coffee they produce isn't very good. I know Starbucks has something...a "Clover" coffee machine, I'm guessing proprietary to them and out of my budget.

I'm not interested so much in reviews on Amazon or Google but in your own experience. Please help the cause. Thank You!
 
I am a caffeine addict. Up until five weeks ago (I've been "detoxing" since then—but that's another story), I drank a lot of coffee for years and years and years. I love everything about coffee, and I care a great deal about the quality of my cups, though I don't think I know enough about coffee to consider myself a connoisseur. I own two automatic drip machines, a cold brew system, several French presses, a Nespresso machine, a moka pot, and a Chemex/pour over vessel. All have their advantages and disadvantages. I'm assuming from your post that you're mostly interested in brewing drip coffee with an automatic machine, so I'll tell you about my two favorites…

At my house, I have a Technivorm Moccamaster KBG 741. It retails for about $300. It produces the most glorious coffee I have ever tasted in my life, and that's not an exaggeration. The way the water is evenly dispersed across the grinds as it drips down results in a really rich, full-bodied taste with no bitterness. The brew cycle is fast (and fun to watch!), the machine itself is beautiful, and the coffee is nice and hot. I've had it for a little more than a year, and have no complaints. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

At my apartment, I have a much cheaper machine—a Cuisinart DCC-1200. You can pick one up for about $90-100. I've had it for close to 10 years without issues. It makes a great cup of coffee for the price, and honestly I didn't realize how much better home-brewed coffee could be until I bought the Technivorm. The Cuisinart is a nice machine, and if you want to go low-end, that would be my pick. (That said, I'm considering buying a second Technivorm for the apartment!)

If you have any specific questions about either machine, feel free to ask!
 
Excellent! I hope you love it.

I'm sure I will. It looks amazing. I just got a new desk and a new office chair for my home...and part of the reason I was going out for coffee, well at least recently, is that my office set up at home was really ergonomically awful and so I was going to these places as an office away from work. The space to enjoy a cup (I don't like having it at the dinner table...my table is like something you would see at CORT Furniture) wasn't there. Now, I have the right space. Cheers.
 
Ah, you know me well, Jehne. I too like the Green and also Yellow Pepper. But Amazon, U.S.A, had Polished Silver and also White. I have a $100 Amazon gift certificate from my Mom. So, I went with the Polished Silver. My kitchen appliances are stainless steel color, so it kind of blends in.
 
I am a caffeine addict. Up until five weeks ago (I've been "detoxing" since then—but that's another story), I drank a lot of coffee for years and years and years. I love everything about coffee, and I care a great deal about the quality of my cups, though I don't think I know enough about coffee to consider myself a connoisseur. I own two automatic drip machines, a cold brew system, several French presses, a Nespresso machine, a moka pot, and a Chemex/pour over vessel. All have their advantages and disadvantages. I'm assuming from your post that you're mostly interested in brewing drip coffee with an automatic machine, so I'll tell you about my two favorites…

At my house, I have a Technivorm Moccamaster KBG 741. It retails for about $300. It produces the most glorious coffee I have ever tasted in my life, and that's not an exaggeration. The way the water is evenly dispersed across the grinds as it drips down results in a really rich, full-bodied taste with no bitterness. The brew cycle is fast (and fun to watch!), the machine itself is beautiful, and the coffee is nice and hot. I've had it for a little more than a year, and have no complaints. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

At my apartment, I have a much cheaper machine—a Cuisinart DCC-1200. You can pick one up for about $90-100. I've had it for close to 10 years without issues. It makes a great cup of coffee for the price, and honestly I didn't realize how much better home-brewed coffee could be until I bought the Technivorm. The Cuisinart is a nice machine, and if you want to go low-end, that would be my pick. (That said, I'm considering buying a second Technivorm for the apartment!)

If you have any specific questions about either machine, feel free to ask!

Jesus Christ, you're such a snob.
 
Ah, you know me well, Jehne. I too like the Green and also Yellow Pepper. But Amazon, U.S.A, had Polished Silver and also White. I have a $100 Amazon gift certificate from my Mom. So, I went with the Polished Silver. My kitchen appliances are stainless steel color, so it kind of blends in.

Excellent! :)
 
Ah, you know me well, Jehne. I too like the Green and also Yellow Pepper. But Amazon, U.S.A, had Polished Silver and also White. I have a $100 Amazon gift certificate from my Mom. So, I went with the Polished Silver. My kitchen appliances are stainless steel color, so it kind of blends in.

I didn't even know it came in all those colors until I posted the link for you last night! Mine was a thank you gift from a friend, and it's just regular stainless steel. No complaints here, I have stainless countertops so it fits in just fine. :)

There was a bit of a learning curve for me trying to get the water/coffee ratio down pat (it's different from standard drip machines), but if you read the booklet it comes with and take a minute to do the math, you'll get a perfect cup.
 
The top selling British coffee maker...



Like many Brits I am a heathen when it comes to coffee. Years of drinking instant means I now prefer it. Love the machinery though.
 
Like many Brits I am a heathen when it comes to coffee. Years of drinking instant means I now prefer it. Love the machinery though.

Americans have absolutely no idea how to make a cup of tea, myself included. I've never heard such horrified gasps as when I poured still-boiling water over a teabag in front of a British friend.
 
Americans have absolutely no idea how to make a cup of tea, myself included. I've never heard such horrified gasps as when I poured still-boiling water over a teabag in front of a British friend.

I'm not a big tea drinker, although I discovered a brand called Yorkshire Tea a few years back and its wonderful. They can keep their Earl Grey. N'shit.

A big mug of builders' tea as we call it, no airs and graces, just plonked in a big mug, is still hard to beat. Maybe a packet of milk chocolate Hob Nobs... Or perhaps just half a packet if I'm watching my weight. ;)

I'm hoping to get over to New York next year, so I've been studying the Sting song so I don't disappoint the locals. I won't be getting a blue rinse and a fedora, but I'll make an effort. I'm still mystified by the "I like my toast done on one side" line though. That isn't English at all.

As for coffee machines, a local shop has a monstrous Gaggia thing which is very impressive and looks like a prop from The Time Machine. I've often thought about buying something similar but smaller, but I know after a couple of days I'd be blearily reaching for the jar of Kenco smooth.
 
I'm not a big tea drinker, although I discovered a brand called Yorkshire Tea a few years back and its wonderful. They can keep their Earl Grey. N'shit.

A big mug of builders' tea as we call it, no airs and graces, just plonked in a big mug, is still hard to beat. Maybe a packet of milk chocolate Hob Nobs... Or perhaps just half a packet if I'm watching my weight. ;)

I'm hoping to get over to New York next year, so I've been studying the Sting song so I don't disappoint the locals. I won't be getting a blue rinse and a fedora, but I'll make an effort. I'm still mystified by the "I like my toast done on one side" line though. That isn't English at all.

As for coffee machines, a local shop has a monstrous Gaggia thing which is very impressive and looks like a prop from The Time Machine. I've often thought about buying something similar but smaller, but I know after a couple of days I'd be blearily reaching for the jar of Kenco smooth.

I love Earl Grey. It's my favorite tea.
 
Yeah, BG, we need an update! I'm almost two months without coffee now, so I need to live vicariously through you.
 
I placed the order minutes after Chickpea made the recommendation. Got a "not in stock" email from Amazon, and all these fulfillment status update emails (their way of saying don't cancel it's coming). I called them, product is made in Holland or Finland and now there are various models with carafes, dare I say thermoses, Americans prefer those, those are in stock, blah. Now, I got an email saying product in, and should be delivered by September 1st.

And if anyone wants a colored one they are about twice as expensive on eBay (all colors you can dream of, German seller) or $60 more from http://www.jlhufford.com/

Will post a pic as soon as I get it and have made a cup or four cups...
 
Oooh, too bad. The same thing happened to the friend who gave me mine as a gift—she said she wound up having to wait a couple of months for it to be in stock. She didn't order through Amazon, but I guess they're probably all coming from the same US distributor.

Here's mine in action!

1168702_576737139046854_395659517_n.jpg
 
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