I am new to trying to make good coffee. The thing that led me here was a quest to replace my dead Cuisinart auto drip machine with something that didn't have plastic in the the water path of the brewer. That led me to getting a Sowden, and a Vario W. I'm a little less neurotic about the plastic hopper and catch container on the grinder, as that is less likely to leech from the plastic.

So, I'm wondering, are there any good drip/automatic pourover machines that are capable of making good coffee that doesn't steep in a plastic basket? I was looking at the Technivorm this evening, and was disappointed by the plastic brew cone. Simalrly the Brazen, Trifecta and Clever all appear to be plastic in the same way.

I know I can do a french press, and there are plenty of glass and ceramic pour over cones, and I will probably try most of these things over the next few months, but as far as making a decent pot of drip, I would happily pay for a non-plastic version of all of those machines. Are there stainless after market replacements for any of them? I can't seem to find them using google.

Many ceramic cones for pour over will fit on the Technivorm - the Hario V60, Bonavita and Kalita Wave fit on mine in place of the stock plastic cone.

I'd rather have good plastic in the brew path than metal...especially aluminum.

Personally, I don't think plastic in the brew path is the end of the world. But it seems like the Ratio Coffee Machine would satisfy your requirements. See here for info: http://www.clivecoffee.com/product/rati ... chine.html

Rob -- I empathise with you -- I ended up here because my Cuisinart machine broke as well!!!

I know this is not what you asked for, but... In the immediate aftermath I went back to using a VERY OLD Bialetti moka pot that I've had for years and years and years and was so pleased with it that I decided not to buy a new electric machine, so maybe that's something to think about? No plastic touching your coffee at any point and they last FOREVER...

The Ratio8 (http://ratiocoffee.com/) does sound like what you're looking for...IF you want to/can spend the money. They are only accepting pre-orders right now. They expect to start shipping their first machines in May.

If your main goal for an automatic drip machine is brewing higher volume pots than you can make using typical manual drip or immersion methods, then it might be worth considering whether a vacuum coffee maker might work for you. Stove top models are probably most common, whether vintage or new:

https://www.sweetmarias.com/yama_vacuum ... orial.html

Table top models are an option, as well:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21519888@N ... 218149055/

Filter options include: paper, cloth, steel and glass. A cup brewed with a glass filter tends to have a lot of body, but the glass will not impart any off flavors to the coffee. The brewers themselves range from utilitarian objects to functional works of art.

The caveat, of course, is that vacuum brewing is a more work than some other methods. If you have the time and skill, it's worth the extra effort. But if you are primarily looking for a convenient, quick and easy batch brewer, then siphon brewers can't really touch an automatic drip machine in that regard.

If the price tag for the Ratio 8 doesn't scare you and you love Scandinavian design, World Barista Champion Tim Wendeloe is working with Wilfa on a high end brewer at a similar price point:

http://baristamagazine.com/blog/?p=10144

I may be totally wrong, but I seem to remember that some folks said all plastic was not created equal, relative to coffee brewing. I seem to remember they were talking about BPA Free plastic.

Jay

jaybar wrote:I may be totally wrong, but I seem to remember that some folks said all plastic was not created equal, relative to coffee brewing. I seem to remember they were talking about BPA Free plastic.

A new report in Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... e-effects/ says, our current concerns about BPA are overrated ... for RATS. And of course as with every peer reviewed study there is at-least one scientist who thinks this study is completely wrong. So YMMV.

I only wish BPAs could be our worst concern.