Help me find a Mr. Coffee replacement

[boston coffee party]

Despite all my best efforts I can't convert my fiance to drink anything other than coffee from Mr. Coffee first thing in the morning. It matters not to her how old the beans are, if they have been ground 6 weeks prior or anything like that, it just needs to be a hot, murky brown beverage with some sort of caffeine ready when she wakes up (I call it monster juice as it turns her from a monster to a human in 30 seconds or less).

That said I need to get her a new drip machine with a timer. Any suggestions for a decent one with a thermal carafe? My only other requirement is I don't want it to be very large. Any suggestions would be great.

[BobS]

A $10 Intermatic timer and a Technivorm drip coffee maker. Though to be honest, leaving ground coffee
in the filter overnight is as bad as you know it is, which makes the Technivorm expensive overkill. However,
it won't die like all the other coffeemakers out there.

Bob

[boston coffee party]

Point well taken about the timer, for some reason I did not think of that even though I use it myself to heat up my espresso machine. That said sometimes she does not put water / coffee in at night so that could be a problem. Also, I did not state it, but $150 to brew coffee is a bit much considering her lack of caring first thing in the morning.

[another_jim]

"I have a boyfriend who has no taste in shoes. Should I get him a pair of Guccis that look just like Hush Puppies?"

Also, I did not state it, but $150 to brew coffee is a bit much considering her lack of caring first thing in the morning.

Spend it on something she actually wants.

[BobS]

Also, I did not state it, but $150 to brew coffee is a bit much considering her lack of caring first thing in the morning.

My roommate went through three different coffee makers over 2 years. Received a Technivorm as a
birthday present and it's been over 2 years now and hasn't had to purchase another coffee maker.
So the question becomes how many coffee makers will $145 buy?

Three $50 coffee makers will last how long? And one could go through seven $20 coffee makers.
And how much your sanity is worth when someone doesn't get their coffee first thing
because the coffee maker died? I can't answer that for you, just offer perspective.

Bob

[JimWright]

I had a Black and Decker coffee maker that made decent drip and lasted over 10 years, at which point, amazingly, when it failed, they replaced it for free at a local service center. The replacement lasted another 8 or 9 years. YMMV, of course, but inexpensive does not necessarily equate to poor quality.

[zin1953]

Despite all my best efforts I can't convert my fiance to drink anything other than coffee from Mr. Coffee first thing in the morning. It matters not to her how old the beans are, if they have been ground 6 weeks prior or anything like that, it just needs to be a hot, murky brown beverage with some sort of caffeine ready when she wakes up.

So why the need for a replacement?

It still works. Right? What am I missing???

Your fiancée isn't "into" coffee. You are. So what? You can either replace her perfectly reliable, working machine with something YOU want (and presumably, she doesn't), or you can wait until you get four Black & Decker automatic drip coffee makers as wedding presents and you can return all four of them for one Technivorm . . .

OR, once you're married you can make your own espresso using your Isomac Millenium every morning, and make her a latté (which you must bring her to her while she's still in bed, because you'll be paying for trying to change her before the ceremony for the next three years . . . minimum!).

[boston coffee party]

not to be argumentative, but her Mr. Coffee was on the way out. The coating on the burner was wearing off and burning the glass pot every morning and smelling horrible especially when any coffee made contact with the burner. The beauty of the thermal carafe style drip machines is that the burner shuts off once the brew cycle is completed thus allowing her coffee to stay hot and hopefully gain a longer life out of the machine.

[jherm77]

I had a Black and Decker coffee maker that made decent drip and lasted over 10 years, at which point, amazingly, when it failed, they replaced it for free at a local service center. The replacement lasted another 8 or 9 years. YMMV, of course, but inexpensive does not necessarily equate to poor quality.

Very true, but B&D makers etc do not make a superior cup of coffee. They simply do not brew at the right temperature. Thats why the Technivorm is so sought after.

[JimWright]

Very true, but B&D makers etc do not make a superior cup of coffee. They simply do not brew at the right temperature. Thats why the Technivorm is so sought after.

It's interesting Jason - I might've thought so too, and trust me, I've spent some time and money pursuing that superior cup, with beans, equipment, and technique (the latter being the weakest link here... ), but that B&D did just fine with the right beans, and actually even better with some. (And the comparison on my part includes things like a press pot and vac pot where I'm actually measuring the temperature and time pretty precisely and experimenting with ideal grind, etc.)

I think there is wider variability in ideal/acceptable brewing temp than some acknowledge depending on what exactly you're brewing and other brewing parameters (how fine you grind and how much coffee you're using per liquid volume, etc.).

[zin1953]

not to be argumentative, but her Mr. Coffee was on the way out. The coating on the burner was wearing off and burning the glass pot every morning and smelling horrible especially when any coffee made contact with the burner. The beauty of the thermal carafe style drip machines is that the burner shuts off once the brew cycle is completed thus allowing her coffee to stay hot and hopefully gain a longer life out of the machine.

Ahhhh, more info . . .

Adam, I'm not trying to be argumentative either, but IF the Mr. Coffee is working perfectly, and IF you're getting married soon, it would probably cause less strife to "wait it out," so to speak. But with what you've added above, it is indeed time to find a replacement!

I still think you should look at Technivorm. They make four different models which use a thermos-type carafe rather than a glass pot (CD Thermo, CDK10 Thermo, KBT741, KBTS741). Pair it up with a separate timer, and you're set!

OK, that would be the best option, but certainly not the only one. You might also want to look at the Krups FMF5 (very reliable, solid coffee maker); the Cuisinart DGB-600BC, which not only has a programable setting for brewing coffee into its thermal carafe, but will also grind the beans just before brewing (no more stale grounds from grinding them eight hours earlier!); and the Braun "Impression Line" Coffee maker . . .

[Martin]

I like my "Newco Model OCS-8 Commercial Coffee and Tea Brewer." Many have compared it favorably to the Technivorm. I'm between espresso machines so I've been revisiting my various vac and press machines, and the Newco has been my morning choice. At 1400 W, IMO, it does a great drip job of getting the best out of whatever coffee (freshness, grind) you put into it. Vac pot stays hot for hours----longer than any coffee should sit. It's totally plain, no frills or clocks, fast brewing and fast to prepare. I got it cheap, but I think it's available for around $130. Do your own Google.

[Fullsack]

I have a similar problem with my Italian girlfriend with her Moka Pots and Lavazza pre-ground coffee. This is not the hill you want to die on, especially during the engagement. Forgetaboutit and find another issue to focus on.