Any recommendation for a good, HOT, thermal drip coffee maker?

[Steve]

I've had teh following:

* Gavalia Thermal, worked well, but inside of pot was flaking off (probably
killing me)
* Melitta Gold Thermal - great unit, great coffee, but just not hot enough
* Bunn Thermal - not good for 5-7 cup brewing

From Coffeegeak reviews, I'm considering:

* Capresso MT500 10 Cup Thermal Coffee Maker - Model 440

Any comments on this one? Any other suggestions? I want HOT coffee!

Thanks,

Steve

[HarryM]

Post by Steve
* Capresso MT500 10 Cup Thermal Coffee Maker - Model 440
Any comments on this one? Any other suggestions? I want HOT coffee!
Thanks,
Steve

The Capresso is hotter than most, but I understand that the Technavorm is
probably the best drip machine made. It is kind of expensive, but it does
come in a thermal unit, too. harrym

[imsnowbear]

How much do you want to pay?

If you're that serious about wanting water heated to the proper brewing
temperature, money is no object. Therefore, this one is for you:
http://store.yahoo.com/boydcoffeecompany/thermokb741.html

A little pricey, but you probably won't have to replace it in two years.

Not only is the Technivorm rated highly by those who know, but owning it
will qualify you as a true coffee snob, entitling you to continued
posting privileges here. ;)

Second choice would be a Melitta cone on top of a thermos. Heat your own
water as hot as you wish. The cone will cost you 50 cents to $2.00 in a
thrift store, plus whatever you pay for a thermos. For far less than $30
you will get coffee just as good as any automatic brewer. The only
downside: a little less convenient, and much less snob appeal.

rgf

Post by Steve
* Gavalia Thermal, worked well, but inside of pot was flaking off (probably
killing me)
* Melitta Gold Thermal - great unit, great coffee, but just not hot enough
* Bunn Thermal - not good for 5-7 cup brewing
* Capresso MT500 10 Cup Thermal Coffee Maker - Model 440
Any comments on this one? Any other suggestions? I want HOT coffee!
Thanks,
Steve

[Steven]

Post by imsnowbear
How much do you want to pay?
If you're that serious about wanting water heated to the proper brewing
http://store.yahoo.com/boydcoffeecompany/thermokb741.html
A little pricey, but you probably won't have to replace it in two years.
Not only is the Technivorm rated highly by those who know, but owning it
will qualify you as a true coffee snob, entitling you to continued
posting privileges here. ;)
Second choice would be a Melitta cone on top of a thermos. Heat your own
water as hot as you wish. The cone will cost you 50 cents to $2.00 in a
thrift store, plus whatever you pay for a thermos. For far less than $30
you will get coffee just as good as any automatic brewer. The only
downside: a little less convenient, and much less snob appeal.
rgf

Post by Steve
* Gavalia Thermal, worked well, but inside of pot was flaking off (probably
killing me)
* Melitta Gold Thermal - great unit, great coffee, but just not hot enough
* Bunn Thermal - not good for 5-7 cup brewing
* Capresso MT500 10 Cup Thermal Coffee Maker - Model 440
Any comments on this one? Any other suggestions? I want HOT coffee!
Thanks,
Steve

Hi, I am brand new here, and this is my first post. I am not the Steve
that started this thread, btw.

What if you don't need a thermal coffeemaker? Any thoughts on the
Cuisinart Brew Central?

I too am looking for a hot drip coffee maker, and was thinking of the
Capresso MT500 or the TEC model (refurbs are $119).

I currently have a Vacuum brewer on order to try that.

Steve

[loring]

Post by Steven

Post by imsnowbear
How much do you want to pay?
If you're that serious about wanting water heated to the proper brewing
http://store.yahoo.com/boydcoffeecompany/thermokb741.html
A little pricey, but you probably won't have to replace it in two years.
Not only is the Technivorm rated highly by those who know, but owning it
will qualify you as a true coffee snob, entitling you to continued
posting privileges here. ;)
Second choice would be a Melitta cone on top of a thermos. Heat your own
water as hot as you wish. The cone will cost you 50 cents to $2.00 in a
thrift store, plus whatever you pay for a thermos. For far less than $30
you will get coffee just as good as any automatic brewer. The only
downside: a little less convenient, and much less snob appeal.
rgf

Post by Steve
* Gavalia Thermal, worked well, but inside of pot was flaking off (probably
killing me)
* Melitta Gold Thermal - great unit, great coffee, but just not hot enough
* Bunn Thermal - not good for 5-7 cup brewing
* Capresso MT500 10 Cup Thermal Coffee Maker - Model 440
Any comments on this one? Any other suggestions? I want HOT coffee!
Thanks,
Steve

Hi, I am brand new here, and this is my first post. I am not the Steve
that started this thread, btw.
What if you don't need a thermal coffeemaker? Any thoughts on the
Cuisinart Brew Central?
I too am looking for a hot drip coffee maker, and was thinking of the
Capresso MT500 or the TEC model (refurbs are $119).
I currently have a Vacuum brewer on order to try that.
Steve

i have owned 3 of the above drip makers. 1st bought the capresso
mt500, very attractive looks well built, coffee was tastless and not
very hot even if i seriously preheated the carafe, the store i bought
it from was interested and broke out another for comparison. using a
styro cup and thermo both brewed about the same temp into the cup i do
not recall the temp. enter cuisnart, same store tested cuisnart and
brewed quite a bit hotter swapped for the cuisnart, it did not have a
heated carafe but brewed what i thought was very good drip coffee, it
died in two weeks so i took it back. 3d bought the technivorm from
boyds, did not get the thermal carafe model. i still have this one but
don't use it much. brews fast and hot, looks very different, comes
apart into many pieces to clean, makes good coffee and does look like
it is built very well. the issue i have is i have only tried it with a
gold filter basket but the water dispersion process is kind of weird,
the water comes out quite fast (good for a fast brew cycle) but it
comes out only one hole and seems to cause the coffee to "wash" up the
sides of the filter to the point of washing into the basket. i have
tried various coarser grinds to no avail. i tried putting less coffee
than a "normal" proportion, but then the problem is only minimized and
the coffee is to weak for my taste. i would be interested to hear how
others are doing with this machine. be wary, i bought the technivorm
and then started down the espresso path. my wife is tired of dusting
the "vorm" and would like it off the counter. could i use this as
lever to buy a larger shinier espresso machine and just dump the vorm
out into the wilds of the garage.
Loring

[Keith]

Last December I decided to buy my wife a really good drip coffee
maker, with a stainless steel thermal carafe and eventually narrowed
the field down to the following units.

Capresso CoffeeTec
Capresso MT500
Technivorm

After a little more research I was all set to pull the trigger on the
MT500, until I discovered the "Factory Serviced" section at Capresso.
At first I was more then a little leery about purchasing a returned
CoffeeTec but the $119.95 price was very attractive and what finally
sealed the deal was the following blurb "Factory serviced products
bought from this website have the same return and warranty protection
as new products."

When I received the CoffeeTec I was surprised to find it in a retail
box, which from all appearances was brand new. Now I had to check the
condition of the coffee maker because it wouldn't be a good idea for
my wife to open up her Xmas gift; only to discover a dirty hunk of
junk. Another pleasant surprise, it looked brand new, with no grinds,
stains, etc. and all the components were sealed in plastic.

My wife was extremely pleased with her Xmas gift and after almost a
full year of brewing, a minimum of one full pot a day, she's still
enamored with her Capresso. However, I've discovered a few tweaks
along the way that help keep the coffee extremely hot and improve the
brewing process.

1. I grind my own beans, so before I start grinding I'll run ~ 6 cups
of water through the unit and into the carafe. This step heats up the
inside of the machine but more importantly, it really heats up the
carafe.

2. Then I'll start the brewing process, without putting the carafe
under the basket and run ~ one cup of water into the basket. I allow
this cup of hot water to "bloom" the grind for a minute or two and
then I dump the hot water out of the carafe and place it under the
basket and resume the brewing process.

btw - Coffeegeeks has a very recent "First Look" on the CoffeeTec @

http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstlook/coffeetec/details

[cnymike]

I'm also looking for a good quality, thermal, programmable drip coffee
maker. I've read so many review of coffee makers that my head hurts.
But the Coffee TEC in particular garners both raves and rants. Most
rants concern the water resoivoir which can begin to leak after heavy
usage. I'm inclined to think that the reason there are so many refurb
units available from Capresso is evidence that the machine is
inherently flawed.

The Technivorm is interesting to me...a bit pricey but for me, but
moreover, I need a programmable coffee maker. I must wake up to coffee
ready to go!

What is the wisdom behind using a regular old house timer to control a
drip coffee maker? Any reason this wouldn't work or any caveats?

Post by Keith
Last December I decided to buy my wife a really good drip coffee
maker, with a stainless steel thermal carafe and eventually narrowed
the field down to the following units.
Capresso CoffeeTec
Capresso MT500
Technivorm
After a little more research I was all set to pull the trigger on the
MT500, until I discovered the "Factory Serviced" section at Capresso.
At first I was more then a little leery about purchasing a returned
CoffeeTec but the $119.95 price was very attractive and what finally
sealed the deal was the following blurb "Factory serviced products
bought from this website have the same return and warranty protection
as new products."
When I received the CoffeeTec I was surprised to find it in a retail
box, which from all appearances was brand new. Now I had to check the
condition of the coffee maker because it wouldn't be a good idea for
my wife to open up her Xmas gift; only to discover a dirty hunk of
junk. Another pleasant surprise, it looked brand new, with no grinds,
stains, etc. and all the components were sealed in plastic.
My wife was extremely pleased with her Xmas gift and after almost a
full year of brewing, a minimum of one full pot a day, she's still
enamored with her Capresso. However, I've discovered a few tweaks
along the way that help keep the coffee extremely hot and improve the
brewing process.
1. I grind my own beans, so before I start grinding I'll run ~ 6 cups
of water through the unit and into the carafe. This step heats up the
inside of the machine but more importantly, it really heats up the
carafe.
2. Then I'll start the brewing process, without putting the carafe
under the basket and run ~ one cup of water into the basket. I allow
this cup of hot water to "bloom" the grind for a minute or two and
then I dump the hot water out of the carafe and place it under the
basket and resume the brewing process.
http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstlook/coffeetec/details

[imsnowbear]

Post by cnymike
The Technivorm is interesting to me...a bit pricey but for me, but
moreover, I need a programmable coffee maker. I must wake up to coffee
ready to go!
What is the wisdom behind using a regular old house timer to control a
drip coffee maker? Any reason this wouldn't work or any caveats?

No reason why you couldn't run the Technivorm through a timer. However,
the common wisdom is that ground coffee won't really stay at the peak of
its flavor/freshness overnight. Therefore, you don't really need a top
of the line brewer for your method, although brewing with the Technivorm
will improve your coffee any way you use it. I'm assuming here that you
do not use pre-ground coffee, but grind your beans yourself the night
before. If you're using preground coffee you won't be getting your
money's worth with the Technivorm and defeating the purpose of having
a premium machine in the first place.

I usually brew just a 16 oz mug at a time. The Technivorm does this in
just over 4 minutes. By the time I've checked for a pulse, kicked the
dog out the door and let the cat in, my coffee is ready. I agree with
you that the first cup in the morning the most important cup of the day,
so it should be the best. That means freshly ground beans in the mighty
Technivorm, and taking my first sip 10 seconds after the brewing
finishes, not after the coffee has deteriorated on a heating element or
in a carafe waiting for me to stagger out to the kitchen.

If you don't use fresh beans or want to pregrind it (even the night
before) you don't need to pay a premium price for a brewer. Why don't
you check out this rascal:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=melitta+clarity and report back,
particulary how hot it heats the water.

Another interesting machine is: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=krups+moka+brew

regards,

rgf

[Michael Erb]

WOW...Both of those machines look great. But the real problem is that I
need a thermal carafe. It's a wife thing...we both really want to jump
out of bed and have the first cup ready to go. Once I get up and around,
I fire up my Silvia and grind some beans and enjoy a better coffee
experience, but that first cup has to be waiting for me as soon as my
feet the floor, thus the programmable, thermal coffee maker.

I'm aware of the effects of letting freshly ground coffee sitting around
overnight, but to me, the degredation in taste isn't that objectionable
to me.

thanks for the input. I might end up getting one of those other coffee
makers just for the heck of it.

Michael

Post by imsnowbear
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=krups+moka+brew
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=melitta+clarity

[imsnowbear]

Post by Michael Erb
WOW...Both of those machines look great. But the real problem is that I
need a thermal carafe. It's a wife thing...we both really want to jump
out of bed and have the first cup ready to go. Once I get up and around,
I fire up my Silvia and grind some beans and enjoy a better coffee
experience, but that first cup has to be waiting for me as soon as my
feet the floor, thus the programmable, thermal coffee maker.
I'm aware of the effects of letting freshly ground coffee sitting around
overnight, but to me, the degredation in taste isn't that objectionable
to me.
thanks for the input. I might end up getting one of those other coffee
makers just for the heck of it.
Michael

Hi,

It sounds like you are aware of the compromises involved with programmed
coffee brewing. Sorry if it sounded like I was preaching to the choir.
Didn't recognize your ID in your original post.

Before I got the Technivorm I was reasonably satisfied with this one:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=capresso+elegance+therm.
Programmable with a pretty good insulated carafe. Brewing temperature
seemed to be hotter than the average auto-drip. Half the price of the
Technivorm thermal carafe model. Might work for you.

Regards,

rgf

[Michael Erb]

I ordered the Capressto MT500 based on mostly favorable reviews on
Amazon and elsewhere. I'll post to the group once I've recieved it and
give my impressions.

Michael

Post by imsnowbear
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=capresso+elegance+therm.
Programmable with a pretty good insulated carafe. Brewing temperature
seemed to be hotter than the average auto-drip. Half the price of the
Technivorm thermal carafe model. Might work for you.
Regards,
rgf

[Michael Erb]

My Capresso MT5000 arrived yesterday from Amazon.com. It cost $159 and
my initial impressions are fairly positive.

To my eye, it is a very attractive machine. Feels reasonably well-built
and the electronic control panel is pretty easy to use once you read the
manual. It's not exactly intuitive if you are the type of person who
just likes to plug things in and start using without reading manuals.

I prewarmed the carafe and brewed a full pot of coffee. Using a meat
thermometer of unknown accuracy, the temperature in the carafe
immediately after brewing measured 182 degrees. To my taste, the coffee
was hot, just how I like it. The carafe kept the coffee pretty hot for
two hours. After 4 hours, the cofffee was definitely cooler but still
drinkable without having to nuke it. But it was not hot at this point
but not lukewarm either.

I think the machine is pricey but it brews nicely and the carafe keeps
the coffee hot enough for me, long enough for me to be satisified with
that aspect of it. Not sure what else I can tell you. I've only brewed
two pots so far. But so far so good.

Michael

In article

Post by Michael Erb
I ordered the Capressto MT500 based on mostly favorable reviews on
Amazon and elsewhere. I'll post to the group once I've recieved it and
give my impressions.
Michael

Post by imsnowbear
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=capresso+elegance+therm.
Programmable with a pretty good insulated carafe. Brewing temperature
seemed to be hotter than the average auto-drip. Half the price of the
Technivorm thermal carafe model. Might work for you.
Regards,
rgf

[unknown]

Post by Michael Erb
My Capresso MT5000 arrived yesterday from Amazon.com. It cost $159 and
my initial impressions are fairly positive.
I prewarmed the carafe and brewed a full pot of coffee. Using a meat
thermometer of unknown accuracy, the temperature in the carafe
immediately after brewing measured 182 degrees. To my taste, the coffee
was hot, just how I like it. The carafe kept the coffee pretty hot for
two hours. After 4 hours, the cofffee was definitely cooler but still
drinkable without having to nuke it. But it was not hot at this point
but not lukewarm either.

4 hour old coffee...? I hope this was for testing purposes only.. If
not, I would suggest drinking faster or brewing smaller batches. That
really is a long time to let coffee sit around.. IMO....


from Randy and Silvia and Rocky
http://www.quiknet.com/~frcn/Coffee/Coffee.html
reply to: frcn at cncnet dot com

[Michael Erb]

I don't mind drinking 4 hours old brewed coffee that hasn't been burned
by sitting on a hot plate. Since this is 4 hour old coffee that's been
sitting in a thermal carafe, it's not quite all that bad for my taste
buds. I'm certainly not recommending that method for most of you. When I
want a perfect espresso, I'll fire up my Silvia. when I want a quick hot
cup of coffee throughout the morning, I'll drink out of my carafe.

Post by unknown

Post by Michael Erb
My Capresso MT5000 arrived yesterday from Amazon.com. It cost $159 and
my initial impressions are fairly positive.
I prewarmed the carafe and brewed a full pot of coffee. Using a meat
thermometer of unknown accuracy, the temperature in the carafe
immediately after brewing measured 182 degrees. To my taste, the coffee
was hot, just how I like it. The carafe kept the coffee pretty hot for
two hours. After 4 hours, the cofffee was definitely cooler but still
drinkable without having to nuke it. But it was not hot at this point
but not lukewarm either.

4 hour old coffee...? I hope this was for testing purposes only.. If
not, I would suggest drinking faster or brewing smaller batches. That
really is a long time to let coffee sit around.. IMO....
from Randy and Silvia and Rocky
http://www.quiknet.com/~frcn/Coffee/Coffee.html
reply to: frcn at cncnet dot com

[E***@spamblock.panix.com]

Post by cnymike
What is the wisdom behind using a regular old house timer to control a
drip coffee maker? Any reason this wouldn't work or any caveats?

You will wake up to coffee made from stale grounds if you grind it
the night before. If that is your plan, any random drip maker will be
fine. The subtle differences that a quality coffee maker can bring about
will be more than lost by leaving the coffee in the basket all night.