BUNN coffeemaker owners - need info please

[john_pifer]

I currently have a Mr. Coffee that I have no idea where I got - but it's gotten to the point where I'm having to warm my coffee in the microwave just to get it hot enough.

Over the last several years, I've acquired enough of a taste for coffee that I drink it black, and really enjoy it. A few years ago, I bought a Black & Decker burr grinder, and I love it. Also have a coffee press, and like that, too, but most of the time I don't want to take the time to boil the water. I'll bring it out for special occasions.

Anyway, I'm to the point that I'm willing to spend a little bit of dough on a quality coffeemaker.

I saw the Bunn at Wal-Mart, and I knew that they're very popular in commercial settings like restaurants, hotels, etc. Started doing a little research on them, and it sounds like a good concept, with a couple of downsides. With the mechanism it uses to brew coffee, it sounds like it should make a good, consistent cup of coffee.

But, my main concern is that, almost all the time, I'm only making coffee for myself, and my normal intake is about 16-20 oz.

You guys who own the Bunn - I am assuming that the 3-4 min. they advertise for a pot is the amount of time that it takes for 50 oz (the pot capacity) to flow through. So, if you brew, say, 24 oz (about half the capacity), wouldn't it take only 90 seconds to 2 minutes for that amount to flow through?

Is that enough time to get a good extraction from the coffee? I would almost never be making a full pot.

Need input from you guys who own one.

 

[skyactiv]

Bunn offers a flow restricted spray head for some models to brew coffee the way connoisseurs prefer. Look on the parts form and look for the model. They do have one for the GRXB. It's cheap if I recall.

 

[Russ300H]

I have used them since the 70's and wouldn't use anything else. Your problem is you need to make 4 cups to activate the system.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: john_pifer
But, my main concern is that, almost all the time, I'm only making coffee for myself,

How about an espresso machine then? It takes about 30 seconds for the machine to warm up and another 60 seconds or so to brew a cup. Add another minute to clean out the machine afterwards.

 

[Hermann]

Have the Bunn like the one at Wal-Mart. They make fantastic non bitter coffee very quickly. Due to the fast brew cycle it requires that you use about 25% more coffee. IMO a small price to pay for hot non bitter coffee. Mine is 5 years old and still works like new.

The quick brew feature requires that you leave it plugged in at all times. This draws about 35 watts of electricity constantly. I got around this by putting it on a timer that comes on about a hour before I get up. Bunn coffee makers have a short learning curve to acheive the best results. Best results come from making a full 50oz pot. I store my brewed coffee right away in a thermos, to keep it fresh and not let the coffee get scorched on the heating plate.

The model at Wal-Mart is the GRB. You can read reviews at Amazon. Here is the link.

http://www.amazon.com/Velocity-10-Cup-Co...nn+coffee+maker

 

[brandini]

Also for best coffee don't keep it on a powered hot plate warmer. Get a coffeemaker that brews into a thermos style carafe, and never pour a cup until it's finished brewing.

 

[Brybo86]

Bunn's typically brew too fast for my liking, I like a slow brewing coffee pot. Gets more taste out of the grounds.

 

[Michael_P]

The BUNN machine is always on. You would be surprised how much energy that uses when I hooked up a kill-a-watt to it. Mine has a water tank switch on the lower left side though. I leave it on all the time. I use the BUNN to heat up water for spaghetti, rice and other cooking needs that require hot or boiling water. This way I'm not wasting water waiting for the hot to come out of the faucet. Water from the BUNN is boiling on the stove in seconds since it comes out of the machine at about 160°. I use it as much as possible as a hot water source since this machine is not used everyday and I dont like stale water sitting in the machine. Just remove the filter basket. It is also a good idea to use a separate water container to pour the water in rather than using the carafe.

 

[JR]

Longer brew time for more flavor yes but also a bitter flavor too. That's how a bunn make non-bitter coffee.

Ken

My bunn is a dino fossil. I am almost 30 and the bunns been purking for 2/3's of that 30yrs. I plan to keep it another decade.

 

[JR]

Three minutes i have fresh coffee it take me longer to get my eyes to stay open.

Ken

 

[JR]

Run viniger through the machine twice a month and the bunn will purk flawlessly for a decade and probably many decades. Mine has twenty years of use and gives no signs of age. I can not gut non bun coffee after continuous decade of morning bunn runs to the kitchen.

Ken

 

[DBMaster]

Use only purified water. I use water from my R/O system and finally had to toss my 1989 vintage Norelco four-cup machine due to my concerns about contamination in the coffee from chalky plastic. You can find R/O water in the grocery store labeled as "drinking water." The cheap store brand is fine and will brew a superior cup of coffee. I learned to drink mine black as well and now prefer it that way, like a fine rum or whiskey taken neat.

If you use water like this that has very low TDS you will never have to clean the innards of your machine.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Bunn offers a flow restricted spray head for some models to brew coffee the way connoisseurs prefer. Look on the parts form and look for the model. They do have one for the GRXB. It's cheap if I recall.


I read about that restricted-flow spray head. They say it's for finer grinds where (I guess) the flow through the funnel would otherwise be obstructed by the high flow of the standard spray head.

Maybe this would be the ticket to increase the extraction factor for brewing smaller amounts, as I most often would?

Originally Posted By: Russ300H
I have used them since the 70's and wouldn't use anything else. Your problem is you need to make 4 cups to activate the system.


That would be acceptable. My normal intake is about 16 oz, so I could live with making 20 oz at a time.

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
But, my main concern is that, almost all the time, I'm only making coffee for myself,


How about an espresso machine then? It takes about 30 seconds for the machine to warm up and another 60 seconds or so to brew a cup. Add another minute to clean out the machine afterwards.


About how much does a decent, middle-of-the-road home espresso machine cost? What's a good brand?

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: Hermann
Have the Bunn like the one at Wal-Mart. They make fantastic non bitter coffee very quickly. Due to the fast brew cycle it requires that you use about 25% more coffee. IMO a small price to pay for hot non bitter coffee. Mine is 5 years old and still works like new.

The quick brew feature requires that you leave it plugged in at all times. This draws about 35 watts of electricity constantly. I got around this by putting it on a timer that comes on about a hour before I get up. Bunn coffee makers have a short learning curve to acheive the best results. Best results come from making a full 50oz pot. I store my brewed coffee right away in a thermos, to keep it fresh and not let the coffee get scorched on the heating plate.

The model at Wal-Mart is the GRB. You can read reviews at Amazon. Here is the link.

http://www.amazon.com/Velocity-10-Cup-Co...nn+coffee+maker


Thanks for the info. That's a good idea about the timer.

Originally Posted By: Michael_P
The BUNN machine is always on. You would be surprised how much energy that uses when I hooked up a kill-a-watt to it. Mine has a water tank switch on the lower left side though. I leave it on all the time. I use the BUNN to heat up water for spaghetti, rice and other cooking needs that require hot or boiling water. This way I'm not wasting water waiting for the hot to come out of the faucet. Water from the BUNN is boiling on the stove in seconds since it comes out of the machine at about 160°. I use it as much as possible as a hot water source since this machine is not used everyday and I dont like stale water sitting in the machine. Just remove the filter basket. It is also a good idea to use a separate water container to pour the water in rather than using the carafe.


More good info. I can definitely see the unit being good for other uses.

Originally Posted By: JR
Three minutes i have fresh coffee it take me longer to get my eyes to stay open.

Ken


LOL.

Originally Posted By: JR
Run viniger through the machine twice a month and the bunn will purk flawlessly for a decade and probably many decades. Mine has twenty years of use and gives no signs of age. I can not gut non bun coffee after continuous decade of morning bunn runs to the kitchen.

Ken


Shouldn't need to clean if I use distilled or R/O-filtered water, correct?

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Use only purified water. I use water from my R/O system and finally had to toss my 1989 vintage Norelco four-cup machine due to my concerns about contamination in the coffee from chalky plastic. You can find R/O water in the grocery store labeled as "drinking water." The cheap store brand is fine and will brew a superior cup of coffee. I learned to drink mine black as well and now prefer it that way, like a fine rum or whiskey taken neat.

If you use water like this that has very low TDS you will never have to clean the innards of your machine.


Good advice - I think I will start using the store-bought water for my coffee.

What's "TDS?"

 

[mikefxu]

Pinch of salt with grind will help with the bitterness.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: john_pifer
About how much does a decent, middle-of-the-road home espresso machine cost? What's a good brand?

No idea. They can get pricey if you want to go that route, I guess.

I've been using a $70 Mr. Coffee one for a number of years and have been happy with it. Everyone that I made coffee for was praising its flavor.

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-ECMP50-Espresso-Cappuccino/dp/B001EU9UTM

However, coffee from an espresso machine is a lot stronger than from a regular drip coffee maker. Some people like it. Others hate it. Personally, I love it, but I have mine 50:50 with warm milk.

It also requires fine grind coffee. I'm sure your grinder has an appropriate setting.

 

[Hermann]

To Michael P

If the hot water coming out of your Bunn is only 160degrees it is too cold to properly extract the flavor from your beans. Measured the water from mine after brewing the other day, and it was 187 after going through the grounds and being poured into my thermos. If your Bunn is less than 3 years old you can call their customer service and they will probably replace it. their C/S is excellent.

 

[john_pifer]

I think I'm going to go get the Bunn at Wal-Mart when I get off work. I'll post up my thoughts after my first pot!

I'll probably go ahead and order the flow reducer spray head immediately, just to experiment with the effect it produces with varying amount/grind/volume of coffee.

Thanks guys. It's nice to be able to count on knowledgeable people for answers on things!

John

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: mikefxu
Pinch of salt with grind will help with the bitterness.


Interesting. Did a quick bit of reading on this and will have to try it soon.

 

[Hermann]

Originally Posted By: john_pifer
I think I'm going to go get the Bunn at Wal-Mart when I get off work. I'll post up my thoughts after my first pot!


John


Pick up a box or two of extra filters while you are there, Thet are taller than normal filters, and don't overflow due to the fast flow of water into the grounds. Helps avoid messes. Part of that small learning curve. Also follow the setup instructions exactly.