Best coffeemaker: BUNN

I only started drinking coffee a few years ago when a friend of mine started working at Starbucks and gave me several bags of coffee beans. Since then, I’ve become addicted to coffee. I bought a burr grinder which is the only kind of grinder you should use if you want to grind your own coffee beans. I also bought a BRAUN coffee maker which was very inexpensive and great for making a single cup of coffee because it uses a funnel shaped coffee filter. The only problem is that sometimes the coffee is really good and sometimes a little bitter.

Lately, I’ve gotten too lazy to grind my coffee and I buy Chock full o’Nuts ground coffee.  I’ve been wondering how to get consistently good coffee, so I spent the day researching coffee makers on the Internet. Only the BUNN coffee maker has nothing but great reviews everywhere. I’ve seen BUNN coffee machines in restaurants and diners all my life but I never realized they made a home coffee machine.

After trying a BUNN home coffee maker, there was an immediate and noticeable difference.  The coffee is definitely milder and was not bitter.  I’ve been using it for three weeks now and I have not had a cup of coffee yet that was even slightly bitter.  Every pot of coffee is consistently mild, not bitter and really good.

Also interesting is that with less bitterness, I found that I am able to use approximately 25% less sugar, which means 25% fewer calories.  Since I don’t use sugar substitutes, I’m very happy to be able to cut down a little on my sugar intake.

After reading about BUNN, I found that there is a distinct difference between the way a BUNN makes coffee and other coffee makers.

First, BUNN uses a stainless steel water tank which is pre-filled with water and maintained at a consistent 200°F. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America coffee should be brewed with water at 200°F. Other coffeemakers heat the water directly with the heating element at temperatures ranging from 186°F to boiling.

BUNN is able to achieve a consistent water temperature of 200°F by using the stainless steel water storage tank which pre-heats the water and maintains it at the correct temperature. The tank essentially works the same way as the hot water heater in your house. When you make coffee, you add water which enters the tank at the bottom pushing the hot water up and through the spray nozzle onto the coffee grinds.

Apparently, in addition to the correct temperature, a quick brew time is also important to eliminate bitterness.  BUNN home coffee makers will brew an entire pot of coffee in only three minutes, approximately half of the time of other coffeemakers.

BUNN’s unique spray head is designed to create just the right amount of turbulence to mix the coffee grind with water.

BUNN coffee makers seem to be well built because there are many reviews on the Internet from people who say they are tired of replacing $50 coffee makers which break frequently while their BUNN has lasted without problems. It’s made in the US, so your money helps support our economy.

There are 5 home coffeemakers and a couple of commercial coffeemakers which are suitable for home use. All of the home coffee makers work exactly the same way and produce the same quality coffee.  The only difference is the styling and whether you want a glass decanter or stainless steel decanter.  I prefer the glass decanter.  Although the stainless steel decanter is designed to keep your coffee hot longer, I like my coffee hot and prefer to heat it in the microwave.

The 5 BUNN home coffeemakers and their differences are as follows:

• GRX is sold at stores like Wal-Mart, has an all plastic housing and a glass to counter with a hot plate.
• NHBX is a more modern design and little more compact in size front to rear and its a little shorter than the others. It also has a swivel lid on top versus a lift up lid to fill it.
• BX is the original design with a square, more commercial look and a glass decanter with a hot plate.
• BTX is the original design with a square, more commercial look and a stainless steel unbreakable double wall vacuum insulated carafe which keeps coffee hot without overheating, no hot plate and is dishwasher safe.
• My Café is a coffee pod machine.

There are at least three BUNN commercial coffee makers which are suitable for home use:

BUNN A10A

BUNN CWTF15-1

BUNN CWTF-1 Automatic Coffee Maker with hot water faucet