So my single serve Keurig just want TU. It was a hand-me-down and looking at the price tag to replace it, $99 at Target, makes me think about upgrading if such a simple coffee maker is going to cost me that much to replace.

(Yes, I also have a standard drip coffee maker, but I'm specifically not looking for one of those; just one serving types.)

What I'm looking for is a machine like a lot of places in Iceland have available for guests.

It has a hopper you pour beans into and when you select your coffee strength and size of choice, it just grinds the beans fresh and makes your coffee. It did not have a carafe and when it was done with its cycle, it just crapped little pads of coffee grounds into a hopper for easy cleanup. Looked basically like a big metal box and did not have one of those espresso cup/handles like you see on professional machines.

I did not see anything like that at Target and I don't remember the brand I saw most commonly in Iceland.

Any recs for a maker along those lines? I don't want to break the bank, but will pay for an upgrade from my Keurig. I don't have any real use for a frother, but if one is built in, so be it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Oat_Action_Man,

You would be better off with a separate variable burr grinder.

https://prima-coffee.com/learn.../burr-grinder-basics

Based on an initial Christmas gift most of our family have adopted the Stainless Steel Breville BDC600XL coffee maker.

We’ve had ours now for over five years of service. This unit has a built-in 0.5-lb bean hopper with integrated burr grinder, single-cup option and makes up to 12 cups of coffee in one cycle. It has adjustable strength settings. (This is the glass carafe version). It comes with a Gold foil filter and you can use paper filters as well.

Ours has been very dependable and I’ll tell you what we discovered- eight different family members have these across Germany, Italy, NC, PA, OH and other states. The families who have experienced issues with this machine used local tap water, do not regularly clean and tended to use more-oily coffee beans. I suspect this “clean” sensitivity is reflected in Amazon’s reviews as well. The chute assembly on this unit prefers to be cleaned regularly.
We always use filtered water, tend to detail-clean the machine and haven’t had any scaling or feed issues. We alternate between ground coffee and beans.

It has to be noted that the components of this machine are hand-wash vs. dishwasher. Any of these machines will need to be properly cleaned, it’s even more so when using oily beans. But it does better than our previous Cuisinart coffee maker that didn’t feed oily coffee beans very well at all. (“Oily” can often indicate old beans). Using filtered water makes the biggest difference and we seldom get a cleaning prompt.

Cons to this machine- it prefers hand washing for components and it is loud when grinding. You see crazy prices on higher-end coffee machines. I have seen this one on sale in the $250 range.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
You would be better off with a separate variable burr grinder.

https://prima-coffee.com/learn.../burr-grinder-basics

Absolutely. Even if for convenience or noise purposes you had to grind the night before, preferable.

Speaking of noise, the machines requested by OP are incredibly loud. If you've not heard one in action, don't think your household will just sleep through it.

I've not seen what you described, but I suspect when you do find one it will indeed break the bank. I'd guess $2-300, but we will see!

I agree on getting a separate burr grinder. It gives you more flexibility. We got one of these $155 grinders a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with it: DeLonghi America KG521 Dedica Conical Burr Grinder

We use a $40 glass French Press (GROSCHE Madrid French Press Coffee Maker, Tea Press & Coffee Press 8 cup 34 oz 1L with Pyrex Glass) and grind our beans using the French Press grind setting. Not everyone loves French Press coffee, but the separate burr grinder will grind your beans with greater consistency. And the french press is great with tea leaves if you drink hot tea.

And we use this $39 water kettle ( Aicok Electric Kettle Variable Temperature Tea Kettle) , as it has a 200* setting. Using 212* (boiling water) can burn your coffee.

i bought a Bonnavita and LOVE it, grind my own, and thats half the fun grinding them w/my BURR grinder

You might mosey over to CoffeeGeek and cruise around the site a bit. I hope you find what you seek, good luck to you.

I used to have a Cuisinart Grind & Brew in my office (because a separate burr grinder - which is the better option- was too many bits to clean up every morning). With my very heavy solid door closed, it didn’t bother my office mates. It was as loud as a rather loud vacuum cleaner.

If you do go with one of the all-in-one hopper models, please don’t leave a hopper full of beans. Fill as you go and keep the beans sealed so they don’t dry out before they’re used.

-Rob

I have a Cuisinart combo and have not been terribly impressed with it. The moisture from brewing is able to make into the bean hopper which isn’t good for process. Also, it incorporates a blade grinder which suck.

I’d also vote for a good coffee maker and high quality burr grinder. Burr grinders are what are used for consumption in the industry that produces preground coffee for a reason. Blade grinders make inconsistent grinds and can overheat the grounds.

Cuisinart here too. We stopped using the grinder. Hate having to clean steamed in coffee particles from all the parts and hearing the thing grind 30 minutes before we wake up.

If you want a Cuisinart grind and brew, and will pay shipping, I think I have one you can have. Might have a Keurig as well... (Coffee went from "my blood runs brown" to the occasional decaf...)

We had a Cuisinart Grind and Brew a few years ago, right up until it caught fire on the counter one morning. Never again. Besides the fire hazard, it was a PITA to keep clean. Separate grinder and coffee maker for us now.

Thanks for all the input.

Noise of the grinder isn't a problem; it certainly isn't worse than the Ninja blender that gets used every morning around that time.

At this point, I think I am leaning toward a DeLonghi combo espresso/drip machine and a separate burr grinder. Don't know if I can really justify the $500ish for a all-in-one machine.

FYI, I figured out what the machines I am familiar with: a Philips Saeco. Just as pricy.

Looks like I can get the DeLonghi machine(s) at Bed Bath and Beyond and put some of those bazillion 20% off coupons to use.

Probably end up using roughly the same counter footprint as my Keurig and kcup holder and at least will match our new kitchen.

Wife loves her Breville. She also had a Cuisinart that ground beans.
I use the Keurig since I’m doing decaf due to my A-fib.

I have the CuisinArt Grind and Brew. In 9 years we have to buy two. They make the best coffee ever. I’m a coffeeholic and love their brew.

Since I've got my new DeLonghi combo espresso/drip machine on the way and I picked up a burr grinder, how about I switch to beans and grind.

For a good espresso, what kind of bean should I be looking for/what roast and which grind setting should I use? I got a Capresso grinder with 16 settings. How long should I grind for?

What about for drip coffee if I'm interested in only making what amounts to 2 cups of coffee?

I vote separate components

quote:

Originally posted by Oat_Action_Man:
Since I've got my new DeLonghi combo espresso/drip machine on the way and I picked up a burr grinder, how about I switch to beans and grind.

For a good espresso, what kind of bean should I be looking for/what roast and which grind setting should I use? I got a Capresso grinder with 16 settings. How long should I grind for?

What about for drip coffee if I'm interested in only making what amounts to 2 cups of coffee?

For the espresso, I've found that the fresher the roasted coffee, the better it is. I've been buying coffee beans from a local roaster. When I pick it up, it's at most a day or two old. I've been storing the whole beans in an Airscape storage container. A local roaster I found recently had a really good french roast (Fusion blend - the beans are darker than the picture shown) Sweetwater Roasters and is currently my favorite for both espresso and drip coffee.


You'll have to experiment with the grind settings. Espresso will be really fine compared to drip coffee. For drip coffee, I've been using the largest medium grind on my Capresso grinder. My grinder is built into my espresso machine so I don't know what the comparable setting would be on the Capresso. I only put the beans I want to grind into the grinder for the pot of coffee I'm making.