Mr. Coffee
Call me a collector. I like to collect coffee brewing devices. The trouble is that if I drank all the coffee I wanted to, my heart would explode.
Really, I’d love to have the time to get really good at all of the brewing methods I have at my disposal. The two that have been the most problematic have been the Turkish ibrik and the Italian Bialetti.
Most of the coffee I drink though comes from the Cuisinart auto drip machine that Mrs. Fussy and I got about a decade ago. The only problem is that yesterday it died. Given that we’re packing for New Jersey and in the process of getting rid of things, I saw this as a blessing in disguise. You know, just one less thing to haul down to Princeton.
Mrs. Fussy had other plans.
The Cuisinart purchase all of those years ago was based on a solid recommendation from my Uncle M. He is pretty serious about his coffee, and at the time this was one of the best machines for keeping the temperature of its water within the right range for brewing a good pot of coffee.
It’s amazing the difference a decade makes. The newer machines are much better. They are also a good bit more expensive. But hey, I’m willing to pay a little more for something we use every day and that brings so much pleasure into our lives.
However, I’m not about to bring a new machine into the house right before the move. So I struck a compromise with Mrs. Fussy.
We agreed that she could buy a cheap Mr. Coffee pot to get us through the lull. But when we get back to Albany, I’m going to get something good. Based on the latest Cook’s Illustrated ratings, I have my eye on the Bonavita 8-Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe. Which should be about $150.
But who knows? Maybe in ten months there will be something even better on the market. But I’m never ever going to fall for that Grind ‘n Brew again. That thing was a monster in so many different ways. Plus, now I have a spiffy burr grinder. It’s a good idea to get specialized tools instead of trying to find one device that does everything.
Anyhow, I’m kind of curious to see how the $20 coffee pot functions in the meanwhile. If it doesn’t do a good job, I can just switch over to one of the many many other brewing tools at my disposal. Really, I should get in one last batch of cold brew before we leave anyway. Not only is it so good, but it’s so quick to turn a few ounces of coffee concentrate into an amazing glass of iced coffee.
If only more local coffee shops felt the same way.
FUSSYlittleBLOG 
When you return to the Capital District (please) would you like a Ca. 1910 alcohol fired percolator? It works very well – if you like percolator coffee.
I am a big believer in the $20 Mr. Coffee or whatever brand is on sale at Walmart or CVS around that price range. I had one of those Cuisinarts for awhile and while you could adjust the temperature you could never get it to *my* temperature. I’d rather save my kitchen gadget dollars for things that are less likely to go on the fritz.
I bought a $20 Mr. Coffee for the office a few years ago and it must have slipped through their QA process because the thing is spot on for temperature. The damn thing makes the best drip coffee I’ve ever had. We’ve since replaced it with a french press and an electric kettle, but I still use it at home on occasion when I need mass amounts of cofee.
I “splurged” on the Bonavita w/ Thermal carafe when our Cuisinart kicked it right before Christmas. We love it. It brews hot (right at 200* F) and fast: a full pot in just under 6 minutes. The carafe does a great job of keeping the coffee hot for a couple of hours and very warm for many hours. Definitely give it a look when you return. Question: what will you do for a coffee machine in Princeton?
We have a Bonavita, but they were out of the thermal carafes when we were buying, so we have the glass. I love the heat, and it brews very quickly. Maybe too quickly. I still prefer the coffee I get from my french press, so I do french press on the weekend for afternoon coffee, and Bonavita in the mornings when I need a bigger pot, and don’t want to think too much.
I don’t find it that much more complicated to just make a pot in the French press. Of course, I have an electric teakettle*, which makes it a lot easier, but even a cheap hot pot* will do the trick.
*My hot pot started leaking. I was having a particularly bad week for a bunch of reasons I can’t remember. I posted on Facebook lamenting that my hot pot was on life support and how I needed to suck it up and get a “real” teakettle. My MIL (at the time, MIL-to-be, I was in the vast, ugly depths of wedding planning) saw the post, and ordered and shipped me an electric teakettle as a “just because” gift. I almost started crying when I opened the package.
I have a Bodum Santos vacuum pot that we use on lazy weekends, and a Cuisinart K-cup machine for the quick cup on frantic workweek mornings. My brother has had a Moccamaster Technivorm with a thermal carafe for a few years and he swears it makes the best coffee ever. I have tried it and it is good coffee, but a lot depends on the bean and the roast. I think Williams-Sonoma carries the full line of Moccamaster but I know it can be had cheaper elsewhere. I wouldn’t ever bother with a cheapo coffeemaker again. Life is too short for crappy coffee.
The Moccamaster coffeemaker is by far the best on the market. By as Jon_E mentions it won’t make a good brew if you don’t have fresh coffee.
http://dailygrind.com/product_info.php?products_id=105