• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Coffee machines

FIHTies

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2004
Messages
2,950
Reaction score
6
I know that this might be blasphemy for the health conscious but which machines will make the best cup of coffee. I have donme my basic research and are whittling down the prospects... Web Reviews I have used this site for basic research. Any comments would are appreciated. Thanks in Advance. JJF
 

aarghh

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2004
Messages
269
Reaction score
0
If you're looking for drip coffee, the Braun KF187 is excellent. I use it everyday, and it produces a good cup of coffee. Espresso, though, is the way to go :). I am currently lusting after the Francis Francis X3.
 

FIHTies

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2004
Messages
2,950
Reaction score
6
If you're looking for drip coffee, the Braun KF187 is excellent. I use it everyday, and it produces a good cup of coffee. Espresso, though, is the way to go :). I am currently lusting after the Francis Francis X3.
Thanks. I actually have seen rave reviews about that one, however its been discontinued. I suppose I shold go after the replacement. Anybody see anything about the Krupps machine with the K-Kups? JJF
 

faustian bargain

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
2,444
Reaction score
2
this is probably not going to be helpful to you, but when has that ever stopped me.

over the past dozen years, we have gradually gotten more and more low-tech with our coffee.

we started with a braun coffeemaker, and it was built like a brick house (even though it was plastic). lasted forever, and would still be working if we didn't just get bored with it. after several years we added a metal filter in lieu of the paper ones, which seemed to work well. we ground our own beans.

then we went to a french press. one of those will make you some strong rich coffee. however there is a tendency to get a lot of grounds, especially near the bottom of the pot.

a few years ago we switched yet again. we realized that between the two of us we hardly ever drank a whole pot of coffee, so we found a single-serving filter holder that just sits on top of a coffee cup. we have a hot water pot - zojirushi brand - that was readily available in our old neighborhood (the richmond district in SF - large chinese population, big market for hot pots). just set the cup and filter up, drip the hot water through the grounds, and you're set.

also we no longer grind our own beans...can't be bothered. just another gadget to clean up, and if you buy fresh grounds often enough it just doesn't make that big a difference.

---

as a side note: if you're making a full pot of coffee, and especially if it's not all going to be served immediately, put it in a thermos. don't let it sit on the heating pad, it'll just get nasty.

/andrew - caffeine addict
 

retronotmetro

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 5, 2004
Messages
1,586
Reaction score
24
Count me in the superauto camp.

*ducks*

Any true-blue obsessive-compulsive espresso freaks will surely bludgeon me for saying it, but my Saeco Charisma is probably the most life-enhancing appliance in my kitchen, next to my Thermador pro-style range.

I bought it mostly because I hate messing around with the grinding/brewing/cleaning routine every morning. I fill the coffee hopper with beans once or twice a week, dump a bottle of water in the reservoir when it gets low, and empty the dump box about two or three times a week. No filters, no baskets, nothing to clean every day. On the weekend I just rinse out the dump box and brew group--takes a couple of minutes.

It puts out a decent shot of espresso with pretty nice crema, and you can't beat just putting the cup under the spout and hitting one button to grind, brew, and empty the puck. I have mine set with a medium-low dose of coffee and two brew cycles at the "full cup" setting gets me one full mug of cafe crema/cafe lungo/whatever you want to call a long shot.
 

aarghh

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2004
Messages
269
Reaction score
0
For a basic machine, the Krups Arome Plus is pretty decent. A friend uses it, and the coffee he gets out of it is good. I haven't seen the K-Kups model. Aabree Coffee is a good site for these. Also, check out Coffee Geek for a "take no prisoners" approach to good coffee. A french press can make better coffee than most drip machines; only, as Andrew remarks, one has to be very careful about the grind, or else you wind up with sludge on the bottom of the cup. I still tend to prefer the french press because you have better control over the temperature at which the water soaks the coffee - most drip machines tend to release the water at too low a temperature, and that doesn't let the flavor out well.
 

FIHTies

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2004
Messages
2,950
Reaction score
6
Good responses, thanks.

I actually went the route of the French Press as well, and found that the brew was very strong. Harder to fine tune than the conventional machines, as you dont know how long to keep it in the darned thing. However I agree with Aargh that the temp on many machines is too low, and the press takes Boiling water.

They call that rule about the burnt coffee the 18 minute rule. Dont keep it on the burner longer than 18 minutes.

Retro, the Seaco looks inviting. The whole concept. You can make regular coffees there as well... Sounds really nice. Now I have to find someone that sells it for significantly less than 700.

Thanks fellahs.

JJF
 

retronotmetro

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 5, 2004
Messages
1,586
Reaction score
24
Retro, the Seaco looks inviting. Â The whole concept. Â You can make regular coffees there as well... Sounds really nice. Now I have to find someone that sells it for significantly less than 700.
Saeco Vienna is on sale for $399 at Whole Latte Love: whole latte love Don't know much about this machine, but this is about the cheapest you'll find an auto.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 45 40.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 44 39.6%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 5 4.5%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 18 16.2%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 25 22.5%

Forum statistics

Threads
504,441
Messages
10,573,982
Members
223,699
Latest member
Lynnrpowers
Top