Kitchen

[kivah]

I've been using Farberware electric percolator for over 20 years. They come in 2 sizes. Comes out hot all the time -- I buy Starbucks coffee at Costco. You can purchase the percolator at Bed/Bath - not expensive --- and if u have a coupon, even cheaper. The small percolator says 4 cups - but it's actually 2 cups. I also like that u don't need to use a filter.

[brewhaha]

I bought mine at Walmart and never regretted it.

[Meeras]

I did compare before i bought.

[Cookie777]

On 4/19/2014 RedTop said:

We received a Cuisinart 12 cup coffee maker for Christmas, and love it.

I just got a Cuisinart 14 cup coffee maker from Costco for 60 dollars and it makes good coffee!

[gardenman]

There are vast differences between coffee makers. The first thing to do is sort out by the type of coffee maker you want to get. If you like really hot coffee and want to make between two and twelve cups at a time, a percolator might be best for you. If you like to make just one cup at a time and like a variety of flavors, then a Keurig or similar coffee maker is ideal for you. You do pay a lot more for the coffee (like $40-$50 a pound) but if you only make one cup at a time and you like variety they're ideal. If you don't like really hot coffee but want two to twelve cups at a time then a drip coffee maker might be best. If you like one cup at a time and you want the absolute best possible taste and don't mind fussing then a French press might be best for you.

Once you've narrowed the field to one or two types then hit the major retail sites and read lots of reviews. You're likely to find one device that just calls to you and you'll know it's the right one.

[sciencegeek_1]

I've had Mr. Coffee, Black and Decker, and Hamilton Beach drip coffee makers. All made great coffee, and lasted for years. If I needed a new one today, I'd pick the cheapest 12 cup from any of these 3 brands.

[lovesrecess]

On 4/19/2014 sciencegeek said:

I've had Mr. Coffee, Black and Decker, and Hamilton Beach drip coffee makers. All made great coffee, and lasted for years. If I needed a new one today, I'd pick the cheapest 12 cup from any of these 3 brands.

we have had them all! DH's fave is the Mr. Coffee switch model...no timers or other things to break or malfunction, just one off/on switch....this one has been going strong 8 years so far; I wouldn't waste money on an expensive one unless the extra features are "must haves" for you.

[Dakotah]

Before I got my Keurig, I had a Bunn coffee maker. It also made good coffee

and made a potful quickly. Before that, I had a Mr. Coffee and I liked that one, too.

I think they're all good.

[Pearly Shells]

If you can tell good coffee from bad, then here is definitely a difference in makers. You get what you pay for. Better makers heat water closer to the perfect temperature for brewing - 195F to 205F.

I love my Saeco fully automatic. It grinds whole beans, makes the espresso, and dumps the grinds in a side canister. It is just as easy as a Keurig, but the espresso tastes sooo much better. It also foams milk perfectly. Keurigs don't get the water hot enough. Anyway, how can one expect to have good coffee with pods that have been on the shelf for who knows how long when ground coffee should be used immediately? Even whole beans have a limited shelf life.

On weekends, I grind beans using a burr grinder and make coffee in my press pot. You can get a good press pot cheap.

For a less pricier coffee maker, I like Technivorm Mocca Master and Capresso. Always get a maker with a thermal carafe. Coffee should not be left in a glass pot - that just burns the coffee. At one point I replaced my broken Capresso with a Cuisinart, which I quickly replaced because it did not heat the water hot enough.

[ValuSkr]

I've had the same Braun for 30 years and it still makes good coffee. Of course it doesn't have the bells and whistles of today's models (clock, timer, internet connectivity, and God knows what else). But it's reliable and uses less electricity because it's not "on" all the time. I checked a few years back and Braun still makes this model. But it's probably made in China with lower quality than my German-made machine.