When our coffeemaker went belly-up after Christmas, i had no idea how difficult it would be to find a replacement. Reading reviews for coffeemakers is a waste of time because every Joe Brewer expects something different. For some it is (1) simply a drug delivery mechanism, for others it is a (2) topping on a mound of sugar and/or cream, and for yet another group it is a (3) hot morning wine. Those in the first two camps really skew the reviews because i believe they are the majority. Previously, i was a nomad roaming between the three camps; today i limit roaming to camps (1) and (3).
I've had a coffeemaker at work for more than three years that brews a consistent cup of coffee so i was pleasantly surprised to find the same/similar model on sale after Christmas. After a rebate, it would cost five bucks; however, after trying five(!) different coffeemakers and not being able to find one that worked properly, we gave up. The sad thing was that those units made fine coffee, but the electronic clock did not work.
I'm only interested in three features in a coffeemaker: coffee, 2 hour shut-off (for safety), and programmable start. The latter is actually not a hard requirement, but it is a feature i will use if available. However, without a working clock the two extra features are rendered worthless.
We decided to try another model from the same company because the coffee did turn out well. The new model had the same set of features, appeared just to be a new (poorer) design. Our first test yielded decent coffee and a working clock. Tests two and three yielded hot coffee leaking out on the kitchen counter. I could not identify the actual problem while trying to keep from getting scalded. We cleaned it out well and tried again, but still failure.
Black & Decker, we bid you farewell. Models tried: DCM2500 and DE755B
A friend was in the market for a coffeemaker too. He bought one, so i asked what he thought; his response:
it heats water up, and sends it through a basket of coffee grounds - and it looks like a robot, so those all fit the short term qualifications -- @jasonadamyoung
Can you sense the excitement of the new coffeemaker? Yeah, me too.
Earlier someone had given him some advice that i found most interesting:
Melita manual drip coffee cone. Even the cheapest makes the best coffee there is. http://tinyurl.com/2gp2b6 -- @rconlon
This was interesting because i actually had one! Never been used. Got it as a promo from Melitta. Additionally, i had received an
electric water kettle for Christmas (to make using the coffee press more convenient...and does it). She was right, it makes a great cup of joe.
So now we have a new coffeemaker at home; it happens to be the one from my office. It is good to have consistent coffee again.
At work i'll use the #2 Cone Melitta Perfect Brew Coffee Filter Holder (pictured above). The only question now is whether i need another electric kettle for the office...i'm thinking yes. :-)
