Need coffee maker suggestions
 

Hi, we're looking for a coffee maker with these specs:

-- Stainless steel water tank
-- Stainless steel basket holder
-- Stainless steel thermal carafe (no heat plate)
-- Copper tubing water transport

In other words, one made with as little plastic as possible.

Thanks in advance for any leads.

Check the google archives as you are not the 1st to ask this question. IIRC,
the Zojirushi was one of the machines that has less plastic than most, but I
dont' think there's an electric machine that is truly plastic free at all
points. Your best best is a Chemex or a porcelain Melitta cone. Personally I
find electric autodrips to be of really limited value - I put them in the
same category as electric can openers where a good quality manual device is
just as easy to use as the electric appliance. You should also note that the
plastics used in coffee makers are quite safe so that you are on a fool's
errand in seeking a plastic free machine. Even if you found one, your water
has come to you in a plastic jug or been thru plastic pipes at some point.



"Rick" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Hi, we're looking for a coffee maker with these specs:
>
> -- Stainless steel water tank
> -- Stainless steel basket holder
> -- Stainless steel thermal carafe (no heat plate)
> -- Copper tubing water transport
>
> In other words, one made with as little plastic as possible.
>
> Thanks in advance for any leads.
>
>

Thanks Jack. We used to think plastics were ok, until a friend
told us to try brewing a pot of coffee without coffee or a filter.

Yuck. That's when we realized we were essentially drinking
plastic every morning.

As for your other point, we use water bottled in glass. Again
for the same reason -- water bottled in plastic tastes like plastic.

"Jack Denver" > wrote in message ...
> Check the google archives as you are not the 1st to ask this question. IIRC,
> the Zojirushi was one of the machines that has less plastic than most, but I
> dont' think there's an electric machine that is truly plastic free at all
> points. Your best best is a Chemex or a porcelain Melitta cone. Personally I
> find electric autodrips to be of really limited value - I put them in the
> same category as electric can openers where a good quality manual device is
> just as easy to use as the electric appliance. You should also note that the
> plastics used in coffee makers are quite safe so that you are on a fool's
> errand in seeking a plastic free machine. Even if you found one, your water
> has come to you in a plastic jug or been thru plastic pipes at some point.
>
>
>
> "Rick" > wrote in message
> link.net...
> > Hi, we're looking for a coffee maker with these specs:
> >
> > -- Stainless steel water tank
> > -- Stainless steel basket holder
> > -- Stainless steel thermal carafe (no heat plate)
> > -- Copper tubing water transport
> >
> > In other words, one made with as little plastic as possible.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any leads.
> >
> >
>
>

I agree with most of your feelings on plastic, two suggestions:

here is the best item for making coffee I have found, it makes way better
coffee than a drip coffee maker, and your coffee never touches anything but
stainless!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...l/-/B00009ADDS

or another good one is:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...l/-/B00005YY9X


PS - there is one type of plastic than you can't taste in bottled water -
the "clear plastic" type where the bottle is crystal clear

We grind our own beans and can never manage to get the
right size for a French press. Invariably we wind up with
either too coarse or too fine a grind.

If we're going to use something manual it'll be a simple steel
or ceramic funnel not a French press.

"cowboy" > wrote in message ...
> I agree with most of your feelings on plastic, two suggestions:
>
> here is the best item for making coffee I have found, it makes way better
> coffee than a drip coffee maker, and your coffee never touches anything but
> stainless!
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...l/-/B00009ADDS
>
> or another good one is:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...l/-/B00005YY9X
>
>
> PS - there is one type of plastic than you can't taste in bottled water -
> the "clear plastic" type where the bottle is crystal clear
>
>

In article .net>,
"Rick" > wrote:

> We grind our own beans and can never manage to get the
> right size for a French press. Invariably we wind up with
> either too coarse or too fine a grind.
>
> If we're going to use something manual it'll be a simple steel
> or ceramic funnel not a French press.

Why not haunt eBay looking for a Nicro stainless steel vac-pot? They're
forgiving in terms of grind size, they take almost unlimited banging
around, they make coffee almost as good as a glass vac (I am at odds
here with Mr. Denver, I know), and plastic never touches the water. If
you find one that doesn't have the filter, you can subsititute a Cory
filter rod and it will do a decent job. They also can be found in
varying sizes; I found one at a thrift store that makes almost two
quarts and I found one on eBay that makes two mugs' worth. The only
thing you're missing is the thermal carafe, and you can get one of those
cheaply just about anywhere.

--
Dep

"Always tell the truth. It's the easiest thing to remember." --David Mamet
--------
"Truth is just truth. You can't have opinions about truth."--Peter Schickele

You are? I really like my Nicro and use it more than the Cory that I'm
always fearful of breaking. I don't really detect any difference in taste,
but I do miss being able to see the show.



"Buck Turgidson" > wrote in message
...
> In article .net>,
> "Rick" > wrote:
>
> Why not haunt eBay looking for a Nicro stainless steel vac-pot? They're
> forgiving in terms of grind size, they take almost unlimited banging
> around, they make coffee almost as good as a glass vac (I am at odds
> here with Mr. Denver, I know),

In article >,
"Jack Denver" > wrote:

> You are? I really like my Nicro and use it more than the Cory that I'm
> always fearful of breaking. I don't really detect any difference in taste,
> but I do miss being able to see the show.


My problem with the Nicro is that my coffee has a more pronounced
"cooked" flavor. I can't seem to hit the sweet-spot combination of flame
height and length of brew that will provide full flavor without
overextraction and/or cooked flavor. My glass Silex is a lot more
forgiving.




> "Buck Turgidson" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article .net>,
> > "Rick" > wrote:
> >
> > Why not haunt eBay looking for a Nicro stainless steel vac-pot? They're
> > forgiving in terms of grind size, they take almost unlimited banging
> > around, they make coffee almost as good as a glass vac (I am at odds
> > here with Mr. Denver, I know),

--
Dep

"Always tell the truth. It's the easiest thing to remember." --David Mamet
--------
"Truth is just truth. You can't have opinions about truth."--Peter Schickele

Jack Denver writes:
> Personally I find electric autodrips to be of really limited
> value - I put them in the same category as electric can openers
> where a good quality manual device is just as easy to use as
> the electric appliance.

I assumed this was true until I started using a Braun KF187 shortly
after moving. Most of my things were 1000 miles away, and this machine
was available, the price was right ...

Coincidentally, I just ordered a replacement carafe even though my
Bodum and Chemex are close at hand. I like them for different reasons.
The machine's strength is consistency. When testing other differences
(e.g. grinder setting), it's important to control water temperature and
pouring technique, the latter being especially important when freshly
roasted beans are used.

The Braun squirts hot water through a single hole onto the grounds.
Some people believe this is an inferior design, but I'm not convinced.
The flow is comparable to what you might achieve when pouring water
into a Chemex filter, and replacing this intermittent stream with
several smaller ones could lead to more heat loss. I suspect that you'd
get better results by covering the grounds with a perforated plate like
the one that braces the screen of a Bodum. The plate might also help
control blooming. I've been meaning to try this for a while, and will
definitely do so tomorrow. (My Chemex fits the Braun perfectly :-)

I should mention that this model is no longer produced, and that mine
was free. I don't think I'd pay US$50 for it.


Felix

HI, Felix,
You can still get that consistent performance of the discontinued Braun
KF-187 coffeemaker in the machine which preceeded it and was still in the
current lineup as of three months ago, the KF-180. The main difference
between the two is that the KF-180 does not have the carbon granule
cartridge type water filter, nor the recessed area where it would go, and it
may also lack the KF-187's adjustable 1-to-4-hour adjustment for when the
warmer plate shuts off after brewing. Other than those two features, it is
the same basic machine.

The last samples of the KF-187 were made in Mexico. A little over a year
ago, I found a KF-187 in a Goodwill Thrift store for $6. It was old enough
that the claimed source of that sample was, "Made in Germany". Other than
being incredibly dusty, the unit was in fine condition, and had all its
parts, including a water filter cartridge, the unbroken carafe, the filter
basket, and the Braun Gold-tone metal filter. After a thorough cleaning
inside and out with vinegar and water, and a good wiping down of the case
and other parts with vinegar-dampened cloth, the macine performed exactly as
I would expect a KF-187 to perform.

That series of Braun automatic drip coffeemakers, the KF-147, KF-152,
KF-157, KF-180, KF-185, and KF-187, and KF-190 is still my favorite line of
drip coffeemakers for several reasons, not the least of which is their
sample-to-sample quality consistency over something like 15 years of
production, whether made in Germany or in Mexico.

Experience so far tells me that I can't say the same thing about some more
recent models, such as the Kitchen Aid machines, or even models like the
Presto, and the Melitta/Salton Clarity, to name just a few.

Brent Reynolds, Atlanta, GA USA
Email: Phone: 1-404-814-0768

Brent Reynolds ) writes:
> You can still get that consistent performance of the discontinued
> Braun KF-187 coffeemaker in the machine which preceeded it and was
> still in the current lineup as of three months ago, the KF-180.

Amazon charges the same $50 that I wasn't willing to pay for the
discontinued model.

> The last samples of the KF-187 were made in Mexico. A little
> over a year ago, I found a KF-187 in a Goodwill Thrift store for
> $6. It was old enough that the claimed source of that sample was,
> "Made in Germany".

That's what mine says. $6 is a great price; a replacement carafe costs
twice that and I read that the original ones are sturdier. On the other
hand, I dislike the filter holder for several reasons. Overall, as Jack
said, the machine isn't especially convenient to use.

It's strange seeing you here after buying that Ditting from you last
year. I've been neglecting it, but now that my other one's on its way
out the door, I might find time to remove the burrs and send them to
Albert, hopefully before it's too late.


Felix

On 2005-07-04 said:
Newsgroups: rec.food.drink.coffee,alt.coffee
Brent Reynolds ) writes:
> You can still get that consistent performance of the discontinued
> Braun KF-187 coffeemaker in the machine which preceeded it and
>was still in the current lineup as of three months ago, the
KF-180.
Amazon charges the same $50 that I wasn't willing to pay for the
discontinued model.
> The last samples of the KF-187 were made in Mexico. A little
> over a year ago, I found a KF-187 in a Goodwill Thrift store for
> $6. It was old enough that the claimed source of that sample was,
> "Made in Germany".
That's what mine says. $6 is a great price; a replacement carafe
costs twice that and I read that the original ones are sturdier.

I don't think the original carafe was actually any sturdier than the newer
ones. The newer one has a thinner lid and the glas tapers all the way to
the top giving more of a waist to the front profile of the machine,
mirroring the downward tapering of the filter basket. The original carafe
had was they called something like an aroma shield of something like that.
There was a plastic collar around the top part of the glass carafe and a
hingued flap covered the pouring spout. On the newer carafe, the pouring
spout was shaped better so that you could easily pour the coffee into even a
small cup without it dribbling beyond the channel in the spout the way the
older design does. I've never broken either carafe design. Braun and Krups
have always seemed to have the sturdiest glass in their carafes.


On
the other hand, I dislike the filter holder for several reasons.
Overall, as Jack said, the machine isn't especially convenient to
use.

While the drip stop design in the filter basket looks unnecessarily
complicated, it is the best design I've seen for actually doing what its
name implies, stopping the drip, when you remove the carafe before brewing
stops to pour off some coffee, or when you swing the basket out from under
the cover to give the brew a little stir to help mix the coffee and the
water.

NOw, your next bit here somewhat baffles me. Maybe you're cornfoosing me
with somebody else:

It's strange seeing you here after buying that Ditting from you last
year. I've been neglecting it, but now that my other one's on its
way out the door, I might find time to remove the burrs and send
them to Albert, hopefully before it's too late.

I've never owned a Ditting product, grinder or otherwise, so I could not
have been the one who sold one to you. The closest thing I have to a
Ditting grinder might be the GrindMaster model 875B I bought used a couple
years ago. I'd probably actually be game to sell that beast.


Brent Reynolds, Atlanta, GA USA
Email: Phone: 1-404-814-0768

Brent ) writes:
> While the drip stop design in the filter basket looks unnecessarily
> complicated, it is the best design I've seen for actually doing what
> its name implies, stopping the drip, when you [...]

I dislike the protrusion that diverts water outside the filter. The
valve that controls this stream works well enough, but the protrusion
obstructs the perforated disc I'm using for bloom control, and I think
this feature is pointless. I also suspect that most of the coffee exits
the filter holder via the side holes instead of the bottom. This aspect
of the design makes it difficult to thoroughly clean the filter holder
without disassembling it.

> NOw, your next bit here somewhat baffles me. Maybe you're
> cornfoosing me with somebody else:

Obviously; I must be getting old.


Felix

On 2005-07-06 said:
Newsgroups: rec.food.drink.coffee,alt.coffee
Brent ) writes:
> While the drip stop design in the filter basket looks
>unnecessarily complicated, it is the best design I've seen for
>actually doing what its name implies, stopping the drip, when
you [...]
I dislike the protrusion that diverts water outside the filter. The
valve that controls this stream works well enough, but the
protrusion obstructs the perforated disc I'm using for bloom
control, and I think this feature is pointless.

I agree with you, I think it's pointless, but even in this group, where was
a small debate about whether you preserved some subtle aspect of flavor if
you diverted water outside the coffee filter as opposed to just varying the
amount of coffee or the amount of water to get variations in "brew
strength". In the filter basket of my KF-157, I solved that problem through
surgery. Take any small knife, or other similar cutting device with a
small, thin, slightly flexible, very sharp blade, and you can cut out that
little protrusion, opening up that portion of the filter basket for
something like, a larger-diameter no. 4 permanent filter. Then, you can use
the "FlavorSelect" brew-strength control valve to have one or two drip holes
to saturate the coffee.

I also suspect that
most of the coffee exits the filter holder via the side holes
instead of the bottom. This aspect of the design makes it difficult
to thoroughly clean the filter holder without disassembling it.

LIke I say often, no design is perfect. That's one thing I also don't like
about the design, but you can get around that for the most part by adjusting
the fineness of your coffee grind. I guess it might also be possible to
actually plug those little slits, but I have not made any attempt to do
that, and probably won't.

Hang around this group even a little while and
you'll find people willing to make all sorts of modifications, even to
expensive machines, to get even very small increments of improvements,
whether they are actually real or just perceived, or even just hoped for, in
the quality of the resulting grind, or brew.


Brent Reynolds, Atlanta, GA USA
Email: Phone: 1-404-814-0768

All enclosed water containers used for brewing will develop a smell
regardless of material. Are you sure you do not like Turkish coffee or
moka? The containers are open - but watch for the stainless moka
brewers that have crannies where you cannot wipe dry the water.

All enclosed containers used for water brewing will develop a smell
regardless of material. Are you sure you do not like Turkish coffee or
moka? The containers are open - but watch for the stainless moka
brewers that have crannies which you cannot wipe dry.