I'm fond of some of the 'thicker' smokier coffees. Mocha Matari (while difficult to find) is among my favorites. Normal drip pots (including some expensive ones) don't provide the complexity of flavor I enjoy. (I suspect the water is too hot, the brewing cycle is too long, and the coffee is over-extracted.)
One of my daughters is a coffee fanatic. She brought me some Ethopian coffee that she insisted I just had to try. So I ground it up, brewed it with the Bunn, and tasted it. The coffee was great. But my daughter's comments were revealing. "This tastes so good at home, but so much better here. My birthday is coming up -I know what I want for a gift."
And that's basically what it comes down to. Even supermarket "100% Columbian" coffee tastes pretty good, better than it has any right to taste.
There are a couple of down-sides, though. It keeps the water hot all the time, and that means that the water evaporates over time. Get accustomed to brewing a pot a day, and if you brew two pots in a row, you'll get more water than you expect and the coffee will be thin. Go away for the weekend, and you'll have less water than you expected when you return. Also, the brewing does not over-extract the coffee compared to most other brewing machines, and that means that to get the strength of coffee you want, you'll probably want to use about 20% more coffee than what you're accustomed to. Also, the quick extraction seems to brew the coffee with less caffeine, so if coffee is something you use to get started after not enough sleep, and not something to savor, this may not be for you.
But what you get in return is something that doesn't just open your eyes, but that tastes better than you probably thought was possible. For my money, there is no second choice.
Also -stock up on the Bunn filter papers. They're deeper, and that's necessary to keep grounds from overflowing. The quick brew cycle means that there's more water in with the coffee than with typical coffee brewers, and standard filters can't contain all that water.
-R
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I've never reviewed an Amazon item before, but will give it a shot because this coffee-maker is so great.
I do a lot of research before buying any home products, including televisions, audio equipment, and even my toaster. I typically drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning, and 1-2 cups in the evening. I was looking for a coffee maker that recreated the coffee-house experience, as most home brewers do not taste as good as a fresh cup from an industrial brewer.
After much thought and reading lots of reviews, I decided to try the Bunn NHB despite complaints of weak flavor, cool coffee, and a higher price than most brewers given the relative paucity of features.
After about 5 months, I love it. My girlfriend loves it. We can't drink coffee from other home brewing machines now. We use Peet's Coffee Major Dickason blend primarily. It is true that you need more grounds for this machine. I use about 2/3 to 1 tablespoon of grounds per cup as labeled on the side of the decanter. Realize that it takes about 2 "cups" by this scale to fill a regular coffee mug. This machine brews quickly without over-extraction, so you trade grounds economy for flavor essentially.
As far as coffee heat, 200 degrees is hot enough for me, which the Bunn is preset to brew at. 12 degrees hotter and you have steam, right? The warming plate works well and cleans up easily, made of ceramic and not metal. Keep in mind that after more than 20 minutes on the plate, the coffee will start to taste bitter. So if you're the type to milk a pot for an hour or so, the stainless steel insulated one may be for you. Since I drink two mugs worth myself, the 3-4 tablespoon for 4 cup ratio is great for me. I wouldn't brew less than this at any given time, as the machine seems to have trouble brewing smaller volumes accurately. To reiterate another frequently addressed point, if you brew less than 2x per week, add more water than you anticipate to need, as evaporation of preheated water will occur. More than a week on vacation, and you should use the vacation mode switch discussed in other reviews.
A typical problem for some folks is overflow. I have not experienced this as long as I use the taller Bunn brand filters, using up to 8 tablespoons of grounds with the high-flow 3-minute brewing spray-head. The filters cost more than regular filters, but over a year this equals one frappacino, so I got over it.
An added perk is that you have an instant hot water source. I like to switch it up sometimes and have French press coffee. Of course you need a coarser grind for this, but you just pour the requisite amount of water in the top of this machine, and within a minute or two there's perfect temperature/volume water. I've even made a cup-o-noodles successfully, for you college folks living in a dorm who stay up all night.
One more reminder. There is no "on" or "make coffee" switch or button. When you slide open the top of the machine, you are committed. The instant you close the lid, hot water starts flowing. Never close the lid without both the filter holder and pot in place. By the way, clean-up is a breeze. I love the removable filter holder; just dump grounds plus filter in the trash without dripping on your kitchen floor. The whole thing cleans easily, and the black color doesn't show brown stains after long-time use.
Overall, a great machine if you want a great-tasting pot of coffee fast and you're willing to spend a little extra for it.
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I never take the time to write reviews, but this Coffee Maker deserves it!
I have purchased every high-end coffe maker out there over the past few years, and every one had issues of one kind or another.
This product is fantastic! Simple, with no bells and whistles. Just a great tasting cup of coffee in lightning time.
And it looks like it should last years with no problem.
Honest reviews on Bunn NHB Professional Home Brewer, Black
Everything about this coffee maker should be excellent. It brews extraordinarily fast and it brews the most consistent cup of coffee I've ever had. All good, right?
Well, that's the problem with this coffee maker: is that it makes the exact same cup of coffee every time, just like the Bunn's I use in my restaurant background. So if you want a really strong cup of coffee, forget it. In fact regardless of how much you vary from your grind or amount, the coffee tastes exactly the same in 3 minutes. (which, frankly is amazing).
So this coffee maker is for a person who wants a medium, no-fuss cup of coffee. If you're looking for coffee with a lot of body and strength, I'd suggest another model.
PS. the 3 minute brew time is amazing.
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I like this machine. It keeps the next pot of coffee water hot using a low power heater in the tank in waiting for you to start the next brew cycle. The coffee basket is so easy to access, the basket filters are easy to fill (unlike some cone or swivel baskets) and easy to empty. I just pour in the new water (I do 5 cups at a time), put the carafe in place and activate the warmer plate ... in less than 2 minutes the coffee is completely done. Bunn's customer service is excellent, I called for a restricter to slow down the coffee brewer so I can get a stronger result and it arrived within a few days no questions asked.
One more thing, this machine makes coffee well, that's it. It doesn't beep at you, it doesn't tell the time, it doesn't need a programming guide, it just makes coffee. That's all I want from my coffee maker!
