Holiday gifts - Bunn and Burr

omowasu · 01-19-2009, 10:03 PM

Over the holidays, my wife treated me to a couple gifts that really hit the mark. I was the recipient of a Bunn ThermoFresh brewer and a Capresso burr grinder.

The Bunn does make a fabulous cup of coffee, and the thermal carafe is a night-and-day difference from the heated glass coffee pots. The coffee is always brewed at 195-200 degrees (measured with a probe thermometer). The Bunn brews fast, and the coffee is definitely less bitter than a traditional, cheapo drip pot. Cleaning the Bunn is easy, and they provide excellent instructions on how to maintain the unit.

However, the Bunn is probably the least idiot-proof coffee maker I have seen. It is incredibly easy to douse your countertop with hot coffee. First, the Bunn brews lightning-fast (it holds hot water at temperature until needed), so if the grind is too fine, it is quite possible to overflow the filter basket. Second, the water receptacle has a lid with a triggered switch underneath. Closing the lid starts the flow of hot water. There is no "brew" button or otherwise. While this makes for a clean design, it is really easy to forget that the carafe has not been placed under the basket prior to closing the lid. Overall, I love the Bunn, but it needs to be used carefully!

The Capresso burr grinder has turned into a must-have... I can go from a coarse French Press grind to an ultrafine Turkish grind with a simple turn of the fixture and get consistent, repeatable results. The burr itself is easy to remove and clean, and replacement burrs are not expensive.

It was a good Christmas this year, and the gifts keep on giving. I think I may see a new Espresso machine in my future!

01-19-2009, 10:03 PM	#1
omowasu Fell ROTT Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Scott II Location: Chicago Posts: 288 Trading: (3)	Holiday gifts - Bunn and Burr Over the holidays, my wife treated me to a couple gifts that really hit the mark. I was the recipient of a Bunn ThermoFresh brewer and a Capresso burr grinder. The Bunn does make a fabulous cup of coffee, and the thermal carafe is a night-and-day difference from the heated glass coffee pots. The coffee is always brewed at 195-200 degrees (measured with a probe thermometer). The Bunn brews fast, and the coffee is definitely less bitter than a traditional, cheapo drip pot. Cleaning the Bunn is easy, and they provide excellent instructions on how to maintain the unit. However, the Bunn is probably the least idiot-proof coffee maker I have seen. It is incredibly easy to douse your countertop with hot coffee. First, the Bunn brews lightning-fast (it holds hot water at temperature until needed), so if the grind is too fine, it is quite possible to overflow the filter basket. Second, the water receptacle has a lid with a triggered switch underneath. Closing the lid starts the flow of hot water. There is no "brew" button or otherwise. While this makes for a clean design, it is really easy to forget that the carafe has not been placed under the basket prior to closing the lid. Overall, I love the Bunn, but it needs to be used carefully! The Capresso burr grinder has turned into a must-have... I can go from a coarse French Press grind to an ultrafine Turkish grind with a simple turn of the fixture and get consistent, repeatable results. The burr itself is easy to remove and clean, and replacement burrs are not expensive. It was a good Christmas this year, and the gifts keep on giving. I think I may see a new Espresso machine in my future!