Chemex. If you don't go for the handblown ones it's inexpensive. You probably already own a tea kettle. You can control the water temperature. And they look nice. Another bonus, it's a snap to clean up compared to the Grind and Brew. For more convenience if you don't mind spending a few more bucks, get an electric cordless kettle. |
Does anybody have experience with the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Coffeemaker? I am thinking of getting it for my wife, who loves the coffee I make for her with the espresso machine (that she got me for Xmas) but will never bother to figure out how to fiddle with all the bits to make coffee for herself. I was thinking of getting one of the Melitta/Salton drip makers, but that still leaves the whole grinding business for her to deal with. If the Grind & Brew is even a half-decent drip maker, it would make it possible for her to enjoy fresh roasted coffee when I'm absent or under the weather. Please let me know if any of you use or have used this machine. Thanks in general to a remarkable information source - this list! Gene Smith riding the wild learning curve, in Houston |
My sister bought one and hated it. She used it for a few months and scrapped it. I never even got a chance to taste any of the brew made in the Cuisinart. |
Well, I guess I'll de-lurk and throw in my two cents worth. (Oh, and Hi all!) I got the Grind & Brew about 2 years ago as a Christmas present. I used it on a (almost) daily basis until about 2 months ago (when someone gave me a Hamilton Beach BrewStation). I used it to make my morning "drive to work" mug. It's easy to use (pour in water, add beans to grinder, press button, and wait...) and produces a good cup for a drip maker. The only two negative points I have with the machine are: 1. The grind is not adjustable and is quite coarse. If you use a gold filter (as I do), that results in a fair amount of sediment in the cup. The grinder is also loud; much louder than my countertop grinder. You can use pre-ground coffee but you must manually turn off the grinder before each brew cycle. 2. It is a bear to clean. During brewing, steam creeps into all areas, including the grinder which results in...well...a soggy mess. The "guts" are all removable but you must take it all apart and clean between each use. Hope this helps. And again, Hi all! Been reading for almost a year now but have just never posted before. Lee (aka "Leevis") Gene Smith wrote: <Snip> |
On Dec 8, 2004, at 4:37pm, Larry Palletti wrote: <Snip> Isn't that a little weak? I use 8 scoops (64-72 g) for an 8 cup (32 oz.) press pot. Maybe that's why it takes me longer than everyone else to grind my coffee in a Zassenhaus. John Blumel |
I'm pretty sure that the Cuisinart Grind & Brew is what a friend has. It's really pretty, got a stainless steel look to it, but it is a horrible coffee-making device. The one he has grinds beans with a built-in whirly-blade grinder, which does a terrible job even for a whirly-blade grinder. It somehow leaves a number of beans whole and many more only shattered in large pieces. I cleaned it a couple time when I was staying with them and it is horrible to clean. I don't know what it cost, but I imagine it was quite expensive. Brian At 04:48 PM 12/8/2004 -0500, you wrote: <Snip> |
Hi Gene, we have one in storage. It has a blade type grinder. We bought it a while ago to replce a melita grind n brew which died. The melita was terrible to clean, and the cuisinart is a bit easier. We shelved it when we bought a decent grinder. Hope this helps, PeterZ On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 11:10:56 -1000, Barry Luterman wrote: <Snip> |
I was thinking my grind-n-brew works pretty well. But the criticisms above ARE all true... It gets wet every brew, pain to clean, I find myself grinding 3 trays in my zass and dumping them in - avoiding the whirly gig. BUT - now I know I have a problem, cause everyday I come home from work to find my wife has run a pot in my Cory Vacuum brewer (and I missed it). She says that the Zass and the Cory are unbeatable... So - I now have a CSA wife, but need a better drip maker... That Technivorm is pricey, but I hear it's siren song calling.... Cheers, Brett On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 17:34:32 -0500, Larry Palletti wr= ote: <Snip> to <Snip> ve <Snip> l <Snip> 's <Snip> e. <Snip> out <Snip> e a <Snip> the <Snip> 't <Snip> ribes) go tohttp://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip> -- Regards, Brett Mason HomeRoast __]_ _(( )_ Please don't spill the coffee! |
On Dec 8, 2004, at 3:15pm, Gene Smith wrote: <Snip> Despite the somewhat negative feedback on the G&B, I have seen some very positive reviews of the G&B's sibling that is without the grinder. (If I remember correctly, AlChemist John has one that he's very happy with.) Surely Gene, if your wife can handle you, she can handle a little grinding as a prelude to brewing. John Blumel |
<Snip> Umm...how to put this...it's dealing with the coffee in *addition* to handling me that's the problem, John. Gene Smith riding the wild learning curve, in Houston |
I have the Cuisinart Brew Central - no grinder, just drip brewer. I'm very happy with it - contains a charcoal water filter, adjustable hot plate (low, med., high), you can set the time that you want the hot plate on (1-4 hours, I think), and it has a time/clock. My only suggested change would be to get a Swiss Gold filter from SweetMaria's instead of using the basket that comes with it. I usually grind enough the night before (I know, I know) for about 4 cups so that there's fresh coffee when I wake up. Brent Roastingin an SC/TO For drip, moka, and presspot brew <Snip> |
Does anybody have experience with the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Coffeemaker? Gene, I used a Grind &Brew for a time, when they first came out. I agree with the consensus, grinder was noisy and inconsistent, unit hard to clean; doubt that the temperature was high enough, as I recall the coffee wasn't exceptional, at all. "Graduated" to a Capresso "Team Luxe"; grinder was a "burr" grinder, unit also had a "water filter" (charcoal), it definitley didn't heat to high enough temp. We use a Technivorm with either the Mazzer Mini grinder or usually a Solis Maestro+; wife drinks "brewed", I usually drink "Americano's" from the "Tea". (A "Tea" for coffee!??) I believe there really is merit to a 200 degree+ brewer; just for my taste, the higher temp makes all the difference. The Melitta Clarity supposedly meets this standard, as well as the Technivorm. I believe it has been mentioned that there is discussion of same on "GoffeeGeek". -- Jeff B jeff.braman |
Thank you all for your insights. Since the whole point for the lady of the house was to have a push-button cup of coffee, I think it doesn't fill the bill all that well. Also, the 'difficult to clean & must be cleaned out every time' aspects put the lid on it. It would sit there until either the next pot of coffee was wanted, or I decided to check if it needed cleaning out. Non-optimal. Combined with all the other caveats, I think I'll pass. It's available for fifty bucks, but I think I'd be much better off with a twenty-dollar Technivorm wannabe. Again, thanks for the excellent advice. Gene Smith riding the wild learning curve, in Houston |
I will try not to go there that it is a whirly blade :-) I have see to in operation and where as my Brew Central from Cuisinart brews properly hot, the Grind and Brew did not. I can verify this, but I also recall it would not fit the "proper" amount of coffee for a pot. Sometime around 12:15 12/8/2004, Gene Smith typed: <Snip> -- John Nanci AlChemist at large Zen Roasting , Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.dreamsandbones.net/blog/http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/ |
Nope, mine is a Cuisinart Brew Central. Didn't like the reviews of the G&B and lack of a burr grinder. Sometime around 14:59 12/8/2004, John Blumel typed: <Snip> -- John Nanci AlChemist at large Zen Roasting , Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.dreamsandbones.net/blog/http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/ |
Krups appears to have dropped the Grind & Brew machine we have - The 'Aro= ma Time' is (I think) the name of it. It's also a whirly blade grinder, but it uses a clever trick to get a fai= rly good grind: the bottom of the 'grinding chamber' is a perforated plate. As soon as the whirly blade knocks off a chunk small enough to fit throu= gh the hole, it drops into the brewing basket. Cuts down on the amount of dust generated. We chose the Krups over the Cuisinart because the Krups automatically cle= ans the grinder when it brews. Another semi-clever bit - as the water runs out, the last bit is heated to steam and routed through the grinding cham= ber. User cleanup is pretty much just opening it up to clean the brew basket with two minor additions - pop out that perfed plate to rinse it, and lea= ve the top open for a few minutes to let it dry out. Downsides: takes a while to make coffee. Having a timer, that's not a bi= g deal for the morning pot but it does come into play if you want to make a pot later in the day. Plus, the grinder just runs for a set time - abo= ut a minute. Sounds like a siren after the beans run out, but that does hel= p it work as an alarm clock. Not too bad a cup of coffee over all, but we pretty much stopped using it= two years ago when my wife got me a super-auto expresso machine (Capresso= 1000 because we could go pick it up). Enjoy! Steve :->http://www.cafepress.com/stevespics<- My little store of Impressionist">http://www.svandyke.com<- My simple websitehttp://www.cafepress.com/stevespics<- My little store of Impressionist & Special Event photography |
On Dec 9, 2004, at 9:04am, AlChemist John wrote: <Snip> I think we are referring to the same machine. Doesn't the Brew Central have styling similar to the Grind and Brew? John Blumel |
Krupps stopped making that machine. It had a Ford problem (frequency of repair daily) It did make a decent cup of coffee when it worked. |
I looked at both of these before settling on the Brew Central. It appeared to me that the Grind & Brew was the same as the Brew Central, but with a grinder on it. I stayed away from it because folks said the grinder was extremely loud. This was before discovering homeroasting, so now am very glad to have made the grinder-free choice. The Brew Central works very well for a home drip coffeemaker. Brent <Snip> |
--- Gene Smith wrote: This is a terrible machine. You can't control the grind size at all. I have a Mellita that is much better, called something like Mill and Brew, cheaper too. <Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip>">http://lists.sweetmarias.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast<Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip> |
OK - Now I am committed to replacing my Grind-N-Brew. But I am requesting your help... I can't shell out for the Technivorm (I have 7 kids, 1 wife, 1 job, etc.) I am looking for a coffee maker which uses proper temperatures for brewing... Can you please recommend based on your experience for a replacement brewer? I will use my Zass mill to get the coffee prepared properly.... Thank you, Brett |
Brett, You can find a lot of consumer comments on various coffee makers (and other coffee-related equipment) in the Forums athttp://www.coffeegeek.com . It's a great source for researching your next purchase. Terry -- Terry Stockdale -- Baton Rouge, LA http://www.terrystockdale.comAt 12:49 PM 12/9/2004, you wrote: <Snip> |
Gene- I have one of the Cuisinart G & B. I find it unacceptable. There are two big problems that I have noticed. One is that the grinder design is poor so that lots of big chunks are sent to the brewing basket. Its like using a whirly blade grinder with the top off, beans, ground or not, are thrown from the grinding area. The other problem is that the drip head does not evenly wet the grounds. After brewing, there are still dry patches in the brewing basket. I don't think that is a good thing. I have a Cuisinart Coffee central and like it but have not used the G & B for months. Hope this helps. Cheers Jim Jordan Newly retired and loving it in KC --- AlChemist John wrote: <Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip> |
Bodum Solaris $45 from SMhttp://www.hariousa.com/ncafilterset.html Best bet IMO">http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.brewers.vacuum.shtmlAdd a Hario filter for about $ 8.40http://www.hariousa.com/ncafilterset.html Best bet IMO |
Brett - I have used the Cuisinart Brew Central for a couple of years. It does great for brewing drip coffee (timer, low/med/hi hot plate, charcoal water filter, an extra "hot" button to heat up the water to the appropriate temp if you're brewing less than 4 cups, and it will let you know when it needs cleaned). Only "mod" I'd recommend is using a Swissgold basket instead of the one it comes with. Also, there were several posts yesterday for a drip brewer that was like the Technivorm, but only about $20. If you check yesterday's messages in the archive, you'll come across it. Brent Roasting in an SC/TO For drip, moka, and presspot brew <Snip> |
This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. Actually, I found the "hand-blown" Chemexes (Chemexi?) to be far less expensive than the machine-made version. Each individual carafe costs = less for the machine-made version, but they are thin-walled and break if you = look at them cross-eyed. On the other hand, I've never broken a = "hand-blown" carafe. And with seven kids, I suspect that the OP needs robustness. -- Rick ---- 12/9/2004 12:28:29 PM Partly Cloudy in San Diego, CA 64°F (17°C) - 63% RH Wind From the North Northwest at 12 mph (12:28:28) ICBM: N 32° 43' 05" W 117° 10' 02" Now Playing: Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Agents Of = Fortune - 1976 <Snip> <Snip> ************************************************************************= ** The information transmitted herewith is sensitive information intended = only for use by the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If the = reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified = that any review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, copying or = other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from your computer. |
I am leaning toward the Salton Clarity mentioned earlier - similar
thinking to the Technivorm, and if I'm wrong it cost me $20 to
play.... Anybody have one of these? What can you say about them?
[btw - the 7 kids are growing up, and it was ME that cracked the Upper
globe of my Cory... :-( ]
Thanks,
Brett
On Thu, 9 Dec 2004 14:05:10 -0800, Rick.Farris
wrote:
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Regards,
Brett Mason
HomeRoast
__]_
_(( )_ Please don't spill the coffee! |
http://groups-beta.google.com/groups?q=salton+clarity&qt_s=Search+GroupsA bit on down the page there is a "Melitta" Clarity review. And here are the mods:http://www.homeroaster.com/tedmod.htmlRespectfully, Rich Adams |
Brett, A press pot always does a good job and they are not expensive. Brett Mason wrote: <Snip> -- Ben Treichel Program Manager S.E Michigan SwRI 248-232-7365 (o) 248-935-6845 (m) |
Brett Mason wrote: <Snip> Its a winner, follow the mods that Rich is pointing out. <Snip> -- Ben Treichel Program Manager S.E Michigan SwRI 248-232-7365 (o) 248-935-6845 (m) |
I don't really know what the G&B looks like. Sorry. Sometime around 07:39 12/9/2004, John Blumel typed: <Snip> -- John Nanci AlChemist at large Zen Roasting , Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.dreamsandbones.net/blog/http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/ |