BUNN MCU Single Cup Multi-Use Brewer

I purchased this Bunn My Café MCU brewer to replace my problematic Keurig B70 machine, and I am very pleased with it here on day one. I felt the same way with my B70 when I got it, however, after a few months, and ongoing failures, those machines have been nothing but problems. As this was a replacement for my Keurig machine, I will be comparing this new Bunn My Café MCU machine to the old Keurig.

First, everyone hates instruction manuals, but take the time to read the first few pages. It will only take a few minutes, and it makes it easier to understand which drawer works with the different formats.

Out of the box, this brewer is a bit different as it uses drawers for the different coffee brewing formats. It can use K-Cups, pods, tea bags, and ground coffee. The different drawers provide that functionality. On page 4 of my manual, it shows a picture of each drawer, and their purpose. It can also provide hot water to mix with hot chocolate or oatmeal in the morning.

The Bunn My Café MCU does not have all the bells and whistles that the Keurig machine has. While I would appreciate having some of those features, I would rather have a machine that actually works and isn't always broken. The features the Bunn My Café MCU does NOT have are:

No storage reservoir. Like the B70, it has the internal tank, so brewing a cup is quick. However, you need to pour in the desired amount of water into the top each time you make a cup of coffee. The amount you pour in will control how much is pumped out.

There is no automatic on/off time. The unit is always on, but automatically sets back after six (6) hours of no use. After twenty-six (26) hours of no use, it goes to sleep. Later when you go to use it, it automatically wakes up, and returns to normal temperature.

The internal water temperature is set to 200°F. The only adjustment is for high altitudes above 4000 feet.

The Bunn My Café MCU requires an initial setup before you can brew your coffee. The brewer has an internal hot water tank that needs filled. They provide step by step instructions on page 3. You will need to add a few cups of water overall to get it filled. Once filled, it will begin to heat the water in the tank. This takes a few minutes, and the brew button turns a solid red. Red usually means problems, but now, it is just heating the water for the first time. Once heated, it will turn green, and it is ready to go.

Some notes:

The Bunn My Café MCU brewer makes a bit more noise compared with the B70 when brewing, but nothing objectionable.

The drawer for the K-Cups is easy to use. Inside, it has a handle that you may want to pull towards you. I have found that it works best if pulled more straight up first.

Unlike the B70, you can also use soft pods and tea bags. The ground coffee drawer is also nicer to use compared with the older basket I used in the B70.

This machine is probably only 2/3rd's the size of the Keurig. Overall, it is a nice size on the counter.

One feature the Bunn My Café MCU has that the B70 does not is a Pulse mode. This brews at a slower speed to extract a stronger, bolder flavor from the coffee or tea. I used this feature with one of my Columbian K-cups, and the coffee actually has a better, smoother flavor.

As for the warranty, the Bunn My Café MCU has a two (2) year warranty, compared with the B70's one year warranty. I have used Bunn commercial systems in restaurants for years, and they have been one of the most reliable appliances. I am hoping that same dedication to quality will exist in this home use machine too. As time goes on, I will update this review if I have any issues with this new Bunn My Café MCU brewer.

As a side note. This unit has been on back order from Amazon for some time now. I found it locally, and purchased it from a local retailer.

Update December 2012

After a month or so, I have had no problems with the Bunn. The only feature I have missed is that the Bunn does not have a water reservoir. Also, my tall 7½" insulated travel mugs do not fit in it for brewing. The largest mug that you can put in when using the K-Cup drawer is about 4 3/4" with the drip tray. Pull out the drip tray, and you can get a 6" mug in. If you use some of the other optional drawers, like the hot water one, you can get a slightly larger mug in. Right now, I have a 2 cup Pyrex glass measuring cup that sits with the coffee maker that I use to fill it. And when I need my travel mugs, I just brew into that cup and pour it into the mug. However, in no way would these missing features make me go back to the Keurig. I works every time, and heats hotter and faster.

Since my initial review, I have used the drawer for ground coffee. I purchased a new bag of Starbucks Sumatra beans, grind them myself as needed, and works well. It took a few tries to get the perfect setting in my Burr grinder to get it just the way I like it. I like my coffee dark and strong. I ground it a bit finer compared to what you normally get in pre-ground coffee. I did that too with the Keurig when I first got it. Bought the extra do it yourself pod for the Keurig, but could never get anything really good out of it. I'm guessing it's just because the Keurig does not get as hot as the Bunn machine.

It's only been a month or so since I got the Bunn, but so far, no disappointments, and very satisfied!

I did my homework and researched all of the single cup brewers. After spending a lot of time reading, I decided what I really wanted was the My Cafe MCU. Had to wait for the release, but pre-ordered it on Amazon. So very glad that I waited, it was well worth it. Bunn sent 4 sample pods with the coffee and I found that if you used the pulse option with the brew that they make a good 14 oz. cup of coffee. I also have used my own ground coffee and, I don't know how Bunn did it, but the bitterness that was in the coffee when I used my multi-cup coffee maker was gone. I don't know if I'll be using the K-Cups, they're very pricey and I don't really need them, maybe for a party, but right now I'm happy with the pods and ground coffee.

I was used to having a larger cup of coffee in the morning and I thought that only being able to brew 14 oz. was going to mean that I would have to brew a second cup, but it was more than enough. As I sat with coffee and took the last sip, I realized that this was the first time in a long time that I had actually finished my morning coffee. If I wanted, it would only take a minute or so to have another fresh cup.

The only down side that I see, is that I now need a shorter travel mug. When using the ground coffee attachment, the clearance is only about 7" and that's a lot shorter than the travel mugs I have now. That being said, I love the My Cafe MCU.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely, I recommend this to anyone who loves a GREAT cup of coffee!

UPDATE: Found this on Amazon: Contigo Autoseal Randolph Stainless Steel Travel Mug Vacuum Insulated, 16-Ounce and it works perfectly with the My Cafe MCU!

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I purchased this to replace my problematic Cuisinart Keurig brewer. Received the brewer today from Amazon. (ordered mid October before it was released) I followed the setup instructions and ran a few cycles before doing a side by side taste test with the Cuisinart. I brewed two 10oz cups, one with the Cuisinart and one with the Bunn, using the same variety of K-cup (Green Mountain Dark Magic) For the first test, I used the regular brew on the Bunn, not the pulse brew. The coffee from the Bunn was hotter after brewing than the Cuisinart, it was also more aromatic, and had a fuller flavor with no bitterness. The Cuisinart brew was a bit flat in flavor compared to the Bunn, and had just a touch of bitterness. I haven't tried the other trays for pods/tea bags or ground coffee/loose tea yet, but so far, it definitely makes a better cuppa joe than the Cuisinart.

Pulse brew produces a richer cup with still no hint of bitterness. I like the fact that on pulse or regular, it does a pre-burst to wet the grounds. It will also make anywhere from 4-14 oz of coffee. My Keuring would only go up to 12 oz, although there is probably not enough coffee in your typical K-cup to brew a 14oz cup, the option to use the ground coffee tray to hold up to 20 grams of ground coffee will greatly increase my options.

Now I can finally get rid of the partially dismantled Cuisinart I have been using. I have taken that thing apart so many times to fix it, it was becoming a pain, so I would just leave it partially dismantled so I could directly rap on the valves when it started acting up again.

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Just picked this up two weeks ago and I love it. Have had four single cup coffee makers in the past: two Keurigs, one Hamilton Beach, and one Tassimo. This one is the best by far. The Tassimo was good but the coffee pods were very limited in terms of brands. The Hamilton Beach made very weak coffee. The two Keurigs were absolutely horrible. Neither made it more than a year due to pump failure. So far the Bunn MCU has been the best ever. It gives you complete control over the brewing process, from the type of coffee and tea to the amount of water you use. Pods, loose tea, tea bags, K-cups or ground coffee can be brewed in the unit. The amount of ground coffee can be determined by the user and coffee grounds are easily removed from the container by tapping the side of the container cup before emptying it out. Very easy to fill the coffee container as the top will stay open while you scoop the coffee in. Design of the machine is centered on giving the user total control over the brewing process. As long as the pump lasts it will be a big winner.

Just an update: coffee maker started to short cup my drinks. I use 8 ounces per cup and it was only brewing about 5 or 6 ounces. Water would then spill out of the coffee drawer when I removed it. Thought it was a pump issue like with the Keurigs. Called Bunn customer service. They were very professional and courteous. They diagnosed the problem as a dirty valve and sent me a link to a video showing how to clean it. After doing so machine works perfectly again. Keeping my rating at 5 stars for the machine and an additional 5 stars for the customer service. If you need the video link go to youtube and search for a video with this title: MCP Check Valve Cleaning

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Yes this one, unlike my Keurig, makes a great single cup of coffee using my own ground coffee. Sludge is minimal compared to a french press or a "My K-cup". The best cup is delivered using the "pulse" feature.

I had to buy mine at the Lowes in Dalton, Georgia because Amazon did not have it in stock at the time. I've used every "drawer" so far except the one used for water.

I didn't like the first couple of pods that I tried (the machine came with a package of free pods). Never had a pod machine, but I wasn't digging the ones it came with. Do pods always taste like this or did they include only the cheap, gross ones?

I've used the K-Cup drawer and the ground coffee drawer several times and have loved every cup. K-cups taste really good using this machine. I use the pulse feature constantly now since it makes such a great tasting cup of coffee.

I suppose that my biggest shock is how great a single cup can be using my own ground coffee. I tried this so many times with the Keurig. I tried several grind levels, several brands of coffee YUCK! But with this machine, it is awesome. I can almost see myself drifting away from my k-cup addiction! Although, coffee is my guilty pleasure, so I will happily purchase items that produce a great cup of coffee, and k-cups are da bomb.

For ground coffee I will say that I use small, disc shaped filters that are designed for a coffee-press that I use, but they fit wonderfully in the ground coffee drawer. I do this to reduce any sludge I can possibly avoid; however, compared to other machines, this one produces the least amount of sludge I've seen so far even without the little filter I have on hand. Not to mention, unfiltered coffee raises cholesterol. Did you know that? It's true.

HEATING TIME: I thought I would miss having the big tank of water constantly filled up on my Keurig so that I could have a delicious cup of coffe whenever I wanted it. I am not missing it. The internal tank keeps the water really hot, and even after you've just made a cup, it is ready to make a second cup almost right away. Not sure how this is possible. How does it heat water that fast? It's magic! How big is the internal tank? I have an idea I had to prime it (important for the initial setup) twice before I could get things going. So the internal tank must be at least 14 ounces plus a bit more. Not quite twice that amount, but more than 14oz for sure.

My boyfriend said I should add a con, so here it is: It takes too many coffee grounds to make a single cup. Two scoops are recommended, so that is what I used, and I loved the taste. I can hardly stand the coffee he makes in his drip machine. It is just too weak (he is trying to save money but gets a yucky taste think the coffee-drinking scene in Pulp Fiction). Maybe if we self-ground our coffee to an espresso type ground we wouldn't have to use so much coffee to get the taste we desire. Who knows?

My own con, but not so bad: Whatever size coffee you want, you must pour that amount in for every cup. This is not a horrible thing. Not like I thought it would be. You pour the water in and boom! Your coffee gets brewed. This is not like the first edition Keurig that makes one cup at a time. No long waits for hot water. This one is instantaneous. Actually this is not a con at all, is it? I can make a 14 ounce cup of coffee!!! No Keurig can do that!!!!

I keep waiting for this machine to break down. It is almost too good to be true. We'll see! I was in this honeymoon phase forever with my Keurig, so maybe that is where I am now. I will update if it suddenly stops working and breaks my heart. I'll be upset and very honest and prepared to vent when it happens.

Sorry for the long review, but I'm really pleased so far and had to tell the world.

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Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker and Milk Frother

With all the new style espresso machines on the market (Tassimo, Keurig, Flavia, etc.) I was convinced that Nespresso was more of the same: a set of stylish gimmicks designed to convince you that this "espresso" (though not real at all) was "the real thing." It never is.

Which is why the Nespresso is so great. It IS the REAL THING. The capsules contain nothing more than espresso coffee grounds. The machine is simply an automated and miniaturized "real" espresso rig. And the results speak for themselves:

-full bodied crema like you get from the best barista

-speedy and HOT cups of espresso

-the espresso produced is crisp and clear, full bodied, and smooth

-my Sicilian wife and all her relatives (numerous, and mostly named "Maria" "Antonina" and "Dominic") all fully approve of the espresso that comes out. Comparing is to "Nonna's" would be sacrilege, but although those words have not been spoken yet, I am conviced the thought has crossed a couple minds. :-)

-all this in under 30 seconds and within a square foot of counter space.

The frothing unit that comes with the machine is nothing short of black magic. I have NO IDEA what it does or how it does it, but the results will amaze you. And the best part is it's easy to clean: no sticky milk mess left behind to make you wonder who's gonna get sick first.

Coffee for this machine is 55 cents per cup, and Nespresso delivers online orders with astonishing speed (which is good, because you can't get the coffee from anyone else!). A bit pricey, but in this case you DO get what you pay for... and then some.

I purchased the Nespresso Citiz several months ago and saved it for Christmas. It was a gift for both my husband and myself. Our morning routine has been to brew a pot of coffee, heat milk in the microwave, and froth by hand in a stainless steel frother. Needless to say, there are lots of steps and lots of items for the dishwasher, but we love our morning coffee. The Nespresso was a hit right out of the box. It is so simple to use, the milk froths better than anything we've ever done by hand, the expresso is divine. My husband said it best, "It is so good that it makes you think about what you are drinking and appreciate the experience of really good coffee." Like someone wrote in a previous review, "we're not going to Starbucks anymore." Yes it is expensive, but over time can actually save money. Yes, you have to order the pods from Nespresso, but this is high quality expresso and delivery is fast. I purchased the sample box to give us an opportunity to try everything. This is an exceptional product.

UPDATE: 3/11/10 The frother on our unit has quit working on two occasions . . .the first quit working after a month, the second after six weeks. While there was no problem getting replacement units, I am concerned that after the unit is out of warranty we will have a Citiz unit with a broken frother. I see someone else has had the same problem in these reviews. It is important not to leave the frother on the connector after use, and let it cool completely between uses. ( Even following these instructions, ours still malfunctioned.) The Citiz is wonderful. We love the coffee, getting pods is a breeze. Customer service is wonderful, but I am seriously considering taking our unit back to the store where we bought it and getting a separate unit and frother.

UPDATE: 5/2/10. The frothier quit again. We use it several times a day....4 to 5 times...it quit yesterday and we are frustrated. We treat it with kid gloves since we've been through four frothers since Christmas. Nespresso service has been great but we are going to return the unit to the store and exchange for the unit without the frothier and buy a separate frothier. Upside..we can take it with us. I would be interested in knowing if others have had similar problems.

Before buying the combined unit consider your usage. It may be fine if you only use it once a day. However, if you will be making multiple cups of latte each day, you may wish to consider buying separately.

UPDATE 11/9/2010 We did return the original unit in September and picked up a separate frother and the Citiz without the frother. We've been very happy since. In fact we took in on vacation with us. Stayed in several different hotels and it didn't bother us to haul it around as we really love the Nespresso coffee.

UPDATE 5/5/2013. Still use the Citiz all the time and are VERY happy with it. In fact, we have a Pixie to take with us when we travel. We now have a Breville frother which is the best we've found. Had a dinner party last week and my guests raved about the espresso after dinner.

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This machine is brilliant. The best espresso or cappuccino I've ever tasted, and all in less than 2 minutes, start to finish. The milk frother is a miracle--quick, perfect, instant cleanup. My wife and I have been wired out of our heads since it arrived. We can't stop drinking the stuff. We're giving Stieg Larsson's characters a run for their caffeinated money! The reason is that all the usual inhibitors are gone: the coffee's gone cold and acrid in the pot, can't face the 20-minute production and cleanup for a cup of espresso, etc. It's like the world's smartest drug dealers got together and designed this thing. Got the slightest urge? Satisfy it! Why not? Just hit the button and it's there. Wait a minute, my wife's calling me. What's that? We're out? Excuse me, I have to go knock over a 7/11 so I can order another box of capsules.

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I bought the Citiz + Milk from the manufacturer. What I wish I'd known is that they make the milk frother as a separate component. The Citiz + Milk has a larger footprint because it includes a platform that powers the espresso maker and frother. But it's also possible to get a stand-alone Citiz and buy a ($50 more expensive) frother that you can use and store independently of the machine. That may be better for people with small spaces.

Now, on to the machine itself. It is well-designed, easy to use and easy to understand. It makes a FANTASTIC cup of espresso, and for milk coffee drink lovers, it makes FANTASTIC cappucinos, etc. The very first drink I put together using the machine was hands-down, no question, superior to the [ubiquitous coffee chain] that I buy two of every day at work. So for me this Citiz machine gets the full 5 stars.

It's just plain fun to use. Nespresso goes all out with the packaging to a hilarious degree, even sending a binder full of information. It makes you feel like you just bought a really, really special device. The thing is, overblown packaging aside, you DID just buy an espresso machine worth every dang penny.

I have to say the milk frother deserves praise on its own. It makes froth so thick and firm you can almost stand up a spoon in it. It has the consistency of meringue.

I'm very happy with my Citiz + Milk.

UPDATE 12/27/2010: I've had mine for a year now, still operating flawlessly, and I wanted to pass along some user notes. I don't keep the frother on the Citiz charger/base when not in use. I read that it's possible for electric current to continue to be passed to the frother, even when the unit is off. This 'may' be what is causing other people's frothers to stop working. I don't have any scientific proof/disproof, but I haven't had any problems with mine.

Nespresso identifies some capsules as espressos and other as lungos (American-style coffee). I have found that all of the espressos work as "lungos," since making one just means using twice as much water. In other words, I have discarded all the prescribed do's and don'ts, and have just played with the machine and capsules to figure out combinations I like. Same with the milk quantities. Also, some milks froth better than others. The fat content in the milk seems to make a difference. My advice would be to just play around with it, and not get too hung up on Nespresso's "rules."

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I give the Citiz itself 5-stars. I love this machine. It produces great espresso, at a low cost compared to a cafe or Fivebucks. I tried a traditional pump espresso maker and it is just too much hassle for my needs. I love espresso but I am no barista, nor do I care to be, and I don't want to spend a half an hour making it and cleaning up in the mornings. Nor do I want to spend a thousand bucks on a decent machine and more importantly, grinder. The Nespresso coffee is outstanding, with a dozen different flavors, and the sheer ease and speed at which I can produce them is insane. Unbelievably convenient with no mess.

My only issues with this particular unit is the footprint. The Citiz was designed with the urban consumer in mind, limited counter space while still embracing functionality and style. When you purchase the Citiz with Milk, the espresso machine is attached to that base unit along with the Aerochino. And while the machine is still great, it's space conserving design is rendered completely useless. Furthermore, where my Espresso machine lives, the frother is more convenient on the left side of the machine, which isn't an option with this combo. So I returned this unit to Amazon, who is always a pleasure shopping with and handling returns from my experience. I then opted for the Citiz stand alone unit, and separate Aerochino. I found a bundle at W&S that Amazon didn't seem to offer. Also, if you go the separate Citiz and frother route, the stand alone frother seems a little bigger and better. It also has a handle, and you can store it wherever you want.

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Bialetti Moka Express 9-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker

This unit is a great little device for making strong coffee (somewhere between espresso and regular coffee, closer to the espresso side) in an elegant way, and it's designed to last a long time.

The coffee produced is extracted using steam that is generated when the bottom part of the pot gets heated from placing the unit on a stove top. You have to experiment to find the right low-to-medium heat to get the best results. Too low and it will not boil, but you probably want it just above that and not too hot. I have found a setting where it will boil in 5 mins, and then the coffee comes up in 1 minute or less. So, a total of 6 minutes, which is not bad at all. As mentioned, what's produced is close to what we call "espresso" in the US, but it is not the same thing. It is not as strong and with not quite the same taste as full-blown espresso created using an automatic or semi-automatic espresso maker. It's much stronger and more flavorful than regular coffee, though. I used the same Intelligentsia Coffee House Blend (a great coffee) through my French press and then the Moka pot, and the taste difference was eye-opening. Apparently, these stove-top coffee makers are the norm in Italy, and practically everybody has one.

If you enjoy taking your time making your coffee, this is a beautiful unit that creates great coffee (and apparently it gets better over time, as the coffee oils seep into the aluminum). And as mentioned, it's actually not that slow. It's a nice "coffee ritual." It's made in Italy. It only has three parts, which are easy to clean and look virtually impossible to break, so it will last.

The only potential downsides are:

(a) you need coffee ground to the correct size. Either you should get pre-ground Illy Coffee or else you should get a good grinder that can grind to just above espresso fineness. When using whole bean coffee, our old blade grinder does not work well at all with this (sometimes it's acceptable, sometimes hardly any coffee comes out), but we have a Vario on the way, so all is good... But it is a given that a grinder is extremely important regardless of what method of coffee brewing you use. So -get a good grinder!

(b) you can only make the same amount of coffee each time. For example, we have the version that says 6 on the side (6 cup?) and it makes just enough for my wife and myself. (It doesn't actually make 6 cups, as far as I can tell -it's more like 2 cups for us). That is, you cannot just put in less ground coffee and less water to make less coffee. If you do that, the mechanics of the steam don't work and you won't get proper coffee as a result. So, make sure you get the correct size for your use.

This thing is so cheap and well-made that anyone who loves coffee should have one around to try out or for occasional use. Ours will get regular use, alternating with our French press. I was very happy to find this.

The Bialetti Moka Express 3-Cup Coffeemaker is fantastic. I enjoy it immensely. Word of warning, don't forget to put water in it before placing on the stove! And if you have a gas stove with an open flame, do not use a flame that exceeds the size of the coffeemaker. The handle will melt.

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Too many words would ruin the simplicity and elegance. It simply makes delicious espresso, quickly and with a minimum of effort. Cleans up in about 2 minutes...I take mine camping.

The "cup" ratings are for small, traditional sized espresso cups. If you like to pour a mug full of espresso, then divide the cup rating by 4 to arrive at an approximate size for your "machine". My nine cup maker gives me 2 full sized mugs of rich coffee. For you "crema" people...there is none.

It is inexpensive, relative to plug in type machines, so it is as nearly a risk free purchase as you can make. Enjoy.

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Been using these stovetop espresso maker's for 20 years. I was shocked to take my latest one out of it's box and discovered it has all the substance of aluminum paper. I have older ones to compare it to. Not just insubstantial metal, but the quality of the threading between the top and the bottom you can hear crackly sound of bad metal and poor tolerances. How sad to see a classic so undermined by cost cutting.

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I am a certifiable coffee nut (or snob, if you wish!) The Bialetti 9-cup Moka express makes the best coffee I've ever had. I frequent local coffee houses as well as chains, have had my own 'automatic' espresso maker, used coffee presses, coffee makers, and percolators. My last automatic espresso maker gave up the ghost about 2 months ago (my 3rd one in 4 years, expensive, but not as expensive as stopping at DazBog or Starbucks every morning.) I decided that there had to be a better way I had already switched to a stove top milk steamer and decided to look for something I could use in the same manner. I decided that I really had nothing to lose by trying this one. The price is excellent, the reviews are stellar, and if it turned out to be a pain to use, I could save it for camping trips and such.

1. It is very easy to use. Fill water to the line, place basket in, fill with coffee (use a medium-fine grind, freshly ground, pack lightly with fingers don't over pack.) screw on top, place on med-low heat (at least on my stove top I use 3.) The coffee may be even better if I was more patient, but 3 gets the job done and the coffee tastes fabulous.) Take off the heat as it finishes percolating into the pot.

2. The 9 cup seems very sturdy. I find it makes the right amount for 3 people to get properly buzzed on coffee. I've had no problems with the handle or any part of the moka maker. I like the fact that the safety release valve is very easy to check each time a rinse the pot.

3. The coffee tastes so good that my nine year old took a sip and said "IT TASTES LIKE IT SMELLS! This isn't bitter mom!"

Mr. Coffee Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System

This coffee grinder was an impulse purchase and I was fully prepared to return it because I didn't expect it to work as advertised. To my astonishment, the darned thing actually does a pretty good job. I have tried several coffee grinders over the years and have ended up giving all of them away to friends and family. I gave up on burr grinders because they are messy, hard to clean, produce a bitter powder, and are so noisy you almost need earplugs to use them. The blade grinders I have tried produced an inconsistent grind size and you have to experiment with the number of seconds it takes to get the grind right for the quantity of coffee you want to make. If you want to make more cups or less, you have to experiment all over again with the number of seconds you need to grind the beans. I ended up just having the coffee shop grind my Kenya AA beans for me and I buy smaller amounts so the coffee won't go stale before I can use it all.

This Mr.Coffee grinder is the only one I've ever tried that I think I can live with. First of all, this is a $19.95 grinder and not a $300 precision instrument designed to produce a perfect cup of expresso. Within those parameters, it does a really good job. The electronic grind and cup quantity settings take all of the guess work out of using a blade grinder. With this grinder, you use the guide on the side of the unit to measure your beans, choose a grind setting and the number of cups of coffee you want to make and a processor apparently calculates everything for you. You just hold the grind button down and the machine turns itself off after the correct number of seconds. No grind time experimentation is needed and the machine seems to get the grind just right all by itself. Cleanup is a snap, just remove the bowl from the base unit and put it on the top rack of your dishwasher. The ground coffee is actually easier to empty from the bowl than with most blade grinders. Rather than having to turn the entire unit upside down and shaking the grounds into your coffeemaker, you just remove the grinder bowl, turn it upside down in a small plastic bowl, and tap it against the counter to get the coffee out.

The reviewer who complained about the short cord length apparently did not realize there is 3 feet of hidden cord wrapped around the inside of the base of the unit. All you have to do is pull it out.

While durability must be proven over time, I'm most impressed with this $19.95 grinder. Even if it only lasts for 2 years, you could afford to buy 30 of them for what a small professional grade burr grinder would cost and it's actually easier to live with than the pro grade grinder would be.

This review refers to Mr. Coffee Coffee Grinder With Chamber Maid Cleaning System"

I received this coffee grinder this past Christmas, and have been using it everyday since. Sometimes, depending on how many people are drinking coffee, twice or more a day. I loved it so much from the start and wanted to review it right away, but managed to restrain myself, and after three months of everyday use, I think I can safely say, this grinder is great!

It's nice to have freshly ground coffee at a moment's notice. Even the smell is enticing. It allows you to measure just the amount of beans you need from 4 to 12 cups, and then you set the grinder to the amount and the grind fine, medium, or coarse depending on how strong you like it. This may take some experimenting to see get it exactly to your taste. For example I have found that 4 cups for me is actually closer to 2(or less), as I drink from a large mug and not a 6oz cup. There are recommendations in the instruction book and on the grinder as well for how many tablespoons of beans per cup. I find I need a little more then suggested. There are indicator lights to help you choose the setting you want. Although you have to hold a button down, during the grinding process, it will automatically turn off when it is done according to your setting. If you lift your finger, it will also turn off. Occasionally there are a couple of beans not grinded, so shake it around and press for another second or two. The actually grinding process takes maybe 15 seconds for a full 12 cups. another nice thing, is that you can have a few different flavors on hand, and freshly grind, whatever you are in the mood for..Forget Starbucks!

The grinder has some very nice features. Inside the bean chamber, which also has a fill line, there is a cleaning system that scrapes the coffee of the sides and the bottom. Sometimes, there is even enough scraped off to make an extra cup. The pieces fit together easily, and come apart easily for washing.At first, I thought the cord was very short, and for weeks had to keep the grinder very close to to the electric outlet, but then I discovered(DUH!), the cord lifts out of it's holder and around the bottom edge, giving it quite a bit of length. Then is easy to recoil to keep the grinder wherever you want. It's slim and nice looking and doesn't take up much space at all. My only little complaint, and reason for four stars instead of 5, is that it is very loud. The first few times, it startled me with the racket. I'm not sure if much can be done about that, but I try to remember to grind my beans the night before, as I am an early riser and don't want to wake the rest of the house, or for that matter, my neighbors! The lid on top stays tightly closed for freshness.

Read the instruction book for use and care. It has French as well as English directions, a one year limited warranty, troubleshooting advice, and phone numbers for questions.

All in all a great little item that works great for a fresh tasting and smelling cup of coffee anytime.

Enjoy....Laurie

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When I look for a coffee grinder, I look for 4 things:

1) Noise: This grinder is fairly noisy, but then again, so are most grinders. On a scale of 1-10 as far as noisyness goes compared to other grinders, I'd give it a 7.

2) Consistency: I like to grind my coffee coarse for french press; this grinder isn't very good at making a consistent coarse grind. However, if you want a regular grind for drip coffee or a fine grind for expresso, it does a really good job at that.

3) Static: I hate it whenever you pull the top off of a grinder to get the coffee out and tiny grind go flying everywhere--I've never had a problem with this grinder. You can open the top and pour the grinds out (which is difficult to do if you're trying to get it into a small container because the spout itself is not much different from the lip of a cup) or you can scoop the grinds out, which I preferto do anyway to double measure stuff (old habit).

4) Cleaning: This grinder has a removable top that you can take apart, which makes cleaning very easy. It also says it has a "Chaimber Maid" system...all that is is three thin plastic "claws" that hug the inside of the grinding chamber which you rotate awkwardly so that they scrape the sides of the chamber. It's neat, but unnecessary.

Other features:

There is a "cord storage" system that is a bit of a hassle to use because it requires you to coil the cord into a groove under the grinder (when you get the grinder only a short bit of the cord is shown, and the rest is coiled. It doesn't look like you can uncoil the cord from down there, and unless you're crazy enough to pull the cord out of your brand new grinder you'll have no clue that the thing is actually 37 inches long)

It has an "auto off" feature...I've never used it because my grindes always reach the coarsness I like before the timer shuts off the grinder.

The measuring system that the grinder uses is marked on the sid of the grinder which is very helpful (you don't have to pull out the manual every time you want to know how many Tbsp of coffee you need to make # cups of coffee)

It's about 8 in. tall with the diameter at the top being 4 in. (it's wider at the top).

Overall:

I like the grinder. I'd rather have a pull-cord-storage and a quieter grinder, but for the price that I paid, I'm a happy customer.

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My husband purchased this product for my birthday a couple of years ago. I always grind my own coffee for breakfast and sometimes grind it for lunch. After a year I noticed the plastic arms (or scrapers) were getting very thin and one of them had even broken. I emailed customer service about the problem and they sent me a new grinding bowl. I looked at the new bowl, saw the arms were thick and thought the company had realized there was a design flaw and changed it. I began using the new grinding bowl and now it is a year later. I just noticed that the plastic arms are getting thin again. This could only mean that this grinder slowly grinds the plastic arms. And that you are drinking very finely ground plastic every time you drink a cup of coffee made from the beans you have freshly ground. Is this healthy? I think not!

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First off, I have to say that many of the people who have complaints about this grinder may not have actually taken the extra few seconds to read the manual and understand how the device works. The grinder does a great job and my coffee is always perfect.

to address some issues that others had:

1. The plastic cleaning blade inside the grinding bowl needs to be manually spun (with your finger) to loosen the packed coffee grounds. Usually a single revolution will accomplish this task, then you can put this coffee in the maker!

2. This grinder makes it easy to get the coffee into your coffee maker -someone was complaining that it was more difficult to clean or use because it comes apart -this makes it really easy! Detach the bowl from the motor assembly with a short, counter clockwise turn of the wrist, and do the same with the lid (extremely easy, I assure you) -then dump the coffee from the grinding bowl into your filter, use your finger to agitate the plastic cleaning blade for a second or two to get as much usable coffee out of the bowl as possible, then wash out the bowl with a little water, and dry it with a towel (it is important to dry it immediately to avoid any chance for oxidation) and you're done! I am not sure why a previous reviewer was using a spoon or scoop to get the coffee out of the bowl -that's why it detaches from the base! The bowl is marked on the side so you will know what amount of beans to use -after a few experiments, it is very easy to judge how high to fill it. I just can't understand how it could be more difficult to clean the bowl when it is separate from the base than to clean a grinder that does not detach from the electrical portion...

2.1. if you need to grind your coffee coarsely for a percolator, you should not be buying whole beans buy your coffee from in large cans from companies that have television commercials and easy-listening jingles, as the end result is going to end up tasting awful, no matter what, if you put it in a percolator.

3. The power cord other people have addressed this -the cord is tucked up inside the bottom of the grinder -simply pull it out, and it is plenty long.

4. Another reviewer said he preferred a different grinder that shuts off automatically -this grinder does that as well -put in the beans, choose your settings with the buttons on the side of the unit, and then hold down the grinding button -continue to hold the button down until the grinder automatically stops -it will stop when it has achieved the level of grinding that you selected with the buttons.

5. Lights wasting electricity the reviewer who wrote that the grinder's lights are just wasting electricity is just a sillypants and wants to nitpick. The reality is this: the 2 LEDs that would be lit up while this device is plugged in would draw an almost nominal level of current. At 3.3vac a 100 Watt light bulb uses 30.3 Amps (30,300mA). At 3.3vac each LED would use 20mA -so, both LEDs would use, at most, 40mA which is less than 1/750th the amount the 100W bulb would use. You would have to leave the grinder plugged in and turned on for over a full month for the LED lights inside to use the same amount of current (electricity) used by turning on that 100 watt bulb for a single hour.

I have been using this grinder every day for 3 years along with a swissgold coffee filter (if you are still using paper filters you are just wasting trees and missing out on better tasting coffee...) and I have not had a single problem with it -it grinds the beans consistently to the settings I punch in, and my yield is a delicious pot every morning.

If you couldn't tell, I am quite happy with this grinder. So buy one already!

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Breville BMF600XL Milk Café Milk Frother

Like one of the 1 star reviews, I really didn't think this machine worked at all when I first tried it. But upon giving it another try before returning it, I realized it was just having trouble spinning up. It is magnetic action that turns the disc, not a motor, so it can get stuck; make sure it is clean and spins freely. It still sometimes has a problem spinning up, I just use a spoon to give the disc a little turn and that gets it going. Makes perfect frothed milk for my lattes, much easier than frothing by hand on my espresso maker. I fill it to just over minimum and the frothing/heating takes about 3 minutes.

The first couple of times we tried the milk steamer, it was a bit fussy about turning on. Press the button, the light came on, but nothing happened. After a lot of tries, we developed a routine of seating the pot firmly on the stand, twiddling the temperature dial, and then pressing go: then it works! It's been running smoothly lately, so I tried to start it recently without turning the temperature dial--no go. Once it starts, it produces luscious foam and lovely hot milk. So be prepared to pamper it a little and murmur to it softly in Italian and it will produce a wonderful result.

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I purchased this frother after trying out a different product. I could not be happier! The Breville makes perfect froth for any kind of coffee drink you want. It's super easy to use. As long as you make sure the disc is pushed all the way down inside the frother, you will get the exact froth you want. It took a couple of tries to figure out the perfect temperature and froth I liked. The clean up of this product is what sold me the most. I have tried other frothers and cleaning was an arduous task at best. The Breville cleans up in a snap and can be put in the dishwasher. I have had no problems at all and would buy it all over again!

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This milk frother is incredibly well designed and manufactured.

It should also be marketed as a hot chocolate maker because it also does this extremely well and none of the hot chocolate makers on the market are this well made. The instructions say to use chocolate shavings but I have used whole chocolate chips to make at least 25 batches of hot chocolate with no problems at all. Just run it with only milk until it gets warm, then add the chips.

Here's why it is so awesome:

Stainless steel jug with NO electrical parts, no moving parts, no crevasses or strange concavities for milk to collect in, and it is DISHWASHER SAFE (unlike nearly all frothers and hot chocolate makers).

Frothing disc is propelled magnetically through the bottom of the jug that's right, the jug has no drive shaft at all (and hence no moving parts). The discs are also dishwasher safe, although the permanent magnets inside them will wear out faster in the dishwasher due to the extreme temperature and cycle length.

Control dial lets you pick your desired temperature and the frother stops automatically once this is reached. Cold frothing is also available.

Base has storage in the back for the disc that is not in use so you don't lose it. But it's magnetic so you could always stick it on your fridge so your guests ask "What is that?" and then you can show them the most awesome milk frother ever made.

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Yes, yes, I know you can just heat milk in the microwave or on the stove, but I inevitably either scald the milk, or heat it so slowly for fear of scalding it that it takes 15 minutes. I got a Nespresso CitiZ for Christmas, and wanted something quick that I could set and forget while I was getting the coffee ready.

After much research, I chose this one over the Aerolatte for a few reasons: it has a greater milk capacity; the temperature is adjustable; and the milk container is dishwasher-safe (as opposed to the Aerolatte's, which has electronic parts attached to it and has to be carefully hand-washed). I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the purchase. Some of the other reviews made me nervous about ordering, but the features were important enough to make it worth a try. Trust me, it really is a matter of adjusting to the quirks--although the manual isn't really helpful with those!

For me, it was the cold milk that was usually the problem. I'd pour in the milk, then assemble coffee stuff or mix-ins, and in the meantime it would get condensation on the bottom that would somehow fool the machine into thinking something was wrong. It would start up, then beep three times and shut off--which the manual says means the milk level is too low, although that clearly wasn't the case. But I've found that as long as I start the machine as soon as I pour in the milk, it works fine every time. Basically, any kind of moisture on the outside of the milk container will cause it to shut off.

But once you get going, it takes about three or four minutes for huge, billowy clouds of to foam form on top of the perfect-temperature milk--every time. (I use skim, and unlike other cappuccino makers I've used, the brand doesn't seem to make a difference in the amount of foam.) I've had good success making hot chocolate with cocoa powder and sugar. Although it does foam much less than plain milk, it's creamy and gorgeous, with no graininess or undissolved ingredients (and it's great with Kahlua mixed in!). With the adjustable thermostat, I can make a vanilla steamer for my four-year-old daughter that's the perfect temperature for her. Even at the higher temperatures, I've never had a problem with scalding or burning or sticking.

Cleaning is a breeze--the stainless-steel milk container can go in the dishwasher, but it's so easy to hand wash that I've actually only run it through the DW once. The milk really just rinses right out without scrubbing.

And the cord storage and the storage space for the extra frothing disk work well, unlike some other appliances I own that make it impossible to wind the cord up neatly.

Aside from the diva factor, my only complaint is that the minimum amount of milk required is too much when I just want to make a small, one-shot cappuccino; but I think this is the case for the Aerolatte as well. My daughter doesn't mind, though, because she's the beneficiary of all my extra foam!

Briel ED171ATB Space Saver Multi-Pro One Group Thermo Block Espresso Machine with Built-In 10-Cup D

I see I'm alone in this, but I quite enjoy my Briel Spacesaver. Never had any problems with it. I know it is not completely metal. For the price it looks high end. To get all metal I would paid over $1,000.00. I can always depend on my machine when I make coffee for friends and my daughter enjoys making espresso. She is a barista in Dean and Deluca in NYC and she says it works like the commerical machines at work. So I can't complain. I am very satisfied.

I would think twice about purchasing anything from Briel, the company refuses to send parts that were not with the machine. It was clear in the packaging that the two peices NEEDED to use the espresso maker were not included. When I contacted the USA distibuter( Cafe West of Medford Oregon) AND Briel directly I was met with piss poor service, actully NO service 4 attempts have gone un answered. I am still waiting to hear back from Amazon as to what they can do for me. This product was purchased for its dual use of coffee and espresso, to this date I still have not been able to try the espresso maker, the coffee pot portion is ok but is flimsy plastic and the lid pops off very easy, this is something you dont notice in the pictures since it looks like metal. In fact its a thin piece of metal glued to plastic. SO far the coffee maker is OK but I am not overly impressed, this could be from the pure lack of customer support.

I am sure Amazon will take care of any problem as they are a great company but it truely sucks that I may have to send the enitre machine back just to get 2 small pieces.

I would seriously consider other coffee makers before commiting to what seems to be a crappy company.

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Had the unit for 1 year and then had a problem with the pump not working on the expresso maker. Sent the unit into NJ for repair paying $125 and they only cleaned the unit. After 3 uses the problem reappeared. Sent the unit back again with explicit instructions on problem. They returned the unit stating they could not find a problem. After talking with the RUDE manager. He stated if he could not find a problem he could not fix it. Would not recommend this product or the service.

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Although Amazon was very good in sending out a replacement for the first one which was defective, the second unit is defective as well. Also, both units were actually dirty and showed poor workmanship. Either I got two from a bad batch or this company has poor quality control.

Again, Amazon was good but the product as the kids say 'sucks'.

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I did a ton of research on this model before buying it as opposed to others I was looking at. I've had it for 4 years. Paid the full $499 for it new in the sealed box from a reputable dealer. It worked fine for almost one year. My biggest complaint is the espresso cup. My last Krupps unit had a filter cup that was 3 times the size of this thing. It made a nice full cup of espresso at a time if you wanted to. This one only holds a tiny bit of coffee and it gets the grounds up into the top of the unit above the cup. Every time I used it, I had to run another cycle of just water to flush the unit out. The milk frother worked great. The coffee maker worked great. It's easy to keep the outside clean too. BUT, one year later, it broke. No more espresso side working and I couldn't keep the unit above the espresso cup clean and it clogged. It would not pass out water into the grounds cup anymore. It took me forever to find and get in touch with the place, the ONLY place in the USA to service this thing. BIG mistake there on my part in buying this. The service people are rude and do not let you know anything about what's going on. No message of receipt of the unit, no message of what is wrong, nothing on when or if it will be returned. Calling them is like bothering a brain surgeon in the midst of surgery. My unit was returned with the espresso side working as in it would turn on. That's it. The actual espresso function was not cleaned and the reason for the issue given me was a blown fuse. Now set the time machine forward... The espresso has never worked again, and now the frother is dead again. So... I opened it up... FUSE? what fuse? I don't see any fuse? Granted, it looks like a pretty robust unit inside but the size of the espresso cup and the clogging issue make half of this thing a pain to use. I don't believe these are made anymore and I would think twice about buying ANYTHING from Briel as their service contracted company here SUCKS huge piles of as I said earlier.