Journal
Bad Coffee Makers
26 December 2006 › 21 comments
Update: Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. In the end, we purchased the KitchenAid JavaStudio – in the color red! We are loving it so far.
Hamilton Beach BrewStation
Today I decided to brew a pot of coffee, the first since moving into our new place. I unpacked our Hamilton Beach BrewStation and plugged it in. I then went through the typical steps of grinding the coffee beans, putting in a filter, and filling the coffee maker with water. So far, so good – nothing out of the ordinary. I proceeded back to our home office to check email, etc.
I could hear a faint dripping sound, which quickly went from drizzle to all-out pour. Unsure of the noise, I assumed it was my wife using the sink in our bathroom. After a few minutes of reading and replying to email, I decided to check on how the coffee was coming along, since I was eager to try out a new creamer flavor – pumpkin pie. The aroma was particularly strong, considering I could smell it while in another room, so I figured it was nearly done.
I jaunted off to the kitchen only to find that the pouring sound was that of hot liquid brewing directly onto the counter, subsequently onto the kitchen floor. I grabbed the coffee maker, unplugged it and turned it upside-down over the sink, draining the coffee and un-brewed water. I then wiped up the floor. I’ve had problems with this coffee maker in the past, but never a flood.
Black + Decker DE790B
That was the last straw. I vowed never to purchase another dispenser style coffee maker as long as I live. I was determined to find a good, solid pitcher or carafe based coffee maker, the way God intended for liquid to be poured. No more push-activated soda spigot machines for me, no sir.
So, while we were shopping at our local Target (currently being sued for an inaccessible website) I managed to pick out a sturdy looking Black + Decker DE790B model coffee maker. It had a nice stainless steel carafe, and since B+D makes tools I figured it would make for a nice manly cup-o-joe.
I brought it home, plugged it in and again repeated the ritual of grinding the coffee beans. Once I had it all situated, I hit the on/off button and the machine began that sweet symphony of bubbling and gurgling as it brewed the fresh java. I looked forward to how the insulated pitcher would keep it warm, allowing the coffee pot to automatically shut off after the brew cycle to conserve energy. It would have been nice if that’s how it went.
Once the brewing was complete, a swirl of steam found its way out, dancing through the air with an enticingly pleasant smell. This odor though quickly became repugnant, and smelled a bit like s’mores over a campfire when someone throws in the plastic bag when all the marshmallows are gone.
Much to my dismay, I quickly realized that the coffee pot was in fact on fire internally. I immediately unplugged it, yet it spattered on for a few more minutes with various hissing sounds as the fire came to an end. I checked the coffee itself, which seemed to smell normal enough. However, not wanting to risk drinking it, I regretfully poured the concoction down the drain.
Summary
I guess what I learned from this whole ordeal is that Hamilton Beach manufactures ill-conceived products and Black + Decker should stick to making power tools. I’m almost ready to shell out for an overpriced Starbucks machine, but would be open to suggestion as to other affordable options. Part of me thinks that it’s time to just switch to drinking Earl Gray tea.
Discussion + Dissension
Comments closed after 2 weeks.
#1 David Barrett
And they let you operate a computer? Just think of the damage you could cause!
#2 Heliologue
I’ve never had such extreme malfunctions, but my ongoing problem seems to be that if I brew more than a certain amount, the water is introduced into the basket faster than it can seep through: the water level in the basket rises, taking a bunch of grounds with it, which eventually go over the top of the filter and directly down into the pot. I seem to have this problem with just about every coffee maker I’ve ever owned.
#3 dan m
I personally use something I guess is called a filtercone, like these, and like it quite a bit, even though the process is a bit more involved. I’d like to get one of the Chemex brewers.
#4 Tim Bednar
The reason your coffee makers performed a sort of ritualistic suicide is because you were going to pollute a perfectly good cup of coffee with creamer flavor – pumpkin pie.
:)
#5 Michael Montgomery
Hope you had a merry Christmas, and welcome to your new abode!
Surprisingly, it seems to be a big design challenge to make a good coffee maker.
Don’t get me started about any of those which claim to do anything except make coffee (a pox on all combo grinder/coffee makers!) And the “espresso/cappuccino makers”? All clog up after one use.
The current coffee maker we use and recommend is the Hamilton Beach Brew Station. Excellent, first time, every time. Just don’t over-fill the coffee or the water. Only caveat is that I’m not sure how to clean the water tank. (Pish! Cleaning’s for sissies.)
BTW, Tim’s right about flavored creamer — ick.
#6 Tank
My wife bought a Cuisinart 1200 and I really like it. I prefer home brewed coffee against alot of the mass produced stuff and this coffee pot works well for us and even has a 1-4 cup feature that gets the coffee blazing hot
#7 Jonathan E
That’s crazy Nathan. I have a Hamilton Beach BrewStation as well, but I’ve never experienced a flood, tsunami, tornado, hurricane, forest fire, earthquake or any other natural disaster because of it.
If you’re looking for a new machine, you usually can’t go wrong with any of the DeLonghi products (note, that site is really slow to load).
#8 Les Reynolds
Here’s a vote for switching to Earl Grey tea. Great stuff.
#9 Robert
Nathan, care to tell about your works coffee maker, hmmmm? :p
#10 Nathan Smith
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I am happy to say that we have found our solution, the KitchenAid JavaStudio in the empire red color. We brewed some decaf tonight and had it with our pumpkin pie coffee creamer, regardless of all you nay-sayers.
@Robert: Fine, I’ll share: At my job, I didn’t realize there was already a dedicated water line running in the back of our coffee maker, so I foolishly poured water in the top. It ran over on to the counter (but not the floor). That was simple user error though, the coffee maker is good quality.
#11 Ryan Heneise
Too bad you already jumped – I was going to recommend the Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center
#12 matthew
Nathan,
If you really like coffee you should consider going with a french press and a electric kettle. Its the way forward. :)
#13 Jason Beaird
Now I want to go camping.
#14 Eric
I gotta vouch for the pumpkin pie creamer. I was skeptical at first when my wife brought it home, but after the first try, it is a nice detour from the normal coffee cup. Not something I could drink every cup every day though, just a nice tasty break.
#15 Steve
A second vote for the Cuisinart DCC-1200. Don’t buy the model that grinds and brews. The DCC-1200 simply brews an outstanding cup of coffee. I bought mine at Williams Sonoma for $60 plus tax with a coupon. Well worth it!!!
#16 Fwankwin
Second on the French Press — but if you get one you may want to consider getting a burr grinder to provide a coarse grind.
#17 discern
I’ve got to agree with Tim. Wasting perfectly good coffee by pouring anything at all into it except pure water is shameful. Regardless of your particular coffee pollutions though, Dan is right about the cone filters. I use the ones you put on top of your coffee mug, except I first put my coffee grounds into a 2-cup glass container. Then I pour in the hot water and let it sit for a minute before the whole brown concoction into the filter. Talk about a good cup of coffee. And you save money because you only make as much coffee as you are going to drink, and you are not wasting money on crap electric coffee makers.
#18 Barbara Bowser
Just wanted to share my personal pick – I’ve had mine for close to 5 years and it works every bit as wonderfully today as the day I got it (it was a going-away gift from the coffee shop I worked at for 4 years) – The Capresso CoffeeTeam
A bit pricey, but it grinds, filters, and brews. And, you can program it to do all of that so that it’s ready before you are in the morning! It’s just really tall, so it’s not terribly practical if you have low cabinets. OK, infomercial over now :)
BTW – I enjoy your website! The folks over at WEC and GodBit put me on to it.
#19 Ben G.
Here’s another vote for that Kitchen Aid you got. When it comes to coffee I stick with the names I know, though, I’m not surprised that the black and decker caught fire (!). Funny, in theory coffee is a ridiculously simple thing to make. But in practice it can become terribly complicated.
#20 Nathan Smith
Barbara: That’s cool you found my site via WEC. I’m glad you like it.
Ben: Agreed, it should be ridiculously simple, yet is so complicated.
#21 biilg
I’ve used a bunch of different coffee makers over the years and I’ve decided the selling points for drip machines are speed ease of clean up. Their downside is that a lot of them don’t heat the water to the proper temperature.
A Chemex makes fine coffee, but not quickly. While you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, a drip machine can brew a full pot. Once made, you need to transfer the coffee to a Thermos to keep it warm. Too much hassle.
Ditto for a French press. Wait for the water to boil. Wait for the coffee to steep. Figure out how to keep it warm. Clean up the mess.
On the Black & Decker: I stopped using my B&W thermal machine when I noticed that water was accumulating inside the cap that seals the carafe. That can’t be healthy. Plus, the coffee wasn’t hot enough.
Right now I’m using a little DeLonghi drip machine. Decent, hot, coffee, and easy clean up.
For whatever reason, most of my coffee makers, at least the ones that use electricity, have a lifespan of a few months. I’d spring for an expensive machine if I knew it wouldn’t die an early death.