Which auto drip brewer would you buy for your wife?

[RobertL]

I am in the market for an auto drip coffee maker to be used mostly by my wife so I am asking for input from current Brazen, Technivorm and Bonavita users. Since my wife will be using the machine it needs to be easy to use and have a good pouring carafe. Here are my questions concerns with each of the brewers I have mentioned. Oh I am only interested in thermal carafe models. 

Bonavita
1. Imploding carafe, I read about this on CG has anyone else had this problem or heard of it?
2. Filter folding over when putting filter holder in place due to low clearance. I know I know but if it can happen it will happen to my wife believe me and then I will have to hear about it. 

Brazen
1. Drippy shower head when removing filter basket.
2. Carafe is messy when pour last cup or so.
3. Malfunctioning brewers only brewing half of the water. Read about this on HB I think.

Technivorm
1. Spray head coffee bed saturation. I read somewhere that you have to fuss with the spray head or filter basket to get the coffee fully saturated.
2. Carafe, I haven't read it anywhere but the thermal carafe looks like it would make a mess when pouring. Where the heck is the spout?

[Tex]

TV doesn't really have a shower head because there's no pressure. The water just dribbles out onto the bed of grounds. To get proper saturation, I don't put the carafe in place until the filter's almost full, then I put it in and let the coffee drip through.

IMO, there's no drip coffee maker worth ~$200; the coffee made is just not good enough to warrant that kind of money. If it's convenience you want buy a single serve pod machine. The coffee still won't be great but they're very simple to use.

[rfeuker]

I love my TV. It certainly ain't cheap, but its the best I've ever used.  The "shower" head does a good job of wetting the whole basket IMHO. The carafe is fine, no spilling problems.  The lip all the way around serves as the spout for the brew through lid.  The fast water heating and good temperature make a fine cup of coffee. I don't think you would be disappointed knowing the high price going in. 

[BozemanEric]

My fiancée, who is very coffee challenged, uses and likes the Brazen I got for her. I did have to send one of them back. It was leaving 7 to 10 ounces behind after brew.  Behmor did replace it. The carafe is messy during all pours and this is our second one. All in all though, I like it.  I believe it makes a pretty good cup of coffee.  I am probably not the best person to ask as this is the first electric brewer I have had in over 20 years.  I find myself using the Brazen instead of the Chemex, V60, or vac pot.

[John F]

Cuisinart..

I agree with Tex an auto drip is only so good.

[RobertL]

Cuisinart..

I thought about it but that would just be wrong.

Thanks for the feedback guys at this point I am leaning towards the Bonavita but I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet.

[EricBNC]

The Bonavita 1800 does a great job brewing 500 ml pots - takes a little over three minutes for the water to run and a little longer till the filter cone stops dripping. When I make coffee for myself this is my standard size pot for the Bonavita and the Douwe Egberts by Technivorm. Both machines are extremely simple - on/off only - and both are proven automated pour over cones with design roots going back to the 1960's.

[RobertL]

I put this decision off for a while but I pulled the trigger on a Bonavita glass carafe version yesterday. I decided to pass on the thermal version because of the imploding carafes and other issues I've read about them. I will post my impression in a few weeks after I've had time to break it in.   

[peter]

I put this decision off for a while but I pulled the trigger on a Bonavita glass carafe version yesterday. I decided to pass on the thermal version because of the imploding carafes and other issues I've read about them. I will post my impression in a few weeks after I've had time to break it in.

A customer bought one w/ the thermal carafe on my advice.  It stopped brewing after some time, and even though it was out of warranty they sent him a new base.  He's happy, but says it needs more grounds than his previous brewer (I like that part).

[Intrepid510]

I put this decision off for a while but I pulled the trigger on a Bonavita glass carafe version yesterday. I decided to pass on the thermal version because of the imploding carafes and other issues I've read about them. I will post my impression in a few weeks after I've had time to break it in.

*knock on wood* Have had my thermal unit for a little over a year and still going strong no imploding! It is a glass lined carafe so perhaps someone clean it right after brewing with cold water?

It's a good little brewer, the only real trick for me was using a slightly coarser grind than I am use to. Other than that it's about as simple as it gets.

[mp]

I put this decision off for a while but I pulled the trigger on a Bonavita glass carafe version yesterday. I decided to pass on the thermal version because of the imploding carafes and other issues I've read about them. I will post my impression in a few weeks after I've had time to break it in.

A customer bought one w/ the thermal carafe on my advice.  It stopped brewing after some time, and even though it was out of warranty they sent him a new base.  He's happy, but says it needs more grounds than his previous brewer (I like that part).

I can see you recommending a lot more of them.

 

[jimec3]

If the carafe is important stear clear of the brazen the thing dribbles like MAD, perhaps there is a trick to it but I havent found yet but if i dont pour over the sink I am wiping up the counters.  It is a shame that a machine thought out so well in other regards misses the mark on something so simple.  I could buy a $30 replcement carafe that didnt dibble 

I owned a TV and was always happy with the results. I agree you get better saturation by letting the filter basket nearly fill prior to open the manual shut off but even when not screwing with it it made a good cup.  I had the oldschool screw carafe which was suffiecient but the nissan one i got "aftermarket" was boss.  i am pretty sure they are coming out of the box with nice brew throughs now.

I think if I was in the market again I would go witht a bunn velocity, or the bonavita.

[PozzSka]

We have a Bunn Phase Brew (the other one approved by the SCAA), and it works very well.  Consistent, proper temp, basket doesn't overflow during bloom.  Found mine for $90

[jimec3]

There is a bit of a trick to it that I picked up on CoffeeGeek.  Tilt the carafe forward like you are going to pour before you press the release trigger... this helps.

"helping" isn't much of a consolation.  I have tried every trick known to man (including removing the lid). The best solution is pouring over the sink.
Like I said it's a shame they dropped the ball that close to the endzone.  I wish I could find a replacement that would work in the machine, I would rather see that than some "filtering" device.  All in all I like the machine it is about a tie with my old retired TV. 

[peter]

What about a Krups Moka Brew
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Krups-468-42-Moka-Brew-8-cup-Coffeemaker/4342140/product.html

It got a pretty decent review here
http://coffeegeek.com/proreviews/quickshot/krupsmokabrew/details

Your wife would have to have a slightly elevated geek level, as the KMB is a bit out of the ordinary compared to the typical dripper.  And they are a little slower, with a not-so-big capacity.  But they do make an excellent cup of coffee; very intense and 'dark', is how I'd describe the coffee.  I used a filter made from rasqual's poly-felt, and it was perfect.  But I wanted to be like Susan, so after it only got used occasionally, I sold it.