Buying a new machine - Please Help! -

[klv]

Hi,

I'm a coffee lover eventhough I'm not an expert. But I can tell when I like a coffe or not hehe. I've been using a Sarbucks barista for expressos and capuccinos and a standard "Mr. Coffee" machine for daily cofee.

I've been doing my homework to find a real coffee machine for everyday and found 2 options. The technivorm has won on excelency of coffee flavor. The only flaw is that it will make my counter look like a laboratory. Te second option is the Capresso which i've read that makes the best (home made) coffee and has better design.

Does anyone have an opinion on those or how would you decide?

Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741
http://www.technivorm.com/home.html


Capresso MT500 Plus
http://www.capresso.com/prod_makers_mt500.html


A third contender would be the Capresso ST600 wich is newer tha the 500 but have not found enough reviews of this one.

http://www.capresso.com/prod_makers_st600.html

Any help would be welcomed.

Thanks!!!

 

[klv]

WELL, THANK YOU.

 

[ArtieD2]

As near as I can tell, this is a dead forum. There appears to be thousands of posts, yet no one answers. Look at all the posts with "zero" replies.

So . . . we have two choices: we can move on, or we can make this place "happen". I vote for making this place come alive. Lets kick some coffee butt.

I'll answer your posts . . . you answer mine. It'll catch on. Hopefully.

Artie

 

[jacklun]

go with the MT500

Capresso is a great company with exellent service. The 600 looks kinda boring + the carafe appears like it would easily get knocked out of the brew-spout-area-thingy. The 500 is probably less expensive, right?
Cheers.

Jack

 

[mrgnomer]

Very good coffee, in my experience, is about beans, grind and extraction. Fresh roasted beans, good even grind and an extraction method that fully saturates the grounds at a temperature of about 201F will produce good coffee.

Unfortunately it's been found that just about all drip makers either don't fully saturate the grinds during the extraction process or are incapable of coming up to good water temps. I personally have stopped using drip makers since finding out how easy it is to control extraction variables with much less expensive but better brewing methods like french press or turkish.

What is important then for a drip maker would be full saturation and water temp. From what I know the Technivorm is designed to come to proper brew temp and I think it also more fully saturates the grinds. Coffeegeek has a review on a Capresso ST600 machine. I don't know how it the MT500+ compares but the review might be helpful

http://coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstl ... ressost600

 

[mrgnomer]

As near as I can tell, this is a dead forum. There appears to be thousands of posts, yet no one answers. Look at all the posts with "zero" replies.

That might be because almost all drip makers really don't make good coffee and most coffee enthusiasts who follow forums on coffee don't use them given that there's much cheaper but much more effective methods of coffee extraction. Drip, as far as I know, is a method for convenience that caught on. From what I know there was a time when roasting your own green beans for coffeee was the norm and turkish brewing, vacuum brewing, french pressing or percolating where the common extraction methods. Electric drip makers and espresso machines are new methods to the 20th century.

 

[mrgnomer]

This is a quick review to the MT500

http://coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstlook/mt500

 

[klv]

I appreciate your response guys, ...specially ArtieD2's whis has a really inspiring response but, didn't mention anything about coffee or the drip machines I was asking, hehe. Thank you anyway ArtieD2.

I've doing some research, and found that the Technivorms are the best machines ever. The only contendant would be the Capresso MT500 which is nicer and cheaper. It would be a matter of convinience to decide which is the best, but for me, I'll take the technivorm because.

1.- It's really the best machine although it gets matched by capresso if it's matched with a very good user.
2.- It has less features to get brocken, you know all programable things, displays, etc. get boken soon or later, so the more you have, te odds increase. (specially if they aren't really needed).
3.- The durability of the machine is way far, I've read people which have a technivor for 10 years and still working as new.
4.- That retro look, kinda of seduces me.


About all those of you who say that there are cheaper methods of brewing and still have the better coffee, probabbly you are wright, but if you are not, ...I'll find out in a week or so.

Thanks and keep the forum up!. It's not that bad.

 

[mrgnomer]

The machine or brewer you use is just one part of coffee extraction. The bean/blend, roast, roast freshness, grind, water temp, saturation and steep time are key factors as far as I know. The brewer if it's a machine usually controls the water temp, saturation of grinds and steep time. Unless the machine is designed or adjusted to hit the ideal range of water temp, saturation and steep time for your taste your chances of getting very good coffee are compromised.

Cheaper brewers like a french press offer you total control over the brewing process. You boil and add the water, you stir the grinds, you time the steep and you plunge to filter out the grounds. Vacuum pots are also afford you total brewing control. It might be more work but when you've got total control you can ensure the best coffee and also brew to your own taste. A good french press is much less than an automatic brewer.

I used to have a drip brewer but since researching coffee I switched to an electric vacuum pot. I used that for a while and the coffee was o.k. but the calibration for steeping was horrible and towards the end I used it like a manual vacuum pot to control it. Since getting a good heat exchanging espresso machine which I can draw hot water from I french press for morning coffee now and the vacuum brewer is just gathering dust.

 

[ArtieD2]

I hope everyone realizes that my first post was a bit tongue-in-cheek. Comes from watching too many British comedy's.

Anyway . . . me and my wife have just started to get into coffee with more passion. Auto-drip is all we've ever used, but I'm learning a lot from this forum. We've had good success with auto-drip, but it will be fun to try something new.

Artie

 

[rcc5k]

Have you tried using a french press? The cup quality is far superior to a home drip system.

 

[ElPugDiablo]

If you use the search function, you will find quite a bit of posting about techinvorm. I recommend it to all of my customers, and one actually went out and bought one and she couldn't believe how much better her, meaning my :grin: , coffee tasted now that she can brew it at 200F.

 

[klv]

Have you tried using a french press? The cup quality is far superior to a home drip system.

Of course I've tried the french press. And I like it, but it's not a bad idea to have a drip machine for some reasons.

1.- I use to take my coffee to wherever I go, so when rushing I don't get to do all the procedure. I think a drip machine could help and keep the standard on taste.

2.- I like the muddy taste, but not always.

3.- Using the french press, requires some technique and lots of trial & error. I find the drip machina a little more straightforward way to a good cup.

 

[ArtieD2]

Of course I've tried the french press. And I like it, but it's not a bad idea to have a drip machine for some reasons.

I agree, and with a couple of simple, and inexpensive steps, you can make a darn nice cup of java with an auto-drip. We use good quality fresh beans, then grind them fresh with a burr grinder. We use one of several different beans. We enjoy some from Gevalia, some from GMCR, and some from our local Barnies. We use the CuisinArt burr grinder. We pre-heat a thermal caraffe and when the coffee is done, pour it into the caraffe.

Great coffee, minimul effort and expense.

ALthough, we still want to try the French press method someday.

 

[rcc5k]

[KLV Quote]
Of course I've tried the french press. And I like it, but it's not a bad idea to have a drip machine for some reasons.

1.- I use to take my coffee to wherever I go, so when rushing I don't get to do all the procedure. I think a drip machine could help and keep the standard on taste.

2.- I like the muddy taste, but not always.

3.- Using the french press, requires some technique and lots of trial & error. I find the drip machina a little more straightforward way to a good cup.[/quote]

Nice respone made me laugh. Man you really dont know how to use a french press. It's not hard to be consistent. If ya like drip you like drip.
As a roaster I would rather have you drinking coffee then not at all.