FETCO vs Bunn

[dayres]

I'm working with a church to open a coffee shop later this year. What's the word on FETCO vs Bunn for airpot or 1.5 gallon brewers?

 

[CCafe]

Go with a Bunn BrewWise or a Fetco CBS-2052. The Bunn is more complicated and has a lot more features and allows you to really tweak your coffee. The Fetco is more of a set it and forget it type machine. Either way you will still produce better coffee with either machine than you will with a Bunn airpot.

I like Bunn airpots, but the tank temperature will never go over 200F and that’s just not hot enough to brew specialty coffee.

 

[DavesLT]

Strongly reccomend the FETCO or a CURTIS brewer. BUNN equipment IMHO is overpriced and over-rated. They tend to use inferior parts that break often while companies like FETCO and CURTIS use much higher quality components that last for years. I've spent twenty years servicing coffee and espresso machines, so I am merely relating what I've observed.

 

[dayres]

Thanks for your suggestions. I haven't bought yet. May just depend on who can give me the best deal. Any additional comments are welcome.

Darren

 

[DavesLT]

Darren, that's the catch. You're "best deal" may be your "worst deal" if you're only buying based on price and not on reliability. The dumbest situation in our industry is that the purchasing agent's bonus is tied to how cheaply he can buy equipment, when it should be tied to the cost of maintaining the junk he buys. Good luck, -Dave

 

[dayres]

Gotcha! Thanks.

 

[CCafe]

DavesLT the same can be said for both Curtis and Fetco. Hell I've replaced more Fetco electronics then I have ever Bunn. Have you ever wondered why they put a 2 year warranty on that stuff?

Really if you look at the market most Bunn brewers are priced very close to Fetco. Some are only a few hundred dollars higher. Most of that is do to innovation like your BrewWise system.

It enhances the Pulse Brewing by allowing the user to change the settings per type coffee. Hence the Bunn is more for people who are constant tweakers who are always looking for the greener grass!

I'm not saying I'm just for Bunn, heck I have sold more Fetco products. But I wouldn’t discredit them either.

 

[dayres]

Thanks, ccafe.

 

[DavesLT]

CCafe, I agree that FETCO is only marginally better than BUNN in certain areas, but if you've ever taken a piece of CURTIS equipment apart, you would say otherwise about them. Their equipment is built like a tank and utilizes the most state-of-the-art control boards I have ever seen. I've met some of the CURTIS engineers, and they are way ahead of the bell-curve in our industry. And no, I don't sell coffee brewers, I just appreciate good technology when I see it.

 

[treston]

Are there any good features on the Bunn,Curtis or Fetco satellite brewers, that are missing on the other, i.e. the Fetco can physically lock the basket in place for a set amount of time, even after brewing has stopped to allow for dripping.

I would like to know some advantages and disavantages of the 3 machines in regards to both customer use and serviceability for engineers and cleaners

 

[La Crema Coffee]

Bunn can " lock" the basket in too.... When I say " BUNN" you think?