rnovak's Full Review: Bunn BT10B 10-Cup Coffee Maker
Yes, I bought another coffeemaker. I've been wanting another Bunn since my last one died in 2000 or so, but have always put it off because of the cost. It's worth $100-150, but wasn't worth that much to me. However, today I found a scratch-and-dent box of this one, brand new, at a local thrift store for $25 and just could not resist it. My kitchen is not big enough for five coffeemakers, but I'll deal with that.
The Bunn is not an ordinary coffeemaker. It acts very differently from most drip coffeemakers, in that it keeps the water HOT and ready to brew. This means three minutes from putting the lid down to having a pot of steaming hot coffee. This is true for all of the Bunn commercial-style coffeemakers, including this one and the non-thermal kind as well.
Setup takes a few minutes (allow half an hour from sealed box to starting first pot). You'll put two pots of cold water in, three minutes apart, before even plugging it in. Then you'll plug it in and wait 10-15 minutes for the reservoir to heat up to around 200F. Once that time passes, you're ready to make fast and delicious coffee.
Because of the way the Bunn reservoir operates, be careful with the water lid. Putting it down effectively "turns on" the brewing process, by releasing the cold water into the reservoir and pushing what's already in there over the grounds and into the carafe (or onto the floor, if you forgot to put the carafe in place--only done that twice myself).
To make your pot of coffee, put a filter and coffee into the filter basket and slide it into place. Fill the carafe to the "ledge" inside, using cold water, putting the carafe lid back on... and lift the coffeemaker's water lid to pour the water in. This is important: Put the carafe in place BEFORE closing the water lid--otherwise you'll get coffee all over your counter. Wait three minutes, and enjoy!
The documentation strongly suggests (even demands) that you use Bunn brand filters. I am not convinced of this being a requirement, and I will try out my usual brown filters as well as a permanent filter before making a judgment on this. I had grounds overflow even with the included Bunn filters, but that might have been that I used 12 cups worth of grounds (according to my grinder) for 10 cups. You may have to adjust your grind and amount to get the perfect results.
I am very critical of crummy thermal containers/carafes, and usually only use glass-lined ones. However, this double-wall steel carafe works very well. I made my first pot around 3pm, and four hours later the contents are still very hot to the touch. Note that since it's thermal, there is no on/off switch for a heating element. And as with most thermal carafes, you'll get the best heat retention if you pre-heat the carafe with hot water before making coffee. The manual suggests 30 seconds filled with hot water, and reminds you to dump the water out before putting it under the filter basket to brew.
Since this coffeemaker does stay powered up all the time, there are some things to keep in mind.
* First, it uses a 34W heating element to keep the water warm between brewing cycles, so you're using some energy 24/7. The heater itself is 800W but is only used when brewing, to heat the newly-introduced water.
* Second, it can "boil" dry, so if you're going to leave it unused for more than 3 days, you should use the Vacation Switch on the side to turn off the heating element. You should not use the vacation switch on a daily basis, just if it will not be used for a few days, such as on a vacation.
* Third, the tank may be warm or hot to the touch, so you will want to keep it out of reach of children and away from anything that could melt or catch fire from sustained contact with a hot piece of metal.
* Fourth, you can use the coffeepot without a filter and grounds to get instant HOT water (for instant foods or drinks, cleaning things, etc). Remember that it's 200F, which is about 50-70F hotter than the hottest tap water. Never use meltable containers with this coffeemaker.
As always, I'll mention that filtered or bottled water is your best way to improve the taste of your coffee and the performance of your coffeemaker. A Pur or Brita pitcher beside the coffeemaker is a great investment if you don't have a water cooler or tap filter. Fresh ground beans are an excellent thing too--even if they're a grocery store brand. Go for a medium to coarse grind, 1-2Tbsp of coffee for each cup or 2oz of grounds for a pot. You should still clean the coffeemaker according to the manual's instructions every six months even if you use filtered or bottled water.
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