We are on our second Breville. It is still going strong.

eld6161,

Which model do you own? I'm considering the Precision Brewer Glass.

Have you tried all the brew settings. Which one is your preferred brew?

We have the Hamilton Beach model that has both the single cup option (can use K cups) and the regular (10 cup?) option. It works great but it’s at our beach cottage so it doesn’t get a ton of use.

At home, DH has a Nespresso but that coffee is too strong for me, so I have a basic Hamilton Beach regular drip coffee maker — chosen based on so many positive reviews at the time. Haven’t had one bit of trouble with it and it was cheap, like $30?

Not a k-cup type but for years I have been using a Toastess twin coffee maker. You can make one cup or two with each a separate strength or flavor. My last one started leaking and I replaced it with a regular one. The coffee just does not have the same flavor using the same amount of grounds. I always used #2 paper filters for ease of dumping. I just looked and Amazon has them again so just might purchase and put the new pot in storage. https://www.amazon.com/Toastess-TFC-42T-Silhouette-800-Watt-Coffeemaker/dp/B000EMDB3C/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=toastess+twin+coffee+maker&qid=1572139146&sr=8-3

I have a Farberware one I use now and then. I like it just fine.

I have a Cuisinart single serve coffee maker. Love it! https://www.cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/coffee_makers/ss-10

We use our regular drip brew coffee maker daily but I recently bought a slim Keurig to use when we have guests for just the reason Annie described. It seems to work well as we have tried it at home and even taken it on a road trip and used it in our hotel room. I think a lot depends on the quality of the coffee used in many cases.

I'm spoiled -- we have a Jura espresso maker. No pods, capsules or bad coffee. We bought our first one as a refurbished unit about 16 years ago and it went to grad school with my oldest when we got a new one for a new feature I wanted. Both are going strong. The machine costs more, but no pod expense or waste. Infinite coffee choices too (though we mostly use one favorite). My husband likes espresso -- I don't, but I simply got tired of having to buy a new coffee maker once a year, more or less. I usually make regular coffee or cappuccino for me.

I have a Hamilton Beach Flexbrew, which I got after my daughter praised hers. She has had hers for 2+ years without problem, and I have had mine for a year. She is more of a coffee fan than I am, and she likes the quality of the brew. Her boyfriend liked hers enough to buy one also.

You can use Kcups or grounds with it, but there are no other settings (such as strength). Inexpensive, too.

Jura? Yikes! I like coffee but I'm not shelling out a couple of grand for a machine! I don't like coffee *that* much!

I bought my Keurig about 4-5 years ago, still running strong. I have Keurig coffee at numerous friends houses with different models and it tasted just fine. Are you sure the issue isn't the type of water (use filterer water only) or with the replaceable filter?

Yes Raye, nothing changed except the machine. It was awful...just the worst...even looking at the liquid running into the cup it was almost clear. I got my old one working again and will be returning this one.

I have the same Bodum French press for the last 30 years. It's lower tech than a machine, but great coffee and cost effective.

Annie, another thought, have you checked to see if the spike in the bottom is piercing the pod? It may just be that you unfortunately got a dud machine.

Thanks, raye. I've boxed it up for return already and am keeping the old one going so I think I'm ok for now. But with 2 out of 3 keurigs gone bad, I'm done with them.

I have a Mr. Coffee single cup coffee maker that works with k-cups. However, I have purchased one these little reusable pods and filters in order to stop using k-cups and throwing them in the garbage. I find that it also saves me so much money as regular/flavored ground coffee is so much cheaper than k-cups.

https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Cup-Refillable-Capsule-Compatible-Keurig/dp/B002YPC2NM/ref=asc_df_B002YPC2NM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167117500299&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8485684910336478761&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052579&hvtargid=aud-802037562948:pla-308632927109&psc=1

Numerous reviews I've seen from credible sources (like Cooks Illustrated) suggest that the two most important variables for making non-espresso coffee are using a high enough water temperature (just below boiling) and the freshness and quality of the coffee itself. I remember that in particular Cooks Illustrated consistently found that most lower priced coffee makers don't heat water to a high enough temperature. That may have been the reason for watery coffee noted above.

For me, the quality of the result is more important than how to get there so I've long used a water kettle with a gooseneck (whether stove top or electric) and a non-plastic pour-over cone. With a kettle, I can control the water temperature. I currently use Hario ceramic cones. A French press is also okay. A few years ago, I tried a highly rated (and priced) Bonavita machine and found in a side by side test that my pour-over method made better tasting coffee. I sold the Bonavita.

I buy fresh beans from a local roaster, one pound at a time. It lasts about one week, one cup a day x 2 people but using a lot of coffee for each.

Many are as picky about brewed coffee as I am but many are not. For those who aren't, the Keurig systems and drip makers sold at popular prices are adequate for their needs.

The keurig had temp settings and even at the highest setting, it was making dishwater. So that wasn't the issue. I think this bit about getting a cup in 1 minute is simply too fast to allow the coffee to brew...else there was something wrong with this specific one.

I used to do french press, but clean-up was a problem...I always ended up rinsing some grind down the sink, and without a dispose-all, I was always afraid of a stopped up drain.

My GF has the mini paper filters to use in her reusable k cup which might be a solution, but I do like having choices. I typically have 4 cups a day, each with a different flavor. Buying a lb of each at a time wouldn't stay fresh before I used it up.

Gigirambles, thanks for sharing that link. I bought Keurig machines for our vacation home, one for each kitchen (downstairs/upstairs) since we have guests and it seemed like it would be useful for the reasons other mention.

Which it is, but now that we're living here FT I do get annoyed at both the expense of the single cup coffee pods and the environmental waste. So I think I will order the reusable K cup you linked and filters and give it a try. We will still be able to provide variety for guests but for every day coffee, this looks more economical and earth friendly!

We have the Hamilton Beach Flexbrew and it works great, nicely brewed single cup and doesn't use much counter space. I've cut back to only 2 cups in the morning after giving up the drip brew and finishing off the whole pot every day.

I have a Bonavita Coffee maker . Elmer stated that having a high temperature is important for good coffee.Go to www.seattlecoffeegear.com. They have a short video on it.i use just enough water to fill up my thermal mug in the morning.

"I think this bit about getting a cup in 1 minute is simply too fast to allow the coffee to brew"

Not only not enough time for the coffee to brew, also not likely enough time for the water to get to the necessary temperature.

delanli, as I mentioned, I bought a Bonavita to try because Cooks Illustrated recommended only it and another one that were the only two products that consistently heated the water to a high enough temperature. I forget the other brand but it was >$300. Anyway, in several side by side tests that I did, I preferred the coffee from my pour over Hario ceramic cone to the coffee from the Bonavita. The Bonavita was okay but not good enough for me to want to keep it. It was of course easier to use than a manual pour over approach but as I said, the end result is more important to me than the steps to get there.

Elmer the water does get hot first...the one minute is the time to pour over the k-cup and come out. IAC, it was completely unsatisfactory.

Elmer, you may be right...it may be time to change the technology I use. I'll have to do some more exploration.

Since I only drink one cup a day the Keurig is fine for my needs. For those that drink multiple cups or have more than one coffee drinker in the house I would see the K-cups as too expensive.

I have this at my desk at work (mine is an earlier version I guess, no stainless steel, all black):

https://www.target.com/p/black-decker-5-cup-4-in-1-station-coffeemaker-stainless-steel-cm0750s/-/A-52517944

I mostly use it for making hot tea but occasionally make coffee in it. The 2 cup level is OK for one if you have a little bigger coffee mug (1 cup = 6 oz here). I have a 20 oz Ozark cup (like a Yet but cheaper, from Walmart), and I fill to the 3 cup level. Gets pretty hot to me. I'm not a coffee snob at all (use Dunkin' Donuts or Folgers usually), so I'm happy with it.

straitlover...that looks both interesting and affordable!

" I'm not a coffee snob at all (use Dunkin' Donuts or Folgers usually) "

Oh, come come. This is like someone saying "I drink only Two-Buck Chuck, I'm not a wine snob".

If you don't have exposure to or a preference for good coffee, that's your taste preference and nothing more. Those who prefer fresh, better quality coffee than the canned stuff you drink aren't snobs, they're people with a different preference and who dislike the lower quality, off-flavor coffee you like. Nothing more.

The incredible proliferation of shops selling better coffee in the last 25 years isn't because people have become snobs. Yes, some are better than others, but most all serve coffee significantly better than what passed for coffee here in the US for so many years. When exposed to better coffee, many people develop a preference for it. If you don't or haven't, fine.

Annie, You can spend a lot on a Jura, but I have not spent anywhere near list on one. We bought our first one as a refurbished unit for what I remember as less than half the list price. That one is now about 16 years old for us and still being used daily by our son. The one we are using now was bought new, but it was on sale, and after we helped with a couple of other appliance sales while we were looking, the salesperson gave us her employee discount which made that one about half price too. Compared to having to shell out $100 or so for a drip maker every year or so and having mixed results, I think we've come out ahead, There is no denying that the cash out of pocket up front is steeper. It was one of those things I had a hard time with but I don't know if we could go back now.

By the way -- our current machine has over 10,000 servings on the counter. I don't know about our son's, but I know it was over 10,000 when we gave it to him. The machines last -- and that's 10,000 capsules not purchased or into the trash. Our back up for power outages or making coffee for a large crowd to put into a pump carafe is a drip cone -- we go, admittedly, one extreme to the other. It works for us.

I did not mean coffee snob as an insult, I meant like the equivalent of a foodie but for coffee but couldn't think of a better word. My thinking was that people who like better types of coffee might not necessarily want a cheaper coffee maker like I posted. Sorry if you thought I was trying to insult you or anyone else.

I like mild coffee, and I'll admit I drink it more for the warmth than the flavor. As I said I drink mostly hot tea now because I'm starting to get acid reflux from coffee. And yes, it's just regular old black tea or maybe some Earl Gray or English Breakfast if it's available. Still mainly for the warmth.

I have the single-serve brew 'N GO Black & Decker. I've had it for years, it works great and it's cheap. I didn't like the Keurig

Keurig at home and at work, both have lasted a long time. I use the 2nd to smallest setting. I have had where I've run a cup and I could tell by the color it was coming out that it wasn't right. Too light. But overall have been very happy with the k-cups.

Thanks straitlover. I'm not sure how you thought using the term "snob" wasn't a stick with a point on it but you've clarified what you meant.

I like very good food, coffee, wine, and have gone to a lot of effort over the years to have what I enjoy but to show you that you can't paint everyone with just one brush, I'm very indifferent about tea. Herbal, floral, foo foo, etc., are not for me. Plain Lipton in a tea bag or English Breakfast tea in the same format are fine when I want hot tea. Or jasmine tea in a Chinese restaurant or green tea in a Japanese one. Hot tea, never iced for me. I will admit to using two bags for a largish cup because I do prefer a stronger flavor.

Because I use Peet's and it contains actual grounds (some cheap pods are instant :( ) I shake the pod and make sure to pop it down on the spike in the holder. I've never gotten a bad run after doing that. I always use the smallest setting to get the strongest brew.

Raye, I tried pushing the pod down on the spike and it does seem to yield stronger coffee...thanks!

Elmer, I think the word I was looking for was connoisseur. It finally popped in my head last night. The older I get, the more words I'm losing. Maybe I need to try some of those brain game apps! :)

DH is the only coffee drinker in our house and he’s been really happy with the one like Barbara linked to above. The only complaint I have about it is that the bottom of the water reservoir is hard to clean.

For years we had a larger sized Cuisinart, (DD/SIL still have the same one) but when it started to go we gave the Keurig a try first and ended up returning it as well.

Raye, Peets regular and decaf is the main brand we buy for our slim Keurig and the Keurig we keep at the lake. Seattle’s Best is the other. I find it’s a darker roast and makes a better not bitter cup. It’s nice to have on hand for times when I only need a cup of decaf, for example, when a guest wants a cup or if I just want one cup and I don’t have to make a whole pot. And like I said, the slim travels easily for our car trips.

Wow, this thread is so timely, Annie!!! Just this early afternoon DH called me from the clinic to ask me to please (quickly) research Keurig-type coffee makers, as the one there just expired. These pros and cons are really helping me!

we recently bought a Mueller on Amazon as it had features we liked and it has great reviews. It has a sizable reservoir and works quickly. Price was right at around $50 or $60. Love it. Austrian or German brand. All the complaints about Keurig put me off.

I have a Toastess single server and like that it uses a permanent filter rather than cups/pods. I still put a filter in it to make clean up easier but it works fine for me. I have not had one drinkable cup of coffee made in a Keurig and I'm not all that fussy on coffee. Might work if they used the refillable unit instead of the retail cups. I still prefer a percolated cup of coffee.

I am amused when people brag about their Keurigs being "so fast!". Har-de-har-har! When at a friend's last year I said they take so long and he argued so we timed it. 3+ minutes to make a cup of (undrinkable) coffee. I was able to make about 8 cups in my drip maker in 4-4.5 minutes. And I could put my cup under it and get a cup out of it much quicker. Nope, will never waste the money on a Keurig. The mechanic I go to put in a single serve unit, I can't remember the brand (started with an "M" as I recall). I looked it up when I got home and it was about $130 so no way would I buy it, but it made some very good coffee. However, few people seem to realize that water is your biggest thing in making good coffee. Buy your specialized brands of coffee all you want, if you have bad water, it won't taste good. Period.

And one little peeve... People criticize others for buying bottled water, how they're "filling up the landfills!!!!", but those little plastic cups/pods don't? Come off it folks. That's as bad as the disposable diaper users criticizing people for what's going in the landfills!

I haven't used an automated coffee maker for more than 25 years!! a) they make terrible coffee (with the exception of pricey Italian espresso makers, which I don't need), b) they wear out so need to be replaced, often more frequently than one would expect and c) none are all that fast.

My go-to is a French press/cafetière. Makes the best coffee and only takes as long as it takes to boil the water....a couple of minutes at most. You can use the coffee of your choice and nothing that needs to wind up in the landfill.

Gardengal -- that is why we quit buying a regular coffee maker. They got more expensive and broke faster than the last one. We kept going back to a $1-2 drip cone and still do. DH doesn't like French presses (my son does), but he likes espresso, so we went that direction.

For the best coffee I think a French Press or a pour-over such as Chemex make the best cup of coffee but they are labor intensive (heating the water and dealing with the grounds) and it also depends on the quality and freshness and proper grind of the coffee used. It takes some practice to get it just right but when you do there is no comparison. We have both of these and occasionally use them. But for every day we use the Keurig because it's quicker and we are lazy. Yes, we have gone through 3 of them and this last one I bought is the smaller more compact one, cheaper and boy can I tell it's cheaper by how it sounds. I won't recommend one to anyone. So it depends on your lifestyle and pocketbook. Hey, you can get the pour-over ones very inexpensively and they don't require paper filters. Just heat the water and pour it over the coffee. The French Presses are also eco-friendly if that's what's important to you.

Just to follow up with my coffee tale, I did take elmer's suggestion and got a pour over maker. It is more of a pain to make the coffee but the results are definitely smoother. Now I just have to find a better brand of coffee to use. Not ready to go to the burr grinder business yet.

Cuisinart make a very nice burr grinder! I use mine every day. Just sayin'

Stick with it Annie, it's worth it. Especially with better coffee. Here's the technique I've found works best over decades of trial and error:

First "bloom" the grounds . Pour enough "no longer boiling" water in to dampen the grounds then wait 30 seconds.

Water needs to be just below boiling for each pour in. Which means...when the water is gently boiling, turn off the heat, wait maybe 10-15 seconds, then pour. If it's at a heavy boil, wait until the bubbling stops then the same amount of time later, pour a little on.

Fill the cone only half way and continue adding water, maybe 3 or 4 times or more depending on the size of the cup. Keep the grounds mostly damp. Pour water on the side of the cone to bring the grounds down. Before you add water, you need to continue reheating it to just below boiling for each pour on.

This is the same process as coffee makers but the manual approach makes sure the water is hot enough and the coffee has enough but not too much exposure to it.

As I said earlier, the objective is the cup of coffee, not the process. You'll get used to it as you continue to appreciate the result. I find pour over is what works best for me and the coffee is always excellent. Sure, there are automated coffee makers with timers you can set so that when you first walk into the kitchen in the morning, a hot cup of mediocre coffee is waiting for you. No thanks.