I'm looking for advice about, testimonials on, or experiences with burr grind & brew coffeemakers from those who own one or are otherwise familiar with them.
My fourth Cuisinart burr grind & brew since 2008 is crapping out. Slow brewing with long pauses, and when brewing a large batch, it will often shut itself off before the brewing is done and leave water remaining in the reservoir. I've done the vinegar thing twice in the past few days with no major calcified residue ending up in the filter basket, so the problem lies somewhere else, most likely with the thermostat. It's only a matter of time before it fails completely, and Cuisinart doesn't assemble anything in a way that makes it possible to take it apart without breaking it.
At this point, I'm done with Cuisinart. The brew baskets on these models are both clumsy and a pain to clean. The mechanism that rotates the basket lid into position can be touchy at times. There are better systems out there.
I'm considering a Krups or a Kenmore Elite. There's not a lot of information on either of these machines other than the descriptions furnished by their respective marketing teams. Reviews for both machines give high marks for ease of cleaning, the Krups has a very quiet grinder, and both get good reviews on the brews they produce. Neither of them is very intuitive when it comes to their digital controls.
Unfortunately, both machines also have reputations for failing in less than a year. More than one Kenmore story advised that the machine was DOA and had to be exchanged on day one. It's hard to blame user error in those situations.
The Kenmore does have a five year warranty, although I truly don't expect Sears to still be around five years from now, and have read that some people have had trouble getting Sears to provide an exchange or refund, even with a receipt.
The Krups comes with a two-year warranty and is apparently very efficient with its use of beans. One reviewer said they'd likely recover the additional cost of the Krups within a year's time just based on having to buy beans less often (compared to the per-pot amount the Cuisinart went through). They must drink a lot of coffee.
The Krups sells for around $180 (about the same as a Cuisinart) and the Kenmore has an on-line price of $88 with free shipping or pick-up at a local Sears.
The Krups is kind of a strange looking tower with a water "silo" next to it. The Kenmore is a very clean looking stainless box.
All other makes are more expensive, and for the most part not significantly better. I'm not looking to shell out $600 for a Bunn.
I'm leaning toward the Kenmore since it's (less than) half the price of all of its competitors, but I can't find anything on line to indicate who the manufacturer is. I'm torn though, because one review on the Krups made it sound like its finished brew was a revelation of smooth, full-bodied deliciousness. When it comes right down to it, that's what I'm after and I'm willing to pay for it, but the reliability thing is holding me back.
If anyone is familiar with either of these machines or another make I should consider, I'd appreciate your comments.
Again, for now this is about automatic burr grind & brew makers only. Not blade grinder types and not Technivorms that don't have a grinder of any kind.
Here's the Kenmore:
Here's the Krups:
My fourth Cuisinart burr grind & brew since 2008 is crapping out. Slow brewing with long pauses, and when brewing a large batch, it will often shut itself off before the brewing is done and leave water remaining in the reservoir. I've done the vinegar thing twice in the past few days with no major calcified residue ending up in the filter basket, so the problem lies somewhere else, most likely with the thermostat. It's only a matter of time before it fails completely, and Cuisinart doesn't assemble anything in a way that makes it possible to take it apart without breaking it.
At this point, I'm done with Cuisinart. The brew baskets on these models are both clumsy and a pain to clean. The mechanism that rotates the basket lid into position can be touchy at times. There are better systems out there.
I'm considering a Krups or a Kenmore Elite. There's not a lot of information on either of these machines other than the descriptions furnished by their respective marketing teams. Reviews for both machines give high marks for ease of cleaning, the Krups has a very quiet grinder, and both get good reviews on the brews they produce. Neither of them is very intuitive when it comes to their digital controls.
Unfortunately, both machines also have reputations for failing in less than a year. More than one Kenmore story advised that the machine was DOA and had to be exchanged on day one. It's hard to blame user error in those situations.
The Kenmore does have a five year warranty, although I truly don't expect Sears to still be around five years from now, and have read that some people have had trouble getting Sears to provide an exchange or refund, even with a receipt.
The Krups comes with a two-year warranty and is apparently very efficient with its use of beans. One reviewer said they'd likely recover the additional cost of the Krups within a year's time just based on having to buy beans less often (compared to the per-pot amount the Cuisinart went through). They must drink a lot of coffee.
The Krups sells for around $180 (about the same as a Cuisinart) and the Kenmore has an on-line price of $88 with free shipping or pick-up at a local Sears.
The Krups is kind of a strange looking tower with a water "silo" next to it. The Kenmore is a very clean looking stainless box.
All other makes are more expensive, and for the most part not significantly better. I'm not looking to shell out $600 for a Bunn.
I'm leaning toward the Kenmore since it's (less than) half the price of all of its competitors, but I can't find anything on line to indicate who the manufacturer is. I'm torn though, because one review on the Krups made it sound like its finished brew was a revelation of smooth, full-bodied deliciousness. When it comes right down to it, that's what I'm after and I'm willing to pay for it, but the reliability thing is holding me back.
If anyone is familiar with either of these machines or another make I should consider, I'd appreciate your comments.
Again, for now this is about automatic burr grind & brew makers only. Not blade grinder types and not Technivorms that don't have a grinder of any kind.
Here's the Kenmore:
Here's the Krups:
