Norelco Dial-A-Brew

[spiralactivator]

My mom was having a string of bad luck with new coffee makers, so I decided to start the new year off right by getting her a '70s Norelco Dial-A-Brew from the local thrift shop. Although Mom is oddly perturbed that it doesn't have an on-off switch (plug it in to turn it on, unplug it to turn it off), she is happy with the coffee. Does anyone have any info or experience with the Dial-A-Brew? I remember Betty White using one on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Lily Tomlin using one in "9 to 5"--that's the extent of my knowledge.

 

[foraloysius]

do you have a picture of it? is it a small coffee maker with a round filter?

 

[bethann]

No info on the Dial-a- Brew. I have used a Bunn for years. I think it's the best coffee pot made.The last one that I had lasted for about fourteen yrs. It went through a lot of abuse! The coffee just taste more fresh. Hubby likes perked coffee. I guess I'll get him a pot for downstairs. All the more reason that he can't bitch cuz I bought something else Pink!

 

[appnut]

Bethann, don't get too perturbed with hubby. There are several of us on here that prefer perked corree, especially out of our vintage percolators

 

[appnut]

something else pink

Uh oh, spill the beans!!!

 

[maytagbear]

I had a Norelco-Dial-A-Brew, from

'78 to '81, and I liked it, but fitting the little round filters into the basket was a real bother. Yes, it did not have a switch, but I was in college then, and had it rigged to an Intermatic timer.

Made great coffee, but was annoying to use. I wasn't careful, and eventually, I let the very hard water of my college town (Hiram, Ohio. Kent's water is softer than Hiram's.) kill it.

I drink very little coffee any more, and it is always decaf (my various doctors insist!) and now I have a lovely Krups.

However, I did see a Farberware 6-8 cup perk at a local thrift store, and I am tempted.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[launderess]

Perked Coffee!

Sorry guys/gals but perked coffed violates every rule I know about great tasting coffee.

Discovered vacuum pot brewing several years ago and have not looked back. Have several Silex and Cory glass vac pot sets, including one MIB Silex vac pot/tray/server set, but for our every day coffee use my Sunbeam C-50 automatic vac pot. It makes good HOT coffee every time automatically (see, managed to work in the group name). Also have a Cory automatic vac pot, but like the Sunbeam C-50 since it makes "hotter" coffee.

Launderess

 

[gansky1]

where else? eBay...

This is a similar style, but I remember a different filter basket??

I don't drink a lot of coffee, but I have two Sunbeam vac pots that I use - guests love the coffee from them, it is hotter and been described as "smoother" coffee than drip or perk. I found a Kitchen Aid coffee grinder at an antique show (with the measuring glass) so guests who are used to the (blasphemous) plastic jug of ground Folgers and a Proctor-Silex drip coffe maker can marvel at the strange and interesting fresh ground coffee that is actually brewed, not strained, in vintage chrome style. Takes a few minutes longer, but worth the wait!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38251&item=4350720250&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

 

[kenmore1978]

Norelco coffeemaker

One of the places I worked at in the 80's had a Norelco cofeemaker similar to the picture, but it's basket was different. The little round filters WERE sort of a "pain", hard to get into and out of the deep and narrow coffee basket and somewhat harder to find in stores than the cone or basket-type filters. I remember that the "Dial-A-Brew" system simply diverted some of the hot water past the basket and directly into the pot.

 

[kenmore1978]

Bunn and switches

FYI, they do make little switches that plug into an outlet and then things can be plugged into them that don't have switches of their own. Looks like a little wall light switch.

Those Bunn coffeemakers are great, and you gte coffee faster than any other drip coffeemaker BUT, they use electricity all the time and if for some reason they are accidentally turned off or unplugged, it takes AGES to get the tank of water hot again. Made the mistake of turning one of those off the night before at work and everybody having to impatiently wait the next morning for it to heat the tank of water. A lesson learned.

 

[coldspot66]

Speaking of Norelco, we had a toaster oven in the late 70's that had radiant heater elements, not the calrod type. That was a FAST toaster-oven. Within 10 or 15 seconds, the elements were red. best one we ever had!I think Norelco exited the small appliance business prematurely. Best toaster oven we ever had! Also when I started shaving as a teen, Norelco with the "floating heads" was my first electric shaver.

 

[chachp]

Bunn and Perked

Bethann,

I am with you on the Bunn Coffeemaker. I am on my second in about 20 years. This one is 11 years old. In my opinion they really do make good coffee and yes, they are fast. As KM pointed out, you just have to remember the leave them on so the tank stays hot )!

Second on my list is Vac coffee. I have a Sunbeam C50 that I use from time to time and I have a Starbucks Barista Vac coffee maker. It's just that I'm spoiled by the speed of the Bunn so I use that during the week and frequently make Vac coffee on the weekends or when I have more time.

 

[jasonl]

Bodum automatic vac pot

I'm planning on getting the Bodum automatic vac coffee pot. Just load it and push one button. BAM.

 

[kenmore1978]

Bodum coffeemaker

Never heard of a Bodum automatic vacuum coffeemaker, any more info on it?

 

[kenmore1978]

Norelco

Did Norelco actually exit the small appliance business? And if they did was it only here or world-wide?

They still make the best, albeit expensive to buy and maintain, electric shavers

 

[bpetersxx]

bodum coffeemaker 2

Is this it

http://www.espressozone.com/vacuum-coffee-makers.html

 

[chachp]

Bodum

That is the vacuum coffeemaker I have but it has the Starbucks logo on it. You'll love it. Even has a timer so you can set it to have your coffee ready in the morning if you want.

 

[kenmore1978]

Timers

Ah, but the TRUE coffee aficianados say that coffee MUST be freshly ground every morning, and not sit around in a ground state overnight in coffeemakers waiting for timers. Fortuantely, I'm not THAT anal about it.

 

[foraloysius]

Norelco is owned by Philips and it seems that they use the Philips tags for household appliances nowadays. I have their Senseo coffee maker that uses coffee pods. It's kind of an espresso machine but not with the same pressure. I like the taste of the coffee, but I think a lot of Americans would find it too strong or too bitter.

 

[chachp]

LOL..

"Ah, but the TRUE coffee aficianados say that coffee MUST be freshly ground every morning, and not sit around in a ground state overnight in coffeemakers waiting for timers. Fortuantely, I'm not THAT anal about it. "

Me either. I used to be that anal about it but as I got older I got over it. I love coffee, and drink it by the gallons and truth be told I don't see a huge differnce if I grind it at 10pm or 8am!

 

[david]

Dial a Brew rrevisited

Oh gosh, I hadn't thought about this pot in years. I was in the service and a buddy and me lived in a mobile home to get off base for awhile. Barry had bought one of those Norelco dial a brew pots and we started having coffee all the time. I didn't know how to use an automatic drip as they were relatively new (this was the mid 70's). I think this one did have an on/off switch,; I don't remember anything unusual about it. Before he came home with that, I think I was using an electric GE perc, which I would give anything to have now. Incidentally, I have in my possession one of those banned Corning ware with the metal rim around the top percs. It's electric and makes pretty good coffee. Did have a stovetop but don't know what happened to it. And I have always wanted one of those Sunbeam coffeemaster vacuum pots. An aunt of mine had one, it made great coffee.

 

[spiralactivator]

Little round filters?

I didn't know the Dial-A-Brew used special filters. Are they still available? Mom just uses a regular paper filter; the post at the center of the basket jabs through it, but the grains don't escape.

 

[kenmore1978]

Norelco special filters

Those filters aren't SUPER hard to find, it's just that not every store will carry them whereas the cone and gasket type filters are available everywhere.they also sell them for use in percolator baskets, I use them in my Corning Electromatic and Kenmore percolators. They come partly die cut so if you have a percolator with a deep, narrow, basket,(like my Kenmore) you tear off the outer ring of about 1/8" or so to make it fit. I find that I still get grounds in the coffee, though, because the paper makes it drain so slow in the Corning that the water level rises and overflows the top lid, taking some of the floating coffee grains with it down into the pot. In the Kenmore the problem is that the basket has holes in the SIDE of the basket as well as the bottom, so some grinds escape there since the filter only covers the bottom holes. Because of these problems I'll probably go back to a type I used previously, which consists of a square sheet of filter paper with holes in each corner and the center. You put the stem through the center hole, add the coffee, then fold over each corner with the holes over the stem so the coffee is completeley surrounded by the filter paper. The brew then comes out as grind-free as a vacuum or drip coffeemaker.

 

[Ultramatic1]

cool percolator

I have a 1957 Futuramic (yes,FUTURAMIC) percolator with a Westinghouse thermostat. It came in the original box with instructions and warranty. Futuramics (made by Century) make great coffee.

 

[kenmore1978]

Ultramatic

So is your name from a washer or a Packard automatic transmission?

 

[drmitch]

I`ve got some old perks but I use a Cusinart with the water diverter dial like the Norelco your talking about. Used it about 2yr,and happy with it. We used Bunns n the 70`s and if one went bad you just ship it back in orignal box and they gave you a new one. They started charging a flat fee in the later 80`s but they made great coffee. I would like to try the Sunbeam c50 though.