Sunbeam C50 quick question

[launderess]

Reheating coffee by high heat

Or even low is one way to ruin coffee. Have tried the odd cups of coffee reheated in microwave (mostly dregs of a pot made earlier still left in carafe), but find it always wanting. Far better to brew a fresh pot or even haul out the K-cup machine. This or have a small moka expresso pot that use for a quick cuppa.

Would be interesting to find out exactly why the "keep warm/low" heating function was eliminated in C50. Was it purely a cost saving measure or something else related to the new design.

People go either way with Sunbeam vac pots. Some love the C20 and or C30's. Others prefer the C50's. One thing is certain gaskets on C50's seem less of an issue than earlier efforts. Have acquired a few old Sunbeam C50's and gaskets were fine, this and they have sat sitting for years unused suffering no ill effects. OTOH cannot say same about C20's or C30's, have seen too many fingers burned.

 

[ea56]

Found a Very Informative Blog

on the C-50 Coffeemaster. It is quite lengthly, but there are several references to the C-50 warm setting actually keeping the brewed coffee hot. There is even mention that the coffee may be reheated on the warm setting, but it is slower than on the C-30’s. There are also several postings giving instructions for adjusting the thermostats on the C-50, it can be done, and the process is similar to the adjustment procedure for the C-30’s. The hex nut on the bottom of the base needs to be taken out to gain access to the thermostats.

If someone actually has a copy of the C-50 owners manual, I’m sure that I and others here would be interested in reading the actual printed instructions, rather than the the the partial instructions that have been recorded on this thread.

As they say curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought him back.

Eddie

http://snag-blog.com/coffee-physics-the-sunbeam-coffeemaster-c50/

 

[launderess]

Believe one posted that link elsewhere IIRC.

No where in that post and or comments which follow does it state that the C50 has a "warm" function that uses a lower thermostat setting, or anything else besides residual heat to keep coffee warm.

One comment does say this:

"P. S. All Coffeemaster models up, but not including the C50, are wondrous for re-heating coffee. Leave off the top top, put the thermostat on low, and fill with as much old coffee as you wish to re-heat. The heating element will heat quickly, but thermostat will prevent burning. Wait for two or more heating cycles (you can hear them) if you want your coffee fully hot. A microwave for 10 seconds at the end may or may not be needed, depending on exactly where the thermostat is set. Try it – it’s a good alternative to microwaving a cup of coffee, which burns the heck out of it."

That comment came from same person who also posted about various differences between Sunbeam Coffeemaster coffemakers, and gave instructions on how to adjust brew time via removing base.

Same person also says:

"The Coffeemaster C30s all have two thermostats. One is set to about 220 degrees Fahrenheit, and the other to about 160 to hold the coffee at a good drinking temperature. A lever on the bottom can be used to force which thermostat is used. To the left is the high temperature, which is used for brewing. After brewing, it automatically clicks to the lower temperature position."

Again he is referring not to the C50, but an earlier model of Coffeemaster coffeemaker.

 

[ea56]

Here are Two of the Posts

that indicate the warm setting on the C50 does in fact heat. The first states that it keeps the coffee hot for an extended period of time without burning it. Something that wouldn’t be possible if the warm setting effectively turned off the current.

The second post goes into detail about adjusting the thermostat on the C50 to shorten the brewing time, something that is controlled by the warm setting, and how much heat is in the lower chamber, As we all know the temp must drop low enough for the draw down to commence.

I really have no desire to continue this exercise in futility. Launderess, if you do have the owners manual for the C50, if you could kindly post it, as it is printed, the mystery could come to an end. I still contend that Sunbeam would not have labeled the switch “warm”, if it in effect was actually “off” as you interpret the directions. The directions that you transcribed were vague and contradictory, and open for individual interpretation.

And please, understand that I mean no disrespect by my seemingly ceaseless questioning. But like Judge Judy says, “If something doesn’t make sense, its likely not true.”

Eddie

Jim Black/Factoid
Posted September 16, 2017 at 2:38 am | Permalink
Shirley,

I use five coffee scoops (1/8 cup, 2 oz, 4 Tbls each) for a full pot, and never brew a half pot. You will find, by the way, that Coffeemasters keep the coffee hot for an extended period without burning it. The C30 series is very good at quickly reheating a half pot while keeping the taste quite good. The C50 will keep coffee hot, but takes a half hour or more to heat it up. I’ll explain the reason for that last if anyone asks.

The grind to use always depends primarily on how long the infusion time is. If the grinds will be in contact with the water for a longer period, then a courser grind can and should be used. The infusion time on these pots varies a bit, but is usually on the longer side. Assuming this is true for your C30A, a somewhat coarser grind would be appropriate.

The other factor affecting the grind is how fine the filter is. The C30C has a stainless steel filter which is easier to clean, but is not as fine as the cloth filters used on the original C30. If I use a fine grind in my C30C, there will be a bit of “fines” in the bottom of the pot.

Note that the infusion time on the C30 and C50 series is adjustable. See Jim Lauck’s excellent comment above for details.

Jim Black
Posted May 13, 2018 at 2:40 pm | Permalink
Those directions are in a previous comment from Jim Lauck. Here is a re-post in full:

Jim Lauck
Posted January 14, 2017 at 11:28 am | Permalink
A comment about brewing time on the C50: It is adjustable. There is a hex head screw in the base of the
unit. One must first remove the bakelite base from the lower bowl. Remove the hex screw in the middle of
the bottom. Then you must remove the two hex nuts from the electrical prongs. The bakelite base will now
slip off. You will see a 6-32 machine screw with a hex head on the contact assembly. Turning this screw to
the right pushes the contact assembly closer to the bi-metallic strip and shortens the brewing time (shuts
off faster). Turning the screw to the left (counterclockwise) lengthens the brewing time. I recommend
turning the screw only 1/2 turn at a time, putting it all back together and do a test run with only water. My
C50 pushes the all the water up and switches off within 5 to 10 seconds. It pulls down in less than a
minute. Bought mine at the Salvation Army for $1 in the early 1970’s. If you take care of it, it lasts forever
and makes great coffee.

Reply

[this post was last edited: 5/17/2019-02:17]

 

[northwesty]

Just

pour the coffee from the C-50 into the C-30 and heat it up that way

 

[dhowlan]

C50 warming and a request

Hello,

This is my first post. I felt compelled to sign up in order to sort out the big question of whether a c50 has a warming feature. I have had the pleasure of owning a c30A for a while and acquired a c50 a few days ago. I just wanted to report that it does, indeed, have a warming feature. I have tested it two ways, letting it "brew" and then switch to warm and also from cold/unplugged. Both ways, it does warm the liquid.
I should add that while I have gone through adjusting every bit of the c30 so that it works to spec, i have only just received the c50 so I can't say i know the details of what temp it brews at and what temp it warms to. It turns on, switches to warm and that's all I can say at this point. I'll report the details when i get it sorted. I haven't even made coffee in it yet.

Related to this, I have found the c30 manuals online, but no trace of either the owners or service manual for a c50. It would be fantastic if anyone has either and could post a scan.

Thanks for everyone's input. Much appreciated.

 

[mixrman]

I do not have the service manual for the c-50, but I do have the parts list and diagram- would that help?

 

[brainardcooper]

SunBeam

I have the exact one as the one referenced in Reply # 17 owners manual. Used it this past weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Coffee was excellent. A lot of fun listening to it operate and it "automatically" switches from High to Low after the brewing is complete!

 

[dhowlan]

Parts list

I think that the parts list and diagram would help. Thanks. For some reason, the light was working the first two times and isn't today. At the very least, it would help me sort out a bulb if i need one.

 

[dhowlan]

c50 innards pictures

I took it apart today to investigate the light issue. Here are some photos.

I should mention there was a cafiza overflow incident that was more substantial than I thought when it happened. I guess the seals on this are not perfect. My advice, don't submerge it.
It seems the overflow saturated the insulation on the light bulb leads (or wicks in this case) and shorted the light. The bulb is clearly not something to worry about. I'm curious if the parts list gives a name to this kind of bulb. It appears to have no element. Two rods that arc?

After opening it, this design is, if anything, easier to navigate than the c30. Disassembly requires removing a 9/16" socket bolt from the bottom, then removing two 5/16" nuts from the power prongs. One nut was tricky as the socket wouldn't fit in the space. I used needle nose pliers to get it started. There is a seal under the bottom bolt and washer. There is a seal in the base at the edge. There are two seals, one on each prong, at the power supply leads.

Unfortunately, the photos I took avoided (sorry) the one adjustment that can be made. There is a small bolt/screw that can be screwed in and out. Jim Lauck's description above is the one to go by as i didn't need at this point to mess with that. The adjuster is on the opposite side of the power prongs in the main exposed photo. The last two photos show the switch points warm vs brew. As my daughter has said, it gives a satisfying click in either direction.

All in all, this was a far less intimidating thing than I had anticipated. If you have any experience with appliances and such, this is basic. The light works again.

 

[mattl]

The bulb is just your basic neon bulb, been around forever.   They glow orangeish  red should be easily replaceable, but they really don’t usually burn out, so you may have other issues.

 

[mixrman]

Here is the Sunbeam C50 parts list and diagram (dated June 1961):

 

[dhowlan]

Thanks mixrman

Thanks for posting the parts diagram. Hopefully it helps to see the adjuster location, #6. Also nice to know what's supposed to come apart.

 

[hadyourphil]

Sunbeam C-50

I have a C-50 that I have had for several years. I also have the service manual and the owner's manual.
One topic that has come up is the reheating or warm setting. The C-50 has two heating elements. The power switch goes left for warm (low wattage to keep the java hot) and right for brew. There is no "off" setting. You have to unplug. Mine has the two-stage mesh filter, which other than being stained, works fine.

One question I've had is, what color is the bottom inside of the lower pot? Mine is part chrome and the rest is black (stained?). What is correct?

This old coffee maker is certainly built like a tank!

 

[ea56]

Brand new these pots had shiny chrome interiors in the lower pot. Because many owners were lazy and didn’t wash out the pots between uses the coffee oils built up and stained the inside.

An easy way to clean these pots is to run a full pot of water with a tablespoon or two of powdered dishwasher detergent (or 1 DW detergent pod) through and brewing cycle. Then unplug the pot and let the solution sit in the pot for 30 to 45 mins. Then pour out the dirty water, and it will be dirty. Now run a brewing cycle with plain water only, pour it out, rinse and dry the pot. it should sparkle like new.

The dishwasher detergent is the equivalent of old fashioned Dip-It coffeemaker cleaner which is no longer the same formulation as the old days of folks using electric percolators and vacuum pots like you C50.

HTH,
Eddie

 

[launderess]

Whatever one does it isn't wise to scrub interior of C50 lower pot, at least not with something very harsh.

Sunbeam began taking some of the money out of their automatic vac pots by time C50 came along or later production and it showed with interior plating of lower units. It can easily be worn down or away by vigorous and or repeated scrubbing.

As noted by previous poster many users didn't properly clean their Sunbeam C50 units after use nor do proper cleaning with say "Dipit" or similar product. Result often was a layer of coffee crud residue that needed removal.

Rather than use chemicals and pH to get job done, often people just resorted to brute force.

 

[launderess]

Many years ago now was gifted several canisters of Ecolab "metal safe" dish machine detergent. This stuff is wonderful for cleaning out coffee pots, thermal carafes, coffee pot filters (including cloth Silex filters one uses with vac pots).

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?73978

After making solution with hot water one pours into whatever vessel needs cleaning. Almost at once one can see crud and old coffee oils/reside dissolve away. Once water turns a gross dark brown one discards, washes and rinses out pot or whatever. Am left with nice shiny and clean metal...