Sunbeam Coffeemaster C 30 C Once and done...

[mattl]

I came across a beautiful Sunbeam Coffeemaster today at the goodwill. It was $3.95 - but missing the top.  I thought what the heck, I recall all the threads about vacuum coffeemakers here in the past.  Got it home rinsed it out and filled it with water.  Set the top on and in a short time it had the requisite explosion of water into the upper bowl.  Heard it click as it went from hi to low.  Was happy it worked, and took it apart to give it a good cleaning.

 

The entire pot is spotless inside and out.  No flaws I can see.  Found all the manuals online, read about adjusting the thermostat to keep low at 180 and high at 208.  Saw the suggestion of 1Tbs per cup of coffee.  Filled the pot, added 5 tablespoons of coffee, and plugged it in.  ---Nothing.  Tried a different cord, nothing.  Opened the base, saw the date Aug. 7 1954 and a couple of signatures, checked the heater for continuity and got .5 meg ohms.  Guess it was once and done.

 

I guess now I'm on a quest for a base, saw some on ebay.  As the rest of the pot is perfect, I'd love to find a donor for a heating element.  Even found the repair manual on line too.  From what I"ve read these are copper pots covered with 2 layers of chrome inside and out.  I was amazed at how fast it heated up the one time I used it.  I've never had vacuum brewed coffee so I don't know if it's worth the trouble.  See la few A bases are they interchangeable?

 

[whirlcool]

Yes, vacuum coffee is the best you can have IMHO. You will taste flavors that you never had in your regular coffee before. But the regular coffee we used to drink tasted like crap when made vacuum style. We used to drink a Guatamalan Antigua and it didn't take well to the vacuum process. But the House Blend from out local coffee shop tasted absoloutely wonderful. So a change of flavor was all that was needed.

One of the problems with these coffee makers is that the heat adjustment "drifts" over time. If it gets too hot it will deform the replacement rubber gasket more quickly. I bought a few of those remanufacturered gaskets they sell on Ebay. I went through two of them in two years. They literally were melting. Each one lasted about a year of everyday use. The guy who makes the seals said I need to adjust the temp downward as the seal shouldn't melt at the proper temps. But they did fit properly and worked just fine.

So we just went with a Cory all glass vacuum model and have never had any more problems. But I found the Cory pot to be kind of "fussy" that is you don't get the amount of coffee and the grind just right. If everything isn't just right all you will end up with is a bunch of coffee stuck in the upper bowl.

But the Sunbeam models don't seem to care that much about this. They work each and every time. Another thing is that the Sunbeam can't be put in the dishwasher where the Cory glass vacuum pot can. I hated having to wash the C-30 out after each and every use. It's so easy at the end of breakfast to just take off the Cory seal and put the whole thing in the dishwasher. To me a clean pot makes better coffee.

 

[mattl]

Thanks for the tips.  To be honest, I'm a bit apprehensive.  If I start on this quest to first find a usable base it will lead to exploring different coffees, which will in turn cost $$, and another "hobby".  I think Robert and this site are determined to get the economy rolling again one classic appliance at a time.  But, there is something about the gleaming chrome of the Coffeemaster, so I guess I'll pursue either a base or a cheap unit to try vacuum brewed coffee.

 

[whirlcool]

If you get the base unit it shouldn't be too long before you find the right coffee.
Go to a coffee business where they roast beans on site. The coffee at these places is about $10-$12.00 per pound. But in a vacuum pot you don't need as much as you would otherwise because the vacuum process extracts every little bit out of the beans. It takes us about a month to go through a pound of coffee.

IMHO, the Kona Blends taste very good in our vacuum pot and are less expensive than a full Kona coffee would be. If you like your coffee hair raising strong, than a columbian supremeo would be perfect. I like a smooth cup of coffee so a lighter bean is what I am after.

 

[tomturbomatic]

You will love the coffee.

The Coffeemasters, up until the C-50s, were always check rated by CU going back to 1939.

If you watch eBay, you will find what you need, but the lower bowls are not interchangeable. If you have a C-30-C base, a C-30-A or B will not work with the former's upper bowl. You are lucky yours died a quiet death. Some of them went out wtih a bang and made a bit of smoke.