Sunbeam Vacuum Coffee Maker

[northwesty]

Say, I bought this Sunbeam Vacuum coffee maker the other day, it works great but there are a few questions I have that I can't figure out. (by the way, it was missing it's lid so I am using this glass one I picked up, I like it since I can see the top fill up but I am on the lookout for a parts donor)

Anyway, how long does that cloth filter last and is there any place I can get them?

One thing I have noticed is this unit seems to make stronger coffee than the perc's -- it really sucks the water through that filter and the grounds are almost totally dry. So it is more efficient really.

People are asking a broad price range for these on ebay.

Thanks for any info, it is a c 20 b

Brian

 

[tomturbomatic]

Congratulations!

You can use the searchalator to find some of your answers. I have always rinsed my cloths in water and then kept them in a container of water in the refrigerator and started doing that in the 1960s when people who had been using cloth filters for decades told me about doing that to prevent the coffee oils from going rancid. Those are also the instructions you will find on the packages of filter cloths themselves. My mother, who was extremely particular about how her coffee tasted and generally bitchy and impossible to please about everything, found NO FAULT with coffee brewed and filtered that way, mirabile dictu. It is impractical to boil the cloth in a machine dishwasher detergent solution each time it is used if you use it everyday. Weekly, perhaps. Daily, no. Do not use a scented detergent!! Some of those who have found the joys of Coffeemasters more recently disagree. Rinsed and stored and occasionally boiled, your filter will lat a long time. You do have installed with the fuzzy side down, correct?

As for finding new filter cloths, I would say to watch eBay and haunt ancient hardware stores. I found the first ones I bought in old hardware stores in the mid 60s. Sunbeam still made them, but the ones I found were already old. The eBay route is probably easier. Your C-20 filter holder uses cloths with a larger diameter center hole than the newer models, but you can force the cloths made for the 30 and 50 series onto your holder. Unfortunately, your C-20 cannot be changed over to a mesh filter but the cloth filters on a C-30A can be replaced with the mesh filter. On the plus side, you do not have to worry as much about the gasket going bad with the C-20.

When CU tested coffee makers back in the 40s and 50s, they would note how economical they were with coffee. The Coffeemaster was among the most economical, meaning it extracted a lot of flavor from the ground coffee so you could use less. They always recommended with percolators that the strength selector be left at strong and the amount of ground coffee adjusted to taste to assure getting the optimum flavor extraction.

 

[norgeway]

By the way!

Love the lighted pushbutton GE, is it a 49???

 

[launderess]

Have A Packet Of Those Sunbeam Coffeemaster

Filters some place in the kitchen. They came with my C-50 along with other goodies, but didn't realise at the time they were designed for earlier Coffeemaster designs.

Being as that may only used one or two then got tired of soaking/boiling, etc and simply stopped bothering. The C-50 fine mesh metal filter gave good enough results without using the cloth saw no need really.

What I did do once or twice is this:

Purchased some brown paper coffee fitlers (drip cone filters), then took the Coffeemaster filter apart. Using one of the filter circles as a pattern simply cut out a large number of paper "filters". To brew coffee simply placed one of the paper filters between the top and bottom metal ones.

Come clean-up time simply tore out the paper filter and chucked it into the rubbish bin with the coffee grinds.

 

[tomturbomatic]

nifty solution, but

He can't do that with the C-20 filter because it is only the cloth held in between the two parts of the metal frame. CU stated in a circa 1948 report that the Sunbeam filter from the C-20 could be used in the Cory to give coffee with less sediment so I went and bought one and the cloths for the Cory. The cloth filter assembly for the C-30A could be replaced by the mesh filter that came out with the later C-30 models.

 

[whirlcool]

We just rinsed out our Sunbeam coffee filters with very hot water and hung them on a nail over the sink to dry. When they dried, you couldn't even smell coffee on them. We got about two-three weeks out of one filter.

I love vacuum coffee. It is so smooth compared to perked or dripped coffee. I do know that our favorite flavor of coffee didn't taste so good when made via a vacuum pot. We tried one that we didn't like earlier and it was heaven when made the vacuum method.

I have noticed that you use more coffee in a Cory pot than in a Coffeemaster. I think this is due to having to use a more course grind in the Cory. The Sunbeams will tolerate a fine grind much better.

Because of being even more simple, we switched over to an all glass Cory pot. There are no filters needed and all you do is dump the grinds and put the entire thing in the dishwasher.

The reason these go for a lot of money is that vacuum made coffee is hot right now.
People are finding that the vintage vac pots are much cheaper (and better) than the very expensive Bodium vacuum pots that are out there.

But I absolutely detest it when I see sellers on Ebay referring to the Sunbeam Coffeemasters as "double bubble" pots. What do they think they are? Chewing Gum?

 

[ronhic]

One thing you may consider doing, is getting hold of the filter assembly out of a Bodum Santos (stove top). Bodum normally sell spare parts so if it was me, I'd be taking the top part of my Sunbeam to a retailer that has one and just trying it on for size.....If a reasonable fit, you could save yourself some hassle and order one.

 

And as they are plastic with a spring that hooks onto the bottom of the 'spike'....it should last years. In the Bodum, they work a treat with anything other than 'turkish' style coffee...

http://www.bodum.com/us/en-us/shop/detail/1290-01/

 

[tomturbomatic]

I hate to bring the spector of doom to your pipe dream, but glass vacuum pots are far from permanent things. I remember one day lifting the top bowl and part of the top part of the bowl just separated from the rest and this was with no bumps or any rough handling and no visible cracks. Hidden stresses in the glass manifest themselves as breaks. The glass seems to withstand a certain amount of thermal stress from heating and cooling until one day it breaks. Even childless couples who were pretty particular about their things eventually bought a stainless steel Nicro brewer after going through a lot of glass ones. Enjoy your glass Cory, but have a spare on hand.

 

[whirlcool]

Thanks for the warning, Tom. I;ll keep my eye out for a replacement. This morning I turned on the burner to reheat the coffee and almost boiled the pot dry. Fortunately I caught it in the nick of time, I hope I didn't weaken it.

 

[lordkenmore]

I think having a backup coffee maker of some sort does make a lot of sense if one has a primary coffee maker made of glass. Not only does one have the risk of stress breaks, but there is also the possibility of accidental breakage. I'm sure that many users have been half dead one morning, and, as a result, their glass coffee maker has met Mr. Floor, and found the experience shattering.

One possibility I'd be inclined to consider in this position would be getting a new glass, non-electric vacuum pots. I've seen them advertised under $30.

LINK to modern glass vacuum pots:

http://fantes.com/coffee-vacuum.html

 

[westie2]

Allen

I have the stainless stovetop Nicro.  Here are 2 of them on e-bay.  I love the filter also.  Use larger grind.  Works great on gas or electric coil not as good on a smooth top.

 

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=ni...e+maker&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

 

[whirlcool]

I also have a Cory Electric as a backup unit. But it's more finicky of how I grind the beans than the Cory glass pot is.

What does the Nicro use as a filter? Glass rod?

 

[lordkenmore]

"But it's more finicky of how I grind the beans than the Cory glass pot is."

I also see some advantages to glass vacuum pots vs electric in another way--take it off the heat, and it will cool down faster than an electric vacuum pot. I have a Sunbeam vacuum pot, and I notice it seems to stay hot quite a long time. While that does mean the coffee will take longer to get cold, it also will mean the coffee will "cook" and deteriorate. I notice a difference between the first and last cups. (Of course, one could pour the coffee into something else, like a Thermos. But then that adds to the list of things That Must Be Cleaned.)

 

[launderess]

Glass Vacuum Pots

Have had one vintage Silex in daily service for about two or so years, no problems yet. Long as one is careful about handling including washing and putting away, things should be fine. Not saying they will last forever but then again what will?

Just as with all Pyrex glass best to keep away from sudden changes in temperature such as putting a hot pot onto a cold counter. Also the pot should be dry on the outside before being placed on the range/heater.

Nicro vaccum pots have their own filter type (surprise I've got one), but IIRC the Silex or Cory glass rods will work as will various ceramic filters (with or without cloth tops).

While one did love the Sunbeam C-50 a common complaint is they produced over-extracted and or burnt tasting coffee.

Because of all the heavy copper and chrome on the lower pot it did get very hot, which is good thing for fast brewing. But then again it was slow to cool down sometimes takng >3 minutes to start. What would often happen is the process would start but the first bits of coffee going down would hit the hot metal and whislt the temp wasn't cool enough to start extraction, it would "cook" that first stream to the bottom of the pot. When the rest of the coffee finally joined you got a burnt taste from what had baked on before.

Automatic vac pots like the Sunbeam C-50 are good if one wishes to set, forget and get on with one's morning routine, but IMHO the glass systems produce better coffee. Finally the glass set-ups do require a bit more attention, so if one has had a hard night and or going to be distracted (such as problems getting the rest of the household up and out), then automatic might be the way to go.

 

[lordkenmore]

"Automatic vac pots like the Sunbeam C-50 are good if one wishes to set, forget and get on with one's morning routine, but IMHO the glass systems produce better coffee."

I agree--at least in theory; I have no experience with the C-50.

But my experience over the years, using more coffee brewing approaches than any normal/sane person would ever be bothered with, has made me conclude that the better non-electric coffee brewers are the best choice when quality matters. Consistently, my various manual drip, glass vacuum, and French press pots have been better than my current electric coffee maker. (However, I haven't tried every electric coffee maker. The Technivorm, talked about here, sounds interesting--but the price has me feeling more than a little faint. I could probably buy a lifetime supply of Bodum French press pots for less!)

But fully electric is easier. For some people who are particularly dysfunctional in the morning, electric may be the only option. There are people who prep an electric maker the night before with coffee and water, but still have trouble hitting the switch properly in the morning. Or wonder why it's so hard to plug the percolator in, only to realize that they're trying to plug the percolator into the phone jack. (I'm not this bad, but there are mornings I come close.)

Fortunately, one doesn't have to have EITHER an electric OR a manual coffee maker. One can have something electric and easy for daily use, and something that makes fabulous coffee for special evenings by the fire. (Or this time of year, in some places, it might be "special evenings by the air conditioner vent.")

 

[launderess]

Using Standing Water For Coffee

Best coffee is made from fresh water that has not gone flat. I used to use water from my Brita filter til reading how fresher water (which one presumes contains more oxygen) produces a nicer brew. So now just let the tap run until water comes cold then.....

 

[jetcone]

Sunbeam

used to suggest to keep the filter in a jar of water and baking soda in the fridge to get more life out if it. Just rinse before using and that should keep it "sweet" for weeks.