BUNN55200 CSB3T Speed Brew Platinum Thermal Coffee Maker Stainless Steel, 10-Cup, Black

We made the switch from a standard drip coffee maker to this home-use Bunn based specifically on its unique design and our specific needs. We also have pour-over, french press, a double boiler espresso machine and a tea kettle - but I wanted something for a very specific use. I hate the scaleded flavor of coffee that has been sitting on a boiler plate hours after brewing. I tried thermal carafes and none held the coffee hot enough for me to continually pour half a cup throughout my work day. I drink 20-40 ounces of coffee a day over a 5-7 hour time frame. This brewer allows me to brew as little as 20 ounces and the carafe keeps it almost hot for up to 2 hours. This affords me an excuse to get up from my desk and make fresh coffee later in the morning rather than a full pot first thing in the a.m. The speed of brewing is not only amazing and time saving (especially when I have breakfast or brunch guests and we're ready for refills) but it also means the coffee is more akin to pour over - rapid brewing is a better brewing method. Our first unit arrived damaged with the door/lid for the water receptacle not hinged properly. It didn't seat correctly and both looked like garbage as well as being worrisome that if it became any looser, it would affect the mechanism that triggers brewing. Amazon exchange was incredibly easy - they shipped a replacement and gave me return shipping free to send the damaged unit back. The second unit arrived almost perfect - that little lid is still slightly askew but far better than the first unit and so we went with it. No regrets - we love this thing and I love not reheating burnt coffee over and over in the microwave. I see a lot of negative reviews here and it seems people have not done their research to understand that this is not a traditional drip coffee pot. For our purposes, it's better - but I can see where maybe it's not for everyone. If you're willing to learn a new method and you actually enjoy fresh coffee, this is a great coffee maker.

Beware, proper setup is extremely important with this coffee maker. Follow the simple instruction sheet before plugging in this coffee maker. Basically, fill it with 2 to 2 and 1/2 carafes of cold water first. After plugging it in, turn on the power switch and wait 15 minutes for the 70 ounces of hot water to heat to 200 degrees. Then pour anywhere from 20 ounces to 50 ounces of cold water in the front reservoir. Yes, I really like that you can pour water in the front and without a spray head in the way. Keep in mind that as soon as you close that lid to the reservoir the coffee will start brewing immediately. Thats why it's so important to have the carafe in place with the lid turned to the closed position (the arrow points to the front of the carafe where the pour spout is.) Now you can close the lid and watch the magic happen. It takes only 4 minutes to brew a full pot (50 ounces) of hot, robust coffee. There is no pause and serve feature, lcd window with timer, brew strength selector, special cleaning cycle, or audible alert when the coffee is finished brewing. However, that also means there is less to go wrong and that means you will experience increased long term reliability. For example, there is no pump to go bad or become clogged over time. I love the simplistic beauty of this artful, well constructed and thoughtful design. Most competitors have plastic water reservoirs, because the water is heated as the coffee is brewed. This Bunn has a stainless- steel water reservoir that will never give off a plastic, artificial taste. Thats worth a lot in my book. One final thought, if you will not use the coffee maker in 3 or 4 days, by all means turn it off. The water stays at a constant 200 degrees and it evaporates over time. In 5 days or less all the water will evaporate and expose the heating element to air. This will cause it to burn out in short order. In this respect it operates like the hot water heater in your house. The heating element must be kept in water while the power is on. Oh yes, I love the 3 year warranty, that's rare these days for a coffee maker.

I've wanted a Bunn machine for a very long time. Never wanted to spend the money... I can say this is a very good system. I was a little weary of the water staying hot but it doesn't taste funny at all and it is nice to have HOT coffee for a change! My only gripe is I wish it were easier to make less than a full pot. It's not possible as there are markers in the reservoir but they are hard to see and since I'm not caffeinated when I'm pouring...its annoying! I like not having a heating plate too. Thats what usually goes. I've emptied coffee from the previous morning and it is still drinkably warm.