BUNN HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer
by BUNN
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: BUNNBrand: Bunn
Release Date: 2010-12-30
Model: HT
Color: Silver
Product features:
- Brews 4 to 8 cups (20 to 40 oz)
- Double wall, vacuum insulated thermal carafe keeps coffee warm for up to 2 hours
- 6-minute heating phase + 4-minute brewing phase = 10 minutes to better coffee
- Programmable auto-start, easy to read LCD display, time-to-clean indicator, and warmer that shuts off after heating phase is complete
- 3-year limited warranty
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of BUNN HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer
Customer Review: Very good, but not perfect, coffee maker (UPDATED: Not so good after all)
Summary: 3 Stars
UPDATE: I don't think I can still recommend this coffee maker after having used it for a few more weeks. I have discovered a few more CONS and experienced a couple of defects/problems. I am afraid I have to lower my opinion of this coffee maker. Hopefully, Amazon lets me change my star rating from 4* to 3* to reflect my new opinion. (And, that doesn't include the defects, only the cons. If I counted the defects, it would drop to 2*)
It's a shame, as I really wanted to like this machine. But, now, the cons outweigh the pros. At least they do for me. Especially for a hundred forty bucks.
Add'l Cons:
- No "pause" valve on the basket. I don't usually want or need to pull the carafe and start pouring before the brew cycle is complete. However, even after it is complete, coffee still drips from the basket onto the hot plate when you remove the carafe, causing that horrible stench of coffee cooking on a hot plate. That is because there is a basket full of wet grounds, and an open hole at the bottom of the basket. A pause valve would prevent that.
- Even though I end up pulling the basket after the brew cycle, to prevent the above-mentioned hot plate drip, water will randomly drip from the shower head, even after the cycle is apparently finished.
Defects:
- Carafe has developed a leak at the seam were the black plastic upper is attached to the stainless lower section. At first, I thought I was pouring wrong. But, after taking a closer look, I see the coffee dripping from the seam.
- The water has been less hot, lately. The brew cycle has been taking longer to complete, as well. So, something bad is going on internally.
Original review:
This is a very good coffee maker, whose pros certainly outweigh its cons. However, it is expensive. And, its few cons may be deal-breakers for some prospective purchasers.
Pros:
- Beautiful Styling. It looks like Capt Picard would use it to make coffee, if Earl Grey Tea wasn't his ummm cup of tea.
- Quality Construction. It is made of better materials and feels more solid than any other home coffee maker I have owned or used. Stainless steel basket. Backlit buttons. LCD status display.
- Hotter water. The coffee is hotter than with other coffee makers due to the way this unit heats the water first, then releases it over the coffee basket.
- Warming Plate. I'm not sure why another reviewer says it has no warming plate. It most certainly and obviously does. It warms the thermal pot, so that it will retain the heat longer, without "cooking" the coffee like the hotplates on standard glass-carafe coffee makers do.
- No drips, leaks, spitting that another reviewer mentioned. Pour the water in the top, it eventually ends up in the carafe, and then in your cup, with no spills on the counter.
- Excellent carafe. Easy to open. Easy to pour. No spilling. Keeps coffee relatively hot for an hour or two. A few seconds in the mic can bring it back to life, if you need it hotter. The main thing is the coffee doesn't cook like a glass-carafe style coffee maker. (Just remember to turn the lid slightly to the left to lock in the heat, when finished pouring.)
- Not materially noisier than other coffee makers we have used, despite what another reviewer claims. (Why would anybody put a coffee maker next to their bed?) Pretty standard hissing and gurgling noises of water being heated.
Cons:
- Water is not as hot as advertised. I didn't measure it with a thermometer. But, it does not seem like 200deg. (We also have a Panasonic hot water dispenser that has 190 and 208 settings, and the Bunn coffee is not as hot as the 190 water.) However, IT IS DEFINITELY HOTTER than the Zojirushi, Gevalia, and Cuisinart thermal coffee makers before it. (Especially the Cuisinart, which was the least hot of the bunch.)
- Basket filters. I prefer cone type filters. Plus, the Bunn filters are kinda crappy compared to other brands of basket filters. Thin, mis-shapen, and bleached.
- Smallish carafe. Only 8 cups vs the 10-12 of other thermal coffee makers. It's big enough for the two of us. But, maybe not for your family.
- Takes a little longer than standard coffee makers. It's not much longer. But, it could irk some people. Personally, I add the water and turn it on before cleaning the basket and carafe, and adding the filter and coffee. That way, the water heats up while I'm doing that stuff. So, the coffee is ready pretty quickly after popping the basket in.
- Despite its otherwise high build quality, the water door and basket holder seem a little cheap and weak. They stand out because of the otherwise solid construction and feel of the rest of the device.
- Pricey. It's definitely over-priced. The non-thermal version is around 50 bucks cheaper. The price difference should be no more than 20, as the only difference between the two is the carafe. (And, I assume, the length of time the warmer plate is active.)
Overall, though, we are happy with this purchase. You probably will be as well. But, I can't make any promises.
Description of BUNN HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer
Bunn Phase Brew features Heat & Release Technology that heats all the water to ideal brewing temperature before releasing it onto the coffee grounds to prevent bitter flavor.Drip Coffee Machines
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