A Closer Look at the Bunn Coffee Maker Product Line

With some makes and models of coffee makers, you may sometimes wonder just what the manufacturer had in mind. The ability to brew a great cup of coffee would seem to be the priority, but all too often flavor seems to take second place to the appliances bells, whistles, and exterior appearance.

Fortunately, most coffee makers sold today brew decent coffee, but some makes and models do better than others, and are able to produce a good to great cup of coffee consistently. Bunn coffee makers, for both commercial and household use, have a reputation for brewing excellent coffee, consistently.

The Bunn “invention” of the flat-bottom filter was an early step toward making a better brew. Bunn never stopped there. Each new model reflects their ongoing efforts to brew better tasting coffee in the shortest possible time.

When Innovation Leads to a Great Cup of Coffee

Bunn was an early leader in programmable brewing. It was also the first company to introduce the pod brewer, as well as the first to offer eco-friendly compostable pods. Bunn coffee makers admittedly have their bells and whistles, but the purpose they serve is to give the consumer greater control over the brewing process.

There are about a dozen Bunn home coffee makers currently on the market, ranging from the Single Cup My Café, to the 8-cup Phase Brew Models and 10-cup Velocity Brew Models that sell in the $100 to $150 range. The Single Cup My Café can use either pods or ground coffee, with a brewing time of under a minute.

The Bunn Phase Brew and Velocity Brew Models

The Phase Brew models heat the water to just the right temperature, at which time it is released all at once over the grounds. The heating time takes 6 minutes and the brewing time takes about 4 minutes. The Velocity Brew models, which are somewhat higher priced, rely on water turbulence and spray to ensure complete coffee-ground extraction.

The Velocity Brew models brew coffee faster than the Phase Brew models, and can brew 4 to 10 cups in about 3 minutes. They also excel at brewing a stronger coffee without the bitterness often encountered by simply adding more grounds. A negative feature however is the carafe on both the Velocity and Phase models, which has a tendency to drip. This is fixable, but is something that should not be allowed to happen in the first place.

The Phase Brew models are the less expensive of the two. You can often find one retailing for just under $100. One complaint about the Phase Brew models is their coffee is too hot; not so good if you have to sit and wait a few minutes more before you can begin to enjoy it.

The Bunn Single Cup Model

The 8- or 10-cup models may not be a good choice for those who want to brew only a cup or two. A single-cup model will be a better choice. The Bunn Single Cup My Café is lightweight, compact, and extremely versatile in that the drip tray can easily be removed to accommodate a travel mug. This can be your less-than-a-minute coffee machine. It is slightly upscale in terms of price, but it holds its own against comparable Keurig and Tassimo single cup models, and it will consistently produce good coffee from K-cups. The Bunn Single Cup is definitely a winner.

Which to Choose

Bunn coffee makers are innovative, well-engineered, and durable, and their customer service has received high marks. The Bunn Velocity models cost a bit more, but tend to produce better tasting coffee than most 10- or 12-cup coffee makers, and are more than worth the extra expense.

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