We have had several kinds of coffee-makers, and it seems like each kind always has both good features and drawbacks. Right now, we are using one of the Hamilton Beach brewstations, and it seems to be doing a great job. I like it because you don't need a coffee pot. It holds the coffee inside and keeps it at a perfect temperature, and then you just dispense it a cup at a time as you want it. The little viewer in the front shows you how many cups are left in the server container. It also has all of the programmable stuff, so you can wake up to hot coffee; but we don't have any special time that we always get up, and Bobby generally wakes up ahead of me. He is the main coffee drinker in the house, and he makes coffee when he first gets up, and usually has finished off the firt pot by the time that I wake up. I really enjoy flavored coffee some mornings, and I have a small coffee maker that I can use to make a couple cups, which is usually all I drink. I have also used one of the little Melita filters that you put on top of your coffee mug, and then pour boiling water over the grounds and make your coffee that way. It makes excellent coffee and works fine if you only need one cup of coffee.
For taste, I prefer an old-fashioned percolator, of the type that you heat on a stove. That's not what I usually use however, mostly because I don't like to wait around for it to percolate, and have a tendency to forget that I have put coffee on. I've ruined a couple of percolators. We use Keurig quite a bit, since it's nice to be able to have different types of coffee with every cup. But, since I prefer fresh-ground coffee, I usually use a regular electric drip coffee maker, and grind beans for 2-3 pots each day. Unfortunately, our grocery store recently quit carrying whole bean coffee, so I buy that on Amazon.com now. What I've never tried, and would be interested in, is a coffee press.
I would agree with Ken that the old fashioned percolator was the best but I don't use it either. I have been spoiled with the ease of a Keurig and since I can have a wide variety of different coffees, it is my favorite. I do like strong coffee, so buy the strongest I can find. Plus my daughter works at Starbucks which is a bonus when it comes to my K cups
I hope my Keurig never dies, since they've changed the new Keurigs into a proprietary system. Right now we use refillable K-cups, and brew one cup at a time when we want it. We used to throw away a LOT of coffee after it sat in a pot for hours between cups - which also meant we spent a lot of money monthly buying coffee beans. With the Keurig, we pick up a huge bag of beans at Costco, and they last for weeks and sometimes months. The Keurig ended up paying for itself.
I also like the Keurig for ease of use but I like the drip pot that you can smell the coffee as it is being made in the pot. I only drink one or two cups a day, right now I am drinking instant because it is easier than making a whole pot of coffee.
I vote for the Keurig. I had seen them when they first came out and laughed, "Who in their right mind would spend that much on a coffee maker?". I was fortunate enough to get one as a product test, along with free coffee for a year. And now I'm hooked. It makes the best coffee, way better than the drip kind. There are also over 200 different varieties/flavors of k-cups available, so there literally is something for everyone. I'm actually able to get two "cups" (about 14 oz) from one k-cup and I buy the k-cups online when they go on sale, so they cost about 50 cents each. I also like that it's quick, easy and mess-free. No more wet coffee grounds and filters to deal with. You simply add water, pop in a k-cup and press the button. In about 1 minute you have the best tasting cup of coffee. I couldn't live without mine!
We get two uses from a K-cup too, but I prefer the drip coffee maker. Actually, I think it's the fresh-ground beans that I like. Both get plenty of use here though. Our Keurig is upstairs, where the bedroom, kitchen, living room, and dining room are, while the drip coffee maker is downstairs, where our offices and library are. I use whichever is closer.
I also like the old percolator because of the fun noise it makes - doesn't take much to please me! I usually use a drip which is OK and I have found out that if you wet the grounds first, the flavor is much better. I have no idea why but it seems to make a good cup into a great cup!
My vote is for the automatic 'Mr. Coffee' because that is what I am currently enjoying! I have a 1/2 cup in the morning and a 1/2 cup in the afternoon. So, as you can see this is my simple pleasure, but it is my 'daily' fun!
Has anyone here used a French Press coffee maker? That's about the only one I haven't tried. Setting that one aside, for taste, my preference is for an old-fashioned percolator coffee. The Keurig allows for a different kind of coffee with every cup, and it's convenient, but it can be expensive. Mostly, I use a drip coffee maker but might want to try a French Press one day.
I had one for about a week before I gave it away. I just could not get the hang of it. Come payday, I am planning to get an old fashioned peculator...not only is the coffee good, but the sounds are fun as well!
I used to have a Hamilton Beach for years, then a Philips, but after moving to live alone, these type of coffee makers were too much for my actual needs. I have a charming Mr. Coffee maker that I got at a discount price from Walmart. Just paid around $10 for it and serves me good! Cheaper than the price at Mr. Coffee website, http://www.mrcoffee.com/mr.--site-c...-switch-coffee-maker-white-tf5-np/TF5-NP.html
I don't even use a coffee maker, I'm not a fan of coffee. I prefer tea, a lot more. I've bought the originial Karpathian Tea while I was on my vacations in Greece.
Another Keurig user here. Fast and good coffee. Right now we are using Folgers Breakfast Blend which I buy in bulk from EBay or BJ's. I am not a fan of flavored coffees nor is the wife. One disadvantage of the Kcups is a large waste of resources.
An older thread but I'll stick my nose in anyway! We have a Tassimo (in fact two) coffee machines. Brilliant for my early morning latté fix! We also have a George Clooney special! A Nespresso complete with a separate milk frother. And we also have a filter machine which very rarely gets used nowadays!