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Item Information
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.
Pros
- Brews 4 to 8 cups (20 to 40 -ounces)
- Glass carafe and stainless brew funnel
- 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 automatically shuts off after 2 hours
- 3-Year limited warranty
Reviews
C. Behensky
Bought this model at Target a couple weeks ago to replace the cheapo Mr. Coffee machine we'd been using for the past 5 years. Personally, I think it's great. The wife, however, thinks the coffee comes out too strong. I told her that she's finally getting a taste of real coffee, not some watered down junk. You might need to play around a bit to figure out the ratio of grounds:water that suits you.Pros:1. Coffee is hot. No worries about lukewarm coffee here.2. Coffee comes out tasting good. It's on the strong side. My preference is to use a french press, but the HG is much more convenient for my morning routine.Cons (all minor in my view):1. Coffee might be too hot for some. I burned my tongue on the first few cups, so I usually let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before drinking.2. It's a 10 minute brew cycle (6 to heat the water, 4 for the drip). It's a little long for my wife, but I have no problems with it. I usually just wind up shaving, brushing teeth, combing hair, etc. during the brew.3. It's LOUD. Those who are sensitive to that kind of thing might want to look at a different model.4. It's pretty tall. It just barely fits under our cabinets and I have to slide it out every morning in order to fill it.5. It has an 8-cup capacity. We only drink 6 cups in the morning, so it suits our needs. We figure that we can make multiple pots on the rare occasions that we have company/family over.6. It has a 4-cup minimum. Again, it works well for us, but I wouldn't recommend it to my single friends that limit themselves to one mug.I haven't had any issues with the carafe, like others have mentioned. Then again, the Mr Coffee regularly left little puddles on the kitchen counter, so maybe I just haven't noticed the problems. At any rate, it pours fine for me and I haven't spilled anything yet.It's not a perfect machine, but I definitely think that the positives outweigh the negatives. My primary concern was getting good tasting coffee. The HG definitely delivers, so I can live with all of the minor inconveniences.
CoffeeCraver
After my trusty Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker, Black and Stainless Steel died after 5 years of steady use, I decided to 'upgrade' to a Bunn. The Bunn HG brewer is different from previous Bunns because it heats the water for each brew right before actually brewing, as opposed to inefficiently keeping a water tank heated 24/7, 365 days a year (previous Bunn models). It is for this reason, and the Bunn name, that I enthusiastically dove in and bought it. To make a long story short, I am not so enthusiastic after using it--read on for details.The carafe. It actually is the cleanest pouring carafe I have ever used--not a drop spilled. However, it consists of a plastic rim attached to a lower portion of glass. Coffee leaks at this junction no matter how fast you pour, producing a steady stream of coffee that dribbles down the outside of the coffee pot and onto the counter top. Not sure if I just got a bad carafe or if this problem is more common.Full capacity brewing. The way this unit works is you add up to 8 cups of water to the tank. When turned on, it boils this water until the total temp reaches 200 deg F (about 6 mins), then it releases it over 4 minutes through the coffee funnel and into the carafe. The problem is that if the full 8 cups of water are added to the tank, a little comes out during the boil phase from between the spin lid and top of the tank. This then goes down the sides of the tank, drips on the pot and down to the warming plate where it hisses and boils (no, I didn't overfill it--it was right on the max line). I did not experience this with a little under 7.5 cups water in the tank.Build. This unit actually looks like it came from Captain Picard's ready room and is unique looking. However, there is a lot of open space in it's design--the unit is not compact. Also, there are only two supports holding up the water tank and the brew basket. During the aforementioned boil phase, the vibrations of the boiling water cause the tank to visibly shake. It isn't excessive and in no way harms the unit, but it adds a chintzy feel to this unit and could easily be solved by supporting the tank on three sides. In addition, it is just about 15.5 inches tall, but my cabinets sit exactly 15.25 inches above my countertops. Grrr!Lastly, 8 cup capacity is just barely enough for me and my wife--a larger capacity would be nice.In all fairness, the unit makes good coffee. However, so do other coffee makers that only cost half as much. Even if a replacement carafe would solve the leaking coffee problem, I feel there are too many issues present for a $100 coffee brewer.ADDENDUM (11/4/10): I decided to keep this unit when the place I bought it from wanted to charge a 15% restocking fee (my fault for not reading the fine print). I contacted BUNN about the leaky carafe and they sent out a replacement, which works good--no leaks. Unfortunately, I went to make coffee the next day but nothing happened. The display showed it was working, but it did not heat the water. I called BUNN again, and they sent another brewer. So far, this one is working just fine. I have to say BUNN customer service has been excellent in dealing with my issues--both times sending out replacements promptly.
Michael A. Smith
I made my 1st pot of coffee with this today, and I can say that this pot made the best coffee I have ever made. I went with this Bunn model because it was affordable, had a clock/timer, and preheats the water to the correct temperature before the brewing begins. The unit was very attractive, easy to set up, and though the directions said the water had a 6 minute heat up time and then a 3 minute brew time, my coffee was ready much quicker. I add liquid creamer to my coffee, and even though it was chilled creamer, the coffee was still piping hot. The coffee was smooth, with no bitter notes at all. I used Dunkin' Donuts freshly ground arabica beans, and it tasted better than any coffee I ever got at their donut shop! Bunn has made a believer out of me, the water temp. really makes a huge difference.
Tags: BUNN Phase Brew, BUNN HG Brew
