Weird Coffee maker "issue"


 
Joe Anshien said:
It is funny that my Mr. Coffee has a tiny spray head and I have been stirring the grinds until the grounds are swimming and it works great. I was in a thrift store the other day and found these Mr. Coffee water filters for $.50 that sit just above the basket and just tried them out. They diffuse the water perfectly and now the grounds are well saturated without stirring.
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I had a Mr Coffee (was a large(ish)) 10 cup big square machine. Control panel went out on it so I tossed it I think. Used those but I tried them once. Spilled water all over the place, so I tossed them
 
This is only my second Mr. Coffee in about maybe 20 years? With RO water I don't even have to descale them. For about $5-$10 at thrift shops. Makes great coffee with a little effort and replacement carafes almost free at 2nd hand shops, it has been great. I like following your elusive journey to find the perfect coffee and maker, but for me spending hundreds of dollars to pour water over beans isn't in the cards. I make an almost full pot in the morning and quickly store the leftover in a mason jar for the afternoon, so no need for the thermal carafes that I can not get my hand in to clean. I think of it like grills, used kettle for $25 or new WSK S6 for $2000. They both can put out great Q but one needs a little more attention.
 
Yeah, IDK. Over the years I've owned more than a few Mr Coffees. Never turned out what I really wanted to drink. Maybe what I "needed" re caffeine fix, but not what I truly enjoyed. I imagine (like I could with the Mocamaster) if I "worked" at it, manually blooming, stopping, stirring and what not, I could manage a much better cup out of nearly anything. But, here is the thing. In the AM (or worse yet if I need it REALLY early cause the CFO has to leave way earlier) and I need to use the timer function, here too, I'm not even in a position to "work" at it. Let alone the fact that I just don't want to.
If I am buying a quality piece of equipment (regardless of the equipment) I expect that I should not have to babysit it or "work at it". In the AM, I want to grind a batch, pour them in pour in the water and go about my morning, testing my glucose, reading my weight and blood pressure, and so on so I can send those reports to my docs on a timely manner. I have MORE than enough to do in the AM to not want to play with making a coffee.
For my afternoon (after lunch unwind cup) I have espresso machines for playing with a machine. And then? Then it's "fun". In the morning? I don't want to "play". I want to have a piece of equipment follow set parameters and do it's job for me while I take care of me.
And FWIW, these little forays into the machines, are not at high costs :D Being the proverbial "cheapskate" I don't make a move unless I can get a real "bargain" and get rid of something that offsets or even pays for the next bargain.
I'm a way better hunter than Elmer Fudd :D
 
LMichaels said:
Well, I am not sure if I "fixed" anything or not but, here is what I did
Yesterday afternoon, I took the Breville up and removed the silicone spray head, and retaining ring. I thoroughly washed them both. The ring had some encrusted coffee residue clinging around it. I then went into the water exit area and surrounding. Cleaned everything out thoroughly with a dampened cloth, making especially sure the area the spray head seated into was clean and fit "flush". While the machine was upside down, I reinserted the spray head, made sure it was firmly seated, then reinstalled the retainer. Once all done, I flipped it over and put about 20 or so oz of water in the tank. I then put a large bowl under the spray head so I could observe the water exiting. Water heated and pumped out perfectly and fully and uniformly exited the spray head. So, today I made a pot. The bed was perfectly saturated. Going to run it a few more times to see what is what. Who knows? Maybe I'd not put everything back together correctly last time I cleaned and did not put 2 and 2 together when I started getting "off" brews. I hope so. As I do like this brewer better than the OXO 12 cup. Except for the ergonomics of the OXO, which for our house and placement is WAY better.
But I have to weigh this out. Am I after "ergonomics" or a solid cup in the AM?
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I clean the spray head every time I descale, just figure that way I will remember it. I haven't had drip coffee since the wife left for vacation...I will give this a shot next weekend and report back.
 
Well, same thing this AM. I had to be up before dawn to have coffee ready so I could take the grandson to soccer. Pulled the brew basket out, perfectly saturated. Maybe the last time I cleaned that spray head/seal and retaining ring. I did something wrong or missed something during reinstallation. IDK but the brewer is back to making a very nice cup. So I think I will be sending the OXO back to Amazon. Because quite honestly, it does not make a very good cup. It would likely make a good cup on a full 12cup pot but I only brew 7 or 8 every AM
 
OK, tried the Cameron's beans today. (med/dark roast) which are the ones roasted in Shakopee MN. Once again the Breville did it's job like a champ. So at once I am pleased, and a little "down". I REALLY wanted to like the OXO Brew 12 Cup. Had everything I liked (nice legible controls, great ergonomics so I don't have to move the brewer to fill with water or coffee, timer, pretty simple to use). So WHY did OXO abandon their formula of machines making fantastic coffee (thanks to their "pour over" brewing style) and the conical basket, in favor of this damn flat basket?!! On anything less than a full batch (and going over on grounds volume) it turned out a sour and under extracted brew. Otherwise it does everything right, pushes all the right "buttons" to fit perfectly to my kitchen arrangement. So I am not constantly moving the whole machine out then in then out again from under the cabinet.
So as much as I REALLY love everything else about it, I hate what it brews.
 
Well did a somewhat "final" test on the Breville re the poor bed saturation. Issue seems to be behind it. This AM I used the "Gold Brew" setting. Performed perfectly. With a thoroughly saturated bed. No dry spots. Sure glad about that
 
Just set up that OXO once more. I can't get past liking the ergonomics. With better coffee now, I want to try it out side by side with the Breville. Which I also have set up on my coffee cart in lieu of the Casabrews Espresso maker which considering I have that nice KA espresso machine on the counter top the Casabrews really is not used.
So, I am going to give these things a "workout"
 
Well, I have to say, other than being thrown off my mark tanks to Blake not getting up on time and calling me to drive him to school, I came home to a VERY nice coffee aroma from the OXO, and what (at least with this Cameron's Espresso roast), an actually better brew than even the Breville gave me yesterday with the same beans.
I will have to do a little more back to back testing when I am not under undue stress from other familial issues
 
Also FWIW Breville to their credit sent me a 12oz bag of these beans. 12 oz won't last too long in my house but I can't wait to try them. But 12oz is $17.50! WAY too rich for my blood to buy. They were roasted only a few days ago too.

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So I was all set to take a pic of some unwetted grounds today, but after tweaking a few settings it worked fine:

  • The showerhead was clear but I unseated/reseated it.
  • Upped brew temp to 205F (was 203F), bloom time to 45 secs (was 30), pour speed "medium"
  • 83g of coffee:50oz water
  • Using the gold tone filter.
 
GreggP said:
So I was all set to take a pic of some unwetted grounds today, but after tweaking a few settings it worked fine:

  • The showerhead was clear but I unseated/reseated it.
  • Upped brew temp to 205F (was 203F), bloom time to 45 secs (was 30), pour speed "medium"
  • 83g of coffee:50oz water
  • Using the gold tone filter.
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It's weird how "touchy" that spray head is on these machines. I mean it's like falling off a rock to clean and put it back. But, apparently there is more to it. I actually flipped my whole machine upside down so I could see what I was doing better. Then, took out the spray head. I then FULLY cleaned the retaining ring, carefully brushing out the threads with soap and hot water, making totally sure up inside the machine itself was totally cleaned and wiped of even the smallest "debris" (and I did find little teeny tiny bits of coffee grounds in there). Bottom line after all that cleaning, wiping and re-wiping, it went back to making a perfect pot. Whether gold setting or "My Brew" setting.
But, now here is the "kicker". I did a back to back Breville to OXO "taste off" with the Cameron's. Same grinder, same grind, same ratios (water to bean). It was nearly impossible to tell which brewer made which cup (BTW this was using default setting or "Gold" on the Breville). And some REALLY cheap junky filters I bought in bulk at Sam's as opposed to the better really nice cone filter in the Breville.
I guess to make it more even I should have gone to a 10 cup cycle and used the same flat filter in the Breville since the OXO has no provision for cone unless doing a small 2 cup brew.
Anyway, IMO they've BOTH earned a righteous spot in my kitchen. I relegated my Casabrews espresso machine to a holding area in basement, giving the nod to the KA espresso machine sitting next to the KA Commercial mixer of same color. They look REALLY good paired together. And the Breville is on the "Coffee Bar" cart I've made, alongside one of my Breville Smart Grinder Pro grinders. And the OXO has (because of it's simpler to use ergonomics for the counter space) earned "daily driver" status now. With Cameron's it's making a REALLY fine cup of coffee. REALLY good! I'm going to grab a bag of PEET's and or Kirkland House Blend next trip to Costco and give the OXO another "head to head" with those beans. But if it shows itself with those the way it does with Cameron's I am gonna be REALLY happy. Especially since I got it off Amazon for a "song" (literally half price).
 
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