Coffee break

Our 15 year old Braun coffee maker stopped brewing on Sunday Aug 11. Being the only coffee drinker. This was a problem. Goodbye old friend. You were a reliable appliance. The only thing I ever had to replace on this thing was the hinged lid on the carafe. You can't even get the carafe anymore. That's how old this thing is.  They no longer make the 12 cup any more, but they do make a 5 and 10 cup version.

I really liked this coffee maker.  It was simple.  I even taught Kieran how to make coffee.  I think they only make the smaller one now.
So for the past week I've been boiling water and using the Broken Braun like a bodum.

It worked on Saturday, brewed some coffee after I returned from the club ride.  On Sunday ready for a morning brew.  I turned it on as usual and it did nothing.
I think the little pump went.  The heating element under the carafe also stopped working.  I'm wondering if I can repair it?  I'll check that out before I toss it to the great landfill under the Michigan sky.

But it was also leaking onto our high end 70's laminate particle wood counter.  So maybe I'll just toss it.  Maybe someone looking for parts for their still working Braun will want whatever is still good.

So I was shopping for an alternative.  I didn't want to get one of those POD type coffee makers that brew singles.  Because in reviews I've read, the coffee is not that great, even the best ones create mediocre tasting coffee,  The pods can make the cost of a single cup of coffee about the same as going to Tims or McD's.  Whereas with a drip coffee maker, I have much more control over the flavour and strength of the coffee.  With those pod ones.  I cannot. You get what it puts out.  And sometimes a pod may not work if it can't read the bar code.  What then?  Toss it out.  Waste. That doesn't happen with a drip coffee maker.  And then when you run of pods, you need to get more and they aren't cheap.  A bag of coffee beans can cost $10.00 and it'll make a lot of coffee.   I don't know how many exactly but it'll last me months.

In Consumer reports on coffee makers, spending a lot of moola on a coffee maker doesn't guarantee you great tasting coffee.  The cheapest ones <$30.00 produced great coffee.  And since we are redoing our kitchen next year I just wanted a simple one.  Saw this red Diamonds one on sale, but Tresa veto'd that one.  There was one that was on sale for $15, but it was a 5 cup.  And that was just too small if folks come over.  Then in today's flyer a 12 cup B&D was on sale for $15.00.  So there it is next to our old Braun.
One thing about the black.  It doesn't show the coffee stains.

Coffee is brewing again!