I had a Melitta maker with a grinder that blew the ground coffee over into a cone filter and made great coffee. Those are no longer available and you can get a small easily stored grinder of the same type for about 12 to 15$. I see no advantage in a Rube Goldberg maker that costs a lot of money and takes up a bit more counter space. If you go to sites like coffeegeek.com you will find there is a whole world of opinions about what coffee maker to buy. I had read that the Kitchenaid non-grinder modes made better coffee than the one with a grinder. Costco carries either one from time to time. The trick seems to be to get really hot water to the grounds evenly.
I actually gave up my automatic makers in favor of a small cheap gadget that makes 3 mugs of coffee so much better than any coffee maker. It is called an Aerobee Aeropress. Amazon.com sells them so you can look at them and read the reviews there. For company, we use an automatic pot. It is one we got for nearly nothing from Gevalia.com on a promotion deal (you have to join a club where they send you coffee. You can quit at any time though.) Good luck.

Check out coffeegeek.com. A lot of their reviews are a little old, but it's still a great site for information on stuff like grinders.

Especially if you are not going to use it often, I would buy a separate grinder and keep it in a cupboard. There are too many ways a combined grinder-brewer can go wrong, and you're not going to save money over buying separate units.

For really occasional use, the twenty buck whirling-blade grinders are fine. The step up would be to a decent burr grinder like the Baratza G 285 for about $100.

I wouldn't have one of those combo units in my house, except to use the coffee-maker part only and never use the grinder.

Just curious - why don't you grind your own coffee? Much better than using pre-ground coffee. By the way, I agree, the combo units are a bad idea - not much flexibility in the grind and very messy.

Thanks for all your advice. I am totally convinced not to buy a brew and grind unit. I checked the coffeegeek site which was also interesting. Am just curious, anyone with the combo unit happy with his/her purchase?

OK I'll bite - We had the Cuisinart 12 cup Grind and Brew for about 5 years and then took it to our vacation home. We still use it there.

No grinding advice but, if you like actual hot coffee, DO NOT get one with an insulated carafe and no hot-pad. I have the Cuisinart version of this and it was a mistake. Unless you pre-heat the carafe you'll never get actual hot coffee at any time. If you start cold, the interior of the carafe is stainless steel and bleeds heat out of fresh-brewed coffee quickly.....then holds the balance at not-hot-enough temperature for a not-long-enough time.

Cuisinart makes a more-or-less identical unit with a regular glass carafe and a hot-pad for it to sit on....which is what I should have gotten. Brother-in-law abandoned his insulated-carafe unit identical to mine and bought that one. Having now observed his new unit, I'll likely be doing the same next week. Both units make excellent coffee. It's just a matter of having it pleasingly hot that's the issue. And a rather significant one, IMHO.

hmm. We could run through pretty much every controversy out there about coffee-making. But just to sketch out the alternative point of view re carafes: most of us who use insulated carafes found that hot pads destroy the taste of coffee, especially if the carafe sits there for any length of time. I expect that'll be the consensus on coffeegeek.com. It is absolutely true that insulated carafes benefit from pre-heating, and also that they want a lid. But if you get a good one (coffeegeek should have reviews) it will keep your coffee piping hot without cooking it.

Coffee is one of those comfort foods that everyone has an opinion on; what's right is the process that makes coffee that you like. I like to make strong French roast coffee and add cream. Others like more delicate brews. Chacun a son gout. And, I don't like coffee so hot that it scalds my mouth.

I have to say that I love my Cuisinart thermal carafe unit. It drips into what appears to be a glass lined carafe. (Perhaps the stainless carafe doesn't keep it as hot as my model.) It keeps the coffee plenty hot for me; perhaps because the DW and I consume the entire pot within 20 minutes. YMMV.

The hot-pad-and-glass carafe setup, in my experience, overcooks the coffee and makes it bitter. I'll never get a coffeemaker with a hot pad again, although I might consider getting a Technivorm Moccamaster which starts out with higher water temperatures.

A couple of other advantages to the thermal carafe setup: as soon as the coffee is brewed, the machine turns itself off. That way, you never have to worry if you're rushing out of the house that you might accidentally have left the coffee pot on.

Secondly, the carafe can be taken anywhere--bedroom, back porch, patio--and the coffee will stay plenty hot for consumption.

I have the thermal carafe Cuisinart and like it.
No, it will not keep your coffee hot forever, but for my taste, as was mentioned very individual, I do not like coffee that is heated over and over, which a thermal plate does.
If I want the coffee to stay really hot, I have a nissan travel thermos I put it into. It does keep it hot enough for me (I also do not like hot-hot scalding coffee--no taste) for several hours.

I also had the Williams-sonoma Krups but I broke the carafe and they did not sell the thermals at the time.

I have a Gaggia espresso machine.

I have a French Press.

I have a melita cone drip.

To be honest, the CONSISTENTLY best coffee I get is from the French Press. I prefer a strong coffee and this is perfect. It is a cross between a really well brewed/pot coffee and a great espresso.
When I travel, I bring my Melita cone and filters or a travel french press.

Cook's Illustrated rated the Technovirm (sp?) as the best brewer on the market, but it is also $300. ACK.

I also suggest grinding your own coffee and getting a good burr grinder to do it. The difference in grind from drip, french press, espresso requires different grinds and makes a world of difference in taste (IMHO).

If my Cuisinart broke tomorrow, I don't know that I would replace it. Mine is from Williams-sonoma with the "power brew" but frankly, I don't know that it actually does it differently than the cheaper Cuisinart.

If you are not a coffee geek, I would get any drip maker for decent price and replace as needed. Being a coffee geek makes the hobby expensive :-)

what, on a forum where backsplashes run to three figures, we're worrying about a paltry $300?

But seriously: while I would *not* recommend one to fly964, coffee geeks should consider the Technivorm: I've had one several months and would never go back. It gets the temperature right, and you can get a french-press effect by shutting the valve at the bottom of the filter for a minute before letting it pour.

After that, the next step is home roasting.

I'm glad to see this thread since DH & are a hoping to find a Grind & Brew for Christmas. We consider ourselves coffee geeks and grind our coffee daily although we/I am tired of cleaning up the mess of the grounds, especially after our kitchen remodel.

We actually use a Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time Coffee Maker. We love our coffee, but usually only one cup -- especially true pre-kids when we were both running out of the house to the office. We are on our 4th or 5th & make the coffee STRONG. It doesn't have a heat pad. Now that we are both at home (DH is job hunting) it might be nice to easily have more cups in the morning. We have the Braun Grinder & had a second for decafe until I convinced DH we didn't drink enough decafe to continue to have the grinder take up space in the kitchen. Since we have the CAAT & the Grinder on the counter all the time (used to have 2 grinders), I think we'll be ok with the size of the Grind & Brew.

Other makers:

French Press (We have multiple so we can have FP for company. As well, we found a small one -- almost too small -- for Cub Scout campouts. We were pretty popular at the camp out we brought both larger FPs.)

Cafe Roma Espresso Maker (We use Lavazza Espresso grind [Decafe & Regular]. When DH worked in France even the French agreed that the Italians do a great job with this Espresso. We were never satisfied with grinding our own espresso beans.

We also have the typical drip coffee makers, but only use once or twice a year.

We love Starbucks French Dark Roast beans.

I'm forwarding DH the coffeegeeks.com link for research, but if any coffee lover here has a Grind & Brew they are happy with please let us know.

Wow, this has been very interesting. Thanks to everyone who contributed. I love Starbucks French Dark Roast beans which I buy at Costco and have them grind at Starbucks and keep it in my freezer. I am too lazy to grind my own each time. I love strong hot coffee but I only make a few cups in the morning. I put a lot of regular milk and re-heat it in my microwave. Then keep it in my Zojirushi Thermal Cup from which I sip. I think I will go with Cuisinart Brew Central (10 - 12 cups) with Carafe that will let me make as little as 4 cups as I am not keen on the hot plate version I have.

Another vote for Technivorm! I too only recommend it to folks who LOVE coffee -- otherwise it's not a good value. We got one several years back when our second maker of the year went caput. Thank goodness they're much easier to get now (I loathed, seriously, calling the importer we had to use until now.)

Cuisinart DCC-2000 This is the 2nd exact same coffee maker I have purchased...the first one I had for over 3 years and then one day just stopped working. Although, they should last longer, I thought that it was worth every penny and so decided to buy another one. I like it because the coffee stays warm for a long time and does not get the burnt taste. Easy to use and cleans easily. Also, very easy to use.

Excuse my second post on this thread, but for those of you who like strong coffee in small amounts and don't have space on your counter I suggest you give an Aerobee Aeropress a try. The only problem with it is that you need hot water, it doesn't have a heater. You can use the microwave to get the 170 degree water it uses. The scoop for one cup holds two rounded tablespoons of grounds and it makes a syrup like brew that you mix with more hot water in the cup. It is small enough to fit in a drawer easily. We have instant hot water on the sink so it is really easy for us. Coffee is the equal of the Technivorm, if not better.

Another Aeropress fan here. Doesn't everybody have an electric kettle to heat water? Its wayyyy faster and more efficient than a microwave or stove top kettle. And unlike an instant hot tap, it provides BOILING water, which is necessary for almost all kitchen uses other than coffee making. After my water boils, I heat and froth my milk (use the MW for that) and by then the water is the perfect temp for coffee making.

This is an update, but an unfinished story. I posted initially that DH & I were giving ourselves a Grind & Brew for Xmas. We are definitely very robust coffee lovers, but tired of the mess created with grinding our own (Braun -- with separate plastic canister) & transferring to our one cup coffee maker (Black & Decker -- but can make as strong as we like).

We bought, but have returned, a Capresso CoffeeTeam. No matter how we adjusted the grind, the amount of water, "aroma", etc. (about 3 settings on the maker & then the water) we were unable to get a truly robust/extra bold cup of coffee. Actually the coffee mostly tasted commercial. I'm pushing to order the Technivorm & DH thinks if we purchase a grinder with a glass container it will help -- I think the Kitchen Aid at $179 (& possibly only in black) is high if it doesn't brew also. The fact he is between jobs gives us pause before spending for the Technivorm, but we truly are coffee LOVERS.

In the short term we purchased a larger Cuisinart PrepBoard ($12 at Amazon.com) to put the current grinder & coffee pot on (the old square one was too small) & he bought an Aeropress -- says he can use it camping, too. ;-) There are days I'd like more than 1 cup & with him at home we sit over the paper & breakfast a little longer. I will update if we find a better solution, but perhaps the French Press is just as convenient. :-)

Update before submitting: I am soooooo disappointed it seems the Technivorm is a coffee maker only & the grinders don't appear to be sold in the US, yet. The Technivorm coffee maker sounds great, but definitely a luxury when job hunting . . .

I think I saw the Technivorm grinder at Williams-Sonoma the other day. I have the smaller 8-cup version with the insulate stainless flask. I have a Baratza Virtuoso burr grinder and I only grind what I'm going to use for the next day or so. It has a separate container for this. I'm not saying it is the best, but it does the job.

I've found the presses to be a bit messy to clean up.

I noticed a stainless press from Bodum at W&S the other day. I think it is vacuum insulated and holds about a liter. It looks like a pitcher / perculator with slanted sides but is a french press.

I just checked and Williams-Sonoma does carry the Technivorm grinder but from the description I'm not impressed. It's a blade grinder not a burr grinder, it doesn't allow you to adjust the grind and it's $200. For that price you can get a Baratza or another good burr grinder and have a lot more flexility.

Another Technivorm fan here.

We'd been using (and enjoying the coffee from) the Cusinart 12-cup coffee maker we'd gotten when we'd reno'd the kitchen almost 4 years ago. Early last month, DH and I were in the kitchen, and we heard a sizzling or crackling sound, not unlike the sound of coffee that has dripped onto the hot plate. Only thing was, coffee had long since finished brewing and neither of us had poured any coffee in awhile. When I walked over to the coffee maker to take a look, I noticed the display (clock) was out and thought it best to unplug the coffee maker. As I did so, I saw a thin wisp of smoke curling up from the bottom of the machine--eek!

Despite the coffee maker being long out of warranty, BB&B took it back (we no longer had the receipt and we absolutely did not want another of the same model, so they issued us a store credit that we'll surely use on something). We were also leery about buying another similar type of coffee maker (e.g. Made in you-know-where). Having read rave reviews about the Technivorm (when we did the kitchen and more recently when W-S started carrying/advertising it), we decided to check it out despite the high price tag.

What won us over (besides the glowing reviews) were the facts that it is a very simple machine to set-up (to brew) and take apart (for cleaning after use) and a biggie; Technivorm coffee makers are made by hand, in the Netherlands (not you-know-where). We were drawn to the thought of good, hot coffee to start our days, and just as drawn to the thought of purchasing an appliance that was made well.

We thought we'd miss having a timer (we set our coffee maker up the night before--a no-no for coffee afficianado's), but the Technivorm brews so quickly, it's literally ready in minutes.

There's no automatic shut-off (brewing mechanism/heater shuts-off at the end of brewing, but the hot plate stays on until it is manually shut off). The lack of an automatic shut-off gave us pause, but we decided the benefits outweighed that one "flaw." Still makes me a little nervous that one of us will forget to flip the switch to off after pouring a last up of coffee, but we're very conscious of being careful about that.

All in all, we're enjoying it (ours has the glass carafe, BTW), and feel that it was money well-spent.

If you brew your coffee while awake, you might find the tips in this tip sheet helpful (link is for direct download of pdf file):

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Marias's Technivorm Brewing Tip Sheet

I am appreciating the comments here as I consider buying a grinder+drip pot. But I wanted to suggest to cat_mom that she just plug her machine into an "old fashioned" electric timer; they're just $5 or so at HD. You can set it to come on at whatever time you like that way and also cut the electricity at some set time when you're sure you're out of the house or done coffee-drinking for the day.

I did this *years* before anyone stuck an electric timer into an automatic coffee maker; works just fine. A little bulky to see perhaps but you can work around that problem too (extension cord perhaps?). Nowadays these electric timers are even electronic so they don't make that grinding noise we used to have to put up with for "auto-coffee".

Yabbut it's so much better to grind your coffee just before you brew it - not set it up the night before.

aliris19, thanks for the suggestion! Brewing time is very fast on the Technivorm Moccamaster. 5-6 minutes for a full pot, less than that for the ~1/2 pot we brew daily. So, no real need for the coffee maker to start the brew cycle on its own.

Whoever walks into the kitchen first, flips the switch to on. If it's me, by the time I've taken out my mug, a spoon, and the milk container, the coffee's done, or nearly so.

If I find we are not flipping the switch to off when we're finished taking coffee, we will start looking for one of those timers. Thanks again!

I'm pretty sure you can even get those timers to wire into the light switch itself -- yes, come to think of it, I even bought one to install for the front door...where did that thing go? So if the appearance bugs you, you can make it disappear. They're not so cheap, $30-ish as opposed to $5-ish. BTW, I use those $5-ish for the Xmas tree lights too which still scare me.

I find the coffee made in a french press superior to all others (save hand pressed espresso). In fact, because it makes such good strong coffee I find I can buy my beans (in small quantities) pre-ground - so that the time I spend cleaning the press is easily made up by the time I don't have to spend grinding coffee.

I also pour my pressed coffee immediately into a nissan thermos which keeps it nice and hot for a few hours.

then again, I am the only coffee drinker at home so generally am working in small batches regardless.