Our Cuisinart “Extreme Brew” died Christmas morning! It makes good regular coffee and we have been happy with it. However, we would really like a built-in grinder.
Good news is my Sweetie promises a belated gift. I would like a coffee maker with a built in grinder. We don’t do the fancy stuff - just good, fresh, strong, black coffee - and a bit snobbish about that, even though it is simple . . . suggestions please.
I’ve looked into these in the past and iirc the general consensus was that all the built in grinders are terrible. It’s been a while so maybe that has changed.
Integrated is easier, but probably not as good. Guess it depends on whether you put more emphasis on simple or snobbish.
Gaggia Brera. Does it produce extremely refined and sophisticated espresso?
No.
Does it produce coffee and espresso that’s damn good and good enough for my plebe-like palate?
You bet your ass it does.
price range? these suckers can vary in price GREATLY.
I’m tight, but can afford whatever. So I guess purpose and value is the issue. FYI - I do have a disc wheel!
I’ll echo, built in grinders are not great.
Coffee snobbery gets really expensive, really really expensive, really fast.
For the “I want damn good consistent coffee without a loan” it’s really hard to beat the combination of a Baratza Encore grinder and a Bonavita 8-cup drip machine.
You won’t wow anybody with sex appeal, but you’ll make damn fine coffee.
I make coffee for my wife and myself using a java press burr grinder and an old fashioned french press. It’s more time consuming, but worth it in the end. I wouldn’t trade it for an expensive do it all machine. I do plan on upgrading to an electric kettle for heating up the water. Right now I’m just using a pot on the stove with a thermometer.
Just got a Jura S8 for Xmas…still in testing mode but all the reviews by self proclaimed coffee snobs are great.
I’ve gifted a few Juras over the years and they’ve always been a big hit. The E6 and D6 have both received rave reviews from family.
I’m really particular about my coffee and espresso - my brother’s brother-in-laws call me the Little Barista - and I also decided against a built-in grinder as I didn’t want to afford the cost of one (that does both well). I decided on a Baratza Encore for the grinder after doing it by hand for a while - really happy with it other than the small amount of extra grounds that drop out of the burr into the counter after I remove the catch tray. I usually do a pour over or French press for my coffees, but bought the wife a OXO coffee maker and it makes a really solid cup when I taste hers. The Baratza makes great espresso - you might not get true Turkish fine out of it but it’s really hard to tell.
Whatever you do on the grinder get one with a burr (instead of blade).
Totally agree with mrfreeze.
Consistently even grind is crucial for the perfect cup. I also am a big fan of Baratza—we opted for the Vario, which has the high torque motor and ceramic burrs. Has been consistently grinding every morning for the last 6 years without a hiccup, and still going strong.
For brewing, can highly recommend Technivorm Moccamaster, handmade in the Netherlands. It will consistently brew to a perfect 200F/ 95C every time without fail, the optimal temperature extraction—few machines come close to this performance.
While the Baratza Vario and Technivorm Moccamaster are pricy, they are high quality, last years and years, making consistently great coffee every day without fail.
My days can be all over the place, but I can say that they always start with a perfect cup of Joe—small pleasures are sometimes worth it. 
Here’s another thought: if the grinder is integrated with the brewer, then when either item fails, the whole unit fails. Well, maybe some people have the mechanical expertise to get it working again. But, no offense, you presumably don’t, because you asked. This is not a knock on you, I don’t think most of us have that expertise. I certainly don’t.
So, why not get a separate grinder and a separate brewer?
If you just want a regular pot of coffee, then ignore the suggestions for the super automatic espresso machines.
For regular coffee with a built in grinder, your best bet is to get the same thing you had before, the cuisinart. If you want to spend a little more, the other option is the Breville Grind Control, which is really just a slightly more fancy version of the cuisinart.
As other people have said get the encore. I had ground for 10 years with a good hand crank burr grinder and I’ll never look back now.
As far as machine? You don’t need one get a french press and a solid pour over and you’re fine unless you want an espresso.
Totally agree with mrfreeze.
Consistently even grind is crucial for the perfect cup. I also am a big fan of Baratza—we opted for the Vario, which has the high torque motor and ceramic burrs. Has been consistently grinding every morning for the last 6 years without a hiccup, and still going strong.
For brewing, can highly recommend Technivorm Moccamaster, handmade in the Netherlands. It will consistently brew to a perfect 200F/ 95C every time without fail, the optimal temperature extraction—few machines come close to this performance.
While the Baratza Vario and Technivorm Moccamaster are pricy, they are high quality, last years and years, making consistently great coffee every day without fail.
My days can be all over the place, but I can say that they always start with a perfect cup of Joe—small pleasures are sometimes worth it.
Agreed that Moccamaster is awesome. We have one and visited relatives in the Netherlands a year ago. Upon seeing a Moccamaster in the kitchen we commented to which the 78 year old owner said “I wish that thing would die so I could get a new one!”. They are so well built, make such consistently awesome coffee, it’s hard to not have one. I also agree the combo units are when one part fails, the entire thing is no good, much like the old days of combo VHS/TV machines.
You are spot on! No offense whatsoever. I was just looking for a bit more convenience. Perhaps I just go back to what I had, which was good.
Burr grinder is a must. The bladed type grinders burn the bean. Still waking up and forget what burr grinder I have. It can be a little messy but its just a small amount of ground coffee it will leave on the countertop.
For the coffee maker I have an old Espresso maker, forget the brand of it too, if I want Espresso. Do pour overs, and French roast if I have the time and even have a ceramic burr hand grinder, once again if I have the time. My mainstay is a Cuisinart drip that I carnage the water filter on monthly and only use filtered water.
For the bean my main stay is French Roast, occasionally Espresso and toss in a tasty light roast here and there to mix things up. I basically shop my coffee from a local roastry.
I love my morning coffee and it’s what gets my day started.
Saecco Vienna Plus
I’ve had mine for 15 years and it still makes perfect espresso (with crema) and americanos (with crema). I don’t use the steam wand.
For the “I want damn good consistent coffee without a loan” it’s really hard to beat the combination of a Baratza Encore grinder and a Bonavita 8-cup drip machine.
You won’t wow anybody with sex appeal, but you’ll make damn fine coffee.
+1, the Technivorm Moccamaster is a nice upgrade on the machine side, but pretty similar in coffee output from what I can tell (probably will last longer/more repairable)
I’m a cheap snob. So I bought this about a year ago. I have a few gripes but I use it like a warrior every morning. Would I buy it again? Yup. Absolutely. Is it my dream built-in coffee grinding coffee maker? Nope.
Pros:
Cheap
Reliable
Super super easy to use
Pretty easy to clean
Makes really yummy coffee consistently
Cons:
Hella loud - sends the cats running every morning
I wish 100% of the grounds made it to the filter, but I’d guess 3-5% of the grounds stick to the grinder every time and don’t get brewed (wasted!)
I have to clean (1) the pot (2) the lid to the pot (3) the filter basket (4) the filter basket lid (5) the grinder, and (6) the grinder lid EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
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