The Best Bunn Coffee Maker (A Look At The Top 5)
Buying a coffee maker isn’t as simple as picking up any old appliance on your next Target run – at least not if you take your coffee seriously. And trust us, we do.
We know that bringing a new coffee maker into your home is akin to adopting a new family member, so what if that new member doesn’t jive with your family?
It’s serious business. Luckily BUNN takes their coffee seriously too. If you’re looking into buying a BUNN coffee maker (and we know you are, since you’re reading this post!), we’ve done your homework for you. While the brand is known for high-quality products by coffee lovers everywhere, there’s a vast range of features and prices that can make all the difference.
Don’t make a mistake when deciding what coffee maker is right for you – read on to learn which one will suit your needs and provide you with the best coffee every day. Here we’re giving you the top 5 best BUNN coffee makers.
BUNN Speed Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer
We think the BUNN Speed Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer is the best overall BUNN coffee maker. It’s a classic home brewing machine that can do its job – you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
How to Choose the BEST Bunn Coffee Maker
What do you look for in a good coffee maker? There are three main things to consider when buying a BUNN:
Capacity – Large vs Small
Ask yourself, who will be using this? If you plan on sharing your coffee with others, you might need something with more capacity. Or if it’s only you, consider how much coffee you consume. One cup? Twelve cups?
We don’t judge. Just keep capacity in mind. We have a whole list of coffee maker reviews to help you choose if you find Bunn machines are not for you. Check it out here.
Cost (Features)
BUNN Coffee makers are an investment. It’s not like these American-made coffee machines are outrageously expensive or anything but we’re going to be totally honest, they aren’t cheap either. So consider what things you are or are not willing to pay extra for.
Because like most things in life, you get what you pay for. If you just want a goddamn coffee machine, you can get away with the cheapest model.
If you want the bells and whistles and more of a ‘morning ritual’ coffee experience, go for something a little higher range with more features. The higher end of Bunn machines provide seriously good coffee technology. They make products for commercial and residential uses (1), so the synergies are real.
Your Lifestyle
Consider how you take your coffee in the morning. Are you pounding a pot every day? Leisurely drinking a cup or two during your morning routine? Or do you brew your coffee, then fill up your favorite to-go thermos and run out the door?
Knowing how you take your coffee in the morning is going to help you choose the best coffee maker. Quite frankly, BUNN brewers are all high-quality machines, but the differences come into play when considering your coffee lifestyle and that of the others in your home.
Because coffee is life. And now, let’s break down the differences between the BUNN Coffee Makers…
BUNN Coffee Maker Reviews
Ok, you should now have a fair idea of what you’re looking for in your Bunn.
Small or large, cheap or pricey (which relates to features), something that brews quick and brutal coffee or something slower and more artisan-esque… etc, etc.
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BUNN Speed Brew Coffee Brewer |
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BUNN GRB Velocity Brew Coffee Brewer |
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BUNN BT Velocity Brew Coffee Brewer |
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BUNN MCU Single Cup Coffee Brewer |
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BUNN Pour-Over Commercial Brewer |
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1. The BUNN GRB Velocity Brew 10 Cup Home Coffee Brewer
Best suited for: Someone who wants a standard coffee maker for a reasonable price.
Things we liked:
- It is considered the “Original Pour-O-Matic”
- Internal hot water tank for faster brew time (3 mins for 10-cups).
- Drip-free glass carafe with a spill-proof spout
- Multi-stream spray head more effectively extract flavor
Things we didn’t like:
- In my opinion, it brews too fast to produce amazing coffee
There are several versions of the Velocity model: GRB, NHS, BXB, and BXW. There isn’t a major difference between Velocity models – here, it is purely cosmetic. (The exception: the BXD is designed for high altitude use because water boils at lower temperatures over 4000 feet above sea level. If you live on a mountaintop, take note.)
The Bunn NHS Velocity Brew is a little bit shorter and rounder, the BXB has a rounder silver tank, and the BXW is white.
So why did we decide to recommend the GRB specifically?
Price point. The GRB is more affordable than the NHS (it’s about half the price) and they both brew a great tasting cup of coffee. Both have a warming plate to keep your coffee warm in the drip-free glass carafe. Both have an internally heated water tank to keep your water at the proper brewing temperature (around 200 F) for proper flavor extraction. Both have a brewing time of roughly three minutes. It also made our best of best lists for being a mighty fast brewer.
The GRB can also brew less than a full pot: as little as 4 cups (20 oz.), up to the full 10 cups (50 oz.), based on the amount of water you pour in.
If you are interested in finding out more about the differences between the BUNN NHS Velocity Brew 10-Cup and GRB Velocity Brew 10-cup, leave a comment.
2. The BUNN Speed Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer
Best suited for: Someone who values speed and quality of flavor.
Things we liked:
- Turbulence-inducing spray head increases the contact time between the water and coffee grounds to make better tasting coffee.
- The internal water tank keep swater temperature consistent.
- Spray head is lime-tolerant (extends the lifetime of the machine)
Things we didn’t like:
- Reportedly a bad electrical smell during the first few uses. (Harmless but annoying)
This BUNN brewer is advertised as “the fastest brewing machine” and this largely comes down to the fact that it keeps its water hot 24/7 so that it’s always ready to brew.
This machine is quite similar to the Velocity, however, a notable difference is the extension of contact time between the always-hot water and coffee, so you end up getting more bang for your buck in terms of flavor.
If you want to make between 4 and 10 cups at a time in under 4 minutes, this is the machine for you. Especially if you want your coffee fast. If thats you, here are the fastest coffee makers.
3. The BUNN BT Velocity Brew 10-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer
Best suited for: Someone who takes several hours to leisurely drink a pot of coffee, and who doesn’t want anything fancy or complicated out of their machine.
Things we liked:
- Keeps coffee hot, and maintains flavor and aroma, for longer.
- Stainless steel thermal carafe provides less of the scorching effect than glass
Things we didn’t like:
- Costs more than the standard Velocity machine
Since this is a Velocity Brew machine, the mechanics of this are unsurprisingly similar. You still get all the fancy benefits of your standard Velocity machine but the game-changing feature here is that BUNN Velocity Brew Thermal Carafe.
It can keep your coffee hot for up to 2 full freaking hours. Think of all the things you can get done in 2 hours without worrying about keeping your coffee hot! Pretty phenomenal.
The carafe can be removed from the heating pad and placed at your kitchen table or wherever in the house and will have hot coffee for hours. No need to reheat coffee in the microwave with this machine; your pot will still be hot. For the love of God, please don’t microwave your coffee. Have some standards.
4. The BUNN MCU Single Cup Multi-Use Home Coffee Brewer
Best suited for: Someone who only needs one quick cuppa in the morning to start their day. This is a great option as it also made our best single cup coffee maker list.
Things we liked:
- Multifunctional machine. Brews your standard coffee cups of all brands.
- Pulse brew setting allows you to brew a bolder flavor if you choose.
- Removable drip tray that fits most travel mugs.
Things we didn’t like:
- No on/off switch.
- Only a 2-year warranty (most BUNN machines come with a 3-year warranty).
People usually have one of two reactions to a single serve machine: hell yeah or no way. Why? Quantity. Some people need a full pot of coffee and others need just one solid cup.
And because it uses BUNN’s standard system of maintaining a preheated water reservoir, it’s fast – as little as a minute from pouring water to drinking great coffee.
One extra benefit to the MCU: it can be programmed for high-altitude operation. Since water boils at lower temperatures the farther you are above sea level (as low as 187 F at 9000 feet, below the optimum brewing temperature), the MCU has an adjustment to compensate for this and still reach the desired temperature for maximum flavor extraction.
5. The Bunn VPR-2GD 12-Cup Pour-Over Commercial Brewer
Best suited for: Someone who frequently entertains large numbers of people. Or conversely, a coffee addict.
Things we liked:
- Serious capacity for coffee output. Literally gallons of coffee (3.8 per hour)!
- Requires no plumbing connections, which is unusual for a commercial machine. This means that it is portable.
Things we didn’t like:
- Massive size – 16.2 X 8 X 20.7 inches. So please measure your available space before ordering.
I know, I know. Commercial grade coffee brewer? Isn’t that for businesses? Hear me out, because this might actually be the machine you never knew you needed in your home.
This thing can brew 3.8 gallons of coffee per hour. It isn’t a plumbed machine unlike a lot of commercial coffee makers. It has upper and lower warmers, two glass decanters, and is solidly built of stainless steel. It will brew consistent cups of kick-ass coffee all day, every day.
If your house is the center point of large family reunions, holiday parties, big gatherings, or meeting spaces for any reason, you may not realize that the BUNN 12 cup coffee maker is what you need.
THE VERDICT
So which of these top 5 BUNN Coffee Makers is the best? In our honest and humble opinion, the BUNN Speed Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer is the best overall BUNN home coffee maker.
Why? It is functional, it has enough small improvements from previous models to make it operate noticeably better, and it’s a classic home brewing machine. While it’s a little pricey it is not outrageously so and quite frankly you get your money’s worth on this machine.
References
- BUNN – Bunn-O-Matic Corporation Retrieved from https://www.bunn.com/
