Customer Reviews

Bunn BXB 10-Cup Professional Coffee Brewer, Black

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Bunn BXB is an excellent coffee maker, but requires a different understanding of brewing coffee.

Instead of super heating the water immediately before spraying it over the grounds, this coffee maker has a stainless steel tank that stores hot water at around 200 degree fahrenheit. This enables the coffee maker to spray hot rather than super heated water over the grounds, eliminating the scorched taste and power surges associated with fast heating. Fresh water poured into the reservoir at the top flows into the bottom of the storage tank pushing hot water out the top onto the waiting coffee grounds making a hot pot of coffee in under three minutes. The storage tank takes about 15 minutes to heat the first time and will hold almost two carafes worth of water.

My last Bunn lasted 15 years and failed due to a design flaw, which has been fixed in this model. Other coffee brewers were lucky to last 5 years.

My old Bunn coffee maker had the hot water tank in direct contact with the water reservoir in the top of the maker. This contact caused the water reservoir to disintegrate and leak whenever fresh water was poured into the coffee maker.

In the new model, this contact point is removed, separating the hot water tank from the water reservoir by about 1/2 inch. In addition, the reservoir now has a valve that doesn't release the water into the hot water tank until the cover on the reservoir is closed. No more spilled water if you're not fast enough with the carafe or forget the carafe needs to be in position before pouring in fresh water. This new feature also means no need to use and store the separate measuring/fill container.

My only problem with this design is the lack of insulation around the hot water tank. Because the water stays constantly hot, the coffee maker is a heat source that must be guarded against and is warm enough to be uncomfortable although not hot enough to burn. This lack of insulation also results in heat/energy being lost that could be conserved. (I use this excess heat to pre-warm canned catfood for my pride of cats by placing the catfood on top of the coffee maker. It heats the canned catfood just enough without overheating.)

Because this coffee maker is constantly plugged in, it may not be useable in some businesses that have rules about leaving appliances plugged in overnight to prevent fires. It is, however, an excellent coffee maker where coffee/hot water is needed 24/7.

Other than that, a great coffee maker that I'll buy again -- in 15 to 20 years.

(Note: This is NOT the high altitude model designed for use above 5,000 feet. The high altitude models are the "D" models.)

Cons:
Standard grocery-store filters are shorter than the type that works best in this machine, but you can get by with the grocery-store variety. It just makes a little more mess in the grinds-basket.

You have to wait 15 minutes for the machine to heat the tank of water before you can turn on the drip coffee function. This is pain if you don't use it for more than one pot of coffee, but not really much more wait time than a standard brewer -- it just requires you come back after 15 minutes and click it on.

Retro "Denny's" look.

No programmable settings.


Pros:
No programmable settings to learn.

Once heated, it makes very consistent coffee in 3 minutes. It sprays super-hot water all over the coffee grounds (in a circular pattern) so you get a really even flavor from all your grounds.

If you're making more than 1 pot of coffee, this machine is even better.

The feature I appreciate the most in a Bunn coffee maker is that it produces water at a controlled temperature. Coffee has a better flavor if the water temperature is between 180 and 190 degrees. Over 190 degrees and the coffee flavor becomes bitter, below 180 degrees and the strength is decreased. The Bunn gives hot water of the correct temperature immediately and through out the brewing. Other brands produce hotter and hotter water as what you poured in runs out. Tip: I have learned that high water temp. and oxygen ruin coffee.

I read a lot of reviews before I purchased my coffee maker from Amazon. I am glad I did. It's a funny thing to me, but often simpler is better. There is no water filter to mess with and have to change out. There is no grinder attached. It is simply a coffee maker that makes good coffee. Before I bought this machine, I called Bunn's customer service to ask some questions. The gal I talked to was so helpful--her help alone sold me on the machine!

This is what I learned:
1) Use only Bunn coffee filters. They have higher sides and will keep the grounds from ending up in the coffee. You can buy them online at Amazon, the Bunn Gourmet website, or at Walmart in the store if you need them today. We make really strong coffee, so I have to put more grounds in the basket. The filters are really important.
2) The regular sprayhead does make the coffee go through really fast. If you call Bunn's customer service and tell them what model you have, they will send you a slower sprayhead for free. No charge. The customer service gal asked me which model I was going to buy and sent the sprayhead even before I had placed my order on Amazon! The slower sprayhead is also helpful if you have hard water, I believe she said-- The slower sprayhead is helpful for us because it takes longer for the water to go through the grounds, which makes the coffee stronger and it keeps the water from overflowing the full basket of grounds it has to go through.
3) Use filtered water from your sink or fridge in the coffee maker.
4) Bunn makers make a 5 oz. cup of coffee so adjust your ratios according to how strong you like your coffee. (My old Krups was a 4 oz. cup)

Because we like such strong coffee, we can only make about 8 5-oz. cups at a time because I can't fit any more grounds in. But, I don't mind. That's as much as our Krups 10 cup made and the coffee is great and hot!

Bunn has the right idea--I think. They simplified things. Less things to break and just what is needed to do the job right!

I purchased a new BXB Bunn coffeemaker approximately 4 weeks ago. I purchased a Bunn because of the quality and great coffee flavor. I noticed immediately the coffee tasted weak, no matter how many grounds I added. I thought maybe it was just me but after having a few people over they too remarked at how weak the coffee was. I just made a phone call to Bunn customer service and they were wonderful. I was asked to remove the basket and check for a sprayhead. Sprayhead, what sprayhead? All I had was a threaded screw with a nut, no sprayhaed. Needless to say my coffeemaker was missing this most important part. That would be the reason my coffee was weak. The water was merely dripping through the coffee grounds and spilling into the pot instead of spraying the grounds. I'm going to be sent two sprayheads for free! I have read other customer reviews and there are numerous people who are complaining of weak coffee as well. I would have to say that they too are probably missing the sprayhead. Not sure how these coffee makers can leave the factory without them but I guess it does happen. A simple call to Bunn customer service and they'll set you up with the missing part. I'm looking forward to a good cup of coffee once the sprayhead arrives. Again, great customer service which keeps me buying Bunn products!

Excellent product. Provides coffee exacly as advertised. The Bun may cost alittle more, but you get what you pay for.

This is my second Bunn. My first lasted almost 20 years of pretty constant use. It finally stopped working. I purchased this one and was very impressed with the design/look of the machine. The performance .... well, it is a Bunn! Need we say more??!!!!!

The following review was copied from my first review of the Bunn coffee maker, posted 4 years ago. My thoughts about this product remain the same and I would recommend it to anyone who cares about good coffee.

"I have read most of the other reviews and fully agree with those who rate this with 5 stars. I do not agree with those who have down rated this great coffee maker, because they don't come much better. For the conservative folks, who worry about the energy usage, (which keeps the water hot) consider this ------ bacteria does not grow in HOT water!!!!! I have owned many other coffee makers and most will, in time, develop green slime somewhere in the many nooks and crannies that are impossible to clean. Also, I will wager my Uncle Bubbas last jug of moon shine, that the total energy consumed is about the same as any other coffee maker that uses lots of power to get cold water up to brewing temperature ----- which usually serves up as luke warm and bitter coffee.
My wife (a Master Baker) and I are on different morning schedules. She is able to make a fresh pot of coffee in very short time and I brew another fresh pot when I start my day about 2 hours later. Prior to the Bunn, I had a very bitter cup of left over coffee from the computer controlled coffee maker, that is now in the trash heap. Too big for your counter top??? Get rid of your Aunt Jane's useless canister set and make room for this great piece of equipment. If you want better coffee ---- try dining out!!! Most good restaurants use Bunn coffee makers. Or, perhaps as a conservative action, buy this very good coffee maker, stay at home and save the price of petrol."

PS: September 12, 2009 After 4 years of wonderful service, out beloved Bunn started to trip the circuit breaker and, after a period of mourning, we decided to lay it to rest and purchase another Bunn. Fortunately, although this particular model is no longer available, the Bunn BXB (black) is available from Amazon. It is outwardly identical, except for color, to our previous Bunn and we are equally happy with it.

I bought this coffee maker mostly because it brews coffee at near 200 degrees, but it took some time to figure out. Read the instructions. I had to "prime" the pump. I put plenty of water into this before I started brewing. Then I put in the amount of water I desired and kept the lid open until it heated internally up to 200 (about 15 minutes). It might just be me but I didn't really understand this from the instruction. I was almost ready to send it back to Amazon when I figured it out. But now, the coffee is superb!!! I loaded in some Costco Columbian grind and now can't wait to try like Starbuck's freshly ground beans. Considering it's cost as opposed to how much I love coffee and the reputation of Bunn, it is a wonderful purchase. This coffee is just as good as the best coffee houses I've been to. It's a simple machine but will look good in your kitchen and considering the coffee, you'lll look forward to seeing it every morning.

One wouldn't think that the purchase of a coffee maker would be so difficult. It was. This Bunn coffee maker was a compromise. I wanted a coffee maker that would last a long time, brew an excellent cup of coffee, and be easy to maintain.

The Bunn scores big on brewing an excellent cup of coffee. You can get a slower flow nozzle direct from Bunn at no charge, which might improve some coffees. With premium coffee, I don't really notice an improvement.

The reviews almost all mention the longevity of these units, and I have a friend who was in the commercial side of the coffee business and had great things to say about the quality of Bunn. I'm satisfied that I will get close to 10 years of life out of this coffee maker, which is great.

Maintenance and ease of use: meh. I really, really wish this unit had an auto shut-off. Although it is very easy to see that the unit is on, I have company over frequently who seem unable to turn off the coffee maker in the morning. Grrr. Also, having to use the de-liming tool is a bit of an inconvenience that I didn't encounter on any of my other units, where I could simply use a diluted vinegar solution for cleaning. Overall, not nearly as big a deal as no auto shut-off.

I definitely would have given this coffee maker 5 stars if it had an auto shut-off. I still think is a worthy investment and recommend it to my friends.