Customer Reviews

Melitta Cone Filter Manual Coffeemaker 6 Cup, 1-Count

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When you have the money and want a fancy manual drip maker, you can look at Chemex or Bodum. But, if you want good coffee at a good price, this is it. In our day coffee came in a 16 oz can and we drank whatever was cheapest. Now kids know the difference between Robusta and Arabica and go to a local roaster on the day their regional favorite is being roasted. Fancy Auto-Drip machines don't heat the water hot enough, build up calcium, and don't immerse all the grind correctly. French pots let silt and bitter elements of the coffee through. This method takes some time and effort, but if you like good coffee, its worth it. This coffee maker goes for about the price as a bag of good coffee.

Being a lifelong coffee fiend, I've tried literally EVERY type and brand of coffee-making device known to mankind over the last 30 years: standard electric drip coffee makers, percolators (not recommended to anyone with an appreciation for coffee and functioning tastes buds), French presses, vacuum pump units, microwave gizmos for which one needs an engineering degree to figure out, etc., but I keep coming back to this one.

It's definitely low tech, but it does what it's designed to do, e.g. make a terrific pot of coffee with minimal hassle. Other reviews have described the process of using this as being additionally cumbersome (given the need to boil water separately beforehand} but I don't personally find that to be the case. I keep a teakettle of filtered water on my stovetop, and when I'm ready to make coffee, I turn the burner on, and while the water is heating, I measure the coffee out, and then once the water is near boiling, simply pour over the grounds. The entire process takes about five to seven minutes, start to finish, about the same time as an electric drip unit would take.

The unit -- which essentially works similarly to more stylish (but also considerably more expensive) Chemex coffemaker -- has several advantages over other coffee making methods: because the water is manually boiled, one can control the temperature; because the unit is so low tech and has no buttons, switches, bells, whistles or moving parts, it can last for decades (unless one breaks the glass carafe which, being on the clumsy side, I'd done more than once -- but then they're so inexpensive to replace that it's really not that big a deal; also, the carafes of electric drip units are equally fragile); if one has a gas stove, as I do, coffee can be made, even during a power failure.

Cleanup is simple: toss the filter full of used grounds in the trash, and after the coffee is consumed, rinse out the filter cone and the carafe. There's no reservoir to collect nasty sediments like an electric drip unit, no grungy screen and plunger to disassemble and scrub like a French press.

If a new coffee making technology is introduced, I will surely try it, but doubt I will find something else that is as inexpensive or reliable as the Melitta Manual coffee maker.

No muss no fuss no noise in the time it takes to boil the water I can have a perfect great tasting cup of cofee! Nothing to break down easy to clean.

The carafes for which the "6 cup" and "10 cup" systems can nominally hold 6 or 10 cups off coffee (filled to the brim), but that is really irrelevant. A more important consideration is cups vs mugs. How many people still drink "cups" of coffee? So, it is the "mug-capacity" (1 mug = 1 1/2 cups) of the filters and cones which really counts.

#2 filters/cones
Recomemnded: 1 cup
Practical Maximum: 1 mug
Theoretical Maximum: 2 cups

#4 filters/cones ("6 cup system")
Recommended: 1-2 mugs
Practical Maximum: 2 1/2 mugs
Theoretical Maximum: 4 mugs

#6 filters/cones ("10 cup system")
Recommended: 2-3 mugs
Practical Maximum: 4 mugs
Theoretical Maximum: 6 mugs

However, I don't follow my own recommendation: In the morning, I want coffee "now!" I often run out of patience trying to brew even 1 mug of coffee using #4 filter/cones. On the otherhand, the #6 filter/cones holds a whole mug of hot water in one quick pour, and drains about as fast as you can continue to pour the water in---so I find it very convenient for brewing 1 to 2 mugs of coffee at a time, and on rare occasions to easily brew 4 mugs (6 cups) of coffee. However, in this case, the hot water has little time to extract the flavor from the coffee. To compensate, I grind my coffee very finely. I could simply use more coffee, but that would be wasteful.

The #6 filters/cones ("10-cup system") is faster and more flexible, at a slightly higher cost for the filters. Melitta Cone Filter Coffeemaker 10 Cup, 1-Count If you are patient and your space is very limited, such as in a camper, boat, or in a college dorm, or if you really want only 1 or 2 mugs of coffee at a time, #4 filter/cones (the so-called "6 cup system") is a good choice.

GRINDS OF COFFEE
If you usually brew the "recommended" or fewer number of mugs of coffee, then very-finely ground coffee is recommended. If you usually brew the the "recommended" or more number of mugs at a time, then a medium grind coffee may work best. Most supermarket "fine grind" is actually a medium grind. If you brew more than the "practical maximum" a medium-coarse grind will work better. If you grind your own coffee in an electric grinder, "coarse" is only a second or two, medium-fine is perhaps 10 seconds, and very fine is perhaps 30 seconds, until the pitch of the sound changes, indicating that no more grinding is taking place.

REUSE
If you use finer-than-recommended (above) grind for the number of cups brewed, then discard the used filter when finished (because most of the flavor will be extracted, and the filter will be clogged up by the fine grinds). If you use a coaser-than-recommended (above) grind for the number of cups brewed, then you can optionally reuse the grinds in the afternoon to make a second batch of coffee (which will be lower in caffiene). Coffee-freaks may object to reusing grinds, but it works just fine.

FORMULA
Regardless of the grind, you have to use the same formula for the TOTAL amount of coffee actually made, i.e., 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per mug, depending on your taste, brand, etc.

FILTERS
Presumably, brown filters are easier on the environment---and on you, less chemicals having been used to manufacture them. Unfortunately, #6 filters are hard to find in most grocery stores, but easy to purchase via Amazon. Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, Natural Brown, No. 6, 40-Count Filters (Pack of 12) Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, Natural Brown, No. 2, 100-Count Filters (Pack of 6)Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, White, No. 6, 40-Count Filters (Pack of 12) In an emergency, you can use #4 filters in a #6 cone, but you'll regret it (having been spoiled by the convenience of #6 filters).

GENERAL COMMENTS
I've used the Mellita Coffee System for about 40 years. I find the system more convenient than coffee machines.

If the power goes off, you can still make coffee if you have a gas stove or a camp stove.

It is easy to brew exactly the amount of coffee you want, and exactly the strength that you want---including adjusting to new roast and grinds. You can even mix caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees if you wish.

In a way, the Mellita system is more "sanitary". It is easy to forget a used filter in a coffee maker, maybe for weeks if you go on a vacation, and find a fungus garden in there. You can't ignore a used Melitta filter, because it is out in the open. If you forget a used Melitta filter, it and the coffee grinds just dry out. It is also much easier to wash the Melitta components---just a quick rinse under the tap is usually good enough. Caveat--some types of coffee are oiler than others---you may need to actually wash your cone and carafe if a quick rinse is not sufficient.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON MAKING GOOD COFFEE
>>Use fresh unchlorinated water if possible. Do not use "softened", "sparkling", or "mineral" water. If you let an open pitcher of water sit on a counter for a few hours (or overnight), most of the chlorine will evaporate. The best way to get pure water is a reverse-osmosis system. Bring the water to a quick boil, but don't leave it boiling too long--that will flush out the dissolved oxygen, leaving the coffee tasting flat.
>>There is a huge difference between brands and roasts. Experiment and enjoy. However, even more important is freshness---which is the greatest challenge. How can you know if the coffee is fresh? The easiest way is to signup with a service such as Gavelia, Boca Java, or Coffee Bean Direct--whose only business is providing you with freshly roasted (and freshly-ground if you wish) coffee.
>>Particularly if you do not use a "coffee service", its best to buy whole beans and grind them just before brewing. A $15 grinder is as good as a $200 grinder Krups 203-42 Fast Touch Coffee Grinder, Black It takes only a few seconds to grind a batch of coffee while waiting for the water to boil.
>>For newbees, "French" or "dark roast" coffee is rich and bitter, and usually brewed "stong". Light roasts are more complex, but some are acidic, and are usually brewed and drank more like tea. Light roast Indonesian coffee is particularly complex. Caveat, "complex" does not necessarily mean flavorful---some dark roasts are wonderful, but it is probably harder to find a good dark roast. The Coffee Bean Direct Assorted Whole Bean Coffee Sampler, 9-Pound Box available from Amazon is a good way to explore the varieties of coffee.
>>The filter cone and carafe should be rinsed off after every use, otherwise your coffee can be contaminated with stale oils. A weekly wash in the dishwasher won't hurt.
>>Elsewhere, you'll read endless nonsense about the exact water temperature, how fast or how slow to pour the water, the value of porcelain vs plastic cones, preheating the cones with hot water, how finely ground the coffee should be, etc. It's all nonsense (except possibly to engineers who design coffeemakers). 99% of what matters is the quality of the ingredients, water and coffee. You want fresh oxygenated chlorine-free salt-free water, and good quality recently roasted and ground coffee.

SAFETY
It is easy to forget the glass carafe on a hot stove. I broke at least 6 carafes before I purchased a whistling teakettle. Revere 2-1/3-Quart Whistling Tea Kettle NEVER use the carafe to boil water or reheat coffee. The flood of water might crack a ceramic stovetop, or put out a the flame of a gas stove---both causing catastrophic problems. Use your microwave to reheat (about 30-45 seconds); it's faster and safer.

It is important to take care to pour the boiling water into the filter, not between the filter and the filter cone. It is any easy accident to make. To minimize such accidents, fold over the "joined" edges of the filters so that the filter opens wider. If you are a particular klutz, a quick rinse with a little cold water before you add the ground coffee can "glue" the filter to the cone.

GENERAL SHOPPING RECOMMENDATION
After major grocery shopping expeditions, sit down at your computer with your reciept, and check if you can buy any of the non-perishables through Amazon. When you find items (even if more expensive than you just paid), put the item on your Amazon wish list, and add a note to the wish list of the price you just paid. Check your wish list frequently, and when you see an item you need at a bargain price, buy it.

When coffee used to cost 80 cents a cup it wasn't a problem. Now that you need to bring your credit score to Starbucks, I have goneto the brew your own and save route. A co-worker got me hooked on this. You put the filter in and the coffee and than walk to the hot-water button on the water cooler for your nice cup of Joe.

Being a long-time coffee-lover, I have spent most of my adult life in the pursuit of the perfect coffeemaker; always thinking, like your average American, that the more money I spent, the better brew in my cup. How wrong! After spending an obscene amount on a newly-introduced thermal carafe automatic brewer that was designed by a coffee industry insider, I was disappointed to find that, as time went on, the quality of my cuppajoe had seriously declined. So, I went back to the drawing board. I tried a French press, but the grounds caused a bitter, oily taste after just a few minutes. I also tried an aluminum expresso pot, it it was not good for the morning jolt-du-necessaire. I found this gem, and after almost six months, I believe I have achieved nirvana. Each pot is fresh and delicious-- no calcium build-up or resins coating the carafe. I am absolutely serious in that this simple contraption brews the best home brew I have ever tasted in MY LIFE (and I am no spring chicken, I can tell you.)
It may take a few minutes, but the boiling water is the key to the best brew, and the easily washable pieces insure no chemical build-up. C'est extraodinaire!
If you are a coffee afficianado, you will not regret this purchase, and the price is very affordable. Simplicity rules!

just follow the directions.

it's not too small like a 4-cup or too big...like a 10 or 12-cup maker.

just right.

if you don't know how to use it or have anything thing in your experience to compare with it, don't bother to review it!

RECOMMENDED!

I love the coffee I make with Melitta, and have had the CONE for many years. However, I've purchased the system three times to keep replacing the carafe, which seems to shatter with the slightest tunk against any hard surface. Now before you Melitta fans jump all over me, remember I said I love the coffee! Anyway, I finally found a sturdier jug to stand in for the carafe (an old Ovaltine jug, actually) and am very happy with it and with not having to spend the nine bucks over and over...

Guess I'm a little clumsy but if you are too I'd recommend my solution. Enjoy the joe.

i can't believe i didn't discover this item years ago! i could have saved myself so much time and space and money! it makes the best coffee, especially if you just make it once or twice a day, and especially if you have a hot water kettle. ease of cleanup ease of storage. if you're entertaining, just pour the prepared coffee into a thermal carafe. i feel like buying another one just so i have it!

I'm EXTREMELY picky about my coffee...ask anyone who knows me! I stopped using my Bunn coffee maker and switched to this manual drip coffee system. This system paired with a good grade of coffee makes an awesome cup of joe. This pot is a great size for 1-2 people, maybe even more if you use an average size cup. I use a pretty good sized mug. Another bonus - the pot does not leak or drip.