Mastering the Coffee Maker: Part I
At first glance, the Paragraph coffee maker looks like any standard commercial drip machine, like one you might find in a small office or a rural mini-mart on a tight budget. And that's what it is—a commercial-grade automatic drip BUNN coffee maker, made to brew multiple pots of coffee around the clock every day of the year. If you attempt to make a pot of coffee, however, you will find that it's not as simple as it looks. And if you've been a Paragraph member long enough to remember the Mr. Coffee machine that predated the BUNN, you might find yourself longing for that old machine while you brew a pot of coffee that's sure to be too weak, too strong, or all over the floor if you've failed to put the decanter in the ready position before you've pressed start.
It's not that we're not supporters of our BUNN coffee maker. We think the BUNN A10A is a much better machine than its predecessor, built to endure the caffeine needs of hundreds of writers on a weekly basis in a much more sanitary way. The old machine was built for the home, one pot a day, maybe two on holidays. We only meant it to be used for our first few weeks in business while we handled more important matters, like getting the credit card machine online, but it stayed. Writers fell in love with it for its simplicity, and it grew dirtier, but still it worked. Its plastic-innards grew black but the Mr. Coffee chugged on, and it was cherished and loved. And then its innards grew diseased, stained beyond scrubbing, and we decided it was time to move on. We brought in the BUNN.
We don't want to give the impression that the BUNN's not simple. It's just not as simple as the old machine. And we've discovered that working writers, especially those on deadline, are not the most eager adapters of complicated coffee equipment. Therefore, in addition to the instructions taped to the cabinet door above the coffee maker, we've decided to provide this detailed insider instruction manual, which may seem like a lot to go through to make coffee at Paragraph, but a mastery of the coffee machine is an enviable asset for any Paragraph writer, and after all, the coffee's free.
PART I: Understanding the Machine
The first step to loving the BUNN is understanding it. Ask: where does the hot water come from and how does it work so fast? Unlike your standard automatic drip, the BUNN keeps a reservoir of hot water and does not need to waste time heating up. It's always at the perfect temperature ready to brew a fresh pot of coffee the instant you feel sleepy or detest the last sentence you wrote, leagues faster than your standard drip machine. If you're new to the machine, you may have found this out the hard way, used the decanter to fill the machine with water and brewed the coffee all over your shoes. Never again!
Because it's ready to brew the moment you pour water into it, never use the decanter to pour water into the top of the machine. Always use the plastic pitcher. The BUNN A-10A comes with a plastic pitcher so you can pour measured water into the machine with the decanter in place and never brew coffee on your shoes. This also means you'll have to be able to think in ounces. And always know where to find the plastic pitcher.
We'll help you think in ounces:
- Half a plastic pitcher = 24 ounces = half a pot of coffee.
- Full plastic pitcher = 48 ounces = full pot of coffee.
For more advanced users, who've moved on to bean grinding:
- Half a plastic pitcher = 20 ground cups of beans.
- Full plastic pitcher = 40 ground cups of beans.
Part Ia: The Switches
The second part of understanding the machine is coming to know all the buttons and switches on the front of it, many of which don't work or are useless and one that's very important.
ON/OFF Switch
Very useful. In the ON position, it will glow red, brew coffee, and keep the coffee hot (warming plate on). In the OFF position, the coffee will be allowed to get cold, and the empty decanter will not burn. Some people have claimed that the machine will not brew with the switch in the OFF position, thus allowing you to pour with the traditional decanter and forego the plastic pitcher. We are not willing to take the risk or the potential mess.
When brewing with fresh pots of coffee, keep the coffee maker turned ON. When the pot is old or empty, turn the switch to OFF.
Half/Full Switch
Feel free to ignore. The machine will brew the amount of coffee you've poured in, regardless of this switch's position. This switch only works if the coffee machine is hooked up to the plumbing (and then you wouldn't have to use the plastic pitcher or pour water into it).
Start Switch
We just don't know. Most likely something to do with using it when hooked up to the plumbing. Feel free to press at will.
If you've got the plastic pitcher and buttons on the face of the machine down, you might also encounter a problem in measuring the grounds. But we'll discuss that in our next lesson. You're on your way to the perfect pot!
Posted at 1:59 PM | Comments (2)
Posted by Jan
Feb 6, 2007
Feb 6, 2007
I have never been so entertained while learning to use my Bunn Coffee Maker. Could you folks write all the instruction booklets in the world??? Now I need to know what the process is when I'm going to use the Bunn Coffee Maker I purchased a while ago and can't find the old instruction booklet!!!! Any words of wisdom other than why on earth did you stop using it in the first place? Long story.
Posted by dertyhiyu
May 7, 2007
very smart =)
