Coffee & Espresso Makers Tips

Salton MEMB1B 10-Cup Coffee Maker Product Technical DetailsMEMB1B Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerBuilt-in Water FilterW...

Crunchy coffee! Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker Melitta MEMB1B Mill & Brew 10-CupCoffee Maker works well and is easy to clean but it does have some problems. You ...

We drink a lot of coffee in this house–me, my husband, and even my five kids love their coffee-milk in the morning. Needless to say we go through a coffee machine once every 2 years or so. My Delonghi was much loved until it expired on its 2-year anniversary, so the same day on a whim I purchased the Melitta Grind and Brew from Target.

Buying on a whim isn’t my style. If I had come here first I probably wouldn’t have purchased this machine because of the many valid points posted regarding its drawbacks. But then I would have missed out on the lovely luxury of waking to freshly ground and brewed coffee each morning. Rather than rehashing all the pros and cons, what I would like to do is mention some of the accommodations I’ve made to deal with the quirks of the Grind and Brew:

~The directions state not to use more than 8 scoops of coffee at a time in the grinder. I use 10 nicely rounded scoops with (so far) no ill effects. Grinding at setting #2 (NEVER higher as setting #1 goes for about 20 seconds) ensures a decent grind without bitterness.

~Parts are flimsy and prone to breakage. Mostly I hand wash the parts, but will occasionally run them through the dishwasher to wash away all the oils left behind by the gentler hand-wash detergent. But under no circumstances do I allow them to sit under the heat dry. There is a tiny white plastic piece that must be in place for the coffee to brew. If it breaks, that’s $50 down the tube.

~Although it’s always preferable to begin with cold water, the Melitta Grind and Brew isn’t powerful enough to heat my refrigerated, filtered water to the proper temperature to brew a decent cup of coffee. I fill the pot to the 9-cup mark and then microwave the whole thing for 2 minutes until it’s slightly warmer than room temperature. It seems to give the machine a kick-start and helps it turn out a better cup of coffee. Still in all, the resulting cup is on the cooler side of perfect for my taste, so I still still my first cup in the microwave for about 15 seconds before adding cream. The upside, however, is that the coffee almost never has that over-heated taste from the warmer.

~Use Trader Joe’s coffee, filtered water, and clean often. The coffee is *wonderful* when done right.

Melitta Mill & Brew not for less than 2 cups of coffee Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker The coffee is great, especially when it prepares itself! However, it works best when making more than 2 cups of co...

Does it get any better than this! Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker My mom bought me this coffee maker for Christmas. I love it! An inexpensive model that not only makes your coffe...

This is a great coffeemaker! Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker Overall, this is a great coffee maker. We got the Melitta Mill and Brew after we had leaking problems with a chea...

Best Coffee Maker Ever! User Friendly Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker This coffee maker is the best coffee maker i've ever used! It is easy to use and makes wonderful coffee in a shor...

Perfect Coffee but only Lasted 4 Months Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker BEWARE of durability and poor customer service. I was in coffee heaven the first 4 months of use. It was much...

Good design, poor execution Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker I have to agree with maltipoo -- while I love this coffee maker in general I too have had problems with the lid la...

Best coffee in the world!! Salton MEMB1B 10 Cup Coffee Maker

Right Idea, Wrong Machine: Get a Senseo Salton MES2 1 Cup Coffee Maker