Bodum carafes do break, no doubt about that. But, plastic cracks, is unstable and shortlived. Stainless obscures the contents from view - & leaves a metalic taste to the brew as well.
We use a heavy quilted sock for storing the Bodum in when not in use - 8 years and still no breaks.
__________________ True Blue . . .
sold the Nauticat
Val,
I want to offer you and the other an alternative that I just discovered. Its called cold brewed coffee, and basically its just that. you buy the kit (Toddy is the brand I bought), and pour a pound of rough ground beans in with like 8 or 9 cups of water, and leave it over night. Next morning your unplug the bottom and let the coffee drain into a carafe. It is delicious, and like 40% less acid than hot brewed. Best part: you get 48 oz of concentrated coffee that you can put in the cooler for 2 weeks with no degradation to taste. Just mix it with hot water or microwave. The good hotels are all making this stuff now. Google Toddy and go to the site. I can appreciate the serious nature of our coffee worship!
Jayme is a big coffee drinker... me only on occasion. She uses a Toddy and really likes it a lot. She has a lot of experience with brewing coffee as she was the manager of a (good) coffee shop for several years... not starf*ckers. The coffee lasts a good week in the fridge. I prefer the iced coffee over hot during the summer and it is WAY easier on the stomach because of the lower acid content. Vote Toddy '08!!!!!
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We used a Bodum on our last cruising exped. They are ok. The one we used was glass with SS brackets around it. We never broke it, but were always cautious. The trick is to not pour BOILING water into it. If the water is too hot, it causes the coffee to taste like burnt-truck-stop blend. It also makes the coffee VERY strong. In the end, that is our last choice. Boiling the water takes time and heats up our cabin too much. I am lucky to find my way to the galley, much less have the sense to boil water.
We recently purchased a SS caraffe maker from Mr Coffee. It is a Walmart item - though I imagine lots of people sell them. That is what I would reccomend. The only time it draws power is while it is making the coffee. It automatically goes into a sealed thermos and keeps it quite warm for several hours. THat is the best way for a cruiser as it does not need (and does not have) a warming plate and cannot break and can be carried anywhere on the boat and set anywere (including the cockpit which is nice).
The negative of this coffee maker is its size. THis one DOES NOT mount under the cabinet. I would imagine they likely make one to mount under it but I have not seen it and probably would not pay the price for it even if I did. It also is slow to brew the coffee... but compared to boiling water for a bodum, much better.
THose are my thoughts. Hope they help.
- CD
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I too was worried about a glass plunger breaking on my boat. A friend has a very nice plastic vacuum flask plunger, but it is only available on mail order from Germany. I looked and looked around, and waited for many months until I found an Essentials stainless steel plunger. It makes 4 big cups, makes great coffee without leaving any residue taste, and keeps coffee warm for a few hours as it has a double skin. Cost was R350.00, which is about US$50. I will try to take a picture of it and post it later in the week.
We brew a pot using a standard kitchen drip type, make about 8cups, fill our oversized cups, and than put it away until the next morning.
If we are on the hook or at sea, I start the engine to supply some juice from the alternator, and our 2000watt inverter handles it.
I love a fresh brewed cup everymorning, especially at sea.
If its too rough to bring out the coffee maker, we boil water and make tea.
__________________ Courtney is My Hero
If a man is to be obsessed by something, I suppose a boat is as good as anything, perhaps a bit better than most - E.B. White
I agree that Cuisinart makes great coffee machines. We've got the Grind & Brew at home, an all-in-one appliance. Never considered bringing it onboard though . . . seems overly excessive.
__________________ True Blue . . .
sold the Nauticat
I'm tellin you guys, look into the Toddy system. Just pour some coffee into the cup in the morning with hot water and its real, brewed coffee with no set-up, except once a week or so depending on your consumption. real coffee lovers like it! It would solve most of the problems that you are noting in this thread.
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