I purchased this brewer in December of 2008 and it has worked perfectly every day. Here is the review I wrote on 26 April of 2009 for an older Amazon listing of the same coffee maker:
"I read the reviews about how unreliable this machine was, but I figured that people who are satisfied with their purchases are less likely to write a review than people who have problems. So I took a chance.
My only complaint so far is the difficulty of the start-up procedure. I had to use a baster to force water into the reservoir pump to get it started. I learned this trick from another reviewer on this website. Bunn would do their customers a great service by including a similar tool more suited to the task with each MCP they sell, along with the accompanying instructions. I have used this coffee maker everyday for five months and it has worked perfectly. Yes, it is noisy, but who cares? I finally have a GOOD, HOT cup of coffee in the morning!
While researching coffee makers I went to the Bunn website and discovered a helpful page called "Bunn Coffee Basics" which explained how a good cup of coffee is made. Bunn says that the water temperature during brewing should be between 195 and 205 degrees and that the best flavor comes from the beginning of the brew cycle (brew too cool and too long and you get bitter, acidic coffee). These are two elements of brewing that that drip coffee makers get horribly wrong. Conventional drip brewers never get hot enough, and to make matters worse they take a very long time to brew because they heat their water on the fly. The Bunn MCP pre-heats its water in a stainless steel tank. When I first set-up my MCP I tested the temperature of the water after brewing and it was consistently above 190 degrees (some temperature is lost during the brewing cycle).
I justified the high cost of purchase in two ways:
1. The convenience of brewing at home cannot be overstated. I get my coffee when I want it, the way I want it.
2. Coffee pods cost about 20 to 25 cents each. Starbucks or Dunkin'' Donuts coffee costs a dollar thirty and up, depending on where you live. For me this machine will pay for itself in less than a year."
Nothing has changed about my opinion of this brewer. It makes hot, great tasting coffee fast.
My husband first bought me this pod brewer about 4 or 5 years ago because he had one at his office. After about two years, my machine simply stopped working. It was under warranty so BUNN shipped me a replacement at no cost. The next worked for another year or so, and it also became defective. It started running and wouldn''t stop. I had to unplug it to stop it from running, and then sent it back. They also replaced that one. Now, I have machine #3 in the box ready to send back because it stopped working one morning, would not heat the water or anything. The replacement arrived missing two of the rubber feet off of the bottom so I took them off the one I''m sending back (I was getting desperate for my coffee). I just tried to brew a cup, the water tank is full, and the water droplet light is flashing and the machine will not brew.
How could I have such bad luck with this machine? I only drink one cup of coffee per day, sometimes two.
BUNN has been great with customer service and all the replacements. At this point I have to return a machine and pay $50 for a replacement since there is no longer a warranty. I''m hoping they can give me an entirely different model.
This pod brewer makes a wonderful, strong cup of coffee and I love it. Just so disappointed that they are so repeatedly defective for me. I wonder what some buyers will go through after having their machines for a year or two?????
-UPDATE February 2013 -
Bunn replaced my expensive pod brewer with the $99 single pod brewer (plus pay $50). As of today, February 28, 2013, this $99 pod brewer has STOPPED WORKING. I had a cup of coffee in the morning. One in the afternoon. And now this evening, it won''t do a blessed thing. I am researching pod brewers (NOT K CUPS.....don''t want my coffee coming from a plastic cup) to replace BUNN entirely. I don''t feel like buying a new pod brewer every couple years. MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT!!
Buy Bunn My Cafe Pourover Commercial-Grade Pod Brewer Now
I have had this Bunn commercial grade pod brewer for several months now and must say, it is the best! Yes, it is expensive, but it is priceless. Easy to use, easy to clean, easy to refill...what more could you want? Oh yes, tall travel mugs also fit with no problem. It also accepts larger size pods so you can really get a strong brew if that it what you like and, of course, that is what you like. :) I have had many styles of coffee makers and this is the cadillac of brewers. No it''s sleek, refined and speedy it''s the jaguar of single brew coffee makers. I also like that it takes pods rather than the packaging wasting Keurig cups. Buy it now. You won''t regret it.
***UPDATE APRIL 30, 2012
My wonderful Bunn pod brewer just stopped working after about 18 months of terrific service. Now, the water just runs through as soon as I turn on the power switch. I read that someone else had this problem. Will contact customer service and see what can be done. For now I have changed my 5 star rating to 4 stars.
Read Best Reviews of Bunn My Cafe Pourover Commercial-Grade Pod Brewer Here
I came back to Amazon to order a My Cafe for a friend. I have had mine for about two years now and love it. It couldn''t be easier to use and there has been virtually no need for cleaning. Bunn is great to work with too. I had one of their normal coffee pots that eventually crapped out after what had to have been close to ten years. I mailed it in to get fixed and they just sent me a new unit!
Want Bunn My Cafe Pourover Commercial-Grade Pod Brewer Discount?
This unit in short makes a weak cup of hot coffee. The first time I used it, I was surprised to see how fast it brewed a cup of coffee. I thought, how could it extract all of the flavor if the water is pushed through so fast? Well the answer is: it didn''t. The coffee was hot but weak. I was using a 10 gm French Roast pod, which I''ve used for years now and have always been pleased with it. I ordered 12 gram pods the coffee was a little better but still had a watery flavor. I tried calling the manufacurer (there is no number provided with the manual). I finally found a number off the internet. When I called the number I was disconnected, so I gave up. I sent the unit back. I''m not sure if all the units work this way or if mine was defective. Obviously it wasn''t easy to find out by phone or email (I tried both). I giving this unit 2 stars (it deserves one for quality) because the coffee is very hot, which is good and it is fast.
Save 18% Off
This *should* come with the Handpresso kit. I don''t like that they make you but this expensive add-on to actually obtain good coffee from your portable machine. But, it is the same good quality as the original, and really makes a stronger cup of espresso. A bit expensive, but E.S.E. pods are even more expensive, so it''ss better to get as much flavor as possible from every cup. Highly recommended product, but Handpresso should include this portafilter instead of the one they give you with the machine.
