Coffee Machines..

How so?

If you are truly concerned about the 2 swimming pools of waste they create annually, it really doesn’t take much effort open the foil top, compost the grounds and throw the remaining aluminum into your recycle bin.

This is kind of another topic, but here’s my .02.
You’re right, it’s probably not the end of the world. Neither are disposable cups or plastic bags. But I think fundamentally the idea of separate capsules, while convenient, is wasteful and doesn’t inspire much of a recycling attitude. People buy these machines because they are indolent and desire convenience. I agree it’s not a big deal to recycle them as you describe, but most will find it too much of an inconvenience and they will not bother.

From a convenience point of view, Nespresso machines are way superior than traditional machines. But regardless of my reasoning, until they figure out a way to make the whole thing biodegradable, it’s still pretty great I can choose not to buy one.

A Mr. Coffee from the 80’s is what I use. It only has 1 switch. It makes great coffee. Always grind right before you brew, and make sure you get a model that doesn’t brew too fast otherwise you are just wasting your coffee. Agreed that most of the coffee machines on the market now are shit.

Senseo, use your favorite ground coffee packed tightly into a reusable pod - compost the grounds and you have no waste. A frothy cup of great coffee.

You are right, I veered us off topic.

But as long as we are there, can’t we use your argument to eliminate coffee drinking in its entirety? What about the waste to make a coffee machine that has a limited lifetime of 5-20 years? What about the waste of shipping a commodity across the globe? What about the waste of land to grow a luxury?

Where should a line be drawn?

I have a Keurig 2.0 at home and use a re-usable filter. Not sure it gets any easier than filling the water chamber, filter and hitting the button…

This is still my favourite coffee maker… and possibly one of my favourite things in our kitchen. It’s super easy to use, simple to clean, easy to replace seals every 6 months or so, never fails, doesn’t confuse. I love it! (not quite a coffee machine… but hey!)


We use it every morning, although I did just learn that ours is a 6 cup coffee maker, so I’ve been starting the day with a triple shot… which would explain why Starbucks never seems to live up to freshly ground Stumptown beans!

We just replaced our Bodum Coffee Bean Grinder with a Kitchen Aid one… I wouldn’t recommend it, would have stuck with the Bodum if we hadn’t moved from the UK to the US meaning it wouldn’t work with the new voltage!

I’m sure you’re referring to the KitchenAid Blade Grinder, their (KitchenAid’s) Burr Grinder is solid!

Oh wow, now that is on a completely different level!! I now have new coffee grinder goals!

GDmmit.
Get a Moccamaster, and you will never have to complain about coffee ever again. It won’t even cost $1000, you will have $600 left over to spend on a burr grinder and gourmet roasted beans.
As for the Moka makers…there are certain points of view that suggest having aluminum directly in contact with heat, and then consuming those products, can lead to dementia. There’s no conclusive science on this however.

Here’s my setup! Fantastic coffee for about $100 of equipment. It’s really simple process and doesn’t take up too much counter space.

Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder
4 controls:
Grind size dial (twist clear hopper)
Grind duration dial
Start grind button
On/off switch to stop grinding whenever you want

Bodum Brazil French Press
The carafe is glass and the handle/base part is plastic so you can put in water and put it in the microwave or heat the water how ever you want.

Once you get the water and coffee amounts dialed in to your preference, it’s a two button press process and is easy to clean!

Damn, that escalated quickly…

I have been listening to the hand-wringing of industrial designers for 30 years.

The “moral dilemma” of making stuff.

Yet in that 30 years not a single designer has defined sustainable or waste in a credible way. Should I enjoy a Nespresso or should I live like the average Bangladeshy? I’m happy to listen to evidence, but all I get is unsubstantiated platitudes.

Apparently adding milk to your coffee is worse than making a Nespresso.

If you go down the road of calculating our your CO2 footprint + hazardous materials + landfill, you will not be able to make even the simplest decision. Sadly we need an organization with a global view of pollution to apply good decisions.

I dislike the concept of capsules. It makes a lot of sense for companies to push the gillette model of disposable proprietry consumables, and some of these capsules taste good, but i just plain refuse to give in…
I have a stovetop bialetti for emergencies but otherwise I use a La Pavoni and a Gaggia grinder. It’s not for everyone but i find the ritual a bit zen-like.
The OP complained about too many functions and dials…well these guys are minimalist industrial machines, put the coffee in bring down the lever, although there is some learning to do with technique if you want top notch coffee.Also you can service them yourself and they are built like a tank.
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@ono, noob question, what part of the La Pavoni uses electricity? Is it heating the water someplace, and then forcing it through the grounds mechanically?

That’s right. You can also send the steam through a wand to froth milk.

The La Pavoni is my new favorite coffee maker. Except for the on-off button it is pure 20th century art. We recently bought a Delonghi espresso machine for an aunt for about the same price which gives great coffee but it took us about an hour to figure out the machine.

This is a very cool topic. I am thrilled to see that coffee machines will be entered in the year 2030. My favorite coffee machine is this one:


Before I had the Nespresso. This one is the best I have ever had. It has enough pressure and I can change the coffee.

I use the Aeropress and I love it. Its not a machine but its simple and makes a coffee that is right between a regular cup and an espresso. It’s super easy to clean, and doesn’t take up much counter top space. (I live in a small apartment.)