Making Coffee in a $20 Mr. Coffee Drip Brewer
One of the questions I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is how much it costs to brew a good cup of coffee. Many who are not members of the specialty coffee nerd club (which I’m a member of) look in from the outside and are baffled that we won’t think twice about spending $165 on a gooseneck water kettle, $150 on a Bluetooth scale, $350 on a coffee grinder, and so on. Is all of that really necessary?
Taking it a step further, can I brew a good cup of coffee on a $20 Mr. Coffee drip brewer?
Nearly everyone I know who’s not a card-carrying member of the specialty coffee nerd club brews coffee at home on such a machine. Sure, it might cost $40 instead because of a larger pot and more features like a timer. These inexpensive drip brewers are ubiquitous in homes everywhere.
So, why am I testing out a Mr. Coffee?
Several months ago, I stayed at an Airbnb while attending a conference. Since space was limited in my small carry-on bag, I didn’t pack any of the usual coffee accessories I take when I travel. I planned on picking up a bag of coffee when I got there and using whatever brewing devices were at the Airbnb.
The good news is there was a drip brewer there. The bad news is it was used repeatedly with really bad coffee. It had this nasty low-budget burnt coffee taste. I spent time attempting to clean out the machine and running water through it over and over again. I got a bag of pre-ground coffee from a local roaster and was set.
Each morning, I’d experiment with the drip brewer, adjusting my ratios to brew a good cup of coffee. Towards the end, I did succeed to the best of my ability, even though the residual foul taste from the machine lingered in each cup. That’s when I had an epiphany. Why don’t I start with a clean slate? Get a new machine that hasn’t been “ruined” by bad coffee.
That’s when I began looking online on Amazon. Sure enough, I located the brand I was looking for, Mr. Coffee. I had a Mr. Coffee about ten years ago that I picked up for $10 on the sale shelf at our local pharmacy (yeah, of all places to buy a coffee brewer!). This Mr. Coffee did set me back a whopping $24.99. This was dirt cheap compared to all of the coffee accessories I have at home.
I’ve spent the last month brewing cup after cup of coffee using Mr. Coffee. At times, I’d switch between brewing pourovers on a Kalita Wave and comparing the two methods. The result? I couldn’t tell the difference. Both ways brewed a great cup of coffee. Simple as that.
My intent for this review was not to get overly scientific. You know, checking the exact water temp or extraction. I wanted to brew it without the fuss like everyone else who buys this. When dialed in again, it brews a great cup of coffee.
Now, since I’m a specialty coffee nerd club member, I did things most people using a Mr. Coffee probably don’t do. I weighed my beans, experimented with different grind sizes, weighed my water, and switched between different brew ratios (1:16, 1:15, etc.). I only used light roast coffees that I’d grind* right before brewing. Factoring all of these various elements in, this is why you can brew a great cup of coffee on a Mr. Coffee.
(*Note for this review and photos: I’m using an inexpensive Bodum grinder that I will also review later.)
While the showerhead on the drip brewer isn’t spectacular, it does the job. Most everything is plastic except some of the internals and the glass carafe). In truth, though, it brews coffee the same way I do with pourovers. I even timed it, brewing with 225g of water. It finished brewing right under two minutes.
I love the simplicity of the Mr. Coffee. Add coffee and water, and then flip the switch on. Boom. That’s it. Sure, I have qualms about the machine. Really only one. I’m not too fond of the hot plate that keeps the coffee hot after brewing. I don’t need it since I only brew one cup at a time. The machine also doesn’t shut off automatically, so I need to be attentive to shutting it off after brewing.
When I’m done, I dump the ground coffee out of the basket and run water through it again. I want to keep it as clean as possible.
How do I feel about brewing coffee in a Mr. Coffee? I like it. It’s simple. I like simplicity. Being attentive to details like brew ratios and grind size, you can brew a GREAT cup of coffee with it. I say this all while sipping on coffee brewed this morning on Mr. Coffee.
Why else do I like it? It’s accessible and affordable to anyone and everyone. That is significant. The barrier to entry is low. Even if one were to get a scale and a burr grinder, even low-budget ones work, but that’s a review for another day.
If you want to pick up Mr. Coffee, click the button below. It’s fun to have at home. Also, if you’re traveling and brewing coffee in a van, while this won’t get you any coolness accolades from friends, it’ll serve you well.