Coffee Filter Machines

[Ian Malpass]

Ovid wrote:

> I'm curious to know if any of those damned things work.  Bought one for
> a friend as a gift and steam constantly filled the grinder area,
> ruining the beans and gumming up the grinder (and blade grinders are
> crap, anyway.  You need a proper burr grinder for decent coffee, but I
> digress).
> 
> I've heard this is a common problem with built-in grinders.  Anyone
> know of anything to the contrary?  I needs me a coffee-pot, too. 
> Cafetierres (or however the hell you spell them) suck.

We have one in our office. (I don't drink coffee, but my boss is 
considering installing an IV drip in his arm for it.) It seems to spend 
a lot of time in bits on the bench, drying out. Quite apart from steam 
gumming up the works, it is apparently difficult to get the water into 
the reservoir without splashing onto the grinding area. Plus, it's 
damned noisy when it's grinding - so it'd be no good if your kitchen 
area doesn't have a door.

Anyway, the old coffee machine is still in service, and the new one just 
gets used when it's clean and someone wants fresh-ground, rather than 
the pre-packaged stuff.

Ian, who is scared to try drinking coffee, since it'll end up being an 
expensive obsession.