BUNN HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 10.2 x 15.2 inches ; 11 pounds


• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)


• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.


• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.


• ASIN: B00472MMS0


• Item model number: HT
  

By : Bunn
Price : $119.88
You Save : $40.11 (25%)

Product Description

Bunn Phase Brew features Heat ; Release Technology that heats all the water to ideal brewing temperature before releasing it onto the coffee grounds to prevent bitter flavor.

 

BUNN HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer

 

Product Features

• Brews 4 to 8 cups (20 to 40 oz)


• Double wall, vacuum insulated thermal carafe keeps coffee warm for up to 2 hours


• 6-minute heating phase + 4-minute brewing phase = 10 minutes to better coffee


• Programmable auto-start, easy to read LCD display, time-to-clean indicator, and warmer that shuts off after heating phase is complete


• 3-year limited warranty

Customer Reviews

I was excited to see that Bunn had a new brew technique and was in the market to replace my old Mr. Coffee unit. I preordered the Bunn HT and got it on December 30, 2010. Initially, I thought that the Bunn HT made a good cup of coffee and was easy on the eyes, easy for set up, and easy for clean up. However, on January 17, 2011, my coffee maker quit heating water and I did not get my morning coffee which upset everyone in the household! I contacted Bunn and they sent me out a new unit and asked me to ship the broken one back to them. In 2 days, I received the new unit and peace was restored to the family.
Then, on February 1, the same problem occured - no heating of the water I contacted Bunn and told them of my unhappiness and asked if they were experiencing a rash of failures. They said that they had only had a few but for one person to have 2 failures in month is completely unacceptable!
Although I like the unit, I could not recommend this to anyone as long as it continues to go belly-up in such a short amount of time. I could understand one failure, but two? BTW - I use filtered water for the coffee maker so it shouldn't need cleaning in less than 2 weeks.
Not impressed with the reliability and durability of the product.
UPDATE-March 26, 2011
Woke up this morning after a terrible nights rest and pressed the button on my 2nd replacement machine and ............ nothing It indicated that it was heating the water but no heat, no gurgling, no nothing! This is the third failure that I have had with the Bunn HT Brewer and I am at my wits (what's left of them) end. I am struggling to believe that a company like Bunn can't build a reliable machine. Maybe I'll just get a stove top percolator!

Good Design
The design of this brewer was just what I was looking for: 8 cups, insulated carafe, reputable brand, full temperature (200 degrees F) brewing, and no "always-on" heating tank. After a frustrating and rather wasteful one-month break-in period, it's operating as I originally hoped. If it weren't for that problem, I'd give it 5 stars.
Good Support
I bought the Bunn Phase Brew HT despite problems reported by others because, apart from the Technivorm, there's nothing else quite like it, and I had read the Bunn support is very solid. This turned out to be true.
Problem with Odor, Initially
The biggest problem was a nasty plastic smell and taste originating from the plastic tank. This was especially noticeable during the heating cycle. Eventually I ran about 20 pots of water through the thing over about three weeks, including two cleanings with vinegar and even a couple with hot bicarbonate of soda solution. At one point I called Bunn support, which was a reassuring experience. They offered to replace the brewer, no problem, but they said the smell would go away in a couple of weeks. I hung on the the brewer I had, and sure enough, in a few weeks it was making great coffee. Whether it was the passage of time that did the trick or the endless flushes with water, etc., I don't know.
Not Wasteful of Energy
I always liked the Bunn brewers for their solid build, but I didn't want to heat water in a reserve tank all the time, so the Phase Brew seems like a good answer.
Correct Water Temperature
The water temperature coming out of the spray emitter is about 204 degrees F, and the coffee in the pot at about 185 degrees (measured with a Fluke thermal probe). (I pre-warm the pot with hot tap water, but I don't boil it or anything.)
Pot Stays Hot for 2 - 3 Hours
How hot is hot enough depends on who's drinking the coffee, and whether they take cream (I don't). For me, the coffee is pleasingly hot for a couple of hours; hot enough for three hours or so, and a little on the cool side after that, but still drinkable. Realistically, it's empty before then.
The Carafe Doesn't Drip (Much)
The carafe pours nicely until the last half cup or so. Then it takes some practice not to have it drip. I just remove the top and pour the last few ounces out.
Hot Plate Only Stays on for a Short While
Some have said that the hot plate under the pot stays on, but it seems to turn off shortly after brewing. This is good because the pot is insulated and hot plates ruin coffee.
Good Spray Head
I had read that some people had problems with the shower head emitter dribbling rather than distributing evenly in all directions. That's not a problem with mine -- the spray pattern is just right. The shower head is removable for cleaning.
The Clock Works
I haven't had any problem with the electronics, but I don't use the pre-set timer to start the brewing so I can't say anything about that.
Noise isn't a Problem for Me
The boiling water noise during warm up is about average for a drip coffee maker, and a bit louder than normal for the final couple of minutes while the water is dispensed into the coffee, but it doesn't bother me. In fact the change in the rumble serves as a final warning that the pot needs to be in place.
Brewing Time is Fine
Brewing takes about 10 minutes. Unless you stare at the machine the whole time, it's not noticeable. Personally, I pour in the water and hit the start button, then I grind some coffee and pre-heat the pot during the initial heating phase (when no water is coming out), so by the time I'm ready, the remaining brew time is maybe six minutes.
Filters Are Unusual, But Not Hard to Find
Bunn filters are taller than most, because it dumps the water into the coffee quickly, flooding the funnel and wetting the grounds evenly. Short filters might overflow. However, Lowes, Fry's, and others stock them, and a pack of 1000 is only about $11 (plus shipping) from Bunn.
The Coffee is Really Good
With the hotter temperature of the Bunn, I found that using a medium grind produced smoother results than the fine grind I had previously used to get flavor with my aging Braun coffee maker. My expectation that I could save 20% of my rising coffee bill by switching from a 10-cup to an 8-cup brewer hasn't been fulfilled though, because the coffee is so good that I often have to have another half-pot later (but at least it's nice and fresh).

 

BUNN HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer

 

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