How Does a Bunn Coffee Maker Work: Effective Tips & Guide
When it comes to making coffee, you want the best, most efficient coffee machine available. If you are looking for a quality option, the Bunn products are a popular option. However, how does a Bunn coffee maker work?
Bunn helps make your morning coffee routine easily with its automatic brewing. In just a few simple steps, you will have a delicious cup of freshly brewed coffee.
So How Does a Bunn Coffee Maker Work? Read On!
Each coffee maker is unique, and you need to know how to handle them to produce the most decadent cup of coffee. Whether you already own a Bunn machine or are considering buying one, let us help you master how to use the device with crucial steps and tips.
About the Bunn Brand
Bunn is short for the Bunn-O-Matic Corporation, which has been in business since 1957. For over 60 years, they have been manufacturing beverage dispensing equipment.
Its founder, George R. Bunn Jr., invented standard coffee brewing products, like the pour-over drip coffee process and the coffee filter with a flat bottom. As innovators in the coffee world, they continued to produce quality products. In 1972, they created the first drip brewer for at-home use.
Based in Springfield, Illinois, this American company continues to be an industry leader and a favorite brand among coffee drinkers. While their most popular products are the drip brewers, they also have a coffee pod system available.
Types of Bunn Coffee Makers
Bunn has a whole line of Speed and Velocity Brew coffee makers, which, as the name implies, gets you your coffee fast. You can find them on Amazon by clicking here (Speed Brew / Velocity Brew).
There are several different models available, from a 10-cup brewer to a single-cup machine. Bunn also offers a coffee machine with a thermal carafe instead of a regular glass container, which helps keep your coffee warm for longer.
They also have commercial options for restaurants called pour-over brewers. However, since most homes don’t need a professional-grade coffee maker, we will look at how the regular single or multiple-cup Bunn coffee maker works.
How to Use Bunn Coffee Maker
In general, the Bunn coffee makers are straightforward to use and make coffee quickly. If you follow these steps, you will brew delicious coffee.
- First, fill up the water reservoir with cold water.
- Plug in the machine and let the water heat up for about 15 minutes. You want the water to reach a boiling point, so the actual brewing process is faster.
- Once the water is heated, pour the desired amount of ground coffee into the filter. Ensure that you evenly spread the coffee, so no grounds stick to the brew basket.
- Turn on the brewing switch, and your coffee will be ready in about three minutes.
- Remove the carafe from the heating element and enjoy your coffee!
How to Clean Your Bunn Coffee Maker
If you want your Bunn coffee maker to make delicious coffee consistently, you need to keep it clean. While this may seem obvious, it is essential to clean the carafe, spray head, and other machine parts.
There are several ways to deep clean your Bunn coffee maker, so let’s look at all of our options!
Cleaning the Parts
Since the carafe of the Bunn coffeemaker is the most visible part and where the brewed coffee sits, it often receives more cleaning than the other internal areas of the machine. Nevertheless, after several uses, you may start to notice a strange taste in your coffee if you haven’t cleaned the filter basket and spray head.
Every part of the machine works together to make your coffee, so you need to clean them at least every two weeks, if not every day.
You can wash some parts, like the filter and decanter, in the top rack of your dishwasher. Hand washing them, along with the spray head, is also completely fine.
Don’t forget about the areas that you can’t physically remove from the machine, like the warmer plate and lids. Wipe them down with a cloth and make sure to let them air dry, so mold doesn’t grow on the machine.
Thermal Carafe
The thermal Bunn carafes are a bit harder to clean than their glass counterparts because the stains and buildup aren’t as visible. However, the process is still relatively simple.
First, take apart the lid and center valve and wash them with soap and water. To deep-clean the carafe put a new paper filter with detergent into the brew funnel. Start the brewing process with cold water, clean out the funnel with water, and let the thermal carafe sit.
Then, take a scrub brush and clean the inside of the thermal decanter to remove any coffee buildup. Finish up the process by rinsing everything thoroughly.
Limescale
We already talked briefly about how to clean the spray head. If you wash it regularly (once every month or two weeks), you can avoid any mildew and limescale buildup as well as clogs.
However, since the spray head is not as visible as the carafe, we often forget about it until unwanted buildup falls into your coffee brew.
If you’ve noticed that you already have limescale on the spray head, unscrew it from the brewing and start taking out any clumps blocking the holes. Your machine probably came with a cleaning probe, so if you still have that in your kitchen, you can use it to help clean the spray head. If not, a toothpick should do the trick.
Once you have cleared away any buildup, wash the spray head and rinse it with water.
Soap and Water
The easiest way to clean your Bunn coffee maker’s carafe is to wash it with soap and water after every use. Try not to let the coffee sit so long that rings form around the decanter.
Vinegar
If you see a ring develop, one easy solution is to soak the carafe in vinegar for a few hours.
Another way to use vinegar to clean your machine is to fill the water reservoir with 50% hot water and 50% vinegar and start the brewing cycle.
Leave the coffee pot solution for a few minutes, then do another two brewing processes with only cold water.
Lemon Juice
If you have limescale or hard water spots, let one-half cup of lemon juice and one-half cup of water sit in the reservoir. After a few minutes, start the brewing cycle.
This process will leave your machine looking incredible and smelling great. Rinse everything before doing a cycle with coffee.
Baking Soda
Another handy mixture is one cup of water and one-fourth cup of baking soda. Just like the other cleaning methods, run a full cycle with this mixture.
The grainy feel of the baking soda will help remove any stubborn stains or particles in the machine.
Related Questions
Understanding your coffee machine takes some time, and you may have some more questions about the process. We have answered two common questions below to help you learn more about your Bunn machine.
What Some Tips to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee with a Bunn Machine?
All coffee machines are unique, and the Bunn machines are no exception! Here are some great tips to give you the best experience with your coffee maker.
- You do not need to leave the coffee maker Bunn plugged in 24/7, but it is a good idea to leave it on throughout the day. Since it takes about 15 minutes for the water to heat up, once you unplug the machine, the water cools down, and you have to restart the process. Therefore, if you might want a quick cup of coffee during the day, leave your machine plugged in for that time.
- Make sure to put enough water in the machine. You will usually need to put in a full decanter of water, and even then, it might not be enough. To check to see if the reservoir is full, close the lid and see if a bit of water flows into the container.
What Are the Pros and Cons of a Bunn Coffee Maker?
Bunn coffee makers are a favorite among coffee lovers for a good reason.
While other coffee makers have parts that fall apart quickly, Bunn coffee makers are durable and long-lasting. Plus, they have simple controls so you can easily make your coffee in just a few minutes every morning. There are no complicated options and controls that make strange-tasting cups of coffee.
With their line of velocity coffee makers Bunn, you can make a quality cup of coffee in no time. Fill up a pot for your friends and family or make a single cup just for you. Either way, the process is quick and straightforward.
Another pro is the cleaning process that we already reviewed. Other coffee makers don’t have any removable parts, but you can take apart the Bunn products and ensure everything is sparkly clean.
As an added plus, each machine comes with a thorough manual to walk you through any troubleshooting. Bunn also has a 24/7 customer service line to assist you with any problems.
Of course, no product is perfect. One potential downside is that the machine may leak water in the decanter when not in use.
