Best Bunn Coffee Makers in 2023 [UPDATED]
There are dozens of coffee options on the market with most of them veering towards the trending single-serve market. It’s likely a lasting trend thanks to the variety of perks, but there’s plenty to be said for a full pot of the good stuff, which is what Bunn-O-Matic, the corporation behind Bunn coffee makers, specializes in.
It’s likely that you recognize the Bunn name, but can’t figure out why you associate it with coffee. Let me jog your memory.
Memory sufficiently jogged? This old school coffee setup was once prominently featured in every office in the United States and Canada.
Bunn is known for that industrial, tough, get-stuff-done kind of look that’ll power the whole office.
But what you may not know is that they also make smaller versions that are a bit more style-friendly and don’t serve a small army.
Best Bunn Coffee Makers for Single-Family Homes
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Best Commercial Bunn Coffee Machines
Best Bunn Coffee Makers for Home Use
Who doesn’t want to bring that tough, hard-working mindset into their kitchen?
Starting with the smallest of the Bunn family, the Bunn MCU Single-Cup Multi-Use Home Coffee Brewer is our pick for the best single-serve Bunn Coffee Maker.
Yes, Bunn has a single single-serve machine and it brings the simplicity of the industrial model down to a scalable level. Bunn’s “My Cafe” MCU Coffee Maker features exactly two buttons and makes anywhere between 4 to 14 oz. of java with each go. Fill the water dispenser to the desired level and hit the brew button. You can utilize the pulse button to affect the brew cycle for optimal extraction.
The Bunn My Cafe can handle K-cups, soft pods, and ground coffee, so you can brew whatever works for you. There’s even a cup drawer so you can store your coffee or choice! Speak of having coffee handy, the My Cafe can brew you a cuppa in less than a minute, thanks to the internal hot water tank that perpetually keeps the water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, falling dead-center in the perfect brew range.
If you’re looking for something a bit more environmentally friendly than a pod machine or capable of serving more than one cup at a time, the Bunn GRB Velocity Brew is more up your ally. Able to serve between 4 to 10 cups brew within 3 minutes, it’s great for a full house of coffee lovers.
One of the primary reasons you can get your java so fast is because the tank on the Velocity Brew, much like the tank on the My Cafe, is constantly heated to that ideal brewing temperature, 200 degrees Fahrenheit. That being said, there’s minimal brew control on this machine. It’s a 1-button, press-and-go sort of coffee maker, and its design is largely reminiscent of their industrial models, exuding that no-nonsense vibe.
If the Velocity Brew has all of the features you need but the commercial-esque design was grating against your aesthetics, the Speed Brew Elite Coffee Maker is the Velocity Brew with a substantial facelift.
Gone is the dated stainless steel with the black color scheme, the oversize top, and that super industrial (somewhat garish) red flip button. The Speed Brew Elite eschewed all of that in favor of an all-black ensemble, a slightly less high polish on the logo, and dropped some of that weight down to the bottom for a more aesthetically pleasing machine.
The pros and cons of this model are the same, except for one addition to the Pro side: this option is a beaut.
If you’re a person who likes to savor your java, who likes to slowly sip throughout the morning, the Velocity Brew with the Thermal Carafe should probably reach your list of contenders. Similar to the previous Velocity Brew and Speed Brew, it can make you up to 50 oz. of the good stuff in under 3 minutes— which is great. You can get in your first sips right away.
What can be rough for slow coffee drinkers is the last two cups in a pot—cold as the Antarctica Peninsula. This version of the Velocity Brew comes with a double-wall, vacuum insulated carafe that guarantees hotness for 2 hours! There’s no warmer on this model, but it really doesn’t need it.
While the carafe is the primary addition to this model, the focal point really, it does have a different design than the aforementioned Velocity Brew. This model leans hard into the commercial aesthetic and, from the side, looks like two stainless steel cylinders. The water reservoir, like the carafe, is stainless steel and features an internal thermometer.
If you’re liking what the Thermal Carafe on the previous Bunn is offering but, again, you’re not digging the found-the-parts-at-an-old-construction-site aesthetic, the Speed Brew model offers a sleeker version with that same double-walled, vacuum insulated carafe.
Edgier, a little futuristic, the Speed Brew Platinum definitely has more going on in the looks department. It also comes with a 3-year warranty, automatically making it a better option.
If you were just about to give up on getting a programmable Bunn model, you’ll be glad you decided to read on just a little longer. The Bunn HB Heat N Brew Programmable Coffee Maker features arguably the most unique design of them all.
The water reservoir is entirely on top of the machine but the same ol’ multi-stream sprayed is used to ensure the water is distributed evenly. The carafe is shatter resistant and sports the same drip-free design as it’s other Bunn siblings.
Best Commercial Bunn Coffee Machines
Bunn’s known for its bulk-producing coffee machines. Millions of companies host these machines in kitchens across the nation (and beyond) and there’s a good reason why: they’re known to be reliable and no-nonsense.
This 12-cup pour over commercial coffee brewer has two burners, one on top and one on the bottom, making it ideal for small businesses in need of some caffeine. It doesn’t require any plumbing, either, so it’s a simple addition to any space. Fill the basket with your favorite grounds and add water—it brews automatically! It’s as easy as that.
When you need another pot to keep thirsty caffeine junkies happy, the 3-burner Bunn model is what you’ll want to consider. Primarily marketed towards cafes and diners, the 3-burner pour over has the identical capability to the previous model, just with an extra burner.
At this point, it is questionable whether opting for one that doesn’t require plumbing is worth it — the 2- and 3-burner models can both make 3.8 gallons of coffee per hour. That’s a lot of water pouring. The model that involved plumbing makes a significant leap in price, but for the ease… it may be worth it. I’m lazy, though, so I’d dole out the extra dollars for this Bunn beaut.
If you’re looking for the top Bunn in the family, the Bunn Axiom takes the cake in a number of ways. On top of the Splashguard on the funnel, the three burners, and the same reliable name, the Axiom also boasts a hot water faucet, cold brew lock out, and BrewLogic, which calculates flow rate and adjusts brew time to create three consistent pots of coffee all the livelong day.
How to Choose a Bunn Coffee Maker
Bunn isn’t the right coffee maker for everyone. In fact, if you’re finicky about your coffee or like to have total control over the brewing process, Bunn probably isn’t going to be the best option to satisfy your java needs. You’ll likely be more interested in Pour Over options or French Presses. If you want a machine, a Keurig will offer more individual control.
On the other hand, if you’d like a solid cup of coffee with minimal effort, a Bunn coffeemaker is definitely worth looking into. Single-serve machines are ideal for those who really savor the flavor of their brew— coffee begins to stale within five minutes of brewing, losing the individual flavor notes, so if you buy nice bags of whole bean coffee, the single-cup is worth considering.
If you like brewing full pots to share (or sip throughout the morning), any of the models are well equipped to accomplish the task. You’ll primarily want to consider aesthetics when choosing the right one for your kitchen.
The Speed Brew and the Heat n’ Brew should be top contenders. The Speed Brew is stylish while still producing a pot of the good stuff in record-breaking time, while the Heat n’ Brew is the most programmable machine in the Bunn lineup, allowing you to auto-start your pot every morning.
When it comes to the commercial models, amount of use, and desire for ease will primarily fuel your decision. For instance, if refilling water into your machine multiple times a day makes you cringe dramatically, the only one you’ll want to look at seriously is the Axiom.
Advantages of Using Bunn Coffee Makers
With more than 60 years under their belt, Bunn-O-Matic began making a pour-over drip coffee brewer and a coffee filter. Now, they specialize in bulk producing good cups of joe to keep entire offices awake through the daily grind.
Bunn machines are known to be easy to use and reliable, the biggest draws of this brand. Fuss-free and good at what they do, the at-home models are good for a no-nonsense cuppa and the commercial models can caffeinate the entire team.
Bunn Coffee Maker Troubleshooting
A malfunctioning coffee machine can wreck the entire day. Let’s talk about some problems and solutions for any issues.
(Click the [ + ] to expand.)
Coffee doesn't come out or is dripping too slowly.
The likely culprit is going to be the spray head. All Bunn machines use a special spray head to evenly distribute water over the grounds. Take a look and make sure nothing is clogging it up.
The funnel keeps overflowing.
The problem may be that you’re drinking decaf or your grind is too fine. If it’s that you’re brewing decaf, Bunn actually sells a special restrictive-flow spray head to prevent overflowing. If the grind is too fine, you can either choose a medium grind coffee or use the same restrictive-flow spray head to solve the issue. A similar problem can occur if you’re using soft water.
My coffee tastes sour. Why?
It’s likey lime buildup. It’s a nasty little bugger and every coffee machine can suffer from it. Cleaning it out is the only way to eradicate the issue—pay particularly close attention to the spray head on the Bunn. Clean the machine with vinegar and water following the manufacturer’s instructions and your coffee should be back to its normal delicious self!
Conclusion
Bunn has been a name in coffee for more than 60 years, and it’s still one of the most popular in machines for small-to-midsize offices. It’s hard to beat its commercial models when it comes to quantity, speed, and reliability and now they’ve branched out to offer at-home options featuring that same trifecta.
Whether you’re looking for a new machine to grace your kitchen counter at home, the break room at the office, or the coffee bar at your cafe or hotel, Bunn has a machine for that!