BUNN GRB Velocity Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer, Black Review

It is really a simple, straightforward brewer. No bells or whistles, which in my opinion is a good thing. No timer, but since it only takes 3 minutes to brew a full pot, that’s not an issue. Even though it brews so fast, the taste or quality is not lost. The amount of coffee grounds to use is just the same as every other maker I have used. It comes with a small pack of Bunn paper filters, and be sure to only use Bunn filters. 2 reasons: one is that the basket is deeper so it helps avoid a mess, and the other is that they are a bit thicker which allows the coffee grounds to be aborbed better with it brewing so fast.

The build of the machine is good quality. Plastic but seems pretty tough. The warming plate keeps it at just the right temperature and doesn’t scorch the coffee or let it get too cool. Having a cup 3 hours after brewing tastes just as good as having one right after the brew is complete. It is a bit bulky in depth – it sticks out a ways. It is narrow though, so it can be tucked away in a kitchen corner easily.

Couldn’t recommend this enough. Stop throwing money away at those decorative little pieces of junk and get something that will do what it’s intended to – – make good coffee!

Pros: Fast, quiet, and user friendly. Love the fact that it fills from the front. The decanter is truly non-drip.

NOT a negative for us: Yes, as some have mentioned this coffee maker does require Bunn (slightly larger) filters, but that is no big deal to my way of thinking. We are coffee lovers and spend a few extra bucks for better coffee anyway, and the filters are available almost everywhere. If economy is what’s important, than one should be looking at the ubiquitous “Mister” brand $15 coffee pot anyway, right?

Cons: I should have taken more seriously what some other reviewers when they say “your whole house will smell like hot plastic for a few days”! Had I realized just how strong the smell is, I would have set up the Bunn in our garage and used it there for the first several days! Thankfully the smell has now subsided.

The only other shortcoming that we’ve encountered so far is that brewing (only) 6 cups of decaf coffee almost overflowed the filter; I’m sure had we brewed more cups at one time it would have overflowed. Looking in the troubleshooting guide, Bunn states that if you use decaf coffee OR have soft water, you will need a special restrictor-type spray head. Well guess what – we also have a water softener!
We contacted Bunn and they cheerfully and quickly sent 2 restrictor heads at no charge. I’m guessing that the reason they supplied 2 heads is that with smaller holes, it will become plugged-up more quickly; we’ll see.
It’s simple to change-out the head, just unscrew it with your fingers and screw the new one back in. And it did solve the problem at least for brewing 6 cups, as we haven’t tried a full pot yet. However, it does slow-down the brewing process, taking about 5 1/2 minutes vs. 3. That in itself is no big deal since that’s still fairly quick. But it does partially negate Bunn’s premise on why a Bunn makes such good coffee – that the pre-heated water flows quickly through the filtered coffee grounds so as not to remain in the filter basket long enough for the grounds to make the coffee bitter. Seems to me that since the restricted spray head slows down the brewing process, water now stays in the grounds a little longer now. And although our coffee still tastes good, it was slightly better with the original spray head.

Sidenote: Bunn should make the restrictor spray head available as an optional component when ordering the coffee maker, depending on one’s intended use of decaf and/or softened water. But if you feel that you will need it, I suggest that calling Bunn and requesting the restrictor head immediately after ordering the coffee maker; they required no proof of purchase and no product date code, only the model number “GRB”. Phone 800-352-BUNN

In summary, if this coffee maker lasts a few years we’ll be very happy. And if it doesn’t, we may buy another one anyway :>)