I second that. I’m using a Bunn thermal carafe. It produces consistent hot water and is always ready. The brewed coffee stays hot for several hours. I bought it over 5 years ago and use only filtered water so no scale build up. Now when it dies I will replace it with a Moccamaster thermal carafe.
I have a Bunn Thermal. It's 15 years old. Same Bunn coffeemaker with a thermos pot so the coffee stays hot and doesn't burn. It makes great coffee consistently and fast.
Also not a snob, and my family has used a Bunn my whole life. I prefer the Bunn with a thermal carafe for daily use. Coffee stays fresh and hot for hours and is acceptable as iced coffee the next day if you don’t finish the pot. Until very recently I used one that was maybe 20 years old and had repaired it two or three times (~$10 kit on eBay). I’m 33 and that was the second Bunn my parents had owned in my lifetime. One day they told me they were getting rid of it because it didn’t work and had already gotten a new one so I took it. It was an easy fix. Eventually some plastic parts broke while I had guests staying over, and I finally bought a new one to solve my lack-of-coffee problem quickly. The new one delivers the same consistent pots as ol’ faithful.
I prefer the insulated because I remember my parents breaking a glass carafe when I was young, and this can survive many dents and still function. The coffee staying the same all day and not getting heated more probably does contribute to the taste too, but I’ve been using it for so long that I couldn’t tell you if the glass carafe heated for an hour actually tastes different.
In your situation, I’d ask for a Bunn 10 cup home coffee brewer. It’s the longest lasting, most reliable, kitchen appliance I’ve ever owned. Nothing beats it. They have fancier models, but the one I mentioned is the one I have-have had for years.
If each of the 20 drinks say, a 12oz portion that's 240oz or 30 cups. So you're looking at 3-4 runs with a 10 cup machine.
Machine: Bunn. There's 10 cup options around $130.
Carafe: Whatever. You can get insulated carafes for like, $20-$30. This will help your production line since you can't fit a commercial Bunn in that budget, keep one of those full + the pot.
Grinder: You can get an OXO for $80-$100, or a Cuisinart for $50.
Cuisinart grinder + Bunn 10 cup + cheapo carafe keeps you in budget and should all work great. Splurge on nicer grinder if you find more coin, Baratza Encore.
Or go even cheaper + showy (though more difficult/more time) and do boilers and pour overs or french press made to order. Spend more on the grinder if you go this route.
Weak-Specific-6599
