Great value.....Makes an EXCELLENT Brew........If you make a QUICK and EASY modification.....
Written: Jun 07 '05
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Cool looks, great coffee, consistent results, fun to watch it do its thing!
Cons: Took a little work and research to work the flaw out of the design.
The Bottom Line: Cool looks, great cup of coffee, easy setup, consistent results, and fun to watch it do its thing!
EASY to fix if you can use a hacksaw! :o)
|
|
|
| oregonjavaman's Full Review: Starbucks Barista Utopia |
I bought my machine ( Starbucks Utopia, 10-12 cup model ) on a whim because they were clearing them out. I initially found the same issues with it as others had posted on this site. So I put in away for a couple of years, using it only as a back-up. I pulled it out one day recently because I had run out of filters for my Chemex coffee maker. It was still completing the brewing cycle too fast, so I decided to search the web for any helpful info. I discovered that the machine was not performing the proper brew timing from what I read on other reviews. So the engineer in me was peaked for a challenge. I ran the machine through its cycle several times with just water. I timed the cycles and measured the water temperature in the upper chamber with a digital cooking thermometer. I found that not only was the contact time ( hot water up in the upper chamber ) only 1.5 minutes, but it was also only achieving 155-160 degrees F. ( Thus causing a very weak brew ). After reading that someone had improved the performance by slightly tipping the base, I deduced from that information that you were altering the amount of water remaining on the heating element. I tried it that way and it instantly changed the contact time to 4 minutes and the water temp reached 205 degrees F. consistently. The timing control of the unit is obviously achieved by a HIGH temperature switch in the heating element. Armed with that data, I decided to modify my machine to get those results without "tipping" the base. I shortened the down-tube on the upper chamber by 3/16 of an inch, thus effectively raising the remaining water level on the heating element. With this simple modification the coffee maker runs a perfect 4 minute contact @ 205-210 degrees F. in the upper chamber every time. This also completely changed the force at which the coffee was drawn back down by ( Vacuum ), because the lower chamber ( pot ) contains much hotter steam than before, it takes longer to cool. The net result is a VERY SMOOTH and gentle "drop" into the lower chamber, instead of the original powerful "WHOOSH" as the cooler steam collapsed too quickly. This should take away the problem of the "short-lived" filter. You also now only use the NORMAL amount of grounds to get the desired strength of coffee that you like. I personally use 1 Tablespoon per 4oz of water for a good robust brew ( and I like espresso ). All you have to do is cut 3/16 - 1/4 of an inch off of the end of the down-tube in order to fix a manufacturing flaw. A sharp ( CLEAN ) hacksaw works perfectly ( just cut the end SQUARE!!! ) otherwise the stand in the base for the top chamber won't work any longer. The end of the down-tube should be CLOSE to 3/4 of an inch, but NO HIGHER than 3/4 of an inch ABOVE the heating element when the unit is fully assembled. The "FINISHED" length of the down-tube, measured from the bottom face of the rubber seal to the end of the tube, should be 3 5/8 to 3 3/4 inches long ( This length is ONLY for the LARGE capacity model 10-12 cups ) . I don't know if the mini model (5 cup) has the same issue. JUST REMEMBER......The LONGER the length of the down-tube, the SHORTER the brew contact time and the cooler the brewing temperature. The other modification that I made was to help the filter last a lot longer. I bought a replacement stainless-steel French press screen from "Bodum.com" for $2.95 ( the 3 cup model is the perfect size ) 2.5 inch diameter, and installed it on top of the nylon screen ($4.95) by unscrewing the plastic hook and snap assembly and placing it on top and reassembling the pieces. This works great by protecting the nylon from all the force of the coffee grounds pressing on it during the vacuum cycle. I get my machine clean by using a (cheap) foam glassware cleaning wand. It has a 10 inch plastic handle and a foam "mop" head sphere, 3 inches in diameter. I just use a little dish soap and water, stick the "mop" in and swirl it around the sides.... Easy. It reaches everywhere in the pot.....no problem. I also use it on the top chamber. It only takes me 5 minutes to clean the whole unit!!
I hope this helps someone else get the results they expected ( and paid for ) with this GREAT coffee maker!!!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
oregonjavaman
|
|
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.