There is a saying that you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. This has been our experience with other coffee makers….from Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable Cone Coffeemaker, Black to Black & Decker to everything in-between. Finally we decided to bite-the-bullet and buy a Bunn. The Bunn BXT-B is not for everyone and if you don’t plan on brewing a pot every few days you may shun the fact that the Bunn is always on – it really is an expense.

One thing to recognize – please follow the initial set-up guide (I briefly describe it in the video) if you do NOT follow the initial set-up you will likely ruin your Bunn and void your warranty.

Things that I like

– Brew coffee fast…. like 3-minutes fast – I have time to brew a *few* pots in the morning prior to going to work.
– Great Taste – much better than the traditional drip-through method.
– The thermal carafe is awesome – Bunn states that it will keep the coffee hot for 90 minutes, but I find it drinkable for much longer than that.
– Doesn’t steam while brewing – makes it much safer for my cabinets
– Hot water on Demad – just pout the desired amount of water into the top and catch the hot water at the bottom (great for tea….. although it may be a touch warm for hot chocolate).
– Bunn quality – I expect to own this thing for 10 years

Things that you should know PRIOR to purchasing

– Again, this thing is always on… always pulling electricity
– Requires Bunn filters
– You probably will want to buy whole bean coffee such as Batdorf & Bronson Kenya AA, Whole Bean Coffee, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3) and using a burr grinder. I use a cheap one Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill but it works well
– You may want to use filtered water
– Does require an occasional cleaning
– It is higher/taller than a standard coffee maker – save yourself some grief and make sure that you have a minimum of 16″ clearance
– The tank remains warm o the touch..always
– I would HIGHLY recommend in spending the extra $$$ and buying the thermal carafe – absolutely worth the extra expense
– Not programmable at all – no clock or fancy electronics on the Bunn BTX-B. It simply brews coffee

Final Verdict – If you make at least a pot a day of coffee this is likely to be an investment that will pay major dividends. Easily the best coffee maker that I have ever used.

5 Stars

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The Cuisinart DBM-8 Burr Grinder is provides an highly consistent grind at a very reasonable price. It does have flaws, but once it is viewed against products that are 2x its price. I will caution that it is not easy to clean the “guts” of the machine so this may not be the machine for you if you plan to grind a variety of coffee styles or spices. Trust me if you burr grind fresh vanilla coffee beans and then follow it with a bold French Roast… your French Roast will have an unexpected flavor!

Pros –

– Inexpensive
– Multiple settings for grinding – everything from fine to French Press coarse.
– One-button to push then you are able to walk-away
– Not much to clean – but clean-up is a snap.
– 1/2lb bean capacity
– Nice finish – it does not look “cheap”. From the looks you would expect that it cost 2-3x the actual price

Cautions-

– Again, it is impossible to clean the inner-workings of the machine so you will have residual that will be mixed into your next grind.
– Not overly powered – at times it seems like it is straining which makes me worry about long-term durability.
– Pretty loud – I am not sure if it could be made “quiet”
– Pretty large footprint – you may want to make sure that you have counter-space

Final Verdict – I may change my review if the Cuisinart DBM-8 dies a quick death, but for now it has surpassed my expectations. There are better burr grinders available, but be prepared to spend considerably more money.

5 Stars

Check out the Adventures of The Assistant and Wiggles! It is our animated series featuring the Assistant, her Dog Wiggles, and science experiements! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoLQ9unpi4OHbJtfVcfgDIoyZw75FHF-E #Familyfun #Familyfunforeveryone #Theengineeringfamily

The Mosquito Magnet Patriot Mosquito Trap is a bit of an enigma. It is a rather complex, and bulky solution to a rather small insect. It requires a fair amount of both attention (changing everything every 21 days) and expense (more on that to come) and depending on where you place the product it can either be a complete success or a very costly failure. Hopefully, this review will help you decide if this is the right product for you!

Notes-

– The theory is that the Mosquito Magnet attracts and catches so many mosquitos that is interferes with the mosquito ability to reproduce in large quantities which will lower the overall ‘skeeter population in the future.

-Attractant – I did not mention this in the video portion but depending on where you live you will need with the Mosquito Magnet OCTENOL3 Octenol Biting Insect Attractant, 3-Pack if you are in the northern part of the USA or the Mosquito Magnet Lurex3-OD-3 Biting Insect Attractant (3-pack) is you are in the southern portion (especially the Southeast). The Lurex3 is the preferred attractant for the hated Tiger mosquito.

– Placement – You need to place the unit in a spot that has very little WIND even if this spot doesn’t seem close to the mosquitos. This will allow the CO2 and attractant that is admitted to pool underneath the machine in greater quantities. The more CO2 and attractant means the more ‘skeeters you will catch. Now there is one caveat to this…I have hear that the ‘skeeters need a relatively unobstructed view/path to the machine. So it may not be effective to place the Mosquito Magnet in a place that completely protected since the mosquitos may not be able to “find” the unit…. it needs to be in their line of sight. The box states that the Mosquito Magnet is effective for one acre…I am skeptical on that claim.

– Cost – Never-mind the purchase price, the Mosquito Magnet is expensive to own. The propane needs to be replaced every 21 days, a does the attractant. In addition, you will need to buy replacement nets and cleaning cartridges. All told, it is very expensive to maintain. If you find mosquitos to be a minor nuisance you will not find the Mosquito Magnet to be much of a value. However, if your yard is full of mosquitos and especially if you are concerned of the West Nile virus you really may want to consider this unit.

– Other Solutions – Bug zappers are completely ineffective against mosquitos (They are not attracted by light), yard pesticides can be very effective but they are not a very “organic solution” and you can also be a czar in looking for standing water in your yard (this is the breeding spot of mosquitos), however both of these solution only allow you to have an influence on the land that you own.

– As you know – Mosquitoes bites can cause a wide variety of ailments, such as – West Nile Virus, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Rift Valley Fever, and even encephalitis.

Final Verdict – A bit of a mixed bag. I feel that with proper placement (which I still have not found for my yard) the Mosquito Magnet can be a highly effective (albeit expensive) solution for controlling your mosquito population.

4 Stars

Please note that I received this product for reviewing purposes

Check out the Adventures of The Assistant and Wiggles! It is our animated series featuring the Assistant, her Dog Wiggles, and science experiements! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoLQ9unpi4OHbJtfVcfgDIoyZw75FHF-E #Familyfun #Familyfunforeveryone #Theengineeringfamily