How to Use a Commercial Coffeemaker

The Bunn-O-Matic coffeemaker is by far the most common in use today.

The most common commercial coffeemaker is manufactured by the Bunn-O-Matic Corporation. This design was introduced in 1957 by George Bunn and has been the standard ever since. Most commercial Bunn coffeemakers fall into two categories: pour-over coffeemakers, and automatic coffeemakers. Pour-over coffeemakers are similar to home coffeemakers in that the water is added manually, while automatic coffeemakers have attached water lines and automatically supply the correct amount of water for brewing a pot of coffee.

Things You'll Need

• Bunn-O-Matic style commercial coffeemaker
• Coffee filters
• Coffee

Instructions

Pour-over Coffeemakers

1. Remove the decanter from the warmer plate.

2. Fill the decanter with desired amount of water.

3. Pour the water from the decanter into the reservoir through the opening in top of the coffeemaker.

4. Replace the decanter onto the warmer plate.

5. Remove the funnel. This is the cup-shaped part with a handle, located above the decanter. The funnel holds the coffee filter and grounds for brewing coffee. The funnel is usually plastic, but on some models it is steel with a black plastic handle.

6. Check that the funnel is clean and does not contain an old filter full of used grounds.

7. Insert a fresh coffee filter into the funnel.

8. Measure the desired amount of coffee grounds and pour them into the coffee filter.

9. Replace the funnel into the proper slot. Check to be sure that both sides of the funnel are securely in place.

10. Turn the power switch to the "On" position. If you are using a dual-side brewer, be sure you turn on the side you have prepared.

11. Wait for the coffeemaker to heat up; this should only take one to two minutes.

12. Press the "Start" button or switch. Fresh coffee should begin flowing out of the funnel and into the decanter within approximately 30 seconds.

Automatic Coffeemakers

1. Remove the funnel. If you are not sure which part is the funnel, refer to Step 5 of the previous section for a description of the funnel.

2. Check that the funnel is clean and does not contain an old filter full of used grounds.

3. Insert a fresh coffee filter into the funnel.

4. Measure the desired amount of coffee grounds and pour them into the coffee filter.

5. Replace the funnel into the proper slot. Check to be sure both sides of the funnel are securely in place.

6. Turn the power switch to the "On" position. If you are using a dual-side brewer, be sure to turn on the side you have prepared.

7. Press the "Start" button or switch. Fresh coffee should begin flowing out of the funnel and into the decanter within approximately 30 seconds.

Tips & Warnings

• When brewing coffee, add a pinch of sea-salt or table salt to the grounds before brewing. The salt will help diffuse the natural oils in coffee and reduce the bitter aftertaste associated with coffee.

• Keep all parts of the coffeemaker clean; especially the sprayhead, funnel, and decanter. Residue on parts that come into contact with coffee will produce undesired flavor.

• Never use a container other than the coffee decanter to measure water for brewing coffee in pour-over coffeemakers. You can easily add too much water and cause spillover in older machines.

• Press the start button only once.

• Pressing start button more than once will cause spillover in automatic machines.

• Use caution while the coffeemaker is running, surfaces can be extremely hot and cause severe burns.

References

• Bunn Commercial Products