Keurig has made a fortune with a very simple design in the coffee world, the single cup brewer. There are a plethora of different versions of these brewers and they deliver any coffee result you could imagine in the legions of pods they have developed.
Up against that is the Bunn My Café MCR and the older discontinued MCU version. These are Bunn’s answers to the popular Keurig machines sitting on countertops all over the country these days.
The My Café makes for an interesting twist on the single-serve brewer concept, it is also oriented towards a different kind of customer than the typical Bunn coffee maker.
Often we think of the Bunn brand brewers as industrial sized monoliths that create coffee for the masses, all at once. However, this is an atypical brewer that you’ll have to see to believe.
The My Café Multi-Use Brewer brings you the convenience of single cup plus the flexibility of being able to brew flavorful coffee or tea using your choice of K-Cups, ground coffee, soft coffee and tea pods, tea bags and loose tea. The brewer features a stainless steel hot water tank that holds water at the perfect temperature for best flavor extraction. Includes 4 interchangeable drawers (cups, pods/ tea bags, ground coffee, hot water) to brew your favorite coffee or tea.
One can use reusable K-cups in it, but it also has a drawer for your own coffee. You don’t have to use a filter with that drawer, but I use a little Melita filter with my own coffee to clean it out more easily, so really there no need for a reusable k-cup. That makes this machine is very versatile.
Before we break down the My Café and compare it to Keurig as a brand you really should familiarize yourself with the best Keurig machines sold today. I have a full page about them right here for you to review before reading the rest of this article.
This is Why Bunn’s My Café MCR Is Worth Buying
Let’s start with the most obvious feature: the look of the brewer.
As with any brewer, you’re going to want to make sure that it looks aesthetically pleasing when it lands on your kitchen countertop. The trouble is that everyone has a different style to their kitchen, it’s a great thing though because there are many different appliances that can tie the room together. The Bunn My Cafe is one of them, in our opinion.
This brewer features a sleek design that is well in line with many other appliances if you already own a Bunn brewer than you probably can guess that it stays fairly similar to the others in its large family.
The My Cafe is simple and compact, so even if you’re not a fan of the traditional metallic look, accented by black, then it’s not likely to be a distraction from the rest of your kitchen.
The next thing we should take into consideration is the functionality and durability of this design.
Overall, there aren’t many moving parts on this machine and that aids its longevity. The internal water tank is made of stainless steel and thus is of superior quality, it will likely survive a move to college or a long cross-country relocation.
Removing the drawer attachments for cleaning is a breeze. However, the biggest complaint about cleaning is that removing spent grounds from the ground coffee drawer can sometimes be a pain. Unlike Keurig devices, there is no constant cleaning and maintenance that needs to be done.
One thing to look out for in maintenance, one should inspect the Sprayhead seal for crack, tears, and holes. Although the seal should last for an extended period of time, damage can occur.
So what other lavish features does this brewer offer. To start things off, since it’s a multi-use single-cup coffee maker it can brew K-Cups, ground coffee as well as E.S.E pods. The cup sizes vary from 4 oz to 14 oz, whereas your average Kuerig sticks around at eight, ten, and twelve ounce pours. As with the late-era Keurigs, it has the ability to ability to adjust the flavor of the coffee or tea you’re brewing from mild to bold.
Ground Coffee Drawer
The My Café is different from other single cup ground coffee brewing options because it can hold more coffee grounds. Plus, My Cafe’s consistently hot water and Pulse-Brew feature help extract more flavor for a bolder & better taste from your favorite coffee.
What separates this fine brewer from the pack though, are the four different drawer attachments and switch between brews. The BUNN My Cafe Single-Serve Multi-Use Brewer has a variety of great functions:
- K-Cup coffee
- Ground coffee
- Loose leaf tea
- Soft pods for tea and coffee
- Hot cocoa
- Instant coffee
Pulse Brew Function
Water contact time is crucial for a decently strong cup of coffee or tea. The BUNN Pulse Brew system helps achieve that by soaking the grounds with an initial wave of hot water, then pausing to let the grounds soak before continuing the flow of hot water.
The pause stage is called pre-infusion and helps the grounds release the acids and other compounds that give you the strong cup you’re looking for. Just know that if you use the Pulse Brew feature, you won’t get your coffee in under 60 seconds. It’ll take an extra minute.
Why Keurig K-Cup Brewers Are Still Worth Buying
We’ve covered many aspects of the Keurig brewer lines and there is an option for everyone in need of a single cup of coffee to start the morning. The Bunn My Cafe is often compared to the Keurig K75, which is another single-serve brewer. So that will be our point of reference.
The Keurig K75, like other single cup brewers from Keurig, is made for convenient morning brews.
These machines often feature a sleek design. They produce a single cup of coffee in no less than 60 seconds using Keurig’s patented K-cup. Speaking of convenience, there’s no messy grounds or filters to deal with. You’re out the door in no time.
When contemplating your Keurig purchase, factor in the cost of K-cups, and also if you plan to be re-using K-cups.
Keurig as a brewing method does meet scrutiny from coffee veterans though.
The main gripe is that the Keurig and other pod coffees keep the beans in contact with the heated water for a far-too-short period of time. Additionally, the experts state that because the Keurig prides itself speed of delivery quickly the end product isn’t up to par. For a further breakdown of this process, read our Keurig and drip coffee brewing method comparison.
The brewing time and temperature might be better equipped in the Bunn brewers other tray options. Let’s pair these two together and see which fits your lifestyle better. After all, we aren’t all coffee chemists in our spare time.
Keurig vs Bunn My Café: Which Is Best
If you’re searching for versatility in your brewing system, then the My Cafe is probably going to be your best bet. However, there are a plethora of Keurig brewers to choose from that may just fit your specific needs. It’s wise to check out more reviews on the Keurig brand brewers and understand that they can be used to your advantage.
As far as major differences are concerned, the Keurig can be a prominent feature in your kitchen if you’re interested in fast convenience and no hassle when it comes to options. Just get your k-cups and brew.
One major plus in terms of Keurig versatility is that the brand is able to produce a vast array of brewers to fit any size.
If k-cups are popular in your home, but you also want to appreciate fresh ground coffee on occasion, and a bigger batch is needed, then the My Cafe is a wise choice.
Hopefully one of these brewers has satiated your need for coffee. If you’re still searching for another solution to your morning routine, then check out our reviews on all things coffee related.