ProductReportCard Editors' In-Depth Review
Specifications
Performance Comparison
Brewing Quality
The BUNN Velocity Brew NHS is a reservoir style automatic drip coffee maker. The NHS has a flat bottom brew basket, and it is designed with a unique spray head that distributes the hot water all at once to quickly and fully saturate the coffee grinds. You can only use trademarked BUNN paper filters that have a fluted shape and taller sides because other flat bottom filters may collapse under the water pressure. We did find, however, that despite using the recommended amount of coffee and brand specific filters, our coffee grounds overflowed the filter a few times. However, the grounds did not get into our coffee pot. It just made for more clean-up. During our test, we weren't able to measure the brewing water temperature, but the coffee flowing from the brew basket mid-cycle was 194°F. Immediately after the brew cycle completed, the coffee was 181°F, and after an hour on the heating plate, it was 164°F.
The brewing temperature was challenging to measure, but the hottest temperature we recorded was 194°F.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Taste Test Results
We conducted a blind taste test using 31 coffee drinkers to rate samples of black coffee on overall taste, flavor, body, acidity, and color. The BUNN was not a standout, ranking just 7th out of 10 machines. It scored its highest marks on color, and the lowest marks on body and overall taste. To learn more about how we tested the BUNN Velocity Brew NHS against other coffee makers, please read our How We Test section.
We were not impressed with the construction of the BUNN carafe.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Design Quality
We felt that the BUNN had low quality construction overall. The tank and brew basket seem well made out of adequate materials, but the carafe had a lightweight and loose feeling to it. It felt almost as if the parts didn't fit well together. It was our least favorite carafe system in design and build.
The BUNN Velocity Brew has on-demand hot water and features manual operation.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Ease of Set Up and Clean Up
The BUNN Velocity Brew NHS is easy to use once it is set up. Since it stays on (the water is always hot), the machine is ready to brew at any time. With that said, we found that the paper filter occasionally overflowed, creating a bigger mess in the brew basket than some other systems that we tested. This made cleaning the BUNN more challenging.
It's recommended that you only use BUNN brand flat bottom paper filters.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Bonus Features
The BUNN Velocity Brew NHS isn't programmable and doesn't have a brew stop. It operates with 2 manual on/off switches. The machine features a high altitude brewing option as well as easy access to hot water at any time.
The BUNN features a classic glass carafe and warming plate design.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Best Uses
The BUNN Velocity Brew is fast; you can have a pot of coffee in just 5 minutes. It's best for large, continual production of coffee with an on-demand hot water spigot built in.
Value
For $130, with a 3-year limited warranty, we find the BUNN to be a good value. However, because it needs to continually heat water, it is a power hog and expensive to operate. Given that BUNN brewers have a reputation for longevity, operating costs may catch up with the savings of owning the brewer for the long haul.
Conclusion
One of the distinguishing elements of the BUNN Velocity Brew NHS is the hot water reservoir that keeps water at the perfect brewing temperature and ready to use 24/7 as long as the coffee maker is turned on. We love the convenience of having pretty much on-demand coffee, but we don't love the price to continually heat the water. This was not one of our award winners for several reasons, including the poor construction and fit of the carafe components. We also didn't feel like it was the most flavorful or robust coffee that we tasted during testing. However, if you value speed and quantity in your coffee maker, this could be the machine for you. For more information about the coffee makers we tested, and our award winners, check out our Coffee Maker Overview.
Alternatives
Cuisinart®14-Cup Perfect Temp Programmable Coffeemaker DCC-3200
- $100
- Large Capacity
- Programmable
Mr. Coffee® Optimal Brew™ 10-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker BVMC-PSTX91
- $100
- Best Buy Award Winner
- Programmable
Kenmore 12-Cup Programmable Aroma Control Coffee Maker 367101
- $50
- Programmable
- Pre-Infusion Function
We suggest that you check out our Buying Advice for Coffee Makers to get an idea for what machine will best suit your needs.
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