BUNN Speed Brew Review

Get good coffee, fast, with the BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker.

The BUNN Speed Brew unit
(Image: © Future)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The BUNN Speed Brew isn't the easiest coffee maker to get to grips with, but the coffee it produces is worth the extra time.

Pros

  • +

    Brews great-tasting coffee

Cons

  • -

    Set-up takes a long time

  • -

    Cleaning is a painstaking process

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We tested the BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker to find out whether it could be called one of the best coffee makers on the market. In our review process, we found that the BUNN Speed Brew made some of the nicest coffee among the units we tested, but getting it up and running was a bit of a pain. Find our full thoughts below. 

Linda Thomson headshot
Linda Thomson

Linda is a former Top Ten Reviews writer, though her work still crops up on the site from time to time. Whilst working for the team, she covered everything from kitchen gadgets and coffee makers to garden tools, vacuum cleaners ovens, and cooking apps. She reviewed the BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker to see how it compared to the best coffee makers on the market. 

BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker: Design

A top-down view of the BUNN Speed Brew unit

The BUNN Speed Brew is designed to make the brewing process as fast as possible. (Image credit: Future)

Once its tank is full and the water is heated, the BUNN Speed Brew is ready to go. After you add your chosen coffee grounds to the brew basket and push the brew button, it takes a mere 3 minutes to fill an entire 10-cup pot. If you want less coffee, you can brew as little as 4 cups.

However, we encountered difficulties getting this machine set up correctly. The user manual is chock-full of amusing asides and jokes but offers little in the way of helpful step-by-step instructions. After several attempts, we got the tank filled and heated, and making great coffee was easy after that. 

BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker: Taste

The BUNN Speed Brew in use

The Speed Brew scored very highly in the taste department. (Image credit: Future)

Our taste-testing panel really liked the flavor, strength and aroma of the BUNN Speed Brew's coffee. On the whole, our judges gave it high marks, although two people said it was a little too strong for their palates. The cup of coffee also scored particularly well in the heat and flavor departments. 

The fine quality of the coffee no doubt comes from the exceptionally hot water in the water tank, as well as a shower head that is designed to spray the water evenly over coffee grounds, extracting the greatest amount of flavor.

BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker: Temperature

the BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker on a countertop

The Speed Brew retained heat very well. (Image credit: Future)

When freshly brewed, this coffee measured 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the second-hottest out of the 12 machines we tested. After the pot sat on the warming carafe for a half-hour, the temperature had dropped only 3 degrees—the same as the Braun BrewSense KF7170S—and that small dip in temperature didn't affect the taste or desirability of the brew at all. 

With this BUNN model, you do not get a finished brewing alert, a clock you can program, a delay brew function, a cleaning indicator or cleaning cycle, a water level indicator or an automatic shut-off capability.

BUNN Speed Brew: Cleaning Process

The carafe from the BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker

BUNN recommends cleaning the carafe after every use. (Image credit: Future)

The manufacturer recommends cleaning the carafe and brew funnel after each use, which you can do by washing them by hand with soap and water or putting them in the dishwasher on the top shelf. 

The company recommends cleaning the tube for the spray head every three months (every two months if you’re in a hard-water region). This involves unscrewing the spray head and sliding a de-liming tool in and out of the tube five or six times to loosen any mineral deposits. After that, you reassemble it, replace the carafe on the warming plate and run fresh water through the machine.

If needed, you can use a toothpick to poke any deposits stuck in the spray head holes, and then wash it with soap and water. Deep cleaning uses 4 cups of white vinegar that you let sit in the brewer for at least two hours and follows a somewhat similar process, followed by rinsing with fresh water.

Overall, we felt that the BUNN Speed Brew coffee maker was a bit on the costly side compared to some of the other units we tested at the time. Although the brew it produces is definitely worth it, we expected more features and functions from a machine in its price range. 

Linda Thomson

Linda Thomson, whose loves are kids, books, music, good food and classic films, has been a professional writer her entire working life. This includes four newspapers, one magazine and plenty of online publishing. She no longer writes for Top Ten Reviews, although you'll still see her work across a number of articles on the Top Ten Reviews site.