SUMMARY: Bonavita BV1800 8-Cup
- Best bang for the buck – Most affordable SCAA certified drip brewer
- Small footprint – Enough space left for other small appliances
- Strong heater – 1455 Watts heats water in less than 30 seconds
- SCAA Certified – Tested to guarantee delicious coffee every time
- Shower head – For perfect saturation of coffee grounds
- No extra features – No Time, clock or auto-stop
- Filter head sits on carafe – Refills could be bothersome
“Brilliant design aside, the taste of the coffee is the most important consideration. The BV produces by far the best drip machine coffee that I’ve had. It’s properly hot and the brew cycle is timed perfectly.” – Archaeo-Fiero ‘The Delorean’ S.
Simple Design – Amazing Coffee!
Please imagine an interview with the developer of the Bonavita BV1800 coffee maker:
You: Wow, the Bonavita BV1800 with glass carafe is not cheap for $150. Surely it does have a display and a timer, doesn’t it?
Bonavita: Nope.
You: But it has drip stop, right? So I can get a cup before the brewing process is completely finished?
Bonavita: Nope.
You: Hmm, I also can’t find the strength regulation to brew stronger or weaker coffee.
Bonavita: Not there!
OK, STOP!
Let me interrupt here! Because I don’t think this will convince you to actually buy this coffee maker, right?
So we have to clarify a few questions you may have:
Why should you buy a 150 bucks drip coffee maker when you can buy a $50 Hamilton Beach coffee maker with way more features?
What is so great about this coffee maker when even professional Barista’s recommend it?
As a smart coffee lover, you may already know the answers.
SCAA Certified Home Brewer
Imagine being able to get a delicious cup of coffee without the skills of a barista! Without knowing the optimal water temperature or contact time with the coffee.
And on top, imagine you have a guarantee that you get this five-star quality cup of Joe every time, every day, every morning!
You can stop dreaming because, with the BV1800 8 cup coffee maker from Bonavita, you found a winner!
It is one of the rare drip coffee makers that has received the certification of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
(Update 2016: The BV1800 is still on the SCAA-website but under “Past SCAA Home Brewers”. Bonavita probably has not requested new tests but rather focused on their newer BV1900 model to keep the certification.)
Related: Bonavita BV1900 SCAA Certified Coffee Maker Review
What the SCAA does is to ensure that coffee makers for the in-home use meet certain requirements. They have an easy to read booklet on their website.
This booklet should answer all questions about the SCAA’s vigorous certification requirements. If not, feel free to ask me by leaving a comment below.
In general, the BV1800 8 cup coffee maker of Bonavita has everything you’ve always wanted in a drip coffee maker – it’s a marriage of perfection and convenience.
Hidden But So Important Features
The Bonavita BV1800 8 Cup Coffee Maker only comes with one button, the auto-off switch. The integrated heating plate will keep the brewed coffee in the glass carafe hot for two hours. Then the auto-off feature kicks in.
But the real benefits are hidden inside the machine.
Powerful Heating Element
It is crucial to continuously maintain the right water temperature between 195° and 205° Fahrenheit for the best coffee experience. And, of course, you don’t want to wait a lifetime until the cold water has reached this temperature.
More precisely it takes about 20-30 seconds until you see it raining out of the shower head!
Exactly for this reason Bonavita has equipped the BV1800 Coffee Maker with a powerful 1455 Watts water heater.
The brewing process itself takes about 6 minutes.
So go ahead and turn the coffee machine on. Meanwhile, you can brush your teeth and when you are back, your coffee is ready.
Criss-Cross Shower Head
The positioning of the shower nozzles is another key factor for the perfect coffee flavor.
Bonavita did an excellent job with the cross-shaped positioning of the nozzles to get an evenly saturated bed of coffee grounds.
As a consequence, the brewed coffee tastes almost as good as Barista’s most preferred method: the manual pour-over.
2 Years Warranty Instead Of Just 1
Bonavita is so convinced of the quality of the BV1800 8 Cup Coffee Maker that it offers a two-year warranty (link to the warranty information provided below).
I believe, this is a big deal!
One of my last coffee makers broke after 14 months! 2 months after the warranty had expired. Perfect timing, isn’t it!
Did you ever experience the same frustrating moment?
Then the one extra year of warranty surely comes in handy!
Do all the features sound too good to be true?
But they are true!
You’ll wonder how you ever managed without the Bonavita! Get it today!
Bonavita BV1800 Drip Coffee Maker
Design – Stainless Steel On A Small Footprint
To put it briefly, the Bonavita BV1800 8 Cup Coffee Maker is a small machine. With only 12 inches in height, it surely fits under almost every kitchen cabinet.
With about 12 inches width and 7 inches depth, it leaves enough room on the counter for your other small appliances.
The frame material of the Bonavita Coffee Maker is BPA-free plastic wrapped in a thin layer of steel plates.
The filter holder is made of high-quality semi-transparent plastic, which is also BPA-free.
Bonavita BV1800SS – The Alternative With Stainless Steel Thermal Carafe
The inner strengths of the two machines are the same. But for a few bucks more you get the same coffee maker with a stainless steel carafe. So if you usually spread out your coffee consumption over several hours, please choose the stainless steel carafe.
The heating plate of the cheaper glass carafe version keeps the coffee hot for 1-2 hours, that’s true. But every additional hour you can expect the coffee to taste more burned.
Imagine you keep your coffee hot in a pot on the stove. I don’t think you want to do that for a long time, don’t you? Since the thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot automatically the heating plate is not necessary anymore. Immediately after the brewing process has finished, the Bonavita BV1800SS shuts off automatically.
We’ve also listed the best coffee makers with thermal carafe for you to choose from or we can just point you to one of our favorite coffee makers that come with a thermal carafe.
My Verdict Of The Bonavita BV1800 Drip Coffee Maker
Your first impression was possibly deterrent, defensive and somewhat discouraging – a hefty price tag for no visible features or fancy display.
But who should know better than the Specialty Coffee Association of America that the inner values of the Bonavita BV1800 8 Cup Coffee Maker entirely surpasses the visible features.
Perfect water temperature, excellent extraction and outstanding timing produces one of the finest brewed coffee you can get from one of the best drip coffee makers.
And don’t you deserve the best?
Take the next step now and click the link below.
Bonavita BV1800SS Drip Coffee Maker
Do you have the Bonavita BV1800 8 Cup Coffee Maker with glass or thermal carafe? Let me know below in the comments.
Husband, father and former journalist, I’ve combined my love of writing with my love of coffee to create this site. I love high end products, but write all my content with budget conscious coffee enthusiasts in mind. I prefer light roasts, and my normal brew is some sort of pour over, although my guilty pleasure is the occasional flat white.
