A year ago I researched coffee brewers & grinders for way too long, ha!

The Technivorm seemed to be the one that was universally well liked. It is built like a tank for longevity; however, I chose this one (that had just come to the marketplace) as it was $100 less. It had a lot of neat brewing controls & features that most brewers do not have. Read about it here:

http://www.behmor.com/brazen.php

I run it at 204F with a 1:30 minute pre-soak. It has a 2 year warranty that might be handy as it is processor controlled & it doesn't like really hard water so frequent cleaning is required. Fortunately the water from our glacier here on Vancouver Island is extremely soft so it is happy.

From my research, coffee grinders seem to be problematic; however, I came across this burr grinder at Costco.ca online that has been working flawlessly for over a year:

http://www.costco.ca/Espressione-Professional-Conical-Burr-Coffee-Grinder.product.10338549.html

I generally buy coffee beans from Costco as they have many different varieties & roasts from all over the world at a reasonable price - especially when they go on sale. I mix beans for my own blends that gives a different character every time.

For those who like cappuccino, it's hard to beat this little wonder (uses capsules) that makes a fine exotic after-supper coffee. It's available milk frother is simply superb (it's best to buy it as a combo):

http://www.nespresso.com/pixie/?l=en_US

Great fun...

TAM