Need help getting a Christmas present

[C-Dub]

I don't drink coffee at all, but the wife wants a coffeemaker for Christmas. I've looked at some of the past posts but frankly it is over my head since I don't drink coffee.
Here are her lists of wants:
A machine that she can set the night before on a timer so it is brewing when she wakes up
Something that looks good on the counter
Something that is easy to clean up & take care of [she saw a friend's that brewed the coffee up in the machine and then transferred it to the cup directly so no carafe to clean and she liked that idea]
She already has a grinder (I don't know how good it is but she doesn't want a new one of these yet)
She really enjoys Frappucinos from Starbucks but I assume this is completely irrelevant to making coffee at home

I'm not looking to spend a ton of money, but around $100 or a little more if it makes a difference. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Also, if there are any nifty coffee gadgets I should get, let me know. I was thinking of getting her a French Press pot since those appear to be pretty cheap and may be good for a change of pace.

Also, we are expecting so if anybody knows of some good decaf beans we can purchase to grind, let me know.

I really think it is great that while cigars are what brought all of us together on this board, we all have expertises in so many other areas and can help each other out in almost every aspect of life.

 

[MadAl]

The overnight thing is a nice idea, but there are a couple of inherent problems if she's really a coffee connoisseur. The water loses oxygen and becomes room temperature, and the beans have a chance to dryout.

 

[djs134]

When getting into coffee a while ago, I learned that the general rules of thumb for coffee are as follows when it comes to flavor and freshness:

Green Beans will last about a year before flavor is adversely affected

Roasted Beans (if properly sealed) will last about 14 days before flavor loss is noticable

Ground coffee will last about 5 min before it goes “flat”

and once brewed, the flavors in the cup begin to dissipate within seconds.


She will get a much much better cup of coffee by grinding and brewing within minutes of each other. That said, not everyone comes to appreciate the finer points of the ritual of smelling freshly ground coffee at Oh-My-God:30. Especially when they are barely awake and the sound of the grinder cuts right through their brain. The main things you will want to look for in a coffee maker are

1) Correct brewing temperature. Coffee is optimal at water temp of 195* to 205* F. Most drip coffee makers don’t even reach 185* which leaves sour under extracted coffee. Here is a drip maker that gets great review. She could brew right into her travel mug if she wants.
2) Insulated Carafe. Brewers with insulated carafes don’t continue to heat the coffee and therefore don’t “burn” it. In addition, any container (travel mug, carafe, etc) can be placed under the filter without worrying about the heating element. Although, This maker gets great reviews. I have one and bought one for my Mom and one of my brothers. They love it.

It won’t hurt to get her one with a timer, we can only hope that she doesn’t use it, or doesn’t use it for long. :innocent:

 

[djs134]

Uh, sorry, cut/paste from word doesn't transfer hyperlinks........

Updated

 

[caudio51]

I bought the second link that Daniel posted for my parents. It makes a good cup of coffee for the money.