Plastic-free coffee makers that don't give your coffee a "plastic taste".

If you are looking for a coffee maker with no plastic parts, you are not alone.

More and more people are fed up with the plastic taste, particularly from new coffee makers.

Here are just a few of the comments we have received on this topic:

“Our new Kuerig tastes like plastic. I have a mild migraine and feel ill all throughout my guts. Taking it back.”

“We bought a new cuisnart coffee maker yesterday, My husband I both noticed a bad taste to our coffee. I am taking it back tomorrow to the store I bought it from.”

“I've bought several brands of coffee makers over the last few years just because of this problem. They all had a horrid plastic taste and smell when you actually used them.”

“My kids got me a new Keurig Coffe maker - the Elite - for Christmas. I did what the manufacturer said to do for the first cup, but the water/coffee tastes bad. It is a plastic taste - yuck.”

“I purchased a new mr. coffee and ran the vinegar/water mixture through it and our coffee smells and tastes like chemicals or plastic. It is so bad it gags you.”

“I am so upset with Keurig right now. I bought mine from Target and the plastic metal taste is unbelievable.”

“I just bought a Cuisinart coffeemaker yesterday and after running 4 pots of coffee through it, I am still getting that awful taste.”

“I finally gave away my Cuisinart carafe coffee maker after weeks of dosing it with vinegar in an attempt to get rid of the chemical taste.”

Finding a plastic-free coffee maker...

A search for plastic-free coffee makers takes you away from the convenience of modern coffee makers and, for the most part, leads you to more traditional ways of making your favorite brew.

Drip brewers and the new single serve coffee makers are made primarily of plastic parts. These plastic parts don’t generally carry recycling numbers, so it is hard to know exactly which plastics are being used.

So, out of an abundance of caution, a lot of people are now seeking out coffee makers which are free of BPA and phthalates simply by choosing brewers with no plastic parts.

Here is a rundown of the kinds of coffee makers you will find with no plastic parts, and one which is plastic, but BPA-free.

Coffee Percolators.

Coffee percolators are generally made of steel and metal alloys, although some may include glass. Percolators were very popular back in the days before Peets Coffee and Starbucks made gourmet quality coffee so popular. Coffee aficionados will tell you percolating coffee spoils the taste. But for many people it is still a popular way to brew, and it is plastic-free (with the exception of a rubber-like seal).

Coffee percolators at Amazon.com...

Moka Pots.

A favorite from Italy, Moka pots are stovetop coffee makers which deliver a rich coffee that is somewhere between a regular coffee and an espresso. Many of these are made of aluminum, although there are models made from steel. As with percolators, the only plastic is in the form of a seal or gasket between the two parts of the brewer.

Moka Pots at Amazon.com

Chemex Coffee Maker.

Remarkably, in this day and age, the Chemex coffee maker is made from glass, a wood collar and a leather strap. This is a manual drip brewer, so you place a paper filter in top half of the brewer. Really, it’s just a fancy filter cone. But instead of the coffee being dripped directly into your mug, it drips down into the bottom half of the glass jar. And it is undoubtedly 100% BPA-free, with no plastic parts at all.

Chemex coffee makers at Amazon.com...

Filter Cone.

Yes, this is the least expensive of all ways to make coffee. And yes, most filter cones are made from plastic. However, you can get a porcelain filter cone. 100% free of plastic. As for the quality of the coffee, don’t worry. While automatic coffee makers may make brewing coffee for convenient, they don’t improve on the quality of the brew. Coffee made with a filter cone is just as good as coffee made with a top-end automatic brewer.

Porcelain filter cones at Amazon.com...

Hourglass Cold Brew Coffee Maker.

Yes, it is plastic, but it is BPA-free. In addition, the Hourglass uses a cold-brew method, which cuts back considerably on the acid-content of the final brew. This is a good choice for anyone who not only wants to make their coffee BPA-free, but also likes the idea of cutting back on their energy use. No heat of electricity required.

The Hourglass Cold Brew Coffee Maker at Amazon.com...