BUNN My Cafe MCU Review

BUNN My Cafe MCU
Overall Rating
86
Coffee Quality (40%)
80
Design & Features (20%)
83
Durability (20%)
95
Ease of Use (10%)
90
Brand Reputation (10%)
90
The Bottom Line
A versatile single-serve system, the durable BUNN My Cafe MCU has a 14 oz reservoir and 4 removable drawers for K-Cups, grounds, tea bags, or hot water only. Now-discontinued, check out the Keurig K-Slim instead.
The Coffee Maven's editors select and review products independently. We may receive a commission if you purchase through one of our links at no additional cost to you.

Key Features of the BUNN My Cafe MCU

Key Features of BUNN My Cafe MCU

  • Serving Size: 4 to 14 oz
  • Water Reservoir: 14 oz (non-removable)
  • Brew Speed: Under 60 seconds
  • Warranty: 2 years
  • Dimensions: 9.2″W x 13.2″L x 13.5″H
  • Power: 1425W
  • UL and Commercial UL listed
  • 4 drawers to brew K-Cup packs of all brands, ground coffee, tea pods or bags, loose tea and more
  • Removable drip tray to fit most travel mugs
  • Paper filters not required; comes with mesh filter that you clean after each use
  • BPA free
  • Keeps water ready-to-temp for 6 hours before shutting off
  • Pulse Brew option to extract bolder taste from coffee and to help steep tea
  • Stainless Steel internal tank
  • Programmable for high altitude use

BUNN My Cafe MCU Overview

Packed with features in a conveniently small design, the BUNN My Cafe MCU Single Cup, Multi-Use Brewer provides a ton of functionality.

The 4-drawer system allows you to choose your brew with basically any beverage:

  • K-Cup pods
  • Ground coffee
  • Tea pods or bags
  • Hot Water only for loose-leaf tea, hot cocoa, and more

And let me tell you: This coffee gets hot, even after adding milk or cream.

The Pulse Brew technology lets those who love strong coffee get something more to their taste, and overall the quality of the brew is impressive given this coffee maker does more than just make coffee.

While the sleek profile is great, the look is rather plain and boring. It definitely isn’t the most stylish of kitchen appliances.

Overall, there aren’t many moving parts on the BUNN My Cafe MCU, but that aids in its longevity. The internal water tank is made of stainless steel and of superior quality. Should you run into any issues, BUNN offers a 2-year warranty.

Removing the drawer attachments for cleaning is a breeze. However, the biggest complaint about cleaning is that removing spent grounds from the ground coffee drawer can sometimes be a pain.

Unlike Keurig devices, there's no internal filter that needs to be replaced every few months. Should you run into a clogged valve, cleaning the internal components requires a little bit of precision (and a bent paperclip), but there is a great YouTube video that can help you with it.

Pros
  • Works for K-Cups, ground coffee, tea & hot water
  • Brews in under 1 minute
  • No paper filters needed
  • 2 year warranty
  • Coffee is hot!
Cons
  • Non-removable 14 oz water reservoir
  • No On/Off switch
  • Only single servings up to 14 oz

Is the BUNN My Cafe MCU for you?

Are BUNN My Cafe MCU for you?

A discontinued model, the BUNN My Cafe MCU was great in its heydey. Unfortunately, that day has come and gone.

But don't despair! BUNN now makes the My Cafe MCR, which dispenses coffee from 4-16 oz in 0.25 oz increments (but has 6 oz and 8 oz default sizes) using single-serve cartridges.

BUNN is a quality name in coffee, but you're probably barking up the wrong brand if you're looking for a do-it-all, single-serve coffee machine.

Instead, take a look at the compact Keurig K-Slim, which measures just 4.8" wide but has a 46 oz removable water reservoir and the ability to brew either K-Cup pods or ground coffee using the reusable My K-Cup.

BUNN My Cafe MCU Review: An In-Depth Look

The major selling point of the BUNN My Cafe MCU Multi-Use Brewer is right there in the name — it has more than one use!

The BUNN MCU Single Cup Multi-Use Brewer can prepare almost any beverage you could want. Just choose from 4 different drawer attachments and switch between brews. :

  • K-Cup coffee
  • Ground coffee
  • Loose leaf tea
  • Soft pods for tea and coffee
  • Hot cocoa
  • Instant coffee
  • Oatmeal
  • Hot water to top off an Americano
4 interchangeable drawers give you the flexibility to brew whatever you want

Even better, because you switch out drawers when changing between coffee, tea, and other beverages, there will be no mixing of flavors.

There are 3 small but notables downsides of this drawer attachment system:

  1. Requires additional storage
  2. K-Cup drawer attachment tends to leave a little bit of standing water on top of the drawer after each use, so just be careful when removing it
  3. Sometimes the drawers don’t seal perfectly and water can spurt

Leverage the Pulse Brew system for a stronger cup

Water contact time is crucial for a decently strong cup of coffee or tea.

The BUNN Pulse Brew System helps achieve that by soaking the grounds with an initial wave of hot water (called blooming), then pausing to let the grounds soak before continuing the flow of hot water.

The pause stage is called pre-infusion and helps the grounds release the acids and other compounds that give you the strong cup you’re looking for.

Note: If you use the Pulse Brew feature, you won’t get your coffee in under 60 seconds. It’ll take an extra minute.

Compact design

While the appearance of this coffee maker is rather unassuming, this is a strength in some senses. In fact, there are probably few appliances in your kitchen that boast the versatility of this multi-use brewer, yet it has a tiny 10″ by 7″ counter-top footprint.

BUNN My Cafe MCU Potential Shortcomings

Water tank is not removable

The biggest shortcoming to note in this BUNN My Cafe MCU review — the water try is not removable. For those who frequently use their machine, this isn’t a big deal. If you only use it occasionally, though, you may not enjoy having stagnant water sit in the machine.

Another consequence of the non-removable water tray is that, depending on the mug you use, it can be slightly annoying to fill the reservoir with water. Not all mugs pour perfectly. You might have some spillage that the drip tray doesn’t catch.

No on/off switch

This coffee maker is activated by water and will stay on for 6 hours, keeping any remaining water at the proper temperature. The closest you’ll get to turning it off is unplugging it, but each time you plug it back in you have to wait about two minutes before you can start the 60-second brew process.

Check out the BUNN My Cafe MCU!

Check out BUNN My Cafe MCU!

BUNN My Cafe MCU
A versatile single-serve system, the durable BUNN My Cafe MCU has a 14 oz reservoir and 4 removable drawers for K-Cups, grounds, tea bags, or hot water only. Now-discontinued, check out the Keurig K-Slim instead.

More BUNN Reviews From The Coffee Maven

BUNN VPR Series

BUNN VPR Series
Overall Rating: 89
Durable, reliable, and easy-to-use, BUNN VPS Series brewers are fully portable with models offering both carafe and airpot compatibility. For commercial coffee convenience that'll last decades, check out the VPS Series.

BUNN VP17 Series

BUNN VP17 Series
Overall Rating: 89
A reliable, affordable commercial brewer capable of brewing 60 oz carafes up to 3.8 gallons per hour, the heavy-duty BUNN VP17 Series brewers are encased in stainless steel and require no plumbing for portable use.

BUNN Infusion Series

BUNN Infusion Series
Overall Rating: 90
Ideal for medium-to-large cafeterias and service halls, the BUNN Infusion Series has a massive 3-gallon water tank and brews 60 oz carafes up to 11.9 gallons per hour but requires a plumbing hookup.
About The Coffee Maven
bryan de luca
Bryan De Luca

I'm Bryan but most people know me as The Coffee Maven. I grew up outside Boston, Massachusetts and received my Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Providence College. My first introduction to coffee was during my college days, when I used it as a source of caffeine to fuel late-night study sessions, but soon I became obsessed with the chemistry of coffee. How did changes to water temperature or contact time affect its taste? Why do beans from Africa taste fruity while beans from Indonesia taste spicy? I launched The Coffee Maven in February 2017 to explore these questions and help others brew their perfect cup. Welcome to my site, and thanks for reading!

Search