A coffee maker that actually makes HOT coffee seems to be rare. I am looking for something inexpensive to take into the office. The hottest coffeemaker we have ever had is our current Kureg, which when set to 190 degrees (highest setting) brews a cup that when measured in the cup immediately after brewing is 178 degrees. By the time I add some liquid creamer out of the refridgerator, I still have to stick the cup into the microware (1200 watts) for 30 seconds. Then it is the temp that I like it (haven't measured what that exact temp is though). If I have a hot chocolate made from the Kuerig, when no cold creamer is added, straight out of the brewer is a good temp. So I'm guessing I must like my coffee around 180 degrees by the time it hits my lips.

I'm not going to take that expensive Kuerig into the office (maybe I could buy a cheaper Kuerig without the bells and whistles), so I tested an old Mr. Coffee 4 cup maker. An anemic 158 degrees. I don't want that for work as the nearest microwave is a bit of a walk. Tried an old Melitta we have. 156 degrees. We have an old Bunn that used to make it pretty hot IIRC, but that keeps its resevoir heated all the time and that is probably inappropriate for something at work. We have a Cuisenart also, and it comes out OK (warm+, but not HOT), however that is big and expensive and we still use that one at home sometimes.

Is there such a thing as an inexpensive coffee maker that actually makes HOT coffee? I wonder what Starbucks serves theirs at? When I buy a cup there, then add creamer, the temp is perfect.

I have noticed that with drip coffeemakers too. I take milk, not cream, so that adds a substantial amount of cold liquid. Then it's straight into the microwave. Bah!

Percolators are absolutely the best in that category. That coffee comes out of there smokin' hot. And the best by a good length and and a half are the old GE percs from the '60s. They are slow as heck but they make that coffee strong and hot. The modern percs try to speed up the cycle (people are impatient) and as a result they only get half the flavour out of the grounds. Though they can be hacked ...

http://www.sweetmarias.com/grind.brew.php

I have settled on a French press, brews some amazing coffee particularly with my own fresh roasted beans.

As you have noticed most automatic coffee machines don't reach proper temps or put the water in contact with the ground coffee for long enough. Try a French press with decent beans and good water and 4minutes soak time, its a decent cup of coffee, quite flavorful.

Ideal water temperature for coffee is 197 to 208 degrees. Any hotter makes the coffee taste bitter.
How about warming the milk or cream in micro before pouring it in the coffee?
As Lono said, french press is waaay better method to make good coffee than drip process.

Yep, water temp needs to be high enough to get the flavor out of the ground coffee beans, yet not so hot as to burn them. I read 195-205 F, but 197-208 is very close. Directions in the Melitta manual coffee maker I use says water just off a boil, which is pretty hot but below 212F.

Ditto on the French press (or "java press"). I'm a big fan of this one from REI:

http://www.rei.com/product/820424/rei-table-top-french-coffee-press-32-fl-oz

I also have the 48 oz version. Highly recommend.

Obviously you'll need hot water - Amazon sells electric hot water pretty cheap. I use mine for tea, as well.

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Thanks Dagny, that looks like a nice French Press. I have a couple but both allow tiny pieces of coffee grounds into your cup.
"Built-in spout has a fine-mesh screen to filter out the grounds while you pour" -- How well does that fine-mesh screen work? TIA

Russ, you're venturing into the land of French press cognoscenti. There's a faction of us who love the coffee grounds and sediment in the bottom of the cup, and another who do everything to keep it out. You can buy an additional nylon filter that fits on the filter to reduce but not eliminate sediments. There's a religious war over whether the additional filter works on plastic French presses like the one from REI, or is only useful on glass ones (made by Bodum etc). Millions have fought and died to resolve this question without effect. And, its just coffee. In any case, inexpensive Bodum French Presses are available from Walmart and Target and slightly pricier glass models too. And I think Sweet Maria's carries the additional filters.

LOL! The coffee grinds war is more intense than the one over pulp over no pulp in your oj. Much, much more at stake. Bandana coffee, I'm tellin' ya, is the answer! (Or one of those metal tea balls, maybe?)

Too funny. One of my French Press' is the glass Bodum, the other is a Snow Peak Ti model. It was after using these that I "discovered" the Melitta manual coffee maker. Boil water, pour it through the coffee in the #4 filter and it's done -- no pressing, waiting or sediment and at a price point that's really hard to beat. Good coffee too. It's a drip coffee maker without the machine, and it works in the field. Boil water in my copper kettle (over whichever stove I happen to have) and pour it through...

I'm something of a coffee snob, but what's a cognoscenti?