Bunn coffee makers use about 900-1100 watts during brewing, comparable to most drip machines. Keeping the water hot uses less.
Bunn machines keep water at brewing temperature constantly, which is why they brew so fast. This standby mode uses roughly 60-80 watts—about as much as a lightbulb. Over a month, that adds maybe a dollar or two to your electric bill. Whether that convenience is worth the cost depends on how often you brew.
Bunn Coffee Makers And Electricity: What’s The Concern?
A Bunn coffee maker doesn’t need to heat water every time you want to brew a fresh cup of coffee, rather, it constantly has water ready at the perfect temperature for a fresh pot of Joe.
In a restaurant setting, the few minutes that it takes for a standard drip coffee maker can make all the difference when it comes to staying on top of the morning rush. A Bunn coffee maker’s shortened brew time makes it a favorite both among business owners and those who love having a nearly instant pot of fresh coffee available at home.
Some coffee enthusiasts worry that the Bunn coffee maker will run up the electric bill, as they assume that it’s costly to keep hot water ready 24/7.
Thankfully, this isn’t the case. Bunn coffee makers use a surprisingly low amount of energy and don’t add a significant amount of money to the owner’s electric bill.
How Much Electricity A Bunn Coffee Maker Uses
The exact amount of energy used by a Bunn coffee machine varies and depends largely on the variety of Bunn you choose to purchase — a 12-cup coffee machine will use more energy than a small 1-cup machine.
Owners of home Bunn coffee machines usually find that their coffee makers use about 1.1 kilowatts of electricity each day, adding between $2 and $4 to their electric bill every month, for a total of between $24 and $48 per year.
Testing Your Bunn’s Energy Consumption
Interested in knowing exactly how much energy your Bunn coffee maker is using? Finding out is simple.
Purchase a Kill-A-Watt electricity monitor from Amazon. This small device plugs into the outlet you use for your coffee maker. You’ll then plug in your Bunn to your Kill-A-Watt. Leave the device on for 24 hours and you’ll know exactly how much energy your Bunn is using daily.
How To Lower Energy Consumption Of Your Home Coffee Machine
If you’re comfortable with the power consumption of your Bunn, there’s no need to make any changes. If you’d prefer to lower the amount of power your Bunn is using, you may want to consider unplugging it after you’re done making your coffee for the day.
You can re-plug the coffee maker in before you go to bed at night, ensuring that you have fresh, hot water ready for your morning pot of coffee. You can also turn off your Bunn’s warming plate to further conserve energy.
The Final Word On How Much Electricity Does A Bunn Coffee Maker Use
Home Bunn coffee makers use a little over one kilowatt of electricity per day, adding less than $5 to home electric bills each month, according to Bunn users who measured their coffee machine’s energy consumption using a Kill-A-Watt To cut down on energy costs related to your Bunn coffee maker, you can unplug it during the day, or turn off the warming plate after you’re done brewing your coffee.
FAQs About How Much Electricity Does A Bunn Coffee Maker Use
How much does typical use of a Bunn coffee maker add to an electric bill?
What are some ways to cut down on the energy costs associated with at-home coffee machines?
The Bottom Line
Here’s the practical takeaway after researching and testing this extensively:
Theory is great, but real-world application is messier. We’ve found that understanding the ‘why’ behind coffee science helps you troubleshoot when things go wrong—and they will. Your water, your beans, your grinder, and even humidity levels create variables that no guide can perfectly account for.
Start with the fundamentals in this article, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Some of our best cups have come from “mistakes” that turned into happy accidents. Coffee brewing rewards curiosity.