Others say...

"Ruined too many mornings"
Every few weeks, the filter collapses and coffee spills out over the counter and onto the drawers and floors. There is no predicting when this will happen. I finally threw it out. And yes, I am using the filters for the 8-12 cup coffee makers.


"Great Buy for the money"
I think this is a great buy. I live alone. For me, the 4 cup machines were just too small and the 12 cup were too big. I also did not want a machine with a hot plate since they burn the coffee and make it taste bitter. I was happy with the $10 B&D single cup machine which I kept at my desk at work. This was the cheapest Carafe machine I could find ($29.99 at Target).

I am a bit of a coffee geek. I home roast my own coffee beans. Grind my beans right before I brew my coffee. I have not checked it with a thermometer, but this brews at a close to ideal temperature. I am using about 7-8 grams per cup and find it makes a good strong cup of coffee. The brew cycle is on the slow side, but for me that is good. The slower brew makes for a better extraction. I use a mesh basket and have not had a major problem with the grinds overflowing into the coffee. This has been a big issue with other machines I have owned. But by keeping the water coming at a decent speed, it seems OK with this machine.

The carafe does a fair job at keeping the coffee hot. After 4-5 hours and three mugs, the coffee is still at a good hot drinkable temperature. The outside of the carafe stays cool to the touch. Yes a hot plate machine would keep it hotter, but after an hour or two, the coffee would be burnt.

I will offer one tip for hotter coffee. Either rinse or or let the carafe sit for a few minutes with hot top tap water right before brewing. This will preheat the carafe a bit and make a few degrees difference in your coffee.

I know there are a lot of negative reviews on this I will try to address some of the points.

The Machine Flooded my Counter:
This is not the machines fault. You did not have the carafe properly seated in the machine. This can be a problem with any machine where you stop brewing to serve a cup. Cuisinart machines are even worse at this. But if you make sure the carafe is seated correctly, you will not have a problem. Also if you fill it above the 8 cup level, the carafe will overflow.

Hot Plate did not work:
Thermal Carafe machines generally do not have hotplates. Plus hot plates generally have auto shut off now. So after a couple of hours, your coffee will in addition to taste burnt, will cool quickly. This machine keeps your coffee for 4-6 hours without tasting burnt.

Coffee tastes bitter or metallic:
Make sure to rinse after each use. Try cleaning it with sudsy water and the occasional soak with white vinegar and water.

Timer is tough to use:
Read the owners manual. It is not rocket science. It is like programing a digital alarm clock.

Yes there can be bad machines that do not brew at the right temp. But most of the bad reviews for this product are the result of user error and not due to a design defect.

For the money, this is a great buy in a thermal carafe drip Machine. There are no major flaws. It looks good on the counter, and keeps the coffee hot for a few hours. For $30-$40 I think this machine is a steal!!!

"Springing leaks everywhere"
We got this coffee maker as a wedding gift a little over 3 months ago and have used it nearly every day since because it has a thermal carafe. For anyone who has not had coffee made in a thermal carafe as opposed to a glass carafe, the difference is WELL worth the investment. However that being said, this is my first thermal carafe machine and as other reviews have stated, it does not do a very good job at all keep the coffee hot. The trade-off is the coffee never has that "overcooked" taste which is why we still use this thing at all.

The worst part has to be the leaking though. On the unit itself, it has a hole drilled in the back as an overflow release which of course just overflows all over the counter if it is filled too high. Ok... so we make sure we don't fill it past that hole... easy enough.

The carafe itself is by FAR the more troublesome leaker. You can't pour coffee out of this unit without spilling coffee all over the counter and floor. You literally have to hold it over the sink when you pour your coffee unless you enjoy coffee stained floors and countertops. During the brew process there is always some leakage as well. We have had to keep a towel handy every day in order to clean up the mess that ensues from removing the carafe from the unit.

Bottom line, DO get a coffee maker with a thermal carafe, your tastebuds will thank you... DO NOT get this one.

"Love this Coffee Maker!!!"
I can't believe this coffee maker wasn't rated higher. My husband and I were notorious for spending $2.50 each a day on coffee because we could never find an adequate coffee maker before this one!

It brews perfectly (brewing Dunkin Donuts at home actually tastes better than the store!) and the carafe keeps the coffee hot for up to three hours. It looks great and is super easy to clean.

I highly recommend this coffee maker!!!

"Worst coffee maker ever - will ruin your marriage"
In a word - terrible. Carafe design is deplorable - makes a mess when you fill reservoir with water, and when you pour your coffee. Although ours is the white model with the heated plate, the machine and carafe are identical, only glass, and with a warming plate. I tend to use the grab-a-cup feature, which causes a drip every time I do, which in turn has led to the coating on the plate to peel away. And we've only owned it for about 4 months!

I hate this coffee maker more than I've ever hated any small home appliance I've ever owned. I'm not kidding, my husband laughs at me but is equally frustrated with it. We're going back to Proctor Silex or a Mr. Coffee.