This is the first coffee maker I've ever owned. I actually don't like to drink coffee, which is why I've gone 37 years without one of these (even though I have about every other small kitchen appliance in the world). But I recently got a package of Crio Bru (ground roasted cacao beans that you brew like coffee) and this machine was cheap enough, so I decided to buy it. I'm very happy with it. Perhaps because I've never owned a coffee machine before, I'm not expecting a lot of features. This is pretty simple -- put a filter in, put your coffee/cacao/tea in, fill the reservoir, and turn it on. The only switch is an on-off switch, and it does NOT shut off automatically when the pot is empty of water, so you will have to watch out for that. It's not a problem for me because I usually only make one or two mugs' worth of cocoa at a time. The 12-cup size is nice for someone who works from home, perhaps a small office or grad school lab, or a dorm. Because this is so inexpensive, it's really good as an entry-level machine. This did smell pretty heavily of plastic when I opened the box. However, the smell started dissipating pretty soon after I removed the coffee machine from the box. And I followed the first-time use cleaning instructions (basically run water through it once on a brew cycle, then dump the water out) and then just ran it again and heated water using the machine. I poured the heated water over a tea bag. The tea tasted fine, with no plastic taste, so the first-time cleaning instructions seem to have been sufficient. I've since used this for the Crio Bru beverage, and it works quite well for that, too. This machine works really quickly -- it's much faster than boiling water in a tea kettle, so I'll probably be "cheating" and using this quite frequently to heat water for tea, especially if I'm going to want a lot of tea at once (because the water in this'll stay warm instead of continually needing to be re-boiled). In the end, this was an excellent choice for my particular situation. If you're used to something fancier, you may not be happy with this. But this is a good, basic machine. (For what it's worth, the same machine sells at a big box retailer near where I live for quite a bit more -- the current Amazon price is very good.) Read more
I've tried cheaper coffee makers. They've quickly failed or their carafes have snapped and spilled coffee. I've also owned much more expensive models with all kinds of fancy features, but they had to be reprogrammed every time they were unplugged or the power blinked and they didn't make better coffee. On occasions when I've forgotten to turn off this coffeemaker, it has run for many hours empty without a problem. With this coffee maker I just install a paper basket filter, add the grounds and water, turn it on and it takes about one-minute per cup to brew. My wife and I usually brew 10 cups at a time, The pause-and-serve feature allows removal of the carafe while brewing without spillage. Amazon's price when I ordered this coffee maker was the same price as Wal-Mart's but I had the convenience of FREE home delivery from Amazon. This model replaced an identical Mr. Coffee switch coffee maker in our kitchen that had served me well for more than eight years before it finally gave out. For me, paying barely more than $2/year for a coffee maker is a bargain. At home we use a vintage Krups Type 223 burr bean grinder which measures our coffee. Our brewing water is softened and processed through a reverse-osmosis filter. While traveling in our motorhome, we use an identical Mr. Coffee coffeemaker but use pre-ground coffee measured with a scoop to keep it simple. Our motorhome water is supplied through a Camco 40045 TastePURE KDF Water Filter - 2 pack . We're never disappointed with the quality of our Mr. Coffee brew. We use generic store-brand paper basket filters. We also have a Coleman Camping Coffee Maker that we use when we are camping without electric hookups. It brews coffee atop our propane gas stove, is about twice as expensive, is slightly slower but uses the same paper basket filters as our Mr. Coffee. Although I prefer the appearance of the white model of this coffeemaker, it does eventually show stains on the lid that covers the brewing basket. Whether my choice is black or white, these Mr. Coffee coffeemakers have proven to be functionally identical. I believe that these coffeemakers strike the right balance for simplicity of operation, reliability, quality brew and reasonable cost. Read more
Good basic coffee maker. I don't know what some of the other reviewers are talking about when they say the carafe spout is leaky. It totally is not. The only defect I can spot is the fact that there is some dripping from the bottom of the top piece onto the hot plate on the bottom when you remove the carafe during the brewing cycle, and sometimes after it's done. I wipe it away with a cloth, and it hasn't damaged the hot plate yet. The hot plate doesn't keep the beverage in the carafe piping hot, but it's hot enough for me. You do have to be careful not to overfill it because there are two holes in the back of the unit, up near the top of the water well. However, they are hard to miss - so unless you fill the water well without looking at what you're doing, you'll notice the holes and stop pouring before you over-fill. Those holes make this unit about an 11-cup coffee maker, in effect. For the $19 I paid, I'm satisfied. The coffee always comes out tasting good. Read more
