I''ve owned a Keurig Platinum B70 since January 2007 and have liked it a lot since getting it. K-cups are very convenient and aren''t overly expensive when purchased from Amazon. My primary complaint about it is the pump noise and vibration. Keurig updated the design and greatly reduced the noise and vibration in their latest model of the Platinum and in this Breville model, and I wanted to find out just how much of an improvement there was. In my opinion, the improvement is huge. It is much, much quieter. I also liked the addition of the smaller cup size of four ounces, as well as the option to use a built-in water filter. Functionally, the Keurig Platinum and Breville BKC700XL are identical. The Breville adds a couple of nice convenience features (such as a supplied My K-Cup with a storage bin), and the cosmetics are clearly different. After using both, the cosmetics are a wash for me (some pluses for one model, and some pluses for the other), so it comes down to the difference in price. Right now, the Breville costs over $90 more than the Platinum. I don''t think it''s worth it, but it certainly might be for anyone that prefers the looks of the Breville. Either way, the coffee is good and easy to make!
Anyone who owns a Keuring knows the noise they make, they sound like a B-52 coming in for a landing, surprisingly the Breville is quiet, really quiet! Now the dog can sleep through my morning coffee making ritual. This comes with a nice hidden storage space on top where the included reusable K-Cup and measuring scoop are stored, nice feature, if like me, you always misplace goodies like this.
The unit is obviously stainless steel, it is attractive in the kitchen---coffee makers are normally one of those things we leave on the counter all of the time. It dispenses four different cup sizes plus has an iced beverage setting, which I''ll look forward to using this Summer. I would think that all K-Cup makers, make an equally good cup of coffee as they all work basically the same, could not make that an advantage for this maker. There is attention to detail, like the indicator on the cup platform to let you know if it needs to be emptied, the storage compartment, lighted water container etc.
Programming is intuitive. Setting the time for it to turn on and off, water temp., cup size and current time is a cake-walk. All controls are illuminated and easy to use. For some the price of this unit may be an issue, but when you consider it an appliance that gets used a lot and is left on the counter, the quality over other brands, the value is there! (Just made of cup of coffee while writing this, still blows me away just how quiet the Breville is).
I always get up in the morning several hours before my wife. I would make a pot of coffee, have several cups, it would then set there until she got up. Needless to say, what she got was not the greatest. Someone was talking about these K-Cup makers, I thought that would at least let her get a fresh cup when she got up.....so I bought one. Perfect! She became a happy camper first thing in the morning and we didn''t have to dump coffee when I made too much----how sweet it is. Having a selection of different blends of coffee is nice too, everyone likes something different. The Keuring was used and used until we needed a replacement, certainly got my moneys worth. Went with this, and can say that there is value for the extra cost and we are more than pleased with the performance of the Breville. Once in a while I''ll put a scoop of Folger''s in the reusable K-Cup, and it is great tasting too, put a tea bag in and have a cup of tea.
I think you would be more than pleased with this coffee maker if you are looking for quality, ease of use, versatility and great looks. Every review should have something negative---well, here it is: The plug is three inches long, it has this do-nut hole to put your finger in to make it easy to remove from the wall plug, great idea, but it just makes it impossible to put the coffee maker close to the wall when the plug is behind it. A thoughtful idea and probably not a problem for anyone else----just happens, our maker sits in front of the plug. Pathetic I know, but, I just had to get it out!
If you do make this purchase I really hope that you are as pleased as we are and get equal enjoyment from using it.
Buy Breville BKC700XL Gourmet Single-Serve Coffeemaker Now
As have been noted by numerous reviewers, this coffee machine is extremely unreliable. After a week of working well, it stopped working. No water or very little water was dispensed. There is no clog to speak of. When the machine malfunctions, one cannot access the menu. The machine would turn itself off inexplicably. A few days later it would work again, and then stop working after a few days. At the price charged, Breville could have ensured better quality in this machine. A black mark for its reputation, in my mind. Worse, Breville does not have after-hours or weekend customer service. The coffee made is delicious, and I love the ice brew feature; however, these are not enough to make up for all the technical problems. I really wish that Breville and its designers had tried out this machine for about a month before pushing it out onto unsuspecting customers like me. Definitely a coffee machine that''s to be avoided and I don''t recommend it at all.Read Best Reviews of Breville BKC700XL Gourmet Single-Serve Coffeemaker Here
Maybe it''s an "I spent most of the 90''s in coffee shops" thing, but finding an acceptable cup of coffee is not the easiest task in the world for me. And if I''m not going somewhere for coffee, that means firing up my Cuisinart burr mill (potentially waking up my family with the noise... possibly neighbors and nearby dogs, too) and waiting for my Cuisinart coffee maker to take a small eternity to brew a couple cups.That''s fine, if I don''t have anything to do. But I''m not a morning guy, and I don''t get up any earlier than I need to. Adding 15 minutes for coffee isn''t in the cards, and neither is stopping at a gas station or fast food restaurant for their dirt water.
A few years back, I picked up a Senseo Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine, hoping to achieve fast, quiet, and good coffee. Sadly, the Senseo failed. It was noisy, the used pods were messy, and despite trying almost every flavor, the coffee had a strange instant taste to it.
So, I had an opportunity to get the Breville BKC700XL, and I crossed my fingers. It couldn''t possibly be worse than the Senseo, and K-Cups seemed to be easier to find than Tassimo discs. The selection of K-Cups really impressed me, especially seeing a wide selection from Caribou Coffee. Fortunately, I ordered some different K-Cups ahead of time, as my Breville did not come with the 18 cup sampler advertised. (Note: This may be because the BKC700XL I received is for evaluation purposes)
As soon as I got it out of the box, I was really blown away by how nice it looks. I think the Keurig Elite B70 looks really cool in the "I am a gigantic nerd who loves unnecessary blue LED''s" sense of the term, but this has a distinct semi-retro look to it (with unnecessary white LED''s and backlighting, which are much more understated -and different than the item''s pictured blue tank light and blue LCD). Personally, I think the Breville is less likely to look dated after it''s been on your counter for a couple of years.
I was also surprised by how heavy this unit is. The exterior is almost all stainless steel, and the unit itself seems to be near bomb-proof. You can definitely tell that you''re getting quality for the extra money you''d spend.
Setting it up was painless. Breville is nice enough to give you a quick-start guide that gets you up and running in about 10 minutes. If you don''t use the included water filter (which appears to be the same replacement part that Cuisinart uses), maybe 5 minutes. And while you''re running your first-time primer brew, there''s enough time to read the full manual. But here''s what absolutely floored me: This thing is SO QUIET! Quieter than a regular coffee maker, to my ears. Seriously, I can''t express how surprisingly quiet this is. If you''re more than a couple of feet away from it, you''d hardly know it was on when it heats up the water. Once it gets going, all you really hear is your coffee dripping in to your cup.
Aaah... coffee in your cup. The moment of truth. I have to say, this thing makes some fine coffee... and QUICK! I used the Large / 9.25 oz. setting, and had my coffee in under a minute. But, in fairness, it wasn''t all that great. If you stray from the standard Medium / 7.25 oz. setting, medium roast coffee tastes pretty watered-down, and flavored coffee tastes almost like tea. On the other hand, if you go for two K-Cups in a 12 ounce mug using the Small / 5.25 oz. setting, you''re absolutely golden. Of course, if this is the route you plan to take, you''ll want to stock up on K-Cups if you aren''t using your own coffee.
The built-in timer is also a very welcome addition. You can set a "window" for auto-on and auto-off, as well as an optional separate automatic shutoff after two hours. With these turned on, you really can have a full cup of excellent coffee in your travel mug in under two minutes, and not have to worry about ruining the machine and wasting power.
The Breville BKC700XL is probably the first countertop appliance I''ve actually been excited about. If the price doesn''t have you calculating how many Hamilton Beach Brewstations you could buy instead, buy this right now.
***November 2011 Update***
I was actually referencing this brewer in another review, and noticed all of the negative reviews about quality, so I thought I''d offer an update.
Having owned this for just over two years now, I can say that I haven''t had a breakdown or leak, with the exception of the dismal MyCup system that''s included. (If that''s interesting to you, please buy a ekobrew Cup, Refillable K-Cup For Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Brown, 1-Count, which works brilliantly with this brewer!)
What I have noticed though, is that the brewer is very, very, VERY sensitive to hard water. The public water system where I live comes from a community well, and while totally safe, the water quality is not very good in terms of hardness and taste. So, we use a 5-gallon water cooler (like in an office) for drinking water.
Not too long ago, I noticed the brewer was getting progressively louder, finally making a loud "clunk" one day, and it seemed like it was ready to hop across the counter. Before I could start shopping for a new one, I noticed that my wife was filling the reservoir with water from the refrigerator -thinking that the built-in water filter would be adequate. I realized that the brewer probably had some scale build-up from the tap, ran some vinegar through it several times, and it was good-as-new. So, now everyone refills the reservoir from the water cooler, and there have been no other problems to date.
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I have been using a Keurig B70 for a couple of years. I was having issues with coffee grounds overflowing into my morning cup of joe (nothing wakes you up faster than choking on a mouthful of coffee grinds). I purchased this new unit because of the claim that it was quieter and has an iced tea setting. All I can say is...wow! This unit did not disappoint. It is whisper quiet compared to the other Keurig models. Now I''m not afraid to brew a cup early in the morning while others are sleeping. I am very happy with this upgrade.....and no more coffee grounds.Tim
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