BUNN NHBB Velocity Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer Save 22% Off

Bunn Coffee Makers are very high quality coffee makers, and one typically needs to spend money to get this kind of quality. However, there are a few costs you should be aware of before you purchase a Bunn Coffee Maker. I''m not saying that it may not be worth it to you, but you may as well know all of the costs before purchasing.

They both have to do with how Bunn delivers such a fast pot 3 minutes as opposed to 4-8 minutes of other makers. The first way they do it is to have what amounts to two sets of water tanks: one you fill, and the other is preheated. The preheated water tank is delivered to the spray head, and because it is preheated, it doesn''t require any time to heat it up. The problem is that it is preheated 24/7, and that can be costly. I''m guessing they use a 40 watt heater. If it takes 8-12 cents per day in energy costs, you are looking at $20-$40 per year. You can, after you are done brewing for the day, shut off the "vacation switch" which is the switch to the tank heater, and this will save the cost and energy, but if you forget to turn it back on at least 15 minutes ahead of when you need it, you are looking at a 15 minute wait for the tank to reheat before you can brew. You can also use a timer to limit the time of day the unit stays preheated, but that''s an additional cost and timers use energy to run all day.

Furthermore, if you are having guests, if you brew a pot of caffinated, followed by a pot of decaf, you may need to wait 15 minutes between pots. The Bunn commercial brewers keep three preheated tanks, so this isn''t a problem for them. But the consumer models keep only one tank preheated.

Note that they work on gravity: the water you put in pushes the preheated water out. Some of the preheated water will evaporate, so you have to put in more water than you want out.

The second thing they do to get a fast brew is to increase the amount of water that pours in to the filter basket, far greater than other coffee makers. The amount of water would collapse other filters, but because these filters are taller and sturdier, they stand up. But that means you are stuck with their filters, which, if you don''t have a supply nearby, and few stores carry them, means paying for the filters plus shipping.

Bunn builds coffee makers to last, unlike other coffee makers that will wear out after a year or two. Virtually all programmable models seem to only last a year or two. So by buying this brand, you''ll save money on coffee makers, to partly make up for the extra energy and filter costs.

You''ll have to decide whether the extra energy and filter costs (which can be dealt with, but might be troublesome) are worth saving the cost of buying a new machine every couple of years.

Next, the carbon footprint of a machine that consistently wastes energy is somewhat (but not all) counterbalanced by the fact that it is made in America , and does not require shipping halfway around the world like some of the better brands (UPDATE: it WAS made in America, now it''s made in China, so this benefit does not apply). Additionally, these coffee makers will easily outlast 5x other coffee makers, and that''s a lot of plastic you save buy buying something only once.

Finally, the quality of coffee from a flat bottom filter is generally not as high as that you can get from a cone filter, though the differences will be subtle, and if you are used to the flavor of a flat bottom filter, then you may never care. This brand is considered the best of the flat bottom makers, so there may not be as much of a difference as there are for other brands.

As for the heated base keeping your coffee hot, it is also *ruining* the flavor from almost the very first minute. Any real coffee geek will immediately take the pot off the heater and pour it into a thermal carafe or thermos or will order a model with a thermal carafe to start with. Ideally, there is no heated base at all. So people complaining that it doesn''t keep the coffee hot should invest in a thermal carafe or buy a model that comes with one.

In summary, the design of these coffee makers is suited to the standard donut shop, where they are brewing coffee around the clock and it is worth it to them to keep extra tanks of water heated so that they can shave 1-3 minutes off the brew time during their peak buying periods. Whether it is worth it for a consumer who makes one or two pots of coffee in the morning to do something like this is something only you can answer for yourself. They are very good coffee makers: well built and they make good coffee. But they cost a lot in terms of energy and filters, though partly balanced by the reduction in number of coffee makers you''ll buy over the life of this product and the local nature of the product that reduces the energy required to ship them. It''s one thing to have a high cost, but to have the high energy waste these coffee makers will generate for most consumers is something everyone should think about.

Finally, what did I buy instead? I settled on the Frieling USA C104943 Cilio Porcelain No. 4 Coffee Filter Holder. I bought the #4 size and use a #4 filter (though you can use a smaller filter for whatever size you buy) and make 16 ounces of coffee right into a Thermos Stainless King SK1005MB4 16-Ounce Leak-Proof Travel Mug, Midnight Blue. Cheap, simple to use, lightweight (less energy used to ship than an electric coffee maker), lasts forever, cleans in five seconds, no plastic chemicals in my coffee and wastes zero energy when not in use.

It was that time again; time to search for our next coffee maker. Being tired of replacing the coffee maker every 6 months we set out to look closer at build quality and read more reviews this time. We purchased three other coffee makers by a company that''s been around forever, Mr. Something. Nice looking, fancy green LED dial display with a timer, 12 cups, programmable, 2 hour auto shut off etc. for around $40-$50. Those machines only lasted around 6-7 months.

I always wanted a Bunn but was hesitant spending $100+ for a coffee maker again. Actually, I don''t recall seeing a BUNN for around $100 the last time I shopped. It''s not that spending $100+ was something new for me; I purchased other machines over $100 before but was also disappointed.

This coffee maker purchasing was beginning to be a regular thing for us so the line of thought was purchase a cheap one and replace it. So that is what we did but its costly doing that too. Buy a new machine in Jan. then June then again around Christmas time, that''s $150 right there! I remember thinking the last time; we should buy two so when it breaks we have a backup.

So anyway, we have the BUNN NHBX. The experience setting this machine up was unlike any other coffee machine in the past. I actually had to follow directions, 5 simple steps but IMPORTANT STEPS. It''s not like you just plug this machine in and go, 3 minutes later drink coffee. It does require some initial setup, approximately 20-30 minutes from opening the box. Bunn includes a quick setup guide in addition to a nice manual and a deliming tool. Adding 3 pots of water to the machine seemed odd at first not fully understanding the hot water reservoir design.

This machine makes the best tasting pot of coffee of all the machines I owned in the past. It''s also the hottest pot! The warmer plate seems unnecessary. This machine made coffee as quick as 2 min 35 secs up to 3 mins.

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We just bought this Bunn coffee maker to replace one that had been in use for almost fifteen years. We average two pots of coffee per day. Prorate $100 over 15 years. Not real expensive per year. Our old Bunn failed because I didn''t use common sense when handling it. I picked up the unit by the upper plastic portion of the coffee maker when moving it for cleaning, etc. With the water in the reservoir there''s too much weight to pick it up that way. This broke some of the internal joints and caused leaking. Be smarter than me...pick it up by the base or vertical center section when its full of water. That''s the main thing I wanted to say to those owning this coffee maker.

The other reviewers have stated all the great features of Bunn coffee makers, so I won''t detail them again. This is our third Bunn and I wouldn''t consider anything else. Well.....to be honest, I was tempted to buy a Bunn commercial coffee maker like the VP17-1. Good luck.

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I was very happy to see that Bunn offered a home device with a warming tank. I knew that from the office coffeemakers they produced that it should be a good with reliable features. I bought our first Bunn NHBX Home Coffee Maker at Lowes. It performed well for a while. A few months later, the power button at the top let go while brewing and the coffee grounds started flowing out of the filter compartment. I cleaned up the mess and examined the unit. The underside of the water dispenser had cracked into two parts and the filter would no longer stay up with any weight in the basket. Thinking it was a problem with the amount of coffee we ground, I decided to start over with another unit. WRONG. It also did the same thing after 5 months. The stainless steel coating started coming out from around the back of the water tank, too. It joined its predecessor in the trash. I decided to forego the 3 minute coffee and purchase a pro-line coffeemaker that really was suitable for office and home.

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I have had 3, yes 3 coffee makers in the past 2 years. A mill and brew, a Krupps, some other quite nice machines. Every time I would go to my parents house I was amazed by how good the coffee tasted out of that plain, 7 year old, simplistic looking Bunn my parents owned. I tried the same coffee grinds, filters and all on mine, taste was awful in comparison. Through my powers of deduction (I know, I know, call me Captian Obvious) I determined it was the coffee machine rather than the ingredients that was the culprit. I ordered the Bunn NHBX-B as it has more contemporary styling and was pleased to see despite the face lift the taste has not changed one bit. Delicious. And all in 3 minutes time. I will never purchase another coffee machine, see you later Starbucks drive-through.

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Mr. Coffee FTTX95-1 10-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker Save 17% Off

First the good:

--It looks nice sitting on your counter.

--The beeping sound to signify the end of the brewing cycle is nice.

Now the bad:

--You will never get anything but a warm cup of coffee out of this coffee maker. And if you add milk or cream to your coffee, the result is lukewarm at best. You will aways have to put your coffee in the microwave. This is true no matter how close you follow the directions, and no matter how creative you get. Even if you remove the carafe from the unit after the brewing cycle is completed, your coffee will only be warm. The instruction manual says to completely fill the carafe with very hot water and let it sit for 10 minutes before brewing in order to heat up the carafe. Okay, during the morning rush to get out to work, who has time to let their kitchen faucet run for a few minutes to get hot water (especially in the winter) and then wait for 10 minutes with the water in the carafe and then wait for the brewing cycle to end?

--The carafe is stainless steel no glass lining (which is the best insulation material) Not sure who the genius is that thinks stainless steel is an insulator.

--The Pause-and-serve mechanism broke on the third day. I went to pull out the carafe to grab a cup and coffee came splashing down all over my hand.

--This isn''t a huge deal but the clock is so bright I''m fairly certain it could serve as a beacon to guide large ships sailing past rocky coast lines.

this was a gift for my husband, we''ve had it for about 2 weeks. he tends to nurse a pot of coffee over several hours, so we thought this would be better than the conventional coffee makers. it doesn''t have a warming plate, so we don''t have to worry about leaving it "on" accidentally. the coffee doesn''t burn after sitting there for a couple of hours. it also has a water filter insert. my husband is overjoyed, he has his hot coffee when he wants it and says it tastes better than our old coffee maker coffee. he loves the programmable coffee brewing feature as well.

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I had one of these for about 3 months before it died. I used it to make about 5 cups a day and after a while it just quit working. Aparently the element burned out from the low water levels I was using. Mr. Coffee customer service was great though, after an email I had a replacement in just a couple days. When it worked, the coffee was good once I adjusted recipes to match the machine. The water filter is a nice touch if a bit pricey for replacements and it seemed to be effective. One hint, use hot water to preheat the carafe and the coffee will stay warmer longer.

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I had this coffee maker for about 6 months before I moved into a new house, unboxed it, and started using it. As the user image I added to Amazon can attest, this coffee maker and I did not part ways amicably (unless you consider being thrown off a 15 foot high deck on to a boulder in 5 degree weather an amicable breakup). You should strongly consider buying another model, but I don''t know what to tell you to get ... none of the coffee makers I can find in stores appear to be truly well made.

First, the cons:

In summary, what you are looking at here is a coffee maker that will make increasingly bitter lukewarm coffee that you may, depending on the day and your luck, find in the "thermal carafe," or find all over your counter, cabinets, and the floor below. The details:

The filter basket is cheap plastic and has a tightly ribbed bottom surface that is impossible to clean. This seems endemic to most every drip coffee maker on the market today. My kingdom for a coffee maker with a stainless filter basked that I can surgically clean! The gunk builds up on the little plastic ribs in these plastic baskets. It is impossible to clean (ever try to get the brown staining out of a white plastic filter basket?) and it contributes to coffee that gets increasingly bitter over time.

Unless you follow the instructions and pre-heat the carafe with hot water, your coffee will never come out anything more than tepid. The "thermal carafe," as someone else has pointed out, is stainless steel inside and out -stainless steel is an efficient _conductor_ of heat, not an insulator. How about a true thermal carafe, with a glass lining on the inside and some actual additional insulating material between the glass and the outer stainless steel shell?

The check valve in the lid of the "thermal carafe" will stick shut on you. For me, it took maybe 6 uses for this to occur. When this happens, the coffee will be unable to enter the carafe as it exits the filter basket, instead pooling on the carafe lid, then continuing to spill on down the sides of the carafe, all over your counter, and down into whatever is below that (unless you have a counter that will pool 10 cups of water around your coffee maker for you). When the coffee got into my new cabinetry as it dripped over the edge of the counter on its way to spreading across the floor, that is when the coffee maker found itself hurtling to the boulders below my deck.

A timer feature is useless on a coffee maker that requires as much user involvement as this one. On coffee makers I''ve had in the past, I would set to brew coffee at approximately the same time I woke up. With this one, if I were to properly use this machine, I would need to wake up 1/2 hour before the timer was set so I could go and pre-heat the carafe, then stand watch over the unit until I was satisfied that the machine was not about to make coffee for the counter, cabinets, and floor instead of for its own carafe.

Pros:

For a machine that smacked into a boulder after being thrown downward from approximately 15 feet, it suffered surprisingly little damage. The plate where the carafe is normally placed shattered, revealing the guts of the machine below, and it was a bit scuffed up, but that was about it. I think this is because it took more of a glancing blow off of the boulder, although in my blind rage I must admit I really didn''t watch that closely ... I was more concerned with cleaning up the mess back in the kitchen.

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When our last coffee pot died, we looked at many models, since my husband and I drink a lot of coffee. I wouldn''t call us coffee snobs, but we do have definite opinions on good versus bad coffee. Our previous coffeemaker, which we loved, had a thermal carafe, and the only problem we ever had with it (until it finally expired after years of faithful and trouble-free service) was that pouring out of the carafe always ended in a few drips. Mildly annoying, but certainly not a deal-breaker.

We got this one because of the features and the thermal carafe. Here''s how it works:

First, you can''t pour the water into the reservoir at any rate faster than a drip without having it splash all over the place. This is because they handily placed a flat panel in the middle of the grill over the reservoir, apparently just to splash the water back in your face. So, having splashed about a quarter of your coffee water onto your counter, you wipe it up, get more water and pour it S-L-O-W-L-Y into the grill. Then you put in the coffee grounds and turn it on. I didn''t time it, but it felt like about 20 minutes to get that water through the grounds and into the pot. I once made the mistake of moving my hand near the top of the coffeemaker during this process (intending to turn on the disposal), and discovered serendipitously that quite a lot of steam escapes from the top where the edges of the lid don''t quite meet the sides. Ouch.

Another ouch: don''t -DON''T -try to remove the carafe and pour the coffee before it''s finished. The stop-pour feature simply does not work. You''ll get burned and make a mess. But not to worry; it''s just the beginning of the mess.

Ok, now you try to pour your coffee. You tilt the carafe forward while pressing a button on the handle with your thumb. No matter how hard you press, you will get --a trickle. If you are like me and drink from a mug that holds closer to 16 ounces than eight, this means you are holding the d*** carafe for a full two minutes, with your thumb losing circulation all the while. And the less coffee in the carafe, the slower it comes out. And to add to the fun, the spout is not designed to inhibit dripping, so you now have coffee drips all over the counter you had just wiped to clean up the water that splashed back on you from the grille.

So. You bite back the language you don''t want your kids to hear, and simply unscrew the lid of the carafe to pour the coffee. Right? Wrong. You unscrew the lid alright, but here''s what happens: coffee goes everywhere. There are copious, large coffee drops hanging off the bottom of the lid. I can''t figure out how they designed this lid so that there is a good ounce hanging there. And it goes all over the counter, which (by the second or third time you''ve used this wonderful product) you now have covered with paper towels. The lid is finally off, the counter is protected, but your coffee cup is still empty. You tilt the unlidded carafe forward, carefully, and observe a flow of liquid that more closely resembles rafting-grade whitewater than anything that should ever come out of a spout. Lots of coffee goes into your cup, and lots more goes on the paper towels.

You wipe the drips (there are several) off the sides of your cup, and put the top back on the carafe. Here''s where the thermal carafe should keep the coffee warm. Well, I have to agree with someone else here who posed the question: what idiot thought that stainless steel is a good insulator? This carafe has no glass. Buyer beware. The coffee wasn''t even that hot in the first place because I had ignored the printed instructions to fill the carafe with hot water and empty it again BEFORE I brew the coffee, so that the carafe won''t suck all the heat out of the coffee immediately. They MUST be kidding, right? Ahhh -apparently not. Hear me now: ignore this instruction at your own risk, unless you like lukewarm coffee. And if you have to keep taking the lid on and off to pour your coffee without getting carpal tunnel syndrome from that d*** button, the carafe insulates even less.

My final note on this was about something so stupid as to be hilarious. That notorious button on the handle, the one you press to allow the coffee to flow -no, correct that, trickle -has a picture on it. It is an icon showing the carafe in a forward-tilted position. No, really! I guess if, like me, you were stupid enough to buy this thing in the first place, you might need that icon to understand that if you hold the coffee pot level, nothing will come out of it. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!

My husband, who is a very peaceful and non-violent man, was threatening to take this THING out into the driveway and run over it with his car before we got a replacement. We now have the Zojirushi, and all is once again well with the world.

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Ge 12-cup Digital Coffee Maker

I bought this product a week ago to replace an aging "M.C" which had given good service over the years but which would not support further cleaning and was perennially slow. My wife selected it, and I couldn''t find any other product I preferred either.

A first note is that this is a later model than the recalled unit anything on the shelves now will be, so perspective buyers shouldn''t need to worry about that.

The machine does exactly what it should: it brews a regular pot of standard strength coffee in eight minutes, as it promises. I also tried the gourmet mode. I thought at first that it would be a gimmick, but it actually makes a different cup of coffee. The regular brew cycle makes your "general drinking, keep it coming, restaurant style" coffee, while the gourmet mode (which uses more grounds and less water, brews at higher power, and therefore is faster to brew) makes the connoisseur style, stronger coffee for after dinner or for the morning after a good party the style of coffee for which you would buy premium beans. I do use premium beans, and I was extremely happy with its performance in that mode too.

A note about strength: if you''re replacing a older, slower machine, you might notice your first pot being weak, and that you need slightly more coffee grounds than you did with the slower machine. That makes sense, because it brews faster, like it should. The advantage is that you''ll get a "cleaner" cup less bitter so it''ll be worth it. I quickly adjusted by the second pot. I use an electric grinder with a timer, so it was easier to lengthen the time slightly issue resolved.

A note about the nylon filter might be helpful. A nylon mesh cannot be as fine as a paper filter, so you will get a little silt in the carafe (in both modes). Like many coffee lovers, I actually like a little sediment in my coffee it makes it more complex and wholesome in my opinion but if you don''t, simply allow it to settle for a couple of minutes before serving, pour gently as as not to stir up the sediment, and don''t pour right to the bottom of the carafe. Alternatively, use paper filters. I would not use regular paper filters with the gourmet mode, as the higher flow rate may overwhelm the finer filter. I understand "B" (the folks who make pour-over type brewers) make a paper filter for fast brew machines like theirs that should work well in this product, though I haven''t tried them yet. I also wouldn''t advocate the use of paper filters with the nylon filter you might slow the water flow and overflow the machine.

The handy splash shield that pops up when you open the water reservoir lid does what it should helps the water go where it should (and not down the back of the unit) if access to the top of the your unit is limited by cupboard space, etc.

The carafe has a comfortable handle, and does not drip under normal use. Any adult of coffee drinking age ought to have sufficiently developed motor skills to pour from a lip-spouted vessel. If you do spill, it''s not the fault of the carafe. Hold the carafe such that you pour out of the center-line of the spout and not the side, and it will do exactly what it''s supposed to do.

The black finish of the product is not the hard, shiny plastic we''re used to, so some might call it cheap. On the other hand it has a nice non-slip quality to it, so the machine is easy to move around safely, for example while washing the outside.

The display is back-lit an exuberant blue subtlety is not a word that comes to mind here but the color is pleasant, and the brightness is uniform so it doesn''t glare. You certainly won''t need another nightlight in your kitchen, though! The buttons on the panel light up blue when active, and some of the blue light from the display bleeds across to the on/off and auto buttons on either side of it when they are off (this confused my wife briefly), but you soon figure it out, and it''s not a problem in any sense: in fact the spill-over actually helps you locate those buttons in dim light, so I consider it a feature!

The basket assembly comes out for easy cleaning no problems there.

The unit does not blow steam any more than any other coffee maker (it''s going to vent a little it boils water, so it''s bound to), so it won''t damage the underside of face of your cabinets.

The unit gives a happy little "beep-beep" when coffee is ready. It has auto shut-off which you can set for 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes, which I find very handy: if you live in shame as a "closet coffee reheater" like we do, it''s handy to set the time to 30 minutes so you don''t stew the coffee. Then you can "nuke" a cup in the early afternoon and not be disappointed. Lesser machines have a standard 2 hour timeout which, if they keep coffee hot enough to drink for that long, will stew it too. The "TSB" ("time since brew") button tells you how long your coffee has been sitting on the hot plate, in case you didn''t use the timer to start it. Oh, and the timer? You set it for the time you want the coffee to be ready, not the time it should turn on, so you don''t have to do complex arithmetic at bedtime!

A note for the guys: I know we don''t normally do this, but do read the instructions the features will make it worth it.

Only negative? I''d have liked a nicer finish and slightly heavier, more robust plastic parts, but it''s in line with what the market offers these days at this price range, and I have no regrets.

As a final comment, after returning home after a business trip this week, my wife commented unsolicited "I''m glad we bought this coffee maker". I guess we''re keeping it, then :-)

Bought at Walmart for 19.95 or close to that. Have made twenty or more half full pots of coffee. Not the slowest brewer of this type that I have ever used, but not very fast. Good tasting coffee. I thought the little charcoal filters were a good idea and probably helped the taste compared to our previous brewer. However, the only place I could find the replacement filters was through Amazon and their cost (with shipping) was higher than an angry cat''s back. After about two weeks, one of the little tangs that hold the flapping lid in the carafe slot broke for no apparent reason. So now the lid comes off easily. Poor design or quality control on that lid in my opinion. If you can find something with better recommendations for same price or only $10 more I suggest you buy the something else.

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purchased at store. ran water through as recommended when new, then ran coffee through. very smooth tasting, nice and hot. 4 cups/4 small scoops. (using the included large/small scoop) Nice features. Not slow like other say. Sounds like a coffee maker when brewing, never heard a quiet one. only issue I have had is some very tiny coffee grounds got through the filter (preground coffee), I typically grind my own and use the coarse setting, if I use preground coffee I will use a paper filter.

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This Coffee maker is the best product I have used in years. Very quick and fast with great taste. Its compact enough and the filter is seated below in the back inside the water. A must have. It also has a matching toaster.

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I bought this coffee maker because of the automatic shut off feature as well because it does not require filters. It worked good for the first few months but I did notice a large amount of steam and I had to move it almost to the edge of my counter so it would not warp my cabinets. Then I noticed it started leaking a little when I took the pot out from under the drip. When I went to wipe the coffee off some of the coating came off of the warming plate. Then it started shutting off during the brew. I looked up the error and it said I needed to run a cleaning cycle. Now, since the cleaning cycle, it turns off after only brewing for 30 seconds, then I''ll turn it back on and it will brew very slowly until there is 2 cups left in the reservoir. This whole process takes about 20 minutes for me to get 1 cup of coffee that takes awful. I am throwing this out and hopefully getting something else tomorrow.

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Filtrete Water Pitcher WP02-WH-8 Save 33% Off

I have tried a number of water filtering systems, and encountered frustrations with all. I''ve had it delivered, but the bottles grew algae. I''ve Brita-ed but, when left out, the container grew algae, and when kept in the refrigerator, it took up too much space. I''ve used filtering systems on the tap water (still tastes funny) and through the refrigerator filter, which gets slow very quickly. So I was not expecting any miracles here.

And while it''s not a miracle, the Filtrete Water Pitcher WP02-WH-8, 8 Cup is pretty cool. Here''s why:

1. It actually fits in your refrigerator door. Oh, I know. Right now that''s jammed with pickle relish and maraschino cherries and a half jar of chutney and some Dijon mustard and lemon curd and a stick or two of butter. But trust me. Toss the pickle relish, which would grow mold if it could, and this baby will actually fit in the door.

2. It''s easy and fast to fill. Take the top off, set it in the sink, and run a slow stream of water over it while you get out the cat food or start to empty the dishwasher. It will sit there quietly filling. Turn the water off. No waiting. The water goes through the filter quickly. Put the lid back on and put it back in the refrigerator door (where the pickle relish used to be.)

3. It handles easily. It holds a decent amount of water (8 cups, to be precise). It''s not too heavy. You can fill your kettle or your espresso machine or pour some in your crockpot or your batter. Fresh water that you don''t have to beat out of the water filter.

4. The water tastes good. I''m not a big fan of water. I''m one of those people that does not thing it is delicious. But this tastes very pure and fresh.

5. The meter is easy to read. I''ve squinted at Britas. I''ve wrestled with refrigerator filters. This one is brightly colored and not too tiny. You can see when it reaches the halfway mark. You can see when it''s time to order a new filter.

I give it a full five stars. Now if you''ll excuse me, I need to go pick up some pickle relish.

This is an okay water pitcher IMO.

It''s from the Filtrete company who is more known heating/air conditioning filters.

It works just like a Brita filter, but the replacement filters are not as easy to find in your local store.

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I have been getting back on the program recently, losing some weight, and eating healthy. I bought Dr Fuhrman''s Eat for Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer (2 book set) and have made major strides. One thing I remember from a long time ago was the Stillman water diet. In it I learned that if you drank 8 glasses of water per day, whatever else you did you would lose 1 pound per week just doing that. Of course if you are on a binge and gaining weight you wouldn''t lose a pound, but you would gain 7 lbs that week instead of 8. You get the idea, drink 8 glasses of water per day and make a one pound difference weekly in your weight. So in a year, that alone would be 52 pounds difference. So I decided the only way I would know if I am getting in my 8 glasses was to have a water pitcher in the fridge, and then along comes this Filtrete Water Pitcher in an 8 cup. Ok so onto the niceties about it.

This thing is slim. So it can fit on a shelf on the door, or it can take up very little space on one of the main shelves. It does filter the water, and it does so very efficiently. That part you see sitting inside of the pitcher is a water fill tub with a filter in it. So you pop the handy rectangular cover off thereby exposing the entire water trough making it easy to fill, and also into the future easy to clean if need be. The flow rate is great. There are 4 weep holes under the fill basin so all 4 are pouring filtered water through at the same time into the base fill container. So you can bring this over to the tap, set it at a moderately slow rate, and let it fill.

I have a Whirlpool refrigerator with water in the door that is filtered also but I have no way of knowing just how much water I drank that day. With this the guessing game is over. Also there are those in the medical community that prescribe no super cold fluids into your digestive system; it supposedly is not beneficial from a health standpoint. Of course even thinking about drinking room temperature water is out of the question. So I load up on the ice (which cost money to generate) and then pour the water into it. So here is another bonus; by keeping it in the refrigerator in this Filtrete pitcher you get cool refreshing water, but not so cold it is on the borderline of ice, and after your glass sits as you sip it, the temp moderates even more.

It looks good. It has a very appealing style. Kind of retro 2000. :-) If there is such a thing. In making a lightweight pitcher, they did not bury this in one inch thick plastic, so the comments about it being cheaply made are not wrong if you are looking for something to throw at the neighbor''s dog when it gets into your garden, but is of sufficient quality for cool water in the fridge purposes.

I can''t find anything wrong with it. I have had the top on and off several times, and it goes on without a whimper. The little pour cap that sits conveniently at the nose due to gravity is always ready to move out of the way when you want to make a pour. Of course buying replacement filters every month and a half goes with the territory. It says it gets rid of chlorine in the water. I have not done a scientific test to see how it compares to the Brita Pitcher systems, but I was thinking I may use the filtered water from the fridge door as a means to fill it, thereby giving me double filtration. All in all, no problems, good unit. If it gives me any reason to despair in the future, I will come back and edit this review. So far so good. Nice price, nice unit.

PS: Contrary to what I read from another reviewer, this pitcher fills up really fast. I did a spot check from empty and noticed the digital clock and it took less than two minutes but just under to fill it from the tap, so I decided to do a more exacting measurement of fill time. So I started the fill right at the begining of one minute, and at exaclty one minute and fifty-two seconds it was filled with filtered water right up to the top. You can easily fill this by turning on your tap gently, and matching the fill rate with the spigot flow, and then simply walk away. With my Brita pitchers it was always fill them up, wait until it filtered the first fill up, and then come back and refill the top tub as well. You always had to have the whole top segment of the pitcher empty that way, and that takes up more space. With the small tub on top, and simply matching the water flow is more efficient use of valuable fridge space. Mind you I think Brita pitchers are great too.

Read Best Reviews of Filtrete Water Pitcher WP02-WH-8 Here

As advertised, this pitcher has an excellent "fridge friendly" size.

Others pointed out that 3M aren''t very specific what the filter, uh, filters. We get municipal water that''s clean and safe enough that it''s not much of a concern, it''s just nice to have the water taste a little better and the filter does that fine. Maybe I''m naive, but being a 3M product I have pretty good confidence in the filter.

The water runs through the filter quickly, as advertised, but the reservoir on top of the filter is pretty small, so filling the pitcher still ends up being a bit of a slow process as you can only add a little bit at a time (or have to put it under the tap with the water just running the speed of the filter). This is by far the biggest drawback.

Another reviewer had trouble with the lid not fitting on the pitcher -on ours that''s not a problem; everything is fitting together fine.

The filters are pretty expensive currently at almost $12; but maybe the price will come down when the product is more widely available?

*Update about 4 months later* We''ve grown quite fond of this pitcher; it has completely replaced our fridge water filter (electrolux/frigidaire). We can''t tell the difference between the fridge filter and this; but it''s much faster to pour a glass of water from this than from the fridge.

After some time of use the filter was sending water through faster and faster, so it got really fast to fill up. It was probably not filtering as well though, so recently we changed it for the first time (after about 4 months of regular use, probably fill it up twice a day. We were gone for a month so that''s about 180 fillings). With the new filter we''re back to the more sluggish filling speed, but it''s still way faster than a typical pitcher, it also looks nicer and we''ve gotten good at adjusting the faucet to just the right speed to fill it up while doing something else in the kitchen for a minute. I''d give it 4 stars except the filters seem so expensive (though $4/month is probably comparable in cost to our fridge filter).

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The Filtrete Water Pitcher has plenty going for it. The water filters through quite quickly & the slim design saves an awful lot of space in our already crowded fridge, but it does get a bit top-heavy when it is full, so every so often there have been some spills. Handling the Filtrete when it is full takes just a bit of time to get used to. All-in-all, though, this is a fine product & very useful.

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Brita Magnum Pitcher

This is the largest Brita pitcher I could find 50% larger than the original pitcher (3 qts vs. 2 qts). We use a lot of filtered water, including cooking spaghetti, filling the room humidifier, etc., so the larger size is more convenient.

It does require removal of the whole lid to refill the "Deluxe" model is similar, but has a flip-top to refill more easily.

Be aware that when full, this model is heavier to handle, especially as it extends out due to its shape so it is a little more awkward than a gallon jug of milk even though it holds less.

Brita has good customer service over the phone, but the warranty for the pitcher is only 90 days. (Ours tend to get cracks in about 3-9 months.)

The water filtration is excellent, but you must remember to replace the filters at the proper interval (about monthly) to maintain the water quality. Some other models have built-in reminders we just replace it at the beginning of each month.

Note that Brita does NOT soften water or take out sodium it does take out Lead, Mercury, and other metals and contaminants. It also improves the taste.

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GE Smartwater Replacement Water Filter (FXULC-3pack)

• GE Smart Filter

Buying these through Amazon is like getting one for free. Purchasing these filters three at a time is a real money saver.

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I live in a pretty old house and sometimes our water would have a slight color to it, but now with these water filters, the water tastes great and there is never a color to it. Just crystal clear, great tasting water. Easy to install, all filters were wrapped in the original plastic wrapper as if they were purchased straight from Home Depot. Buying them on Amazon saved me quite a bit of cash compared to buying them in a chain hardware store.

Read Best Reviews of GE Smartwater Replacement Water Filter (FXULC-3pack) Here

I have had the Smartwater system for years but only recently discovered the money savings by buying the 3 pack. Since the filter needs to be replaced at least every six months, they go fast. Very prompt delivery!

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When we changed the old filter, we realized how much dirt was being filtered from our water supply. What a relief to know that these contaminents were trapped before we drank them.

This was a great deal on a bundle of filters. I bought these for a customer and they were thrilled.

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Philips Saeco Syntia Focus Automatic Espresso Machine Save 44% Off

This is the first espresso machine I have owned, so I won''t be comparing it to other machines. I''ve had the machine for about 5-6 months now, using it once or twice nearly every day with no problems.

I have been drinking espresso for a long time and I appreciate a well-balanced, properly extracted, silky crema and rich cup of gold. This machine is quick and consistent with every cup. With the touch of a button, you can go from bean to drinking within seconds. I prefer heavy thick espresso, so I keep it at it''s finest setting for a powerful cup. There are two methods to set the potency: one to adjust the coarseness of the grind and one to adjust how much to brew in each cup. You can use pre-ground as well, however, I have not tried it.

The steamer works fantastically and takes mere seconds to warm up. The design makes a great foam on top for a perfect cappuccino or latte.

It''s easy to keep clean and it is very easy to set up right out of the box. The brushed finish leaves no fingerprints and the steam wand wipes clean with a damp rag very easily.

The machine is built sturdy and is very low profile, which is great for smaller kitchens lacking counter-space. You can adjust the height of the spout for different sized cups. The full operation (grinding, tamping, brewing, and disposing) is not loud at all compared to some machines I have heard.

Since the machine is relatively small in size, it does not hold a massive quantity of beans, the water tank does have to be filled often (but it is very easy to fill), and the waste bucket needs to be emptied after 4-5 uses (easy to dump).

I have nothing bad to say about the design, operation, interfacing, or maintenance of this machine. I highly recommend it to anyone and wouldn''t return it for anything. It truly is the best part of waking up!

--Salud!

We have had this machine for a couple of months and love it. We spent a lot of time looking at different machines. We were looking for durability, brew quality and price (I know, not a big surprise). Finding all three is a challenge in the superatomatics. The Saeco Syntia seems to meet all our needs.

It costs a little more than some of the others, but the issue I saw again and again with cheaper models was that they just didn''t hold up. There were very few reviews outlining any problems with the Syntia.

So far everything is great. The documentation with the machine is just OK. I strongly recommend viewing the how-to videos on You-Tube by Saeco; they were very helpful.

The machine is much smaller than I thought it would be and fits very nice on our kitchen counter taking up just a little more space than a coffee maker. For the savings in space, the size of the water tank is sacrificed; we need to fill it every day. This is the only complaint thus far. We are very happy with the performance.

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We previously owned a Talea Touch that the display started acting up after almost 4 years of a LOT of use. I decided to pull the trigger on this unit instead of re-buying that one I love the way this looks. It''s small height fits nicely under our counter and allows easy access to the bean hopper without having to move the unit around. The coffee (and we rarely drink espresso...use this mostly for coffee) is great tastes very good and although I read that it might taste different due to the lack of the SBS (Saeco brewing system) that my Talea had, I find the taste to be very close. I doubt seriously I could taste test a difference in a blind test.

For those that want to use this as a pure coffee maker, please note that the most you can get out of this unit is 8oz. We use 12oz coffee cups and were hoping to get some menu adjustments to add a few more oz of water to the cup, but it''s not possible. Now, in fairness, the Talea does allow you to make this adjustment but essentially it just waters down the coffee a little more (which I felt I always noticed in taste but didn''t know exactly how the Talea worked and assumed that it was making the adjustments via pre-brewing, etc... but it doesn''t...it just adds more water).

Overall, had this unit a few days and really happy with it. Good build, nice looking, easy to use and the coffee is noticeably hotter out of the unit than my Talea ever was. Several people used to put their cup in the microwave after just to get it hotter. Not so with the Syntia. It also allows you with the dial on the front to dispense hot water as well, so great if you want a cup of tea, etc...

If I had one big complaint it''s that the water hopper is really small smaller even than my Talea. I didn''t measure, but if you''re doing all espresso it''s probably not a huge deal. When you''re doing all coffee the water runs out fast...maybe 3-4 glasses tops and you are re-filling the water.

Highly recommend though my wife has people coming to our house just to drink coffee with her. Everyone loves this thing the quality is SOOOO much better than anything else we''ve tried. My sister bought us a Keurig unit to keep in our guest suite and we had to use that for a few days waiting on this unit from Amazon. It''s not even close. And, the best part of a unit like this is that you can use whatever beans you like best you''re not tied to a companies product to keep making coffee. Personally, we love the Dunkin Donuts blend. Soooo good. :)

Read Best Reviews of Philips Saeco Syntia Focus Automatic Espresso Machine Here

Years ago, I worked part-time at Starbucks as a barista. Even before my Starbucks days, I managed an espresso bar in college. I know my coffee/espresso drinks and I''ve worked with some hardcore machines. After I left my barista jobs, I figured getting the same quality of espresso drinks at home would be hard to do. The machines I''ve purchased to replicate what I used on the job fell pretty short in terms of power, speed and quality. I then resorted to purchasing my coffee/espresso drinks instead so I could continue enjoying espresso with the same expectations.

When I tried out the Syntia Focus for the first time, I was impressed. It really yielded a great quality with perfect ''crema'' {or espresso foam}which is telling of a good machine. Crema is achieved when everything from the water temperature, pressure, tamping and timing is perfect and where it needs to be to put out the best espresso. Who would have thought a home espresso machine would really deliver like this?! I was hooked and I liked the product so much I taught a ''Barista Basics'' class to a handful of coffee/espresso loving students.

Using the Syntia Focus Automatic Espresso Machine, I taught folks how to create the perfect cup of espresso and a myriad of espresso drinks from cappuccinos, lattés, mochas, breves, mistos, etc. Needless to say, we were all pretty wired by the end of the class! Since the holidays are just around the corner, if you''re looking for a great gift to give a fellow coffee/espresso lover, I highly recommend this espresso machine. But honestly, don''t wait until the holidays to purchase one. This is great even for yourself so you can have fun making your favorite coffeehouse drinks and be a master barista in your own kitchen!

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The Syntia is the first espresso machine that I have ever used. It has a sleek, sophisticated, and elegant black exterior that is quite modern and stylish. I am impressed by the chrome finish, which elevates the design. Its compact size makes it easy to store on the kitchen counter, without having to rearrange existing appliances.

The machine is operational right out of the box, and is not difficult to use. The product manual contains both graphics, and text. The company provides videos on its website, which is also a great resource.

The control panel, with its LED display was incredibly intuitive. Adjusting the coffee length is a matter of touching the appropriate button. There is also a convenient hot water and steam selector switch.

One of my favorite features is the aroma preference. So far I''m still on the one bean setting, but each new brew has presented a deeper and more flavorful result than I ever would have imagined. There is a manual button to modify the coffee to either a coarse or fine grind. I''ve also used pre-ground coffee, but prefer using the whole beans, because of the bolder taste. However, I also enjoy hearing the gentle whirl of the grinder prior to the brewing cycle, because it makes for a more complete espresso experience.

I made my first cappuccino with this machine. The Pannarello wand was not difficult to use, and made rich, frothy milk with ease. The result was an incredibly flavorful cappuccino that tasted even better, because I made it myself!

The front loading water tank was a huge plus. I have low kitchen cabinet clearance, so this was an excellent feature.

The machine is easy to clean and maintain. Overall, I highly recommend the Syntia for its ability to provide a delicious espresso, without ever leaving the comfort of home.

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BISSELL Lift-Off Floors & More Pet Save 1% Off

I''m not sure why some people are having such an issue with the BISSEL LIFT-OFF FLOORS & MORE PET VACUUM? Maybe they''ve got big dogs that shed a ton of hair or something or they''re trying to use this thing as a regular vacuum cleaner and that could explain the performance problems.

I''ve got a small/medium sized Shiba Inu who sheds twice a year and so far the BISSELL LIFT-OFF has performed really well. I wouldn''t use this to vacuum carpets or large areas; this machine is basically a handheld vacuum that gives you the option of going on the hard floors (wood, tile) like an upright, to clean up stray hairs, debris, and the like, but don''t expect it to actually perform like a regular upright vacuum.

The handheld part comes off with a push of a button and I''ve used it to suck up hair off of my bed. My dog has red/cream colored fur and I''ve got black sheets (woof!), so I see ALL the hairs that fall off and stick to the bed, and the LIFT-OFF does a pretty decent job of cleaning it up, picking up mostly all of the hair with the exception of the really thin, fine ones that are hard to grasp even with fingers.

Using it as an upright with the brush spinning, the BISSELL LIFT-OFF sucked-up my hair off the bathroom floor, after I trimmed it, even with the floor being wet, which is a nightmare to pickup using something like a broom and dustpan or Swiffer sheets. I usually trim my hair in-between visits to the salon, and after I cut/trim, I must rinse off in the shower before I can clean up the hair (otherwise hair continues to litter the floor) and that''s why the floor gets damp/wet, so the BISSELL worked well in this case.

I do agree with other reviewers that the filter inside the canister gets clogged with pet hair and dust rather quickly. My solution is to clean it with a dry toothbrush. The filter comes out easily so you can also wash it out but make sure that the FILTER IS DRY before placing it back in the unit. I did that, thinking it would dry in it, but it did not (because I guess not enough air gets inside the canister) so it remained damp; when I tried to use it next, there wasn''t any suction. That''s when I discovered that the filter didn''t dry at all and I had to dry it on the counter before I could use it again. It''s much easier to clean it (dry) with a dry toothbrush until you must wash it out (maybe after several uses).

Another thing I''ve noticed is that the machine works a lot quieter than my old Dirt Devil handheld.

***** GOOD *****

Easy To Assemble -No tools required. Just snap the two parts into the handle.

Two Modes -Aside from going handheld to upright, in upright mode you can select either just suction or suction + spin brush.

Stands Upright -The broom stands on its own.

Cordless -No getting tangled with cords and the charge seems to hold for awhile.

***** BAD *****

Small Areas -The unit is best used for small areas and not large areas or on lots of carpeted areas.

Handheld -Trigger must be depressed continuously when using as a handheld vacuum.

Filter -Gets clogged quickly; No brush is included to clean off pet hairs from filter.

Anyway, if you''re looking for something more along the lines of a regular vacuum cleaner that can also be used as a handheld to get into hard to reach places, perhaps this isn''t the unit for you. This should be used as an addition to your regular vacuum cleaner for quick clean-ups, especially in pet areas, and not for heavily trafficked/polluted areas. For those areas, I would suggest looking for an upright vacuum that has a hose attachment with different heads so that it can be used both on carpet (as an upright) and also on areas like a bed or other places where an upright vacuum cannot reach.

So, out of the box no manual, but very easy to put together in 2 quick steps. We were ok there.

I liked the initial look and feel of it. I LOVE the swivel head. I love how easy it is to store it away. I love that it can fold up neatly and be stored away in a closet, OR it can stay "opened" and stand neatly, perfectly in a corner, always waiting for use. I love that it is a handheld, PLUS a stick vac (that itself is part of the problem though...)

...As I was saying, this is a (weak) handvac on a stick. It has no power. No suck. No oomph.

Well, as long as what I need cleaned up can be done in about 30 seconds, this unit is fairly ok. The charge does not last. If I try to use it for more than literally a few minutes, you can hear it dying off. I will give it 5 minutes tops and that is being generous. And then guess what You have to charge it for all but a full day before you can use it again! Um, what?!

I had hopes of using it for light cleanups of the random pet hair, dust bunnies, etc nothing major and I never planned on it being my main vacuum, of course. I have hardwood floor, tile, and natural(glazed) stone floors, with a few area or throw rugs scattered about.

My main idea for using this was in my laundry area because there seems to be so much lint, hair (human & pet), and random little bits of who knows what from the kids throwing their dirty laundry in on the pile. The floor in the laundry area is lineoleum. There is a 4ft by 14 ft closet on the left, the hallway down the center, which has about a 3.5ft width and then the washer and dryer are on the right. The end of the hallway opens into the bathroom. So, I thought this would be great for this area because I really hate using my main vac and attachments etc to do this area. It is a pain.

Well, so much for my big idea. This vac does not hold a charge long enough to get the area done. Now, I don''t need an hour, not a half hour even maybe a good 10 minutes to really do it thoroughly. But no, I can''t get that with this vac. It starts off OK. But it quickly dies off and will suck up next to nothing.

I do have 3 long haired cats, but surprisingly they do not shed much at all, and they do get brushed often, so this helps. My short haired dog is who sheds the most actually, but it is still not alot. It''s not like you look around and see blobs of hair everywhere. So, this shouldn''t be a tough job, but this vac cannot handle it? AND it''s marketed as a "Pet" vac?? Really?

I thought the roller brush feature would be nice for doing the low pile throw rugs quickly when I don''t feel like dragging out the main vac. Again, it does OK, but you have to be fast and it will only grab the smallest and lightest particles.

I cannot recommend this product. Imagine a weakly powered handvac duct taped to a broom handle that is basically what you have here, except this one folds neatly for storage.

I really wish it did work better because I honestly love the swivel head. It can get into all areas and is sooo easy to maneuver. It just lacks any type of power and the charge is absolutely terrible. Using it as just a handvac is fair at best as well. I mean if the kids got sugar all over the counter, sure you can clean that up quickly, but you can''t do much else and you will still have some leftover sugar to wipe up with a rag/sponge... Oh, and the rubber "Pet nozzle" hinders the vac from sliding on a smooth surface (like the countertop) it sticks, skips and pulls.

And you most definitely DO have to hold the button in the whole time you are using it as a handheld. There is no on/off button for the handheld, but as a stickvac it has on/off and roller brush on or off.

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I love this thing... it works great!

I love that it''s light and I can move it around easily. The swivel head is great to move around furniture and it helps to move to the next section when I do my little carpet. I can do the whole downstairs before the battery runs out. That''s 2 bedrooms and a living room in wood, 1 bathroom in tile, 1 dining room, kitchen and family room in linoleum. This guy works on all these floor types.

I have just a few throw rugs here and there and also bathroom rugs and this works great on them, too. It''s also very easy to empty out and clean!

I know I am keeping my floors much cleaner due to this machine. It takes a lot of the work out of cleaning the floors and somehow makes it a bit fun.

*** UPDATE January 19, 2013 ***

I received a very nice floor vacuum for Christmas. Honestly, it''s very nice. It''s very powerful and it works very well. But, I find myself never, ever using it. It''s just too cumbersome. It''s heavy and it''s hard to move around. Plus, it''s not battery operated so I need to plug it in to an outlet in each room I vacuum. It''s just too much work.

I am loving this Bissell more and more. It''s what I reach for when I want to clean my floors and my little rugs and I''m so thankful I have it. It''s so quick and light and easy to use. My floors are cleaner now that I use this and I spend less time keeping them clean. I can''t live without it now.

Read Best Reviews of BISSELL Lift-Off Floors & More Pet Here

We have a Eureka stick vacuum stick that is brand new and a solid performer. However, there were a couple things we didn''t like about it so decided to try the Bissell. Comparing the Bissell to the Eureka, here''s how it shook out:

Pros:

Handling. The handling of the Bissell is better. It''s smooth rolling on the tiles and corners better. (Note that we use this only on tile as I''ve yet to see any stick that can compare to a regular vacuum cleaner on carpet)

Ease of Assembly. The Bissell wins here too. My wife assembled both and although the Eureka wasn''t hard the Bissell was drop dead easy.

Charger. Bissell wins. The Eureka comes with a rack that you can mount on the wall and the charger is aligned to the rack. The Bissell is a straight plug in and the height is aligned to the electrical outlets (appox. 16" from the floor in our house). You just plug it in and lean it against the wall. The balance is such that it stays upright easily so you can pretty much store it near any outlet you want.

Settings. Tie. Both have a tile and brush setting. We use the stick for tile but the brush can come in handy on particularly dirty areas like corners.

Suction. Eureka wins here. Bissell is satisfactory for our use but the Eureka was a little better.

Charge. Tie. We have a 2700 sq. ft. home about 1/2 of which is tile. A full charge allows us to get all the tile in one charge but it does take the entire charge to do it. Charging time, after the initial charge of appox. 24-48 hours, charging time is 16 hours.

Dust Buster. Tie. Both easily disconnect and reconnect. The Bissell has rubber teeth on the end for scraping carpet which is handy for pet hair but it''s not a significant advantage.

Cleaning. Tie. Both brands are easy to clean. Snap off the dust buster, unsnap the plastic cylinder, empty, re-attach. Nothing to it.

Overall my wife and I like the Bissell better. It''s smoother to operate and much handier to store. For a tool like this where you want to use it often, quick and easy is a key and the Bissell shines in that area.

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I picked this vacuum up because the one I wanted was sold out. Let me keep you from making the same mistake. After trying to use this for three months and finding myself making excuses for it, I have to say its a piece of junk.

The only thing it can do for me is pick up individual dog hairs off hardwood stairs. Not a cluster or a clump, just little hairs. It has no power for regular rugs, can''t pull cobwebs from corners, dust bunnies from under beds, or lint clinging to electric fans like on the back of a computer.

It''s hard to clean the small dust compartment , the little rubber flap that is suppose to keep stuff inside gets stuck open and the tunnel leading to it gets clogged. You have to clear it each time. Battery life is bad, has to be charged after each attempt to vacuum house. I won''t even unload this at a garage sale, it''s going straight to recycle. What a waste of money.

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CRYSTAL QUEST® Faucet Mount Filter Cartridge

• The CRYSTAL QUEST CQE-RC-04046 Faucet Mount Water Filter Cartridge is a 5-stage water filter that is designed to reduce many contaminants from water
• In Stages 1 and 5
• water passes through pre and post one-micron filter pads
• which reduces suspended particles such as silt
• sediment
• cyst
• sand
• rust
• dirt
• and other undissolved matter
• In Stage 2
• water passes through Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC)
• which reduces bad tastes and odors
• pesticides and chemicals that are linked to cancer risks

This Crystal Quest tap filter has proven to be just the bee''s knees for our water problem. We can now drink the water directly from the tap without gagging on the taste or smell of it. It is not perfect but does the job we hoped it would. It is small, convenient, easy to instal, does not leak and has good pressure. I would recommend this product.

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Crystal Quest White bath ball Water Filter Save $0.05 Off

• CRYSTAL QUEST?? bath ball Filter is the most advanced bath filter on the market
• CRYSTAL QUEST?? bath ball Filter will give you smoother, softer skin and hair that is less dry.
• 12 to 18 months or 35,000 gallons filtration
• Reversible filter cartridge
• CRYSTAL QUEST?? bath ball Filter is the strongest replaceable bath filter available on the market today.

I purchased this a month ago and after verifying that my faucet had the stop on top to hold it in place, I mounted it and began using it for my daughters baths. For the first few baths it worked flawlessly and there was an obvious change in the smell, feel and appearance of the bath water. My wife and I both were very pleased. After approximately 17 baths the filter seems to be clogging just enough to allow the water to backflow out of the top. This backflow or "channeling" mixes a little unfiltered water with the filtered. I flipped the filter per the manufacturers guidelines on the box and found the same problem. The company doesn''t have any information provided for service/warranty aside from the "contact seller" link through amazon. I am awaiting their response and will post the findings later. The plastic housing and filter did not seem worth paying more than $20 by make and quality alone but due to virtually little competition and other reviews I thought that this would be worth the $51.39.

I am giving it a 3 stars for overall value and will re-evaluate after the companies attempt to ameloriate the situation. The box contains the only information as to the use and features of the product and makes statements of being the, "most advanced" and "strongest" filter with a list of various chemicals that it removes. There is no data provided as to HOW MUCH these chemicals are removed, HOW they are removed and for HOW LONG they are removed nor is there any study, report or details of any kind supporting these claims.

Side NoteI am finding that most companies do not provide any objective data from reputable tests regarding the actual verified percentages of contents filtered, comparative data, etc. I have seen the quality of the water diminish rapidly after using various filters for shower/bath and other areas of the home. The data that is provided from a few is weak and doesn''t show any length of use testing results as well as other important information as to the quality and features of their products. I find myself enjoying the changes in the water from using these various filters but it is nearly impossible to determine what is actually changed and what might still be in the water that wasn''t filtered without this information.

Would the amazon community please consider demanding this information from these various suppliers/companies? These tests that aren''t being done I believe prevent better informed purchases. My reason for posting this request is from my own frustration as a wellness doctor with many patients that rely on my recommendations and having wasted a lot of time and money...

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I purchased this filter for removing chlorine from my daughters bathwater. It worked great for the short time I used it and seemed to remove the chlorine very well. The water was softer and there was no chlorine smell.

I wished I could''ve continued to use this product, and I would''ve if it weren''t for the poorly designed faucet attachment. The filter worked fine in the beginning and I didn''t have any issues with it falling off my faucet, however, over time, the plastic strap that attached to the filter kept coming unattached causing the filter to fall off into the water. I kept trying to put it back on, and there was no other way to rig it.

Money down the drain...now I will just use my Aquasana shower filter to fill up the bathtub.

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The handle is just a very small plastic strip. My handle broke after less than ten minutes of use. I tried using string, and plastic ties but nothing else worked. This is an obvious design defect and the manufacturer must already know about it. I contacted Amazon and they offered me a full refund. I told Amazon I would prefer that they simply ban this product from being sold on their site. Amazon told me that my only other recourse was to write a product review. I gave this product one star because Amazon does not allow you to give it a product zero stars.

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I bought this product for my baby''s bath water. I was dissappointed to have spent all that money and then see that this only works if you have a stopper on the top of your faucet like in the picture to hold it on there. Otherwise, it will keep falling off when the bath water is running. So I had to tie a string to the handle to help hold it in place but even then it keeps slipping off when the water is running. So usually I have to hold it while the bath water is running or keep checking to see if it''s slipped off, so that was a big dissappointment. I do not have time to sit there as the bath water runs so I''m working on rigging something else up. The bath water does seem softer though. It also leaves some residue granules by the drain where the water is being filtered. I had intended on buying the shower filter as well but since I''m so dissapointed in this I don''t know if it''s worth spending more money. Hope this review helps.

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The flow rate on this is amazing we didn''t think we would find a bath filter that could keep up with the flow of our water we were wrong! Our skin seems to have enjoyed the filter also!

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Water Saver Shower Head

• shower head

It''s a classic and original design. It was sturdy, worked well, and is still in production. One might call this the first water saving shower head. It''s cheap, effective, and comfortable. Details below.

My family bought this showerhead before I was born. It lasted what I''m estimating is over two decades before the washer wore out and it started leaking at the pivot point. This was no big deal for the first few years but we replaced it with another of the same model eventually. We have extremely hard water (so hard that our pipes block with crystals) and the holes the water pours through get clogged, causing the water beads to get smaller. At that time I clean this showerhead with a needle and some vinegar and it''s as good as new for another two years. Takes me 2 minutes. If you live in an area with average water this should last many years without buildup and many decades if you clean it once a year for two minutes if it gets blocked. Also, if you are lazy and have hard water, it is entirely metal besides the washer. You can soak it in vinegar for a day or whatever.

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This looks almost identical to a product I purchased from Wal-Mart (but it was under $6, so maybe you should buy it there). It may take a week or two to get used to it, but after that you won''t want anything else: high pressure, low water consumption. I always run mine at half-volume, so I''m using probably about 1.25gpm. If you really want to save water, you can easily switch it almost completely off while you aren''t rinsing, saving even more water. The instantly adjustable, variable pressure is just fantastic: once you have the temperature you want, you control the pressure separately.

Pros:

Energy efficient

Durable (take care of it and it will last for decades)

Cons:

No "massage" or "pulse" features, if you''re into that

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This is the best shower head ever. We just remodeled our bathroom and I bought 2 different shower heads in dark brown and oil rubbed bronze. They were terrible. I am now painting the shower head to match our bathroom and I pray that it works.

W. Laubenheimer

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If the water pressure varies between your hot water line and cold water line, while you ''shut the water off'' at the shower head, one temperature of water will back up into the other line. So, if your cold water pressure is higher than your hot water pressure, when you turn the water back on at the shower head you''ll get a quick flash of ice cold water. Very awakening!!!! And of course the reverse is true, if your hot water is at a higher pressure than the cold water, you''ll get a quick flash of scalding hot water. Just be careful and check to see what will happen before you subject yourself to it. Some will tell you that your water pressure is always the same because it originates at the same intake pipe into your home, but for some reason, my hot water overpowers the cold and I get a short (perhaps six to ten seconds) flash of red hot water any time I turn the water off at the shower head. neadless to say, I never do that anymore! At my mom''s house, it''s the reverse, the cold water takes over. I can''t explain why, it just happens.

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Brita Bottle Water Filtration System Save 31% Off

I got two of these about a month ago they have been used extensively with very bad rusty water and shined brightly.

The taste is a pretty standard purified water flavor, I have not tested it with bleach water "chlorine" but it is supposed to help dramatically.

The one thing to remember is that the filter only works on water that goes trough it your bottle needs to be rinsed to keep rust or other odors out of it.

This model is a squeeze suck style, again not hard to get used to if not familiar.

I highly recommend these and stock them I drink about 90% from them.

My filters are still going strong and I will try to update the review after the 2 months is over.

Price wise I think it is fair much better than buying water plus the waste factor makes them a very attractive product.

Purchased these bottles for our 8-day cruise. They worked perfectly, and the water tasted great. The size was perfect for taking along on shore excursions. The cheap cap will be lost rather soon, but the top can be removed and washed easily. You would probably want to carry in a backpack or bag.

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I bought this as a gift for my husband and roommate. They loved it and uses it every day, no joke!!! The way the water taste is so much better. I never leave the house with out one!!! Thanks for your great product and fast shipping. Christmas was great!!

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I use the bottle water''s everyday. The only thing I wish it had a little calendar system on it or something to tell me when the filter is old. I never remember when I change it.

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I spent weeks searching for the right bottle with filtration to help me meet my goal of drinking at least 80oz of water per day. This bundle pack is not only a great value, but allows me to take one bottle to work and keep one at home, with a spare for backup. With six filters, I can safely go just about 12 months without purchasing another thing. This is important, because I was spending a ton of money on brand name water and creating a lot of plastic waste. I was afraid to put the bottles in the washer, although the packaging perported the product to be dishwasher safe. I hand washed the bottles for a few weeks and then finally broke down and use the dishwasher with no negative results.

Great product, great value, just don''t forget to squeeze the first bottle out on a new filter and you''ll have great tasting water for months to come.

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