I have this one in black, and have been making coffee at least once a day for the past three weeks. I was debating between this 10-cup thermal ($80), the 12-cup thermal ($130), and the 12-cup glass carafe with warming plate ($80), all by Cuisinart. In the end, I wanted something that used less electricity, so I went with the thermal. The added bonus with a thermal is that the coffee taste doesn''t change from your first cup to your second cup a few hours later. I finally decided to save $50 and buy the 10-cup thermal because everything else was the same except for the 10 ounce difference (both coffeemakers brew 5 oz cups). I purchased mine from a different store, and I found out that there was no gold cone filter. I called up Cuisinart and they said depending on where you purchased the coffeemaker, it may use paper cones, or it may come with the gold cone filter. They graciously sent me a gold cone for free. So after 3 weeks:
PROS:
-easy to set up, easy to use
-charcoal water filter (I use tap water, so I like the fact that the machine filters it before going into my coffee)
-auto brew timer (the smell of coffee helps me wake up in the morning and I am fully brain dead when I first wake up. I can barely get dressed, much less make coffee. So I set it up the night before and I have amazing, fresh coffee ready for me in the AM).
-beeps to signal that coffee is ready
-coffee stays fresh for at least 4 hours. On weekends, I set my coffee to brew as normal at 7AM, but sometimes I sleep late until 11AM or later. I go to pour my coffee and it''s still steaming! (and not burnt from the warming plate)
-thermal carafe saves electricity because there is no need for a warming plate
-I can use both paper cone filters or the gold cone filter. The gold cone is just as easy to clean as the disposable paper cones. I just shake out the grinds into the trash, and rinse with water. SO easy. And I save money because I don''t have to buy filters!
-I drink my coffee black, so I can tell good coffee from bad coffee. I also like my coffee strong and bold. When I''m lazy, I use Illy medium grind, medium roast pre-ground. One mountainous scoop (comes with the coffeemaker) per 10 oz. of coffee. My one mug of coffee is equal to the coffeemaker''s two cups, so yes, the machine makes 5 mugs total. When I make coffee for just myself, I fill the reservoir to 2 cups, add one giant scoop of coffee to the filter, press the 1-4 cups button, turn the dial to brew, and press "on." I love it.
-I have no problem with the size of the machine (I thought it was small). It is sitting on a side table in my tiny kitchen, not on the countertop or underneath cabinets. So I can easily flip up the top and have easy access to the water reservoir. It is also on the right side of the table, so I just use a cup and pour water into the reservoir. I don''t think it''s hard at all to pour water in. The triangular opening is on the right, back corner of the machine and is about 3" x 3" x 4".
-The water level is very clearly marked and easy to see on the right side of the machine.
CONS:
-The beep is not just one cute beep. It is 4 or 5 beeps in a row. This could be annoying to some people.
-Not really a con for me, but other people have commented on the pouring as "difficult." I think it is the nature of a thermal carafe to require some patience when pouring into a cup. It is well sealed to keep the coffee hot, so when you pour, the liquid has to go through a maze to get out. On my last cup, I just take the top off and pour. Definitely worth the "effort." It''s really not hard, I promise. :)
-I read reviews of how people wake up with coffee all over the counter because the carafe was clogged at the top. So whenever I set up the machine to brew, I make sure to rinse the top with hot water and shake it around a bit to make sure the little ball isn''t stuck. Also, not difficult to do.
-I guess if you don''t have easy access to the right side of this machine, it could be difficult to pour water in and see the water level. If it''s in the middle of your countertop, you may have to turn it to the side in order to pour the water in. For me, it''s easy because my coffeemaker sits on the right side of a table in my kitchen.
I am so glad I went with this machine. I hope it lasts for a long time.
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4+ YEAR UPDATE: I''ve had it replaced, but I still love the machine! After 2.5 years, the machine stopped brewing. I can''t remember the problem exactly, but I would press brew, and the green light would go on, then off after a minute without brewing. I called customer service, and they said to unplug it for a few hours and try again. This worked! The machine was back in action for another 6 months or so. Then it really stopped working. Apparently, you''re supposed to pour diluted vinegar into the reservoir and brew that once in a while to clean out the machine. I never replaced the filter because the "clean" light never went on in the 3 years that I owned it. Regardless, I called Customer Service and they sent me a new machine within a few days (for a delivery charge of $10 or $15). I also had to send the old machine back to them (I can''t remember if shipping was prepaid by Cuisinart).
Now I use filtered water only, hoping to prolong the life of the filter and machine. Still makes great coffee, and I love that it keeps the coffee hot for so many hours without changing the taste!!
CORRECTION: I used to think there was a ball in the lid of the carafe, which the liquid flows through and into the thermal carafe. It''s actually a little flap. If you shake the lid, you''ll hear it. My recommendation for avoiding clog disasters is the same rinse the lid under hot water and shake to make sure the flap mechanism is not stuck, and you''re good to go!
I read every review anybody ever wrote for a coffee maker. Conclusion: Somebody doesn''t like something about every coffee maker that''s ever been made.
What I''ve found in the month that I''ve had it: The carafe keeps the coffee hot for at least 3 hours. It pours without going all over the counter. I can''t make the thing drip one drop. I still pour my cup over the sink from years with a different pot where about half of the coffee went down the drain. Not this one. Not a drop. I measured the brew temp. with a meat thermometer stuck in the grounds at 202 degrees. Any coffee maker will overflow all over the counter if the pot isn''t correctly positioned. It''s easy to position correctly and a quick peak at the pot:drip hole makes it obvious if it''s where it belongs. Some reviews complain about difficulty in pouring water from carafe to the water tank. Could be, I''ve got a kitchen faucet that lets me stick the faucet right into the tank so it''s not a problem for me. It''s probably time you get one of those anyway. It is a little hard to read the water level scale on the tank, but I''m old. I put a black dot with a magic marker at the 6 cup mark. Problem solved.
Summary: It brews hot, stays hot in the carafe, easy to pour with no mess. That''s really all I was looking for. I''d recommend and I buy another.
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I first used this coffee maker at my parents'' house and was impressed with the flavor. For a drip coffee maker, this brews excellent coffee (I used to use a French press daily).
I was surprised to see all the comments about lukewarm coffee, as I hadn''t noticed this problem. I do use cream so it concerned me you have to have hot coffee if you are going to add cold cream.
Turns out, reading the manual gave me the answer I needed: that button for 1-4 cups "provides doulbe heating of the water, so coffee is piping hot." You can use this button no matter how many cups you brew to get the water hotter. I''m having no problems at all.
Hope this helps!
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I''ve been using this coffee maker for about a week. I bought it as an upgrade over a Black and Decker coffee maker that was generally good, but I wanted a new one with a cone filter. The cone filter gets more flavor out of the coffee than the basket filter: it''s a must.
The other must, for me, is the thermal carafe. I wake up earlier than my wife and if we''re both drinking out of the same pot the coffee can''t continue to cook on a warming plate. The coffee quickly turns bitter. The thermal carafe keeps it near the brew temperature for a couple of hours, and you can keep it hot longer if you heat the pot before brewing the coffee. If you brew it into a room temperature pot, the coffee is 177 degrees. If you brew it into a pot which you''ve filled with hot water (and emptied, of course) the coffee will be 182 degrees. Both temperatures were hotter than my old pot.
I tested the heat degredation and found:
182 -fresh
174 -1.5 hours later
168 -3 hours later
162 -4.5 hours later
I''ve read a lot of reviews of this product, and it''s clear that some buyers didn''t follow instructions. Thermal carafes punish you if you don''t. You have to position the carafe properly or you''ll have a mess to clean up. I''ve done it a few times with my old coffee maker. It''s always my fault, never the coffee maker''s.
This is a well designed thermal carafe since you can pour without having to open it and letting too much air into it. This is a good product, and at a good price compared to more expensive models from Bunn or Zojirushi. It is more expensive than the Black and Decker but worth the cost because you get more out of your coffee beans.
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I will start by saying that I have only owned this product for a few days, and that all my previous coffee makers have been the sub $20 variety from the local store. On weekends I make 2-4 cups in the morning and I like to enjoy them over a period of a few hours. However the burner has usually destroyed the flavor by the time I return for a second cup, and I set out to find a better alternative.
After reading some reviews on this particular model I finally ordered one, and although I have only used it a few times so far, I could not be more pleased with it. Some reviews stated that their coffee was cold, the machine was hard to fill, the beeps were noisy, and the pot poured slowly. My experience has been as follows
The filling area is smaller than my previous coffee maker, and is located on the right side of the machine. I am left handed and can still fill it easily, although due to the design of the pot it must be tilted further upside down than a glass pot in order to empty it. Not an issue.
The unit is very quiet while brewing, more so than the one it replaced.
When I make coffee I use the 1-4 cup setting, and I preheat the pot by using hot water to fill the coffee maker. When the coffee is finished brewing it is piping hot. I will further this by saying that I made 1-4 cups at 4:30 pm, and finished only 2 cups. When I returned at 10:30 pm to clean the pot before bed I found that the remaining coffee was still very hot and would not have required any reheating had I chose to drink it. This situation has been easily repeatable, and since no burner is involved the first cup tastes as good as the last, even 6 hours later.
This machine seems to be about the same speed as my previous coffee makers, and I use the slower 1-4 cup setting.
It has an area for a water filter, and came with one to get me started. I cannot taste any difference with or without it so I cannot comment on its effectiveness, although it is nice to have that as an option. It also comes with a few paper filters to get you started, or you can simply reuse the metal filter which is also included.
It beeps a few times when its finished brewing. The tone reminds me of a wristwatch beeping except it is slightly louder. It it not loud enough to be a nuisance, but I can easily hear it when I am in the adjacent room watching tv or working on the pc. It lets me know when my coffee is ready for consumption, and I like it.
Some say the pot pours slowly into the cup. It actually does, but unless you are pouring coffee in a combat zone and under fire, does 2 to 3 extra seconds really make that much of a difference? Again, not an issue. There is also no need to turn the lid in order to pour or fill the pot as with other products. Very nice.
All said and done, I am very satisfied with this product, and would gladly purchase it again.
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