Haan FS20 Plus Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer

I live in a neighborhood where EVERY home is "green built certified" this means that, to have that certification, the builder built no homes with carpet. All the main floors are polished concrete and the upper floors wood. The bathrooms all have tile and/or slate in every home.

Because of this, as you could imagine, steam mops are quite the neccessity...not only because they get the hard surfaces better than anything else, but because they are also "green" and clean chemical free. I''ll be honest, for us...that''s a bonus but we weren''t cleaning chemical free before. We like chemical free for our pet''s paws but I''ll confess I was mopping with chemicals before I got my steamer and just kept the pets out of the room while doing it because, up until then, I couldn''t get it clean any other way.

Okay, so that said...we decided to have a steamer show down to compare 5 different steamers because my friends and I knew as long as we are in these homes we are gonna have to have a steamer to get all these hard floors clean...we may as well figure out which one to buy next go round. Because my own home is graced with 2 cats, 3 dogs, and two gregarious cooks, my kitchen floor (which had not ever been cleaned by a steamer since my steamer had just arrived) was the testing spot.

Mind you, I vaccuum twice per week and do a mega mop twice a week. I THOUGHT I had pretty clean floors in spite of my pet capacity.

I thought wrong. These picked up dirt so well it''s scary

So here''s the results:

1. steam mops are the mac daddys of clean floors. What these things picked up was tremendous and no comparison to my vigorous prior constant major mopping.

2. So now I''ll break down the elements of each mop we used and then go into more detail about each at the end.

We tried out:

"S": The shark by Europro

"E" The Envirosteamer by Eureka

"H" the haan steamer

"M" the Monster

"B" The Bissell Green Tea

CORD LENGTH: so you don''t have to stop and unplug and replug in somewhere else:

Shark ( will be referred to as S):20 feet

Envirosteamer (will be referred to as E): 25 feet

Haan: (will be referred to as H)19''8"

Monster (will be referred to as M): 25 feet

Bissell (will be referred to as B) 17 feet

STEAM TEMPERATURE: this is a primary element. The hotter the steam, the more dirt picked up and hot steam will also kill parasites, mold and mildew and loosen more dirt:

S 110 degrees. lame

E 220 degrees. very hot

H 212 degrees. very hot

M 266 degrees. hottest...although the envirosteamer and haan seemed plenty hot enough. The shark didn''t clean nearly as well and this was one reason. 110 degrees just isn''t going to melt off stuck on grime.

B 125 degrees. Note that, because of this low steam temperature the manual said that if I wanted to sanitize the floor or pick up caked on spills, I had to hold the steamer on the spot for 15 seconds but no more than 20 because that could damage some floors. Now I don''t know about you, but if I can sanitize with one swipe of the other steamers because of their sanitizing temps my floor will be done WAY faster but I don''t have a timer to worry about the extra 5 secons where my wood floors could get damaged. My sink water is hotter than this so it would take less time to use a regular mop if I have to hold the steamer on every spot of my floor for 15 seconds to santize. Just sayin

BUILD:

We found how it was made corresponded with issues with the steamer. The Shark, for example, was quite flimsy and they actually sell replacement handle kits because so many people have issues with the handle breaking! We know this because my neighbor''s shark broke and the store had a replacement handle kit on the shelf because he said "it happens often". That''s an extra cost.

Envirosteamer: Was 5.4 lbs which made it lightweight but strong enough that you didn''t have to press down to clean. Very well made and strong parts

Haan: not made as well as the envirosteamer but it''s more expensive so this was a surprise. A bit flimsy and you need to press down on it more to clean at 3.15 lbs.

Monster: hefty and well made at 9 lbs but a bit too heavy unless you want a good workout. (Note: They have changed the Monster handles on the mops now and they are all plastic and people are having breakage issues)

Bissell: It''s 8.4 pounds but that includes a water filter that you have to get for this one (see notes below)

WATER CAPACITY: Very important because having to stop and add more water just adds on to the time you have to spend cleaning, especially if you are cleaning a hallway or livingroom or some other area that has no sink:

S: only holds 10 oz of water. Lasted for 10 miinutes of cleaning

E: holds 20 oz. of water. Lasted for over 20 minutes of cleaning (we stopped at 20 and it was still going)

H: holds 11.83 oz of water. Lasted for 13 minutes of cleaning

M: holds 17 oz. of water. Lasted for 15 minutes of cleaning

B: holds 13 oz of water, lasted for 12.5 minutes of cleaning AND you have to undo and remove the tank from the machine every time you fill it up then hook it back on and the steam tank is on the handle rather than the base so the steam doesn''t flow directly out after heating up which may explain why it''s not as hot once it leaves the machine. The way this mop is made the water flows past heating elements which can, according to Bissell, develop calcium deposits on it so this is the only mop where, because of this, you also have to use a water filter with it and replace the water filter when there is build up which means and extra 12 bucks every few months. The better mops are made to heat the water in a metal tank so this is not an issue and you pour the water directly into the tank.

STEAM HOLES: We found a difference although you''d think they''d all be the same. The shark only had one hole that the steam came out of so it wasn''t cleaning things on the edges, just in one spot. All the others had steam coming from bottom and sides.

SIZE: The taller it is the less stooping, the wider the mop head, the more it covers

S: 40"Hx12"Wx7"D

E: 50"Hx13.25"Wx6.75"D (the fact that this depth was smaller made it reach under applicances better...it fit better under things)

H: 50.5x11.5x7.5

M: 48x12.7.5

B: 45.25H (this was uncomfortably short) x11 x8.4 (even though this didn''t fit under cabinets because of the depth it did swivel the best)

Conclusion of comparison: First it must be pointed out that, in order to use the shark and the Bissell, you had to keep pumping the water. This was the most annoying feature of anything...the others just steamed on their own and didn''t wear out your fingers. Hated this feature of the shark and Bissell. We liked that the Monster and the Shark and Envirosteamer and the Bissell came with 2 cleaning pads rather than one. The Haan only came with one at the time of the review (I double checked since when she bought hers it was also only one and as of today, that hasn''t changed) so that ups the price even more because I can''t imagine only wanting one to clean. All worked well on sanitizing mattresses and showers. too.

But the winner picked by all of us unanimously as the mop we want to have for our next steam mop order?

The Eureka Envirosteamer. It picked up the most dirt, was made as well as the Monster but was less expensive, held the most water, emitted the most very hot steam so it sanitized as well, lasted 3 times as long with one water resevor fillup as the others, and had a cord as long as the monster. BUT if you have carpets than I would recommend the Monster because it has a carpet attachment that allows you to steam clean your carpets and it picked up pretty close to the same amount of dirt as the Eureka Envirosteamer, and had close to the same features...a bit heavier though but that may make it last even longer. It is costlier, but to clean 2 surfaces I would think that might make it worth it.

UPDATE: The Haan just started including 2 pads with the mop according to the product description page. Not that this changes our opinion since it didn''t work as well and the parts were flimsier, but it should be noted that this issue of not having enough cleaning pads has now been resolved and is equal to the other mops.

ANOTHER UPDATE: 1. The Shark came out with a new machine that holds more water and has a longer cord BUT it still only heats the water to 110 degrees so it won''t sanitize or get rid of trapped grime at this "bathwater" temperature.

Another update: I haven''t tried it yet but was told about an even better mop than the Eureka Envirosteamer but I can''t personally afford it...still, it''s worth mentioning in case you can. It''s called the Ladybug XL2300 and is a canister steam mop. It heats the water to 298 degrees (woah!) so it''s a super sanitizer but it''s over a thousand bucks. It also comes with 6 towels. I didn''t include it in my review because I haven''t ever tried it and I wanted to only include mops I personally tried but it''s got great enough stats that, even though it''s out of my price range, I thought I''d pass it on as a super sanitizer.

Also: Don''t spend money buying extra pads for the Eureka. I was in a pinch and used a kitchen dish towel...the rectangular kind...just clip on both ends. It worked just as good or better...because they are thinner so the steam penetrates faster and therefore reaches the floor hotter. However, I would recommend still only using the thick pads that come with it for your wood floors just to be safe. But the super hot steam penetrating the dish towel worked excellent on tile and hard floors. Also, you can flip both the towel and the pads that come with it on the Eureka to double the usage...when it gets dirty, just flip it over and use the other side. I use several old dish towels with this but I like best the kind that just have a bit of texture but no squares sewn on them...but they all work great. So do the pads.

I did extensive research on the steam floor cleaners. I had seen the Haan info-mercial a long time ago and also saw the Shark one as well. My research was well worth it. The Haan has definately proven itself. I have hardwood floors on the entire first level of my home and they came out looking great. My ceramic and travertine in my upstairs bathrooms looks great also. I even tried the carpet attachment on the landing and in one of the bedrooms and I can really tell a difference. You do not need to fill too often and the area of steam is in way excess of the other steam cleaners on the market. It is light and easy to use. I also did my homework on price and Amazon even beat out QVC.

Buy Haan FS20 Plus Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer Now

The Haan Steam Cleaner w/carpet attachment is fantastic. It''s so easy to use, lightweight, and cleans tile floors so clean. I pulled off the pad after it cooled down and there was more dirt than I thought my floors had. I tried the carpet attachment on a greasy footprint that is just in front of my garage door. It cleaned it up pretty good, but I just scrubbed it with a little dawn dish soap to remove any lingering grease. Looks much better, but I''ll try it again after it dries. Why didn''t I buy this earlier? I''m glad I caught the info commercial. I couldn''t stand the smell and sticky floors that the Swifter left behind. Plus, no more filling up my garbage with disposable pads. The Haan pads are washable! I''m going GREEN!

Read Best Reviews of Haan FS20 Plus Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer Here

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I purchased my unit to remove stubborn spills and stains from our radiant heated tile and hardwood floors. We have one large (105 lb.) dog (four dogs when our daughter brings her three for a visit) and two teenagers still at home. So there are always spills and stains on the floors. The radiant heat is great, except it really bakes on spills. The worst of them, and this is the primary reason I purchased the unit, is baked on dog drool. Whether from giving the dogs treats, or from residue on dog toys, that stuff has proven to be almost impossible to remove by conventional means--at least not without spending an inordinate amount of time working on them. I tried conventional mopping, scraping with a razor blade, and even using a car buffer to rub them out. Nothing worked satisfactorily. The Haan removed them all easily! The kids spill little blobs of milk on the dining room hardwood floor as they traverse through the room, and we also had a lot of trouble removing those after they "cooked." Using the products recommended by the manufacturer of our wood floor would only remove them after a lot of scrubbing, and often you had to "hit" those several times to get them removed. Again, the Haan removed them easily.

I had researched this purchase by reading beforehand the buyer''s comments posted here. One of the comments I saw a couple of times concerned the leaving of streaks on the floor after cleaning. I observed this also, but noticed that it was due to the pad being excessively soiled. Our floor was cleaned by vacuum before steaming it, but it was still heavily soiled. The pad collects that grime and when it reaches a certain "saturation" point, it simply smears some of that grime around, thereby leaving streaks. I tested this theory after noticing that after cleaning our large kitchen for quite some time, I was beginning to see some minor streaking being left behind. I examined the pad, which was brown with soil. I changed it to the clean spare pad, and the streaking stopped. Based on this, I''m confident that as we use this steamer and the floor gets increasingly cleaner, streaking will be minimized if not absent altogether.

We have not tried the Sanitizer Tray yet, so we cannot comment on its efficacy.

Suggestions/Criticisms

The handle on my unit will not stay locked in the upright position when at rest. Even when the handle is retracted to its shortest length or the cord is not coiled for storage. It''s not a "show stopper" for me, just an aggravation.

Power cord management is just weird they way it''s implemented. The design is poor and results in the cord often not being managed at all--it just falls out of whatever clips or guides are present. Again, it''s not a big deal. I solved some of that with some nylon cable ties.

Grout lines don''t really get cleaned as the pad fibers are not long enough to get down in those little trenches--at least on our floors. It might be kinda neat if there were a special pad with a design just for that. I see some vinyl floors that also have rather deep embossments where this might also be an issue.

Want Haan FS20 Plus Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer Discount?

The steam mop does everything it claims to do. I am glad I also got the carpet attachment. I have not used it on carpet yet, but I have used it on my mattress, since I have dust allergies. If you are purchasing this item I would HIGHLY recommend also getting 4 extra pads. (It comes with only two.) If you don''t switch the pads freqently they become saturated and don''t work nearly as well. The six pads get me through one full tank of water. My floors feel very clean and look great! Also, no more sprays or chemicals to buy or run out of! Recommended 100%!

Read More >>

Sharp Ultrafiltration Water Cooler Save 24% Off

I purchased this Crystal Quest bottleless water cooler w/UV system for our CPA office and it''s been a royal pain from day 1...We had to pay 2 different plumbers to come to the office to professionally install it due to leaks and both commented on the poor quality of the connectors...We also purchased the Smart Valve to protect against potential leaks and it was so loud that we had to uninstall it...Crystal Quest said that can happen due to vibration and although it was loud, there was nothing wrong with its functionality...They did, however, issue us an RMA to return it for a refund...Approx 6-9 months after purchase, the cooler began to leak yet again...We spoke with Crystal Quest once again and they felt confident that it was the filters this time and our problem would go away once we changed them...They gave us 2 filters and charged us for the other 2...We installed the new filters and the leaks were worse than ever...So after $726 on the unit, $200+ for installation, $86 in new filters and numerous hours on the phone with Crystal Quest, we still have a useless, leaking cooler which we are literally ready to hall to the trash as Crystal Quest says that we are now outside of the warranty period...You would think a company would stand behind its products a bit more!!!

We got this after much research because we wanted the Reverse osmosis and the hot water dispenser, without having to continuously refill bottles and lug them around. My husband set it up when I was out of town, and said it was a pain and the instructions were vague. (He''s usually really good at that sort of thing) It was still not working properly, there was no hot water, so we had to call for support to get the hot water re-set. Mike, at the Crystal Quest support line was helpful, but we felt like we shouldn''t have to do all this "extra" stuff just to get it to work. For about 2 months it worked great, when suddenly, the hot water wasn''t hot anymore. Caled back for support, we''ve been talking to them almost daily now as they are trying to fix our problem. The machine has a one year warranty, but they would charge us a $200 restocking fee if they let us return it. We just want it to work. Sick and tired of calling and troubleshooting with them. We wish they would just send someone out to fix it or bring us a new one.

If we were to do this again, we''d by from someone local who could offer us better support. $600 is too much money to risk not having the item work properly.

Buy Sharp Ultrafiltration Water Cooler Now

Read More >>

Alkaline 3.5 Liter Water Pitcher

So many of my friends saw me using this thing and wanted water from it. My entire family now drinks akaline water

My Brita water pitcher is more sturdy than this one. Seems a bit cheap. The top always falls off so i don''t even use it anymore. I mostly filter it and put it into another pitcher. For the price i wish it was better quality.

Buy Alkaline 3.5 Liter Water Pitcher Now

This was by far the best price I could find on the net for an alkaline pitcher.

It works great and raised the PH of the water up at least 2 points.

Our water is rather acid (around a 5-6 PH) and this brings it up to about an 8 ph.

I got a test kit from home depot and tested the bottle water that we drink as well.

It also tested at a Ph of 5!! I was suprised how acid it was, especially if you are paying for what

you think is healthy water! We switched to a different brand of bottled water that consistently tested

at about a 7.2 PH and we put that through this pitcher which raises it to about a 9.5 PH.

More and more research seems to be showing that drinking water above the neutral PH of 7, is

very beneficial to your overal health. I hope that is true. I did notice right away after about 2 weeks of drinking

water through this pitcher that my skin got a lot clearer.

Overall I am very pleased with this product!

If you are looking to increase your water PH level in a cheap way and get some added health benefits

then I think you will be happy with this product!!

Read Best Reviews of Alkaline 3.5 Liter Water Pitcher Here

I would definitely recommend this pitcher. The water tastes smooth and fresh. I will not be buying water bottles any time soon. Great savings!

Want Alkaline 3.5 Liter Water Pitcher Discount?

Still don''t understand why they say 3.5 liter, when I measure it, it''s not 3.5 liter and never get 3.5 liter.

Read More >>

Watts 5-PK-4SV Premier 1-Year 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Replacement Filter Kit

• Complete 1-Year Supply
• Carbon Block Technology

I had purchased a used R/O unit. After Disinfecting it and installing the new filters and a membrane we have had great water for the past 6 months

Buy Watts 5-PK-4SV Premier 1-Year 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Replacement Filter Kit Now

This is an excellent replacement filter pack for your Watts R-O system. Watts filters are very high quality and do a very good job producing clean, good water for any residence. Highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Watts 5-PK-4SV Premier 1-Year 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Replacement Filter Kit Here

Though these filters work, they are NOT Watts Premier. Quality is noticeably less. The final stage carbon filter does NOT come with new connections, you must reuse the old ones off your previous filter, or buy new ones. Watts Premier supplies new connections with their filter kits. This kit is reasonably priced and the filters fit fine, but buyer beware you are NOT getting what is advertised.

Want Watts 5-PK-4SV Premier 1-Year 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Replacement Filter Kit Discount?

So far so good no leaks,Installed 2 months ago, waiting to see if it holds up for a year. If all goes well would buy again.

PRO 10 inch filters designed around STANDARD 10 inch tall filter holders not for customs

PRO each sub filter in the pack is individually wrapped to keep them clean good idea

PRO while the spun 5 and 1 micron filters make a seal by compression in the chamber, the carbon block filter has a rubber seal on top and bottom to ensure water must go through it.

comment filters always filter from OUT to IN dirty water comes in the outside of the filter then travels through it to a hollow core and exits the top and is piped to the next filter holder''s outside surface. Again it goes outside to inside. This is the standard.

TIP when purchasing new RO systems, look for standard 10" filter systems and changes

will be cheap and easy because there are 2 standards 10" and commercial 20" filters.

AVOID custom 1/4 turn or custom steel filters you can buy systems with clear or opaque filter chambers clear chambers have pros and cons you can see the contamination, but they let light in which promotes algee growth.

A typical RO system has 3 prefilters First a 5 micron sediment, then carbon block, then 1 micron in that order before the water even gets to the RO membrane (I use a waste water pressure booster to double my pressure going to the membrane by using twice the volume of wastewater, which RO aways has plenty of to boost input pressure by 2x to 80psi. I get 40 psi from the city water, and my tank goes to 80 psi.

Keeping your RO membrane clean is imperitive to the proper function of the total unit giving clean, potable water with almost no total dissolved solids (they get flushed out the wastewater) and also gives sterile water w/ UV sterilizer in series (replace bulb yearly) and a standard refrigerator taste filter on the output line to drink for good tasting water. I measure 3ppm TDS on my output. Distilled water is 1.0 ppm for battery maintenance. That is very low dissolved solids from 500 ppm at the street!

On my system I T''ed off the 14 gallon oversized storage tank and ran that water, which avoids the UV lamp and the refrigerator filter, to a 25 foot long piece of tubing that terminates in female hose fitting (backwards i know you want male hose fitting but I fixed it with a shutoff valve that was male-male) so on the end I paid 8 bucks for 3 pvc fittings including a ball valve I go hose to 3/4 pipe thread, rinto the 1/4 turn ball valve, then back to 3/4 pipe fitting to male hose thread. All pipe fittings are teflon taped and the hose fittings have washers for zero leaks. There is also a 1/4 turn 1/4" tube shutoff valve on the T off fitting which allows me to fill the dog water dish (1 gallon) or connect a hose to my pressure washer and wash the car with 10 gal and no residue, no spots afterwards very nice to have! When I''m done I close the 1/4 turn valve at the tank (14 gallon extra large tank from amazon Reverse Osmosis Storage Tank 14 Gallon White

This use (me, my dog, my car) keeps my RO flushing quite a bit per day and that is good because the membrane is kept clean by flushing. But it also means my prefilters need to be changed on a strict 6 month schedule since they filter 6 times the amount of RO water you get. The last filter is the same as refrigerator filter. In fact my fridge filter just counts 6 months then turns purple (blue+red means time to order filters) at 5 mo. and turns off the blue for red only at 6 mo time to change filter now! (when you press the reset button the 6 mo cycle starts over don''t do it unless you really changed the filter because after 6mo bacteria begins to grow on the filter media and water taste is bad)

Just FYI I live in a VERY hard water area with no chlorine from a well and pump at the end of the street low pressure, high content of dissolved solids, hard (12.2 grains/gallon) water is what I get from the city. I use a whirlpool salt ion exchange water softener to help cut down the solids but it only EXCHANGES the calcium and magnesium for Sodium does not make spots as bad, but its still in the water. See my review of bubble bandit case quantity Carton of Bubble Bandit Dishwasher Detergent with Phosphate. Cleans your dishes the way they use to be. Five 60 oz Bags (19 lbs)FREE PRIORITY SHIPPING AT CHECKOUT! it adds 8.7 percent phosphate to your detergent load to aid cleaning with hard water environments. Use less if you have a water softener about 1/3 normal and less soap.

Read More >>

Filtrete Under-Sink Standard Water Filtration System (3US-AS01) Save 35% Off

• Provides reduction of chlorine taste & odor, sand, sediment, rust, and soil.
• Installs in less than 30 minutes and offers 6-month filter life.
• Maintains full water flow and requires no dedicated faucet head.

I just installed one of these filters. The push-in connectors worked great. The only thing I needed was an adapter to connect the compression fitting to the flanged cut-off valve. The water flow is better than I expected. I now have filtered cold water from the kitchen faucet. Replacing the filter is simple and inexpensive. I wish I had changed to this new Filtrete filter sooner. I hated the job of replacing filters in my other water filter. In the past, I always delayed filter replacement because of the effort required. On this new unit, 1/4 turn removes the filter, and the water flow is cut off. Grab the replacement filter, 1/4 turn and water is ready for use.

Highly recommended!

Buy Filtrete Under-Sink Standard Water Filtration System (3US-AS01) Now

I just installed this unit and it works great. Glad to be rid of my PUR faucet-mount filter. The flow rate is much improved with this unit. Installation was easy, except for an extra trip to the hardware store for a 1/2" adapter. The installation video on the 3M website was very useful.

Read Best Reviews of Filtrete Under-Sink Standard Water Filtration System (3US-AS01) Here

I purchased this product after seeing the positive reviews it received. Unfortunately my purchase would not be one of them.

The filter is not difficult to setup at all (they even have a step-by-step instructional video on their web site if you need), it only took about 30 mins at the most. The issue came when turning the water on and losing water pressure after installation. The water line was cut so there was no excessive tubing to restrict water flow, so that wasn''t the issue. 3M Filtrete touted their product as one that would not lose water pressure, but yet this was the exact issue I had.

I went to their web site for support... no support to be found on their web site. So I sent an email explaining my situation... to this day (more than 4 weeks later) I have yet to receive a reply regarding my issue. I considered returning the item to Amazon, but allowed myself to become content with the pressure until I decide to buy a replacement.

So if you are able to install the filter with no issues, then sure it''s worth the purchase for the positive effects it can have on your water. But be advised, it may not work as advertised, so be prepared to send it back if you are not satisfied.

Want Filtrete Under-Sink Standard Water Filtration System (3US-AS01) Discount?

I have a lot of experience plumbing and since I have this experience I sadly have to use this knowledge.

I hate getting under a sink, but I installed this unit in conjunction with an on demand hot water unit.

Just give yourself plenty of time and draw out your design on the wall if you have to.

Yes, there are plastic parts, but they worked well for me and they are not exposed to ultra violet rays, so

they wont break down due to that and they are only used on cold water lines, so they will not crack or break

due to hot water exposure.

It was a no brainer to choose this system. I use Filtrete filters in my heating system and since I was going to

the expense of installing a hot water on demand system in my kitchen it was going to be filtered after all of that

work.

It works flawlessly and I''ve had it installed since before Christmas 2010. I wont have to change the filters as often

since I only use the on demand hot water a few times a week.

The water tastes great and you can always upgrade or downgrade filters to fit your needs.

Save 35% Off

It''s a simple install if the product came with the right parts. Typical filter lines are 1/4" compression on both sides. The adapter that comes with the product goes from a 3/8" tube to a 3/8" male. So now you have to figure out how to get from a 3/8" male pipe to a 1/4" compression. It took me a couple of trips to OSH and HD to get the right tube union which goes from 3/8" tube to 1/4" compression to get this right. So I skipped the adapter that came with the product altogether. btw the tube union that I needed is cheaper at OSH 3.99 vs 5.50 at HD. The other user error here was that I pushed the provide pipe into the filter and turned on the water and it was leaking all over the place. I then realized that I need to make sure that it is pushed all the way in. Once I did that, there were no leaks.

Read More >>

Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer Save 9% Off

Please get your coffee and sit though this review, it''s a bit long. So many people and places rate this as the best drip coffee maker because of the ideal brew temperature and brew drip time. I spent more time on this review because I want to justify the expense of this coffeemaker. The bottom line is that to get the really best tasting coffee out of this expensive coffee maker, you may have to spend just a bit of time fussing with it. This includes finding the right amount of coffee to add, using filtered room temperature water, and I found as some people suggest that if you leave the brew basket top off and stir the coffee grinds during brewing (at least for the first minute when the water has filled the basket and the grinds are swimming in water) , you get even better tasting coffee (better flavor extraction). Also, unless I buy another thermal carafe specifically the Thermos Nissan 51 Ounce Stainless Steel Carafe, I should drink all the brewed coffee within the first hour. The included carafe just does not maintain the coffee at a decent temperature for more than a half hour, especially if you use the brew through lid. If the thermal carafe is to replace the need for a heating pad to keep the coffee warm, then I am disappointed that the carafe can''t keep great brewed coffee hot for very long.

Note that the CDT and its original brother the KBT 741 leave ½ cup of water in the heating chamber after brewing. If you dry out your Technivorm (pour out any excess water and dry the reservoir) like I do, then you may wish to add a ½ cup of water to the chamber when brewing to compensate. Otherwise, it''s only your first batch of coffee that may be a bit stronger.

The instructions recommend using fresh tap water (I use filtered water from a carbon block system). This does result in a brew temperature of 195-200°F degrees as measured using my Thermapen. As an experiment, I reused the heated water from the carafe to brew coffee (the water has not yet cooled to room temperature). Don''t do it. This seems to confuse the Techivorm''s heating element''s thermostat and the brewing temperature drops to around 180°F degrees instead if the 190 to 200°F degrees if I start with room temperature water. And why did I reuse heated water? Why waste water? The instructions recommend "preheating the thermal carafe", likely so that the temperature of the brewed coffee does not cool below 190°F as it fills the thermal carafe.

What do I like about the CDT?

The coffee brewed from the Technivorm is more palatable so that I do not need to adulterate the coffee with any sweetener or creamer (if you use decent coffee beans). I don''t have a connoisseur''s palate but I also like to consider that I don''t have a dead one either. Even when I brewed carafes of coffee using 10 year old Maxwell House coffee (year 2000 stash) I can tell a difference in taste between it from a CDT and my other coffee maker a Cuisinart DCC-450BK 4-Cup Coffeemaker with Stainless-Steel Carafe, Black. The coffee from the Cuisinart is harsher and bitter more likely because of the 170°F brew temperature although the brew time is about the same as the CDT (5 minutes). I wouldn''t have believed the taste difference had I not brewed using both coffee makers. So if I use filtered water (at room temperature) and fresher quality coffee beans I will get better tasting brewed coffee from the Technivorm.

The very open reservoir design makes adding water into the reservoir a breeze (no one should make a mess pouring water into the reservoir).

The CDT''s reservoir`s round shape makes it very easy for me to dry the reservoir with a kitchen towel. I wasn''t sure about the KBT''s square shape and keeping it as clean. The only difference between the CDT and the KBT 741 is the shape of the reservoir (and the added height of the CDT''s reservoir to keep the same capacity as the KBT 741).

The CDT comes with a 4 foot long three prong power cord. I don''t have any problems plugging in my CDT anywhere in my kitchen.

What are my disappointments?

The included thermal carafe is my big disappointment. While I know that the carafe is designed to be poured using a lid (whether the included lid or the optional brew through lid, both which work okay), how difficult would it have been to stamp a small V-shaped spout on the carafe? It would help me pour my coffee into my Thermos Nissan 16-Ounce Stainless-Steel Insulated Bottle without spilling hot (and precious) coffee down the side of the thermos (yeah, I did have the carafe''s top in place). After I brew my coffee and screw on the top onto the thermal carafe, the outside of the thermal carafe is about ten degrees warmer than my kitchen counter: this carafe is loosing too much heat! The 198-200°F degree coffee drops about 25° degrees after an hour with the regular lid or 10°F loss per half hour with the brew through lid. Oh, and this is where I preheat the carafe with hot water! The carafe just looses too much heat. Maybe Technivorm could have Thermos Nissan make their thermal carafes? I have a travel size Thermos Nissan that I use for nursing my coffee at work. Even up to eight hours after brewing I still enjoy my coffee''s hot to warm temperature (without preheating)! The Technivorm carafe has no information on where it is made.

UPDATE: March 8, 2010: I contacted the seller complaining about my carafe''s inability to keep the coffee hot. I was sent a replacement carafe under warranty (no charge). BIG DIFFERENCE. The carafe looses about only six to seven degrees per hour instead of the 25° with my original carafe (with the regular lid) and about 12°F when using the brew thru lid. So my coffee is still hot for at least four hours after brewing. So make sure your carafe is not defective by testing it. The box the replacement carafe came in says it''s made in "Amerongen-Holland".

PROS:

The coffee brewed from the Technivorm is more palatable so that I do not need to adulterate the coffee with any sweetener or creamer (assuming you use decent coffee beans) and filtered water.

The large reservoir opening is easy to add water without spilling and also make it easy to dry with a kitchen towel.

It comes with a 4 foot power cord so you should be able to plug your CDT nearly anywhere in your kitchen.

Bottom line. Yes, I will keep it. Even with its faults'', the Technivorm still makes it easy to make a great tasting cup of coffee, especially if you drink your coffee black (I''ve become a black coffee convert).

CONS:

The CDT (and KBT 741) leaves ½ cup of water in the heating chamber. You may wish to add a ½ cup of water to compensate if you empty and dry out your Technivorm after each use.

For the cost, it needs to come with a better thermal carafe that can keep coffee hot for a longer time (make sure you test yours: it should only lose about 6-7°F an hour with the regular lid. And can Technivorm at least stamp a pouring beak on the carafe for even easier pouring, especially when pouring into a travel thermos?

Researched a number of coffee makers before deciding upon the MM based on online reviews. My single positive observation is the MM brings the water to an ideal brewing temperature of 200 deg F. Allow me to continue. I purchased the Thermo Carafe model as I do not like my coffee sitting on a heated burner and would typically transfer my coffee to a separate carafe after brewing. The problem with the MM carafe is the lid does not have a filler valve mechanism that allows the carafe to fill with the lid in place. If brewing only a half pot of coffee the carafe acts like a chimney allowing the heat to escape. The result is a warm cup of coffee. I''m constantly putting my cup of coffee in the microwave to get it to an enjoyable temperature. Next problem is the shower head, for lack of a better term. Its rectangular shape does not thoroughly and uniformly saturate the ground coffee. Open the lid on the brewing cone and the periphery of the coffee grounds are still dry. The water simply funnels through the center of the grounds. The only way to get the grounds fully saturated is to close the drip valve of the cone and let the cone fill with water. The problem here is quite obvious. If brewing more than six cups of coffee one has to babysit the thing to make sure it doesn''t overflow all over your counter top. My final issue with the MM is the overall design itself. Kind of looks like something your clever, creative, tinkering grandfather cobbled together in his basement shop out of old coffee maker components , tupperware and sheet metal he had lying about. Separate lids for the cone and water reservoir that aren''t integrated with the machine, poor water delivery and distribution, cheap water pump safety switch (eventually started to stick in the on position). At this price there are better coffee brewing systems available.

Buy Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer Now

If you were to ask my husband about me he would say that ''she is cheap''

but that ''quality is priority.'' I love great design, but I am not going to

be swayed by a design if it doesn''t function or have longevity.

I honestly did NOT expect much from this machine. I don''t expect much from

anything I buy anymore i.e. clothing is a big one. I am so used to purchasing

an item and find that the item doesn''t live up to expectations.

SOOO, our coffee maker broke after 20 years {i know} a krups, I was lucky enough

to have had a neighbour whose coffee machine crapped out two months before ours.

If my husband thought I was anal, well our neighbour is joe researcher on all things---

all things potentially entering his home.

He bought a Capresso with a thermal carafe. We bought the technivorm with carafe.

We organized a ''coffee off'' with third party participants etc.

Technivorm won hands down.

I can''t say enough good things about this maker. I also don''t understand many of the complaints

about it like:

1. The coffee grains aren''t all saturated because of bad spout design:

(What are you doing with your coffee? are you lining the edges of the cone? Our coffee grains

are totally saturated with the boiling hot water.)

2. The carafe doesn''t keep the coffee warm:

I work from home and four hours later the coffee is still piping hot in the carafe.

3. Cheap parts:

I don''t see anything cheap about the parts. There is a giant copper coil in the main compartment

which heats the water in minutes--This is the only coffee maker at this scale and price point

with the copper coil. My coffee is made in 5 minutes.

I love this coffee maker. I am a coffee nut. Love all kinds of coffee and know good coffee (lived in Europe and traveled extensively and know various coffee''s and makers.} I work from home and since purchasing this beauty have NEVER FELT the desire to hit the local coffee shop to ''get a good cup of coffee.''

I just have to walk into my kitchen and say hello to my new best and hopefully old best friend, signore technivorm!

Final comment, this baby is worth the money and I have kept people working in Holland.

Read Best Reviews of Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer Here

I don''t write many reviews of products but I do rely heavily on the reviews of others. I thought that I should finally write one lol. I have had this coffee maker for about 3 years now and overall I love it. This machine makes the best tasting coffee from a home use drip coffee maker that I have ever had. I have extremely hard water which kills other machines but with periodic cleaning this machine has far outlasted any others. I do agree with another reviewer about adding some extra water if the reservoir is empty. I always dump mine out and start with fresh water every time and have learned to compensate for this. I have never had any problems with my carafeit will easily keep the coffee hot for four hours. If you "preheat" it with hot water it does last even longer. My husband of course had reservations about the price initially but after tasting the coffee he was very pleased :). It''s hard going without the machine when we travel because we feel so spoiled at home. We also treat ourselves to some terroir coffee and in this machine it is a great substitute for sugary desserts. So I guess be warnedit may turn you into a coffee snob ;). Considering how long it has lasted with extremely hard water and daily use, it still produces a great cup of coffee. This machine is a great investment and I would buy it again in a heartbeat. Hope this helps!

UPDATE: 3-27-12 Still loving my Technivorm Moccamaster and it still works like a charm after 4.5 years. Finally bought a good burr grinder to go with it and it improved the taste of my coffee if that''s even possible :). My parents are currently living with us and we all drink alot of coffee throughout the day and it meets our expectations every time. We brew on average 2-4 full pots a day. The only thing I can say is that it might take a tad bit longer to brew a full pot compared to when we first bought it but the coffee is still at the correct temperature. I clean it regularly and I do believe that has improved the longevity of this wonderful machine. However if it were to quit on us tomorrow, I would still buy another one immediately. Happy Brewing!

Want Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer Discount?

The brew coffee at 200 degrees F and deliver it into a thermal carafe for your drinking pleasure. Yep, a French Press or just a Melita cone filter are cheaper, but like most Americans, I like my full pot of coffee. If that''s how you want your coffee, but you also want the coffee to taste good, then this is your coffee pot. It''s too expensive to just take my word on it, look at other online reviews, check out coffee website, and make up your own mind. I roast my coffee, and grind it carefully, and now, finally, with my Technivorm, brew it to best advantage as well.

Take a look at the annotated picture I submitted up above. The Technivorm is packed with a pair of filters and a one page manual. It''s simple and strongly built. You pour water into the marked reservoir, put filter (paper or gold) into the filter holder, add grounds, make sure the carafe is in place (safety switch to keep you from brewing onto the counter), and press the on button. If you want to, you can also control the flavor extraction by holding the water onto the grounds, or slow the drip process down. Regardless, it''s a great cup of coffee.

Save 9% Off

Read More >>

Culligan FM-4 Faucet Mount Water Filter

While this item is mislabeled, the vendor has the kind of integrity and concern we wish all vendors would have. When I complained about the mislabeling of the product, the entire amount of my order was quickly and apologetically refunded. I wouldn''t hesitate to do business with him again.

Read More >>

Zojirushi Electric Pot / Inner Container Cleaner

Defintely a must buy for those of you that own hot water boilers. I clean about every 6-8 months but you might want to do it more if you use straight up tap water. I filter water first through a Brita water filter.

Read More >>

Capresso 4640.93-2PACK Charcoal Water Filter (2 Pack)

not much to say these filters make coffee taste better by the way the Capresso grind and brew is a great machine makes the best coffee from fresh beans

Read More >>

Brita Atlantis Pitcher (OB32/OB03)

We have had this pitcher for a few years, all good, until we broke the small filler lid on top, our fault, love this pitcher, perfect size, and the filters are always available, and our water tastes great!

Read More >>

Airfree Onix 3000 Mobile Home Air Purifier Sanitizer Unit System Save 15% Off

I purchased this because my home contained visable mold and who knows what''s hidden behind the drywall. In addition, the lower level of the home often had a funny smell (not really moldy, just funny, kind of earthy), and since I moved, the dog and cat are really itchy. I read one of the reviews for this product on another site where someone had a mold remediator come in 4 times and it didn''t work, so I decided to try this first, since it''s cheaper, and it is supposed to remove more than just mold. I plugged this in in the family room on the lower level. It originally gives off a mild burning smell that subsides after a few days. Soon, the lower level of my home had no more funny smells and both the cat and dog prefer to sleep in that room as opposed to all other rooms. I just ordered a second one for the mid level of my home and plan to get a smaller one for the bedroom. I''m very pleased with it. Don''t know that it got rid of the mold, but it did get rid of the smell and both the dog and cat think it''s doing a good thing, since they had no interest in that room prior to the Airfree. To me, that says a lot.

Ok, had to edit this because I got the second airfree for the living room level and that''s been running about 2 weeks now. They say it takes a month to work, but my itchy dog, who had rubbed all the hair off her eye and had large scabs on her rear by her tail (the vet was the one who originally put the air purifier idea in my head) has stopped rubbing her face, her eye''s no longer red and it appears that the hair''s even making an effort to regrow and all the scabs on her rear are gone! She''s not on any meds for this either so that''s not the cause of her improvement. This is more than I could have hoped for. She''s much more comfortable and will now hang with us in the livingroom. I just ordered a small one for my bedroom. Now we''ll see how it does on my morningtime stuffy nose :-) Ps. still no funny smells on the lower level!

We found out about these devices when we had a crawl space full of mold, and we used them with great success. Then we moved, and had a mildewy corner of the new house that made us sneeze and feel stuffy, and the Airfree completely eliminated that problem. I could tell whenever my husband unplugged it by accident, because the next morning I''d wake up stuffy again. We''d plug it back in again, and the stuffiness and mildewy smell disappeared again.

A friend used it on my recommendation, and his house that smelled unpleasantly mildewy smells great now.

This is not a filter, which is a good thing -filters never work on mold for long; they lose their initial effectiveness quickly. This has a heated core that actually incinerates the mold spores, and it never loses effectiveness. It takes a few weeks to cycle all the air in the room through, but you can tell a difference in symptoms even before then. When I researched this, I remember finding a retailer who had tested the Airfree by leaving it in a room with a strawberry and a piece of cheese. Neither molded, even after weeks and weeks and weeks.

It says a two year guarantee, but I found that mine lasted about 4 years before they seemed to start losing effectiveness. I replaced mine when we started getting a mildewy smell again as well as stuffiness even while the Airfree was on, about four years after purchasing it. After replacing it with a new one, all the symptoms and smell went away again. I won''t be without it! It''s a great product!

Oh, and the odd smell that some others mentioned only happens in the first few days. I think it is from the initial use of the heated core, just like with any space heater, oven, or wood stove. The stuff burns off of the element, and then no odor comes from it at all after that.

Buy Airfree Onix 3000 Mobile Home Air Purifier Sanitizer Unit System Now

This device works on mold in the air. I could tell the pretty impressive effect within about twenty four hours. This version is more powerful than another one, the P100, that I have tried and that one also worked very well. This one is the most powerful they have right now and the column of warm air is slightly more intense than on the lower powered one. This one produces enough heated convection to notice if you put your hand about four inches above it. It still isn''t what I would call hot though or even very warm. The blue light is still a good warning not to drape something over it which of course you''re not supposed to do! The main thing is how long it will last as it is meant to run continuously. So far after a month there are no problems. This took care of the basement mold allergy problem in a 12 by 20 foot room. There was nothing to assemble. It comes out of the box and you plug it in where nothing can block the top vent and that''s it. One of the most useful things I''ve bought in a while.

Read Best Reviews of Airfree Onix 3000 Mobile Home Air Purifier Sanitizer Unit System Here

Ive had this for quite a while now. I initially got it because of a stored food item that wasnt packaged and went seriously bad. It turned into a large fungus and left a strong odor in one room. It only took a few days for the Onix to eliminate the odor forever.

As a note, I dont believe this device really removes dust, as it has no filter. What it does is kill micro-organisms with heat. So if your problem is dust, this is probably not the unit for you. If youre worried about mold, fungus, virus, bacteria, etc, it might be right for you.

To address some concerns Ive heard:

Some people say you cant tell if its working because it just has an led and makes no noise. However, you can easily tell if its working by the heat if you put your hand near the top.

I read where someone said it released strong fumes. For the first couple days it did leave a pretty strong plastic smell, similar to one you will get if you smell the ventilation off a television set but stronger. It completely went away after a couple days.

Some complain that air doesnt flow through it so it cant do anything. But, so long as it eliminates particles that happen to pass through it, it is doing something. Particles will tend to disperse throughout a room and will keep entering the device until the overall level in the room is low. It may take longer than a purifier with a fan, but I dont see that as a problem since it stays on all the time.

Want Airfree Onix 3000 Mobile Home Air Purifier Sanitizer Unit System Discount?

I have had severe allergies since I turned 12. In various homes, I developed some kind of sick syndrome. It always turned out to be mold & I have become even more careful about where I move now. Still, my asthma causes my lungs to seize up when I am around bacteria or flu infected people. I am told I am the "most allergic" patient my allergist has and although I am under 40, I have had pneumonia twice (once typical and once atypical). Last year, I moved to an apartment where flocks of doves gathered in the trees outside...I did not think to ask my neighbors how their health was in advance, & I thought the cough I had outdoors might be due to my own asthma.

I developed a very severe case of psittacosis from ill birds outside. My pet parrots tested negative for this disease....my cats became ill (1 died of pneumonia), my guinea pigs, my turtle and finally my super immune husband became quite ill. No one could understand why the antibiotics only cured my husband...the animals and I were just getting by on meds. After $4,000 of medical expenses, I noticed that I became much worse when I had to go outside in the yard, much better if I rushed to the car and left the home all day and moderately ill if a window were opened....we moved. My signs became much relieved...the cats perked up, the guinea pigs quit sneezing, the guinea pig with the twisted head straightened out, weird white clumps (not fungus) quit growing in my aquariums, but we could not entirely kick it despite cleaning to the point of ruining the finish on all our furniture with the isopropyl alcohol.

I convinced my husband to buy an airfree...the onix model. I never even hoped for such optimal results...I thought I would see improvement in a week or two...within 4 hours, the swelling in my throat was lessened & the gummy saliva decreased. Now, two days later, my sinuses are clear for the first time since last June. The chest pains have gone away....something Doxycycline alone could not achieve. That sickness fatigue is gone. This morning my chest feels normal and my lungs pain free for the first time since September of 2011 (it is mid-April 2012 currently). I never expected this and am glad I quit going to the doctors (9 of them) who suggested this might be psychological...amazing. My cats used to sleep anywhere in the 650 square foot living room, and now they lie next to Airfree. The air smells cleaner and feels great. We will have to buy a few more! Will order the next one from Hammacher Schlemmer (lifetime guarranty) this weekend! Can''t wait to see what it will be like to keep one near the bed!

Save 15% Off

Read More >>