BUNN HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer Save 13% Off

I am satisfied with the purchase of the newest HT Phase Bunn Home Brewer.

CONS: You can''t be in a hurry with this maker. Ours takes a full 12 minutes starting with room temperature water. The carafe only holds 8 cups. This maker is very noisy. It boils, hisses and jiggles while brewing. Water drips out of the seams of the top if it is filled to the 8 cup level while it is heating. I tested the coffee temperature immediately after brewing by pouring coffee directly in a ceramic mug. The temperature was 172F. I was a bit surprised that it was not hotter than that if it truly brews around 200F+. I will have to due further testing and watch some control factors more closely. I hope that it registers a bit higher than that.

PROS: The automatic start helps to make up for the time of brewing if you simply can''t wait the 12 minutes for the brew cycle to begin. We prefer to grind our coffee just prior to brewing but it is nice to have the option! The thermal carafe prevents over heated, bitter coffee. I tested the coffee temperature directly after brewing and it was 172F. I tested a cup at exactly two hours later and it read 160F. I give the thermal carafe a nice hot pre-rinse and it holds it''s heat for a full two hours. I love the stainless steel brew basket. Our brew basket from our last coffee maker was plastic. It blistered causing me to have concerns about plastic leaching into our coffee. No worries about that with the Phase Brew.

Good Design

The design of this brewer was just what I was looking for: 8 cups, insulated carafe, reputable brand, full temperature (200 degrees F) brewing, and no "always-on" heating tank. After a frustrating and rather wasteful one-month break-in period, it''s operating as I originally hoped. If it weren''t for that problem, I''d give it 5 stars.

Good Support

I bought the Bunn Phase Brew HT despite problems reported by others because, apart from the Technivorm, there''s nothing else quite like it, and I had read the Bunn support is very solid. This turned out to be true.

Problem with Odor, Initially

The biggest problem was a nasty plastic smell and taste originating from the plastic tank. This was especially noticeable during the heating cycle. Eventually I ran about 20 pots of water through the thing over about three weeks, including two cleanings with vinegar and even a couple with hot bicarbonate of soda solution. At one point I called Bunn support, which was a reassuring experience. They offered to replace the brewer, no problem, but they said the smell would go away in a couple of weeks. I hung on the the brewer I had, and sure enough, in a few weeks it was making great coffee. Whether it was the passage of time that did the trick or the endless flushes with water, etc., I don''t know.

Not Wasteful of Energy

I always liked the Bunn brewers for their solid build, but I didn''t want to heat water in a reserve tank all the time, so the Phase Brew seems like a good answer.

Correct Water Temperature

The water temperature coming out of the spray emitter is about 204 degrees F, and the coffee in the pot at about 185 degrees (measured with a Fluke thermal probe). (I pre-warm the pot with hot tap water, but I don''t boil it or anything.)

Pot Stays Hot for 2 3 Hours

How hot is hot enough depends on who''s drinking the coffee, and whether they take cream (I don''t). For me, the coffee is pleasingly hot for a couple of hours; hot enough for three hours or so, and a little on the cool side after that, but still drinkable. Realistically, it''s empty before then.

The Carafe Doesn''t Drip (Much)

The carafe pours nicely until the last half cup or so. Then it takes some practice not to have it drip. I just remove the top and pour the last few ounces out.

Hot Plate Only Stays on for a Short While

Some have said that the hot plate under the pot stays on, but it seems to turn off shortly after brewing. This is good because the pot is insulated and hot plates ruin coffee.

Good Spray Head

I had read that some people had problems with the shower head emitter dribbling rather than distributing evenly in all directions. That''s not a problem with mine -the spray pattern is just right. The shower head is removable for cleaning.

The Clock Works

I haven''t had any problem with the electronics, but I don''t use the pre-set timer to start the brewing so I can''t say anything about that.

Noise isn''t a Problem for Me

The boiling water noise during warm up is about average for a drip coffee maker, and a bit louder than normal for the final couple of minutes while the water is dispensed into the coffee, but it doesn''t bother me. In fact the change in the rumble serves as a final warning that the pot needs to be in place.

Brewing Time is Fine

Brewing takes about 10 minutes. Unless you stare at the machine the whole time, it''s not noticeable. Personally, I pour in the water and hit the start button, then I grind some coffee and pre-heat the pot during the initial heating phase (when no water is coming out), so by the time I''m ready, the remaining brew time is maybe six minutes.

Filters Are Unusual, But Not Hard to Find

Bunn filters are taller than most, because it dumps the water into the coffee quickly, flooding the funnel and wetting the grounds evenly. Short filters might overflow. However, Lowes, Fry''s, and others stock them, and a pack of 1000 is only about $11 (plus shipping) from Bunn.

The Coffee is Really Good

With the hotter temperature of the Bunn, I found that using a medium grind produced smoother results than the fine grind I had previously used to get flavor with my aging Braun coffee maker. My expectation that I could save 20% of my rising coffee bill by switching from a 10-cup to an 8-cup brewer hasn''t been fulfilled though, because the coffee is so good that I often have to have another half-pot later (but at least it''s nice and fresh).

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I was excited to see that Bunn had a new brew technique and was in the market to replace my old Mr. Coffee unit. I preordered the Bunn HT and got it on December 30, 2010. Initially, I thought that the Bunn HT made a good cup of coffee and was easy on the eyes, easy for set up, and easy for clean up. However, on January 17, 2011, my coffee maker quit heating water and I did not get my morning coffee which upset everyone in the household! I contacted Bunn and they sent me out a new unit and asked me to ship the broken one back to them. In 2 days, I received the new unit and peace was restored to the family.

Then, on February 1, the same problem occured no heating of the water!! I contacted Bunn and told them of my unhappiness and asked if they were experiencing a rash of failures. They said that they had only had a few but for one person to have 2 failures in month is completely unacceptable!

Although I like the unit, I could not recommend this to anyone as long as it continues to go belly-up in such a short amount of time. I could understand one failure, but two??????????? BTW I use filtered water for the coffee maker so it shouldn''t need cleaning in less than 2 weeks.

Not impressed with the reliability and durability of the product.

UPDATE-March 26, 2011!!

Woke up this morning after a terrible nights rest and pressed the button on my 2nd replacement machine and ............ nothing!! It indicated that it was heating the water but no heat, no gurgling, no nothing! This is the third failure that I have had with the Bunn HT Brewer and I am at my wits (what''s left of them) end. I am struggling to believe that a company like Bunn can''t build a reliable machine. Maybe I''ll just get a stove top percolator!

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I wish I could kiss the people who made this coffee maker. Where do I start? Maybe with my supposedly nice Cuisinart story. Last Christmas I received a Cuisinart coffee maker with a thermal carafe. The thing was a menace from the start. The lid never closed all the way, the entire thing was plastic except for the carafe, which almost immediately started to seep water between it''s walls even though it had never been near a dishwasher or submerged in water. Plus, it always overflowed unless we pressed slow brew. To make it more annoying it screeched out five ear-shattering beeps when it was done brewing that woke us up from downstairs even with our door closed. Who needs an alarm? Not us!

After all this I was left thinking big companies don''t care about their end product as long as they sold a bazillion. By the end of this year the crappy thing was more than toast.

Now THIS coffee maker is amazing!! Bunn seems like they want to design and build something of quality. Really? Do companies still do this? First, the coffee maker is tall, nearly as tall as my stand mixer so make sure you have room. The reason is because there''s a reservoir on top for water to boil to an exact temperature before spraying down on the coffee. And the coffee filter is made of stainless steal, not plastic! I about jumped for joy when I saw that. They also fixed the too flat pour spouts everyone complained about in previous years. It has a nice dip now so coffee doesn''t splash out. Does that mean a company actually takes suggestions? (Sorry I''m feeling a bit cynical after my Cuisinart experience.)

This Bunn is solid, seriously. It''s a well-built machine that looks great in my kitchen. And the coffee? Fantastic! There is only one small thing it doesn''t have. A built in water filter. We have very hard water here, but it''s not a big deal for me to filter the water beforehand. Oh, I nearly forgot. No ear piercing beeps! In fact, no beeps at all. Just a peaceful LED sensor that turns off when my coffee is done.

Bunn you earned yourself a new loyal customer. Thank-you!

Update 16 Feb 2011: Coffee maker still looks brand new and works just as well as the day I bought it. Water is still heating properly. I do have to turn the pot upside down to get the last of the coffee out, but it doesn''t leak or drip when I do. It''s as if it was designed to be able to be tipped that way. Still the best coffee maker I''ve ever owned.

Update 01 July 2011: I found when I fill the water reservoir above the black line the water can''t boil and just leaks out cold. So now I take care to fill the water holder to just under that 8 cup line.

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Very disappointed. I just received the second unit and after one brew cycle it is non functioning. there is obviuosly a major design flaw with this model.

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Vicks 1.5 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier Save 33% Off

We''ve had this humidifier for about 2 years now and use it only occasionally. The reason we use it sparingly is because it is way too loud. It has a very annoying vibrational noise that can be damped by pushing down hard on the lid. Since I can''t stand next to it pushing the lid down all night, we have to put up with the amazingly loud humming. The other problem with this humidifier is that it is hard to clean inside the tube that draws-up the water. It is removable, but you need to have pipe-cleaners to get inside it. The non-removable disc in the lid is also filled with gunk that I can''t get out. Save your money!

I bought this at Kmart for $21. They had extra filters there, and they''re available online. The unit is in my 2-year-old''s room and is very quiet. You do have to snap the lid on tightly, but then it stays in place. It used only about 1/4 of the water in the chamber overnight. The instructions recommend a thorough cleaning with vinegar once a week, which I will definitely do. A switch on the body of the humidifier would be nice (there''s a dial-type power switch on the cord). I''m sure a $100+ unit would be more attractive and have more features, but for my needs this works fine.

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This humidifier is loud, but more importantly completely drenches the carpet beneath it. Every night I have to put 2 dry bath towels under it to collect the water that would otherwise be saoked into my carpet. Its SUCH A PAIN, not to mention the constant rotations of new dry towels. I guess you get what you pay for, I am going to get a more expensive one next but sure wish I could have saved this $30 from the beginning.

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Reading the other reviews, you''d think you were making the biggest mistake of your life buying this great little machine. It''s not loud at all I don''t know what they''re talking about. And it blows a giant stream of cool mist that has helped our newborn breathe freely in the humidity-free Arizona air. Only thing is, and I don''t know why, it takes about 3 initial runs before full mist capacity is met. Instructions even forewarn this it has to get broken in somehow. Well, once you''ve done that, it''s awesome, honestly. Just keep it clean.

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This humidifer works as advertised. I found it somewhat loud, but not in an annoying way, just creates some good white noise in my opinion. I had an older one which broke and it took me a few days to replace. Only then did I realize how much of a difference it was making in the dry heat of the winter. If you''re looking for an inexpensive way to keep you from getting too dried out when you sleep, this will do the trick. Nothing fancy, no real features, it just works.

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Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter

WARNING: This is the second year I tried ordering what appears to be genuine Sunbeam filters. Once again, I was sent the bulkier, cheaper Protec filters that barely fit and smell bad. This rating is more about the provider than the filter. This year, I''m sending them back.

This filter was supposed to fit my machine and although I had read that they will send a different one, I took a chance. Well, no luck here. They sent the wrong filter and now I am hoping they grant me a refund. Hopefully I have better luck there.

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This product came very quickly, I put it in the humidifier immediately, and it worked perfectly!

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This filter arrived within 4 days. It seemed a little too big at first, but once the filter moistened, it has fit and funtioned perfectly.

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Received the wrong product. Once I contacted the company, they made it very easy to resolve a solution. Mistakes happen. Overall, pleased with the company.

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Pentek 158117 1/4" #10 Slim Line Clear Filter Housing

• Slim filter housing for low-flow applications with space restrictions
• Clear styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) for on-site viewing of flow and cartridge condition
• Use with a 10" x 2-1/2" sediment or carbon filter cartridge (sold separately)
• Initial pressure drop of 2 psi at a flow rate of 3 gpm
• Maximum temperature of 125 degrees F (51.7 degrees C)

This worked for my purpose... it does seem to be prone to leak if you move it or bump it (or even lightly touch the pressure release button). However, since it''s usually stationary, it didn''t really matter.

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Product was as described and is very well made and easy to install. I have nothing to say to not buy this.

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The line connection is the small one. If you are not intalling under the sink or for a fridge don''t get this one. 1/4 in connetion.

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I use it to filter oil and works great. They are the same quality as the $30 ones at the box stores.

I purchased this for my CO2 laser, which uses a steady water-flow to keep the laser tube cool. After moving to my new facility, I plugged everything in and noticed there was scale and particles floating inside my $1000+ laser tube. It was cool, since it was evidence that water was actually circulating but floaties inside expensive equipment is just wrong.

Once I connected the filter (and cartridge, sold separately), within 5 minutes (less actually), the water inside the laser tube was crystal clear and the black floaties where hugging the cartridge.

Will I be tasting the quality of this water? No, but it definitely is an improvement for my application.

A side note, anyone installing a water filtration system should understand about water quality before jumping in. There is a ton of online literature but understand it before installing.

For instance, filtering water can become corrosive. Unfiltered water can cause scale in delicate equipment like espresso machines and tea brewers.

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Mr. Beer Octoberfest Lager Refill Brew Pack Save 6% Off

I am really happy to see Mr. Beer is participating now on Amazon! I wish the description would provide some background about what the beer is like. I had to go to their website to figure out what kind of beer this refill is like. For some reason, the URL will not paste into this comment box. Here is the product info:

"Also referred to as Märzenbier, this malty, deep amber colored beer features a smooth body, toffee-like malt richness, and a full, biscuit like bouquet. Sample the celebrated beer of Munich''s world famous Oktoberfest."

I got a Mr. Beer keg kit back in 2006. I did some brewing for two or three years but then got caught up in grad school and work. I am getting back into the swing of things and trying out the various flavors. This Oktoberfest seemed a little light on taste. I served it at a party and people said they tasted fruits, nuts, and coffee. I thought, it was a decent batch but not the best flavor I have brewed before with Mr. Beer.

Finally, ignore the initial reviewer of this product. I did not have trouble realizing that the booster was already included (starts at 3.7%ABV), added some sugar (increasing it 1.5%), and filled up the whole plastic keg. The instructions are clear. I also like not having to include the booster because it didn''t always dissolve quickly in boiling water. The prepped malt is a nice change!

I like this one and if you like Octoberfest you shouldn''t be disappointed. This is my second brew with 2 weeks fermenting, 2 weeks carbonating and 2 weeks in the fridge and I couldn''t be happier with what I poured. I think it tastes great (nice berry flavor) and the head is bold, lasts and doesn''t evaporate in seconds like most beers. If my other brews come out like this one, and my first brew of the Irish Stout, I''ll never be in the beer aisles of a food store again. I purchased this directly from Mr. Beer because the price was lower and I was ordering enough other items (sanitizer, bottles and several refill kits) that made their flat rate shipping worthwhile... they also offer some really good custom kits that crank out some higher alcohol levels if that''s of interest (this one is good for about 3.7% and that''s low for a beer but I wanted taste and I got it... I don''t need to get drunk on my first mug of it. Someone commented on the booster pack but it''s not needed with this item unless you want to increase the alcoholic content.

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One more week and we will have beer! Hopefully we did it right and it will be awesome. Excited to see the final result

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The Mr. Beer kit makes it very easy to make beer at home. So far I haven''t found one that I don''t like, but this is my favorite.

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My favorite beer. It is fun creating it myself. This is my second wort with Mr. Beer. The first one came out perfect.

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Rebuilt Rainbow Hardwood Floor Canister Bagless SE Vacuum Cleaner

I purchased a new Rainbow from Great Vacs and when I received it, it was package like it was just thrown in the box. I paid for a new unit and the unit I got looked like it has been used. It was a bit banged up and no manual or instruction came with it. I have left 2 messages with Great Vacs with a couple of questions, but no responds. Poor customer service & not a new unit. Consider your order with Great Vacs carefully.Rainbow Hardwood Floor Canister Bagless SE Vacuum Cleaner

The product wasn''t exactly as I hoped. I''ve owned a Rainbow for over twenty years... but instead of replacing worn part, I considered buying a refurbished one on line. I didn''t realize it was only to be used on hardwood floors! Who buys a vacum if you don''t have carpet? So I was disappointed to find it was only for hardwood floors as my home is entirely carpeted. It also has a srange sound when turned off. I love a Rainbow not only because of it''s supreme cleaning power (alot of vacums do this) but none leave the home smelling so fresh. It truly cleans and sanitizes the air as well..... the main reason i love the Rainbow. It also came with a tiny bowl.... my previous Rainbow had a much larger bowl. So for a few reasons I''m not entirely happy with my purchase. I would like to know if the seller would make a motorized foot for carpet available at a reasonable price.

Rose Hembree

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I had my Rainbow for years and it finally bit the dust. I chose this "rebuilt" Rainbow for the price and because I now have only hard floors. I was very excited when it arrived. When I used it the second time, one of the clips that holds the motor unit to the water tank broke off. Upon closer examination, I found that it had been GLUED back on from a previous break. I didn''t think about being "rebuilt" as put together with glue. I thought it meant a rebuilt/reconditioned motor. I will be more wary in the future...

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We bought exactly the same "Rainbow" as we had for 20 years. We had another vacuum with a bag for a couple years and did not like it; this is why we wanted "Rainbow" back.

When you see all dirt in the water in canister you feel that your house is clean, plus when you add a few drops of "Rain Forest" or other fragrance to the canister you feel freshness in your house.

We are very satisfied with the product and will recommend to everybody

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Toastess TGK486 Cordless Glass Kettle Save 17% Off

Let me set some background on myself first. I am a long time tea drinker and was raised in a country where you drank tea all the time. I consume approximately 4 to 6 cups per day. So you could say I know and enjoy my tea :)

With that said nothing annoys and frustrates me more than the taste of a tea being polluted or ruined by the introduction of foreign flavors. I have owned a number of plastic kettles most of which I am sure based on their age contained BPA and even if they didn''t often time gave a strange odor or flavor to the tea. I have also had some great stainless pots but recently (past couple of years) had to revert back to the plastic again.

I decided at Christmas 2010 that I wanted to finally get away from these and was originally looking for an all in one solution. You can imagine my delight when I saw the Breville One Touch Tea Maker and jumped at the chance of this. Long story short I got through 3 of them, the first 1 didn''t work, the second and third however had a strange odor that seemed to come from the brewing basket lid. I was really frustrated that this didn''t work out, especially with so may other great reviews of the product and the cost.

So, gave up with the all in one and went back on the search for a BPA free and ideally plastic free unit. I looked at the Hamilton Beach stainless and about every other kettle Amazon and others had including the Pino (which is the one I was going to go for). The problem was the BPA identification was either non existent or a guess even by the manufacturer !!! This blew my mind.

I found two Toastess models (1 being this one and the other being DLJK-459) and started the research here. I went for this one as the other Toastess (DLJK-459) had a plastic water window which I wanted to stay away from. I learned that the carafe on the TGK496 (this unit) was glass (in fact the same duran glass as used in the Breville carafe) had a stainless steel heating plate and absolutely no plastic touching the water when boiling. To confirm, the handle attaches on the outside of the carafe so no plastic touching there, the water marks are on the handle (on the outside) so again no BPA leaching viewing windows/water guages as used in other products. The only two pieces of plastic that exist in any proximity of the water are the lid (I know why can''t they just get rid of this and replace with Stainless steel and cool touch top etc !!) and the water filter by the spout (this can be removed if you wish). I took this one step further and looked into the lid components (just in case there were concerns about condensed water dripping back) and can report that the lid is made of Plastic #5 (PP polypropylene) which according to many health related websites poses no risks (who knows what time will show here).

So I finally found BPA free and as close to plastic free as I could and I have to say I love this kettle. Simple but great unit with a 1.7 capacity which is awesome when you have multiple tea drinkers in the house and want to fill a brown betty pot. Glass gets warm so watch out for that and power switch seems a little flimsy but those are the only small gripes.

If there was one thing I would want from this kettle and while I''m at it a please to all kettle manufacturers is to remove the plastic completely whether its touching water directly (crazy in this day and age) or from a condensing perspective, get it out of there !

Hope the information here was useful, please let me know with any questions and do yourself a favor, pickup this kettle. Its one of the few kettles that is BPA free and the closest right now to plastic free.

Go get yourself a cuppa and enjoy the purchase. Amazon as always was awesome !!!

Very nice looking and works as advertised as long as you do not remove the plastic filter! It does not give off any taste or odor.

The filter is NOT mean to be removed!!! If you do remove the filter, the kettle will not shut off automatically.

From Toastess Customer Service:

"The automatic shut-off feature is triggered by the accumulation of moisture by the filter,

which should be installed on the lid so that it rests by the spout when the lid is closed."

I like using this kettle but would prefer that it be all glass including the top or if not glass then stainless steel.

All the plastic parts including the filter are made from polypropylene plastic Relatively safe but I would prefer no plastic at all.

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I''ve been using these water boilers for a few years and most of them have a few of the same problems. This boiler has no problems!

Pros:

-The kettle is large

-it boils fast

-the bottom is flat

-the sides are schott glass(german pyrex)

-The lid is simple open and shut with no locks to break

-The opening is large enough to get my man hands in and clean it

I use this to boil water, heat soup quickly, boil eggs, make chai. Basically if I want anything to come to a boil quickly this is my goto appliance.

Cons:

the measurements are in metric.

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I just bought this pot and I LOVE it!!! It boils water in record time and it looks really nice on the counter. Your hand can easily get inside to clean it if you need to, and it''s easy to fill with water. The heating element doesn''t touch the water, and there''s nothing to corrode or rust.

The manufacturer says that the minimum amount you should boil is two cups. I only need one cup boiled at a time for my tea. I have to carry my water in from another source because I live on the ocean, and while we can bathe in our household water and wash clothes, we do not drink it. Therefore, I cannot waste water at all. I wondered about the "two cups -one cup" thing. Then I read in another review that the reason the manufacturer recommends two cups is so that enough steam rises when the water boils to trigger the shut-off mechanism in the lid. So it''s not that you CAN''T boil just one cup or that it will somehow ruin the pot, it''s just that you might not be able to rely on the shut-off mechanism if you do. Well that''s no problem at all! With that knowledge in mind, I just put exactly one cup into the pot and plug it in. You know how they say that "a watched pot never boils"? Well they never saw THIS pot! You can easily stand there and manually shut it off (if you want to boil only one cup like me) because it boils UNBELIEVABLY fast. Makes a microwave look like a dinosaur! So I just boil my one cup -almost instantly -and then shut it off and make my tea. If you''re going to do it like this, don''t walk away because the water boils incredibly fast. Just be conscientious.

So far, so good. I love this pot!!

UPDATE: January 15, 2013 Still going strong! Yep, I still love it!

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I know some people have had success with this kettle, and I''m glad for them. Personally, I''ve had no luck with it. Like other reviewers, I find this has a faulty on/off switch. I''ve had this kettle for two months. It works well as far as heating water quickly goes...however, it no longer turns off. At all. It doesn''t matter if the water is boiling, if I try turning it off manually, nothing. What makes it even worse is that coincidentally, the handle gets super hot now as well. So unless I stand around and watch and take it off the stand as soon as the water gets hot, I will have to grab it by the superheated handle. Not good, actually dangerous. This is really a shame because it''s a good looking electric tea kettle that worked great for exactly two months..

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Mr. Coffee JWX23 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker Save 38% Off

I''ve had two of this same model. The first just stopped working after a few months and was replaced by the company. The second leaks all over the countertop even though I wasn''t overfilling. When I called the company, I was told they had had no complaints about this, but there are numerous complaints about the same issue with this model on the internet.

Won''t buy Mr. Coffee again.

Worked fine for three months, then just stopped heating. Lights come on, relays click, but neither the pot warmer nor the water heater heat up. This pot is the epitome of "you get what you pay for".

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I have purchased 2 of these Mr. Coffee machines. Both from Target. I normally only make 4 cups during the week and 8 to 9 cups on the weekend. The first machine went back just before the expiration date on my receipt. If I made more than 8 cups the coffe grinds in the filter backed up to the top of the filter and into the coffee pot. I hate grounds in my coffee. If I wanted that I would make "Cowboy Coffee".

The 2nd machine is still in my house. Today was the worse day yet. We were given some Starbucks coffee. I made 9 cups and yep, the grounds overflowed again. But worse this time. I had kept my receipt, but low and behold it was over the expiration date. Not sure which machine I will buy now. I have been using Mr. Coffee for years...........

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I love how easy it is to program! I only wish that it would keep the hotplate warm for longer.

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I''ve had many coffee makers over the years, from really expensive to dirt-cheap. This coffee maker, by far, is my favorite so far. It brews quickly, with two brew strength settings, normal and strong. It''s very easy to program, with the buttons on top so that nothing can ever spill on them. I like the soft alarm that lets me know when the brewing is done, and when the hot plate shuts off. Cleaning is a snap with the special cleaning cycle. If there is a weak point, it''s probably the enclosed manual. Reading it makes the programming and usage of this machine sound way more complicated than it is. All in all, a great coffee maker, just keep the manual for reference but don''t read it.

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Wagner 915 1,500-Watt On-Demand Power Steamer and Cleaner Save 47% Off

• No messy chemicals or chemical residue for steam cleaning or wallpaper removal
• On-demand fingertip steam control for continuous or intermittent steam
• Wallpaper steam plate removes wallpaper 20 percent faster than non-pressurized steamers
• Steam-cleaning action kills bacteria to sanitize surfaces inside and outside the house
• Eight-foot steam hose allows for a large working area; includes two extension tubes for great reach

First off, make sure you read all the directions before use! After getting through the short manual, I set up shop in the bathroom and intended to clean every surface. It took about 15-20 minutes with a full tank (48 oz) to be ready for use. I kept the bathroom door closed and locked because I was concerned about my children and puppies being curious and getting hurt. I understand why it takes so long to get going, but I was worried that one of my little ones would get into it. There really should be a lock on the trigger seeing as it has to be left for so long to warm up and all it takes is a second to get some major burns. That said, locking it in the bathroom did the trick for me.

Once it was ready, I started with the brass nozzle and cleaned my bathtub and shower. It worked very well with a bit of elbow grease to remove all the build up in the grout and around the shower head which are always a pain to keep clean. It was very easy to clean the areas around my faucet that are too narrow to clean with anything other than a toothbrush. I also did some polishing up of the toilet and the toddler seats and felt really great about the idea of disinfecting everything without chemicals. I had wanted a versatile cleaner like this for some time as my mother has a nice one that I''ve always been jealous of, but it costs her $40 every time she needs to refill the chemicals and they go pretty fast with regular use. As a result, she doesn''t use it as much as she would like to. Not so with this steamer! I absolutely love that it''s just tap water. So easy and simple. The manual does warn that over time you can get mineral build up from using non-distilled water but gives you clear directions on how to clean that up so I''m sure it won''t be an issue when/if it happens.

Before finishing up with the nozzle, I found my own personal perfect use for the steamer. Cleaning my window screens! Several times a year, I have to take apart all our windows and haul the screens into the backyard to spray down with the hose. Not only is this time consuming, but it isn''t all that effective. I still have to use up a ton of towels wiping them down to get them really clean. I decided to give the steamer a try on my bathroom screens and oh my gosh! Instantly clean. No scrubbing, no wiping, just clean. Even if I could use it for nothing else, I would use it for this. It will save me SO much time and headache in the long run.

Once I was done with the screen, I wanted to try the squeegee attachment on the windows and mirror. I am impatient and was annoyed that I had to wait 20 minutes for the attachment to cool before I could swap it out, so I used my oven mitt and easily took off the nozzle and replaced it with the squeegee. I''m very picky about streaky glass, and was VERY pleased that within seconds I had my mirror clean from top to bottom, even at the very top where I can''t normally reach without a step ladder or climbing onto the vanity. It did leave little pools of water at the bottom but a quick wipe and it was cleaned up. And NO STREAKS!!

Finally, I put on the floor attachment and went to work on my tile. It was very quick and very simple. I left it to air dry as normal and the floor was clean in half the time with no chemicals. I love this steamer so much! It''s making my family healthier thanks to being able to throw out the chemicals and it''s saving me time and money. Does it get any better?!

My only gripes are the fact that there is no safety lock on the trigger for use when it''s warming up and that there''s no on board storage for all the accessories. I get that they wanted to keep the unit small and portable, but I have all this bulky accessories with nowhere to store them. Also, the cord is pretty short. I can imagine this is for safety reasons, but it''s kind of a nuisance to keep moving it from plug to plug, even within a single room. Overall though, well worth the money!

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Please note that I have posted before and after images for 2 different stains on cement floors.

The first thing I did when this item arrived is pour myself a tall cup of coffee and read the instruction booklet. Radically banal, I know, but I did this for 2 reasons:

1) Things that steam and operate under pressure wig me out a bit

2) Is it advised for use on my specific application? (Cement floor? Answer: yes)

My Main Intended Application (possible gross-out alert):

This steamer is marketed primarily for wall-paper removal. While my house does not have any wall-paper, it does have certain tell-tale signs that 4 cats live here. They have produced prodigious and near-permanent 3-D stains using every orifice available to them. Scrub-brushes, a garden hoe, bleach, TSP, Brillo pads ... NOTHING removes the stains that went undetected for more than a couple of days, especially on our basement''s cement floor.

WHAT I LIKE:

1) Ease of set-up and ease of use not messy, though it did scare the cats, and required lots of paper towels

2) Attachments (1 jet nozzle, 2 nozzle brushes, 2 extension wands, 1 steam plate, 1 large cleaning brush, 1 squeegee)

3) Light-weight, easy to carry up and down stairs

4) 16 ounces of water heated in just a few minutes (max of 48 ounces will require longer time)

5) Results on cement floor outstanding!! (see my Customer Images) Just a few swipes with the cleaning brush attachment did the job (plus a whole lot of paper towels).

WHAT I DO NOT LIKE POTENTIAL HAZARD:

This steamer has no water-level indicator and you should use your own timer to prevent fire and/or electric shock from allowing the steamer to boil dry. The machine DOES have a thermal safety fuse reset capability for when the steamer is allowed to run WHILE dry (i.e. if you turn the machine on without filling the reservoir first), yet it does not seem to kick in if the steamer had been previously filled but allowed to boil dry. Thus, for safety, you have to be VERY mindful about your usage time based on how much water you have inserted (see "Good To Know" below). The manufacturers seriously need to add at least an automated timer to this machine and ideally an auto-shut-off feature.

WHAT I DID NOT EXPECT:

During my first 10 minutes of use, I had to stop and wait 4 times for the water to reheat. This is a bit of a pain for longer periods of cleaning, but I can get used to this. (I just have to remember to look at the indicator lights very frequently; when the light is red, the machine is working on creating steam, therefore you must wait for the light to turn green again, indicating steam is available for use.)

GOOD TO KNOW:

1) 16 ounces of water provides 15 minutes of steam time

2) 32 ounces of water provides 30 minutes of steam time

3) 48 ounces of water (max capacity) provides 45 minutes of steam time

4) Distilled water is recommended over regular tap water.

5) You''ll most likely need an extension cord, and only a heavy duty 3-wire 3-prong (grounded) cord.

6) You''ll need to use your own timer to avoid a hazardous boiled-dry situation.

BOTTOM LINE:

For cleaning nasty old 3-D pet-stained cement floors, I am positively pleased with this steamer. What this steamer was able to accomplish in just 10 minutes outweighs the concerns I mentioned above. I am looking forward to experimenting with all the attachments and getting to know this machine much better.

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I was very excited when this came in the mail today. My luck with a steam cleaner has not been very good lately. This can be attested to a steam cleaner (McCulloch 1246) I bought a few months back and after trying it on, provided extremely disappointing results, it was returned within the day I received it. Only a comprehensive evaluation of the Wagner 915 On-Demand Power Steamer would tell if my excitement will turn into exhiliration or disappointment, and I am proud to conclude, it has exceeded my expectations of what a steam cleaner should be in every way.

The Wagner 915 comes in a bright yellow-colored body and it is ready to roll right out of the box: fill it up with water, attach the jet nozzle, plug it in the outlet, wait a few minutes for steam and pressure to build up and voila! steam power at your command, ready to tackle the most demanding cleaning job in your household.

It comes with following attachments: the main jet nozzel, plastic and metal brush, attachment to remove wallpapers and the mopping attachment. My first order of battle for this steam cleaner is the bathroom. Once the red light indicator turns off, just leaving the green light, it means you''re ready to wage your war on germs. I tried it first on the shower curtains and the superheated and high pressure steam blasted away soap scums like it wasn''t there. The superheated steam softens the scum and the pressure blasts it away at the same time. The grout also proved no match for this steamer. Along with the plastic brush attachment, a gentle scrubbing motion was all it took to make the stain disappear on the grout edges. Since the steam was very hot, you can also sanitize the toilet without worrying about the smell of chemical cleaners or getting it on your skin. My second task was the stove top, oven and the microwave. Again, the superheated steam and both the plastic and metal brush, softened the baked in grime and stain and blasted it away with high pressure. All that needs to be done in the end is a simple wipe. You can also prefer to skip the wiping and just air dry it. I haven''t tried the wallpaper remover attachment since there are no wall papers anywhere in my home.

Be advised though that, you need to have a little patience when using a steam cleaner. As you prolong the steaming, you release pressure from the steaming unit and it needs to build up again. This is the purpose of the red light indicator. If the red light is on, it means it is building up steam and pressure. It has exceeded my expectations in the sense that with the Wagner 915, this steamer MAINTAINED the superheated status of the steam for a much longer time compared to the previous steam cleaner I had, the McCulloch 1246. Maintaining the heat of the steam for a prolonged period of time is very important feature in my opinion as it gets your task done faster without the frequent waiting in between for the steam cleaner to heat up and build pressure again. The McCulloch 1246 failed miserably with this feature. (You can read all about this in my separate review for the McCulloch). Another nice thing with the wagner is that it has its own compartment where you can store the tiny plastic and metal brush. It can be stored there after using the steamer, eliminating the need to look for it elsewhere or misplacing it. Be careful though because it is also where the water tank opening is located and just after using the steamer, the tank cap can be very hot so avoid getting in contact with it right after use.

Other reviewers noted the short power cord. This is a minor gripe in my opinion as I can always use an extension cord. Overall, very impressed with the performance of this product and I just hope it continues to function well and not break down in the near future. Highly recommended!

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I purchased the wagner steam cleaner because the 1st one I purchased (McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner) broke after the 2nd time I used it. I liked the wagner because

1. The wagner steam cleaner is lighter and more sturdily built compared to the McCulloch.

2. The wagner emits a more powerful jet of steam compared to the McCulloch which is useful in cleaning the bathroom and fixtures.

3. The squegee on the Wagner left no streaks vs some streaks left by the McCulloch

4. The wagner came with a cloth/mop that was really useful in mopping the floors. You could use any small towel as well as there is space to pin a cloth onto the tool.

5. The wagner works with tap water whereas the McCulloch requires distilled water.

The only disadvantage to the wagner is that the electric cord is really too short. I have purchased the "Stanley 31536 Heavy Duty 9-Foot 110V Extension Cord, Grey" from amazon to compensate for the short cord on the wagner.

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I have both this new 915 model and the previous 905 model, which are essentially the same in functionality. The new one has a much more rugged design with a better handle, slightly lighter trigger, new holster, and a thicker plastic shell. A redesigned light makes it easier to tell when the steam is ready. The old model had plastic that cracked easily. The changes that are less of an improvement are: shorter power cord, shorter steamer hose, two fewer little scrubber brushes, and no measuring cup. Having a few extra brushes is nice since that''s what most people will run through when cleaning and a longer hose makes it easier to work with. A shorter hose may improve steamer performance with hotter steam coming out but I haven''t measured this.

Overall this is better because the old machine just wasn''t that well designed in a few areas and they''ve fixed those problems. For $90 this thing is a bargain and worth the minor inconveniences associated with it''s consumer level design.

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