The Capresso MT-600 was introduced to replace the older MT-500 model. Both models have essentially the same functions and features, but there are two differences:
* The MT-500 has an aluminum die-cast housing. The MT-600 has a milled steel housing.
* The MT-500 was made in Portugal. The MT-600 is made in China.
I recently purchased the MT-600 to replace a Mr. Coffee automatic drip that served me well for over 15 years. I decided on the MT-600 because I wanted a thermal carafe and a built-in water filter. I also had faith in the Capresso brand because both my sisters have owned the Capresso CoffeeTEC model for many years, and their machines make absolutely fantastic drip coffee.
So I was very disappointed when I found that the Capresso MT-600 makes weak and lukewarm coffee. I read the directions carefully to make sure I was using the machine precisely as designed. I tried different beans and grinds to strengthen the coffee. I pre-heated the carafe prior to brewing to increase the temperature. But no matter what adjustments I made, the coffee always turned out weak and tepid.
I called Capresso to ask why the coffee comes out weak even when I double the standard amount of grounds. They told me that it has to do with how the water is dispersed (or rather, not dispersed) over the grounds during brewing. I went back and looked at the filter after brewing a pot, and sure enough, there was a deep divot right in the center of the grounds. So the problem seems to be that the water is driven down the middle of the filter rather than dispersed evenly over the grounds, leaving the grounds along the perimeter largely unbrewed.
I also measured the temperature of the coffee immediately after brewing, and as another reviewer mentioned, the coffee hits the carafe at 180 degrees. But even when the carafe has been pre-heated with boiling water, it loses its heat FAST. The other problem with the carafe is that even when you line up the dots exactly as directed, the coffee flow is more of a heat-depleting trickle than a pour. So while the coffee brews at 180 degrees, the temperature is much lower by the time it hits even your first cup.
I''ve been thinking about why my experience has been so different from that of veteran Capresso owners, and I can only conclude that the newer machines are not of the same quality as the older machines. Take a read through the user reviews posted for the MT-500 model and you''ll notice that it''s those people who have had their Capressos for more than 2 years who love and rave about their coffee makers. The same is true for the Capresso owners in my own family. My sisters'' machines are going strong after 5+ years of heavy use, whereas my brand new Capresso has been a non-starter.
So sadly I will be returning the Capresso MT-600 in favor of a better machine. I doubt I''ll find anything more beautiful in appearance, but there has to be a machine that makes better coffee, especially at this price!
(One final point... there seems to be some confusion about the materials used to build the MT-600. The heating block is lined with stainless steel to prevent water from coming in contact with the machine''s aluminum components. So if you have aluminum concerns, the MT-600 has you covered. But like almost every drip coffee maker on the market, the water reservoir and filter holder are made of plastic. If you want to avoid plastic altogether, a French press or standard percolator may be your only options.)
We had a Capresso ST600 stainless coffee maker for MANY years. It had a clock, feature to set the time to start your coffee in the morning, a filter, and a warning to let you know when to change the filter. To brew the best coffee, we filled the water tank using a hose type faucet from the sink and put it directly into the coffee maker. We did not fill the carafe and then pour it in. This cools down the carafe and consequently the coffee that you brew. We used unbleached paper filters and ground the coffee fresh in the morning and did not use the overnight timer. You turned the top of the carafe to a particular spot to brew and it rested on the counter top and was pushed into the ST600. It would only brew when the carafe made contact with a switch inside. Unit worked fine.
We figured the MT600 would be a natural replacement but were concerned about all the negative reviews about leaks, pouring spout problems, cold coffee and the like. We went to the Happy Cook who sold Krup, Capresso, and a lower priced unit that started with a "Z." The sales person, very knowledgeable, said the MT600 was the top seller and in over a year never had a return. They use one for customer coffee in the store. I asked about spilling and brought me a carafe she filled with water no counter spills when I poured it. I bought the unit.
First off, there are many improvements over the ST600. The carafe mounts into the unit and not on the counter, the clock controls are not under the top lid of the unit, they are easier to use, the filter warning light is a green LED instead of a flashing clock warning, the overall size of the unit is smaller and more stylish, the fill gauge is more visible, and the fill area is larger.
Now the test. We filled it with water and ran it through to clear the filter and the unit as the instructions say. No problem. Put in a filter, fresh coffee grounds, and filled it. Eight minutes later, coffee was done without any counter leaks. Poured the coffee into a cup and it was hot and the spout worked better than the ST600 impossible to spill very well designed.
I think most of the problems people have with the unit seem to be a failure to follow instructions. The instructions say that if you fill the unit with cold water from the carafe, you should refill the carafe with hot water and pour it out. A cold carafe reduces the temperature of the coffee. So you really need to fill it with a pitcher or do what we do from an extendable faucet hose. There is a dot on the lid. You lock it closed (align two dots) and put it into the MT600 which has a cradle for it very hard not to get it right. If you don''t, you would probably get a leak. To pour the coffee, turn the top so the dot lines up with the spout 1/2 turn. Open it more than that and you may have pouring problems. Follow the directions Happy Cook has had no returns on the unit.
We love it better than the old model by far.
Buy Capresso MT600 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker Now
I''ve had them all KitchenAid, Braun, Krups, Cuisinart, Capresso ST600 and the new MT600 tops them all!
The Good:
Piping Hot Coffee 180 degrees in the Carafe after brewing.
Hot brew temperature really pulls the flavor out of the coffee.
Cone Shaped Filter (I do not like the basket type).
Easy to use timer.
Brews fast, 10 cups in about 6 minutes.
Stainless Steel Heating System.
Small footprint on counter, only 8" x 9" x 14".
Carafe does not drip when pouring.
Carafe keeps coffee hot for hours.
Cord storage in the body.
Very classy looking on the counter.
The Bad:
Water level indicator on the side is difficult to see while pouring water in the reservoir.
This is a great choice if you are looking for a Thermal Carafe unit that brews coffee hot enough to not require microwaving.
Read Best Reviews of Capresso MT600 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker Here
I was a firm believer that you get what you pay for. If a few more dollars gets you a better built, longer lasting product that maybe even functions better thats money well spent. Buying this machine does not follow that model. With the MT600, a few more dollars gets you something slightly worse than an entry level MrCoffee. I used my MT600 for three days and returned it. The biggest problems I encountered were with the thermal carafe. The first being a raised seam in the plastic spout which ran from the tip down towards the carafe. This caused the coffee to run back up the carafe and spill all over the counter. I tried slow pour, fast pour, contact with my mug, no contact etc. The spill was unavoidable. I ended up sanding the seam away with some fine sandpaper and the problem was solved. The next issue was the very poorly made lid. It has coarse threads that do not want to line up. However, the bigger issue is that it is two parts the threaded section and the top. As you screw it down, if you turn just a little too far, the top makes contact, the threaded portion continues and it actually disassembles itself. Once this started to happen, I knew I was not getting the quality I had hoped for. On the upside, the coffee was very good. Based on this experience, I am a firm believer that you might get what you pay for but definately not if you payed for an MT600.
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This is the first review that I have ever written, but I feel that it is important to share the disappointing experience that we had with this coffee maker. To start, we have had a DeLonghi for about 4 years that we got at Starbucks, we loved and miss that coffee maker! We always buy fresh coffee from Starbucks and grind it right before use. We love our coffee strong. The Capresso MT600 is a very sleek looking machine but it feels flimsy when you open the top to add your grinds and water, I could immediately see my self breaking that. It just didn''t have that well made sturdy feeling that I gravitate to. We found the coffee temperature ok, if you drank it right away it was fine, but my husband often makes the coffee about an hour before I get up (hense our love affair with the thermal carafes) and by the time I made my cup it was somewhat hot but not that super fresh steaming hot that you look for. The coffee was decent, but for the money, I was looking for excellent. It was a little thin and ended up sludgy if you were the recipient of the last cup from the pot. I wouldn''t say it was down right weak, it was just unimpressive. This is also one of the loudest coffee makers that I have ever had. We just picked up the Cuisinart DDC-1150 and are hoping for better luck... but we are still missing our DeLonghi...
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