Eva Solo Cafe Solo Coffee Maker Save 11% Off

This is a great product for those who want to brew the smoothest, most flavorful coffee possible! But I think perhaps some people don''t want to deal with choices in how they prepare their coffee and would rather have the convenience of automation (and pre-packaged blandness)--in which case the CafeSolo, while fairly simple to use, may not be for them.

Better Than...

I started out with a drip coffee maker. After years of making sometimes bitter, sometimes thin, but never great tasting coffee, I looked into Chemex. I was still not satisfied with the pleasant but weak brew that resulted. Finally, I read a rave review of the Eva Solo product on a coffee specialist site. The reviewer (an editor for the site) said he found the CafeSolo to produce a better full-bodied brew than either a French press or a vacuum pot, partly because it controls the temperature so well. I like the idea of a full immersion brewing system, so I bought it and immediately produced a very strong cup of the most bitter-free coffee I''ve ever tasted. I never drink coffee black, yet I was able to drink the result without adding sugar, and still found no bitterness!

The CafeSolo is better than a French press in two other ways. The conical mesh filter is ideally shaped to prevent blockage (the grounds sit outside the inverted cone when you pour), yet has very fine holes. So you can use a finer grind than you would for a French press and won''t get any mud in your cup or problems pouring through the filter. As others have mentioned, the pourer and lid are of excellent design. But I said the CafeSolo was better in two other ways. The last reason has to do with the perils of complete extraction.

The Problem with Complete Extraction

"What''s wrong with complete extraction?" you ask. The grounds get maximum saturation, so you get the most flavor, right? Yes, and that is why the CafeSolo, or a French press, or an espresso machine will yield a more concentrated brew. But there is a price for all that, in the risk of over-extracted bitterness. If you look at how coffee tasters do a cupping, they pour boiled water into a cup of grounds, let it steep for 1-2 minutes, then gently stir and push the crust of floating grounds to the bottom while taking in the aroma, and lastly remove the remaining floating bits. Then they let the brew continue to steep and cool for another 1-2 minutes before they take their first sip. They will also repeat this tasting as it cools further. During this time, they don''t stir the grounds again. That extra agitation at the end of the brewing cycle must be avoided.

Now in an espresso machine, the parameters of temperature, pressure, size of grind, and time of extraction are carefully controlled to minimize over-extraction during the very intense brewing cycle of 20-30 seconds. But during the longer 4 minute steep time of the CafeSolo or a French press, there will be an unavoidable build-up of bitter liquid and over-extracted fine particles in the grounds. With the French press, the act of pushing the plunger down forces liquid through the grounds, flushing the concentrated bitterness and fine particles into the rest of the liquid. The CafeSolo does not have a plunger. The carafe is tilted for pouring and the floating grounds settle under the inverted cone-shaped filter. The liquid flows over the grounds and through the wire mesh, as opposed to being forced through the grounds in order to exit the carafe. As some baristas have reported, the result is the closest thing to an actual cupping, only cleaner. It''s for this reason that the CafeSolo tends to be very forgiving, yielding the least bitterness and the most flavor.

The Way of Coffee

Coffee making is an art. If you want a truly outstanding result, you have to refine your technique:

1) I found that I couldn''t control the extraction consistently. Also my grounds would have too much fine powder. So I stopped using a blade grinder and bought a KitchenAid Pro Line burr grinder--that solved the problem. (The KitchenAid also does a great job of controlling static explosions of coffee grounds.)

2) I was not happy with the coffee beans. My coffee seemed to be lacking in rich flavor, and dark roasts seemed to have just one flavor: burnt. I stopped buying the stale beans from the supermarket and the over-roasted beans from the popular coffee houses. I tried internet suppliers (2-3 weeks since roast). For the first time, I could taste the flavor profile they described. Eventually I found a local roaster (1-4 days since roast), and my coffee has never been so rich and flavorful (both light and dark).

3) After switching to better coffee, I found that minute changes in the grind and amount greatly affected the result. I was able to fine-tune the setting on my grinder to my liking (I now use a setting somewhere between drip and French press). And I bought a small narrow glass container with markings on the side to measure the grounds. I use approx. 10 tbsp., but YMMV--the actual amount is somewhere between 9 and 10 level tbsp., depending on how careful you are (also note that I like a strong cup with sugar and arf ''n'' arf). The measuring jar allows me to get a consistent amount without the tedium of measuring out one tbsp. at a time and still getting it wrong. Recently, I discovered it has one other benefit. Because I transfer the grounds from the KitchenAid''s catcher jar to my measuring jar using a scoop, I noticed that most of the fine powder was left behind. This will contribute to a cleaner and less bitter cup.

***** Addendum 9/2/2011 I have since upgraded to an even better grinder--the Baratza Virtuoso Preciso. That, in combination with a fine powder separator, made a huge difference and stripped away a layer of bitterness I was not even aware of. The coffee now turns out so well that I have had to reduce the amount of sugar I usually add (approx. 1/3 less).

4) Eventually I also came to realize that darker roasted coffees may benefit more from a higher pressure extraction, as you get from an espresso machine. The CafeSolo does bring out the most amazing flavor down to a med-dark roast, but may not be superior for a dark roast. I do get good results from Illy espresso roast, but I think I''ve had better Illy in a restaurant.

Instructions

Ok, now for the mechanics of how I use the product to brew the perfect cup:

1) Boil 1 liter of water and pour into CafeSolo. Top with filter and lid to heat entire aparatus.

2) Boil another 1.25 liters of water. Use fresh, good tasting (filtered or bottled) water. Do not reboil previously boiled water or it will adversely affect flavor.

3) While second batch of water is coming to a boil, grind beans. Just before it boils, transfer water that was heating CafeSolo into a thermal carafe to warm it. Then pour fresh coffee grounds into bottom of CafeSolo.

4) Wait 30-45 seconds after second batch of water boils to let it cool to correct temperature. Set timer for 4 minutes and start it right before pouring water into carafe. Stir down foam while adding water until level is 1 inch below narrowest part on neck of carafe (but wait, there is a better way--see addendum, below). Once foam is stirred down and water level is correct, place filter/lid on top, zip neoprene jacket, and wait for timer to run out.

At first, I was surprised at how fresh roasted and ground coffee reacted when I poured in the hot water. There was a huge bloom of foam and grounds that would have overflowed the carafe if I didn''t start stirring (I''m told fresh roasted coffee can foul some automatic drip machines for this reason). With the CafeSolo, you end up perfecting your pour and stir technique to get the lid on and the jacket zipped before too much heat loss.

***** Addendum 9-2-2011 -I have finally switched to weighing all the ingredients. Of course, that helps to get a more consistent result. But it also helps me to reduce the time it takes to add the water. Because it was taking too long to stir down the foam to the point where I could see the true water level, I decided to reduce the quantities slightly and use the scale reading to know when I had added the right amount of water. For 64 grams of beans, I use 900-930 grams of hot water (your mileage may vary). Now my technique is to zero-out the scale with the CafeSolo and grounds sitting on it, start adding the water until the foam puffs up to the top of the carafe, immediately start the timer, then wait and stir down the foam while adding more water until the scale reads the right amount, and finally put the filter/lid onto the top.

Speaking of heat loss, Coffeegeek mentions that they measured acceptable temperatures using this jacket, whereas a French press would quickly lose 10 degrees or more within just a few minutes. I recall some consumer on a certain cooking site confidently declaring that the temp would drop too much over 4 minutes and the jacket would do no good--all without apparently validating their claims by actually using the product (genius).

5) When timer rings, pour out water from thermal carafe and pour coffee from CafeSolo into thermal carafe. Coffee is ready to drink.

If you leave the coffee in the CafeSolo, the grounds will continue to extract and the brew will begin to taste bitter after another minute (you may not notice the difference if you have too much fine powder in your brew to start with, but after improving my grinding technique, I found that just letting it sit one minute longer would cause what little fine powder remained to contribute a bitter taste to the bottom of the cup). Also, I found that mixing up the liquid by pouring it into another carafe always results in a better tasting cup. This is all relative--that first pour is still better than anything I could produce using other coffee makers.

Cleanup: Place old discarded conical metal coffee filter from now-departed loathsome drip coffee maker into sink drain. Rinse Eva filter and carafe grounds into old filter, drain and shake out into trash can. Wash inside of CafeSolo carafe (and thermal carafe, if you used one) with hot soapy water using a long flexible brush. Use hot soapy water on the mesh filter, too.

Hope this helps. :-)

Not only does the Cafe Solo look cool, but it makes a great cup of coffee (or two).

It is EXTREMELY easy to use and it does save you time when you need a cup of coffee quickly. The hardest part of making coffee in the Cafe Solo is waiting for the water to boil, via the old stove top, microwave or old drip coffee pot thingy.

I add five tablespoons of coffee and fill the carafe to just below the neck, stir, wait a few minutes (four minutes go by quick when you are busy with your morning routine), no need to watch as the sleeve keeps the coffee warm for up to a half hour anyway. The sleeve looks and feels like a wet suit.

The end product is a smoothe cup of coffe that stays nice and warm for that second cup.

I have forgotten to put the sleeve on once or twice and managed to get it on with a full carafe of hot coffee without burning my hands. You just hold the flask by the neck, which should not hold any coffee anyway and slip the sleeve over the butt of it. From one side to the other, then zip it right up. Viola! No problem.

Considering the ease of use and the after product it''s worth the money. It makes Starbucks taste really good. Imagine what it could do for gourmet coffee!

It makes a great gift for a coffee lover.

Buy Eva Solo Cafe Solo Coffee Maker Now

This is the most beautiful coffee maker ever made. Its design is simple, yet functional, and provides an original and ingenious way to make coffee.

There are no pumps, presses, or other gadgets. Here you brew coffee the way it was originally made, stirring hot water and coffee. The shape is not only elegant, but NEVER EVER drips.

Quality is the best I''ve seen ever. It leaves everything else in the dust.

Read Best Reviews of Eva Solo Cafe Solo Coffee Maker Here

I purchased both the Eva Cafe Solo 0.6L and 1.0L sizes and am really pleased with both. I think the quality of the glass work, filter system, and really functional design is indeed worth the high price.

While most avid coffee drinkers might think of the French press method as one of the best, if not the best, way to brew coffee, in my view the Cafe Solo takes things one step further. The filter screen, which extends down through the neck of the carafe is a very, very fine mesh. Part of the reason I think they can get away with such a fine mesh without clogging is that there is a huge surface area and the coffee tends to flow along the length of the mesh rather than straight at it when poured -just brilliant design here. So, even if you have to resort to using a blade grinder (with its associated inconsistent grind tsk) the fine mesh screen filters very effectively and the amount of fine particles that end up in the coffee is minimal compared to press pots.

The only disadvantage is that, beyond the optimum 4 mintues or so brewing time, the coffee remaining after your first pour does tend to brew a bit more than with the press pot -since the grounds are free flowing in the carafe rather than compressed and trapped at the bottom of the pot. Of course you can always transfer to a thermos, but I don''t since I''ve not found the "overbrewing" difference that significant (though it is noticeable).

The smaller 0.6L Cafe Solo is perfect for a couple of "American-sized" mugs of coffee, while the 1.0L size is great for two people.

Clean up is a breeze -you can just rinse everything with water and perhaps every second or third time give the carafe a cleaning with a bottle brush (French roast coffees in particular leave a bit of film on the glass after a couple of uses).

I don''t find the need to even use the neoprene insulating wrap to keep the coffee warm -but I do drink a couple of cups in fairly quick succession. With the neopreen on, it''s not quite as effective as a thermos but will keep coffee hot for 30 minutes+.

Bottom line -the superior filtering is the key to the Cafe Solo performance... press pot filters in my experience are more coarse and there is always some ''blow by'' as as the plunger descends. Just drink up or pour out into a thermos to prevent overbrewing (and perhaps take the best coffee you''ll ever make, along with you).

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Indeed. How in the world could a small glass carafe be so expensive?

The most egregious insult to the buyer: There is a tiny rubber nub used to remove the rubber cover to the wire mesh filter. No matter how careful you are, the bulb will tear off after a certain number of uses. AND Eva Solo does NOT offer sale of a replacement! So here I sit with a carafe that has no other use.

I hope I can spare someone else the frustration of investing in this expensive but useless coffee maker.

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Replacement Filter for Moen Filter Faucets

• Fits model series F7400, F87400, F87200

have been using these filters for years. they eliminate impurities in the water as well as any odors from city water

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I bought this because Lowe''s doesn''t carry them any more and this is the newer version of the original and it works just fine.

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Jura ENA 9 One Touch Save 29% Off

Let me first state that I have only had this for two days and that this is my first espresso machine. I say this so readers will understand that this quick "review" is to point out a couple of details that may be overlooked when researching this machine, not as an indication of the quality of drink produced.

I began doing research on home espresso machines several years ago after drinking coffee prepared by my dad on his Jura Cappresso E8. It was a revelation to drink such good quality coffee outside of a coffee shop. At the time my wife didn''t care for coffee so it was only me drinking a single cup in the morning with breakfast so I was put off by the high prices and ended up buying a grind and brew automatic drip coffee maker by Cuisinart. I bought it "open box" at a kitchen store for a hundred bucks and I was pleased enough with it. Fast forward a few years and now my wife enjoys cappuccinos and lattes and drinks coffee with me daily, albeit with a lot of cream and sweetener. She also stops at the local coffee bar for a flavored cappuccino with some regularity. So I started looking into a quality espresso machine for the home again.

I spent a lot of time educating myself on the various makers, such as Jura, DeLonghi, Gaggia, Saeco, etc. I knew that I wanted to get a superautomatic as we aren''t purists, nor do we have the time usually to pull our own shots, froth our own milk, etc. At the end of the day, it came down to the various Jura Onetouch models, the Gaggia Accademia Espresso Machine, and the DeLonghi ESAM5500M Perfecta Digital Super-Automatic Espresso Machine, Metallic Blue. My research led me to have a little less confidence in the DeLonghi''s reliability, although I liked their milking system. The Gaggia was just too much for me to spend on my first machine (or last for that matter more than likely). My dad has never had the first problem with his Jura and it''s more than 5 years old and likely has not had much maintenance or cleaning I suspect so I feel it will hold up to the reasonably light use we will give a machine. The Jura-Capresso 13422 Impressa C9 One Touch Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Center, Black and Jura-Capresso 13423 Impressa S9 One Touch Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Center, Platinum are older models, larger and more expensive than the ENA series. So due to the features, the quality, and the fact that it was the least expensive, I decided to purchase this machine.

Now, to the machine. The first thing I should point out is that it is a unique design for Jura. The other one touch machines work differently, which I didn''t realize when I made my decision. The key point to this is that THERE IS NO EXTERNAL FROTHER. If you want to froth milk manually you can''t do it. And it is not equipped with their Connect System either, which would allow you to change out the external wand with a frothing wand. The wand on the ENA9 is only a hot water spout. I would have preferred to have the option for manual frothing, both for experience and as a backup. The other nice thing about manual frothers as they are easier to clean. I mention this in case you, like me, didn''t notice the lack of a frothing steam wand. The internal frother does microfroth, which is a pleasure. You can purchase a Capresso frothPRO for less than steam wand would cost if you really want to froth manually (but it''s a different method of frothing.

This machine is really designed to optimize the one touch functionality. It works best when you set your preferences and store them. The preferences you can store are water volume (up to 12 oz), strength of espresso, duration of milk froth and temperature. You set these for espresso, cappuccino and coffee individually. If you want more or less of any of these parameters I think you have to go in and change the preferences. I may be wrong about this as I''m still getting my preferences set but I haven''t found a way of pulling a one off variety yet. Honestly, I pretty much want the same thing every time anyway so it''s not that much of an issue.

The one touch feature is nice. All you have to do is put the sialastic hose into your milk source, slip your cup under the nozzle and push the cappuccino button on top of the machine. A few minutes later, depending on your chosen froth duration, there is your cappuccino. Of course don''t bother with the milk for coffee or espresso.

There have been criticisms of the ENA series regarding the small capacity of the water tank and bean hopper. One of the compromises of having a smaller machine on your counter is that the capacities are smaller. My dad loves his large capacity water tank because he can drink coffee all day without refilling it. I personally like to have fresh water and beans so having to fill them up frequently doesn''t bother me in the least, but as I stated, we are not high volume drinkers either.

The last point I would make is that there is a fair amount of maintenance with this machine, IF YOU USE MILK. I don''t think it is unique to this machine but is typical of the superautomatics in general. My dad only drinks espresso or coffee which is probably why he can get by without cleaning his often. You are supposed to rinse or preferably clean the cappuccino portion after each brewing session. It is very simple to do but may get to be a pain on a daily basis. You just run the machine through it''s cappuccino cleaning cycle, using water or Jura''s proprietary cappuccino cleaning liquid Jura-Capresso 63801 Auto Cappuccino Concentrate, 250 ml and manually rinse the frothing tube and a few rubber pieces inside. It''s a small hassle but likely necessary as milk will cake on the internals and I''m sure halt the function of the frother if neglected like any other milk frother. Another reason for an external frothing option. Using filtered water, or the in tank Jura filter will cut down if not eliminate the need to descale the machine supposedly.

The ENA series boasts an energy efficient option of auto shut down, the timing of which you can customize. So, if you like to save energy, the machine will automatically turn off after a set period of time. This would not be an attractive feature if you are like my dad and enjoy walking up to the machine any time of day and pulling a cup of coffee. You would have to turn it on each time. It doesn''t take long to heat up again but it does prompt you to rinse on each start up. You don''t have to use the auto shut off but it''s there if you want.

All in all I believe this will be an excellent purchase. I got what I wanted but wish it had an optional external frother like the C9 and S9. The frothXpress system added to an ENA5 might be a little cheaper and a little more versatile but not as convenient and the frothing may not be as high quality. I hope this has helped you in your research of this high quality machine.

First off, being a lazy old fart who can''t be bothered with manually making froth under one nozzle and then coffee from the other, I was looking for a machine that''s totally automatic and hassle free. Just one-click and by the time I wear my tie, my Cappuccino is ready.

So I did a bit of research online before settling on this one and boy am I happy with it.

Not much to add to SpeadDeacon''s excellent review except that this machine is made mainly for use with whole Coffee Beans, with a light, medium and strong roast settings for the grinder.

Yes, it has a second opening on top for fine grounded coffee but only if you''re having black coffee. It seems Cappuccino and Macchiato only use coffee from the grinder source on top of the device.

As for the froth, it has to be seen to be believed. Its truly amazing, feather light and fine.

Cleaning is also fully automatic. It monitors what drinks you''ve been having and periodically (or on shutdown) applies the corresponding self cleaning mode.

Or it can be done manually with one-click. For example, any time milk frothing is used, just replace milk source with water and press C-clean. It cleans both the sialastic hose and rinses the milk nozzle.

The only gripe I have is that the water tank is a bit small (4-6 drinks depending on your settings for each drink) and the sialastic hose is attached to a black plastic thingy that plugs into the device (which is responsible for the fine froth) and it would have been nice if a spare plug was included just in case.

Overall a great, durable all-in-one-touch machine for home-use that''s well worth the price.

You can search for nTrk_7bd60s on YouTube for a demo.

Update: well I''ve happily had it for a year now and it still works just like it did on the first day. No regrets what so ever.

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Well, this is my second Super-Automatic machine and my first was the Delonghi ESAM3500. From owning these machines I noticed the following. Super-Automatic machines are a great convenience for making cappuccinos a simple process. Just put your cup under the spout, push a button, and one minute later you will have your drink. There is a downside that you must be aware of with this big purchase and that is the cappuccinos does not come out as hot as those served at Starbucks/McDonalds. This is a common complaint, check out the reviews for the ESAM3500. The reason for this is due to the automation of the steam/frothed milk not heating the milk to the correct serving temperature (150F). The ENA 9 steam/frothed milk comes out at 125F and the ESAM3500 is at 124F (with the milk starting at 40F and water at 72F). These temperatures lead to what many reviews describe as a warm, not hot, cappuccinos that require a trip to the microwave or the cappuccino will get cold on the way to work. To get an idea of the serving temperature of cappuccinos (espresso & milk), I measured the temperature of the drink from Starbucks and McDonalds and the temperature ranged from 142 to 150 F. The cappuccino from the ENA 9 is around 130F, while the ESAM3500 is 127F using room temperature water (72F). If I put cold filtered water from the refrigerator(42F) into the machine, the temperature of the cappuccino drops to 125F for the ENA and 118F for the ESAM3500. The reason the ENA 9 produces a slightly hotter drink is due to it''s 1450-Watt Thermoblock heating system vs the 1150-Watts in the ESAM3500. This makes the ENA 9 more tolerant to the water temperature you use. To give some credit to the machine, the espresso from the ENA 9 is around 169F and the ESAM3500 is 165F.

If you can overlook the temperature issue, ENA 9 is a great machine and makes delicious cappuccino with it''s thick frothed milk. Below are some pro/cons of the machine.

Pros

1. One touch button for cappuccinos / latte (just keep the bean and water container filled)

2. Wow, the foam on this machine is amazing compared to the ESAM3500. It is thick and micro foam like.

3. Programming the machine is straight forward and easy to do. You use the rotary dial to traverse through the menu and pushing the dial inwards for selection. You won''t need the manual after you read it once. The ESAM3500 requires the manual to be around to figure which buttons to hold down to program the machine.

4. Customizing your drinks is a step above the ESAM3500. For example with cappuccino, the amount of milk foam is selectable (3 to 120 seconds), the gap time between the output of the milk and espresso to allow the foam and hot milk separate (0 to 60 seconds), the coffee strength (mild, normal, or strong), amount of water (0.5 oz to 8.0 oz), and temperature (normal, high).

Cons

1. Warm cappuccino, just like the ESAM3500

2. The water and bean container is small. The ENA 9 holds 37 ounces of water vs. the 60 ounces on the ESAM3500. The ENA 9 is not meant to be used with large groups. It also has a glitch that it will requests the grounds to be dump after 3 beverages even though there is space available in the grounds tray.

3. Can''t output foam/steam milk by itself, the ESAM3500 has this capability

4. No cup warmer like the ESAM3500.

5. Both ENA9 and ESAM3500 have a max cup height of 5 inches, which means most travel coffee mugs will not fit under the spout.

6. The water container is located in the back and must be lifted up. This means that the ENA 9 requires around 22 inches of height clearance

Suggestions:

* Get the Bean vacuum canister to keep your beans fresh. Exceptional Designs Bean Vac Coffee Canister (ED150)

* Starbucks sells their coffee syrup for $10 (just asked the barista). "Cinnamon Dolce" is my favorite.

Read Best Reviews of Jura ENA 9 One Touch Here

I have a Rancilio Silvia, which I have been using every day for the last 8 years. Silvia produces a good espresso, but the steaming ability is quite weak. It is difficult, noisy, time consuming and requires clean up. I don''t do milk in my drinks, but my wife really wanted that option, so we agreed to buy a super automatic with one-touch capability. We looked at a range of machines, running from the the Jura Ena 9 to the Saeco Xelsis.

We finally picked the Ena 9 on the basis of the small footprint, plus it is a Jura (excellent reliability), and the ease of use. We don''t need super-programmability, nor fancy touch screens or anything like that.

My major concerns were two fold: (i) the quality of the espresso relative to the Silvia, and (ii) the problems of cleaning out the milk frother.

I ordered through Amazon, and the machine arrived on time and in perfect condition (as is always the case with Amazon). After using the machine for three weeks, here is my bottom line assessment of the machine:

1. If you don''t need programmability, this machine is great.

2. The quality of espresso with the actual espresso button is not particularly great, even when you modify the strength of brew and the amount of water. But if you press the Aroma Boost button twice (double espresso), I find this produces a very good quality espresso. The intensity of the brew is not as great as the Silvia, but overall it is very good. So no complaints here.

3. Cleaning: it turns out not to be as much of a hassle as I thought. I hand-rinse the milk components out every night which takes around 2 minutes. The machine also routinely self-cleans, which keeps the machine squeaky clean. I use the milk frother cleaning liquid to run it through the machine once a week, even though Jura recommends this be done once a day if you used milk on that day. I find this to be overkill, and one way that Jura can make money on cleaning products. If you clean out the components properly every night, you have nothing to worry about.

4. The convenience of the machine is just fantastic. I make an espresso or two every 90 minutes or so, and I can''t tell you how easy it is. It is a major step-up from my Silvia. I now have no intention of using Silvia unless the Ena breaks down sometime in the future.

5. The one-touch frothing is superb. The foam is just fabulous thick and luxurious. I don''t drink milk, but just playing around with that foam makes me want to put some into my drinks. My wife loves it, and even makes her own drinks in the mornings it''s that easy to use.

6. The down sides are the following:

the coffee bean hopper is a little small. You end up filling it once or twice a day, which is a pain.

the water reservoir is also way too small. I have to fill this at least three times per day. I am seriously thinking of constructing a tank above the machine which will auto-fill the built in reservoir.

The spent coffee grounds fall into a small container inside the machine which is also way too small. You need to empty the grounds after every 3-4 drinks. But sometimes, depending on how the spent puck falls into the container, the machine thinks the grounds container is full after just two drinks and will require that you empty it. This, for me, is the biggest hassle. Having to empty the grounds every 2-3 drinks is silly. And there is nothing you can do to fix this you just have to live with it.

You''ll notice that all of my complaints are related to the size of the machine the small footprint seems to cut on these conveniences, which I had not really considered.

Bottom line: I am absolutely happy with the machine. If I were to do it again, I *might* look at a larger machine, but the quality of the autofoaming is so good, and the price is fantastic, so I would definitely give this machine another chance. The time it saves me every day, plus the constant availability of top-quality espresso is most definitely worth the paltry $1500 this machine costs.

UPDATE: one year later, and I am still super happy with this machine. I have had no problems with it at all. The cleaning is easy, the coffee is good, and so no problems. I find that I use the auto-froth far less than I thought I would, so if I were to do it again I would get a machine without this function. But it''s nice to have when people are overthey always coo when it does it''s own frothing.

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The following are comments I wrote my cousin when she asked about my experience with a Jura (Ena 9 which was purchased from a non-Amazon retailer about 17 months ago.) Here goes...

So as for the espresso machine (Ena 9), I do apologize for doing that to you guys. It was a mean dirty rotten thing brandishing the sparkly appliance and forcing tasty espresso drinks on you... ;) That having been said, I believe we are both still glad to have it. It makes making good coffee so very simple. There are however some things that would be good to know before investing a small fortune in a coffee maker.

So THE most important thing you would need to know about a Jura (at least the 2 models I''ve been exposed to) is that there is a super secret manual cleaning process (and by that, I mean you use a paper towel to dislodge/wipe some coffee grounds) that is not documented at all in the manual. It is easy to do and I only do it about once every other week, but both I and a friend that has a Jura (prior Ena) were perturbed when after a month the machine seemed to have no pressure whatsoever. A quick call to Jura (which seems to have rather good service) cleared the matter up and prepared me for the biweekly manual hand/paper towel cleaning technique. They really should document the method because I believe it needs to be pretty much necessary/standard practice.

With respect to changing the beans, (that could be your deal breaker... my cousin''s concern was her drinking decaf and her husband drinking regular) I''m not exactly sure how to accomplish that. We pretty much dump the new beans on top of the old ones.

I did once try to get the beans out of the holding basket... I was somewhat successful using a vacuum, however I gave up trying to get the beans that had fallen (and there were still a few down there) past the guard which apparently was put there to prevent people like me sticking their hands down into the grinding mechanism. I''ve never been bold enough to turn the whole thing upside down as I''m sure there''s some kind of internal water holding tank which might make a mess.

There is however a bypass that allows you to put ground coffee in without having to bother changing the beans. It works pretty handily (although we use it somewhat infrequently), however according to the instructions, you must not put too many grounds in there or supposedly it could damage the machine. That being said, if I was using it regularly, I would probably have to pre grind (which obviously causes you to lose the "fresh ground" appeal of such a device) and pre measure the coffee for quick use... That whole process is somewhat more messy than most would like because the grinding and measuring means you''re inevitably getting grounds all over the place (especially if they''re still statically charged). You do however still get the benefit of having the grounds dumped into the easy to empty bin rather than having to dispose of or thoroughly clean filter/baskets.

Another thing that can be annoying... especially if you''re a clean freak... the used ground bin and the waste water catch/reservoir can get ugly looking (especially the reservoir underneath that tends to be a mixture of water and coffee grounds/mud. Whenever we first got the machine, I couldn''t take seeing it with all the wastewater/mud. Now it rarely gets emptied until its almost full and when it does it most often only receives the most cursory rinse... I believe we''ve pretty much decided the parts inside that catch the leftovers are destined to be messy... that''s why they are hidden away inside... You can clean em till they sparkle, but when you make your next cup, they''ll only be covered in coffee grounds/mud again.

So a couple other things I will mention for full disclosure... Although there appears to be a way to change the grind settings, we pretty much have to leave it on the largest grind... presumably according to Jura this is because the beans we use are oily and cause the machine to not work very well... We tend to make a "cup" of coffee rather than shots of espresso (a sin most coffee snobs will surely scoff at.. but hey this is a review for a fully auto machine after all.. a snob should not be reading such things)... we want plenty of water coming through. If you were making a shot, supposedly you''d only want about an ounce of water in about 12-18 seconds. If it is a double you''d want 2 ounces. We max the thing out... I think its only about 8 ounces.. That''s not a huge cup of coffee. If I was making a shot, presumably I''d put the grind to a smaller setting which (according to the instructions) must also be done while grinding is taking place or else it could potentially damage the machine (although i''m pretty sure I''ve changed that setting when it was not grinding and so far my machine seems to be fine.) Also for those that prefer a "cup" of coffee, the water reservoir is pretty much just the right size for the initial rinse, 2 people to have a cup in the morning and the pre-shut down rinse. The next morning you will have to refill the reservoir (probably a good practice anyway)... All that is to say that if you''re doing some entertaining and making large cups of coffee... you''re either refilling the reservoir several times or you''re running out in the middle of a cup (which can also be annoying.)

Next... if you''re trying to take your coffee with... it is somewhat difficult to find a mobile cup that fits under the spout (they are all usually too tall). I found one that is small (so I''ll make a smaller cup a bit stronger). My wife holds her travel mug tilted under the spout. Most mugs you use around the house won''t have that problem.

I''d probably speak more about the frother on our Jura except we don''t use it very often. It works very well, but we''re lazy and even though frothed milk is really nice, non-frothed half and half is pretty dern good also! There is also a bit of cleaning that is necessary when you''re putting milk through the machine (which is as mentioned... more work when what you really want is to walk away, sit and enjoy your coffee).

The manual also mentions using a water-filter to avoid having to periodically clean the machine due to build up from hard water (which as you might have guessed if you''ve noticed the trend... has the potential to damage the machine.... I have no idea how paranoid the product manual author was or how real these problems might be.) We started out using a Jura filter... eventually we ran into what I believe was a faulty filter which prevented the machine from taking in any water... and ever since have just filtered the water using the filter on our tap rather than the ones that sit in the water reservoir. The Jura filters aren''t free... the cleaning tablets necessary to clean up after a couple months of hard water use are far less expensive and the machine tells you when to do it (as it does for most other cleaning processes with the exception of the undocumented manual paper towel method) and what to do....

So after reading all of the ways you can permanently damage your brand new overpriced coffee filter, I should more than have made up for having tempted you with such a sparkly and tasty-beverage making device. On the other hand, if you''ve read all of this and I have not deterred you, I expect you may be pleased with a Jura. They make great coffee very easy. And this rather extensive essay does document most everything of importance regarding how to use it and what to expect.

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H2o Mop X5 As Seen on Tv

The good: 1) its great if you have to clean without a lot of chemicals (pets, asthma, etc).

2) the attachments do an awesome job around award fixtures like the back of the sink faucet or behind a toilet.

3) the steam mop got dirt up that my swiffer mop didn''t

4) it got old tea stains out of my laminate counter.

5) I got the extra floorpads when I ordered from HSN. It is worth it! You can have a clean pad on standby while one is in the laundry.

The not great: 1) the attachments aren''t easy to change, and you have to give the nozzle a few minutes to cool before you can change out. So you sort of have to plan your attack in stages based on the easiest to change (floor mop head) to the longest time to cool (steam jet nozzle) to save time. This is contrary to the "cleaning top to bottom" method.

2) the long floor mop handle doesn''t feel sturdy/strong.

I feel like I have to be careful pushing it across the floor like if I push to hard it might snap.

3) when steaming your floors, they will be a little wet since this is not a water extraction floor steamer. I was just a little surprised by the wetness, but it isn''t too big a deal.

4) the mop uses water very quickly. Not a big deal, just plan out your attack so you can refill at convenient break points in your cleaning routine.

Overall I love this mop and use it twice a week. It is worth it. My least favorite thing is the less than sturdy handle.

I had the original H2O mop (steamboy mop) about 4 years ago. My mom got it for me as a gift for cleaning our house for my newborn twins. It was the most awesome thing I had for cleaning!! I was in love. Then after 3 years of use, it died :( I tried to find a replacement, but the H2O mop was no longer made. I later found out that was because they were developing the X5.

From the first infommercial, I was sold. I bought it and was so happy the day it came. I tried all the attachements out. The clothing steamer will not get much use in my house.

The jet nozzle works great for cracks and crevices, but the steam is not always consistantly strong, so you have to wait a minute for it to catch up.

The nylon and metal scrubby brushes didn''t impress me at all. I did like to use the metal one for the baked on grime on my glass top stove, but otherwise, not a lot of uses.

Window attachment was way more trouble than it was worth. I did 2 windows and really had enough.

So my main use is for floor cleaning and I was OK with that. For that I would buy it any day of the week.

After 4 months of use (2-3x a week), it one day stopped working. I went through the troubleshooting and nothing worked. Called CS and they agreed that I did all I could and they would send out a replacement heat unit. FOR $13.90 SHIPPING AND PROCESSING FEE. Are you kidding me????? 4 months after using it and I have to pay for a defective item replacement on a $120 unit? She told me that the warranty stated that shipping would be extra for replacement item (later I did locate my warranty that came with it and there was no such stipulations). I paid it and the new unit came within a weeks time.

Flash forward 4 weeks, it stopped working again. Now I am storing this thing empty (which I did not do with the first one, but it recommends it in the instructions), and I run vinegar through it every other week. Nothing. I do not have hard water, so it''s not a mineral buildup thing, I have done everything perfect. I am beyond upset with this purchase. I have gone from recommending this product to everyone to hazarding people from wasting their money on this POC. DO NOT BUY!!!

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Gosh, it looked so great on that infomercial! Despite some bad Amazon reviews, I trusted the good ones and shelled out $110 for this item. It came quickly, I''ll say that, but went downhill from there. I 1st tried it on some mildew in my shower. Had no effect at all! Ok, they advertised it would take the scale off shower doors so i tried that. Nothing! I have all laminate floors, but they said that''s ok, so I tried that next. I will say that it seemed to do a really nice job on the floor... but for hours I had a funny smell in the house like cocoa butter so I figured it was no good for laminate as it must be steaming the finish right off it. Still searching for some merit to this item I used it to "dust". Well, that''s a joke. So much more cumbersome than picking up a duster... overall a drippy mess! As others have stated, the handle is wobbly and I found it very awkward to use the hand held attachments. All in all, a piece of junk. So I called the number listed on the ''money back guarantee'' and they willingly gave me a return number. Dopey me, i thought this would cover shipping, but NO. I shelled out another $15 to return the item. All in all I wasted $25 in shipping on this item. Believe me, JUST DON''T BE TEMPTED because you''ll regret it too!

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We recently bought a house that has not been cleaned thoroughly for a while. So I started using the handheld part of the steam mop to clean bathrooms and kitchen cabinets... especially all the little groves and corners that you would hardly get into with even a toothbrush or Q-tip came out completely clean. I even wiped down the bathroom walls with it. I am not so convinced with the handle. When cleaning floors the whole thing feels wobbly and I am not so sure how long before it breaks.

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After doing a lot of research on steam mops and watching the informercial on the H20 Mop X5, I decided to purchase it. In fact I purchased 1 for me and 1 for my daughter. I was shocked when I opened the box. It was very small and flimsey....I decided to give it a chance and tried it that night. It was very loud and noisy and it left my floor soak and wet. I immediatly called customer service and was very fortunate, they arranged for UPS pick it up and refunded my full amount including shipping. I now own the Shark steam mop and I absolutely love it.

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Jupiter Biostone Filter - .01m Biostone Regular Save $0.04 Off

I''m still not even sure I got what I was suppose to. I got this filter for my Jupiter Melody.

No where on the filter or the box does it say anything about Tourmaline.

Be careful, the second picture shows at the top that it''s a picture of 0.1Micron Biostone NOT 0.01Micron Biostone. The 0.01Micron filter has a (white looking) Ultra Fine Filter in the top section not a (black looking) Silver Activated Carbon. The one I received says Calcium where it should read Tourmaline. I had to use it anyway... I''ll probably cut it open when it''s used up and we''ll see then...

(Also a lot of other websites seem to have inaccurate filter pictures too...)

We bought a new Orion Alkaline Water ionizer and used the original filter it came with. We didn''t realize you were NOT supposed to run hot water through the alkaline water machine, as it would damage the filter, so we wore out our original filter as a result, without knowing it. So, even though the indicator on the ionizer machine said we still had time left on our original filter, our water started tasting different (hard, not smooth, with a slight taste).

Then we bought this replacement filter through Amazon and it made all the difference. It was like our ionizer machine was back to new again. Our water tastes clean, smooth and fresh again, and our bodies feel great after drinking it. You can really taste the difference with a new filter. So now, we get a new filter anytime the water starts to taste even slightly different.

It''s a great filter. Just remember, do not run hot water through it, or else it will shorten it''s life.

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I ordered this filter and got IonLife filter instead. Some sellers are very deceitful. They will tell you it worked the same as Jupiter Biostone Filter. It''s not true and it would not even fit right. Look at the seller''s rating before purchase.

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I have been using this brand of filter for about 6 years now I can tell you that this filter really works. I have been using this type of filter in my Melody Jupiter water ionizer and it really removes any impurities in city water. Also the fact that I do not need to spend money to buy bottled water is a plus.

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I ordered this as a cheaper alternative to the one I usually purchased from the water purifier manufacturer.

Exactly the same, package and all. great performance. Save a few bucks and order from Amazon.

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DeLonghi ECAM22110SB Compact Automatic Cappuccino Save 26% Off

We bought this after a couple of months looking (unsuccessfully) for a replacement for our 15-year-old krups drip brewer which we loved until it finally pooped out and started leaking like a sieve. At some point in our search we said "maybe we should get serious." This is the first super automatic espresso machine we''ve ever owned so I can''t compare it to anything but I will say this: we love it.

We knew enough to know that "super automatic" is important if you don''t like the actual manual process of making espresso (we don''t) and since this one doesn''t actually say "super automatic" but rather "compact automatic" I was a little confused but eventually learned that compact automatic just means it''s a super automatic with a smaller footprint. For those really ignorant like us: Super Automatic means you fill the bean bin and the water bin once every so often, and then it''s ready to go. When you want a drink you turn it on and press a button single espresso, double espresso, single lungo, or double lungo. Then you watch as it makes a bunch of interesting noises then fills your cup with beautiful, steaming hot frothy coffee. Then you drink it. Super automatic.

The benefit of a compact super automatic is the smaller footprint of course. The downside is that you have to fill the bean and water reservoirs (and empty the dregs basin) more frequently than "regular size" super automatic. For us it is about twice a week two adults home all day and we like coffee. We''re actually probably going through more than normal right now because we''re enjoying playing and experimenting with strengths, mixes, quantities, etc. It has been a few days and already I''ve figured out my tastes but it''s still fun trying new things.

If you love coffee and want to treat yourself this is a winner. The small footprint is nice it doesn''t look like a commercial espresso machine sitting on our counter (though it''s bigger than a regular drip maker). Again I don''t have anything to compare it to since this is our first one but I can''t think of anything about it we don''t like. You have to remove the outside part of the steamer/frother to clean it, or you can leave it off when you froth and avoid that cleaning step. But I don''t do any frothing anyway (wife does).

It''s super. It''s automatic. It''s compact. It makes incredible espresso, americana, lungos, long blacks, cappucino, and lattes. We are very happy. I will post back after our first full cleaning.

August update: It has been 8 months and we love it just as much as when we first got it. We cleaned it once it was trivial. No issues except that one bag of beans we purchased from Trader Joes were a little oily and they got stuck in the hopper another reviewer also mentioned this. I removed the little cap from over the hopper (2 philips head screws) and left it off not sure how or if that can hurt anything but it has worked fine since.

Seriously we love this thing. There is nothing like feeling an urge for a cup a joe and 3 minutes later having one in your hands with nothing to do or clean up. And it is goooooood stuff. We were talking the other day and decided it''s the best luxury gift we''ve ever given ourselves.

PROS: Makes very good coffee and lattes. Sleek, good-looking appliance. Works as you would expect.

CONS: (very minor) Chrome "heating" plate doesn''t get warm enough to heat anything (who cares?). Beans on the "oily" side don''t always feed smoothly from hopper to the grinder.

I''ve owned several automatic machines over the years from Saeco and DeLonghi (most recently the DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine) that have acted as our go-to small office coffee makers. (I''m a latte-holic myself, 4 to 5 a day, and admitting that is the first step toward recovery I''m told...) I have a tendency to wear them out in 2 to 3 years because they get a lot of use, 5 days a week. But that is to be expected, at least by me, as these really are intended as home-use machines. That being said, this is a fine machine for it''s job which is to keep me in lattes!

It makes very good, tasty shots of espresso for those lattes, steams my 1% milk great with a nice, dense foam, and the regular coffee drinkers are very happy with their full coffees.

Tip: Best way to froth the milk?: swing the frother arm all the way to the left and stack your steamed-milk container with your cold milk in it on top of an empty coffee mug off to the side on the counter. That way your milk container is high enough to just sit there with the wand in it as it steams. You can walk away for a couple of minutes and do something useful. Just don''t go too far away and "forget" it''s steaming what a mess! But the frother "froths" really well all by itself, doesn''t over-bubble and spill over the side like some past machines have done. Well-designed.

Right out of the box, it made a great-tasting first latte for me. One of the best, actually. I left the grinder on the factory setting, and set the rotating knob to between 1:30 and 2:00 o''clock position (just guessing) and it made both a great double-shot of espresso AND a great-tasting regular coffee on my first two tries (I used the "double" buttons on both the espresso side and coffee side that''ll make more sense once you see the machine and read the instructions).

I''ve only had it about a month, but so far so really good. The only minor issue is that bean hopper "con" above. It''s a bit shallow in slope, so my slightly oily beans (Costco/Kirkland espresso, roasted by Starbucks beans) get stuck sometimes during the grinding portion of the process, and I have to lift the lid and stir them a bit with a spoon to make sure they get down where they need to go not a huge inconvenience.

I''ve had a couple of the DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnificas DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine mentioned earlier, and they are GREAT machines! (that''s the one I have at home for weekend use). I''m hoping this latest DeLonghi for the office lives up to that model''s standards. By the way, the model number for replacement water filters is: SER 3017. Google "Water filter SER 3017" though, to find it online, because it doesn''t show up on Amazon. And DeLonghi customer service was no help at all via an emailed question about the filter, which should be a concern to them I would imagine. Hey Amazon, how about linking to the company that sells the filter?

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Bought this machine and right out of the box it was not drawing the beans into the grinder.Tried calling the manufacture and all I got was we can return it for repair.

It''s only a day old.So I got on Amazon.com and looked at the reviews and see I am not the only one having this problem.So here is the fix.List off the cover to the bean bin and remove the mushroom cap inside the bean bin where the beans go into the grinder.This can be done by removing two little phillips screws and pulling the mushroom cap up and out of the bean bin.Save this piece just in case you would need warranty work for something else.Now there is no problem with beans feeding into the grinder.My guess is that it''s a safety thing so one would not reach in and put there fingers into the grinder.Hope this helps someone else.

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I have used other automatic espresso machines and I find this Magnifica to be better for many reasons.

1) settings to control strength, temperature, coffee grind coarseness, auto-off time interval, and cup size

2) small footprint in terms of machine size

3) easy to access the water bin which can slide out partially and be filled while it is in place. Very nice feature considering you add water daily like you do with all machines.

4) machine auto-rinses. Some machines make this an option which is really about maintaining the machine.

5) perfect user interface. Easy to use

6) Great coffee.... Great coffee

7) Excellent frother. Many machines (Jura) don''t stack up

8) easy to clean! The brew unit comes out and it doesn''t require service at the factory. Look for this feature!

9) by-pass doser option. Many machines have this but not all machines in this price range

10) Decent price range and reputable company

11) Nice looks; It is a value blend of plastic and metal where needed. Sure it could be all metal but that would only drive up cost with little to no benefit.

I am happy with the purchase and I have had this for 4 months at this point.

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I am guilty of not reviewing most of the products I buy on Amazon and some of the other websites but I decided to take the time to review this machine because I went through such a difficult time trying to get the best espresso machine without breaking my bank. I purchased this with these things that important to me: Time, ease of use, quality of the drink and again the most bang for the buck. Please keep in mind I have never tried to manually prepare espresso drinks myself but I have tried espresso from local mom and pops shops as well as the more known coffee shops here in New York.

Out of the box the machine is pretty straight forward and comes set for a standard espresso shot. The DVD is very helpful when trying to figure out this machine. It walks you through most of the functions. Depending on whether you will like your espresso shots really strong or not then you can play with the grinder settings and water settings. There are also settings to make the water hotter from the start to make the shot hotter. There is also automatic turn off and you can set this to your liking as well. Bypass doser for decaf, buttons will prepare one or two shots as well as two different settings for long coffee. For detailed videos I would check out Seattlecoffee Gear and youtube. They tell you not to use Dark Oily beans in the grinder because they can get stuck and clog it up. If you prefer the dark beans just try Lavazza or some good brand italian beans at your local espresso house. They can run you a pretty penny but for some its worth it.

I normally put the machine on before I get in the shower. When I come out I press the double shot to prepare my shots and wallah...it''s all done in a matter of 60 seconds. I usually drink cold drinks so I use cold milk but I have made several friends shots and they loved it. As far as the shots not being strong enough or not having enough crema, I really have to say that not one person complained about anything yet and I actually find the reg shots of espresso to be way to strong for my taste. This machine is great I love it and have made 2 or more drinks everyday since I got it a month ago. So far so good!

Bottom line, if you are always rushing to get to work, gym, and other places you have to be and you want that cup of espresso before you go this machine is for you. If you enjoy making espresso from scratch and controlling every single part of the process this ISNT for you. As far as quality of drinks I LOVE IT and others who I''ve made drinks for have said they loved it as well. If you can catch a steal with this machine at around $500 I would say most def GO FOR IT!

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Mr. Coffee WFF Water Filter Replacement Disk

Purchased the Mr Coffee water filter at Walmart for $3.64. This is the complete system which consists of frame, filter disk and disk cover. Only need to relace the filter disk monthly. Can buy the 6 pack of the disks from MrCoffeeStore or Amazon for $14.99 at this time. We have a filter system on the sink in our home; but when the Mr. Coffee water filtration system is used there is white sediment (calcium buildup) on the filter because we have such nasty water. To clean the system we just run water over to wash off the sediment and then once a month change the disk. For $2.49 a month it is worth it when you see the junk the filter keep out of you coffee grounds and your machnie.

I like my Kona coffee fresh tasting and chemical filled tap water can ruin that.

These little filters do a great job of improving the taste of regular tap water.

Sure, they are pricey, but I''ve found I can go for a few months using just one rather than change it out every month as Mr. Coffee recommends. There are alternatives to them as well, like using pref-iltered water or bottled water, but costs doing it that way can add up as well.

Overall, a decent product if you can stomach the price.

BTW, as of writing this, the 2-packs ($3.99) are actually cheaper to purchase than the 6pk (going by unit cost). But for some reason the shipping is a $1 more for the 2-pack! Solution: Buy three 2-pack refills in one order and you save yourself about $2 over the cost of buying just the one 6-pack.

Note to Mr. Coffee -make these available at local supermarkets so that we don''t have to pay such outrageous shipping!

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These filters do what they''re intended to do remove excessive chlorine.

The price here is just over $4 for a 2-pack, which works out to about $25 for a year. That annual cost may seem high, but the objective is to filter out chlorine from the water being used.

The chlorine level around here has risen to an unacceptable level recently, and the use of the filter has helped greatly.

Of course, other options would be to use bottled water or water filtered at the tap, but these filters work as designed in eliminating chlorine odor and taste from coffee.

By the way, these filters are also available directly from the Mr. Coffee website at $5.99 for a 2-pack or $15.99 for a 6-pack.

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The cost and lack of availability of these filters is robbery. If I had known about the problems and cost involved in finding them in the first place I never would have bought a mr coffee, and in the future I will be very skeptical of mr coffee. If I tried to replace the filters from the mr coffee web site at the suggested rate of one per month it would cost me about $60 a year.

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I removed this item from my cart at checkout....$9.40 for shipping 10 little coffee filters!! I will pay more at Wal Mart and be happy!

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Berkey Light Water Filter System

My family got one of these about a year or two ago and I think everyone appreciates it. This thing filters water better than I could have imagined. After drinking mainly from this, I can taste the chemicals (or whatever''s adding the funny taste) even in bottled water.

The biggest problem is it''s going to make having to drink other water quite painful (well, the filters and the intensely slow speed of this can be a pain sometimes too).

I''d long heard stories from homesteading friends and off-grid families about how great the Berkey purifiers are, and now I know first hand.This purifier is considered the absolute best for off-grid and outdoor applications it filers bacteria, chemicals, and all kinds of gunk completely out or to below detectable levels. You can even filter dirty pond and lake water into useable water.

We are renovating a rural house, and gutted it completely no electric, no nothing. We bought the Berkey so we would have water when we camped out in the house. It is awesome we pump some water out of the well with a portable pump and run it through the Berkey, and it is crystal clear and completely pure. Our well hadn''t been pumped in five years and it was *really* dirty still, perfect water once we filtered it through the Berkey. It''s remarkably quick too 4 gallons an hour. We even put our gravity-shower water through it, just cause we can.

We bought the Berkey Light model with the LEDs in the base. I originally thought that a row of LEDs in the base of my water purifier was silly, but I have to admit, it''s pretty cool. The LEDs are on rechargeable batteries and it makes a neat little nightlight.

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My son bought a website called [..], several years ago that sells both the British Berkefeld and Berkey brand water filters. As a way of becoming familiar with the product I researched the field fairly thoroughly. Although we sell filters from other manufacturers I was most impressed by the features of the Berkey.

I lived in Mexico for the last four years and discovered that even the Mexicans don''t drink the water but depend on bottled water for their drinking and cooking water. I used the Berkey water filter with the Black Berkey elements as my exclusive source of drinking water. I found it to be an excellent investment.

No system is perfect; every one I have researched has advantages and limitations. The Berkey seems to have the most advantages and the fewest limitations. We know the manufacturer of the filter personally and their research is credible. They are based in the USA.

The features of the Berkey that make it my first choice are:

It is relatively low cost between $220 for the small Travel Berkey to $350 for the large Crown Berkey (I gave several of these units to local orphanages who were spending much of their limited finances on bottled water),

It requires little maintenance I would clean my filter elements about once every two months,

The effectiveness of their filter although they do not equal the water quality of reverse osmosis or distillation, both of which I have also used,

The quality is very high.

They require no plumbing or electricity to operate, making them an excellent source of water in an emergency or in Mexico where both water and electricity can be intermittant. In the small village where I lived the water and electricity is on ccassion interrupted. I live by a lake and would get water from the lake to supply my Berkey and then myself with drinking and cooking water. For those living "off the grid" it is an important feature. If you don''t think having an emergency source of drinking water is important just ask some of the folks stuck without it after Katrina hit New Orleans.

They are very durable, being made either of stainless steel or Lexan in the case of the Berkey Light,

They are portable which makes them convenient to use while traveling, which I do a lot of in Mexico or to take with while camping or any extended activity in the outdoors.

The same manufacturer makes a portable bottle version which has all the same characteristics of the large Berkey in a 24 oz squeeze bottle.

I am death on bottled water which is simply one of the most ridiculous ways of providing drinking water to people that has been devised. You have to admire the marketing however. They have people walking into a gas station convenience store complaining about the high cost of gas, who go to the counter and pay more per gallon for a bottle of water then for the gas, without blinking an eye at the irony.

Any way, that''s my two cents worth.

Our web site is [..] and we would love to get some feed back on the products we offer and anyone''s experience with them.

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The elements seem good for filtering water, but will not remove flouride. The parts are all very flimsy especially the plastic tap, which seems like it will wear out quickly. The lid is just a nylon cap that slips over the top. For $209 I expected more. BEWARE, you will NOT get the 2 extra elements as stated in the description. I e-mailed a representative of this company, he nicely told me it was a mistake by Amazon that could not be changed. Take that for what it''s worth.

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We purchased a Berkey for our household. We have well water that has slight odor and taste. The water from the Berkey tastes great!

Unfortunately, the black filters fell apart-in less than 3 months! After checking the website and finding they were defective, I sent an email and was sent replacement filters and returned the used, broken filters. We were able to enjoy our filtered water again! That was, up until a few days ago when I found the replacement filter broken (just as the previous filter was). This set also lasted about 3 mos. much less than the websites'' claim of 3,000 gallons of water!

The company has a new "prorated warranty" for the filters and will replace them, possibly for free based on the amount of time you have had them, after you fill out some paperwork and send your filters back. Mine would be free, but after this experience, I do not have much trust in the company. Who has time for this every few months?

They admitted their product was defective, replaced it-with yet another defective product, combined with a customer service phone number that no one answers and no returned phone calls, I feel ripped off! I just wish I could get a refund and return their products, but nope, I''m outside the 60-day limit and they will not allow a refund on the defective filters either!

Truly Disappointed!

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BestAir HM2 Hamilton 8" Drum Type Water Pad Save 13% Off

The parts were exactly what i needed, and really great service too! I''d do business with them again!

The parts were exactly what i needed, and really great service too! I''d do business with them again!

These are generic pads that fit several different brands of humidifiers. This 8 inch wide size pad must be trimmed to fit the 5.25 inch wide drum on my Lobb humidifier. It is easy to trim the pads with a box cutter. These are very low priced compared to the OEM pads and they work just fine.

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This "generic" replacement pad is an exact match for my Skettle system. It was an easy swapout but a bit messy, becasue the prior owner of my home had not been changing out the pad for years!

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This is the same product that ive used over the years. Works perfectly in my home furnace humidifier. I was displeased when i couldnt find them at Home Depot or Lowes anymore.

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Austin Air Bedroom Machine Air Purifier

You have three speeds: Quiet with annoying hum, Loud blower, and extremely loud blower. The motor is not brushless, but that should not be a factor. The scroll for the squirrel cage fan leaks air IN and causes a deposit of dirt from entrained unfiltered air on the grill. The top needs a noise damping pad between it and the metal of the scroll to keep the motor hum down at low speed. There is no UV lamp, and the replacement filters cost more than a competitors complete unit.

If you can stand the white noise, the filtration seems almost absolute. Musty bedroom and pet odors are effectively removed. A flashlight shined through the air in a room with the purifier seems to pass without showing any floating lint or dust (Tindall effect). This is good.

I''m hesitant to buy the $440.00 filter kit, hot glue the power cord port and the speed control to stop the dirt entrainment, and find a rubber pad and glue it in the lid to stop the low speed hum. Because of this, I think I''ll get a cheaper, just as capable model with UV and electrostatic capability..Surround Air XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro Air Purifier with Photocatalytic Filter HEPA/Carbon Filter and Germicidal UV Lamp

Sorry, Austin Air. Hell, a box fan with a 20" Hepa filter works as well for $25.00..

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Berkey Light Water Filter With 4 Black Berkey Filters Save 23% Off

We love our Berkey. The water tastes great and it is plenty big enough for us and our everyday use. I would recommend the Berkey filters to anyone and everyone!

I receive a glowing report each year about the astonishing quality of that which oozes from my kitchen faucet. It pains me to contradict the official report but frankly I can''t get used to it. The turbid fluid smells bad and tastes abominable. This filter converts it to the qaulity of mountain spring water. I highly recommend this product.

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This filter does a great job of filtering the water. Water tastes excellent. The plastic housing is durable, and the assembly was easy. We will be using this for many years to come. We use four filters so that the water filters more quickly.

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Culligan S1A Level 2 20 Micron Sediment Replacement Cartridge 2 Pack Save 22% Off

• Fits HF-150 & HF-360
• Medium-fine (20-micron) sediment filtration: sand, silt, dirt, rust particles and scale particles.
• Level 2 Extra Filtration
• Cartridge life 4 months or 16,000 gallons
• Not recommended for use with non-treated well water supplies

It did seem odd that a filter that was described on the packaging thus:

REDUCES

Sediment

Rust

Scale

Dirt

Course Sand

Sand

and then would go on to state: This cellulose cartridge is not recommended for use with untreated well water.

One could only wonder what was left to "Treat". Called Culligan and a technical rep explained that the statement referencing "untreated" referred to treatment for bacteria. Apparently if there is bacteria in the water they love cellulose and can rapidly compromise the filter by digesting it.

I suggested to the Culligan rep that they be a bit more explicit in their disclaimer and specifically reference treatment for bacteria.

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Our home water is supplied by a personal well that unfortunately comes with some brownish sediment that discolors the water and makes it taste a little too much like minerals. Completely harmless, but not very pretty, especially for company. Previously I had been looking into expensive water softeners or whole house filters in the $200+ range. Thankfully I found the little culligan whole house filter for $32 and this two pack of 20 micron filters for another $7 (so cheap!).

It''s been a week now, water is crystal clear. I like that I can see the filter through the casing, currently it has a light brown tinge so I know it''s working. Since the water has been so clear I think I''ll be sticking with the cheaper and longer lasting 20 micron filters, they''re supposed to last 4 months or 16,000 gallons, putting my total filtration costs at a cool ~$12 a year, far cheaper than my initial expectations when looking into larger carbon filters or water softeners.

I couldn''t be happier!

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If you haven''t tested your well water for contaminants, or for microbiological unsafe elements/organisms,

-- this filter isn''t made to purify your water.

So, if you are unsure about the purity of your well water, get your well water tested.

If your well does not contain contaminants, or microbiological unsafe organisms, but does generate sediment and/or sand particles,

-- this filter will trap the particles down to 20 microns.

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If you are using this for well water, please note that right on the packaging when you get itin the left hand front bottom cornerthat it should not be used for untreated well water. I am not sure what else you would use if for. I used this filter years ago when our well was new and I do not remember there being such a warning.

One might want to go to the 10 micron or finer size for well water and expect to change it more. I use the 10 micron filter from the same company and like them very much over the years. The 4.5 micron is also good but requires frequent replacement when a well is new or there is a lot of rain.

I was hoping to use this as we just put in a new well pump and there is a lot more sludge in a new installation, but I am hesitant to use it now due to the explicit warning.

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I use this for my well water which has sediment that stains the toilet and accumulates in the pipes. I use this as the "gross" filter, followed by a 5 micron final filter. Works great at a lot less cost than the local store.

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Alka-pure® Natural Alkaline Wellness Water Go-pak Save 25% Off

I tried Alka-Pure many months ago...August (Founder), was very informative and helpful. I learned of the Water Go-Pak; what an Einstein idea! If you are out and can''t find Alkaline water you can have the portability of AlkaPure with just the small twist off pak, pour into any reg water bottle or glass...and you have instant...Alkaline Water. Tastes so clean. It''s the best idea I have seen for keeping healthy in a busy world. I highly recommend this product...you won''t be disappointed! I noticed they had a great clip on YouTube...check it out!Sheree Dolezal

I prefer buying the concentrated tubes due to less harm to the environment. The 24 bottle case harms the environment and it is too heavy to lift when delivered to ones home!

Alkaline water is healthier for one and I wish it were available in all neighborhoods! We should not have to buy water on-line to receive healthy benefits that Alkaline water provides.

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I have not received any noticeable benefits. The taste of my water was not altered. I guess its ok. It did take awhile for me to get my order.

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I tested several bottles of water after adding Alka-Pure mixed results some showed more alkalinity some the same average about 8.0.... Will order again to check another batch

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I admit I wasn''t consistent with this, but overall it didn''t make me feel more hydrated like others said it will.

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Aqua-Pure #APDW80/90 Replacement Cartridge Save 41% Off

• APDW80 (5 Micron Nominal) & APDW90 (1 Micron Nominal)
• Two stage cartridge includes composite media for sediment, chlorine taste and odor, lead and cysts.
• Second cartridge: carbon block for VOC and MTBE
• High Capacity: 625 gallons or 1 year
• Cold water use only

Water tastes great again since we changed the filter. Easy to install. Just screw it into the receptical that you already have in place. Great value.

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Purchased this item from Amazon.com at HALF the price it would have cost thru the aquapure website same exact item! It''s installed, working properly and I''ve saved $100!

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The filters last over a year by now and is still running. We are very happy with the purchase. Although the flow is slightly slower than a regular faucet filter system by PUR, it is not too bad depending on the water pressure and flow. Installation takes about a minute, not the easiest and is pretty manageable. Highly recommended!

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Easy to install and does everything it is advertised to do. I would give it 5 stars if it were less expensive

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I''ve been using this filter system for years. The filters make gallons and gallons of great tasting water. When the weather is rainy, our water is pretty heavily chlorinated. Every other tap in the house smells of chlorine, but not our filtered tap. Not a whiff of chlorine. Water tastes as good if not better than the water we get delivered from that famous spring up in Maine.

And, once you get the hang of it, you can pop the old filters out and the new ones in with nary a drop of water lost.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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