KRUPS KT600 Silver Art Collection 10 European Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel/Chro

This coffee maker makes great, hot coffee. It just brews it up right with no fuss. I have paired mine with a #4 Swiss Gold permanent filter and absolutely love it. This coffee maker does nothing but make good coffee. It doesn't tell time, it doesn't have any automatic functions, it doesn't have alternate settings you just push the brew button and it brews great coffee every time.

That said, there are a couple of small gripes that would not keep me from purchasing this product again. One is the price. It's a bit expensive compared to other coffee makers in its "class." For less money you can get a machine with all the afore-mentioned perks and frills. Can I guarantee you they will, quite simply, make coffee as good as this one? No, I cannot. You're obviously paying for the Krups name and for what is almost a piece of coffee making art or furniture but it does what it should with no complications. There is something to be said for never having to reset the clock or functions just push the button and get great coffee every time.

The other minor-issue I have is the weird design of the pot. What other reviewers have said is true. You do have to completely invert the pot to empty out the last bit of coffee because of the odd design. This isn't necessary except to get out the last 5-6 ounces of coffee, but it doesn't really present a problem to me it's not messy or anything, just odd.

Also, the pot did come with a strong chemical odor in it, as some of the other reviewers have mentioned. I did not make or drink any coffee from the machine until it was gone. I got rid of the odor by filling the pot with vinegar and letting it sit over night. That got rid of the smell completely and I never experienced any weird white powder or film or odd-tasting coffee, though if your water is hard it will show up both on the machine and pot as well as in the pot worse than it will on other things in your kitchen.

Pros:

1. Makes great, hot coffee.

2. Thermal pot keeps coffee hot, no burner necessary.

3. Simple.

4. Easy to maintain.

5. Looks great.

Cons:

1. Pot design a little weird.

2. A bit pricey.

UPDATE 01/25/2012: Just want to say that 2 1/2 months later, still loving this coffee maker. I don't think the pot pours too slow like other reviewers have said and it works just fine, if a bit strange. I made coffee this morning. I used some hot water to pre-heat the thermal pot, which I do not ALWAYS do as I don't see it as necessary; I like to not scald my mouth. I'm more concerned about the coffee getting hot enough to properly brew than getting it to my cup super hot. Anyway, I left work without having my morning coffee. Doh! I came home 8 hours later and the coffee in the pot was still warm. Granted, it was not HOT, but it was warm enough to heat the cup and for my wife to drink it. I heated mine in the microwave for a bit.

UPDATE 03/07/2013: After more than a year with the coffee maker, it still makes great coffee. About a month ago I decided to test the brewing temperature with an instant read thermometer. Over a few days of testing it consistently read 198 degrees in the filter during brewing. This is right in the target zone for hot-brewing (195-205 degrees). My parents have a Bunn restaurant style coffee maker (brews instantly). I bought a gold basket filter for it, but my wife and I agree it just doesn't taste as good as the coffee we make in this machine at home. The only issue I've seen develop over the last year is that on the initial pour, a little bit of coffee runs out of the spring loaded valve on top where the coffee enters the pot. Still very, very happy with this product.

I love this coffee maker! It's been a long time since I had my 1st Krups, & their newer models didn't get the water as hot as this one older model,until now. This does the job, brews a great pot of coffee, keeps it hot for hrs & still tastes great. I'm very picky about my coffee. I'd gone to a french press because I couldn't get a decent pot in the electric drip(my old Krups went to my X). So now I have this model & love it. It's a very sleek design, simple on auto off once it's brewed,& the 10 cup karaf keeps it piping hot without that acidic taste u get when coffee stands warm. This size is good for 4 lg cups/mug. Enjoy.

Buy KRUPS KT600 Silver Art Collection 10 European Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel/Chro Now

This is the coffee maker you would imagine Steve Jobs uses at home. (RIP Steve). I've used a Krups coffee maker for many years. When I saw this new Silver Art collection I decided to dump the old and get the new. In fact I bought all the pieces in the series because lets face it, this is just as much about the look as the utility. If you want good drip coffee in a pretty vessel you will like this a lot. It's very shiny!! If you want features, settings, timers and flashing lights this is not the coffee maker for you.

The last few coffee machines I've owned had all the bells and whistles and I happily realize now that I never used any of that crap. You put in coffee, add water and in a few minutes start drinking. This Silver coffee maker does that really well and makes you feel like you're waking up in a kitchen in a luxury modern home. It's definitely all about elegance and simplicity.

I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I think the cord is too short. Intentional on their part but I still think it's too short.

Update: After a few months I am still pretty happy but I must say the carafe is definitely annoying (down to 3 stars). As others have said this carafe pours very slow and when first filling the water reservoir the carafe (without the lid fastened on) has a tendency to spill and create a puddle on the counter. A normal glass carafe never has these weird problems. Also, after the brew finishes and you start pouring you are also likely to get another annoying puddle. This makes no sense and is an unusually bad design flaw from Krups. The coffee maker is great but the carafe needs an update and Krups should give us owners a free carafe for dealing with all these puddles.

Read Best Reviews of KRUPS KT600 Silver Art Collection 10 European Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel/Chro Here

The beauty, the properly heated cup of excellent tasting coffee and the fact that the coffee stays hot all morning are all great aspects if this coffee maker. But I want to point out that it is very slow to pour and to get the last cup or so of coffee you will turn the carafe a good 120 degrees. The water reservoir is not removable so it you overfill the container you have to use a small container to ladle out the water or unplug it and walk it to the sink. Oh, and it turns out that 8 "European cups" are just three 12 oz. mugs of coffee. If water is still in the basket my coffee maker tends to leak it onto the carafe's pad. Finally, and just a small point is, there is no provision for storing excess cord in the coffeemakers base. And yes, I still love this coffeemaker and just work around the short comings because it makes great coffee and looks so good doing it.

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Of course I liked the look of the KT600. That was the initial attraction but I looked into the specifics as well. It's footprint is no larger than the Krups FME I had been using. I also like the thermal carafe and the auto-shutoff. It's straight-forward in function and design. I didn't need programming buttons, a clock or default beepers like the FME had.

In answer to other comments here about construction, the carafe is stainless inside and chrome outside. There is chrome on the outside balance of the maker and from what I could see, grey plastic inside for the water reservoir and filter basket. I put a #4 paper cone filter inside it same size as the FME. The filter basket comes out for cleaning or airing if necessary. I like to air-dry coffee makers when not in use. Had the construction of the maker been chrome and stainless throughout, the weight would have been considerably more than the 7.3 pounds stated. The cord is approximately 23-24 inches from maker to end of plug which is fine for me.

The coffee tastes great! What an eye-catcher as well. This goes with my new Silver Art kettle and toaster.

May 18, 2012 My Krupps coffee maker still looking and working great with daily use.

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Dolce Gusto Chai Tea Latte Capsules For The Dolce Gusto Machine By Nescafe

I wanted to write a review because it only had one review and it wasn't good. I disagree. This flavor is Very good. This is one of my favorite flavors for this machine. I like the unique taste. Yum.

This is a rather weak version of a chai latte. I really didn't care for it. I've had the dolce gusto macciato and cappucino and loved them, but this left me cold. It was more than double the price of the others (I thought I getting a 3-pack like the others for $21 but it was just the one package of 8), and it was definitely not worth it. Won't order again.

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I just received today and really liked it. If you do not like cinnamon and few spices it is definitely not for you. I enjoyed the taste and will buy more for sure.

Read Best Reviews of Dolce Gusto Chai Tea Latte Capsules For The Dolce Gusto Machine By Nescafe Here

Yummy, affordable -not Starbucks, but can hit the spot from the comfort of your home. We like it more than K-cups.

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This item did not specify that it was only one box. It is severely overpriced. Yes, it is delicious, but not at this price.

Cappuccino Maker w/ Steamed Milk Pitcher PHB

There is no indication in the title or description of this item that this is a toy. This is not a real capuccino machine and I think the listing is incredible misleading. Caveat Emptor!

Good little product for gift idea's. But not enough information to indicate that this product is a

gift or the real thing mean that I bought this and thinking that this was the real Cappuiccion maker. This product came on time.

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Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

We bought this machine from Williams-Sonoma and liked it so much that we stuck with the coffee through four separate units, each of which failed within three weeks for a different reason. My wife and I each drink 2-3 shots of espresso per day, for a total of 6-8 cycles of the machine (including self rinsing): this is within their warranty rate of 10 cycles per day. We use non-greasy beans and reverse-osmosis water, both of which are recommended by the manufacturer. At first I thought we just got unlucky -every factory makes a few lemons -but after four machines and four independent failure modes I'm convinced they're just poorly built.

For coffee : 4-5 stars. When they work, these machines are just adjustable enough for us you can adjust the grind, the water temperature, and the water volume independently to "sight in" your ideal shot. For reliability: -4 stars. I would give this product just a single star, but the titanium fronted one comes with a terrific milk-frothing assembly that makes great, silky foam every time. That alone is worth a second star.

Machine #1: worked for three weeks, then mysteriously failed with an error code "DE" on the screen. Krups support was baffled.

Machine #2: worked for 1.5 weeks, then the burr grinder broke motor would turn but wouldn't grind coffee.

Machine #3: DOA on initial plug-in, entered an infinite loop of "calibrating machine" cycles. (I think an internal sensor was jammed).

Machine #4: worked for 3 weeks, then mysteriously started spewing acrid, electrical-insulator smoke.

I suggest a Delonghi Magnifica they can be found for under $1k and are actually designed to be maintainable or a semi-auto with built-in burr grinder (Breville makes one).

Loved it for the four weeks it actually worked. Krups had us send it to their service center. It came back after a month, still leaking out the bottom. Called Krups again and they wanted us to send it back to the service center once more-when it just came back from there with no change?! I said I didn't want to do that again, that the unit is clearly defective (hey, we tried) and now it's time for a replacement or a refund. The customer service agent said no, that my only option was to send it back to their service center.

If you are selling a defective product, and you know it, at least try to keep your company's reputation intact by taking responsibility for it, you know?

Finally, amazon agreed to take it back and refund our money. Anybody recommend a good DeLonghi?

Buy Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine Now

Today I received my Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine after doing hours and hours of research. I liked the things I read about itsmall size, some control over output, flavor, crema, dependability compared to other models of interest.

I have to admit that I don't usually drink espresso. I prefer to add milk to my coffee. I like to enjoy a latte or cappuccinno. I do not add syrups or sweetenersno flavorsno sugar.

So, I really need to bring out the sweetness of the milk, and to do that I need to get the milk to at least 140 degrees. When the milk hits 140 degrees the natural sweetness of milk bursts through, and you can enjoy a reasonably sweet and creamy beverage without using sugar, and fend off osteoporosis at the same time. I learned from a barista in Rome that lattes and cappuccinos do not have to be loaded with chocolate or caramel to taste sweet and delicious. You just have to know how to produce proper steamed milk! I had fun learning how to do make a great espresso drinks in Italy, and I long for the quality I enjoyed there. (or at least as close to it as I can come in the U.S. midwest)

Unfortunately, the Krups 7225 does not have enough staying power to heat the milk properly before or after brewing a shot of espresso. I wish it had an additional heating element! I followed the set up, rinsed the machine, did the initial run through, prepared 2 cups of espresso, and as directed, threw them out and began to make my first latte.

My initial attempt produced lovely foam, but the milk was much too cool to sweeten the milk. Not a good product. I returned to the manual (which is WONDERFULLY instructive) and adjusted steamer's automatic timer. Better, but still the milk was not heated well.

Third time I let the steamer use the full cycle, then started the steamer again. It was a short wait, but my espresso was cooling on the cup warmer while I waited to generate steam again. Finally I got the milk to 140, added it to the espresso shot, and enjoyed a creamy, sweet latte. The foam was absolutely lovely, dense, creamy, sweetperfect. I just wish the machine would provide an adequate amount of steam.

In fairness, I am going to go tonight to get some mineral water and see if I can produce more steam. Today I used distilled water, hoping to avoid calcium buildup to keep the machine clean and running for years to come. I hope I can report that it makes a difference.

It is regrettable to spend so much for a machine that cannot produce sweet, frothy milk for one latte or cappucino. I feel disappointed. However, if you prefer to drink espresso or use just a little milk, this could be the machine for you.

Pro's:

Very compact size

Easy to set up

Easy to adjust and customize for your particular taste

Easy to useexcept when steaming milk

Easy to understand manual

No more stops at the coffee shop on the way to work!

Con's

Steam does not last long enough to produce a sweet, frothy large latte.

Less metal, more plastic than I expected.

Price seems a lot for the construction of the machine

Overall Impression:

If you don't have a lot of space for your espresso machine, drink straight espresso or drinks with just a little milk, then stop looking and buy the Krups XP7225. However, if you're like me and enjoy a large latte or cappuccino with sweet, creamy milk and dense, fluffy froth, this may not be the machine for you.

Read Best Reviews of Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine Here

I've been using my XP7225 for a couple of months now, and I think I can provide some insight into this machine.

Executive Summary: Great machine if you like pressure-brewed coffee or straight espresso shots. Not so great for cappuccinos as the steamer doesn't get the milk hot enough fast enough. Bargains available online and in stores. I bought mine for $320 at BBB (with the 20 percent coupon).

Some observations:

-The Claris filter is optional. I don't use it as it appears to cause problems for users and the troubleshooting guide mentions to remove it if you have problems. I have never had any problems going filterless. Instead, I use a Brita faucet filter to fill the machine. Also, the Claris filter costs $18 and must be changed every 2 months!

-Some users have complained about leaking. Note that the drip tray fills up from within the machine as the machine heats up. You need to empty the drip tray after each one or two uses. I am sure this is where the leaks come from. If you empty the tray often, no leaks.

-Although the milk steamer is effective to froth, the end-product is not hot enough after a one minute cycle. If you have the patience to run it for a second time, that solves the problem. However, cleaning the attachment is a pain (requires running steam through it but should also be removed and washed). I prefer to heat the milk in my cup for one minute in the microwave. This also heats up the cup nicely. I realize this is not steamed milk but rather heated milk. I really don't have a big attachment to milk froth, but, if you do, this is not the machine for you.

-The pressure-brewed coffee is so delicious and non-bitter that I can drink it black without sugar. This is from someone who usually takes three teaspoons and lots of milk per 8 oz cup. The difference between this and a drip coffee machine is like night and day.

-I always run a rinse cycle (about 2 oz of water) after I am done with the machine and when I start it up.

-The standard size coffee is adjustable up to 4 oz. The long coffee (8 oz) is a double cycle. I mix 4 oz of steamed milk (from the microwave) with 4 oz of coffee. The result is very good and requires little or no sugar.

-The machine hates oily beans. Use a medium roast, dry bean for best results. I prefer the finest setting on the grinder. It produces lots of crema on the coffee.

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I reviewed semi-automatic machines like this one along with many others. My brother-in-law had introduced me to the concept of single-brew coffee and I had the opportunity to use similar machines while over in Austria.

It took me over a year before I made the purchase and I decided on this Krups machine.

I had experienced and read reviews that the temperature on other machines was not where it needed to be. In some cases, manufacturers suggested that you warm up the coffee mug to help with that issue. I didn't want that to be a problem so this was top on my list of important features.

All in all, I would say:

Pros

1) Hot coffee 3 settings and I have dialed it down to setting 2. Very happy

2) Reliability I am seeing a few individuals suggest that they are having issues. I specifically chose this manufacturer since I have an older manual espresso that will probably last another 20 years. Their customer service is outstanding and the warranty was respectable. Reading the reviews where there were issues sounds like someone may have had some electrical issues in their house??? Also, I could see where someone could think the machine leaks since there will be water on the counter if you don't empty the drip tray. I have had my machine for 8 months with zero problems.

3) Selectable options including temperature, grind setting (3), Amount of coffee/espresso per serving

4) Space this is a smaller unit than some of the other brands

5) Frother Works well as long as you use skim or a lower fat milk. The milk should also be cold when starting

6) Cost other machines like this are $1,000+ (new)

7) Convenience Excellent... wife would buy another one if this one should ever need replacing

8) Ease of use I think Krups did an excellent job with the user interface and controls. This is very simple to use.

Cons

1) Selectable options do not include brew strength. This can be controlled through a combination of grind setting and serving size since the amount of coffee can not change. This should be an option

2) Plastic controls The titanium look is a plastic look. Dials could be heavier metal but nothing has broken. This is a function of cost so you get what you pay for.

3) Serving size The machine will only dispense 4 oz of coffee as a single serving. If you want a full cup, you select the Long Coffee setting which will then run through 2-cycles of the 4 ounce option. It doesn't take long to complete but it would be nice if 1-cycle could make 8 ounces. I am not sure why I say that other than the fact that it is different than what you would expect.... Don't put a lot of weight on this comment

4) Noise I believe most machines are loud since they are grinding beans and using pressure to make the coffee/espresso but it will be nice when the machine is as quiet as a Miele Dishwasher.

In summary, I believe most of my purchases and satisfaction are a direct correlation between the price. I think this is an excellent choice at the price point. There are machines that are made out of heavier materials and provide some options that I talk about above. They are more expensive and I had concern over reliability.

*** update on 3/4/10 (8 months from purchase) machine started leaking and I had to return for a new one. I have to say that the idea of not having this was not an option. I thought about buying one of the other more expensive versions but then came to grips with everything that I liked about this one to begin with. I guess reliability may not be one of the strengths though... I can say that we use this way too much! ****

*** update on 10/2011 I had received a new machine back in March and it is now leaking all over the counter. I called Krups and they said that this is no longer under warranty and I would need to have it repaired. If it was the first occurrence, I would pay for it but this has proven to be a defect with the unit as evidenced by others and comments. I asked Krups to honor the product given the extenuating circumstances and they would not replace the machine. I have chosen to purchase a new Delonghi Magnificia and so far it is much better given the features and functionality. It also comes with 2 years of warranty and a white glove service line which I hope I do not have to use.

Cuisinart DCC-2650 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

As did many other people, I really struggled to choose a new coffee maker once my 10yo Krups Aroma Control went toes up. I've only had this coffeemaker for a few days, but so far, I'm very satisfied with this purchase.

First, it's a handsome machine that's easy to clean. ("No more rhymes now, I mean it....") I'm not sure if it's made of coated real metal or a plastic faux metal. Either way, it's a nice-looking machine that complements our other stainless steel appliances, and it's easy to wipe off fingerprints, etc. It also fits underneath our cabinets.

Second, in the Amazon reviews of various coffeemakers, there's a lot of talk about whether the coffeemakers produce hot coffee. Those comments weren't very helpful to me, because I never knew what the users meant by "hot." So, I've measured and quantified the temperatures for you: [a] At the time that this coffeemaker is done brewing, the coffee has consistently been about 175 degrees F. To me, that's plenty hot. [b] When the hotplate is set to M, the coffee has consistently been 160 degrees F, which is exactly the temperature at which I prefer my coffee. [c] When the hotplate is set to H, the coffee has consistently been just under 180 degrees F. [d] I haven't tried to set the hotplate to L, because the coffee would presumably be less than 160 degrees F, which isn't as hot as I'd like.

Third, the machine has produced good coffee. Much better than my Krups Aroma Control, and comparable to what you'd get at a coffee house. (I don't have a grinder, so I have my coffee pre-ground, which can affect the taste a bit.)

Fourth, I can unquestionably taste the difference between the bold setting and the regular setting. I did a little taste test using exactly the same coffee, exactly the same amount of coffee, and exactly the same amount of water. And, there's zero question that the bold setting produced noticeably bolder coffee.

Fifth, it's a user-friendly machine that's easy to set up, program, and use. The auto-brew feature, brew-pause feature, and auto-off feature have worked as advertised. Initially, the toughest part of using this machine was trying to figure out how to remove the lid from the carafe. :)

Sixth, the machine beeps five times when it's done brewing. In my view, the beep isn't unduly loud or obnoxious: It's loud enough that when I've auto programmed the machine, I can faintly hear it in our bedroom on the opposite side of the house. However, it isn't loud enough to wake our baby (whose room is directly above the machine) or freak out our cat -and when I'm in the kitchen, the beeping hasn't yet struck me as being too annoying. That said, I'm not sure why it isn't possible to turn the beep off, and I'm not sure why they chose five beeps instead of just one, two, or three.

Seventh, the machine brews reasonably quickly. I usually brew 6 cups of coffee -which yields two "real cups." From the time that I hit the "on" button until the fifth beep signal, it has taken about 6 minutes.

Hope this helps, and best of luck with your decision.

Several weeks ago,my Cuisinart 12 coffeemaker poured out it's last cup of coffee. I purchased the DCC 2650 because of the fast brew, visual water table and appearance. I want you to know I had a model many years ago and when it retired; I purchased another upscale brand which let me down. The purchase of Cuisinart is based on the ability of cuisinart designers who build a better machine. This is way easier for me because I love to be able to to see the level of the water from the outside. Actually, that feature has been on my wish list for cuisinart. The button plaement on the top around the clock is functional and easy to use.The reg or bold button works like a dream and the pot stays on for four hours which I prefer to other coffemakers which shut down after 2 or 3 hrs. I do not use the auto turn on or the grab it quick cup feature. I like the carafe heat temp on the right which allows a person to have warm to very hot coffee. I purchased the burr grinder from cuisinart. I replaced the cuisinart blade grinder and believe me this machine is a great companion to this coffeemaker. Now, I would never tell anyone how to spend their money but if you are on the fence, GO FOR IT!

Buy Cuisinart DCC-2650 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker Now

My venerable DCC-1200 Cuisinart died so thought I'd try this one out as it appeared to be a newer/upgraded version of the 1200 and that's how I'm approaching this review. As I write the 2650 is $20 more than the 1200. It's a nice coffeemaker, does what it's supposed to and does it as good as the the 1200, but not worth the extra $20 in my opinion.

The good:

I like the new overall look of the design though there's something to be said for the "classic" look of the 1200.

The lift lid to access the cone filter doesn't drip condensation all over the counter behind the unit when you open the lid to toss the previous brews grounds/filter like the 1200. Haven't noticed much dripping anyway but what little there is it keeps self-contained.

Uses the same carafe as the 1200 (and I image many other Cuisinart models).

Seems to brew a bit faster than the 1200. Haven't timed it but wouldn't call it "extreme", whatever that means (see below).

The not so good:

Don't be fooled by the stainless steel looking exterior. It looks nice but is plastic, not real metal like the 1200.

Overall feels "cheaper" than the 1200 (which has a good solid feel to it).

The brew strength selector (regular or bold) seems to make no difference, at least that I can taste to this point.

From a brewing function standpoint the only thing different than the 1200 is the strength selector.

Haven't done an official measurement but the "hot" setting doesn't seem as hot as the same setting on the 1200. I could be wrong on this (my wife still has her 1200 will update review if I ever do an official measurement).

Maybe I'm just getting old but I find the bolded black text "Extreme Brew" proclamation on the front of the unit (under the properly muted Cuisinart logo) very annoying and if I can find a way to scrub it off without marring the surface I will. What's so "extreme" about brewing coffee? Yes I know they're trying to draw attention that it supposedly brews a bit faster than other units, but come on. Ruins the clean lines of the design in my opinion.

Neither good nor bad:

Water level view window on the side. Don't really care much about that since I know exactly how much I'm putting in already but imagine others will like that.

The cone filter holder is totally different from the 1200. Still takes the same style filters but holds it differently. Not sure if it's any better but it does the job.

Overall a good coffeemaker, but if I had it to do over again I'd buy another 1200 model and spend the $20 I saved on some good coffee. 4 stars overall, minus 1 for points mentioned above.

Read Best Reviews of Cuisinart DCC-2650 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker Here

The clock on the 2650 model is easy to set. It is a small clock; it is not too difficult to read the time except for the PM indicator, which is in the upper right corner and not well-lit.

For the first 4 brew cycles, I used a paper filter along with the gold filter because I was only making 4 cups and did not want the water to run through too fast. The coffee was a good strength for me and there was no overflow or other problems. When I made more than 4 cups, I did not use the gold filter (just the paper) and the coffee was just the way I like it.

The finish is a nice metal-looking finish; it is plastic but looks like metal. It does not make fingerprints as stainless steel does and is easy to keep clean. A quick wipe with a damp cloth cleans it easily.

I believe the instructions say to use 1 tablespoon scoop per cup. I use 1 heaping tablespoon for every two cups and that works for me...this is a matter of personal taste. So if you like a really strong coffee, you will use more coffee. Note: I have not tried the "Bold" setting because I do not require a "Bold" taste. I like it hefty, but not bold.

The beeping sound made from this unit is very soft/quiet. Compared to my previous unit (a Kenmore), it is almost un-noticable. I have used the automatic brew setting for 4 of the 8 days of using this coffee maker and the beeping did not wake me from sleep. I could have used my previous unit as an alarm clock.

Other reviewers stated that it can be difficult to poor the water in the back of unit. The best angle is from the right side, so it is easy to see that a left-handed person might find filling the unit difficult. I am right-handed and I feel that it is much easier to pour the water if I do not put the pot lid on the pot prior to filling unit with water. The lid holds back some of the water making the last part hard to pour. With the lid off, I did not have difficulty filling the unit.

The adjustable hotplate setting is nice. I keep it on the center (medium) setting and find that perfect. The unit also has an auto-off setting that is adjustable; I have mine set on 2 hours but it will go up to 4 hours.

I tested the 60 second power-out memory of the settings because I had to unplug my coffee maker for a moment. When I plugged it back into the power, my previous setting were there.

Cons for me...

It is not easy to see the small PM indicator on the upper right corner of the clock display...even with my glasses on (and my eyes are not that bad). A blue type of back-lighting or a larger and brighter clock face would have been a better option for this model.

The pot lid is not hinged; it must be removed to fill the pot with water and then replaced for brewing. For me, it took a couple of days to get the feel of the replacing the lid effortlessly.

With that said, I like this coffee maker and I recommend it.

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We've had a long line of Mr. Coffee machines, and none of them lasted over a year or two. We only make one pot of coffee per day, and turn the machine off after 1-2 hours. So it's not like they get heavy use.

I decided this time to try a more expensive/better quality coffee maker, and after reading many reviews chose the Cuisinart CDD-2650. I didn't buy it from Amazon, but I wanted to share my thoughts. We've been using it for a week now.

Pros:

It brews FAST, which is a big help on busy mornings. A full pot only takes about 5 minutes to brew.

It's attractive and looks nice on my countertop.

It's programmable, so I can come downstairs in the morning to a full pot of fresh coffee.

It has a control for the carafe temperature. We like it piping hot.

The pot lid fits so tightly that it's almost sealed, which keeps coffee fresh.

It has a 3 year guarantee, so I'm hopeful it will last several years.

It comes with a permanent filter, so you save on buying disposable paper ones.

It beeps five times to tell you when the coffee is done brewing.

I had mistakenly written earlier that this machine doesn't have a way to keep the pot turned on longer than an hour. In fact, it can be adjusted to stay on 1 4 hours. Turn the programming knob to "auto off" and just select what you want. The pot beeps once to warn you before it turns off.

Cons:

The time display panel is tiny, and ours has black spots on it, obscuring the AM/PM display. I thought about returning it, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

The basket is cone shaped, and not big enough to make a full 12 cups if you like it strong. I overfilled it the first time I used it and it made a mess inside the machine. I had to unplug and rinse it all out, and then reprogram the clock so don't overfill the basket!

Overall we're happy with this machine, and will update this review if it breaks or we have anything else to add. It's expensive at $87, so it better be a workhorse!

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Holstein Housewares H-08007 6 Cup Stainless Steel Espresso Maker

I've been using this type of stove-top espresso makers for 30 years and wanted to get away from the aluminum pots... just received this last night as a Christmas gift... this morning i made my first pot of coffee in it... the pressure valve blew out with the first pot... it is rather light weight, i was hoping for a bit heaver duty... I guess you get what you pay for... too bad, it looks good in the picture...

so it has now been a few weeks of use... I replaced the valve with one from an older pot I still had... I also changed out the basket with the old one... reason? I cut my self on the one that came with it... none of the edges on the steel parts are finished, just stamped out and assembled... about the 3rd day as I was making my coffee the bottom popped and now the pot sort of wobbles when setting on the counter... the steel is VERY light gauge...

i will be replacing this ASAP...

It works well enough, just be sure you are sitting right in front of it to adjust the heat at any given moment. Tends to overcook/burn the coffee no matter how low you have it on. The design is nice and sleek, but using this on a gas burner, we tried various temps and got burnt coffee every time. We got another brand aluminum maker for Christmas, and have had no issues with it at all. I would recommend getting one of those before spending the extra ten bucks on the stainless!

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I got this as a gift and it works great! My kitchen smells delicious after I brew the coffee and it takes no time. I like the handle design and material.

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This espresso maker is great! It makes really great tasting coffee and it takes very little prep time.

It's super easy to clean and I love having some espresso anytime I want!

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I like it , it is not as heavy as my other one though. I wish I had bought a spare since they are hard to find.

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Urnex Full Circle Biodegradable Coffee and Espresso Equipment Descaling Powder

I have to admit that we don't keep up on cleaning our coffee machine but after using this product, all of the residue and "stains" disappeared! Coffee definitely tastes fresh.

Simpler to use than vinegar with no detectable aftertaste. I can't speak to its effectiveness with any authority—I haven't disassembled my coffee maker and tested the components—but I have not noticed any evidence that it does not clean thoroughly as advertised.

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I clean the coffee maker at work (although not nearly enough)as we have very hard water. Even alternating from tap to bottled water leaves a residue in the water reservoir and any parts that the water must go through. I tried this product and the reservoir tank and all the components that water must go through-is sparkly clean! That would be enough for me but the coffee even tastes "smoother" I may actually clean the coffee maker more regularly now that I see how clean it can be and the improved flavor in the grinds!Another bonus-no vinegar smell!

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As someone that lives on hard/well water, I'm constantly descaling things around the house. I always put off cleaning the coffee maker for two reasons...I can never remember the water/vinegar mix ratio. And I have to run water through several times to get rid of the vinegar smell. Well, life did just get easier. The Full Circle Coffee and Espresso Equipment Descaling Powder mix has hit a home-run it takes the guess work out of how much to mix-up and there was zero vinegar smell...no need to run water through multiple times.

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I have always been a vinegar cleaner but tried this product out and was amazed at the build up it removed! Coffee actually had a smoother taste after. Really happy with this product and will use again and again!

Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG2 Single Serve Coffee Brewer

I bought this single serve brewer at a local department store before realizing that Amazon carried it. Anyway, like most Keurig licensed machines, the Mr. Coffee version produces a fine cup of coffee at $25 less than the similar Keurig brand brewer. In addition, the Mr. Coffee appears to be better constructed than the Keurig Mini Brewing System. The only "con" is that the Mr. Coffee produces only a 8 ounce cup of coffee while the Keurig Mini produces 8 & 10 ounce cups. You can get almost 9 ounces, but you risk a little water going into the overflow reservoir. Nonetheless, I am very happy with my Mr. Coffee. Incidentally, this model BVMC-KG2-001 is the successor to the Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG1-001.

I purchased this machine after having used a friend's Keurig on a few visits out of town. I really loved the convenience but was put off by the poor reviews of most of the Keurig machines, and the size of them. I decided this smaller machine (which is still a bit bigger than my 1-4 cup Mr Coffee machine) was the best bet for me.

Here are some things to think about when purchasing this machine:

No water reservoir fine for me as I was used to pouring water into a regular coffee machine every day and I am the only user of the machine, but for maximum time saving and multiple users, one might be better off choosing a model that has a reservoir.

Water temperature at first I thought it wasn't hot enough, but then I remembered that I had always nuked my coffee after pouring it from the pot before. For very hot coffee, I would still need to do that, but the temp it comes out at is fine for me. I usually finish within 15 minutes, and it is still warm by the time I'm done.

Dispensing size There is an 8oz mark, and there is a Max mark in the water tank. Max is a little over 9 oz, which is what I always use. If you pour more that that in, the excess will drain into the drip tray before brewing. When testing, I used 10 oz (over the Max line) and got less than an ounce in the drip tray.

Coffee strength this is related to the dispensing size and is the biggest limitation for me. I like weak coffee. I have tried 6 different k-cups so far and found that using the max water amount wasn't quite enough water for 3 of the k-cups I've tried (I'm cycling through a variety pack of 12). I haven't tried the bold flavored ones yet. For this fact alone, it would be better to have a machine that dispensed more water, but once I settle on some flavors I will buy going forward, I'm sure they won't be the bold ones.

Mug size there is a removable drip tray so you can fit a travel mug, but after taking it out my 16oz travel mugs are still too tall for it.

Reusable filters I purchased the Ekobrew filter and tried my own coffee in it when I wanted some decaf last night. It worked great.

If you really want all the bells and whistles and maximum time saving, I suggest getting one the more full featured models. I've had this machine a week and I'm really satisfied with it, especially for the price, which was ~ $72 when I purchased. If I find that I want to upgrade in the future, I will take this one to work.

Also, I think there are models with cup sensors. I haven't made this mistake yet, but I have a feeling that one day I might brew some coffee and forget to put the mug underneath.

**6 week update** I am really very happy with this coffee maker and so glad I purchased it. I did notice a problem a few times where the water didn't brew, it just went right into my mug cold. What happened is that I got things out of order. Water goes in first, then the Kcup. If you start messing with the order, this machine will let you know it doesn't like that.

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This was my first Keurig coffee brewer, and it worked exceedingly well. The design and construction are both good and it never gave me a moment's trouble. If you are looking to produce a reasonably good cup of coffee really fast and with no fuss, I think you'll be pleased with the purchase. That said, I have stopped using this machine after one month and now make coffee using another method. Let me explain why because there are some limitations to the Keurig method of which you should be aware.

The chief selling points of the Keurig method are speed and convenience, but the method's speed is, in fact, an Achilles heel. The hot water comes into contact with the coffee for a maximum of 30 seconds, and that simply isn't long enough to produce the rich mouthfeel and complex flavors of slower methods such as a French press or a Chemex, both of which allow the coffee flavors to be extracted over three to four minutes. (Espresso coffee tastes great despite its short contact time because of the extremely high pressures and very fine grind, neither of which are present in the Keurig method.) The first K-cups I used were the Folgers "Lively Colombian," and I don't think I have ever tasted a thinner, more flavorless cup of joe in my life. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the coffee those pods produced a 3. Things improved markedly when I used Green Mountain Coffee Roasters "Nantucket Blend" and "Dark Magic," both of which I'd rate a 7, and which I recommend.

The experience left me reconsidering what it was that I wanted out of coffee and I decided that, for me, taste was more important than speed and convenience. I have since replaced my Mr. Coffee Single Serve unit with a Kyocera Ceramic Coffee Grinder ($41.70), a Bodum Bistro 17-Ounce Mini Cordless Electric Water Kettle ($29.95), and a 3-Cup Chemex Glass Coffeemaker with Handle ($33.15). My new morning coffee ritual takes under ten minutes all told, from the grinding of the whole beans to the brewing of the coffee to the poured cup, and it allows me to start my day with a cup of coffee that rates a solid 10, with flavors a Keurig-method machine can only dream of. The entire setup cost me under $105 (not including shipping), and I am definitely saving money over time by avoiding the pricey K-cups.

Bottom Line: With the right K-cups, this Mr. Coffee unit does an excellent job of producing good coffee. If speed and convenience are your top concerns, you'll probably be very happy with it. Just understand going into this that the speed and convenience come at a bit of a price in terms of the quality of the coffee produced. If you want excellent coffee--cups that rate a 9 or 10--you may want to look into other methods, such as Aeropress, Chemex, or French press.

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I'm a coffee snob, but at work I really don't have time to brew the perfect cup. The K-cup system seemed to offer a good compromise. I could have hot coffee at the touch of a button. Keurig has dialed in reasonable grinds, brewing times, and water temperature (all variables that can make or break a cup of coffee). The brewing process seems to take a couple of minutes (heating time for the most part) and the pump is not "whisper quiet," but it does not disturb me when I'm sitting three feet away and having a conversation (I'm a little hard of hearing, too). This isn't gourmet coffee, but it's pretty darn good when I need a reasonably good cup RIGHT NOW.

At least it used to be. I ordered mine on February 18th. I've had it at work for almost exactly two weeks. Today it failed. The pump runs. The water heats. But it does not flow through the machine to brew any coffee. Internet searches suggest that it could be scale (but it isn't, not in two weeks!), a clogged filter between the water reservoir and the pump (since the reservoir isn't removeable, I have no way of checking--but I brew with filtered water only), or a damaged pump.

It doesn't really matter what the cause is. I'm not going to take it apart and try to fix it! From the complaints I've read, my problem is not uncommon. This model goes back. Since I liked the coffee and it fit into my office life, I'm going to try another version--all the time keeping in mind that pump failure MAY be the bugaboo. On the other hand, a clogged filter can be cleaned with a removeable reservoir model. I will order one of those and cross my fingers.

Most people don't have a problem, I'm sure. And I'm not going off on the companies involved. Mistakes happen. But I'm willing (at this point) to try again. Go ahead and try getting one of these (or another model, the problem seems common to most Keurig-based machines). Just don't be too disappointed if you need to return it soon after you get it.

As far as coffee speed and quality of brewing, I'd give the WORKING machine 3 1/2 stars. Since it FAILED, only the single star as a Caveat Emptor device.

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ASIN B004T6EK3O Someone put me out of my coffee-addicted misery. Clearly the universe conspires against me.

I bought this model for one reason when I sorted my Amazon results by reviewer ranking, it was number one. I've already been through THREE Keurig B-70 B70 Platinum Single-Cup Home Brewing System they had an average lifespan of nine months. Then I went through one Mr. Coffee Single Serve Powered by Keurig Brewing Technology, which lasted a depressing two months. This model, however, has them both beat. ONE WEEK. That's right seven days. Six days worth of coffee. As of this morning, it grinds and grinds and grinds and then, drip!, a drop of brown water falls into the cup. The grinding sound is so relentless that I've been waiting for the thing to explode.

Some quick notes, since "it breaks in a week" is clearly the biggest problem:

The button you press to open the top (where you put the water) is awkward. It opens smoothly and that's nice, but it doesn't catch easily when you close it. It's annoying.

Unlike the Keurigs, but in common with the other Mr. Coffee, this thing has no reservoir. You have to add water every time you want a cup and wait out the heating each time.

Speaking of heating, I hope you have a microwave, because this coffee isn't hot. I use Coffee-Mate Regular Powdered Coffee Creamer, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 12) and this maker always leaves little un-dissolved bits floating in the coffee. Yum.

With no digital screen, it's possible that this thing gets scale-y fast and you'll never know. With a regular maker, a routine cleaning schedule might be enough, but with these things, a screen to tell you that it needs de-scaling is almost a necessity.

As with all other k-cup using machines, this makes weak coffee, but only because of the k-cups. Get a Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter and control the strength for yourself. A little.

Final word One week, for this price? Please. I'm beginning to hear the call from the crummy old ten dollar coffee pots that at least lasted. My last one of those made it eight years!

AnnaLovesBooks

EDIT, later the same day. I have found a way to get a cup of coffee. Coffee addicts will find ways... The machine has been making an horrific grinding sound and dripping. If I remove the cup of grounds and run JUST water through, it goes through fine. Then I was able to make a cup. So, for whatever reason, the problem seems to be that the water can't get through the grounds. While this work-around is okay, it shouldn't be necessary. I'm not asking the thing to push water through a brick wall, it's loose coffee grounds.

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Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center

I previously owned the S8 for about 7 years and after it broke, I decided to upgrade. I love the way Jura will repair a broken super automatic for 275.00 including round trip shipping no matter what the problem but I still wanted a newer model. I did a great deal of research on superautomatics and even bought a Saeco Xelsis. Unfortunately I had to return it as the latte temp never got above 120 degrees despite calling Saeco and working with their support line. I then bought a Jura Z7 as the manual stated that the milk could be heated up to 159 degrees and the espresso/ coffee up to 197 degrees. I love hot coffee/latte. After trying out the Xelsis, I wanted to buy a sure thing that I knew would make me happy. However, the milk at first came out about 130-140 degrees. It took three calls to Jura to figure out how to get the milk to the temp to what they advertise. One helpful person told me to pinch the tubing exiting the milk container before it enters the machine. This slows the stream of milk and increases its exposure to the heating elements but who wants to spend 3 grand on a machine and have to jury with it to get the milk hot enough. Finally, I was told of two things to do to get the milk temp up and how to keep the temp up in the cup. First, when putting the empty cup under the cappucino spout, press the milk button while the cappucino dial is set on steam water. This will spray very hot steam out of the cappucino spout into the cup. This heats up the tubing in the machine and heats up the cup. The third and most important thing is to align the notch in the cappucino spout dial on the border between the steam water icon and the steam milk icon. After flow begins, turn the dial counter-clockwise until the notch is actually into the steam water section but not so far that it stops the milk flow. By doing this I was able to get my milk temps up to the 180s (checking the temps as the milk exits the spout and before it hits the cup). NOW, I could not be happier with the taste AND and the temp of my lattes. Go Jura!!!

I don't write many reviews, but just this week, we decided to call it quits with our 4 year old Jura, which was about as expensive as the one Amazon is selling. During long stretches, the coffee was great, as was the frother. But during the 4 years, we had to ship it back to Jura for repairs 5 times, and every time, it was for the same problem. According to Jura's customer service agent, "an air bubble gets trapped in the line and the machine must be disassembled to fix it." Last time, I got pretty annoyed, and the service guy told me quietly that lots of machines have to be serviced more than once for the same reason..For Hello? How about manufacturing a new part, or finding some other way to deal with this design defect? Nope. Instead, it was better for them to keep fixing the machines. After the warranty ended, the cost of the repair, plus professional packing, shipping and insurance was about $300 each trip,

Jura makes beautiful machines, but I"m not going to buy another one. The company doesn't care about its customers once they get your money.

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Bought this capuccino maker about 7 months ago, so we know it well. The initial rationale was that we would save 8 dollars a day and countless wait time both of us stopping at starbucks every day. That has happened. I have been to starbucks twice since I bought this. It makes a pretty good cappuccino, I would say is on par with starbucks, my gold standard. The coffee setting tastes different, since it is really a cup of watered down espresso, but you aren't buying this to brew coffee.

In spite of having the tallest spout on the market (at least at the time of my purchase), I still cannot fit my travel mug under it. You know the stainless steel, 16 oz mug you would want to fill up giving you a vente latte on the way out the door. Maybe they dont use these travel mugs in Switzerland, but we all do here... (In fact, I had to build my own wooden holder that holds a tilted travel mug under the spout.)

Well not only does the standard version of such mug not actually fit, (most are about .5 to 1 cm off), it brings up my second point, its almost hot enough. Well if you have prewarmed your cup in the microwave, and sat down to sip you cappuccino right then, the temperature will be a barely "ok". But if you are used to ordering your starbucks extra hot, your definately going to be found wanting. And if you have to dispense your drink into a cup, and then transfer your drink to your tall travel mug because it wont fit, your really going to be dissapointed in the temperature.

A few other gripes: the thing will only stay on 2 hours, IE it will always turn off, kudos to their green power saving. Problem is, it takes a solid 3 minutes or so to warm up. Then each type of drink you make only contains one shot of espresso. If you want 8 oz of milk with three shots of espresso, you have to turn it on, stand there for 3 minutes for it warm up, then push a button to put an 8 oz cappuccino in, wait another 2 or 3 minutes, then push the button for another shot of espresso, another 1-2 min, then push for another shot of espresso in, another 1-2 moinutes. Does that sound "one touch" to you? For me, it is stading next to a machine for 10 minutes, which is exactly what I am supposed to not have to do. (Not to mention, in the middle of all this you might run out of water, need to empty the tray, or add beans. The chances of one of these lottery wins in your 3 button oddessey are probably 25%)

What this machine needs are:

Taller spout

The milk needs a temperature setting, its not hot enough for me.

The machine needs a timer, so it can turn on in the morning and warm up.

Programmable drinks with multiple shots.

Larger bean bin, it probly cooks up only a dozen shots or so per bin.

For three grand, these things should be a given!

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Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center

This machine is pretty amazing! Very nicely designed, feels sturdy and with aluminum front it most definitely does not feel cheap.

I got it as a b-day present for my hubby who WAS a daily coffee shop visitor, but no more! He only goes there to purchase coffee beans, though we are exploring various other freshly-roasted varieties...

I have to say, as intimidating as it was the first day we got it, in a matter of hours I already felt like a pro. Seriously, the coffee that comes out of Jura Z7 is superb! Latte and Cappuccino options a numerous, you can have it any way you like, hotter, or extra strong...more or less froth, longer or shorter on both milk and coffee! It is all very intuitive, though I advise to watch the DVD, it is very (hands on) informational.

Perhaps the only one drawback, or we just haven't discovered a better way to do it -making the foam for esspresso machiato (foam only). Remember, this is a fully automatic machine, so frothing milk is not conventional, here, the milk needs to go from the container through this separate frothing attachment, so you end up using quite a bit of milk to be able to collect just the foam! Well, even with the conventional one, for the foam only, you still need a bunch of milk in the frother... With Cappuccino setting this is not an issue, as it all goes automatic and produces a really perfect deal!

Hope this helps.

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There are so many problems with this product I scarcely know where to start. The first sign of trouble is the manual: it is all but incomprehensible and only describes some of the maintenance required to keep the unit functioning. In other words, after diligently completing all the maintenance requested by the manual, the unit would still break down every couple of months; when I'd call customer service, I'd learn that far more maintenance is needed if you want to keep the unit functioning for long. Unfortunately, experience has taught me that even the most extensive maintenance will only delay but not prevent the unit from breaking down.

The need for endless maintenance is annoying since the main advantage of the unit is its ostensible convenience: in other words, it is true that you can make a cappuccino with one touch -but what they don't tell you is that after that one touch you'll need to complete half a dozen or a dozen steps before making another one. This obviously isn't very convenient, nor is it inexpensive: I've spent countless hours and hundreds of dollars on cleaning fluids, cleaning tablets, filters, and decalcifying tablets in an attempt to keep it functioning, but all this has only delayed the inevitable breakdown.

And this is where things get ugly: after the unit failed completely recently, I contacted Capresso and was told I could get the unit repaired for a $300 fee. I sent the unit in, and to their credit, it was returned promptly; unfortunately, I could see no evidence that the unit had actually been repaired: when I started it up and filled it with water, the unit proceeded to dump the water all over the counter. I thus contacted Capresso and asked them to send out shipping labels so I could return the unit and have them correct the repair. I received no response. After waiting three business days, I asked again; still no response. After waiting three more days, I let them know that I had contacted my credit card and would be refusing the charges until such time as the unit was actually repaired; within the hour I received an email apologizing and letting me know that the customer service manager was out of the office and would return the next day. I thus waited three more days but never heard anything from the customer service manager. I then wrote to the company president asking him to intercede and address the problem: after a month, I still haven't heard anything from him.

But the extraordinary inability to provide even the most basic level of customer service isn't my main complaint with the product: my main complaint is that it doesn't make very good espresso. I say this, not because I consider myself an expert when it comes to evaluating espresso, but because the unit simply does not work with pre-ground espresso. In other words, I've tried pre-ground espresso from each and every brand I can find; they all cause the unit to clog and thus leak. Worse, when I called to ask about this, I was told it was "normal" and that I would need to use the grinder instead. At that time, I didn't realize that if the unit couldn't process pre-ground espresso, then it presumably wasn't grinding the beans to the same level of fineness as pre-ground espresso. As a result, what Capresso calls espresso is quite different from what I'm used to: its quite thin and watery and I've never found a way to make it any thicker. If you're a fan of espresso, I'd encourage you to find the unit in a store and see if their version of espresso is to your liking. Of course, this may prove hard to do: Williams-Sonoma no longer carries Capresso products, and I'm not sure if you'll be able to find anyone who still does. Given my experience with both their customer service and the quality of the products offered by Capresso, I'm sorry to say I simply don't find this surprising.

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Primula Tempo Coffee Press 6 Cup - Black

My experience with the Primula Tempo ended after 4 days of use due to a long crack that developed in the glass beaker. The crack was not due to mis-use as I will explain.

I want to be clear that in my review I "compare" it to a Bodum French Press that costs about $10 more than the Primula. However my rating of 1 star is not how well the Primula "compares' to the Bodum, it is based on the fact that this French Press is of poor quality and craftsmanship regardless of its price.

I have used a French Press to make coffee for years. It's one of my favorite ways to make coffee primarily because it makes an excellent cup of coffee with a minimum of equipment. Before the beaker cracked, the Primula Tempo made as good a cup of coffee as any French Press would make. The filter did as good a job as other French Presses I've used in keeping the grounds out of the coffee.

I do not find clean-up of a French Press to be as much of a chore as some people make it out to be. Although Primula claims this is dishwasher safe, I hand wash the beaker after each use; less chance that it will hit something during the dishwashing cycle.

The French Press that I've used for years is a Bodum. Naturally, I compared the Primula Tempo to the Bodum since it was a convenient point of reference. If you are interested in seeing my review of a Bodum French Press which includes instruction on how to make coffee in a French Press you can see it here... http://www.amazon.com/review/R1G2ALAYSFI1YO/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Here is what I discovered in my experience with the Primula French Press:

-Overall, the Primula Tempo is of a lesser level of quality when compared to the Bodum.

-The glass beaker in the Bodum has a capacity of 34 oz, whereas the capacity of the Primula Tempo is 32 oz. That is not useable capacity but the maximum amount of water you can put in the beaker to fill it to the very top.

-The Primula Tempo glass beaker feels fragile. The glass beaker of the Bodum weighs 284 grams vs 245 grams for the Primula Tempo. Although the Bodum beaker is 2 oz larger in capacity, the thickness of the glass is greater and that is a difference you can see and feel.

-When I compare the visible glass quality of the Primula Tempo beaker to the Bodum, The Primula Tempo glass has visible vertical lines in it and does not seem to be of an equal quality to the Bodum beaker.

-The Primula Tempo mesh filter is of a thinner gauge wire and feels less substantial. The wire mesh filter in the Bodum weighs 5 grams, whereas the Primula Tempo filter weighs 4 grams.

As with any glass French Press you are not to use boiling water. The water should be just off-boiling. When you pour the hot water into the beaker you should give the grounds a stir but never with a metal utensil. Only use wood or plastic otherwise you risk scratching, chipping, or worse, breaking the beaker. I have used my Bodum French Press for many many years. It's still going strong. The Primula Tempo beaker cracked on me after the 4th use. I did not damage the beaker due to mis-use and used the practices I've discussed.

I have contacted the company that distributes the Primula Tempo (Epoca International) to get their response and will amend my review once I've heard back from them.

It should be mentioned that the Primula Tempo is Made in China.

UPDATE: 12-4-2012 : I have tried several times to email someone at the company and so far have not gotten a response. I used their website contact form and also an email address that I found. So if you also want to count "customer service" as a criteria an whether you want to order this, the lack of response speaks for itself.

UPDATE: 12/6/2012 I finally received an emailed response from the distributor and they are sending me a replacement beaker. I'll update my review as necessary.

UPDATE: 12/10/2012 I received the replacement beaker today. It is flawed. There are at least 3 or 4 sharp bumps of glass on the inside of the beaker and several apparent scratches in the glass. Total crap. I am reducing my review to 1 star. This is a very poor quality French Press.

I've only owned one other coffee press, a Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker, 34-Ounce, Black which I've enjoyed using for a couple of years now so I'll use it as a comparison point.

This coffee press makes 6 4 oz. cups of coffee, which is about the equivalent to 2 standard American cups of coffee. The large flat knob on top of the plunger feels sturdy, which I like better than the small round ball on the Bodum. I've found this press just as easy to use and clean as the Bodum.

We have used this coffee press nearly every day for the past two weeks and I haven't seen any signs of rust. We have been hand washing it and haven't put in the dishwasher. I don't put the Bodum in the dishwasher either even though it's dishwasher safe too. I feel by hand washing these, it extends the life of them since my dishwater has a high temperature wash cycle which will start to dull plastics.

The glass isn't very thick and has the same thickness as the Bodum. This press is made of borosilicate glass as is the Bodum. According to Primula's website, borosilicate glass is made to withstand extreme temperatures, temperature changes like going from boiling hot water and adding ice, and is used to make European Pyrex dishes.

I couldn't find any information on whether the plastic on the beaker is BPA-free so I'm going to assume that it isn't. The Bodum is BPA-free.

After two weeks of near daily use, I have had no problems with this Primula coffee press. The coffee made with this coffee press is just as great as the Bodum. This coffee press is the perfect size for an individual or two and for the price of 10.00, it's worth it if having a BPA-free products isn't a requirement.

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Brewed perfect coffee quickly, with very little grounds in my coffee mug. The glass is fairly thick, and the mechanism works smoothly. The whole thing fits together well.

I have used coffee presses before, and I was leery that this one wouldn't work as well because it was a cheaper press in terms of cost. However, I was impressed as it works as well as the more expensive presses I have used. There isn't much more to say. I bought this to take on trips, so I could drink my own coffee instead of having to drink weaker coffee. It works perfect for this function! I would buy it again, unless it breaks easily, but only time will tell.

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None of my roommates nor I had ever tried to make coffee with a french press. So we were excited to give this one a try. First of all after much arguing we were able to figure out how the thing worked (no instructions were included in ours not sure if that is standard or if ours were just left out). So we went off of what was printed on the box put the thing together and were ready to try it. Now they aren't kidding when they say you can't use the store bought pre-ground coffee. Our first try ended up with a mucky swampy mess. (we poured it into a coffee filter over a cup and were able to actually still consume it).

So after a trip to the store we tried again and were successful in making coffee. Now I know it says 6 cups but we were able to get two full coffee cups out of it. The coffee tasted great and it was a lot of fun to do.

I asked my two roommates what they thought:

The Hippy "I think you could probably make a really excellent cup of coffee once you figure out how long to leave it in there for your taste, it will require more experimentation to find the ideal mix and time"

The Car Guy "I don't see a difference other than the mess and how long it took, it's not very convenient"

Me (the lone female in the house)It would be good for weekends when you aren't in a rush, and just want a single cup or two.

I don't have anything to compare it to but it does seem very cheaply made, I don't expect it will last very long in our house. The following weekend coffee was made in the regular coffee pot, even though the press was sitting right next to it.

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I received the Primula Coffee Press through Amazon Vine. The product came in one piece with all the pieces including instructions in writing and pictures. (I usually require both). My first attempt at making coffee with a coffee press went off almost without a hitch. The only mistakes I made were to pour boiling water into the beaker, which appears fragile, and I used a metal spoon to stir the mixture but was careful not to touch the glass beaker with it. Plastic is recommended.

Even though I used coarse granules as suggested, the coffee did begin to have a dark brown slick (I used French Vanilla Cream which lightened the brew and gave away the granules) as I began to empty more and more of the cup's contents. This told me the coffee would not be completely bottomless, and it wasn't. A trail of brown fragments ran up the cup to the lip as the last drops were devoured.

Cleaning the pot was easy. I followed the urban legend that dumping coffee grounds down your drain will unclog and clogs. (It won't). I then faced the residue of nasty grounds that refused to budge and those in the filter. They departed with a wet sponge and more water pressure.

I am unaccustomed to making coffee this way, and I know I like to see mine very hot. Pouring in less than boiling water and waiting four minutes seems to be an eternity for a lover of hot Johann.

I'm impressed.

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Goo Gone Coffee Maker Cleaner, 8 Ounce

Works great with my Keurig coffee maker. Easy to follow instructions, no mess to clean up and has a pleasant smell. Only trouble I can't find it in a store around my way, have to order online. Not that that is a bad thing!

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Chefs Secret? 4-Cup Heavy-Gauge Stainless Steel Espresso Maker

I received this espresso maker as a gift. I am very pleased with this product. It makes good espresso and for less than $15! Of course, if you want to get nit-picky about how it's made and how cheap it looks, well I could see that. Mine didn't come with instructions, but that was easy enough to find on the manufacturer's website. But it works, and it's less than 15 bucks! This is for people who are looking for something that is small and simple. If you want something fancy-shmancy, go buy one with the fancy-shmancy price tag. Just sayin'...

This steel Espresso maker works great and there is no unwanted flavor associated with the metal. Also, this size will give you two decent large cups.

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I've had mine for about 9 months now and it works fine. Me and my roommate frequently use it and it still holds up. The taste of the coffee is richer compared to using a French press. I don't know how much better quality you would get from a more expensive product but this does the job.

I don't know what it means by 4-cup but one batch is only good for one person.

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The coffee maker is cheaply constructed but much as described EXCEPT it produces about 1 mesuring cup worth of coffee or 4 OZ. it is NOT a 4 cup unit as I read the title.

It works well and is good for a single cup of very strong coffee.

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I was not pleased with this item. The welding was poorly done. The coffee maker was out of round. The coffee grounds holder was poorly sized and difficult to take out of the water holding base. The handle felt cheap. I returned the item and bought a better made model.

Perfect Pod Maker Deluxe Coffee and Tea Pod Maker ( New Upgraded Model)

I purchased this awhile ago. It does work well and for the reviewers that are saying they are having a problem with it sealing, they are doing something wrong. You have to be very careful when filling the pods with the coffee. You cannot get any coffee in the area where it will get sealed otherwise it will not seal properly. This product does, in fact work very well. But, the cost of the filters and the shipping is crazy. Don't waste your money on this. I learned my lesson. Get the Coffeeduck. You pay once and do not have to invest in filters. Works very well, still get the great cream and rich flavor of your own coffee.

The perfect pod maker makes pods perfectly just as the name says. I put 2 teaspoons of expresso coffee in it an it still seals perfectly. I would recommend anyone that has a pod maker to pick this up and stop wasting your time buying the premade ones. I like that its more environmentally safe than the k-cups, which use plastic. I have a keurig and a single cup pod maker and would easily choose my coffee pod machine over the keurig anyday. Oh, yea, also, when sealing the filter, make sure theres no grinds where the 2 lids meet or else you will have a partially unsealed pod.

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This is GREAT took a couple of tries to get it working correctly but now we make up pods and have them ready. love it there is no mess of having to wash the mesh filter anymore just throw the paper pod in trash and your done, plus we love trying new coffee flavors. It works great with the Keurig coffee maker

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I found this pod maker to work well; although it seems to take a few seconds longer to make the pods as the instructions indicate. The paper pod filters that came with the pod were not well package and somewhat deformed ergo they did not work very well; however, I did find that the Easy Pack pod fiters were a much superior product. The Easy Pack filters are well-packaged and fit the Perfect Pod Maker exceptionally well. The Easy Pack filters, fit snuggly into the pod maker and the covering flap easily folds back allowing the coffee to be added much easier. I recommend the Perfect Pod Maker but not their filters.

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Like others in reviews, I felt the pods you buy in the store like Senseo pods to be way too weak. I own the Bunn My Cafe Pourover Commercial-Grade Pod Brewer and the only way to get stronger coffee is to select a lower amount of water which doesn't even give you half a cup. I purchased this and solved my problem. We buy the grind-your-own gourmet coffee at the grocery store and make our own pods. I find if you fill the pods up to the top it's the perfect cup in my brewer. One note concerning the Bunn Pod Brewer like mine, you have to turn the pods so that the rim of the pod is at the bottom of the slide-in tray and use your finger to smooth the pod out and below the top of the tray or you'll get water pouring out the side of the slide-in tray as it's brewing. It took me a while to figure out where the water was coming from but it works great now. I highly recommend this product!

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Bialetti Cuor Di Moka, 3 Cup Polished Aluminum

I bought this little pot to make convenient and decent homemade espresso. Yes, I know that it's only steam pressure, so it's not *really* espresso. But, used correctly this little pot does a great job. It produces a dark, concentrated double shot of espresso that satisfies. I generally pour this into a mug and add hot water to make a cafe americano (yeah, I'm not a purist).

But ... and this is a big but, using it correctly is not intuitively obvious. I searched the instructions, the internet and the Bialetti website in vain for guidance because I had problems. That is why I'm posting this review and writing up a set of instructions for using the Cuor Di Moka.

How the Pot Works: Bialetti built this pot with a valve in the stem that cuts off the flow of water from the bottom to the top at a certain point. The goal, as they state it, is to provide just the "heart" of the coffee. It's the certain point that creates the problem.

The Problem: Often I was only getting a tiny portion of coffee--something like half a shot of espresso, instead of the two shots that this little pot should produce. I cleaned the pot, thinking that it was clogged, but got no reliable improvement. I did, at one point, consider setting this pot aside as another mistaken purchase. But, further experimentation brought me to ...

The Solution: What I finally realized is that the certain point where the shut-off valve operates is based on temperature. A couple minor adjustments in how I set up and used the pot now allow me to consistently produce a full double shot of strong espresso. Heat is what causes the valve to shut off the flow of steam through the ground coffee into the receiving chamber. 1) Fill the bottom chamber with very cold water. It doesn't matter how full the bottom is because only half the water gets pushed to the top in any case. 2) Wash out the receiving chamber, and the stem inside which contains the shut-off valve, with very cold water as well. This is the real key. Starting with the valve very cold permits the largest volume of water to pass into the receiving chamber. 3) Use a moderately low temperature on the stove top. I use 4 (out of 10) on my stove. It generally takes 7-9 minutes for the Cuor Di Moka to finish at this setting.

Cold water. Cold stem valve. Low heat. By following these three steps I'm very happy with the coffee produced by this machine.

Coffee certainly tastes different with Bialetti's Cuor Di Moka. Much more flavor, strength and delight !

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Update: Having used it for a year, I gave it a special award on my site: acpress (it's a com)

(My "Product of the Year." Read why at the site.)

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This was my Christmas present (early) this year. I was torn between the unit that (allegedly) produces crema and this unit that (again allegedly) allows only the best, the most flavorful brew to enter the top chamber. I have owned a number of these kind of pots, including an "Alicia" electric model and they have all been marginal quality with an over extracted burnt taste. And belive me, I've tried to make them work!

This unit is FAR better. I'm not sure if it the flow is cut off thermally or by the simple heart shaped float that the coffee raises as it enters the top chamber, but I do get the top all the away full, and it is rich and dark.

I use a small Sanyo mini-hot plate (designed for portable ramen cooking while traveling!) and it seems to be just the right temp. Takes about five minutes to make a pot using very cold winter well water. One caveat: do NOT use ultra fine grind espresso! A slightly more coarse version is fine. And, unlike finicky pump machines, you CAN easily get buy with a blade grinder!

Extra points for a very classy look and the simple bayonet mount. I'd like a bit larger version, so take away one star!

UPDATE: I picked up a standard Bialetti Moka pot (no valves or other gimmicks) and got similar results AS LONG AS I watched carefully and removed the pot from the heat BEFORE the final rush of superheated steam and water. However, you have to watch carefully. If you don't this unit will do the trick for you.

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I have a regular Bialetti Moka pot and bought this one for my sister. I love my Moka pot but have to watch it carefully so it doesn't burn the coffee. Everything says once you hear the bubbling noise it's done but I have found if you take it off the heat right before it empties all the coffee it doesn't have that slight burnt taste. This Cour Di Moka pot solves this problem. No burnt coffee ever! Sooooo good and my sister was so happy with it!

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First when I opened the package it was a mess, looked like someone had returned it before.

The pot had scratches and dents. And on top of that the pot doesn't work properly, it leaks from the side! The top and bottom pieces don't attach properly, it does looks offset though...

In more than 20 years this is the first time I've had any problems with a Bialetti product

Stackable Porcelain Cappuccino Cup & Saucer 9 Pc Set

I love these cups... to the reviewer to said they were too small (did you mistakenly buy the espresso set?) --these are plenty big enough to brew a traditional cap. They hold 6oz of liquid EASILY and 7.5 with a tiny bit of room at the top. Bought 1 set for Christmas and am purchasing another because we are so pleased with the set.

I use this set every single day and I just love it. I have the DeLonghi EC155 Espresso Maker which by the way is the most wonderful machine. Two of these cups fit under it but I usually just use the one with a double shot into it. They are very sturdy cups and the holder is great next to my machine where like the other reviewer stated you can have the cups at your fingertips AND they looks great. The holder was a bit snug and when we put the cups in, it was hard for them to go down and stack correctly but it's pliable so we just used a little muscle and pulled the "spokes" apart a bit and it was just fine. This set is well worth the price. It's made very well and looks exactly like the cups and saucers we used in Paris.

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This is a fantastic set of cups & saucers. Everything stacks neatly in the holder and is at my fingertips when I want to make a capuccino. Two cups fit underneath the spout on my capuccino maker perfectly. I am going to order another set!

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I really love the design of this set and hoped it would had been a pleasant match to my espresso machine. However, there were huge flaws in the porcelain in two of the mugs. Obviously there was no quality control or else they would have seen this. Amazaon didn't offer an exchange option either, only a refund option.

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This set is very awesome and very functional and I use it every day and I love it. I do however, have to tell everyone that you can get this same set at World Imports for $9.99. So for the $20 whatever bucks plus shipping you would pay to get it here . . . you can buy two at World Imports. (They also have a multi-color set which is pretty cute too)