Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder

This was my husband's "BIG" gift for the holiday (2010), and he hasn't liked a gift this much in a very long time! He likes to think he is a coffee buff, but never had a burr coffee grinder before, and after comparing model after model, name brand after name brand, I chose the Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder for his gift.

We used to have a nice $50 Cuisinart grinder for years, and it still works well, but the noise it produced was horrifying (and I am NOT exaggerating, the NEIGHBORS even knew we were up when they heard the grinder, we live in a 2 story single family home), and the coffee grounds my husband left all around the machine when he removed the grounds bin was a daily annoyance. That coffee grinder has been cleaned & now happily residing at his office, where they can enjoy the mess and the noise, and a pretty good cup of coffee.

Now you wouldn't think that switching grinders would have an overall impact in the coffee quality, but did it ever! The coffee tastes so much richer, fuller and more aromatic than before! Even our 23 year old son said "Wow mom, this coffee is good, did you switch beans?" Was he surprised to find out all we did was switch grinders!

NOISE: Minimal, I can't even hear it when I'm sleeping. Our old grinder running used to be my wake up call upstairs, on the second floor, in the opposite corner of the house! The Breville's noise is semi~pleasant, like another reviewer stated, and not annoying at all, almost comforting. Happily, the noise just stays in the kitchen now, so only the smell of great coffee wakes me up on the opposite end of the house, YUM!

MESS: Zip, ziltch, nada. I am very pleased that the coffee grounds are housed safely & neatly in the attractive container. No issues with grind mess everywhere.

COST: OK.. can't find it anywhere below $199. I compared a lot of models out there, the two I ALMOST went with were the Kitchenaid $160~ish dollar model (Kitchenaid reviews weren't as good, and there was mention all over the internet about bulk and footprint of the machine), and the cheaper Breville around $95 or so, but the grindings all over the place by a couple of reviewers was enough to turn me off of that model. I opted for spending a more, and got a great machine my husband absolutely loves.

SIZE: Smaller than I thought it was going to be, packs a big BIG tower of conical burrs for massive grinding power. Just takes up the same small footprint of our old Cuisinart model, but a bit taller, so no issues there.

LOOKS: Stylish and elegant. It looks like a sophisticated appliance that can take a lot of wear & built to last. We display it proudly next to our old faithful "BUNN" coffee maker.

QUALITY: No flimsy hardware here, it all performs & appears like it will last for years. Backlit display seems very durable as well, and is very nice to aide pinpointing the perfect grind. The conical burrs are super sharp, super tough, and plentiful. My husband was impressed.

CLEANUP: Not difficult. They provide a nice brush that does a good job, esp since we enjoy a dark french roast with some beans being quite oily. Have to clean it more often with those types of beans anyway. No issues here.

GRIND CHOICES: OK.. WOW is all I can say. The description says it all, pick your grind, pick the strength, pick the amounts, whatever. Tons of ways to tweak the grind out to your liking.

HOPPER: (Amended 1/5/2011) Know now, that this hopper is NOT completely 100% AIRTIGHT. Our old Cuisinart hopper lid was very loose, just sat there and if bumped could fall off, but Breville's hopper lid is tight, and holds a whole 1 pound bag of beans with ease. No need to constantly refill! As per a commentor's statement, this is NOT airtight, and they were disappointed. It has a tight lid on top, but the bottom I did not take into consideration (as the bottom of the hopper is open to the bur wheels and exit, thus not 100% airtight. Even though it can hold up to 1 pound of beans, the guide states it does not recommend storing the beans in the hopper. I must mention that since we've been using this for over a year now, & we go through a full hopper of beans about every 4 5 days, we've detected no loss in coffee quality as per our tastes. Even though we keep the beans in the hopper, and we use it 1 2 times per day, the coffee still tastes phenomenal in our opinion, from day #1 to day #5. I also agree that finding a completely sealed air tight bean storage on a grinder will probably be next to impossible to find.

There are a lot of other attachments & things to do with this, but I hit the highlights for what we use it for. Our morning cup of YUM, and boy did this ever deliver.

CONS: Haven't found any yet, other than the $199 cost. Only time will tell if this machine is as durable as we think it can be. But since it only had a few reviews, and I always go to Amazon first, I needed to write this to add it to the happy family of 5 star ratings for this grinder.

Hopefully, this will be the last grinder we will ever need for quite a L O N G time. We are amazed at everything about this machine & the coffee it makes.

Thanks Amazon members for putting the reviews out there, this helped us make a great decision.

UPDATE: (03/20/2012): I must also state that finding a similar priced grinder that matches this one, (in finished grind, features, performance and taste of the coffee), will be difficult to duplicate. We have had no disappointments in regards to this grinder.

I owned a coffee house in the mountains above Santa Cruz California and we tested and sold a number of different grinders over the years. When I sold that shop, I continued to buy and sell espresso equipment on Craigslist and eBay, mostly higher-end and commercial units. Many purchases were to test and evaluate, then sell, the equipment I bought.

Until recently, I was using a Pasquini Livia espresso machine paired with a Nemox Lux doserless grinder. The Lux was OK but it was a mess to use. Coffee grounds all over the place. I have since replaced the Livia with a commercial Nuevo Simonelli Mac Digit.

When I came accross the new Breville and read that it had an insert for a 58mm commercial portafilter, I was very interested. I had been looking at more expensive commercial grinders in the $400-$600 range but just wasn't ready to spend that kind of money so I bought the Breville.

This is simply one amazing grinder. Evenly ground beans with no clumping, a fine enough grind to use with my commercial Nuevo Simonelli rotary-vane pump machine and not one stray coffee ground after grinding directly into the portafilter. Another nice feature is being able to remove the bean hopper without having to empty the beans. This way I can have another hopper filled with decaf and can switch from regular to decaf beans in a few seconds. No more having to empty a bean hopper and replacing the regular beans with decaf beans. Very nice!!

I would recommend this grinder for the most hard-core coffee afficianados out there. You will not be dissappointed!

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This is my 2nd conical burr grinder. I used the earlier Breville grinder BCG450XL for a year, and while it gave me reliable daily service, it sure made a mess when removing the grinds container. Breville appears to have listened to its customers and totally redesigned this grinder. The grinds container is a sturdier translucent plastic with a stainless steel lid that seems to have solved the grinds sticking to the lid. There is absolutely no grinds scattering! The bean hopper holds 1 pound which is the size of freshly roasted beans I purchase at the local coffee shop. The ability to choose the size grinds and the amount is just outstanding. As you adjust the grind size to the finer grind, it asks you how many shots? As you adjust to medium or more coarse grinds, it asks you for how many cups? In addition to grinding into the well-designed grinds container, it claims it will also grind directly into your coffee filter. So I put that to the test using my Technivorm mochamaster cone filter holder, but that cone filter holder was too large. However, my Swiss Gold cone filter I use with it fit perfectly by itself, and the grinds poured nicely in it without grind scatter. It also comes with several size portafilter cradle holders to grind directly into your portafilter for espresso drinkers, but I don't have an espresso machine to test it out.

Breville includes a special brush to easily brush clean the conical burrs every now and then, with easy instructions.

Without need to measure out the coffee beans or the coffee grinds, I no longer need to have coffee scoops laying around. The grinder looks very attractive on my kitchen counter, better looking than the tiny picture reveals. And the grinds themselves? Even, consistent-sized grounds, just what you'd expect from a well made conical burr grinder. All in all, it was well worth the extra expense.

Read Best Reviews of Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder Here

> UPDATE == I was lucky enough to get a Baratza Vario as a gift, and have posted my impressions in a review of the Vario. While I still love the Breville and it scores much higher in terms of ease/convenience of use, the Vario does produce a more consistent grind. Best value = Breville. Best grind = Vario

>>Original review

I've spent the last three months looking for a decent burr grinder that didn't break the bank in terms of cost. To jump to the end of the story for those who want the bottom line, the Breville wins out as providing the best mix of convenience features and performance of any of the several I've tried (both less and more expensive). Highly, highly recommend.

I started out by going cheap the Cuisinart DBM-8. This packs a lot for the price, especially if you can find one for about 20 bucks at a warehouse club. Even at the regular price (under $50) it gives you a lot for your money. It worked very well for the medium-fine grind I need for my Senseo, and was passable for other tasks (espresso and a french press). But, it's also loud, messy and does not give a consistent grind you get a fair amount of dust. But, for the price, I have no qualms about recommending it for a drip application, and will be keeping the one I bought.

The next stop was also a Cuisinart, their CBM-18N. A definite step up, but it had some quirks that I found really irritating, such as a display that never turned off unless you unplugged it. The grind was better than the DBM-8 in terms of consistency, but still not good enough for my needs. This went back.

I then tried a Bodum Bistro. Nice to look at, but it lacked the convenience features that I liked (such as automatic grind amount based on number of cups), plus it states you can only use it for 20 seconds before letting it rest for 5 min to cool down. To me that's a sign of an undersized motor. But it did have a glass bin to cut down on static, and the fine grind level was very nice and more consistent than the Cuisinart. The coarse grind, however, was not as coarse as I wanted for a french press. Good choice to give as a present for someone who prefers style over function and is mostly a drip brewer. For me, it was another return.

The next two were borrowed from a friend: the Baratza Vario and the Virtuoso. I absolutely loved the Vario perfect grind for everything from my espresso maker to my french press. Real workhorse, and solid construction. The catch is the price about $450. Not in my price range, but if you're willing to spend the money, it's a very nice grinder. The Virtuoso is more what I was looking to spend, and that also is a nice grinder. I had zero problems producing a grind fine enough for espresso; my french press grind was excellent as well. The burrs on the Virtuoso are not as high quality as the Vario, but certainly up to the task of a typical consumer user.

I was set on the Virtuoso until I tried out the Breville. I had no problems getting it fine enough for espresso (although I should note that I use a pressurized portafilter which is not as fussy in terms of the grind as a non-pressurized). French press grind was spot on, and everything in between came out nearly as consistent as the Vario and just as consistent as the Virtuoso.

What really sold me on the Breville was the convenience features. You can dial in the number of cups (or shots) you want, and the grinder puts out the needed amount. You can fine tune the amount up or down as well. The hopper is big, has a very nice lid, and can be removed without dumping out all of the beans. Nice looking overall, with lots of stainless and high quality plastics.

Best of all is the fact that you can grind right into a portafilter or filter basket. I do my drip brewing using a My-k cup attachment on a Cuisinart k-cup brewer. I grind right into the basket with zero and I mean ZERO over spray of ground coffee. Just hold it by hand under the spout and the coffee shoots right in nice and fluffy. It goes into sleep mode after a few minutes, and wakes up with a push of any button (retaining your last grind setting). Easy to clean the burrs. Pretty quiet.

I could go on for pages as to the positive features, but I'll save you the trouble of reading my ramblings by summing it up as thus: if you're looking to spend less than $200 on a grinder, this is the one to get.

Tips:

1. (Apologies to Amazon). You can get this at the bed bath store using their 20% coupon. You have to put in the order at the store to use the coupon, and if you ask nicely, the store manager will waive the shipping charges. That brings the price to $160 plus tax. They only seem to carry it online.

2. You can get a shim kit that will allow you to go even finer. It's free from Breville I got mine four days after emailing them about it. I haven't used it since it already goes fine enough as it is, but wanted to have it in case I upgrade to a better espresso machine down the road that needs a finer grind. There's a video on the Seattle Coffee Gear site on how to install it.

3. You can buy extra hoppers from Breville so you can keep different coffees ready to go in different hoppers. There is a small amount of beans left in the machine when you remove the hopper that you have to shake out between changes, but having multiple hoppers makes it quick to switch between types of beans.

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Had mine for almost a year now, still going strong.

Pros:

Grind size and amount adjustment range is great

Not too loud

Fast

Daily user

Cons:

Cleaning

Coarsest grinds generate a decent bit of coffee dust

Cleaning is the biggest con with this machine. The hopper will collect water internally, so you're limited to wipe-downs lest that water get loose on your beans. The O-ring part of the grinding mechanism comes out easily and is fairly easy to clean with the supplied brush and a paper towel. However, the inner conical part of the grinding mechanism is not removable, and wiping it down requires some finger dexterity. Not the end of the world, but annoying.

Additionally, one thing I did find recently was that the grinds chute internally collects a ton of grinds with static charge over time, quite deep in the recesses of the grinder on the bottom side of the grinding mechanism. Ensue pipe cleaners, etc and out poured an avalanche of musty grinds.

I use dark fresh-roast coffees, I find I need to clean the grinder at least every pound. Not sure if this is typical for this range, but I at least expected disassembling the machine for cleaning to be much simpler.

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Baratza Vario Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder

I spent way too much time looking for a good burr grinder and decided on the Breville Smart Grinder (Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder). As detailed in my review of the Breville, one of the contenders was the Vario, which I borrowed from a friend to try out. I loved it, but the price was a bit too steep.

Low and behold, I got a Vario as a gift! Absolutely love it, but now that I've been using it side-by-side with the Breville for a few weeks, there are a few trade-offs:

Build quality: Both are good, but the Vario feels more substantial. Less plastic, more metal. I uploaded a picture of them side by side.

Burr quality: although the Breville has a decent set of conical burrs, the ceramic flat burrs in the Vario are far more meaty and substantive.

Ease of changing grind: draw. Both are simple to use.

Degree of control over the grind: the Vario wins hands down. It's about a close as you can get to a stepless grinder while still retaining the ease of use of a stepped design.

Mess when not using the cup: the Breville is much, much less prone to over spray when grinding directly into a portafilter or filter basket. The Vario is not horrible, but you need to clean up after it.

Mess when using the cup: Again, the Breville has zero over spray. The Vario is pretty close, however. Both have nicely anti-static cups. The Breville has a nicer design with an air-tight cap.

Controls: The Breville's display is very clear and easy to read. The Vario is easy to use, but the timer display is totally unreadable unless it's right at eye level. It desperately needs a back lit display.

Changing beans: Breville wins hands down. The hopper has a gate lock so you can take it off when full and only have to dump out what's in the grinding chamber. I keep a second hopper filled with different beans for quick change-over. The Vario has no hopper lock, so you have to dump the whole hopper when you want to change to a different type of bean. The hopper lid on the Breville is also much nicer, with a rubber gasket and a handy handle loop.

Consistency of grind: this is the big one, and the reason we spend money on grinders and put up with all the fuss and muss. This is also where the Vario pulls ahead strongly. No matter what the setting, the grind is spot on uniform. Just perfect. Now, the Breville is pretty good as well, but there are size variations in the grind that you just don't see with the Vario.

So, if I had to do it again, would I buy the Breville? My pocketbook says that's the one, but my coffee cup wants the Vario. It clearly produces a better grind.

I pulled a series of espresso shots using the Breville and the Vario. Same beans, same espresso machine. Both were dialed in to produce the best they could. In a taste test after a dinner party, the shots from the Vario won each and every time. Same with a pour over test, although that was a lot closer with a few people unable to tell a difference.

So, if you are absolutely limited to $200, must have a fancy-looking display, and can't tolerate even a small amount of stray grinds, the Breville is the way to go. If, however, the main goal is to produce a cup of coffee or espresso that is the best you can produce, spring for the Vario. You will taste the difference, and the taste will ease the pain in the wallet and the mess on the counter top.

If the Baratza people read these reviews: please, please, PLEASE improve the display! Keep everything else the same (although a gate lock on the hopper for easy change-over of beans would be nice). It's no use to have a fancy display that times the grind length to a tenth of a second when you can't read the numbers!

Update: Sept 2012 I had a problem with the grinder not responding to grind level changes. The Baratza website explained how to calibrate the grinder, but unfortunately that didn't solve the problem. I'm pleased to report that their customer service is outstanding. I got a same-day reply to every email I sent, and Baratza replaced my machine without any fuss or bother. Plus, they paid 100% of the shipping costs both ways! The rep I worked with was helpful, polite and responsive it's so nice to get an actual reply to a question rather than a boilerplate email. I remain very pleased with their grinder, and am especially pleased with their customer service.

I agonized for a long time before spending over $400 on a grinder. I started off thinking that I would spend no more than a quarter of that amount but after reading numerous reviews, I came to the conclusion that the cheap grinders just don't work very well. The Vario is so new that I didn't find any meaningful reviews but I took a chance based on its specifications. I'm very satisfied with it. It looks good, it grinds extremely fast (at least compared to anything I have used before, 20 sec. for enough coffee for a 32 oz French press), there are lots of different grind settings (macro and micro giving lots of combinations), and there are no static problems to throw grounds over the kitchen worktop. The grind appears to be uniform as far as I can tell.

I use it for grinding coffee for a French press. I find setting it a little finer than filter gives the right results for my tastes -I don't know whether that means its pre-settings are too coarse or whether I just prefer a rich, dirty cup of coffee (I think probably the latter as I'm a Greek/Turkish coffee fan as well as a fan of French press). I have tried it for Greek/Turkish coffee on its finest setting but it did not get it fine enough for that purpose -that does not matter to me as I already have an Athena brass hand-mill. I use the Vario twice a day to make coffee for my French press and it works just great albeit I set it finer than the manufacturer's setting for French press.

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Seems to grind pretty much flawlessly, without jamming. I think beans have stuck in it twice in the year I've been using it, and I like a nice oily roast. Other grinders jam constantly.

I like the preprogrammed time settings. I just use this thing for daily drip grinding. I like the electronic timer much more than spring-wound timers.

I have found the grind to be consistent and uniform. I am hoping the ceramic burrs last as long as they are supposed to.

Dislikes:

I had to file down the housing a little to get the hopper to slide in and out smoothly. I am disappointed but not too surprised as high end coffee grinders have got to be on small production runs, with inconsistent quality.

I find the blue LED indicator lights to be piercing. I would prefer a more low-key color, like amber.

By far my biggest gripe: The time display is an LCD panel. It's cheap, and its main characteristic is that unless you are facing it directly, you cannot read it. Therefore, to read the display, I have to crouch down to countertop level, or tilt the grinder back. A $450 grinder should certainly have been made with an LED, not LCD, display that is visible from any angle. This is a full-on design flaw, in my book.

All in all I am happy with it. I feel like I have a workhorse of a grinder that will last.

Read Best Reviews of Baratza Vario Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder Here

I rarely post reviews but I have to agree with the other one star reviewers here. I have a lot of experience with espresso machines and grinders. In fact I use a commercial Rancilio S27 for my home machine, plumbed in to the water and drain line. I wanted a smaller grinder with adjustability and the ability to grind directly into the portafilter. The Baratza got good reviews and because it can also grind into a container and is programmable, I thought I could replace my two larger burr grinders with this one unit.

Well, like the other reviewer here, I was able to grind beans at espresso fine for about 20-30 seconds. I pulled a couple of shots, then went back to grind and the grinder jammed up. I tried everything. After taking it apart and putting it back together I was able to grind again for another 20-30 seconds, then had the same problem. Basically, in the end, what was happening is that the belt on the belt drive was slipping. I actually had no idea this was a belt driven grinder or I would not have purchased it. Commercial grinders are direct drive. There may be some good reasons for a belt drive design here related to all the adjustability, but at the end of the day the adjustability and features don't do you any good if you can't actually grind espresso.

After fiddling with the thing I was able to get it to grind consistently at a coarser setting for say french press or drip. But every time I took it back down to espresso (with the grinder running as instructed) I ended up with the belt slipping and the grinder stopping. So back in the box it went. Very disappointing. I love the look and design concept, but for this price I can get a commercial grinder that will run all day long and grind out Turkish if I want... so what's the point of trying to get this thing to work?

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This grinder is a little pricey compared to so many that you can get for less, but fully worth it. It is solidly made, easy to use, will last for many, many years, and comes from a great company. I have had mine 2 years, and use it almost daily. The grind is extremely consistent, and the adjustments allow going from espresso grind to french press and back very easily. Recently, mine suddenly stopped working, and it is a full year out of warranty. I called Baratza, and within 10 minutes they confirmed was was wrong, and sent me a replacement powerboard with two days shipping for no charge. Their customer service is amazing. I purchased a Virtuoso grinder for my parents, and they have loved it for years, and have had similarily excellent customer service from Baratza.

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Meseta CREM03 Cremaccino, Black

The Meseta is a wonderful cremaccino. I bought it mainly to make latte's and occasional capuciono;s. I live by myself so the use it one a day at max.

At first it was great, with 1% milk (had heard from my kids to use low fat milk for a frothier milk) I got a nice thick mass for the capuchin and a little froth on the milkier latte. Always good and warm.

After 3 months (bought it on December 31) it does not get foamy at all for a latte, not warm enough, more like luke warm milk. The machine shakes a little on the counter.

If there are people out there with the same problem who have solved this, I would like to know them.

I bought this for $ 49.95. My kids all have Nespressino's with the attached frothers. Buying those separately I saw them the other day for a little more than 59.00. Ten dollars for that product does not seem so bad.

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Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemakers

I purchased this coffee maker at the recommendation of a friend and I'm really happy with it so far. It has a selectable brew strength, a defeatable audio alarm that beeps when brewing is complete, a clock, and a delayed brew timer.

The delayed brew timer is nice to have if you want to wake up in the morning with a pot of coffee waiting for you. I've used the feature a few times, and I like having it, although most of the time I grind my own beans, so I don't like to let the grounds sit in the coffee machine overnight because they can get stale. Of course, that's unavoidable unless you spend the extra money on a machine that also grinds beans before brewing.

This coffee machine comes with a permanent, washable coffee filter that is sturdy, well-made, and washes out in the sink in a matter of seconds. It also comes with a charcoal water filter that is placed above the brew basket. The manual states that these should be changed every month (I wouldn't be surprised if they last longer than that, though). The replacement filters are inexpensive, but if you already have filtered water, you can leave it out.

Another feature that I really appreciate is the Fresh Brew timer, which allows you to see exactly how long that pot of coffee has been sitting there. If you're in a hurry, you can also pull the carafe out while the coffee is brewing to pour a cup. Once you put the carafe back in its spot, it continues normally. I've tried it a few times, and not a single drop has ever hit the hot plate. Oh, and the temperature of the hot plate is adjustable -I got mine set at the perfect temperature so it doesn't burn the coffee if it's sitting there for a while.

My only complaints (and believe me, I'm trying pretty hard to come up with them): the display, while attractive, is a little on the bright side -a switch to adjust the brightness would be nice, even if it was just a High/Low 2-way switch. An internal battery to keep the clock accurate in case of a power outage would have been a bonus too. Finally, even though it looks great and feels pretty strong, it's almost entirely plastic, so it doesn't have that solid "I'm going to outlast your children" feel to it that it might have if it had more metal in the construction.

All in all, I feel like I'm cheating it by giving it only four stars, but it's not quite 5 stars either. It would be a 4.5 for me if I could do that. :)

So what we have here is my stubborn insistence that all my kitchen appliances be red and fairly inexpensive. Thus this Mr. Coffee unit got dumped into my shopping cart last year. This coffee maker has numerous problems but with some careful planning, as long as it doesn't quit, you can make it work for you.

First, the carafe leaks at the top under the rim. No problem--just keep a towel handy and once you've poured the water in the unit *very* carefully (keeping it absolutlely level) bring the pot to the sink and rotate/tip it so all the water comes out here and doesn't leak onto your counter. Then use a towel to wipe it dry, place it in its brewing spot on the hotplate and you are good to go.

Next, make sure you put the coffee pot on a cutting board or other similar surface--this will allow you to catch the leaks (from underneath and the top) when the water drips down without staining your countertop. As an added convenience the handle on the cutting board can be used to pull the unit out to fill the water. Very handy!

Lastly, make sure you put in twice as much water as you think you need but 1/2 the coffee grounds needed for that amount of coffee--because somehow between the pouring of the water and the finished cup of coffee about 35-50% of the water will go MIA. Where it goes remains a mystery and even my want-to-be-a-detective 12 year old can't figure out where it could be going. We'll just consider that the 8th wonder o.k.?

So, after all that (what's a little work after all...for my java) you should be in receipt of a perfectly well brewed cup of coffee. No problem.

Seriously---best look elsewhere. Unless you are addicted to red appliances and are broke--and if that's the case don't forget if you position it by a window it could function as a homing beacon for your spouse in the dark or rain OR as a great nightlight for your child who needs to make that middle of the night potty run--yes folks the lighted clock is really great but I would recommend you cover your eyes and, much like the sun, do not look at it directly. It must be some military patented thing meant for the troops or something.

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I wish I did some research before I purchased this machine. Well.. for the 1st week, everything seemed good. Made great tasting coffee and worked as it should.(I've always used the timer function so I never actually watched while it was brewing). Well, one day, I came down stairs little bit earlier than normal and observed some steam escaping from the top while it was brewing. It didn't bother me too much and I didn't make an issue out of it because I assumed this was normal for all coffee machines.. or is it??

next day, while I was observing, I heard something pop from the machine. What happened was that because the top lid gets hot from the steam, it expands and it popped the lid off and would not close properly.(so even more steam escaping....)

Again, because it was still making great coffee, I let it do it's thing.(and the lid closed fine after it cooled down)

Well, starting 3rd week, I noticed that the machine would not make full use of the water in the reservoir. Lets say if I put in 8 cups of water, it would brew about 5-6 cups and stops (Leaving rest of the water still in the reservoir)

4th week, it just stopped brewing period. No coffee in the decanter. Machine turns on and you can hear the water sucking noise and bit of steam coming off from the top for few mins and nothing. luckily, I still had my receipt and returned it.

I just think this coffeemaker is poorly designed. Or maybe I just had a lemon. But, if you are going with this one, save your receipt/box just in case. (and yes, I cleaned it regularly as it was recommended on the manual)

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I have had the older version of this coffee maker for years, maybe 5 years and have had no problems with it until I dropped the filter holder and it broke. My fault, not the coffee makers fault. For the previous negative reviews: What coffee maker do you not have to place the decanter just right to get the coffee in it? Also, there is a temperature knob that will keep your coffee as hot or cool as you want it, just turn the knob to the highest setting. Also, how long does it take someone to pour a cup of coffee? The pause feature is for 30 seconds. I can pour three cups in that amount of time. Great machine at a great price. Going to buy another one since they don't sell the filter holder separately.

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Don't know why there was so many bad reviews on this coffee maker, i have had no problems at all and has been the best coffee pot i have ever owned. only had it for a couple of months so we will see.

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