Hamilton Beach 47900 BrewStation 12 Cup Dispensing Coffeemaker

I just received this coffeemaker directly from Hamilton Beach after my previous Hamilton Beach coffeemaker (purchased from Amazon) died after less than one year. Hamilton Beach replaced it under warranty after some bickering. I'm still chuckling about Hamilton Beach's request that I cut the electrical cord on my old coffeemaker & mail it to them, then mail them a photo of the cordless machine (which I did). Luckily, I was able to search for the order & I e-mailed the date of purchase to Hamilton Beach. The HB before that one lasted seven years, but I guess those days are over with cheaper manufacturing & outsourcing of parts. I have always liked these carafe-free coffeemakers & the coffee always came out hot enough--provided you preheated the unit by running water through it before brewing coffee.

One of the supposed "upgrades" or "improvements" is the detachable water reservoir. I have never had trouble filling the old non-detachable reservoir, so I don't find this feature especially useful.

The worst (and dumbest) thing Hamilton Beach could have done is to make the round filter in the coffee tank non removeable. With the previous models, the filter is removeable. I always left it off because it filters out too much coffee flavor & the coffee comes out weak regardless of how much ground coffee is used. Besides, I always use filtered water anyway. I just made a 12-oz cup of coffee & I used 5 tbsp. of coffee which should make pretty strong coffee. The coffee came out weak. I prefer coffee with a little cream & sugar, not cream & sugar with a little coffee.

I bought a $10.00 Hario Coffee Drip from Starbucks & made better, stronger coffee using less grounds than with this machine.

Had I paid for this machine, I would have returned it.

If you like weaker coffee, you'll like this coffeemaker, otherwise, buyer beware.

Update: 10-13-12: After contacting Hamilton Beach & asking if I could remove that filter without damaging the unit, they explained that I could not, because if I did remove it, coffee would leak from the tank. So, I tried an interesting trick: After making the coffee, I lifted the coffee tank & poured the coffee directly into my cup instead of using the dispenser lever. That bypasses the filter. The coffee came out a bit stronger but still rather weak. WARNING: If you do it that way, you have to be very careful not to touch that metal heating plate at the bottom of the tank. Yeah...it's very HOT.

UPDATE: 10-28-12. I found my older Hamilton Beach Coffeemaker & made an interesting discovery that further explains why the coffee is so weak regardless of how much coffee is used. On my old HB coffeemaker, there are NINE LARGE HOLES, spaced far apart in a large shower-head design that allows the hot water to fall on ALL the coffee in the basket simultaneously. This is ideal. On this new coffeemaker, there are only SEVEN SMALL HOLES close together (like a hose nozzle) so the coffee can't possibly be completely saturated by the water. This is likely a much bigger issue than the permanent filter in the tank. MAJOR FAIL on Hamilton Beach's part. If you use expensive coffee in this machine, you're wasting money with each cup.

For our last 4 coffee makers we purchased only Hamilton Beach Brew Stations. This latest is the best so far due to the separate water tank. While I agree with others that a light would be helpful under the fill spout, the only thing that really concerns me is the percolating sound it makes for the entire 2 hours that it is keeping our coffee warm. None of the other models over the years have made this continuous noise. It sounds like the coffee is still brewing when it clearly isn't. I've never seen a review that mentioned this problem, so maybe it's an isolated issue. If anyone has input I'd like to hear it. Other than that, once again we're satisfied with the brew station.

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This is the third BrewStation we've owned. The first one had that horrible leaky tank problem... the second one was pretty good and lasted us for a long while, but still had the issue w/being difficult to fill, plus the serving spout was too low for filling travel mugs.

When the second one died w/o warning (still not sure what happened), I purchased this machine. I really like the look, the removable/refillable water tank, and the higher dispensing spout. The coffee is very good and stays drinkable until the end of the pot. The features of this machine (timer, customizable 'keep warm' time) are the same as the last machine I had, so nothing new to remark on there, but it works well. I particularly like the fact that the 'program' button glows brightly and is easy to see across the room when I'm not quite sure whether or not I've already set it up for the next day (don't ask, I'm getting old.)

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I purchased this coffee maker after my beloved Chemex was broken, and my husband begged me to get a "real" coffee maker with an automatic timer. Otherwise, I'd have bought another Chemex.

This one had all the bells and whistles my husband wanted, and I was pleased by the assertion that my coffee wouldn't get that nasty scorched taste that I've associated with most drip coffee makers.

Right out of the box and a quick wash, I brewed 4 cups of Ethiopian, same as I used in my Chemex this morning. The taste wasn't as good as the Chemex. However, it was a nice good cup of coffee, and plenty strong for my taste.

However, just like the regular brewers, this one keeps the coffee too hot, especially if you only have a cup or two in the warmer. Their assertion that you won't have scorched coffee isn't really true, so I can't give it more than three stars.

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I like the idea of the brew station, but after a few days I returned it to the retailer. There were two issues. First, even on the "BOLD" setting, it require more coffee than my old $20 pot to get a good flavorfull cup of coffee. Intead of 12 tbs as recommended, it needed 14-15 to get a strong enough brew. Most importantly, it would not keep the coffee hot enough in the on-board pot. Even after being in the resevior for 30-40 minutes, I still had to microwave each cup to get them piping hot.

I don't know if I go a lemon, or if this is normal for a Brewstation. I didn't take a chance on another. I'll go back to a conventional coffee maker.

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Bene Casa 17720 aluminum espresso maker, 3 cup

What a great cup of coffee this little pot makes! Easy to use and delicious.

I really love this espresso maker! It makes the perfect amount for me about a little more than a double shot.

The only problem was that when I first got it the funnel filter fit too tightly in the bottom chamber and I couldn't get it out. So I had to sand the inner edges of the chamber so it came in and out more easily. After that it was perfect.

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We used this a total of 3 times and on the third time the top half of it some how blew up, hit the ceiling and threw coffee grounds and water all over our kitchen and onto my husband!! It was a huge mess our kitchen was covered from ceiling to floor, no joke!It took us two hours to clean the mess up. My husband was in the kitchen when it happen and coffee grounds went into his eyes. He was in alot of pain for hours and had to keep washing his eyes out with water. It was a nightmare I thought he had been blinded. What a piece of junk its so poorly made and it also leaks! DO NOT BUY THIS SAVE YOUR MONEY! We used it correctly by what little directions are with it. I contacted the manufacturer to let them know what happened and how crappy their product is and that we are thinking of contacting a lawyer.

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My fiance' is from Veneto (Italy) and obviously we drink espresso every day. This was a purchase to replace an antique that no longer made a decent coffee, but instead what we have now is a rotten tin piece of crap that only burns everything and never fills the whole way. This moka, when prepared correctly, only fills halfway with coffee, and then burns it to a pulp, EVERY TIME. I want my money back and will never buy another product from this maker ever again.

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ONE STAR IS TOO HIGH.

We purchased the 3 and the 6 cup models for XMAS Gifts.

The 6 CUP leaks without ever even heating it. Just along the bottom edge at one of the corners, the casting is too thin!

The 3 cup does not leak until you heat the water. It then sprays out steam along the main "seal" between the pots and all AROUND the pressure valve (not through it).

I do so wish they had included in the product information that these are junk manufactured by the cheapest company in China. With this poor level of workmanship, who knows how many heavy metals are in it.

Don't risk your health, buy a product from somewhere that has health and quality standards.

Delonghi BCO264B Cafe Nero Combo Coffee and Espresso Maker

I am an avid coffee drinker, somewhere between 2-4 pots a day. My husband bought this 3-in-1 coffee maker for me for the Christmas of 2004. It has a digital clock/timer, flavor strength switch and makes pretty good coffee. It worked great for a while.

However, after about a year and a half the coffee maker side stopped working, without any warning. I went to get a cup of coffee and the hotplate was cold. After emptying it, cleaning it out and setting it up again, I turned it back on to make another pot.

The hotplate didn't even get warm, and the brewer didn't even make a noise or pull a single drop into the carafe. Even though the espresso and steamer side still works wonders, for the price of this 3-in-1, you would think it would work a bit longer than it has.

I had originally purchased the Krups version of their fanciest dual machine and it arrived non-functional with a display and buttons that were a little too "Star Trek" for me anyway...in fact, they didn't function at all. The Delonghi Caffe Nero (so far) has been very straighforward, easy to use, and produces good coffee and espresso. The quality of the coffee is moderate-high and I'm impressed with its strength selection system (a simple knob) and the mechanism by which it brews. No bells or whistles to confuse me. I did think initially that the permanent filter might be difficult to clean but not so far. However, the heat resistant coffee pot has an interesting design and a strange top which snaps on somewhat awkwardly and appears vulnerable to breaking but otherwise I have not found any major flaws with this machine as of yet.

Good coffee, good espresso, easy to use, easy to program for the next day. We'll see...

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I thought I did enough research before buying this machine but apparently not enough. I was disappointed in 1. the design ( looks rather cheap) and 2. the performance. The coffee maker didn't stop dripping either water or coffee when you pulled out the pot and for the espresso part you need to REHEAT the unit 30 MINUTES prior to use!!! So much about being flexible about having an espresso! If you really enjoy good coffee you need to invest more, unfortunately.

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Although their coffeemakers do an excellent job of making coffee, DeLonghi WILL USE ANY EXCUSE NOT TO HONOR THE WARRANTY IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG! Here's my experience: When I ordered my coffeemaker from DeLonghi, it was "backordered" and took over a month to ship. A little over 10 months after I received it, the coffeemaker broke! (The heater coil went out and

it would no longer make coffee.) Since it had been over a year since I ORDERED it, they said the one-year warranty was expired, despite the fact I had proof I had received it less than a year before (I still had the shipping confirmation). I explained this numerous times. For a couple of months, the various people I talked to kept telling me they would "look into it", but they never called back. Finally, when it actually WAS over a year since I had received the coffeemaker, when I called to check on the status of my warranty claim, they said, "Your warranty has expired. You've had this coffeemaker over one year. There is nothing we can do." I highly recommend you find a coffeemaker from a manufacturer that stands behind their product! I have a Cuisinart now, and it is WONDERFUL!

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On the outside, this is a beautiful machine. Unfortunately, the mechanics don't match. 6 months after my wife and I purchased it, the hinge on the back cover broke. I contacted Delonghi to see if it was covered under the warranty. Of course it was not and I had to purchase a new one. Then, after having it for just over a year, the coffee maker quit completely. I had to take it to one of their authorized repair facilities to get it fixed. I have been without the coffee maker for 1 month now and they still don't know when they will get the parts from Delonghi. I do not drink coffee and my wife drinks maybe 1/2 cup a day. My wife owned a Mr. Coffee that lasted more than 10 years. You would think that with the price of this machine it would have lasted much longer. My recommendation to you is to save your money and buy a Mr. Coffee!

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Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black

Bottom line up front: I'm happy with the Sirena.

I'm not a coffee snob and don't really care one way or another what name comes on the outside of the machine. I like strong espresso and this machine doesn't disappoint. There are a couple of things that I like and a couple of things that I don't. Here they are:

Like:

Easy to use

Can grow with you, i.e. if you want to pull out the Pressurizing disc and start tamping your own shots, you can, and after some practice, will probably get a better quality of crema and espresso. Bean quality, grind, etc... dependent.

Quick heat up time (less than 2 mins in the morning) and quick steam (less than 10 seconds.

Good micro-foam on the steamer. My wife likes capuccinos and the good quality foam makes her very happy.

Dislike:

The water level sensor drives me crazy. It comes on, I refill the container, and it doesn't go off. I have to mess with the container where it attaches to the machine to get it to turn off....eventually. I've read more than a few reviews about this problem. Small overall, but annoying.

Price. I purchased this machine at the X-mas special (499 w/grinder, barista kit, 1lb coffee with a 30% employee discount ($375 paid in the end). It was an incredible deal...that made it very worth the money. Full price...I don't know. I like this machine, but I'm cheap and I'd rather pay for quality and performance than looks. This machine offers both, but without the discount it would've made my choice more difficult.

There is a great thread on coffeegeek.com about the Sirena. A guy named Wayne, a.k.a. roastaroma, has made it his mission in life to break this machine apart and extract every bit of usefullness out of it. For true coffee lovers looking for a great machine his insights might help make up your mind.

Happy Shopping.

6 month update (1 July 2008).

The steam knob stripped out about 3 weeks ago. One minute I was frothing milk, the next I was trying to get a scalding hot jet of steam to stop...awesome. I contacted SB and they gave me the number to their warranty dept. I called their warranty dept and they told me that SAECO not SB warranted the item. Okay, so I call SAECO and was not exactly pleased with the response. First, they confirmed that the unit was under warranty..good. Second, they sent me a form to fill out detailing the problems with the machine. They had me fax that form back to their warranty dept...okay so far. Third, they informed me that I was responsible for packing and shipping the machine back to them with no reimbursement. Fourth, they told me that if anything other than the previously faxed deficiencies were discovered that it would be repaired at my cost. Bottomline, if something breaks during shipment, you pay for it out of pocket along with the shipping and handling you've already spent sending a defective item back to the manufacturer.

I haven't had a lot of problems getting things serviced in the past. SAECO's warranty repair system seems a little too involved and isn't user friendly in my opinion. I contacted the Starbucks that I purchased the machine from and was able to swap out the machine...but the less than ideal experience with SAECO is important to share.

Other than that the machine is still working well and am still happy that I purchased it. Starbucks customer service made up for the problems with SAECO.

The Sirena has a bit of a learning curve but once you realize that you do so much better without the "self-tamper" you'll be on your way. My problem was the machine backed up all the time until I read that I should remove the disk and the rubber self tamper -it made all the difference between HATING this machine and loving it. I can now pack a lot of coffee into the basket without the thing blowing up. Also, I did not realize there was a whole world of tampers. Now that I have a good tamper, not a plastic one!, my espresso has changed considerably.

The good:

1) Once you remove the tamper the coffee is great.

2) You can reprogram the coffee levels

3) Looks great

4) Easy clean-up

5) Decent foaming

The bad:

1) Sprays a little too much water while steaming milk

2) If you have your machine under the counter, it's a little hard to pull the water tank out

3) A learning curve

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Ok I spent hours pouring over reviews of machines before purchasing the Sirena. Because I wanted to do everything just right, I took an hour after the purchase to set it up following the extended instructions word by word. (For more experienced users, the quick setup would work and you would have your drink quick!) My first latte was amazing! I didn't even use syrup it tasted great.

My initial concern: long time to brew espresso/confusion as to the purpose of the "self-tamper". It took a long time for my shots to pull, mostly just dripping. So, I reread thoroughly all the Amazon reviews (much better than those on the SB website) and found that:

FIRST those with major issues probably had faulty machines or it was user-error. (no offense)

SECOND there is some trial and error required for grind, etc.

MOST IMPORTANT if your shots pull slowly (drip) simply POKE A LARGER HOLE IN THE RUBBER GASKET (self tamper).

Although I tried removing the self-tamper completely as some suggested it produced zero creme. By simply using a sewing needle to open the hole a bit more, my espresso flowed smoothly out of the portafilter in seconds and it had the most beautiful creme. I AM THRILLED! I tested the heat of the straight shot and it was quite warm but when added to frothed milk at a temp of 160 or more it was the most delightful latte I have ever had definitely rivals that of SB!

This machine is great for quality espresso, quality froth and good looks.

Oh one more thing I do agree with other reviewers that the need to drain the excess water from the steam wand before steaming is annoying, however, I have a system. Here is my method:

1. Turn on and warm up, meanwhile warm your mug with hot water

2. Once machine is ready, run 2 shots of water through to heat up the portafilter (I have the two most perfect glasses I use to hold the shot they are tall slender juice glasses that fit perfectly under the portafilter)

3. Leave the portafilter connected while steaming/frothing milk

a. use one of the juice glasses (or another tall glass) to collect the excess water from the steam wand before steaming milk in stainless steel pitcher.

b. steam/froth milk to at least 160 degrees. I am able to steam first, then froth the top or visa versa. The frother is great!

4. Set milk aside or on warmer (the warmer isn't that warm, so don't count on it for "heat")

5. Remove hot portafilter, wipe out extra water/grounds and fill for one or two shots

6. Replace portafilter and choose your shot size (the time it took to add your espresso grounds is exactly enough to rewarm the machine)

7. Pull your shots, pour into mug and add milk immediately.

**Starbucks trains that you should add your milk to shots within 10 seconds for best results. That is why frothing first is important!

I have it down to a science now after just owning the machine for 4 days. If I learn anything new, I will update/edit my review. I think reviews are so important for others considering a product or having problems. They sure helped me and I hope I helped someone else!

God Bless and Happy Latte!

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I bought this machine from a local Starbucks as a replacement to our Solis Crema sl70. We had the Solis for 10 years and loved it. The Sirena was at the same price point and looked great so we opted to change. What a disappointment. The Sirena has a plug, rubber gasket and basket, all of which are challenging to remove for cleaning. There is also wait time to which we were not accustom; wait for the machine to heat up, make espresso, wait again for the espresso to heat so you can select steam and wait for that to heat up. The steam pump would produce a good amount of water before actually pumping steam. We allowed time for us to get used to the new machine however after 10 days of use, we took it back for a refund. Positive note about Starbucks; they took it back without any hassles stating they stand behind their products.

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The machine was easy to unpack and the quick-start guide had me up and running in a few minutes. With my old machine, I could never get the coffee tamped right in the filter. Now I just grind the coffee, scoop it into the portafilter, attach it to the machine, and push a button to pull the shot. The machine gets up to temp quickly, especially the steam wand. I'm really pleased with the performance (consistent espresso shots and quick, easy steaming) of this espresso maker, and would certainly recommend it to others. And the clean design looks fantastic on my counter-top...

Zojirushi EC-DAC50 Zutto 5-Cup Drip Coffeemaker

This coffeemaker was a bit more expensive than others available, but the engineering on this thing is just unbelievable. My wife and I have been using it for about three months now, and we still marvel at how well it works, and the quality of the coffee it makes. Some of the things we really like include the fact that we can take the removable resevoir to the sink to fill it rather than try to pour water into the machine with the possibility of spilling it; the conical container for the grounds is in the coffee pot, so it is very easy to empty the grounds, and coffee doesn't drip onto the heating plate after removing the pot; it uses a #2 paper filter, and I've found that a similarly sized Swiss Gold foil filter also works for those who don't want the paper filter to soak up the coffee bean oils (but you'll need to be a little more careful to hold the top on the pot when pouring the coffee if you don't remove the filter first; And I could go on with the good things. I don't believe it has an automatic shutoff on the hotplate, or at least we haven't found one, but we don't use it anyway. All in all, I think that using this is like driving a Lexus instead of a ten year old junker. It's a neat piece of equipment, and it makes great coffee.

I had never heard of Zojirushi before but I was being very picky, holding out for a coffeemaker that makes 4-6 "cups" (aka two mugs,) uses a cone-bottom filter, and isn't black or white. This is the ONLY coffe maker on Earth, apparently that met all my criteria. (OK I still would have liked it better if it came in red, but the soft gray color is kind of classy!) And I have to say I'm really pleased with it. The design is simple and elegant and the removable water reservoir is a great convenience; I don't have to pull the whole coffee maker out from under the overhanging cabinets to get enough room to put the water in.

It also makes really good coffee, mainly because of the cone-bottom filter (I'll never go back to flat-bottom filters!) And the built in carbon filter makes more of a difference than I had expected.

OK some reviewers below were on about how it doesn't make coffee "hot enough" and I was like, bonus! I still don't understand how the rest of the human race can drink hot coffee straight from the pot without scalding their tongues. I was really looking forward to being able to drink coffee without having to put an ice cube in the cup first. (To be fair, I do drink it black.) I was so confident about this due to the "not hot enough" reviews that when I poured my first cup, I just took a great big sip and scalded my tongue. Argh!! Maybe it's just that the warming plate doesn't keep coffee at boiling temperature, but it shouldn't: that would ruin the flavor of the coffee (and I've had a few cheap coffee makers that did scorch the coffee in a very short time.)

Anyway if you are the sole coffee drinker in your home and you like GOOD coffee, and you don't dig the flavor-limitations or wastefulness of those pod-based things, this is a perfect coffee-maker for you. (And if they ever make it in Red, I'll be the first in line!)

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I spent a lot of time online looking for a 4 to 5 cup coffeemaker to suit my needs. There are the usual suspects: Mr. Coffee, Braun, etc, that seem to get universally bad to mediocre reviews from people, especially people who know anything about coffee. I decided to skip all of those and look for something that would make a really good cup of coffee.

My choices became limited to two coffeemakers: one made by a company called Bodum (which looks like some kind of laboratory beaker) and the Zojirushi Zutto. The Bodum model supposedly performed well and made excellent coffee under ideal conditions, but many people who reviewed it said that it was prone to mishaps such as overboiling. So I went with the Zojirushi. I was not disappointed.

The Zutto is extremely well-designed and functional. The coffee filter is in the lid of the pot (not attached to the maker, like most autodrip models), and there is a removable charcoal water filter to remove chlorine, etc. It's very easy to clean, attractive and perfect for a small space. After running water through it a few times to remove the burned-plastic taste you would get from any new coffeemaker, I brewed up a pot of Green Mountain. The coffee was excellent, the best I've ever had from an automatic drip maker. After the pot was left on the burner for 10 minutes, the coffee still tasted good, with only a very slight hint of a burned taste. I'm assuming this means that the heating element is set to the correct temperature for keeping the coffee warm.

There were no problems with pouring; you just have to place your thumb over part of the lid when you pour. The Zojirushi Zutto is a well thought-out and sturdy product, far better than anything comparable from any American company.

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I agree with most of the other posters here that this is a fine coffee maker. BUT... it has a major flaw in that the carafe handle design is flawed. It works by a metal strap tight around the neck of the carafe, holding the handle on. Other coffee makers I've used with this design, also have some means of attaching the bottom of the handle to the side of the carafe, which lessons the pressure created on the strap when you pour. The Zojirushi does not, and when you pour, there's a lot of pressure on the neck of the carafe. I've had to replace the carafe twice, because after time, it develops a crack in the glass at the neck, which eventually leads to breakage. As I say, this has happened twice, and at @20.00+ a pop for new carafes, it begins to add up to being way to expensive to keep. I've had my Zojirushi for about a year and a half, and other than the carafe problem, it has worked well.

Feb, 2012.

I seem to be taking a lot of flack here for my review. I hate to tell the people who think I have it in for this coffee maker that that's not the case, and that I'm not some clumsy clod who can't keep from breaking the carafe myself. The first two did develop cracks at the neck without any help from me and I did have to replace them. That being said, It's now 2012, (the first review written in June of 2009), and I'm still using this coffee maker daily, and the third carafe I purchased has not developed any cracks at the neck. And... it still makes great coffee!

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I am not a true believer, but a coffee agnostic. I allow for the existence of an angry coffee god whose strict rules must be followed to the letter, but I don't operate under that assumption. Instead, I bask in the earthly pleasures of a daily cup of hot, black, strong coffee, and the Zishoruji is a perfect device of such hedonism.

The believers say that the Zujishori doesn't heat the water to optimal extraction temperature. I like my coffee blow-before-sipping hot and thicker-than-mud strong, and I get both. They say that the water temperature impacts the bitterness as well. I take my coffee black, and I find the bitterness level just right to balance the acidity and create a wonderful complexity.

The believers say that coffee beans should be ground mere seconds before brewing. I grind mine at the store where I buy them, and lightning has yet to strike me.

The believers say that a five-cup coffee maker ought to serve two mugs of coffee. I say that filling the Zishoriju's removable water tank to the brim produces two 13-oz mugs of coffee. That does require filling past the 5-cup tick mark of the tank, but then again, I do not recognize the infallibility of the tick mark.

The believers say that coffee grinds should not spill into the pot. I agree, and find that if I shape the five scoops of coffee into a cone in the filter of the Zoshujiri--that is, if I form a depression instead of a mound in the middle--then the dripping water does not splash the grinds into the pot. See, we can agree on something.

The believers say that the filter contraption that sits unnaturally inside the Zijiroshu pot is likely to slip and spray and scald during the act of pouring. I say that, as a primate with opposable thumbs, I intuitively hold the pot by wrapping four fingers around the handle and resting my thumb on top, where the handle, cone filter, and lid all converge. The pot pours smoothly, cleanly, with nary a drip on the counter, and the top remains firmly & effortlessly in place.

The believers say that the Zurijisho's gadgetry is gratuitous and out of line with tradition. I appreciate gadgetry for its own sake as well as for its functionality. All the important pieces are removable, which makes clean-up and assembly a cinch. With previous coffee makers, cleaning the swing-out filter holder had always been a pain. The removable water tank brings me more joy than a piece of plastic should (you heard me). And the filter contraption that sits atop the pot is a pleasure to fill and breeze to dump out and rinse.

The believers say that the Zujirishi's pot and its handle are weak and will inevitably break, and I say the pot is light and the handle is secured in place by a metal band. True, I would hesitate before filling the pot with pebbles or slamming it in anger on the granite countertop; but I hasten to add that the pot remains in one piece after a year of daily use, and the handle feels as secure as day one.

The believers say that the absence of an auto-off feature is a fire hazard and a moral hazard, and I testify that I have failed to start several fires though I have forgotten to switch the Zoshiriju off about once a month.

The believers say that the plastic in the water tank contains carcinogens. I worry less about this because (a) the water is in there for all of three minutes, (b) there's a Zirojushi email somewhere in the reviews claiming they don't use BPA in any of their plastics, (c) a Wikipedia blurb claims that Japan has removed BPA from most of its food plastics, and (d) one is more likely to damage one's health from indignation.

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