Showing posts with label wega espresso machine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wega espresso machine. Show all posts

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Medelco 4 Cup Glass Universal Replacement Carafe - Black

Medelco 4 Cup Glass Universal Replacement Carafe - BlackI ordered this for my Braun 4 cup coffee maker.. It is a nice looking replacement.. it is glass.. but.. its too tall. you almost have to force it in and it feels like it dosent belong.. It spills when it pours.. I thought i would save a few dollars an try it. the cost to ship it is more than the cost of the unit.. dont waste your money... buy an original replacement and you will be happy.. im not going to waste my time or money to send it back.. lesson learned..

Firstly, the shipping time was awesome, just wish the product had been as impressive. Secondly, I think I got one that was defective. But as a whole the one thing I never did like about this carafe was the pouring spout. It always dribbled and was just drippy. I think I spilled more coffee sometimes than I got to drink before it defectively cracked. This isn't really a product I would nor could endorse in all good faith.

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given that there are almost no alternatives (i.e. purchasing USED pot)I gave it two stars for simply being available. But the design is flawed -it is almost impossible to pour from without dribbling all over. The only solution seems to be to pour so slowly it would take one 20 seconds to pour one cup!!

Read Best Reviews of Medelco 4 Cup Glass Universal Replacement Carafe - Black Here

Bought this cause i broke my betty crocker original carafe. this one is smaller than the original (which is annoying for someone who relies on a lot of coffee to jumpstart the day). also, like another reviewer says, it spills when you pour it fast. i have to be all zen and pour it real slow (which, again, is annoying when you're barely awake). It spills even less when you tilt the lid up with your thumb...but the zen slow pour makes the most difference.

i looked everywhere for a replacement and i couldn't find one. so i'm glad that i have it but i would definitely buy a Betty Crocker name-brand one if i had to do it over again.

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The problem with the dripping is not the pot, but the lid.

Lift the lid with your thumb while pouring, or as I did,

remove the lid completly and dipping problem is solved.

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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Francis Francis for illy X7.1 iperEspresso Machine

Francis Francis for illy X7.1 iperEspresso MachineFrancis Francis brings primo espresso to my kitchen, "a first" !

Easy, simple machine to use. Beautiful Espresso in less than 60 seconds, perfect at 5AM

Update:

Challenges with machine making horrific noises during pump cycle yielded call to Illy customer support, front

Line customer support person was very helpful taking my information ,then after being passed to the Francis Francis tech support person my Illy experience slowly went downhill, repeat attempts for customer support merely made the experience worse, ie your made to clearly understand the customer is the problem and your wasting Illys time.

Net/net the Francis Francis machine is being sent back to Illy, in summary if a company won't stand behind "both" their expensive coffee and espresso machines l'd prefer to enjoy a french press and locally roasted coffee.

Next machine choice will be a Rancillio Silvia and the Rocky grinder, check out the Coffee Geek site for numerous positive reviews.

I love coffee, especially a good expresso or double shot latte. This machine is simple and easy to use. Over three decades I have nursed several different brand machines through the ordeal of giving birth to an expresso shot. This machine minimizes the variables and consistently produces a quality shot of expresso. Preheat until the light goes on, pop in an ipser cartridge, push a button, and voila, The illy coffee is wonderful. I like the dark roast. This machine offers a simple foolproof fast way to a good cup. Don't forget to warm your ceramic drinking cup before pulling the shot. This machine is "stylish" and has a small footprint. It will not hog your counter space.

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If I draw a longer espresso shot, water leaks into the shot and dilutes and cools it. The water container is a pain to remove, really, could't come up with a better engineering solution? Currently it's stuck on beeping and the red triangle of death is flashing and the solution offered in the manual does not resuscitate it.

Otherwise, it's an OK machine :)

Read Best Reviews of Francis Francis for illy X7.1 iperEspresso Machine Here

Monday, February 24, 2014

Nuova Simonelli Oscar Pour Over Espresso Coffee Machine

Nuova Simonelli Oscar Pour Over Espresso Coffee MachineI have this machine Sinne 2 years. It is absolutely Great. I did so my homework before investing into such an extensive machineand i Never regretted my Decission.

The machine has 2 water cicles. Therefor no anoying waiting until the water is hot enough after the first brewing/ steaming for the 2nd step.

Further is this a semi professional machine which means the porta filter has the same measurements than a professional machine.

I also like to point out, that the pressure of this machine is great! Sure, a machine in a café.is more effective, but those are not available for 1000 bucks! This one is absolutely sufficient for all kinds of milk. If you are not sure how to texturise milk I suggest you look it up on you tube to avoid disappointment caused by the operator.

While cleaning the machine I guess I let the pressure build up a little much, or maybe after two years the Teflon tubes are getting weaker, however one needed to be replaced and now I am back to barristering. ;-)

If you want a machine that makes reliably great coffee like you get at you local barrister this is the one!

Get a decent coffee grinder while you are at it.

And be sure to get decent coffee beans!

The only downer : large glasses and most coffee mugs do not fit under the porter filter.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center

Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee CenterYes, you'll flinch when you see the price tag! Right now this is the king of super automatics. My work hours are all over the place and many times there is just no time to devote to pulling the perfect espresso from a manual or semi machine. Add to that I drink cappuccino's or lattes 95% of the time. This machine was made for those who drink mostly cappuccino's or lattes and it couldn't be easier. Many long time aficionados on the coffeegeek.com forums will tell you that you cannot pull anything close to a "god shot" from a super automatic and they are correct. But what you get is pretty darn good especially if you love the taste of espresso but don't want to devote your life to making perfect shots every pull. The Z5 is the model of simplicity and produces consistent very good shots of espresso and excellent latte's & cappuccino's every time with little time. I had this machine programmed, up and going just 10 minutes out of the box. I am not an expert on pulling shots manually. Setting the knob to the hottest setting, strongest espresso and finest grind yielded a very tasty shot that was far better than any I have had at Starbuck's. I used Coffee Emergency espresso roast. The crema was good and the temperature excellent. I used a Capressa S9 a year ago and was not happy with the temperature of the shots coming out of the machine. They are much improved on the Z5. Back to cappuccino's... Fill the milk thermos with your choice of milk...set knob to cappuccino and hit the button. A gorgeous cappuccino was produced on the very first try. I didn't have to move the cup...it was all automatic! It took me ages to learn to make a decent cappuccino on same thing manually. Again...much better than at Starbuck's and any of the local coffee houses. The Z5 has a timer that can be set to turn the machine on and off when you want it to. Settings for water level, brewing time, amount of heated milk and foam, can all be pre set or adjusted with a knob live as your beverage is being made. The unit is whisper silent even when grinding beans. It is a well built piece of equipment that is UL approved for both residential and commercial use. I couldn't be happier with it. Should you get this machine? Bottom line is that if you want to make espresso's as a hobby and are going for that ultimate "god shot" every time don't even think about this machine. If you are a working professional who just wants a great cappuccino, latte and espresso with absolute minimum fuss that will beat Starbuck's and your local coffee shop.... think about buying this machine.

I have just replaced my Gaggia Titanium which after 3 months decided to break down. I decided rather than replace with the same machine to go with the much-praised Jura machines. The Z5 particularly appealed with it's unique One-Touch Cappucino function, which avoids the clumsy looking "automatic frothing attachments" found on so many machines.

The machine was easy to set up, and has almost the same footprint as the Titanium, so doesn't take up too much space. It comes with a classy looking thermal milk container (1 litre) which keeps milk at the ready and chilled for up to 8 hours. The front of the machine is brushed aluminium (not plastic as in many of the Jura machines) which is far easier to keep clean than the Titanium's brushed stainless steel (fingerprints!).

The display prompts are clear (product names such as "1 espresso" can be changed should you so desire I personally can't see the point of this, since the name isn't displayed until you press the key to dispense the drink.

The temperature (also adjustable) of the coffee, hot water and also the milk is fantastic I have mine set on the "normal" setting and it is very hot much more so than the Titanium and many other machines which even set to "Highest" still could be hotter.

The crema was good, and the taste great. The brew group is non-removable and self-cleaning (you are prompted when to run a rinse cycle or pop a cleaning tablet in).

You can program the quantity, temperature and strength of all drinks, and choose to override these on-the-fly should you wish, which is very handy.

The water container is larger than the Titanium and most other domestic machines and you can use Claris water filter cartridges, or alternatively opt to use descaling tablets every so often (again, you are prompted when to do this).

The dump box, and drip tray are suitably large so as to not have to be emptied too frequently (every 20 cups).

I only have 2 grumbles with this machine. One is that central coffee spout (which illuminates the cups during dispensing of coffee) does not adjust high enough for large mugs. The silly thing is that you can also dispense coffee from the cappuccino spout which offers 2 interchangeable spouts one for small cups and one for tall mugs. Why they couldn't make the central coffee spout raise to the same height is a shame, but not the end of the world. My second gripe is that the consumables ie. filters / descaling tablets / cappuccino cleaner / machine cleaning tablets are way over-priced. And since you have to use Jura-brand ones to keep within warranty conditions, you don't have much option but to pay these high prices.

Overall though, if you have the money, then go for it this machine is fantastic, looks great, and is the quietest fully automatic by far this doesn't wake up the whole house when you make a coffee!

Buy Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center Now

After returning both a Saeco Primea Touch Plus (it gave me an error message after less than 2 months, at which time I was told to return the machine to the manufacturer for repair), and the new DeLonghi Gran Dama, which has a serious problem with the milk carafe (it doesn't fit properly on the machine I had this problem with not one, but two machines), I think I've finally found the answer. I was always dissatisfied with the milk temperature (I use a lot of milk in my lattes), but now with this machine the milk is very hot, as is the espresso no need to microwave, as with some of the other super-automatics.

Set up was fairly fast (I wasn't as fast as one of the reviewers at 10 minutes, but had it pretty well figured out in less than an hour), the first few test drinks are excellent. I read somewhere that you couldn't store the thermal carafe in the refrigerator, but I think this is a fallacy. The Capresso DVD, as well as the instructions, say that you can, and I can't think of any reason that you can't.

If you want to make the coffee directly in a large (16 oz.) paper cup, you can do so with the left spouts another reviewer points out that the center spouts don't raise high enough to accomodate a very large cup, which is true, but with all of the customization features, you can program the machine to dispense the coffee from the left spout, which is tall enough.

After having terrible, rude, largely non-responsive customer service from Saeco, I asked was happy to hear from a number of sources that Jura Capresso has excellent customer service. I haven't had to test it yet, but from everything I heard, I'm hopeful that it'll be good.

Pros:

Great tasting espresso, cappucino and latte

Fairly easy to master

Great looking, titanium-faced, as opposed to the metal-clad plastic featured on many other expensive super automatics

Cons:

It's definitely expensive, but still seems in line with other similar machines, and it's better designed

Lastly, I would recommend the Z5 versus the Z6, unless you are totally sold on a chrome face the machine does splash a bit, as one would expect, and the matte finish on the Z5 seems much more practical and forgiving of fingerprints, splashes, etc.

UPDATE AS OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2008

I've now had the machine for over a year and wanted to update the review with some customer service feedback. It still works flawlessly (knock wood), but after recently moving, realized I had lost the coffee scoop. I called Capresso customer service, and they immediately sent me a new one at no charge. A small thing, certainly, but a great indicator of the respect with which they treat their customers. If you're in the market for a machine like this, I give this one the highest marks.

Read Best Reviews of Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center Here

First there is no doubt that this is a very expensive purchase, but if you have two Starbucks drinkers in the house it's worth consideration. After I determined that the ROI (given our SBUX frequency) on this machine was 3 years, we purchased our first machine (The Capresso 3000) about 4 years ago. It was love at first drink. We went from stopping for coffee every morning on the way to the office, to making it at home with some great to-go cups we purchased at Costco. When the C3000 finally broke, we boxed up the machine and took it right back to Williams Sonoma (sorry Amazon) and they happily took it back and upgraded us to the Z5 for the difference between what we paid for the first unit and the price of the new Z5 (about $350).

We love the Z5 !! My husband is a "straight" coffee guy, but I am a late girl who loves the how easy it is to hook up the milk container and make my late with the push of a button. I also purchased Starbuck vanilla syrup so I can make my own Vanilla Late's at home.

If you have the disposable income to consider this, it is a great machine. After reading the customer service stories in previous reviews, I would consider buying from Williams Sonoma who offers a lifetime guarantee on anything purchased through them. When my $2,699 Capresso failed after 4 years, they took it back without question and upgraded me to the Z5. Through the entire process they just thanked me for my business. I am a customer for life and can't say enough about how much we love this coffee machine !!

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Having had an amazing cup of coffee at a neighbors house (made by a Z5), I was sold. Two weeks later, our Starbucks solution had arrived. As mentioned by other reviewers, the coffee, lattes, caps, etc... were excellent and the machine performed as advertised. In fact, we had regular visits by our neighbors, just for the coffee.

But please be warned that these machines do not last and will require major repairs after the warranty has lapsed. Both my machine and that of my neighbors have stopped working, displaying "error 8" and refusing to do anything other than take up space on the kitchen counter. I realize that things aren't made like they used to be, but for $3,000+ I expect a heck of a lot more than one year's worth of light use. While lacking some of the features of the Z5, there are plenty of "super automatics" that are far more reliable and much cheaper. Don't bother with this machine.

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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill

Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr MillDon't believe that ANY grinder in this price range will be the ultimate grinder for all your grinding needs. I read with amusement as some reviewers slammed this grinder for not grinding well enough to use with their espresso machines. I own this machine for use with my drip coffee maker only. I own a $500+ Mazzer Grinder for my espresso machine. The point being, that for the absolute consistent grind needed for use with espresso, you better be willing to step up significantly in price. That said, on to this grinder review.

Considering there are no decent blade grinders on the market including those in the $25 price range, the best grinder to have is a burr grinder. Burr grinders do not create the heat that destroys the flavor of your beans and creates a more uniformed grind. Burr grinders do not produce the large "chunks" of beans in varying size that a blade grinder does. I have yet to see any missed "untouched" beans find their way past the burrs (as one reviewer claimed) and find that hard to believe, considering beans can only pass through the small space between the burrs and would thus be ground on their way through. You may get some bean smaller than your setting, but will not get anything larger than your setting.

As with any burr grinder under $200 this grinder does create some powder. It creates a lot of powder if you attempt to grind at its' finest setting (called Turkish Coffee). For drip coffee makers though, a mid-range toward coarse setting doesn't produce enough powder to be a concern when using paper filters in your coffee maker and a GOOD bean to start with. I sometimes wonder if the complaints of "bitterness" from some reviewers isn't a problem with their bean choice or their water temperature. As a drinker of 100% Kona in my drip maker, I have yet to taste a bitter cup of coffee, even with the less than a tsp. of powder that is present in my freshly ground coffee.

Noisy? Yes, but no more noisy than some and less noisy than most in this price range. A grinder of this size will create noise, but unless you plan on grinding 24/7 that is to be expected. My guests are actually enthralled by the noise and the ability to watch fresh beans meet their demise (I hang with a morbid crowd) as the beans slowly disappear down the hopper. The timer is a nice touch if noise is a concern. The fact that you can turn it on, leave the room and return in a minute or two (avoiding the noise) to find the unit automatically shut off should make those with sensitive hearing happy.

This grinder has a decent weight to it, making it feel sturdy on your countertop. The S/S body also gives the appearance of a well built machine and makes it more stylish than your standard black plastic neoprene models being produced by other manufacturers. This is a solid, sturdy, and well built machine for this price.

If there are complaints that you should be warned about, it is the age old problem of static cling caused by the use of plastic for the grounds receiver. Cuisinart should have used glass to receive the grounds. I would have gladly paid an extra $3 on the final price in order to avoid dealing with the static cling found in every machine that uses plastic for this purpose. The other is the clean-up, if you are as anal as I am about coffee equipment. Again, the static cling is annoying, but I keep a slim painters brush nearby for the purpose of brushing out the chute and receiver which makes the task quick and easy. It loses a star for the static cling issues, but I guess every grinder in this price range has the same problem because they use plastic.

Overall, for under $50 this is a very good machine for the price.

First, after checking the Amazon listings, I noticed a similar model (Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill). I'm not sure if this model is a newer version of that one--because they look awfully similar--but I did notice that some of the reactions to that other model are fitting for this one.

After my initial use, the first thing I noticed was that the grind (I used the lowest "coarse" setting) didn't seem as consistent as I thought it would be, considering the point of using a burr grinder is to get a consistent grind. There was a fair amount of dust that came through, in other words.

For the price, I can't say I expected it to be perfect, and honestly, this bit of coffee dust (maybe half a teaspoon)doesn't much bother me. A common complaint for the other model is that the plastic hoppers attract the coffee dust due to static cling. This is also true here, but for me, not a problem.

Overall, I like the way this grinder works. Just realize going in that this is one of the cheapest (price-wise) burr grinders on the market, so you can't expect it to function like a $400 model. If you're just getting into grinding your own coffee and want to begin to experience the benefits of burr ground coffee and french presses, I'd say this is a great place to start.

If, however, you already own expensive coffee equipment (say, an expensive espresso maker for instance) you might want to spring for a higher quality burr grinder.

The other model had many people mentioning the motor dying after 6 or so months. Some customers said that it was due to a buildup of coffee dust between the hopper and grinders, and that after unscrewing the top and cleaning it out, the motor worked again.

I've only had my grinder one day, so I can't comment on this yet. But I plan on updating this review periodically as I use my grinder.

Finally, a call for consumer support:

I am using this grinder with my French press, which needs a coarse grind of beans. I am testing the different settings (as there are about 5 or 6 "coarse" settings to choose from. I started on the low end of the coarse cycle.

My suggestion? If you get this machine, why not tell me, in the comment section, which setting works best for you with use of a french press. I will also update, once I've used all the settings, to tell you what I find in terms of the best setting.

UPDATE #1: I've now used all the coarsest settings except the very last (coarsest), and not surprisingly, the coarser the grind, the better the coffee when using a French Press. I'm sure other factors are coming into play, such as the amount of coffee I use, the temperature of the water, and the steeping time. But without a doubt, the coffee tastes much better than when I used to use a blade grinder.

I'm still experiencing a certain amount of "dust" with every batch I grind. Interestingly, the dust seems to clump up and stick to the edge of the container after being expelled. I'm not sure if this is common for everyone, or is possibly it has something to do with the quality of bean I'm using. But I'll be sure to update once I use a different type of bean.

The good news is that when the dust clumps like this, it's easy to brush away and avoid.

More Updates to come.

UPDATE #2: I decided to dial back the coarseness of my grind, so for french press I think I like the third to last coarseness setting the best. The machine continues to expel around half a teaspoon of coffee dust (clumped against the container) per grind, which I know most die-hards would find unacceptable, but for a novice like me, isn't too bad.

I've taken to scooping the dust into a separate container to save. My guess is that for every one pound bag of coffee I grind, I may get enough dust saved to brew one drip pot of coffee. Sure, it won't be as fresh, but it's better than using it in the french press and getting more "sludge", or throwing it away and wasting it.

I have also decided to change my initial 4-star rating to a 3-star. I still like the machine, but I do think the lack of grind uniformity and amount of dust is annoying. I reiterate: If you are a novice/just getting into grinding your own coffee, this machine is a good fit. But if you have expensive equipment (espresso machines, etc) spend the extra cash on a better grinder.

Update #3 (3/16/2010): I've had the machine nearly 3 months and it's still working fine. No motor failure here. I do unscrew the top of the machine to clean excess dust from the burrs, which does cake on pretty thick after a while, and *might* be the cause of some of the reported motor failures.

One other thing I neglected to note is the counter top mess. It seems nearly impossible for me to grind some coffee without getting a bunch of coffee dust on the counter. This does *not* occur during grinding, rather, when I remove the lid and scoop the coffee into my pot. In other words, it's probably to be expected, but I thought I'd note it.

Overall, I'm still enjoying my machine and getting good use out of it every day.

Update #4 (7/13/2010): Still going strong. No problems at all.

Buy Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill Now

First off, the grind you get from a burr grinder is superior to a blade, hands down. This grinder makes a superbly uniform grind, and the fineness/coarseness is easily adjustable. For the price, this is an excellent burr grinder. Highly recommend it for your average coffee drinker. If you are grinding things finely, grinding spices or flavored coffees, or grinding lots of coffee, read on for important details.

I was a little disappointed with the plastic grind hopper. Burr grinders I have used in the past were glass, and while I didn't think plastic would be a big deal, extremely fine grinds tend to 'stick' due to static electricity.

When doing longer grinds (for larger pots of coffee, etc) the motor really starts to sound strained. I'm worried that with heavy use over a few months I might have issues with it. If I do, I'll update this review.

*most* of the grinder is very easy to clean... however, inside the base there are a couple of pieces out of reach, and really fine grinds tend to collect just inside the chute that dumps the grinds into the hopper. If you grind flavored coffees (or, in my case, fresh seed spices) and need to clean it, you might be a little frustrated.

Read Best Reviews of Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill Here

This is the second automatic hopper-type burr grinder that I've owned. The first was the similarly-priced Capresso 551.01, which died after a couple years of use. I don't know what the lifespan of this Cuisinart grinder will be yet, but so far I'm extremely impressed with the comparison between the two. Start with the weight, at nearly 4 pounds--it simply feels more substantial. (The Capresso is a comparatively diminutive 2 lb. 9 oz.) The casing is an attractive stainless steel (which may just be a veneer over plastic, but it certainly looks nicer than the Capresso's black plastic) and the hopper and grind chamber are of thick, good-quality acrylic.

The Capresso had to be emptied before changing the grind coarseness, and had a small, finger-bruising wheel with which to adjust it, but the Cuisinart's entire hopper turns freely to adjust the grind, filled or not. I'm also very pleased to find that the Cuisinart doesn't dust the countertop with a sprinkling of coffee after use, as the Capresso did. The motor isn't whisper-quiet by any stretch, but it's not as noisy as many home grinders.

There are only two disadvantages of this grinder, in my opinion. First, the timer can only be adjusted in two-cup increments (minimum of 4 cups). It does this with a satisfying click, but still, I'd like to nudge the slider a bit for a weaker morning brew or a stronger nighttime one. Second, the hopper contains almost four cups' worth of coffee below the visible area, inside the machine. That, combined with the grinder's heftier weight, makes it a chore to empty it if you want to change coffees (say, if a guest requests decaf). Not only do you have to turn this brute upside-down, but you also have to turn it every which way so that all the coffee inside the machine works its way out.

But these are minor quibbles. Overall, this is an excellent machine.

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I've had mine for about 6 months now. I use it to grind for a drip machine, and it grinds for about 16 cups every day. The motor seems to take it all in stride, and it's never sounded like it was under undue stress, so I'm puzzled by all the reviews reporting bad motors. I suspect, at least some of them, are really interlock problems. There are at least two of them: one is under the cup that collects the ground coffee. The other is under the hopper. If the cup or the hopper aren't properly seated, the motor is prevented from operating. This is a safety feature.

The flavor of coffee ground in a burr mill barely resembles that of beans chopped up in a grinder with spinning blades. The spinning blades keep hitting the coffee over and over, heating it up. If you watch, you will see the coffee turn a lighter shade of brown as it dries out. A burr mill spits the ground beans into a cup as soon as it's finished with them, and the grounds are the same shade as the beans were. The difference in flavor is tremendous, so recommending a burr mill, such as the cuisinart, is a no-brainer.

Update Jan 09, 2007: We've been grinding for about 16 cups per day for about a year now. Still going.

Update July 27, 2009: 3.5 years of faithful service, but I have to admit that I'm starting to get paranoid. This thing has done a lot of work, and something has got to be on the verge of going out. I'm addicted to my morning coffee (I drink it ALL morning), and I'd be in a bad way if I couldn't partake of my favorite bean. I'm considering buying another one as a back-up.

Update Feb. 5, 2011: 5 years, and still grinding.

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Monday, September 2, 2013

Keurig K75 Platinum Brewing System with Bonus 12 K-cups and Water Filter Kit -B70

Keurig K75 Single-Cup Home-Brewing System with Water Filter Kit, PlatinumNote: I purchased this ASIN: B000GTR2F6. I received this unit in its place though.

Unboxing:

Item was purchased from Amazon directly; Arrived triple boxed and in perfect condition. I was presently surprised to find a little note from Keurig stating I was amung the first to receive the new K-75 this seems to be a silent upgrade as the UPC, and printed box specs are for the current model B-70.

The unit was packaged securly with an instructional/promotional packet above the top piece of styrofoam that was 1/2 of a steady shell that surround the fully assembled unit. Packet contained a "Buy two get two free offer" for K-Cup packs if purchased from Keurig directly, the owners manual, and the surprise note mentioned above along with specials directions on how to install the included water filter.

Setup:

Setup was easy, and took less than ten minutes complete. (This includes the brewing of the first cup) I found the most difficult part of the process was installing the water filter into the unit, as it must be lowered into the units tank, and seated on an inlet hole towards the rear of the tank. I would say most people would not have an issue with this however, and fully blame my ape hands for the difficulty I encountered.

Use:

The unit was ready for its first brew about 4 minutes after turning it on. Prep is simple and consists of raising the front lever, dropping a K-cup into the hole, closing the lid, and hitting brew. Not much more to say about the possess, it just works. The one thing that did stand out is how quite this unit is from start to finish. It is not much louder that the Bunn pour over machine it replaced!

Misc:

This unit looks great with the blue LED lit tank, and matching buttons. The larger 75oz tank slightly reduces the drip try area as it extends past the base as a result of the larger size. This in no way hinders use of the unit.

The directions for the water filter say each filter pod should be changed every 60 tank fills or every two months; which seems more than reasonable as a three pod replacement pack is about $12.

Brews coffee as well as any of Keurig units I have tried, and water temp is accurate to within 1 degree of its set point measured at the very top of the stream coming out of the unit.

All in all I am very happy with this product, and as a result I just purchased another for my office.

Got this to replace an ailing Keurig B60 that got very slow and constantly displayed "descale." Several descales later, the problem remained. The brewer was less than four years old. Keurig advised that it was out of warranty, and offered $50.00 off a full price unit from their site. Took a pass.

This K75 was purchased at Costco; it came with 60 K-cups and a water filter. The water filter has a dial to set for the recommended 2 month replacement. We do use bottled water from our cooler, but did install the filter. It also came with the "my K-cup" insert that allows you to use regular coffee if you choose, which is a nice option for home use as it renders the coffee more economical. At 75 ounces, The water tank is larger than our old brewer. The K75 is very fast and the coffee is hotter than the old unit provided. There are 5 cup sizes available, from espresso to travel mug, which is a real plus. I will add that although Keurig refers to the size as "large" travel mug, it fills my travel mug 2/3 of the way. In order to brew the taller mug, you remove the bottom tray, very simple.

These brewers all have a fairly large "footprint", so you need approximately 11" of counter space.

In summary, Keurigs are great for an office environment where people drink different coffees and want to enjoy a hot, fresh cup of coffee. However, do not expect this unit to last more than 3 years. Keurig certainly doesn't.

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I just got the Keurig K75 at Costco with 60 K-Cups and My K-Cup reusable coffee filter for only 149.99. It's a great coffee maker, but if you are a Costco member, you might want to save the $30 and get the extras.

Read Best Reviews of Keurig K75 Platinum Brewing System with Bonus 12 K-cups and Water Filter Kit -B70 Here

This is my first experience with single cup serving and thus far it has been excellent. My wife and I rise in the morning at different times and we like different types of coffee. This brewing system makes those two factors non-issues. Here is my take on this product:

Documentation: Superb. This is like a throw-back to the days when excellent documentation was a given. In todays environment you either don't get any documentation or when you do get some it is on a playing card sized piece of cheapo paper and printed in an unreadable sub-miniature font size. Keurig provides booklets on quality paper with an easily read font size. The illustrations are clear and helpful. Information is clearly presented in an amazingly lucid format to provide maximum clarity. This is some of the best, if not the absolute best, doccumentation ever provided.

Set-up: The set-up guide provides 14 illustrated steps that are perfectly presented. The steps include unpacking the brewer, cleaning it, adding water, readig the screen and disposing the initial brewed water. These first 10 steps are labeled "Set-up preparation". The last four steps are labeled "Brew infusion" and cover the actual simplicity of brewing a cup of coffee.

Ownwer's Manual: This is a well illustrated document as well. It covers the various settings that are available such as setting the clock as well as programming brew temperature and brew size. Instructions are provided for brewing iced beverages and for brewing hot water for use in cooking, making cocoa and making soup. There is information for de-scaling and cleaning the brewer. There is a trouble shooting section as well. Everything is well written and easy to understand.

Shopping Guide: This in the same format and size as the previous two documents and provides a registration card and information about some offers and products from Keurig.

Brewer: I cannot in all honesty evaluate the quality of the material used to make this brewer because I am not a materials expert. I can, however, provide information on the performance. Adding water is a very simple task. There is a lid that can be raised and water poured into the canister very easily. I use bottled water which is a cinch to pour. Using bottled water eliminates the need for a filter, IMHO, so I don't iuse one. I am not suggesting that others do the same just that it is my personal preference. Brewing a cup of coffee is the epitome of simplicity. You raise a lever, place in a K-cup, lower the lever and push the BREW button. In less than a minute you have a cup of coffee of your choice in the size and temperature that you have preselected or have changed just prior to pushing the BREW button.

Summary: My wife and I are completely satisfied with this brewing system. It is easy to use, brews quickly, and provides for making the type of coffee that each of us prefers at the time we prefer. I have praised the documentation already but it is worth another kudo. This has proven to be an excellent product.

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My boyfriend got this for me as a gift and I absolutely love it! I hate having to make whole pots of coffee because I only like drinking one cup and it is such a waste. This is the perfect solution! It is super quick and easy to use. I also love the style of it. He got me the mocha color and it looks great! My favorite part of the whole model is the blue LED lights that light up the screen but they also light up the reserve tank. Love how it looks and works!!

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