 Terrific product! |
| Review Date: December 12, 2007 |
| Reviewer: K2ofCU, Urbana, IL USA |
This is replacing a 4 cup Melitta coffeemaker (couldn't find a replacement carafe that would fit the brewer, which sat atop the pot).
This appealed to me in that this product has the following good features:
1) no pot/carafe to crack or clean
2) no waste (since you didn't have to brew 1-3 cups to get 1 decent sized mug + waste)
3) no hot plate/pot to turn off - nothing to worry about if you started a brew and then were unexpectedly called away or forgot about it
4) no paper filters required (but see below)
5) looks interesting - doesn't look like a coffee maker, takes up less space on counter, easier to keep clean.
I read some reviews - good and bad- and decided to get it anyway. AM SO GLAD I DID- I REALLY LIKE THIS THING!
Reasons: 1)-4) above, plus:
5) water resevoir + filter assembly is dishwasher safe (top rack)
6) capability of using pods (I wasn't about to buy an expensive 'pod-processor', so this is a very nice 'perk' - pun intended! ;o)
Very easy- load it up, walk away, come back to beverage. Lovely!
Some tips to head off any/all problems-
1) Read the manual. Hey, things happen, but really - use COLD WATER ONLY.
2) If brewing multiple cups- WAIT AT LEAST 30 SECS after light goes off before starting another brew. To be safe, I wait a full minute- have not had any problems.
3) I could see the potential for 'filter fouling', so I buy generic #4 Melitta filters (huge pack can be bought for <$2/pk) (& since #1s are almost impossible to find/expensive). I cut them down to fit the little filter basket, and I can go back n forth from tea to coffee to hot cocoa to soup without carryover effects (dump out coffee & rinse assembly after coffee).
4) Be careful with pushing down on plastic parts- again- read the manual. You might have to double-check to be sure that the water resevoir is pushed in all the way some times (it happened to me once). Use the handle/flap assembly to open/close the filter assembly - this is covered in the manual.
I agree- it would be nice if this were made more robustly (less plastic), and I do worry about the ability to get a replacement brew basket if need be. But I paid less than $20 for this (at Meijer), so can't complain.
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What? You don't need 10 cups of coffee when you get up?
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| Review Date: July 25, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Dan B., Virginia |
I have owned and used this product on a daily basis for almost 6 months now.
If you're anything like me, you enjoy a cup of coffee to help wake up in the morning. Notice I didn't say 12, or 10, or 8, or 4, or even 2 cups. Is it really that crazy of an idea to have a cheap coffee maker that can make only the ONE cup you want to drink? I was writhing over reviews of the 2-cup/2-travel mug coffee makers and their problems when I found this one. My thoughts: Looks cheap. Price IS cheap. Must be cheap. But there's little else, so... I guess I'll try it. Needless to say, I have accepted this little guy into my family.
Pros:
-One cup, no waste. You can make a cup with 8 to 14 oz. of water measured in the creatively graduated water reservoir. You pour water in until you see the water touch the inverted steps for each size cup. This is very helpful in filling either a traditional coffee mug or a larger travel mug. You also use much less coffee (a tablespoon or two) per day, so your coffee will last longer.
-Speaking of travel mugs... the slide-out pedestal for a mug can be removed or pushed in to allow more clearance for a travel mug. Otherwise the pedestal helps keep a mug close to eliminate any splashing.
-Everything is washable. I simply dump out my grinds and rinse the basket and pour spout in the sink. Once every month or so I stick them in the dishwasher (with the pedestal, too).
-Robust. Yeah, it's plastic, but it's no slouch. I use mine daily and haven't once felt like I was going to break anything. I keep mine next to the stove so it catches some splatter, and it wipes clean very easily.
Cons
-No timer. Not that I really need one, since it makes a cup in 2-3 minutes, but I guess some people really don't want to wait when they get up. All you do is push the button down, let it work, then it automatically shuts off. If you need to shut it off in the middle, though... be prepared to unplug it. That's your only option (even the manual says so).
-Questionable permanent metal filter. My first couple weeks I felt like there was too much sediment in my coffee (you know, that texture that you get in the bottom of a big pot sometimes). I was pretty turned off by it, leaving the last few sips. The solution? Since they don't make paper filters that small, I just bought a pack of the traditional basket filters and cut out circles to fit. A pair of kitchen shears can do at least 20 at a time. Now I make my coffee with a paper filter inside the metal basket and voila--no more sediment!
Hope that information helps. I don't review often, but I've recommended it to friends and felt like this would help the next person take the plunge. |
Exactly what I was looking for
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| Review Date: September 16, 2007 |
| Reviewer: J. Sohn, |
I work from home, and I'm the only one in my house who drinks coffee. I was tired of making a big pot that would get stale or thrown out, and instant just isn't as good.
This is perfect. It takes less time to make coffee with this machine than it did to microwave water for instant coffee. I love that it uses a permanent filter, instead of paper (like some other single-use coffee makers do). I don't even need to use a measuring spoon for the coffee. It makes the coffee really hot the way I like it, and clean-up is super easy. I only have to rinse out the filter and put my mug in the dishwasher.
I also like that it works with pods, if I decide one day to try them. |
just what i needed :)
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| Review Date: January 30, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Smeggy, Collingswood NJ |
I'm a tea drinker mostly, but sometimes i enjoy having a nice cup of coffee. I needed something that could brew one cup at a time. This machine is perfect. It isn't messy, there are no drips or leakage on my countertop. I used fresh ground coffee not a pod, so i don't know if the pods work well in this machine but the coffee grounds did. I found the permanent filter to be adequate although i may purchase disposable filters for this & use the insert in my tea cup. It's a very fine mesh that seems like it would be a great loose leaf tea strainer. but I won't use the machine for making tea, for that i will continue to use my electric kettle. (because tea leaves need to steep for several minutes, not just have hot water poured over them for a second)
The temperature is perfect for me, although i know some people like their coffee to be scalding hot. I prefer mine just hot enough to be drinkable, which is how my coffee came out. So i am pleased with the results.
I noticed that i can't simply fill the water & turn the machine on again (if it just ran through a brew cycle). It won't stay turned on until i open & close the top part where you add coffee. Once i did this it would turn on & start the brewing process. I guess it's meant to be a reminder that you didn't add your coffee yet. But if you want to re-use grinds it seems an unnecessary step.
The only other thing i'd like to note is that before using for the first time i had to run filtered water through 4 times instead of the recommended 2 times. There was a plastic/chemical odor in the water that came out. After 2 runs through it was still detectable. after 4 runs through i didn't smell it anymore & felt safe brewing up a cup of joe. :) |
Does everything is says it can
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| Review Date: September 24, 2007 |
| Reviewer: C. Matthews, Boston, MA |
| We picked this up the other day and it is fantastic. It really can use pods, bagged tea, and loose tea or coffee and can handle them all perfectly! It can make up to 14 ounces at a time and has an adjustable shelf to hold a coffee mug or travel mug. Ours will be getting a lot of use in the future. |
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