Just about every other drip machine at one time or another
Bottom Line:
Brews well, good coffee!
Positive Product Points
This is the only drip machine I've owned that brews at proper temps. You can remove the shower head and use the included spring to descale the line between the boiler and basket.
Negative Product Points
It is prone to "blooms" with the filter basket overflowing onto the counter, especially when using very fresh coffee. I suspect this is due to the quick brew time. It brews a little fast, but you really can't use extra coffee as some suggest, due to the bloom problem. A little more complicated to clean and descale, due to the boiler.
Detailed Commentary
I purchased this coffee maker nearly 6 years ago. At the time, I was primarily drinking drip coffee, making an occasional cappucino with a steam toy. I replaced a Black and Decker under the counter drip maker with the Bunn, and was absolutely blown away by the flavor difference of the coffee. My primary purpose for buying the unit was to speed up my morning routine, but the improved coffee is why I continue to use it.
It brews in approximatley 6 minutes. The brew temperature in the basket is in the range of 192 - 200 F. From a cold start, it takes approximately 20 minutes to heat up. It should not be left on without brewing for more than two days. I left it on for a week without using on one ocassion, and the boiler appeared to have lost about 1/2 of it's one gallon (?) heated water in the reservoir.
It is trickier to descale and clean than a non-boiler drip maker. After introducing the cleaner to the boiler, you have to run 10+ pots of water through to completely purge it.
It really doesn't seem all that heavy duty, with plastic body and basket, but I have had it in constant use for 6 years, and it's still going strong, so I suppose it is well made.
I would have given up drip coffee a long time ago, if not for this machine.
Buying Experience
Picked it up on a routine shopping trip at Wal-Mart.
