Timer for fresh ground coffee; non-drip carafe; 12-cup capacity; good brewing temperature
Negative Product Points
Only allows "medium" grind; spring-loaded basket; no easy way to know how much coffee to use to make less than 12-cups (I just always make 12)
Detailed Commentary
We've had this machine for almost 1 year now and use it at least once a day. It's held up quite well. It's not too hard to clean (sponge and sink sprayer and it's quick work), but I always clean it ahead of time so that it'll be dry (and I don't have to bother to dry it). It makes a wonderful cup of coffee for us. Keep in mind, I always make 12 cups and fill the grinder basket to overflowing. Because the grinder mechanism grinds and pushes the coffee out at the same time, it doesn't really give a fine enough grind to get coffee that you "can stand your spoon in". We use darker roasts to get as much flavor from the grind it does provide. I haven't a clue how to make less than 12 cups. I suppose lots of trial and error would suffice, but I honestly haven't needed to bother. I do use more coffee than before (either I'd grind it ahead of time or use my Krups mill), but the fresh ground coffee is worth it.
Many years ago, I purchased a Toshiba My Cafe 8-cup grind and brew machine. Totally different implementation of this idea. It worked fairly well until the grinder motor went out. This machine brews better coffee and has the advantage of brewing 12 cups.
The only thing I really don't like about this machine is the little button on the left-hand side which pops open the basket. Ours hasn't given us any problems, but I can see that the spring-loaded mechanism was totally not necessary and could be prone to problems. In short, a great machine for freshly ground coffee in the morning.
Buying Experience
Bought at Mervyn's on sale. Walked in; walked out with the machine.
Three Month Followup
As I suspected, the spring loaded basket has been a problem. If you're not VERY careful, it will pop the basket out while grinding, making a HUGE mess. We took the entire machine to the sink and hosed it out with the sink sprayer so the spring seems to be working better, but I still triple-check that the latch will not pop out (not fun before your first cup of coffee in the morning). Still brews good coffee and haven't had any other problems.
