Unusual method of making coffee. This machine is very efficient and requires less ground coffee than most machines. Small footprint. Comes with 100 filters.
Negative Product Points
It is difficult to make a consistant pot of coffee due to how sensitive this machine is to grind coarsness, tamping, and the amount of coffee used. When the 100 free filters run out, good luck buying new ones. You can either get ripped off by ordering some from Krups, or start cutting your own from cone filters. Also, I don't care for the burnt coffee aroma that is produces when the brewing cycle is complete (though you don't taste it in the cup).
Detailed Commentary
I've owned the Moka Brew for 2 weeks now and am finally learning how to make a good pot of coffee with it. If you do purchase this unit, don't make the same mistake I did-- just go ahead and buy a scale with it. You'll save a lot of wasted beans, because even small differences in the amount of coffee used in the brew can have a large impact on what you taste. But once you figure out how to use this machine, the coffee it produces is very good. The best way I can desbribe it is to say that the coffee is strong, but not so strong that it is bad.
As far as appearences go, I think this unit looks and feels very nice. I have found that chrome is a bit of a pain to keep clean, however. The carafe feels a bit on the thin side to me; i'm afraid it'll break after maybe a year or two. Cup markings on the side of the carafe are completely misleading: somewhere between 3 and 4 cups on the 8 cup scale is enough to fill up one normal sized mug, so don't expect to have enough coffee for more than 3 people per pot. The filter portion sits on top of the carafe, and is covered by the sprayer/lid. This may sound like a pain when you are trying to pour coffe, but it really isn't. Besides, the fact these aren't built into the machine makes then that much easier to clean.
I have no problems using this machine to make my daily cup, but let me say again you have to be very careful about measuring out the coffee you are going to put into the Moka brew. Just a little bit too much can produce a pot so strong that it's undrinkable.
Buying Experience
I got shipping for free, so I can't complain too much, but it did take forever to get here. Be prepared to wait at least 1-2 weeks if you take the free shipping deal with cooking.com.
