Water tank and filter covers and are discussed below.
Detailed Commentary
I've been a coffee hound for years but until recently, didn't realize what I had been missing in terms of a really good cup of coffee. I had been using a Braun drip maker until 9 months ago when it died and then purchased a Krups Arome Plus. Nice little maker but with some faults. Started researching to find a better machine and came across the CoffeGeek site. Realized the first thing I needed to do was purchase a decent quality grinder which made a significant positive difference. As an aside, the consumer reviews were invaluable in getting honest opinions and narrowing what was becoming an overwhelming task. I was looking for a solid quality maker in terms of hardware, coffee quality with ease of use as a lower priority. Decided to go with the Technivorm and opted for the glass carafe model based on numerous recommendations on Coffee Geek and other sites to not let the coffee sit and cook and I decant to a thermal container. Also opted to use a SwissGold FC-4 filter based on my previous experience with permanent filters.
Once the maker arrived, unpacked and carefully read the instructions as I wanted to get it right the first time and have a great cup of coffee. In putting the machine together, I was a little surpised at how the water pipe attaches to the machine. It is pressed on to what I believe is a silicon fitting. My expectation was that it would be a more permanent connection but I shrugged it off as if this were a problem, I'm sure it would have surfaced in prior reviews.
First pot of coffee was, in a word, outstanding! Not only was it a great cup of coffee but the brew time was fast. Subsequently purchased a multi-hole water pipe from Boyd's Coffee and it seemed to further improve the coffee quality.
Only areas that I recommend for improvement are the cover for the water tank and filter cover. I'd like to see the water tank cover hinged to the water tank. The filter cover is slightly oversized and sits loose on the filter holder. I'd recommend a snap closure of some type. These areas are very small though. This machine is extremely well made and solid.
I am very pleased with the overall quality of the machine and want to say thanks to CoffeeGeek and the previous reviewers of all the machines reviewed on the site, it made my decision much easier and saved a lot of time.
Buying Experience
Purchased from Dutch Bros Coffee. Site was easy to use, order placement very easy. Quick shipping. Purchased a pound of the Dutch Bros Private along with the machine and I recommend it.
Three Month Followup
I'm very pleased with this coffee maker have not had a bad pot of coffee with it yet. It has been used daily and on weekends at least twice a day and still looks brand new. I haven't had a single problem with it which is indicative of the quality that Technivorm puts into their machines. Friends have commented on the style (some really like it, some don't) but once they taste the coffee, style goes to the back of the line. It has proven easy to clean with vitually no maintenance. About a month after buying, I started using filtered water and it made a noticeable improvement to the already excellent coffee. I recommend this machine with no reservations whatsoever. It is more than worth it's price.
One Year Followup
After a year of daily use, it is still working perfectly. Looks brand new, including all of the removable parts. For brewed coffee, this machine can't be beat, same for quality and workmanship. I believe this is the last brewer I will ever need to buy. I am still very pleased with it.
