The best value in Thermal Carafe Drip Coffee Makers, PERIOD!
Positive Product Points
HOT Coffee when Carafe is 'pre-heated' with hot water Clean up a breeze! Brew temp. is right on (190ish) BIG pot, 10 cups MEANS 10 cups Great flavor output
Negative Product Points
Little lid thingy was broken when I got it, waiting on another Carafe lid hurts your hands a little when unscrewing
Detailed Commentary
I'll join right in with a rave review about this product. This is a LARGE coffee pot, makes an extra cup or two over my old '10-cup' pot. Brew time takes about 8-10 minutes and the coffee is HOT, HOT, HOT! One thing I do to help that is put hot water in the carafe while I grind my beans and add filtered water to the unit. Once those are finished, I dump the carafe and start my brewing. I opted for a #4 gold cone filter (the new units use a #4 filter, NOT #3 as advertised - this makes it much easier for us Americans to find!) as I can't stand the paper taste. Gold filters can be picked up for between 10 and 20 bucks, look for SwissGold - they are the best. The carafe (when 'pre-heated') keeps coffee hot for hours and warm for many more. If I make a pot in the morning, it stays hot up until lunch and it's still warm in early afternoon and only takes 10-20 seconds in the microwave to get back to HOT. The nice thing about this coffee maker is it doesn't sit on that burner ALL DAY LONG and the last cup tastes almost as good as the first.
When I buy things I do research, lots and lots of research. I wanted the best value in Thermal Carafe coffee makers and this was it. I have been VERY happy and would gladly recommend to any friend. It makes a good tasting cup, hot as can be (brew temp is optimal at 190-195 degrees and after emailing Zojirushi (and testing), this brews at about 185-190 - just about PERFECT). I also had the little piece that goes on top of the lid come broken, after a quick email they are sending a replacement.
I saved a bit of money by purchasing from newegg.com and got it delivered within a week. Costco also sells these on-line.
If you are looking for a great thermal carafe coffee maker - you WILL NOT be disappointed.
-One VERY, VERY happy coffee drinker!
Buying Experience
Great experience from newegg.com, delivered cheaply and quickly. HIGHLY recommend!
Three Month Followup
After 3 months, I'm just as happy as the first day I got it. Zojirushi followed up with me and sent not one but two lid covers to me. The coffee tastes better than any other drip maker I've ever used or drank from.
I actually used a thermometer to test the brew temp, the water coming out of the 'sprayer' is right at 190 degrees F.
Day after day, pot after pot, this thing turns out great coffee (I do roast my own, so it's always FRESH). I have recommended to numerous friends and I will continue to do so!
