Great coffee on the cheap; cheaply made and a non user friendly design.
Positive Product Points
Brews at very high temp Excellent hot plate heat management Striking appearance
Negative Product Points
Very flimsy and cheap Chinese construction Difficult to clean carafe Difficult to see clock and controls Rather difficult to fill water reservoir
Detailed Commentary
After reading so many superlative reviews on this machine, I picked one up at Costco for only $35. It does indeed brew at a very high temperature; I logged it with a digital thermometer @ 210 degrees F. This proved too hot for the grind I was using and gave a distinctly burnt taste. After changing my grind setting to a finer grind it yielded a good flavor. If you want to leave the carafe on the hot plate, it manages the heat better than most. But you get what you pay for. The filter basket holder feels ready to break off at any moment and it is not happy with SwissGold permanent filters; there is an integral lift handle that the permanent filter has to be squeezed under. The carafe is tall and has a narrow opening which requires a bottle brush to clean; the handle and carafe drip spout are integral so water always drips down the sides from beneath this configuration. The reservoir fills through a little hatch and the tall machine has to be pulled out and carefully filled. The technology behind this machine is very good, but the physical design reeks of form before function and proved so irritating finally that I hauled out my Philips Essence which brews hot and is wisely designed and solidly constructed (in Holland).
Buying Experience
Costco is Costco; kind of a miserable shopping experience. I've had this thing too long to return, but I know if I wanted to endure the lines they would probably take it back.
