A good product that is worth the money. Always read the instruction manual.
Positive Product Points
It is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye while maintaining a sense of practicality to its controls. No amusing gadgets such as flavor select or water purfication devices. The carafe is stainless steel, strong and easy to be wielded as a defensive weapon. (See Details Below)
Negative Product Points
- Too Tall - Expensive compared to other makers - Hard to clean inside the carafe if you have large hands without a scrub on a stick
Detailed Commentary
I purchased this device on Mother's Day special from Starbucks for 98 dollars (not including tax and shipping). I had read several previous reviews for this product and could not find many problems that I felt were huge problems.
The first thing that impacted me was how large this device was. It might cause some problems for a small kitchen. The carafe took a lot of the room, while the removeable water container was tall. Parts seem sturdy and well built and I have few concerns over reliability. The carafe is well built stainlessless with a plastic handle that is easy to handle. The thermos lid is easily secured and appears to be able to last a couple years. I envisioned a potential use of this strong and sturdy carafe by using it as a defensive weapon. Filled with hot water an individual can spray the intruder with hot water (or coffee) then proceed to bang the scorched intruder with the blunt instrument. =D
The machine brews fast and brews very well with a showerhead set that involves one large spray nozzel surrounded by a couple smaller ones. The filter (No. 4) can be bought almost anywhere and there is a stainless steel mesh filter avaliable (made in Switzerland) from Starbucks.com.
The complaints that other reviews included were evaluated and the only I could agree with were 1) Hard to clean if the owner has large hands 2) Expensive 3) Too tall.
Besides for that, some claims about too cold coffee etc etc seemed to be an non-issue and the carafe never really dripped or leaked. Although the leak and drip issue could be due to improper placement of the carafe during the brewing process. (The handle shave to line up to the midpoint of the machine)
The time works well and is easy to program. Ah~ a nice aroma to wake up to.
btw... READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL... esp newbies who do not understand the concept of seasoning.
(Update As Of August 1, 2002)
- The machine also serves a very good water boiler for you who drink tea and other drinks. It heats the water up very quickly and I have to say the only time when the coffee didnt turn out as I expected was because of the beans. No problem with the machine so far.
