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Customer
Reviews
Customer Review
#1
"After my fifth Cuisinart Grind
and Brew Coffee maker (3 different models)
stopped functioning I decided on choosing a
different brand. There were no reviews so I
crossed my fingers and hoped that Krups worked
out the kinks with this new model. I had to
wait 2 months for the coffee maker as it was
ordered before it was released and I am so
happy to say that the 2 month wait was MORE
THEN worth it!!
Pros:
Quality Construction:
This unit is sturdy and heavier then the other
grind and brews that I have owned. It appears
to be well constructed. The hinges on the water
canister are plastic but I don't see them
breaking off anytime in the future. The basket
handle also feels light, but only time will
tell with that part. Also the plastic top on
the carafe feels "heavy duty" (all 5 of the
lids on my previous coffee makers' carafes lost
their connector pegs within a few months and I
had to purchase replacements that did the same
thing). The levers all appear sturdy and are
easy to move. The levers all catch and hold on
the first attempt as well.
Ease of Use:
Super easy to set up and program! I love the
fact that there are not multiple pieces that
need to be cleaned and then replaced before and
after brewing. The aroma setting really does
make a difference when making small batches
(2-4 cups) of coffee!
Noise:
I was surprised how quite this machine is
compared to the other grind and brews. The loud
grinder of the coffee pot would wake me up
before my alarm would go off on my previous
pots and I slept right through this one!
Appearance:
The coffee maker looks like a quality piece of
kitchen equipment. It is a bit bigger then I
thought it would be, but its size gives it a
presence on the counter. The LCD displays a ton
of information and adds to it's "high tech"
appearance.
Function:
Everything is contained! The way the machine is
made allows for the grinds to go directly into
the basket without them falling into the water
reservoir! The other review mentions that they
had grinds on the counter, but we did not
experience this as we only had a few grains
that were easily wiped off (ours is set to one
dot before the biggest grind). We have not
experience any jamming of the automatic lid -
it closes by itself and functions properly.
Taste:
One of the best cups of coffee I have had in a
long time! I love that you can program the
strength of the coffee and after brewing a few
test pots - we could easily see that this
function really works and is not a gimmick! The
coffee was the perfect temperature! The
automatic shut off will shut the idle pot off
after two hours, but I think you can just hit
the "On" button to start the warmer plate up
again (Not sure about this yet).
Clean Up:
If you have owned one of the multiple piece
grind and brew machines you will love the ease
of clean up on this one!!! Basically, you clean
out the removable filter holder. The clear
plastic that shoots the grounds into the filter
basket is removable for cleaning, but it does
not have to be removed and cleaned after each
use! How cool is that!
Extras:
The water filter in the bottom of the coffee
pot is a nice touch and I love that you can
program the coffee maker to tell you when it is
time to change it. The smile face on the the
LCD display is just too cute!
I wish.....
I wish it stored more coffee then it does as I
was hoping to avoid purchasing another coffee
canister. You will still need to purchase or
use an airtight canister. NOT a big deal at
all!
I wish the clock was able to be programed in
regular time (it is in military time). There
may be a way to change this, but I have yet to
figure it out.
So for now, it is a 5 Star Coffee Maker for me!
We have made 5 pots of coffee so far and all
were consistent. I will come back and edit the
review as time goes on if things change.
Obviously after using the Cuisinart Grind and
Brews for years the tiny flaws of this machine
are easy to overlook! Right now I highly
recommend this machine because of its
appearance, ease of use, construction and
wonderful tasting coffee!!!
***********************************************************************
UPDATE: After three months of perfect use the
grinder stopped working. One morning it just
wouldn't go on. I tried everything. I called
Krups and they told me to ship it to one of
their work centers and I should get a new one
in two weeks.... it has been a month and I
still do not have a coffee maker. I am so sad
because this machine worked really REALLY well.
Maybe my problem was a fluke. I hope anyway. I
am very disappointed."
- Actual review from
Amazon.com
Customer Review #2
"When our old
Cuisinart Grind and Brew bit the dust (the unit
would go dead many times during a brewing cycle
and need a restart), I researched the options.
Conical burr grinder, many options for brew
strengths and quality, etc., convinced me to
buy one despite some of the negative
reviews.
Product arrived promptly, in perfect condition.
My wife (the non-technical one among us) set it
up after reading the manual. Everything worked
perfectly! Best cup of coffee in years!
When I read the manual, it became obvious that
every one of the complaints about the machine
were the cause of not reading the manual
completely. The failure of the cover to close
for brewing is because the basket is not set in
properly using the handle according to the
manual. Generic mesh filters will also present
proper motion. Grounds dispersal is caused by
not latching the cover, per the manual, all the
way back. There is a description of the two
brewing settings for manual and for automatic.
It is all in the manual!
So, read the manual before that great cup of
coffee . . . that way you will get the great
cup of coffee.
And I don't even have to mention: the relative
quiet of the machine compared to a blade
grinder; the ease of daily cleanup compared
with the Cuisinart (about 1000% easier); use of
less coffee to produce the proper strength cup
(saving money); the proper brewing and serving
temperatures; and more.
[OK - it is now mid-May, 2008, and my love for
this machine has only grown. The ease of
cleaning (as compared to my previous Cuisinart
Grind and Brew) is worth the price!!!! BUT,
actually this machine will pay for itself in
less than a year! How? To get a satisfactory,
actually a near-perfect cup of coffee, this
machine uses about half the quantity of beans
as compared with other brewing machine. I
figure at about 10 months the amount I will
have saved on coffee beans will have paid for
this purchase.]"
- Actual review from Amazon.com
Customer Review #3
"I purchased
this looking for the perfect solution of
convenience and great coffee, however, didn't
end up with either.
First- I had the similar problem to several
other reviewers. After grinding the coffee, the
machine proceeds to SPRAY THE GROUNDS ALL OVER
THE COUNTER. I would say 30% of what was ground
never made it into the basket.
Looking closely at the system - there is a lid
which you latch open prior to brewing; the lid
being open allows the grounds to go from the
grinder into the basket. There is a small hatch
on a spring mechanism which opens when the lid
opens. I soon noticed that THE HATCH IS NOT ALL
THE WAY OPEN WHEN GRINDING. This directs the
grounds at a 30-45 degree angle sideways, and
is why the grounds end up on the counter.
Looking closer, it appears that the lid on my
machine does not quite open all the way, and
clicks back just enough to partially close the
little hatch. If I stand there and hold the lid
open, the hatch opens straight down.
I investigated both a floor model and another
boxed version in a retail store, and BOTH had
the same problem. Speaking to Krups customer
service, they offered to have me ship my model
to them for repair (at my expense, and taking 5
weeks). Given that this is a new model and I am
not the only one with this problem, I am
presuming that poor design will cause other
problems down the road, and am returning this;
I'll try the new Cuisinart next.
The coffee was reasonably good; the flavor was
full and complex, although not quite hot enough
by my standards. But given the design flaw, it
will go back."
- Actual review from Amazon.com
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