Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is our third one. Our first one lasted over 6 years and its replacement lasted about 5. For those of you that might be shocked that we would keep buying a thing that needs regular replacement, listen up: This machine allows you to load fresh whole coffee beans into it the night before and then it grinds and brews the coffee just before you wake up. No other manufacturer makes a machine that does this for the very reasonable price of around $100. Is it perfect? No. Is it simple to use? No. Does it require more maintenance and cleaning than a simple basket brewer? Yes. Does it have multiple moving parts that can wear out over time? Yes. Does it produce the absolute best cup of coffee that can be brewed? No. What it does do is to reliably produce a VERY good cup of fresh ground, fresh brewed coffee at a time of your choosing and keep the coffee relatively hot for a few hours without burning it. Most of the complaints I see about this coffeemaker seem to come from people that don't understand how tools with moving parts that perform multiple sequential processes actually work. With the advent of new technology, I think some of us are spoiled and think that you can just say "Alexa, I want my coffee ready at 6:45am and brew it from freshly ground coffee. Oh, and clean it up afterwards in case I want another pot." Doing the math, a hundred dollar coffeemaker that lasts 5 years and then dies, brews about 1800 pots of coffee with an equipment cost of about 5 1/2 cents per pot (about a penny per cup). I can live with that. I love this coffeemaker with all its quirks and issues but am forced to give it only 4 stars because Cuisinart needs to do some work on the lid. When it brews, the heat and moisture from the brewing basket are vented up through the grinder and into the lid. Over time, this causes the lid to warp (mostly from the spring-loaded switch on the grinder that presses against the RH side of the lid to make sure it's closed). I was able to buy more time on both machines by epoxying a tiny nail into the hollow tube that depresses the lockout switch, making it extend about 1/16" longer. Many people will be unable to do this. CUISINART: Fix the dang lid. I'm buying another but this is your last chance! All in all, this is one of the coolest and most versatile coffeemakers on the market today.