Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is a review for the Braun 12-Cup BrewSense Drip Coffeemaker. I'm the kind of guy who measures his coffee consumption in pots, not cups. And I like my coffee HOT. And I hate carafes that dribble. I've used cheap $14 pots and those that cost more than $100, and they all seem to have pros & cons. This unit has many more pros than cons. Reason for my review: My Bunn recently gave up the ghost (it saw a LOT of use), so I've been using the backup Gevalia machine my wife keeps in the pantry. The Bunn had no bells or whistles (no timer, no adjustable heat, no auto-off, etc), but made a fast pot. I happened to like that it didn't have an auto-off, as I'll get wrapped up in a task and come back in three hours expecting the coffee to be hot (I'm ex-Navy, I don't care if the coffee is well-cooked). The Gevalia I've been using has a 2-hour auto-off, which, frankly, irritates me. This Braun also has an auto-off, but you can adjust it -- from five minutes to five hours! (I use the five-hour option). Another feature I enjoy is the temp adjustment. I love my coffee to be hot, and this machine allows me to set the warming plate to hot! (there are three settings.) This machine has about the same footprint as the Gevalia, but it's MUCH easier to fill without spilling H20 as you do it. The opening where you add water is much wider. Also, there are tiered "steps" in the water reservoir to show you how much water you've added to get the right number of cups. Another big like is the brew speed. I get a 12-cup pot in exactly 10 minutes, but of course, if I don't want to wait, the machine lets you sneak a cup without dripping. Another plus is the size of the clock. Really big numbers!! Figuring out the mechanics takes a bit of study. You pretty much need to read the instructions, at least I needed to, because I didn't find things to be intuitive. Once you understand how the machine is wired, it's easy to use, but like I said, it's not exactly intuitive. Overall, for the past few weeks that I've been using this machine, I've been pleased as punch. I'm giving it 4.5 stars (mainly because the electronics require a bit of study before you can figure them out), but I love the fast brew, the fact that I can set a 5-hour auto-turn off, the fact that I can adjust the temp setting of the heat plate, and that I have a full 12-Cup pot ready to go in just 10 minutes. That's about 40% faster than the Gevalia, and almost as fast as the Bunn -- but I get a whole lot more control with this Braun. Bottom line, if you're looking for a well-designed, well-made machine that gives you plenty of controls AND a quick, HOT brew, I'm thinking this will serve you well. ***UPDATE (Jan 20, 2019)*** I've been using this machine for four months now and I remain as pleased a punch. This is the best coffee maker I've ever had, and I find myself recommending it to just about everyone who comes over to visit. Only one thing you might want to be aware of when making coffee with this machine: When you make a pot, you add the coffee & water, then press the "on" button followed by the "brew" button. And, if you want the machine to stay on for your chosen time (mine is 5 hours), you then press "auto off." (It will brew and stay on for five hours.) Because I make several pots per day, those buttons get pressed a lot. But after only four months, the words on those buttons are starting to wear off. Apparently the lettering is only on the surface, not engraved in the plastic. To stop the wear, I am now careful to press these buttons *under* the lettering. If you do this from the start, you won't have a problem with letters wearing off. AND, you will have a *great* coffee maker. :-)