Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this coffee maker as a gift for Christmas--before I read the reviews. Once I read them, Mr. Coffee already wrapped in silver gift paper, I considered taking it back. I didn't. I kept it, and it was definitely the right decision. Mr. Coffee was unwrapped on Christmas Eve so that the coffee could be timed and ready for Christmas Morning. I noted to the gift recipient that this gift might suck. I also noted that all the reviews were split fifty-fifty between "best thing ever" and "worthless crap I shouldn't have bothered with." My gift of Mr. Coffee-brewed morning coffee was an accompaniment to a new newspaper subscription, so I knew, at least, that if I was cleaning an inaugural coffee flood Christmas Morning, the gift recipient was entertained with news for long enough that I could whip out the French Press and present the "old way" coffee with my announcement that Mr. Coffee did indeed suck, just like half of the reviews stated. It's been five days of use now, and here's the deal. I suspected that user error was responsible for most of the "this is crap!" responses. And I think my experience can confirm that. Here are the key things that you are probably concerned with based on other feedback: 1. Will it explode and flood my counter, floor, rug, basement, or face? NO. There are three things that will cause a flood. One is not seating the water container correctly. Just like a humidifier, the water tank has to sit in the reservoir so that it makes a seal. If you put the tank in crooked, it doesn't seat properly. Then you get flood. If you put it straight in, no problem. Perfectly sealed water reservoir. The second is not emptying the carafe. If you poured new coffee into a full coffee mug, you'd get a flood. Same idea. Pretty simple. The third, which seems to be the most frustrating is the cracked carafe. Remember, this holds coffee at NEARLY BOILING for multiple hours in a vacuum. The inside of this thing is hot. And when you add a shift in temperature, even though it's metal, it still reacts. Since it's a manufactured component piece, temperature shock will stress the joints. I would guess that anyone who has rinsed the carafe before letting it completely cool might run into this problem. Not stressing the carafe out has kept mine working tip top. 2. Will my coffee be weak and lukewarm? NO. I have no thoughts on this except it's just not true. Somehow, perhaps it's the pressure, it seems to brew stronger with less. And the temperature, while I haven't taken a thermometer to it, is hot enough that adding cold milk doesn't make any less of hot beverage. Additionally, I'm not joking when I say that the thermal vacuum-sealed carafe keeps the coffee hotter than hot for over two hours. The machine recipient is the slow kind of coffee drinker. One that typically has a cold half-cup after some leisurely sipping. Not having to brew more coffee to keep it fresh and warm over the course of the day, or reheat in the microwave is really a treat. We went out and shoveled the cars and sidewalk the other day while the coffee sat snug in its carafe. Just like a fresh pot--hot and tasty, HOURS later. 3. Does it take eighty hours to pour a cup? NO. It's a slow pour. THE CARAFE IS VACUUM SEALED! It would defeat its heat-keeping magic if the top just opened up and poured like a milk carton. The top to the carafe is two inches thick to make sure that it stays sealed. Patience. The slow pour is there for a reason! The ONLY little thing about this: there may still be some left when you get to the bottom. But surprise! Open the top! It's just as hot and delicious as the rest! Basically, treat this machine as the sophisticated multi-part machine that it is, and it will do just fine. It's not the slam-the-carafe-into-the-hot-plate, don't-worry-about-the-dripping-it-doesn't-stain, type of machine. The water has its own tank. The filter purifies the water in a separate addition to the filter basket. The brewing mechanism makes a seal above the carafe, and the carafe stays sealed with perfectly hot coffee far longer than any other drinking container I've seen. So, do reconsider the major complaints posted in these reviews. If you need to keep coffee hot a long time, this is certainly the way to go. Oh yeah, and the timer works just fine. Additionally, I've always wondered who writes these things when they're lengthy. I've never had a product go so wrong that I wanted to save everyone else from repeating my frustration. But now I've written one, and for this one, I know, I was prepared to have bought something crappy because I didn't do my research. But then realized that a little time with the directions, and a little respect for what I had purchased and everything would be just fine. Unless I come back and amend this in a few days when I've thrown it out the window and put my name in the "Yes, it IS crap!" category, I would recommend this machine highly if it has the qualities that you're looking for. Don't go hating on the Mr. Coffee BVMC-PSTX91. Just understand it. And then enjoy the coffee you can brew together.