Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've had this for six weeks and it's exceeded my expectations. After years of replacing failing inexpensive drip coffeemakers with other inexpensive drip coffeemakers... that still failed too soon, I thought I'd try spending a bit more. First of all, it looks great; it has a clean, vaguely sci-fi look that sits well on our counter top, a nice example of good & thoughtful design that's easy on the eye. Second, it's nicely built & has a good solid feel. I'm particularly impressed by the carafe - the coffee stays hot for a long time; somebody put a lot of thought into its insulation. Most importantly of course is, "How does the coffee taste?" One of the crucial things about this machine, that sets it apart from run-of-the-mill drip coffeemakers, is its ability to have the water at the correct temperature when it hits the coffee. This extracts the flavors properly and gives you a really good brew. (It helps also to figure out that you need to use the right amount of coffee, and to grind it fresh in a burr grinder). Both gripes are minor: we wish it had a higher capacity; it can do eight cups but we'd prefer 12 (this could be a constraint of its standard filter basket size), & we'd also like to see the frequently-used buttons given more prominence over the others. Overall: highly recommended. Update: We've had it nine months in now and it's still performing very well. Just a general recommendation to follow that commandment of coffee making: "Thou shalt keep the thing clean." I noticed some off-flavors and realized I'd allowed the inside of the carafe to build up with black deposits of coffee varnish. Washing with a brush & dish soap had not been enough. So I dissolved a little dishwasher detergent in some very hot water and let it sit for an hour. This dissolved the gunk. After a thorough rinse-out it was clean & the coffee is back to tasting great. Update 2: Based on others' recommendations, I bought some Bunn flat-bottom basket paper filters (BCF100-B 100-Count). They fit well and, for those who prefer the "cleaner/smoother" taste of paper-filtered coffee, these are a good bet. Arguably the Behmor/paper-filter combination gets you close to the goodness of a properly-executed Chemex brew, but with less hassle. (Coming up to 14 months with the Brazen Plus and it's still performing very well) Update 3: It’s now 2 1/2 years, since I bought the Brazen Plus and it’s still performing well - no reliability problems - still using the Bunn paper filters. I’ve learned to pay heed to the Brazen Tip Sheet/FAQs, as well as the Brewing Temperature Guide, both are on the behmor.com support page. The only gripe is the design of the carafe lid & splashy pour spout referenced by other reviewers, but that’s easily outweighed by the excellence and reliability of this coffeemaker. The rules for making great coffee are simple: 1) Use decent beans fresh-ground in a burr grinder 2) Have the water hit that just-ground coffee at the correct temperature for the correct duration 3) Drink it fresh 4) Keep the gear clean. Run-of-the-mill coffeemakers fail on Rule 2). The Brazen Plus succeeds, & I still highly recommend it.