Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

As did many other people, I really struggled to choose a new coffee maker once my 10yo Krups Aroma Control went toes up. I've only had this coffeemaker for a few days, but so far, I'm very satisfied with this purchase. First, it's a handsome machine that's easy to clean. ("No more rhymes now, I mean it....") I'm not sure if it's made of coated real metal or a plastic faux metal. Either way, it's a nice-looking machine that complements our other stainless steel appliances, and it's easy to wipe off fingerprints, etc. It also fits underneath our cabinets. Second, in the Amazon reviews of various coffeemakers, there's a lot of talk about whether the coffeemakers produce hot coffee. Those comments weren't very helpful to me, because I never knew what the users meant by "hot." So, I've measured and quantified the temperatures for you: [a] At the time that this coffeemaker is done brewing, the coffee has consistently been about 175 degrees F. To me, that's plenty hot. [b] When the hotplate is set to M, the coffee has consistently been 160 degrees F, which is exactly the temperature at which I prefer my coffee. [c] When the hotplate is set to H, the coffee has consistently been just under 180 degrees F. [d] I haven't tried to set the hotplate to L, because the coffee would presumably be less than 160 degrees F, which isn't as hot as I'd like. Third, the machine has produced good coffee. Much better than my Krups Aroma Control, and comparable to what you'd get at a coffee house. (I don't have a grinder, so I have my coffee pre-ground, which can affect the taste a bit.) Fourth, I can unquestionably taste the difference between the bold setting and the regular setting. I did a little taste test using exactly the same coffee, exactly the same amount of coffee, and exactly the same amount of water. And, there's zero question that the bold setting produced noticeably bolder coffee. Fifth, it's a user-friendly machine that's easy to set up, program, and use. The auto-brew feature, brew-pause feature, and auto-off feature have worked as advertised. Initially, the toughest part of using this machine was trying to figure out how to remove the lid from the carafe. :) Sixth, the machine beeps five times when it's done brewing. In my view, the beep isn't unduly loud or obnoxious: It's loud enough that when I've auto programmed the machine, I can faintly hear it in our bedroom on the opposite side of the house. However, it isn't loud enough to wake our baby (whose room is directly above the machine) or freak out our cat -- and when I'm in the kitchen, the beeping hasn't yet struck me as being too annoying. That said, I'm not sure why it isn't possible to turn the beep off, and I'm not sure why they chose five beeps instead of just one, two, or three. Seventh, the machine brews reasonably quickly. I usually brew 6 cups of coffee -- which yields two "real cups." From the time that I hit the "on" button until the fifth beep signal, it has taken about 6 minutes. Hope this helps, and best of luck with your decision.