Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I previously owned the older model of this coffee maker, the Breville YouBrew (BREBDC600XL). After having some issues with that model including weak coffee on any setting, as well as lukewarm coffee at best, I was lucky enough to get my hands on the YouBrew's big brother (or sister?). I can confidently say that Breville has carefully considered all the feedback they received from the previous model and made sure to correct/tweak it in this new and improved beast of a machine. The shape and size of the machine is just about identical to that of the old one - except for the little grinder adjustment knob on the top that adds about an inch to the top of the bean chamber where it is located. I will address the previous model's issues and then explain how they have been corrected. 1. Cold brewing temperature: In the Grind Control, Breville (according to information from their engineering team) has redesigned their heating element for the water and also relocated it to a more suitable location where the sensor for the water temperature can accurately pick up the date ensuring that you do get the 200 degrees F brewing temperature required for a great tasting, HOT cup. It also seems the twist-on lid of the thermal carafe has been modified slightly to fit more snugly and create a better seal. I'm not sure if this has any effect, but it would make sense as even the slightest gap in the lid can result in much quicker temperature loss than most would suspect. This is definitely no longer an issue! 2. Weak coffee: Breville has added in adjustable burrs within the grinder to this new model. Now, there is a knob on the top of the bean chamber to adjust the grind coarser or finer so that you are able to obtain the best grind size to ensure coffee is bold, flavourful, but never bitter. Additionally, the machine still boasts an adjustable "strength control" which ultimately just increases the ratio of coffee grounds to water for stronger coffee and vice versa for weaker coffee. What else is great about this brewer? Breville has totally redesigned the already simple LCD panel - which is actually useful and more than a boring old clock to make it greater than ever. The display clearly states, how much water is in the internal tank (and you don't have to brew all the water out of it like traditional coffee machines either), the strength settings, selected service size (cups for carafe mode, and ounces for single cup). It also allows access to the menu for setting the clock, brew completion signal (low,high, or off) and auto start function (optional). In the menu you can also access the calibration function; this allows the grinder to come on for 10 seconds. After, the amount of coffee ground is weighed, and inputted into the menu using the strength knob. The brewer then recalculates the grinder timer to obtain the correct grinds to water ratio. This is important since all types,origins, and roasts of coffee will always grind differently - it is a good idea to calibrate every time you switch coffee bean brands/types. The machine brews up to 12 cups of great tasting coffee (or 8 if brewing on the top 3 strongest settings) as it would overflow with grounds if trying to brew the full 12 cups on this setting. It will not allow the grinder to start if in a Monday morning haze it gets attempted. It displays a nice little "!" icon and a bold warning "OVERFLOW" allowing the necessary adjustments to be made. Otherwise, you simply select how many cups you would like, the strength by dealing the knob from setting 1-8 (Breville recommends 4 for a medium strength coffee) but you can go up or down based on preference. Next is the single cup mode. A simple press of the carafe/single cup knob switches right over to the single cup mode. Simply remove the thermal carafe and put in your favourite cup/travel mug (there is even a removable drip tray if you love a big cup like me. You twist the cups dial to select the size of your mug (or a bit less if adding cream/sugar) from 8oz up to 20oz in 2oz increments. Press start and the water preheats, and then the interesting part begins. Since brewing a single cup uses little water, it is hard for the water to take up all the flavour and extract from the grinds if it just drips through. So the coffee enters a steeping mode where it mixes in the brew basket and steeps like a french press or tea would. After a couple minutes, the basket opens up and the full bodied coffee drips out just as good as if 12 cups had been brewed into the carafe. Now you can relax and enjoy that piping hot cup of coffee. Inside the box: Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker, User's manual, Quick start guide, tips and techniques booklet, thermal carafe, and gold tone permanent filter (can also use 8-10 cup flat bottom paper filters). PROS: -Brews hot coffee at 200 degrees as required by specialty coffee associations (I measured it to be at 183 degrees after brewing in the carafe which I DID NOT preheat which is well within the ideal serving temperature of 175-190 degrees. -Thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for about 3 hours and quite warm for about 6 - no scorching from a heating element. -Can brew a single cup or up to 12 cups in the carafe. -Adjustable grind size for optimal flavour. -Adjustable strength settings if you like it weak or wildly strong. -Large capacity, 1/2 pound bean hopper. -Grinder is at least 50% more quiet than the previous YouBrew model. -Easy-to-use USEFUL LCD panel. -Nice, sleek, modern appearance. -Simple to clean, remove and wash the brew basket (and included gold tone filter if used). Also, wipe down the bean chute/stopper disc every week or so. -Beans are ground immediately prior to brewing resulting in the best possible flavour and aroma. CONS: -A bit slow to steep on the single cup mode as opposed to carafe (about 6 minutes for all the sizes) but well worth it. It's no slower than a regular drip machine would be to brew the same amount of coffee. I'm not even sure I'd call this a con. I highly recommend this machine to anyone who enjoys a great, full-bodied hot cup of coffee with minimal work required to get there.