Excellent....errr, maybe not
Really great machine! Coffee is HOT, and flavor is outstanding, never bitter and no funny aftertaste, this really lets the flavor come through. Although I like the design of the Hamilton Beach Scoop better, this KA makes a better tasting cup - I had them both side by side for a week and picked the KA, and returned the HB. I think the cone shaped filter and the showerhead design gives this machine what the HB Scoop lacks - evenly soaked grounds and a nice bold flavor from the cone design vs. the flat bottom HB filter. Build quality seems okay, and the design works quite well - no complaints. I use 5 tbsp's for 16oz. and it's just right. I didn't care for the thermal mug that came with it, seemed to introduce a plastic taste. I found a 16oz Mr. Coffee "Traverse" ceramic travel mug that fits this machine perfectly and this combo is equal to, if not better than anything I get when buying coffee out vs. making it at home, and I'm extremely picky about that.
Edit - 3 machines...
A great single serve brewer for a great price
Purchased mine directly from KitchenAid.
I have been on the hunt for a single server brewer that doesn't use those awful Keurig pods. I want to use my own, home roasted coffee and I'm picky about water temperature, spray head design, etc. I'm a coffee professional working in the Specialty Coffee industry. I live a breathe coffee every day. I prefer manual brew methods, but at 7am I want a good cup without the fuss. This brewer has impressed me in that role for sure.
This brewer has really fit the bill. The water gets up to the required 200 degrees, the shower head design disperses the water evenly across the bed of coffee, and it brews quickly through a nicely designed brew basket and gold tone filter.
The gold tone filter works quite well. I would avoid paper. Aside from the waste, paper filters soak up a lot of the volatile oils in the coffee that provide so much of the flavor - especially in the body of the coffee. The metal filter allows...
Very Disappointing
I have three other "Empire Red" KitchenAid products, & I like the rest of them a lot, so I very much wanted to like this coffee maker as well. Unfortunately, this item is a big disappointment in several ways. Here are the Pros & Cons that I have found:
Pros-
1. it looks very nice, the color is great, & it matches other KitchenAid products
2. it comes with a matching mug which has a large 18 oz. capacity
3. it beeps when it's finished brewing your coffee
4. the water canister is removable for filling from a tap
5. the cord retracts into the base while in use (or not), for a neater, less cluttered look
Cons-
1. first & foremost, it makes a lousy cup of coffee. I tested it by using the same coffee I always use, the same grind, the same quantity, & the same cup. For some reason unknown to me, the coffee comes out WEAKER than using identical coffee, grind, & cup in either a...
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