Capresso MT500 Coffee Maker

Experts and owners agree that the Capresso MT500 is a very good thermal-carafe coffee maker, but it's expensive. Thermal carafes do a great job of preserving the flavor and temperature of brewed coffee, experts say. Some owners report problems with overflowing when the MT500's carafe is not lined up precisely on the base, and reviews say this problem gets worse over time. Other owners have difficulty pouring without drips, and still others say the coffee isn't hot enough to start with. But according to most, the one major drawback to the MT-500 is its high price. The Zojirushi Fresh Brew (*Est. $90) gets similar reviews and has a thermal carafe, plus it costs much less.

In addition to two professional comparative reviews, we found more than 150 owner-written ratings for the Capresso MT500 thermal-carafe coffee maker. The most detailed review is The Wall Street Journal's test of five coffee makers, where the Capresso is judged best overall. ConsumerReports.org includes the Capresso MT500 in its test of more than 30 coffee makers, but editors there don't go into much detail about individual machines.