Coffee Maker Review

Some coffee makers get mixed reviews

ConsumerReports.org reviews more coffee makers than any other professional review source. Its latest update covers about 30 automatic-drip coffee makers, including some models with thermal carafes. Cook's Illustrated tests eight inexpensive auto-drip coffee makers and eight auto-drip coffee makers with thermal carafes. What the Cook's Illustrated's review lacks in quantity, it makes up for by describing coffee makers far more thoroughly than ConsumerReports.org. Editors rate each coffee maker on brewing temperature, brewing time, build quality and ease of use, along with flavor. Good Housekeeping also has a recent test of 15 programmable coffee makers, but only the top four are briefly highlighted.

Owner-written reviews at Cooking.com and Amazon.com proved extremely helpful, particularly because owners can comment on long-term reliability and features that prove useful or annoying over time.

Several coffee makers -- especially basic models -- earn high ratings in professional testing, but get lackluster reviews from owners. The Black & Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM2000 (*Est. $25), for example, gets some good expert reviews, but owner reviews at Amazon.com are mixed, with some owners saying the metal burner can rust and the thermal fuse can blow out.

Ratings for Mr. Coffee coffee makers are also all over the map. Although we read great reviews for some models, particularly for the Mr. Coffee JWX27 (*Est. $40), we also read negative owner-written reviews of some other models, including the Mr. Coffee TFTX85 (*Est. $55), a thermal-carafe model. Owners at Amazon.com voice a range of complaints, from tepid coffee to lengthy brew times to breakdowns. The Mr. Coffee VBX23 (*Est. $35) is recommended by Cook's Illustrated, but owners say it's hard to fill the water reservoir and the carafe is poorly designed.

The Hamilton Beach BrewStation Deluxe 47454 (*Est. $75) brews 12 cups at a time, but holds coffee in reserve for on-demand dispensing. Although this feature prevents coffee from scorching on a hot plate, owners posting to Amazon.com say that the plastic holding tank imparts an unpleasant flavor. We also read reports of leakage. Editors at Cook's Illustrated also had trouble with the Hamilton Beach BrewStation Plus 47686H. It doesn't brew into a carafe, and the "landing pad" for your cup is small, so you have to hold the cup while dispensing, which editors say is "definitely not intuitive."

One comparison test gives the DeLonghi DCF212T (*Est. $60) a high performance grade, but at Amazon.com, dozens of owners give it mixed reviews. Many report that brewed coffee spills onto the burner. We also read complaints that it brews too slowly.

Another winner in expert testing, the grinder/brewer Mr. Coffee GBX23 Grind and Brew (*Est. $85), earns a below-average rating in more than 25 reviews posted to Amazon.com. Owners say that the coffee tastes weak and the grinder is extremely noisy. What's more, the coffee grinder's capacity is small, reviews indicate.

Another coffee grinder/brewer combo, the Cuisinart Grind and Brew DGB-700BC (*Est. $155), brews delicious coffee -- when it works. The grinder failed twice in expert testing. Owners posting to Amazon.com give this coffee maker decent reviews but many owners complain that the filter basket refuses to stay in place, and the chute leading from the grinder to the filter basket can become clogged with coffee grounds.