Zojirushi Fresh Brew Review

What the reviewers like:
During testing at The Wall Street Journal, the Zojirushi Fresh Brew thermal-carafe coffee maker was the best at keeping coffee hottest -- and coffee still tasted fresh after four hours. Owners say the Zojirushi has a simple design, is easy to clean and care for and is relatively quiet. Many also like the look of this coffee maker.

What the reviewers don't like:
Though reviews say the Zojirushi Fresh Brew is the best budget thermal-carafe coffeemaker, it does receive a smattering of complaints from owners about the placement of its controls, which are on the side instead of on the front. Several owner/reviewers also complain that the Zojirushi coffee maker's carafe lid is hard to remove and the pour spout is too small -- meaning you must pour slowly.

Zojirushi Fresh Brew review highlights

While reviews say the Zojirushi Fresh Brew generally ranks higher than most other thermal-carafe coffee makers, it isn't as highly rated as the Capresso MT500 (*est. $170), which gets the best reviews in this category. Most reviews say the case for the Zojirushi Fresh Brew is mostly as a "best value" coffee maker, if you want a thermal-carafe model that keeps the coffee fresher while keeping it hot. While the Zojirushi Fresh Brew is well liked overall, some owners complain that the controls are hard to reach and that the carafe's spout is too small, making it a bit harder to pour.

For judging how the Zojirushi Fresh Brew coffee maker stacks up against the competition, we found the most credible review at The Wall Street Journal, which has a detailed, five-model, head-to-head test of thermal-carafe coffee makers. The next most credible test report we found is from Consumer Reports, but we rated their review below The Wall Street Journal's test because editors don't discuss the Zojirushi Fresh Brew in depth. More importantly, tested coffee makers at Consumer Reports aren't rated on the taste of the coffee. After that, we assessed the consensus of hundreds of owner-written ratings for the Zojirushi Fresh Brew coffee maker at Amazon.com. Other sources for owner reviews include Epinions, CoffeeGeek.com, Target.com and Cooking.com.

Also see full report: Coffee Makers

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. The Wall Street Journal
Warming Up to Thermal Coffee-Makers
Melissa Schorr
May 19, 2006

Editor Melissa Schorr enlists three Seattle-area coffee-roasting experts to help taste-test coffee from five thermal-carafe coffee makers. Models are also tested for temperature retention after four hours. Although the Capresso MT500 is judged best overall, the Zojirushi coffee maker is notable for keeping coffee hottest after four hours, and testers said the coffee still tasted fresh after that time.

2. Consumer Reports
Coffeemakers
Editors of Consumer Reports
Jan. 2007

Consumer Reports' latest report on coffee makers included coverage of 34 drip coffee makers. Models are rated on convenience, brewing ability and carafe design. Interestingly, editors don't appear to evaluate the taste or temperature of the coffee.

3. Amazon.com
Zojirushi Fresh Brew reviews
Contributors to Amazon.com

Amazon.com is a great source for owner-written reviews of coffee makers, and we found a wider variety of comments posted here than at Epinions. The Zojirushi coffee maker gets almost 200 mainly favorable responses from posters who like its reasonable price, temperature retention and unbreakable carafe. Some owners say the spout is too small and the lid is too hard to remove. Some didn't like the flavor of the coffee, but others say coffee tastes great.

4. CoffeeGeek.com
Zojirushi Fresh Brew reviews
Contributors to CoffeeGeek.com

About 30 owners have left detailed comments for the Zojirushi Fresh Brew coffee maker on this site for coffee and espresso connoisseurs. Most rate it highly, saying that the coffee maker is a good value and that it keeps coffee hot. Others complain about the side-mounted controls and the screw-on carafe lid.

5. Epinions
Zojirushi Fresh Brew ratings
Contributors to Epinions

There are a few reviews here for the Zojirushi Fresh Brew coffee maker. Most owners say the Zojirushi coffee maker makes great coffee and keeps it hot for a long time. One owner complains about durability.

6. Target.com
Zojirushi Fresh Brew reviews
Contributors to Target.com

Most of the dozen or so owners posting comments here are very happy with their Zojirushi coffee maker. A couple of owners say they worry about long-term durability, and one owner complains of a leak problem.

7. Cooking.com
Zojirushi Fresh Brew ratings
Contributors to Cooking.com

At the time of our visit, there was only one review here for the Zojirushi Fresh Brew coffee maker -- from an owner whose machine leaked on arrival.

Also see full report: Coffee Makers

Zojirushi Fresh Brew Review