I'm not a coffee snob yet, but I'm working on it! That said, I have recently begun a foray into the world of excellent coffee, which for me included purchasing my first real espresso machine, a very good burr grinder and many different varieties of green coffee beans to learn the art of home roasting. There are some great sites out there that you can educate yourself on, and I recommend anyone who has even a passing interest in enjoying coffee to its full potential to check them out.
I needed to replace my drip maker anyway, so after trying a few brands that I found locally, and being disappointed in the results, I started looking online. Unfortunately, the holy-grail of home drip machines, the Technivorm, is way out of my price range, so I needed a machine that was better than most, for a reasonable price. Enter the Zojirushi.
Coffee needs to brew in the 195-205 temp range, but most home units don't get anywhere near that. I read that this unit did, and I can tell you what my results are from personal experience. I used two different digital thermometers, one a Polder and one an Accurite for my tests. When using very cold, fresh out of the tap, water (yes it's filtered, told you I'm becoming a snob!)my brew temps were in the 195-200 range, depending on which thermometer you believe. When I used room temp water, my brew temps were in the 204-209 range. Proof-positive that the machine delivers on its brew temp promise.
I always pre-heat the carafe with hot tap water before brewing, and my temp readings of the fresh brew in the carafe was 177-179. I haven't done a check of temp after any real length of time, because there's never any left in the carafe for very long! I have poured a still piping hot cup an hour and a half after brewing. Perhaps I'll do the temp test on that down the road.
As far as the #4 size filter issue that some reviewers mentioned. When I used a paper filter, it is a touch higher than the basket, but the brew head arm swings over top of the in place filter, and I had no issues concerning getting it to clear the top of the filter. I don't know why others said this was a problem for them. Perhaps it's the brand of filter. I used the Melitta brand. I also purchased a Medelco #4 permanent filter from Amazon at the same time, and it fits/works perfectly. It came shipped later than the maker which is why I bought the paper filters in the first place.
So far, the only thing wrong with the unit is the water level indicator. Other reviewers mentioned that theirs got stuck, and so did mine, like after the third or fourth use! No idea what the problem is, but the little float will not budge from the bottom. It's no biggie, though, because you can see the water level through the side window on the machine.
The unit is easy to clean since the entire brew basket lifts right off. (the top steel part in the picture).
I have not had the issue of the carafe lid getting stuck on as others mentioned. I just don't crank it down. In fact, I back it off just a hair before brewing. There are raised ridges all around the lid, so I would think you could get a good grip on it if need be. There is a carafe lid cover that can be used after brewing to help keep the coffee warmer longer, but I hardly use it since my coffee doesn't sit around for long. Some mentioned that you cannot fit the carafe back into place on the machine while this lid cover is on, but mine fits just fine. Just don't forget it's on, or you'll brew coffee all over the counter!
The unit is tall, but I've never had a maker that didn't need to be pulled out from under the cabinet to fill with water, so that's not an issue with me.
Overall, I really like this machine and its performance. I highly recommend it.Get more detail about Zojirushi EC-BD15 Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker.
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