When my old Krups AromaControl thermal carafe coffee maker gave its last gasp after 5+ years of service, I knew we did not want to go back to the glass carafe/burner model. After going through reviews for about 2 weeks, I settled on trying out this Zojirushi as it seemed to be the best bang for the buck.
It arrived tonight, I brewed a pot of water through it, and then logged on to print out the return paperwork.
Pros (from my limited use): It's aesthetically pleasing. It seemed to produce a very hot pot of water (I didn't stick a thermometer in it, but it seemed adequately hot).
Cons: 1) The Lid! Whoever designed this thing should take some courses in ergonomics! After brewing the pot of water, my girlfriend could not twist the lid to the pouring position. I could only open it with a towel covering it. Neither of us have arthritis or impaired use of our hands. The little teeth on the lid are just downright painful! I am certain that my Mother would never be able to pour herself a cup of coffee from this thing if she were visiting. I read other reviewers keep a jar opener or cloth near the pot to remedy this. I'm not willing to clutter up my counter top.
2) The height of the carafe was a minor issue for us. We typically get filtered water through the refrigerator door dispenser. This carafe is too tall to fit. I tried filling it at an angle, but could only get about 8 cups in it. Kind of a hassle. I know, the purists will gasp and say you shouldn't fill the reservoir with water from the carafe. Oh well. I'm just making Sumatra for the drive to work, not some rare roast that I'm going to sip, savor, and philosophize over.
3) Another minor complaint: In addition to the un-openable lid, there is a little cover that fits over the portion of the lid that coffee drains through during the brewing process. You put it on after removing the carafe from the coffeemaker, to prevent heat loss through those openings. I suspect this would be lost or misplaced rather quickly.
If not for the lid, I'd probably keep it. Not being able to pour the coffee defeats the purpose of the coffee maker. The search continues!
Update: The search is over. I settled on a Cuisinart Brew Central Thermal 12-cup. More pricey, and only seems to be available from that gigantic coffee shop chain, but it is a great coffee maker. It makes piping hot coffee, my Mom can pour coffee out of it, the carafe fits in the fridge door, and there is no little lid cover to get lost. Get more detail about Zojirushi EC-BD15 Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker.
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