Braun KF510-WH AromaDeluxe 10-Cup Coffeemaker, White
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Braun KF510-WH AromaDeluxe 10-Cup Coffeemaker, White
Customer Review: Excellent Coffee
Summary: 5 Stars
This seems to be a disappearing coffee maker which is unfortunate. I have been using a Mr. Coffee which has performed adequately, but I have always favored a Braun coffee maker and decided to seek out a relatively low cost alternative to my present maker. I was surprised to find so few of this particular model available for sale since I found it capable of brewing outstanding coffee right out of the box.
This model, KF510, comes with a Britta water filter which fits into an opening at the bottom of the water tank. The stated purpose is to remove chlorine and prevent calcium build up. Should you choose not to use the filter there is an additional piece of similar size and shape to plug the opening. However, since I do not rely on the pre-determined markings from either the coffee maker or the pot, but measure more precisely, I found it is unnecessary to use either piece. The filter would probably be somewhat effective if you live in an area with hard water, but since we already use RO filtered water, the included filter was redundant.
Amazingly, Braun states that their pre-determined markings equate to 4.4 oz cups. I'm not sure what planet this company is from, but I've never been served, other than at my daughters' imaginary tea parties when they were five years old, a four ounce cup of coffee. I use one standard coffee measure to each eight ounces of water and find the results to be excellent.
Another interesting note: This disappearing coffee maker was available from very few outlets. I purchased it from dollarsays, a new player in the Amazon marketplace and was pleased with their service. I paid fifty dollars. The pot was also available from Braun's own outlet store for one hundred and fifty dollars. Go figure.
For a moderately priced coffee maker from a very reliable brand, you can not go wrong. I'm just not sure how much longer this model will be around.
Customer Review: lukewarm coffee
Summary: 1 Stars
We're not connoisseurs, but we drink coffee every day and have certain, fairly reasonable expectations. Hot coffee would be nice. But we're having the same problem here as experienced by some other reviewers: we've had this model for a couple of months, but as the days go by the coffee is less and less hot right out of the maker. It is for that, and for nothing else, that we're rating this with a one. Lukewarm coffee does not have a point for us. If you manage to get one that makes hot coffee, it seems like it would otherwise be a pretty decent deal. We already filter our water, so we don't care about the built-in; and we didn't have too much trouble reading the water level through the blue plastic window (though it certainly could have been made more transparent). Overall, to be fair, we have to admit that the general quality of low- to mid-price cone-filter coffeemakers has plummeted. It seems like it shouldn't that hard to find a decent coffeemaker--one that you can keep around for more than a couple of months. That said, there's still no way we can give more than one star for an almost-new coffeemaker that can't make *hot* coffee.
Update: Their customer service is handled in India, and when I called, a semi-friendly woman informed me that to have the coffeemaker examined under warranty I would have to pack it up and mail it to an "authorized" dealer/repair facility--at, of course, our own expense (which appears to be about eight dollars, based on the shipping weight posted on Amazon). Repair of such a disposable-feeling product as this seems highly improbable, and since Braun's customer service was very careful not to give me much hope of a replacement, we probably won't bother. Nor will we ever purchase a Braun product again.
Customer Review: So far so good... now it's been over two years... GREAT MACHINE
Summary: 5 Stars
I've made a pot of coffee this morning. I am very happy with it. It's not gadgety. I just want to put the filter in and the coffee, the water, flip a switch and not wait three years to drink. It's pretty fast too. It comes with a brita water filter that goes in the machine to prevent calcification. The instructions explain how vinegar decalcifies so that it can brew at the rate of one cup a minute.
Very nice item and also aesthetically pleasing. Has a cute on/off switch that lights up and the carafe is adorable. The handle is a non-slip handle. It is hollow and has a little hole at the bottom so water does not collect in it.
The coffee was perfect except that if you want five cups put a little more water than five. Some is lost to steam but I've found that is universal in coffee makers.
ETA: I bought this in May of '08 and it's still working and perfect as of November 11, 2010. What I've found is something amazing. I dropped my carafe and it didn't break or chip. I would buy this again and again.
Oh and I just measure the water in the carafe now. I no longer use the filter or the space holder inside. It broke right away. Still five stars.
Customer Review: Excellent for the price
Summary: 4 Stars
When I finally gave up on my previous 4-cup Cuisinart, I looked around for a few weeks for a good, cheap machine that is also programmable - but apparently it doesn't exist. So instead, I went with this Braun machine (in white, which complements my kitchen) and have been very pleased with it for the two weeks I've had it. The difference was immediate from my last machine in that the coffee actually tastes like... well, coffee, which may be largely because of the water filter in the machine that takes out impurities from tap water. It comes without a manual but is very easy to use. It brews quickly and keeps the carafe nice and warm without scorching the coffee in the process as some machines do.
The only downsides so far seem to be: 1) If you have low kitchen cabinets like I do, it's a little unwieldy for reaching in the back to pour in water (but I just use a smaller cup to pour it in and that works fine); and 2) I would have liked a machine with clock and programmable options. But that's just me being picky - other than that, I would definitely recommend this machine to anyone looking for a low-priced, no-frills coffee machine.
Customer Review: Read me
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't understand why they didn't include a gold tone filter. Maybe because it was already cheap, yet you have to go out and buy that separately for an additional $10.
Other than that, I think this coffee maker is great. There's a better version than this, the one that comes with a timer. I don't think you would need a timer if you're the type who wakes up in the morning, grinds their beans and pours it into this thing right away. For those of you who have extra cash to burn, go ahead and buy the one with the timer for an additional $20. This coffee maker does not have an auto-off feature. Who needs it if you're making a cup of coffee for yourself? Just pour it and turn it off.
I used to have a Cuisinart Grind and Brew, and it's a POS. Bought that product twice in less than a month thinking that it might be a bad coffee maker.. It was just a POS coffee maker. I grind my beans separately using the Krups grinder. This is probably the best combo for coffee bean lovers! Save your money and get this with the Krups Grinder. =)