Braun KF590 Impressions Digital 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
|
List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Braun KF590 Impressions Digital 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
Customer Review: Very pleased with the coffee. You don't have to use the filter.
Summary: 5 Stars
I decided to purchase a Braun coffeemaker after reading how Consumer Reports had rated the Aromaster KF400 their top choice. I would have chosen the KF400, but am one of those people who use the timer function on the coffeemaker so that fresh coffee is brewed just before I wake up in the morning. After some debate I decided on the KF590 and I have not been disappointed.
In the box you receive a coffeemaker, a gold-tone filter and Brita water filter.
I think that the coffeemaker makes a good cup of coffee. Not as good the French press I use when I have the time, but definitely good for a drip machine. Maybe it is the effect of gold-tone filter versus paper filters, but I taste much more distinct flavors in my coffee than my old machine. Overall I am very pleased with the coffee.
The KF590 is part of the Impressions line which won the Reddot design award in 2004 and it does look slick. However, some of the design looks better than it functions. For example, the lid of the carafe is plastic and it feels cheap and rattles about. The lid does not open all the way and so must be removed each time you clean the carafe. However, the lid snaps into place easily which is good.
To open the compartment for the grounds, you press a button on the top of the coffeemaker. The compartment swings open which is pretty slick until it gets stuck. I have found that it opens as it should only 15% of the time. However, when it gets stuck all it takes is a little pull and it swings open. Not a big deal, but could have been done better. However, one nice touch is that the compartment easily comes off for cleaning and is easy to put back on which is really nice for cleaning.
The coffeemaker uses a Brita water filter. However, since I already have filtered water, I was curious to see if it would work without a filter since I don't need to filter my water twice. The coffeemaker works fine without the filter which is good if you already have filtered water or you don't want to spend the $30 a year.
In summary, a good choice for good tasting drip coffee. There are some quirks, but nothing that will effect your use of the machine or your enjoyment of the coffee.
Customer Review: I want my old Braun back!
Summary: 2 Stars
After breaking several carafes on my 4 year old Braun (bad carafe design coupled with a clumsy user), I opted to move onto something completely new. I read all the reviews posted for this particular Braun and went for it.
Ergonomically, this is a sweet coffeemaker with one exception. It's compact (shorter than my previous one) and is very easy to set up and program. The quick-release button for the coffee filter is nice, and the water filter is a great extra, though my old one had that, too. The carafe fits securely in the coffeemaker and its handle is comfortable. The one negative is the carafe design. I thought all the folks on here complaining about the drippy pot were just fumbling around when pouring their coffee. Not so! Pour the coffee slowly, and you're fine. Pour it a bit quicker, and you'll have coffee all over the counter. I'm not sure how that managed to make it past the Braun design team.
But more importantly is what this coffeemaker produces, or doesn't produce. I'm big on rich robust coffee, but this coffeemaker isn't delivering. My first pot was virtually flavorless. So I modified how I made the coffee and tried again. No luck. I've gone from the gold filter to paper filters, to adjusting the coffee used, to changing coffee brands. What I get is coffee that seems to brew too quickly and with little flavor.
My previous Braun had a flavor setting which contolled the brew time. Too bad they took that feature off this model.
To be fair, I could have a slightly defective coffeemaker. Since many reviewers are indicating that this model makes great coffee, I'm a little suspicious about mine. But in the meantime, I'm going to order a replacement carafe for my old one and go back to the old tried and true.
Customer Review: Very Nice Coffee Maker
Summary: 5 Stars
Edit: June 2, 2008
Finding a KWF2 replacement water filter for this coffee maker at a reasonable price has turned out to be impossible. It's almost like Braun has decided to go another way and won't be supporting these coffee makers. If I could lower my 5 star review rating, I would. Anyway, it looks like I will start using the supplied adapter and water from my Brita filtered water pitcher when the original filter expires.
Original review:
These are my first impressions as I've only made 3 pots so far.
This coffee maker is easy to program, easy to operate, makes coffee very quickly. The carafe is a little smaller than most. It brews it hot and keeps it hot which helps maintain a drinkable temperature when chilled half and half is added. The coffee is very smooth and tasty.
It comes with a Braun KWF2 water filter that should be replaced every 70 brews. I believe they are priced around $5 apiece. The coffee maker comes with an adapter so it can operate without the water filter, but I think it makes better tasting coffee with it and also helps keep the lines ungunked. If these filters get too expensive or are hard to find, I have a Brita filtered pitcher and may just use water from that.
It comes with a reusable screen wire cone filter so that paper filters are not required. I plan on emptying the grounds immediately after brewing and rinsing the filter. This might not be required but I just don't thing all those wet grounds sitting in that fine mesh filter would be good for long term use. If the filter eventually becomes unusable, it can be replaced or paper filters can be used.
I'm very happy with this coffee maker. It blows my old Mr. Coffee away!
Customer Review: I don't know....
Summary: 3 Stars
I returned to the Braun brand, having spent a couple of years with a Krups knock-off I got free with an order of Gevalia Coffee. When the Gevalia maker developed an electrical short, that was it. Apparently two years was long enough for me to forget why I hated my last Braun.
The carafe is cheap. This one is only 10 cups, which okay, I knew up front. But it was hard to find a programmable 12 cup. I replaced the carafe from my last Braun 5 times in a year. My own fault? Maybe. But I never had this problem with any other coffee maker.
Other issues- The damn basket doesn't close without cajoling: The filter (gold reusable, comes with,) doesn't seat well and catches on the top of the maker. I hate this. It's tedious doesn't-work-right stuff like this that frays my last nerve. A few times I have turned the maker on and left the room to go do something else while the coffee brews, only to return and find the basket has swung open mid-brew, and there's 10 cups of brown water everywhere but in the pot. A few times this has happened. really. And not just to me, but when others make it as well. Making coffee shouldn't be this much work.
On the plus side the programmable feature is wonderbar- easy to use, easy to decipher and not easily screwed up (I was forever accidentally resetting the time, which in turn screwed up my brew time, on the Gevalia model.)
Shortly after one of the coffee-everywhere episodes, I went to a J.C.Penny Outlet and bought a Cooks model krups-kinda maker. It hasn't made it out of the box yet, but sits poised acrossed the kitchen, a threat to the Braun: "Clean up your act or I'll replace you..."
Customer Review: Disappointing over previous KF187
Summary: 3 Stars
I Purchased the Braun KF590 about 1.5 months ago and am disappointed with this coffee maker over Braun's previous 12 cup Flavor Select model KF185.
This model looks nice but falls short in certain areas. You have to position the gold filter in the basket just right or the basket will not close all the way. The previous model had a slot that lined the filter up and this model does not. You have to make sure that the Carafe is positioned just right on the warming base or the coffee will run down the back of the coffee Carafe. This is due to the pause lever not being compressed all the way and the coffee builds up in the basket and it does not drain into the Carafe. The filter basket is not secured as well as the previous model and sometimes when you swing it out it will fall off causing a mess with the coffee grounds. This machine also should not be called a 10 cup model either as it really is more like a 6 cup model. This model also does not have the brewing strength adjustment like the Model KF185 had. On the plus side it is compact but also that is why it does not brew as many cups. It seems to brew a good cup of coffee though and it is hot enough. Also the water filter and the gold fllter is the same as the KF185 which helped because i had some of these left over from my KF185. I only paid $44.00 for it or i would be even more disappointed with it. Also i noticed that none of the department stores carry the Braun coffee makers anymore so i wonder if that is because of a lower quality product. I am not sure if i will buy another Braun coffee maker again unless the raise they quality up to what it was.