Mr. Coffee BVMC-PSTX95 10-Cup Optimal Brew Thermal Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel

>>> SUMMARY <<<I am sometimes a picky, critical person. I research products carefully before I purchase. I love this coffee machine/pot, and would certainly recommend it to my friends or family. It reliably and easily makes good coffee, and it does it for a decent price. I will probably buy this pot or a very similar pot to replace it some day. Coming from me, that’s a pretty strong endorsement.I have thoroughly reviewed many aspects of the machine below.>>> MACHINE DESCRIPTION <<<This Mr. Coffee is a reasonably good looking coffee machine, combining stainless steel with black and clear plastic. The machine (with carafe in its nesting place) is about 14.5” high X 9.5” wide X 11” deep. The space required to use it [without moving it] is larger though, because of the carafe, reservoir, and filter/grounds basket. The carafe handle sticks out about 2” beyond the base (making the full depth from back of machine to front of carafe handle about 13”); to remove the water reservoir and the coffee basket, one needs about 8” of extra space — I have an 18” wide space on my counter between the paper tower dispenser and the wall, and it is just barely enough room to remove/replace the water reservoir and coffee basket without having to move the machine. Because the coffee basket is so high on the machine, our toaster fits snugly between the coffee machine and wall, so there’s no wasted space!The water reservoir is removable and holds enough water for 10 “cups” of coffee. Most people recognize that the concept of cups has been ridiculously misrepresented by the coffee machine companies. For this particular machine, 10 cups (max fill on the reservoir) is about 46oz (of brewed coffee). The reservoir itself is about 50oz, the carafe can hold about 48, but due to losses during brewing, (steam, soaking into the grounds/filter, etc) a full pot is about 46oz.>>> USING THE MACHINE <<<I appreciate that the water reservoir is removable. I find it much easier to fill than previous coffee machines that have the reservoir built in to the machine (this is especially useful for machines that will be placed under other cabinetry).It is very easy to fill the reservoir, add the coffee filter and coffee, and set up the clock and delay timer. I’ve been using Melitta Super Premium coffee filters (8-12 cup) and they’ve been working great.>>> PERFORMANCE DATA <<<One of the important aspects of a coffee machine is the performance data. I attempted to quantify several aspects of the machine/use.> Brew TemperatureA full pot of coffee measures about 177F just after completing the brewing process, and drops about 5.4F/hr. This means after seven hours the coffee in the carafe is still at 139F, still an acceptable temperature for my coffee (I realize this is not necessarily good enough for everyone, but it’s perfectly fine for me!). And because there is no hot plate (just a well insulated thermal carafe), the coffee tastes just as good seven hours later (no burned coffee!).> Brew TimeThe first drop falls at about 30s, the last drop falls at about 7m. If you’re extremely impatient or addicted, the first 10oz is done in about 100s and the brew pause feature allows you to pour off your fix without spilling much more than a drop.> Pour TimeThe thermal carafe design is great for keeping coffee warm without requiring additional energy input and without burning your coffee, but there is a trade-off: a restriction on the pour spout. It’s not the end of the world, but it reduces flow rate, meaning you must be patient when pouring. The pot empties at about 1.25oz/s, so the whole pot will be empty in about a minute. But for those of you who are eager to get your first 10oz of the day, waiting 12 seconds to get from the carafe to your cup can feel like an eternity. Take a deep breath; relax. It’s OK.> Costs OverviewTrying to account for every piece of the puzzle, I came in at just under $1/pot. Pretty good! So coffee from this machine will cost about $0.021/oz; compare this to a 20oz Starbucks coffee ($2.35, or $0.117/oz). If you use this machine to replace only one cup of Starbucks coffee per week, it will pay for itself after one year ($0.99/pot/week * 52 weeks + $71/machine = $122 = $2.35/ Starbucks 20oz * 52 weeks). If you use it to replace one cup of Starbucks per weekday, it will pay for itself in about 11 weeks and you’ll save $284 in the first year. If you and a friend are each using a full pot (46oz) to replace two every-weekday Starbucks coffees, you’ll save over $500 in the first year.> Cost DetailsMy cost analysis (to come up with $0.99/pot) included coffee filters, coffee grounds, electricity, water, and the water filter discs, based on whatever I paid for these things (or to order replacements). By far the biggest expense was coffee ($0.93; I purchased 126 1.5-2oz bags of coffee — perfect for a full pot — from coffeeforless.com for $115, which included shipping). The coffee filters, filter discs, and electricity needed to brew a full pot (0.14kWh) are each about $0.02. I used tap water, which, on a per pot basis, is essentially free ($0.0016/pot)> SoundsI roughly characterized the sounds made by the machine using my cell phone. The percolating noises were about the same as a quiet conversation. The [4 kHz] beep to signal the end of the brew cycle is about 10-15 dB above the percolation noises. Not too loud, but if you’re trying to maintain a perfectly serene household, it may bother you.>>> THINGS OTHER PEOPLE SAY <<<1. Some other reviewers suggested that they needed to use two filters or more coffee to get the right brew, but that hasn’t been an issue for me. I’ve been using two filters anyway, because I prefer my coffee quite strong, but I’ve tried it with one filter and it produced a good cup of coffee.2. Some other reviewers have told tales of spilled coffee or clogged machines — this hasn’t been an issue for me (well, not often anyway; see below). Before I prep the coffee to brew, I shake the carafe and/or open, empty, and rinse the carafe to be sure it is empty.3. Some other reviewers have mentioned a harsh and thick plastic smell that it took a long time to subdue. I agree that there was a plastic smell, and I took care to brew full pots of water, vinegar, water, coffee, water through the machine (in my garage) before bringing it into my house and using it for the first pot. But I think that might have been overkill. Some people will probably not notice any plastic flavor on their first pot, and some people will probably complain of plastic flavor incessantly; for me it has only produced delicious coffee.>>> FEATURE WISH-LIST <<<1. I wish I could turn off the beeps at brew completion and two hours after brew completion. They’re not very loud, but I find them unnecessary and would rather do without them.2. A pot fullness indicator. I understand the desire to keep the stainless carafe well sealed — introducing a window into the side of the carafe would greatly compromise carafe mechanical integrity, ability to retain heat, and aesthetic. But perhaps this feature could be implemented in another way to at least provide some indication of what’s in the pot without having to pick it up, shake it, take off the top and look inside, etc. (maybe a force sensor underneath that compares the weight of the carafe vs that of an empty carafe, and uses the difference to calculate the amount of fluid in the carafe and display that on a digital meter on the side of the machine?).3. An automatic shut-off with a full pot! I read about a few mishaps others had, and lied to myself that I would never have the problem of leaving something in the pot and accidentally overfilling it. But one day I forgot to check the pot to make sure it was empty before starting a brew. And it overflowed. And it was 100% my fault. But it sure would be nice if the pot could somehow sense that the pot was nearing over-flow, and automatically stop/pause the brew. Perhaps a good feature to combine with the pot fullness indicator discussed above?

This model was the best coffee maker I’ve ever owned. It lasted for 8 years with daily use and regular cleaning. So when it finally died I bought the same model for a replacement.Positives: Great seller. Package shipped promptly and delivered early. The display is brighter than before. The cord is shorter which I appreciate. There seem to be improvements on the connection between the water tank and the machine. There are improvements in the programming method for time delayed brewing. I never really use that.m feature. Coffee brews quickly.Possible negatives: (after side by side comparison with the old machine) The construction materials are far less substantial. The overall housing and spout that drips into the carafe feel thin and flimsy. It strikes me as a cost reduction on the construction of the unit. Carafe is lighter and less substantial than the last one. (But the coffee does stay warm for a good amount of time after brewing) The previous machine I owned was built like a brick s**thouse. But the price point is still in the same range as last time. So, still big money for a coffee maker, but a far less substantial build. Maybe these are lower volume units so Mr. Coffee chose to maximize the margin from each one.I’m staying with the 5 star review for now because I was so happy with the last one. I don’t know yet if the flimsier construction will have any meaningful impact on how the machine functions. I will update this review down the road. If you don’t see an update then the machine is working fine.

Arrived promptly. I really love it so far. Its pleasing to the eye, doesnt take up much counter space and can fit under the cupboards. After my last few coffee makers I really wanted one that was easy to use, maintain and clean. This one fits the bill. The removable water reservoir works great, but I can see where the small tab at the top that holds it in place may be snapped as other reviewers said, so I'm being careful with seating it each time properly. The grounds/filter holder is on the right side and it also is easy to remove, clean and use. You have the option of using a separately sold permanent filter or paper, i prefer paper.The control panel seems to have extra buttons just to make it look smarter, like who will need to toggle on/off the light intensity of the clock display? also the clock could have been put under one button instead of having the min/hour right there for you to accidentally press as you turn on the machine. I also dont need a display to count down last brew time. but these are little quibbles and not worth mentioning really.This is my 1st thermal coffee maker and so far im very impressed. The instructions did not mention the carafe at all, on how to maintain, use etc I managed to fumble my way thru.. In the past I kept my coffee warm by keeping the heating plate on during the day or using a microwave. My 1st cup of coffee with this machine was a full hour and half after brewing and it was still burning hot. Love that!. The coffee was rich, smooth, with no grounds, cloudiness or bitterness.There is a strong plastic smell still in the thermal jug, I cleaned according to instructions with soap, water and ran 3 pots of water thru the machine prior but its still there. It does flavor the coffee a bit but I have hopes that it will go away promptly. Others have mentioned the loudness of the machine and it does make a bit of noise during the short 4-6 minute brew time, the alarms for signaling finish were not loud at all, just 3 chimes. I did not have dripping issues with the carafe. I have concerns about the charcoal filter remaining wet in the closed grounds compartment and getting moldy but I already know that I will not continue with the filter once the free one is gone.i really like this maker, glad i got it. will update as time goes by on how it holds up.*updateits been months now and I adore this coffee maker, its very easy to use and clean. I no longer use the insert for chlorine and that makes using filters even easier. very well designed appliance