Amazon Basics 5-Cup Coffee Maker with Reusable Filter – Black and Stainless Steel

Love this little coffee maker, perfect size for me. Makes 2 of my 10 – 12 oz mugs. Only problem is that I like my coffee hot and this isn’t. My first cup immediately after brewing is alright, but if there is a drip onto the heat plate when I pull the pot to pour that first cup, it doesn’t even sizzle a bit. I’m keeping it as a back up, or in case I have company and need more than 2 cups. I decided I wanted auto shut-off as well so went with a different machine.

This is of course a budget coffee maker, so nobody should really expect outstanding quality and despite the fancy fake stainless steel part at the front it is obviously a cheaply mass produced “made in China” product made entirely out of plastic. That being said it should still make some good coffee and while the coffee that comes out of this little coffee maker can indeed taste good (depends of course of the type or brand of the ground coffee used), the process of making the coffee comes with some drawbacks. In more detail: 1. Water leakage: The coffee maker can make 5 cups of coffee, but only when being filled right up to the rim with water. That high filling level however can cause water leakage, so water accumulates under and around the coffee maker, putting a paper towel under the coffee maker is recommended. 2. Drop in capacity: To avoid the water leakage issue mentioned above the solution is not filling the coffee maker up to the rim, so basically having the water not exceeding the “5” mark on the carafe. The brew process makes it then however a kind of “-1”, so although in the carafe you had the water at “5” when filling the coffee maker, the coffee that later comes out will be closer to the “4” mark. In essence, when trying to avoid the leakage issue the coffee maker is more a 4 cup brewer than a 5 cup brewer. 3. Heat or “Hotness”: People who like to drink their coffee piping hot may be disappointed. While the freshly brewed coffee does come out more or less sufficiently hot, it is not boiling hot at all. Very, very warm describes it probably better than “hot”. I like some creamer in my coffee and the creamer usually comes from the fridge and hence is cold. When I then pour a bit of creamer into the coffee it naturally makes it even less warm and it is then advised to drink the coffee quite quickly to still enjoy a somewhat warm coffee. Ok, this coffee maker is more of a budget friendly item for people who just want to try out a drip coffee here and there, but it is certainly no item for coffee enthusiasts or coffee connoisseurs. If you just need a coffee maker that does not break the bank and that helps you go through a pack of ground coffee you may have bought by accident or have been given as a gift, then this coffee maker might just be fine, but if you intend to drink hot drip coffee regularly then my recommendation would be to better invest some more money into a better coffee maker of higher quality.

The only problem I see with this coffee maker is that the filter basket screening material is very thin and it looks like it will wear out quickly. It does not feel or look durable at all. No beep when the coffee is done brewing either. For the price I guess it’s OK.

1. Delivery was same day even came at night. Perfect 5/5
2. Unwrap, first time use was easy, wide permanent filter easy. Perfect 5/5
3. Storage – makes 2 full coffee cups – perfect to share w friend. Perfect 5/5
4. Reload – almost perfect, one small flaw, glass is not super thick or temp change resilient. On repeat use convert from hot to cold water made the glass give an audible crack – worries me about temperature change resilience and durability of two 12 oz cups mini pot (which is nice convenience factor – perfectly sized). I looked for cracks. Didn’t find any. About 7 minutes to reload. 4/5
5. Cost. About the price of a high end ground bag of beans! Can’t beat this part. Perfect 5/5

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