Customer Reviews

Bodum 3004-582USA Mini Electric Santos, Teal

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We normally love the Bodum products but this one is a good design but poorly manufactured. We have sold several of them and the seals leak into the electrical wiring below in the pot. Never was a saftey issue just leaked all the time! Too much hassle to get them replaced so we refunded monies.

I am pretty particular about coffee and I have owned about 6 different units in the past two years of varying price and quality. This maker is the best by far... The other complaints I read about it being difficult to clean or overflowing, I have not found to be a problem. The unit will overflow if you overfill (past the 5cup line) the pot.

It really makes a beautiful cup of coffee. It is like night and day versus the very expensive cuisinart maker I bought.

I'm so sad you can't get these any more! They made the BEST coffee. I first used one in France, and went online at my hotel to order it from Amazon. It was waiting for me when I arrived home! My friends loved watching it brew the coffee, but were even more impressed with the final product. This will definitely be missed!

This unit was made for Starbucks by Bodum a long ago and sold for around $180.00.

It is unique and a lot of fun for everyone to watch at all age ranges (and an observable science fair project). However after the first couple of months the uniqueness goes away and all that is left is a coffee maker.

The simple process works like this. Fill the pot with water. Place the pot on the "base." (What is hard to understand by the photos is that it sits on a "base." That base provides the electrical power, timer, etc. Once the coffee is brewed you can "immediately" remove the pot and place it on top of any surface since the bottom remains cool.)

Place the "funnel" thing into the top of the pot. It has a fat rubber gasket and fits like a cork in a bottle. Install the filter (if not already installed) in the funnel.

Place the coffee (or tea, as it works great for tea... even loose tea) in the empty funnel and turn the machine on.

The water heats to the point that it starts bubbling all the way into the top funnel. There is only about two tablespoons still left in the pot. These bubbles (percolates) for a long time. The machine then reduces the heat in the heating element and the vacuum pulls the water back into the bottom.

Some say it gives a little taste of espresso. I suspect it is that vacuum pulling of the hot water through the coffee grounds at a pressure (negative pressure) that may enhance the taste.

This is one of the fastest coffee makers that I've ever owned. And it doesn't seem to make much difference if you are making a few cups or a lot.

The good thing about it besides the taste is that you can immediately go from the brewed coffee to placing the pot on any surface. It's cool to the touch at the bottom.

There are a few negative things and the reason I didn't give it a full 5 start rating. It could be a hazard when "re-heating" the water/coffee. You "always" want to put the funnel on top when heating. IOW, you don't want to just boil water. This thing boils water faster than anything you've ever seen and without the top, and a full pot, it will boil over and it boils over violently. The more that is lost the more it seems to boil even higher.

Here is where it becomes tricky and probably not good to have near children. Let's say you took the pot off base and forgot it. The coffee is now cold. You place it back on the base and turn it on. DON'T leave the room because it will do one of two things. It will detect that you have a pot full of slightly warm coffee and it will reheat it, OR, it will think you are starting a new brewing process which most likely will overrun. When it overruns it actually is closer to a "spray" and splatters on everything.

The other complaint is something that I overcame within the first couple of months of owing this thing. It is hard to clean. Forget about getting your hand inside the pot. A brush will work, and I have used it... with a long handle. But the very best thing to use is a teaspoon of automatic dishwasher soap.

Be sure to put the funnel on the top. Remove the filter (wash it by hand). Run it through one cycle. Rinse both out. Then complete another cycle with fresh water. It cleans everything and makes the metal heater inside the pot as shiny as the day it was new.

In the 4 years I only had to replace the nylon filter once. It was expensive but it beats the paper filters hands-down. Also this filter is a little tricky to detect that it is bad. It breaks around the edges near the outside plastic ring. You will only notice that you are getting a few grounds in the coffee and it keeps progressing day after day. Even looking at the filter isn't noticeable and you have to closely examine it and do some pressing to see that it no longer seals around the outside edge.

It makes very hot coffee and keeps it hot. I don't happen to like very hot coffee so I immediately take it off the base. However, this is really a great feature for those that like hot coffee. The pot keeps the coffee hot when not on the base for a long time. Since it is made of a high temperature plastic material it works like insulation.

You can forget about the top flap. It is designed to pop off so it can't be damaged. However it pops off so often that you'll probably remove it and never use it again.

The reason I'm on here today is after 4 years, mine finally died. While this is a unique device, the heating element is even more unique. It is very high tech and new technology. It doesn't heat anymore and replacement is the whole bottom of the inside of the pot.

However, this time I think I will try a different coffee maker. Not because I didn't like this one but just to try something different. I will never go back to paper filters again, however.

I bought the large (12 cup)Bodum and it broke in 2 weeks! But just loved the flavor of the coffee!(You almost can't make a bad cup of coffee with this machine)! So when I saw the mini version, I thought it would be a perfect size and decided to try it! It does make good coffee but noticed by the second cup it was getting cool! I just checked the hot plate underneath and it was cold after 15 minutes! It is supposed to keep coffee hot for 2 hours and then turn off! I have had my machine 3 days, so I will be calling their Customer Service on Monday...I only hope they have good customer service, but have my doubts since I have had bad luck with 2 machines!!

Positives:
1.Very good to look at.
2.well making.
Negatives:
1.Price.
2.Takes time to clean and to reload.
3.AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.
4.More coffee.
5.Maintenance.
6.Be ware : when u reheat keep watching it otherwise water will go out.
*Different coffee taste ( maybe better maybe not )

This was the latest coffeemaker to fail to last what I would consider a reasonable amount of time for a household appliance. And it failed miserably. No more Bodum products for me; an appliance at this price should definitely stand up to more than 18 months of regular use, especially since it has no moving parts of consequence.

The coffee was usually pretty good and the machine was easy to use. But it was difficult to clean. Since the pot contains the heating element and the electronics, it can not be submersed, so there is no way to get it really clean.

Dailing rinsing and dumping of used grounds was a drag too, I would have preferred a paper filter.

Yeah, the vaccuum brewing process was fun to watch for about two weeks until the novelty wore off, but eventually there wasn't even much to be seen given the permanent coffee stains that made the translucent pot all but opaque.

Finally the thing reboiled all by itself one day almost exactly 18 months after purchase, with only a thimbleful of coffee inside. The the next day the pot wouldn't even get hot: it was dead.

I have now had products from Bodum, Mr. Coffee, and Cuisinart all fail to last as long as they should. I'm trying a Braun thermal carafe unit next.

It's tempting to give the mini-Santos a 2-star rating because the coffee was good and the design was appealing, but this thing's rating seriously needs to get dragged down to scare off perspective buyers.

Please note I waited 18 months to rate this thing. If I had rated it as early as most of the reviewrs here, I too would have rated it higher.

Don't be seduced by purchasers that are still excited by their new, and really as yet, untested, machines. This is from someone who gave this thing the most important test of all: The test of time.

Makes weak underextracted coffee.No way to control contact time between coffee and water.I wish I'd saved my money