Most Helpful Customer Reviews
98 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My first Braun, October 9, 2001
I've been buying auto-drip coffeemakers for years. They never lasted longer than about a year, so I am regularly replacing them... I finally got tired of that a couple of months ago, when my latest Mr. Coffee cheapo started leaking water and coffee profusely all over the counter. I figured that I would at last try out a "high-end" coffeemaker, to see if there is anything to it besides the cost of a fancy brand name. I bought the Braun KF180 FlavorSelect. And I've never been happier. There really is a lot more than just a name you pay for. This coffeemaker is marvellous! The carafe actually pours! Yes, without spilling! It is beyond easy to load and operate and clean, very nicely constructed, top design. It makes HOT coffee, and it tastes as good as out of a percolator. It is solid, not some cheap flimsy thing. It has a small footprint for a 12-cup maker, it's full of options like when it will automatically turn itself on in the morning, to how long the hotplate stays on before the safety switch shuts it down (select a time between 10 minutes to 4 hours!) It uses a "multi-path drip brewing" system and features the eponymous "flavor selector." I do not know for sure what makes it tastes so good, but I'm not complaining. This coffeemaker was worth every penny! I knew that Braun was a good name, but now I know that it is backed up by excellent design, manufacturing and features, and not just hype. FYI: This machine has the compartment to place the water filter, but doesn't come with one out of the box. (The compartment does not take up any room in the tank, it will make 12-cups with or without the filter, unlike some other makers.) If you use municipal tap water (with chlorine added, etc.) you will want to get that filter. They should be replaced around every 2 to 3 months. (Amazon sells them.) If you live out in the sticks like me and use well or spring water, note that this filter is not recommended for untreated water. It uses No.4 paper filters (more like a pouch than a cone, with a flat, "stitched" closing, not the cones with a circular bottom). If you want to use a reusable filter, you have to get the Braun GF4 Gold Screen Filter (which, like the water filter, is included with the KF 187 version of this coffeemaker, or you can get it separately.) NOTE: Other brands of No.4-sized reusable filters WILL NOT fit in a Braun FlavorSelect model. (I've tried it with the Krups Gold Tone Filter sold here, and no.) Braun coffeemakers have small, rounded protrusions on the inside of the filter compartment. Paper filters bend around them just fine, but rigid reusable filters will not sit, and the compartment cannot be closed. Make sure it says it can be used in a Braun FlavorSelect before you buy it. I did a Google search for "braun gf4" and found several online vendors for it. (Great filter, BTW.)
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37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Trust me. I did an absurd amount of research. Great coffee!, December 8, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Braun KF180-BLK FlavorSelect 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black (Kitchen)
Yeah, I know. I wanted something high-tech too. After years of the same old mediocre coffee, I was expecting houseguests and had an excuse to splurge. I started to go for French press - but would I really go to all of that trouble once my guests left? And I knew I'd need to practice to get it just right. Looked at the wildly techie "Santos," for an automated way to make French-press-style coffee, but read some disappointing reviews about complexity of brewing, cleaning, and flimsy plastic. Looked at thermal pot brewers, because that seemed to make sense - but read many complaints about coffee not being hot unless you first heated the thermal pot with hot water - defeating the purpose of the automatic timer for wake-up coffee. Finally, found an online resource that compared ratings for dozens of coffee makers and this simple, unglamourous Braun product kept coming up as a "best value." I wasn't in love with it - I really wanted the newest-and-best - but had read at least one major negative about almost every new coffee maker. Gave up and bought this, at a great price compared to newer models, and I LOVE it. There's a dial to set coffee strength, and since I make only a cup or two a day for myself I set it at the strongest - works great! The water is fed through lots of different "channels" (holes) inside the filter holder, so that instead of just dripping through the center of the coffee grounds, all of the grounds are being dripped-thru throughout the brew cycle. - You'll see what I mean when you look at the funky-looking inside of the filter holder. Amazingly, it makes a huge difference. I used a Krups 4-cup coffee maker for years and was never happy with my coffee; this model, although it's a 12-cup brewer, makes as little as one cup (my "one" cup is an 8-ounce cup, enough to fill my mug) with the same intensity and flavor as a full pot of coffee when guests are here. If you don't want to buy something fancy only to read LATER that the coffee is never quite hot enough, or the auto-grind feature wakes up your guests at 6 a.m., then get one of these simple, superb machines before it gets discontinued in favor of something fancier. I read 'em all, folks. Trust me. Save the extra $100 and use it to take yourself out to dinner.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Product!, December 13, 2002
This review is from: Braun KF180-BLK FlavorSelect 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black (Kitchen)
I have owned exactly TWO Braun drip coffeemakers over the last 10 years. In fact, my original one (given to me as a gift back then) still works great and serves as my "decaf" pot when I have a bunch of people over for dinner. The only reason I bought this one is because of the luxury of having the timer!
This coffeemaker is exceptionally reliable in all respects, the clock/timer remains accurate, and it makes excellent coffee. What more could you ask for? I agree with the previous reviewer who wrote that they will stick with Braun coffeemakers as long as they are available to be bought.
BTW, I put my carafe and filter basket in the dishwasher all the time and I've never broken one yet -- you may want to re-evaluate your loading technique.
Anyway, this product has never disappointed me and I recommend it highly.
**P.S. -- August, 2004: I'm still using this same coffeemaker and it's still going strong. I'm in love with Braun products and haven't been disappointed yet. If you're having a problem, you're either not using the product properly, or you have a rare fluke.
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