Customer Reviews

KitchenAid KTA-KPCM100PM Pro Line Dual-Carafe Coffee Maker, Pearl Metallic

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Because my husband and I like different coffee strengths, I purchased this dual-carafe maker. We owned the Krups dual-coffee maker for nearly 10 years, and while it functioned well it had a lot of drawbacks. It took up extra counter space (width), it's carafes are flimsy and tended to break easily, and it "perspired" when brewing leaving a white line of lime reside around the filter.

While the KitchenAid unit it is taller than I anticipated (check the dimensions and be sure you have the clearance under your cabinets), it has a sleek design and substantial weight to it. For its size, it can be compared to the KitchenAid retro mixer. I love the high/low temperature option as well as the brew light that reminds you how long the coffee has been sitting. I did not find that it took any longer to brew a pot than my earlier coffee makers, though be advised that the pot cannot be removed mid-brew cycle and requires a paper filter. (I have been looking for a gold-cone filter to fit it but it is larger than most commonly available. May be a special order item from the manufacturer.) What I especially like about this maker is that the entire unit need not sit on the counter when just one pot of coffee is needed. The extra carafe warmer can be pulled out only when needed. The price is quite high, though one I was willing to pay to get all the options I wanted in a coffee maker that is sure to last a good long time.

My husband bought this for me for Xmas. He loves the way it looks & the extra carafe with hot plate. It does look nice, BUT I am returning it ASAP. Here is why. It does have some of the features I am used to, but the features I use constantly are missing. No pause 'n serve and it doesn't brew as fast as a Bunn. Takes at least 10 minutes for a pot to finish. No adjustable time for shut off - 2 hours and the warming plate shuts off. I like to get water heating in my electric kettle and pour it into the coffee carafe for cocoa, cider & tea throughout the day. That is not an option with this machine, unless you use the extra hotplate and I don't have that much counterspace. And, sometimes it takes me longer than 2 hours to finish a pot of coffee. So, you think, just go and switch it back on. NO. KitchenAid has decided to protect me from myself. It will not turn on unless full of water. The carafes are well made and don't drip too much, but the lids are cheap pieces of plastic. Also, the machine collects moisture while brewing all around the outside of the brew basket so the entire time you have coffee in the pot you have these water droplets falling down and puddling up on the counter. I am a huge fan of KitchenAid and was excited to get this. I am now just really disappointed. Don't waste the money. It is truly not worth it. Yes, it looks pretty cool, but useablity is poor.

I purchased this recently and just LOVE it. While it is not perfect - what is in life - it comes close. I usually have a coffee maker for about a year, then they stop working because I use them so much. This is a system that I plan to have for a long time. Kitchen Aid will replace it UNCONDITIONALLY (not for misuse, of course) for two years. It makes two great pots of coffee. We love strong coffee and I find I use less coffee because of the way the water sprays into the coffee chamber. I set the timer at night for regular, switch pots for decaf as soon as I get up. It does not have the stop and brew feature (Bunn either) but with the timer it doesn't matter. The extra warmer goes anywhere - I use it every day - but will be great for company too. This is not a "prom dress" coffee maker. This is for people who want a GREAT cup of coffee and need a maker that won't fly away soon. It is taller than most (Bunn two pot is higher) but it fit with room to spare and I don't have a newer kitchen - although the pot makes my kitchen look sleeker. My husband loves it because of the weight - it is a VERY solid appliance - and the pots themselves are great too (tops are enclosed in nice plastic and won't chip easilly). The maker has a "timless" style and will look new for years to come and blends in will with everything else in my kitchen.

All in all - it is one great machine.

Blogged it, figured I might as well warn prospective buyers too...

So I got tired of replacing $50 coffee makers every 6 months when the heating elements failed or the electronics fizzled out and decided in March to spend some money and get a nice machine. I debated between a coffee maker and an espresso machine but settled on the coffee maker. I like my espresso, but in the morning I like to come downstairs to a piping hot cup (or six) of regular coffee (with good fresh beans).

I'm lazy and the espresso game is a bit on the physically intensive side for me at 6:30AM.

Anyway, back to the reason for this post. I bought the KitchenAid ProLine Coffee Maker and loved it. It's a tank -- truly commercial grade -- or so I thought. After a couple of months, the water sensor inside began to fail. There are three levels. It needs to be at least filled to the first level in order to turn it on. After filling the machine, the second and third level sensors would come on, but we'd need to wait 10 minutes for the first level sensor to register that there was water in the machine. This effectively locked the machine until it caught up.

A few weeks ago we finally called KitchenAid for a replacement. One thing that sold me was the 2-year replacement warranty. When I spend this much on a coffee maker, it better have a good warranty that I should never need to use. I needed to use it this time. The new machine arrived on Wednesday. I got it all set up in Wednesday evening, cleaned it, set the clock, set the timer and ground some beans. I went to bed. In the morning I came down and it smelled a bit like a roasting house. Not too strong, actually pretty good. About a minute after I got downstairs it started and sizzled when the first drops hit the bottom of the pot. I thought, "man, that heated up in a hurry!"

I was on the phone and didn't think much about it. A while later I heard a sizzling sound and realized that even on low heat this thing was boiling the coffee -- a nice rolling boil. I turned it off, emptied what was left in the pot into the insulated carafe and went to work.

I picked up the kids after work and upon getting home decided to make another pot. I picked up the pot with my right hand and grabbed the bottom with my left.

Sizzle.

After peeling the pot off of my hand with the top layer of skin still attached it dropped into the sink -- miraculously not breaking. The second degree burn on my hand is a testament to the faulty wiring in the replacement. We're lucky that our house didn't burn down. Even when it was 'Off' the heating element was 'VERY ON'. It's unplugged now, but I think about how the heating pad was on (in an unnaturally high position) for 24 hours just by being plugged into the wall.

KitchenAid has yet to reply to my email. It's been over 24 hours (and the blister is in full effect). I'm pretty sure I don't want #3.

Good coffee. Dreadful workmanship.

First, let me state that I knew of the limited feature set before purchasing this coffee maker. It does not have a pause and serve, it does shut off after 2 hours, and it is large. Kitchenaid states this on their website, so they can not be faulted for mis-representation. I do miss the pause-n-serve.

This replaced my low-priced and very ugly Braun. The Braun received Consumer Reports highest rating for performance and flavor. It adds a sense of sophistication to my home, and has served as a conversation piece while entertaining - The form of the unit overpowers its function, thus the reason for the high price.

Bottom Line - a sophisticated package that is suitable for home-defense.

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June 1 2006 Update -
The following is my update after 5 months of ownership. As I am a person who defines product development strategies for large corporations, I must say that Kitchenaid must have had an idiot in charge of this product. Kitchenaid focused on the units appearance, which is why I bought it. It has striking looks. But it does not deliver a great cup of coffee and it lacks some features that become really annoying over time. Let me explain.

* It does not have a pause feature. At first, I thought it would not be a big deal because Kitchenaid advertises a quick brew time. Not so. Brew time is very long, and I have to wait for completion before I get my first cup.

* An even bigger problem is the coffee pot. It drips. Even when I am amazingly careful, it drips. I place a towel under my cup everytime I pour.

* Flavor is missing. My $40 Braun (see consumer reports best rated) has exceptional flavor. In fact, I took it out of storage and I am using it again. Too bad it is soo ugly.

Bottom line - I plan to sell this kitchenaid coffee maker, and hopefully there is a person out there that will be attracted to its good looks and buy it. My advice, If you love the taste of great coffee, do not buy this product.

I did extensive research before making this purchase (Coffee Geek as well as Amazon reviews) and decided to bite the bullet and spend the money. I am not disappointed, the Pro-Line is everything I hoped it would be. I have not experienced any of the problems a couple of reviewers have mentioned. The machine performs flawlessly, and makes excellent hot coffee. My wife misses not having the option of pouring a cup while the coffee is still brewing, but I understand the reason behind this. My experience with Amazon was excellent, the free shipping was fast, all and all I am very happy with this purchase.

This is a fabulous looking machine. It comes with an extra warming plate and carafe with an extra lid (orange) if you are serving decaf. There are 2 things that I don't like about it: it doesn't have the automatic shut off, so don't pull the carafe out before the official beep "done", and secondly, it has a condensation problem. There is always a puddle of water around the base that drips from above. This is also quite a large unit and doesn't sit back against the wall under cabinets.

The looks is so professional that I'm OK with putting up with the nuiances. In fact, I bought another one for my vacation home.

My office has had the absolute worst coffee machines and coffee. It's embarrassing when we have guests, because I know how lowsy that watery brownish cup of coffee is going to be.

Last week the Big Boss says he's sick of wasting his money downstairs at Starbucks (a terrible temptation when it's in your office building), wants a good quality machine in here for everyone to use. I did the research, chose this machine and it was delivered yesterday. First pot brewed this morning, and all the coffee drinkers in the office are very impressed. One said "hey, that actually looks like coffee in that pot" and another said "so that's what coffee tastes like".

Good looking machine, large carafes, extra warming plate is terrific for those who like flavored coffee or decaf. Very hot cup of coffee.

I would like to be able to set the timer on the warming plate, as it only allows 2 hours of use and you cannot reset. Ah, small price to pay.

I wish I could afford to have one at home. When I win the Lottery....

In plain words dont spend your money this is the worst coffee maker on the market.And once more Kitchen aid knows it. No matter which way you pour water in this coffee maker it goes all over the counter very poor design.Kitchen aid has replaced this coffee maker 3 times for me all of which have different problems from the sensors to the water mess this applaince is not worth the money even with there warranty.It should not even get 1 star.

This is a great coffee maker. It is very sturdy in its construction and makes a great pot of coffee. The dual carafe w/ extra hotplate is great for entertaining. Just a couple of points. The carafes tend to drip water from the seam between the plastic top and glass bottom. This is especially true if the carafe was just recently washed. So, I believe this is moisture from washing that eventually evaporates. The end result is that you will sometimes hear water boilng on the hotplate and might assume the maker itself is dripping around the filter basket. This is really just a minor annoyance. Second, you can not remove the carafe will brewing. I have usually found this feature to be ineffective on other coffee makers, either the valve leaks or gets clogged. I have removed the valve on every previous coffe maker I have owned.

If I can find some all glass carafes that will fit, I will replace the ones that came with the maker. Otherwise, it is perfect in my opinion.