Customer Reviews

Melitta MEFB2B 12-Cup Digital Coffeemaker

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

For years, I never owned a coffeemaker with a timer. Mainly, it was the cost. Yes, I could have bought one that uses Mr. Coffee-type cupcake filters for about thirty bucks but I've had more than my share of troubles with those (collapsed filters, clogged filters, whatever-else-can-go-wrong filters). I'd been pleased with the Braun and Krups coffeemakers I've owned because they use the Melitta-type No. 4 cone filter, superior in many ways. It doesn't clog, even if you grind the coffee beans to the fineness of talcum powder. It rarely collapses in on itself, diverting the water around the coffee and leaving you with a weak cuppa Joe. They're also easier to gather up and remove from the basket when it's time to clean up. The biggest deterrent was the cost, around $50 to $80 for a timer-equipped German-brand Kaffeemaschine, while plain vanilla 10-cuppers from the same manufacturers sold for about $20.

Melitta's MEFB2B brings a little sanity to the pricing scheme, so my days of staggering to the kitchen every morning to switch on the Krups came to an end.

The MEFB2B appears to take its styling cues from the Krups Crystal Arome series, with a teardrop-shaped carafe that slips into a sort of "carport." It lacks the Krups's internal water filter, a needless expense anyway since most people make coffee from bottled or filtered water. The overall shape is a stately squared-off pillar that's easy on the eyes while keeping a decor-conscious spouse happy.

For many, the timer is the main attraction of the MEFB2B but the brewing system, which makes or breaks a coffeemaker's performance, is especially noteworthy. Building upon the superiority of the cone filter, Melitta adds a hotter brewing temperature and sturdier plumbing (a copper-braised stainless steel heater and stainless steel tubing instead of plastic). Coffee experts recommend a brewing temperature higher than 190 degrees F but not boiling (212 degrees). The Melitta MEFB2B hits the sweet spot of 200 degrees and then keeps the coffee hotter. It's also faster, clocking in at about 35 seconds a cup instead of the usual cup a minute, with no impact on the flavor.

Its main drawback is a digital clock and timer that must be viewed head on, meaning tall users must stoop to counter height to read the display. Also, the fill hole for the water tank is small but with a little practice, you can empty the carafe into the tank without spilling a drop. At this price, one learns to live with it.

The carafe itself is a milestone improvement over the early dribbly carafes from Krups and Braun. Pour as fast as you like. It won't send a cascade of coffee dribbling down its front and onto the countertop. Naturally, the filter holder is equipped with a pause-and-pour valve but pouring a cup when there are still 10 cups of water in the tank is theft of coffee flavor from everyone else. Better to just wait until the dripping stops and let everyone enjoy a robust cup of coffee.

This coffee makes excellent, hot coffee quickly. Some of the previous reviews seem to be based on a different model: my MEFB2B Melita maker has an auto shut off after two hours, is easy to fill and clean, and is sturdy in its construction. It is relatively compact for its capacity. I agree that the button labels are hard to read, but once you know which is the on/off button, it's no problem in day to day use. We compared cups of coffee made with this Melita and with a Capresso Elegance Therm maker. While both were good, the Melita coffee had the advantage with temperature and depth of taste. A winner!

This coffee maker is great. I have had no problems with it at all. The coffee is hot and very flavorful. I am not patient at all when it comes to me wanting a cup of coffee fast and this coffee maker delivers! I hate running out of coffee filters so I did buy a gold mesh permanent #4 cone filter from Brew-Rite. It works perfectly in this coffe maker and does not affect the brewing time or taste. If you need coffee fast and hot then this is the maker to buy.

I purchased this coffeemaker after much research and yes reading reviews, let me say I LOVE it! We had a Krups basic model that was in perfect working order but didn't have a timer. My husband couldn't seem to work it into his schedule to just turn it on in the mornings (I would set it up the night before).
The Melitta does take some practice for pouring the water into the tank, like the other reviewers have stated, it is a rather small opening but I've gotten used to it without any spills.
Overall, this coffee pot does a wonderful job and makes some of the best tasting coffee. Really hot too! I read some of the reviews about the negative experiences but ignore them, I will buy this one again and again.
I highly recommend this coffee maker to anyone who is looking for an excellent cup of coffee from your home.

Edited on Dec. 1, 2006; As of a few days ago I had a minor malfunction with this coffee pot but received excellent customer service and have returned it for a replacement (still under the one year manufacturer warranty!). Love that I bought it on Amazon so I didn't have to dig for a receipt...just printed off the invoice from my account.
The details of my problem: My daughter was making coffee and I believe that she may not have pushed the carafe all the way in, so it backed up the works. Grounds got into the reservoir and clogged the lines. I couldn't get it cleared out and then gave up to call Customer Service.
So yeah I still give it 5 stars! Can't wait to have it back in my home.

This will be the third time I've returned this model to get one that works. I bought it several months ago. The first one shorted out and started smoking for no reason at all. The carafe on the second one shattered when I put the lid on, gentle as can be. I recommend a product with better craftsmanship. This coffeemaker is poorly made, unreliable, and very delicate.

This came as a gift, to replace a 10-year-old Black & Decker, which worked until movers dropped it last week. I am 66 and, what is significant for this review, I have vision no better than is common for that age. I have made only one pot of coffee with the Melitta so far. Coffee was excellent, but (1) the black-on-black identification on the buttons is impossible to read, (2) the clock is not lighted, and (3), unless one uses the delay timer (which, since I am retired, I do not), there is no timed automatic shutoff. The first two attributes are annoyances, but the third is a safety concern.

Got this to replace an old Krups that wasn't programmable. Likes: fast brew, coffee very hot (almost too hot!). Dislikes: controls are black-on-black buttons, can't see clock without bending down to view head on, can't program "on" time to hold after brewing for more than 2 hours. I ended up returning this one and spending a little more to get a Braun KF580.

A great coffeemaker without all those un-necessary gadgets. If you want an easy to use unit that just makes good coffee, buy this one. Cleanup is a whiz, and it makes coffee faster than any unit I have ever seen. Only drawback is that the info on the control panel is hard to read, but once you figure it out, it is so easy you will never worry about that again. I still rate this 5 stars! Enjoy!

As noted elsewhere, this Melitta is one of the very few drip coffemakers, and the only one in its price class, to brew coffee at the proper temperature. This really does make a difference. The final product tastes significantly better (fuller, less bitter) than my previous favorite, a Braun.

I've owned it for about three years, with nary a problem. Because of its fast brewing speed, you need to make sure the filter is securely opened and also not use too much ground coffee, otherwise the grounds are likely to overflow. It also sometimes takes an extra little push to make sure the carafe is seated properly, although it still will work ok if the carafe is just a little ajar.

Unlike others here, I found that the carafe will dribble at certain pouring speeds. There's also an occasional drip with the pause-and-pour feature, but nothing worrisome. The time is indeed hard to see unless you look at the clock straight on, and the controls are needlessly fussy, but those are just mild annoyances, at least for me.

The heating surface is too hot, just like all other drip coffeemakers with this feature. If I'm making more than a few cups, I immediately transfer the coffee to a warmed vacuum carafe. Also, be aware that the auto-off feature works only if brewing started using the timer.

So, five stars for value and coffee quality, minus one for the design quirks.

Edited on 2/28/07 to add: 1) I figured out why my carafe dripped -- there was a small chip in the lid (no idea how it got there). 2) My unit died about a month ago, but I liked it enough to buy another one. Bonus: new lid = no drips when pouring! 3) The unit still drips a bit onto the hot plate unless I wait a few minutes after the brewing has finished to remove the carafe. But who can wait that long :~} so I've taken to using a small piece of paper towel to blot the drip hole.

Like some of the other reviewers, I found this machine to make a great HOT pot of coffee. BUT, it is only just barely a year old and now it is turning itself off about every minute or so. You cannot get it to make a pot of coffee without having to turn it back on seven or eight times. Then, you have to keep turning it on to keep it hot. It's a good price, but don't you think a coffeemaker should last more than just barely one year. Oh, by the way, I only make a pot of coffee in the morning. That's just once a day. Talk about a short life span. I really expected more from a Melitta.