Customer Reviews

Melitta MEMB10TB Mill & Brew Coffeemaker

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I've used this machine for over a month now and am very happy with it. It makes as good a pot of drip coffee as most people could ever want, and the construction, while definitely plastic, seems quite solid to me.

I prefer strong coffee, and have found that I need to use more coffee than they recommend, especially for small pots (I use 3 scoops for a 2-cup pot, though 4 - 4.5 scoops for a 4-cup pot works fine). I figure this is something that happens with a lot of basket-style auto-drip coffee makers, since a little coffee spread over the bottom of a basket just isn't going to infuse as much.

If you do like your coffee scalding hot, this is probably not the machine for you. I always find coffee shop coffee to be way too hot for the first few minutes... this machine brews plenty hot for me. And, since it's in a non-heated carafe, you don't have to worry about burner injuries/accidents, *and* the coffee doesn't taste burnt after an hour.

Overall, this machine really excels at medium-to-large pots of coffee (6-10 cups), because more hot liquid will keep hot longer in the carafe, and the grind consistency won't matter as much with a large amount of coffee. For smaller pots, it's a tad less consistent. However, its advantages overall still keep me happily using it, even for my small pots.

I have a lot of experience using and drinking from a friend's much more expensive grind-n-brew (with burr grinder), and can attest that the coffee produced here tastes just as good to me, and the machine is just as easy to use (and easier to clean thoroughly). Overall, I think it's a great coffee maker and excellent value for the money.

I purchased this about a month ago and have been very happy. I was a little concerned from some of the reviews and looked at many, many makes and models but am very happy with this coffee maker. The machine is easy to use once you read the manual (something I admit that I hate doing), makes great coffee, and reasonably easy to clean

I agree that for smaller pots you need a little more coffee for it to be strong the way I like it. But I do believe that with all basket filters that is the case. You need to select a cone model if that is a problem for you. I also would recommend using Grind 3 instead of the default 4 which was too fine.

I think the coffee comes out hot enough, and I even use some milk in my coffee. You can make it even hotter if you pre-warm the carafe, which I know that those that use the timer can't do. I have never had any problems with the lid falling off -- there is a small raised circle so that if you align that with the spout the lid stays on tight but the coffee comes out plenty fast. I love the fact that I don't have to remember to shut it off before I leave the house. And because there is no burner the third cup hours later is as good as the first.

I haven't found cleaning to be a big deal. I do put the grinds down my disposal which makes it easy. But just a quick rinse and it is good to go for the next day.

I'll begin this review by describing this unit's sole weakness: to keep the coffee hot longer than an hour you need to pre-rinse the thermal carafe with hot water. You probably won't do this if you use the very reliable timer. If you enjoy your coffee blonde and sweet, you might need to show the mug a little radar love (microwave) to boost the heat...

Even with this minor issue, I still feel compelled to give this unit five stars. I'm not trying to hyperinflate the score. I don't have stock in the company. It's just that this baby makes a great cup of strong coffee!

I bought this to replace a 15 year old Krups machine. I still have the Krups. The Melitta was purchased mainly because of the timer. I wanted to wake up to a cup of java. I also think coffee tastes better when the beans are ground right before brewing. Based upon other reviews and the Culinary Institute's award, I crossed my fingers and bought this machine. I'm glad I did.

I prefer strong coffee, like S-bucks bold Kenya roast. Utilizing a ratio of x cups of water (measured on the machine's water lines) to x+1 scoops of coffee (using the provided scoop), makes the perfect cup of coffee for me (eg - 6 cups of water and 7 scoops of coffee beans = good coffee). If I make 6 cups or less, I grind it on 4; greater than 6 cups - I grind it on 5.

The machine is easy to use, easy to program, and easy to clean. I love it! It makes a really wonderful cup of coffee. Quite simply, the Melitta really delivers!

I have been on a hunt for the perfect coffeemaker, and while this one's not perfect, it comes pretty darn close. Melitta has integrated the grinder and filter into one unit, eliminating the need for paper filters, yet unlike some permanent filters there aren't any grounds in the coffee. You can adjust the grind from coarse to fine, making the grinder effectively as a burr grinder, without coffee grounds on the counter! The water resevoir fill indicator is easy to read, and the coffee brews right into a thermal carafe. At 15" tall, it's a fairly tall machine (check the clearance under your kitchen cabinets if that's where you'll be keeping the coffeemaker), but no taller than any other 10-cup thermal coffeemaker without a grinder. Best of all, the coffee is actually good (this from a *very* finicky coffee drinker). Taking into account that the machine includes a grinder...it's a great machine for the money.

The few minor drawbacks to the machine:
1. Personally, I like my coffee *very* hot; IMO the water should be heated 10-20 degrees more than it is.
2. It would be nice if one didn't have to turn the lid on the carafe to pour the coffee. I have elderly parents who have trouble seeing where the black dot on the black lid is positioned. Also I've found people not used to thermal carafes tend to leave the lid in the "open" position so that the heat leaks out. It would be nice if Melitta can design a pour-through carafe for this machine.

I've tried out a quite a few coffee machines, and this one is a keeper. Keep up the good work Melitta!

Over a period of years I have owned a number of high-end makes & models of coffeemakers. None have proven to be of the quality of the MELITTA (MEMB1B) that I now own. Not only the quality of the coffeemaker.... but the coffee that it brews. One puts beans in the basket sets the timer and in the morning you have a delicious cup of coffee freshly brewed to perfection. One can blend and mix beans to satisfy ones taste. The coffeemaker will also brew pre-ground coffee. It is also very easy to clean and it is extremely well made.... all plastic parts are thick and very durable. the timer & clock work very well. One other comment...if there is a need to call customer service one will be surprised how prompt and helpful they will be.

We purchased the Melitta MEMB10TB in March of 2003 because it had an integrated grinder and brewing system with a built in timer. We also liked the thermos caraffe instead of the typical hot plate design so the brewed coffee doesn't burn. When it was new, we could look forward to the unit starting automatically (louder than our other grinders) in the morning and creating good, but not very hot, coffee. We used an extra scoop of beans for stronger coffee as the recommeded ratio of beans to water makes a weak pot of coffee. The unit is easy to clean. The caraffe top also takes practice not to spill. We had a guest unscrew the top past the 1/2 turn mark and the top fell off while they were pouring the coffee. While it was good enough for week day mornings, we used the old percolator on the weekends since it takes longer, but keeps the coffe hot. We would have given it 4 stars back then like most other reviewers.

After nine months: The unit is broken beyond use. The 1/8 inch wide catch on the lid broke off due to very flimsy design. Other reviews also cite this problem. This makes the unit completely unusable until replaced. Starting a week earlier, the grinder motor would start for a brief second but would not stay on. This eliminated the autostart capability. Even starting the unit manually required repeatedly pushing the start button five times or so until the grinder stayed on. When grinding, it now sounds like the motor is also going bad. Great concept - weak design. We will return the Melitta for our money back due to flimsy latch design. It will just keep breaking off, even with gentle use. We really like the concept of automated freshly ground coffee in the morning, but strongly recommed waiting on both Melitta grinder/coffee maker models until you see improvements in the lid and motor design and the ability to make hot coffee.

I was a little nervous about purchasing this Mill & Brew combo. I thought there was little chance it could be made well but it seems I was wrong. The unit design seems to be well thought out, is easy to clean and makes an excellent cup of coffee. It is great being able to set the whole thing up the night before and wake up to freshly brewed coffee. The only way it could be any easier is if it delivered it to my bedside in the morning!

I was used to buying one of those ($$$) coffee machines every couple months. I couldn't figure out why my coffee never tasted the way coffee did when I bought a cup. This coffee maker may eliminate the need to ever purchase another cup of coffee again. It makes the best coffee I have ever had. The clean up is a breeze. The carafe keeps the coffee just the right temperature. Programing is easy and it is great to wake up to a freshly ground and brewed pot of joe. The grinder is a bit loud and takes some getting used to, but it is like Pavlov's dog. Once I hear the mill kick in I am out of bed with my mouth watering for that first cup of coffee. The entire machine is well made and easy to wipe clean. The parts wash easily and fit together very nicely. I think this one I will keep for a long time. Too bad I waited so long to buy a good coffee maker.

Mary and I are coffee fanatics. We buy gourmet beans of different regions & roasts, we normally try to buy organic beans, we ALWAYS fresh grind every pot and have done so for the past 15 years.

We've bought Krups for years - replacing a model about every year. We have tried Cuisinarts, all of which were bad experiences. Have tried Mr. Coffees, which will make decent coffee, but rarely what we'd call a great cup. So we always returned to Krups. After our last Krups began to fail, we bought tried another new Mr. Coffee which was TERRIBLE, we returned it, and we began to search the net for something better - we limited our search to about [$$$] when we found this Melitta. Capresso - Kitchenaid - more Krups - a few European brands... I was set to try the Kitchenaid when I read the reviews by users, and I backed away from it.

I'd tried auto-grind pots before by Cuisinart and one other brand (can't remember) and they were a mess and made weak coffee, so I was reluctant - even more so when I couldn't find a Melitta in our local stores. But we decided to go for it, based on high reviews on the net, and ordered the MEMB10TB for home (also one of the non-electric models for our yacht).

Both pots arrived in a huge box less than a week after placing the order (interestingly - we were charged [$$$] shipping, about 1/3 of the actual costs to ship).

The Mill & Brew coffee maker was easier to operate than I could imagine. Simpler/better organized controls than any of our previous coffeemakers. The grinder is in basket that the water drips through - very simple design. The front water level brewer is easy to see and we fill it from the faucet sprayer.

It couldn't be easier to use. Fill the water, dump in the beans, and hit on. It immediately grinds, pumps the water through, and it truly is the best coffee we've ever made at home.

Further, the basket is easily emptied and requires no filter. In previous coffee pots that never worked - the baskets always let too much coffee grounds into the brewed coffee - but on the Melitta it works. No grounds - perfect cup.

The time the coffee grinds is presettable by the user - we like strong coffee so we set ours at #6. The range is from 1 (weak) to 7 (strong) and is preset to 4.

We don't use more coffee than in the past - about the same amount is used. After it's brewed (or before the next pot is made), we empty the beans by rinsing under faucet down sink/disposal, and place it back in the coffee maker.

Further, the stainless steel carafe is nicely done. It's attractive, and it keeps the coffee hot for hours.

Finally, it's very well made. Everything fits together nicely - feels solid & well built. Cannot imagine why something like it hasn't come out before. In fact, at [$$$] it'd still be a bargain.

So far so good - now we just have to see how long it survives. But if I were to buy a coffee maker for a friend, there's no doubt in my mind - this MEMB10TB is the one I'd get.

At this time, based on our past experiences, after several weeks of internet searching & reading owner reviews, and the one we're now using, MEMB10TB is the best coffee maker in the world.

Believe it or not, but this Trooper knows how to do more than just write tickets! Knowing good Coffee is another one of my talents. I'm not into donuts so I'll leave that up to the fat cops. I've owned a first generation Cuisinart Grind and Brew for the last 4 years. It's been a wonderful coffee maker. The heating element finally died so I retired it. After some research I decided on the Melitta Mill and Brew mainly because of features and price. I've had it a couple weeks and for the most part, I like it. The unit fits under the cabinets without a problem. It's really easy to clean the bean basket and as mentioned by another reviewer a sink sprayer really does the trick. The coffee Does Not taste like plastic. I really like the option of chosing the grind of the beans. The timer works flawlessly and it is very user friendly to program.
The only way the ginder is quiet is if it's off or you live in a castle and your bedroom in in the opposite wing. But, what do you expect? Rock hard beans and a stainless steel blade spinning at high speed? The coffee comes out plenty hot, but the carafe is not heated so it will cool down pretty quick unless you have preheated the it with hot water. If you're like me and doctor the coffee up with fu-fu creamers and or Bailey's Irish Cream you might need to nuke it in the microwave for a few seconds before drinking. Other than that, it makes a great cup-o-joe. Remember, it's a only a $...machine that does a lot for the money. Enjoy!