Customer Reviews

Michael Graves Design® Automatic Drip Coffeemaker - Black (40304)

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Wow, I have nothing but good things to say about this coffeemaker. It does not drip from the spout when pouring, the resevoir is removable, and the coffee filter basket is easy to get to. If there is anything bad is that the filter basket holder itself is not removable, so it can only be cleaned by wiping it out. This makes really good coffee, and its very fast too. If you use the flavor selector button, this does slow the coffee brewing time somewhat, but who cares? The benefits of this coffeemaker far outweigh any negative ones. I also like the bright blue clock on the machine, the sleek look and the easy clean black color. I love it! The price can't be beat either!!! I wish I could have one in red to match my rooster kitchen!
UPDATE: After buying this coffee maker again in June 2009, I have to say I quite disappointed with it. My first one last two years, and I only bought a new because of the burned up warming plate. However, my second one has a crusty, burned up warm plate already, and I mean as of last Nov. not today. I have started using my old Hamilton Beach coffee maker, but it takes forever to brew. What iss the deal with Michael Graves warming plate always doing this? Does anyone else have this problem with this coffeemaker?

My husband and I were ready for a new coffee maker, so we decided to put our Target gift card to good use. Although I was leaning towards a thermal model, after much research, we decided to go with this attractive coffee maker by Michael Graves for Target. The look of this coffee maker actually matches perfectly with our kitchen, which includes all-white appliances plus some gray and blue accents (we went with the white version rather than black as pictured here). But the design is functional, too--I think this coffee maker has the only carafe I've ever seen that absolute does not drip when pouring. The large-size handle is also comfortable, although grooved grips would have been helpful. Overall, the appearance of this coffee maker is excellent.

So what about function? Well, so far, we are very pleased in this area as well. The removable water reservoir--which I haven't seen on any other model--is really great to have, as it allows me to fill up directly from my refrigerator's filtered dispenser. Making coffee involves a simple one-touch process, and using the programmable feature is very easy as well. Each cycle produces a perfectly-brewed, nicely hot cup of coffee, perfect for our needs. Admittedly, we are not daily coffee drinkers, but this coffee maker has performed flawlessly every time we have used it so far. (We haven't yet tried the "FlavorPlus" function.)

The only flaws I can think of for this coffee maker are extremely minor:
*The handle, as mentioned above, could be a bit more comfortable in design.
*Although I've experienced NO leakage of the coffee maker itself, when it's time to clean the machine and you open up the brew basket, condensation drips onto the heating pad. However, it is easily wiped up.
*Finally, the cord is a little short--I like to pull the coffee pot out so that steam doesn't rise into the cabinets above; the positioning of my outlets combined with the shorter cord make this a little tight.

Otherwise, this coffee maker is easy-to-use and easy-to-clean. Overall, I highly recommend this machine as an excellent basic coffee maker that looks great, too!

Finally, a coffeemaker that works and is easy to operate. It's clean too, no nooks and crannies to gunk up with coffee residue. The blue light is nice at night, it alluminates the kitchen just enough, so that i won't run into anything. But most of all the coffee is brewed to perfection everytime. I have used it at least 20 times and it's a breeze to clean. I love this machine. thank you.

Denise

I have bought at least 5 coffee makers in the last year and read reviews for dozens more in all price ranges. I always kept going back to my 20 year old 4 cup mr. coffee.
Well it finally died, and so I was forced to buy another. I read the reviews and decided to try it. I am thrilled with it.
The coffee is hot enough. When you use a lot of cream, many makers don't make it hot enough. Next the coffee is strong enough. Even without using the extra flavor option. The timer works like a charm. It doesn't drip and the removable water chamber is awesome. My maker sits under cabinets so it is hard to pour the water in. I can take this out and fill at the sink and there you go. Definitely worth the $40.

I read the reviews before I purchased this coffeemaker. I chose it because it had no negative reviews whatsoever. Now I know why. It is everything and more that it was said to be. I love it! It makes great coffee, has a wonderful blue light (makes a great nightlight), is easy to program, has a sleek smooth design, has nice fitting parts and best of all..is inexpensive!!

After having a Mr. Coffee under-the-counter coffeemaker for a million years, it just stopped working one day. Read reviews of this one and decided to go with it. It is truly a wonderful coffeemaker. No dripping, very easy to use, easy to clean and makes terrific coffee also! The features are great (automatic stop to pour, automatic start by setting the timer and flavor button). I highly recommend this coffeemaker!

Well...after three trys...Yes 3...I finally had to give up on this machine and am now looking for something else to replace it.
I totally loved the design of it. It's an awesome looking machine and the water set-up...the best I've ever seen. You can load the water right from the tap and you can keep it clean so easily.
The coffee...wonderful. Made better coffee than any machine I'd had in the past.
My problem came with not feeling completley safe. The heating plate would start to make quite a bit of "clicking" sounds after the first few days. Not your normal little tiny clicks...but clicking Noise! When the machine got to doing this waaay too much...I returned it for another. Sure enough...the very same thing...only loud enough to the point of my being able to hear it from my bedroom...upstairs! I tried three of them...going to a different branch of the store each time in the hopes that they'd have a better batch. No luck.
Sooo, while I love the design of this machine and did everything to keep it....I no longer trusted it...and that's simply more important than looks.

We wanted your basic auto-drip coffeemaker. We got that, plus it looks great.

Pros:
- simple operation, easy to program, easy to reset clock
- great looks, in black goes well with our kitchen decor
- very bright blue display light doubles as night light for the kitchen
- easy to extract and insert carafe (problem with most pause drip units)
- removable water tank. why don't they all come like this?
- locking brew basket.
- favor boost switch nice touch, but lengthens brew time a lot.

Cons:
- opening the brew basket lid causes the condensation to drip down. Not a problem with basket and carafe in place. But if not there, drips significant water onto heating plate.

Overall, this is the best coffeemaker we have ever owned. Average tasting coffee, simple operation and great looks for the price makes this an exceptional purchase.

I am 65 year old and live in Louisiana. In case you don't know really good coffee
is almost a religion down here.Have been using automatic coffee makers for at least 30 years. The list includes Norelco, Bosh, Braun, Rowenta, Mr. Coffee and
Presto.All of them and I mean all of them had some quirk or feature I wasn't thrilled with.Presto was the most recent. It made really smelly coffee. Fixed that by steeping the strongest coffee I ever made in the tower for 4 days. After that the coffee was finet till the extremely thin glass of the carafe broke and that was the end of Mr. Presto. Bought the Michael Graves shortly after that and have been using it for several years now. The point of all the forgoing is that
all of the coffee makers I have had had something to nit pick about.If you are really serious about good coffee and like the design of the machine, you may have to go through several returns to the store till you get one that works as it should. Lets remember folks these things are all made in the thousands in China as cheaply as possible.RE: Michael Graves. The blue light doesn't bother me. Where else can you find a coffee machine that look lie it came form the ward room of the Star Ship Enterprise? Have no trouble with pouring or brewing strong or weak coffee. All and I mean all of the above makers dripped at one time or other. It goes with the territory people. Only the Bosh made really outstanding coffee and that was years ago. Great coffee is back if you are willing to work with it. Buy the machine and try it. I really like mine. Even better than the Bosh 20 years ago. Hope this helps.Good luck.

i've had a braun for 7 years which mysteriously developed a leak and was laid to rest. Replaced it with a $20 MR. Coffee 4 cup from Walmart, which eventually, let water out the front, the back, the side, etc... creating a puddle just like the leaky braun. Threw that out and went to a 12 cup Hamilton Beach that I had received as a gift. What a POS... It had a bulky carafe that was difficult to clean and also, the crap leaked as well, and when I lifted it, water fell out the body creating yet another puddle on the floor. After reading reviews on the Net and countless hours of searching for a good price, i was ready to buy the BUNN stainless steel. I almost bought the Bodum electric Santos until I read that for some users, the bottom carafe developed a leak and it needed to be modified so that the water heats to the correct temperature.

Anyway, while at Target, I spent an hour looking at coffee makers, including the BUNN - which I really liked b/c it is made in the USA. I decided to buy this one just to test it out. I like the idea of having a removable water tank for cleaning (which the Bunn does not ahve) and a timer, which also the BUNN does not have. The carafe is not bulky, and has a no-drip mouth. Also, I have not seen any leaks so far, but water drops onto the warmer when i remove the basket to discard the filter. Perhaps I should just remove the filter and not the basket.

The problem with most coffee makers is the steam. After it condenses, the excess water has got no place to go other than hang around the basket or into the body.

Anyway, I also like the cool blue light in the front, and the coffee takes good - or as good as my braun which is what i've been used. Overall, I don't think it's bad for 40 bucks. If it develops a leak, I'll go buy the Bunn. If that also sucks, I think i'll give up coffee for I've had enough trying to find a good, easy, no drip/leak (no punn intended) drip coffee maker.