Customer Reviews

Mr. Coffee BVMC-PSTX91 Optimal Brew 10-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker, Black/Stainless Steel

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(42)
1 star:		(74)

 

 

INITIAL REVIEW:
First: I give this four stars as the fifth will be earned if it holds up for awhile (will follow up this post when it's time)- so many items these days seem to crap out after only a few months (my water heater's still kicking and it's 43 years old!).
Second: We were beholden to Krups and replaced our old manual (no timer) unit w/ a Krups FMF5-14. Had it four months and the first time it was subjected to a spill, it fried the electronics (placed at the base of the unit). Replaced with Mr. Coffee BVMC-PSTX91 a month ago and we've been impressed.
Third: Pros-Coffee comes out at approx. 185 degrees, brews very fast, carafe is well insulated and simple to use, electronics placed on top, simple programming features, self-cleaning program, cord storage & good looks for stainless folks. Cons (not many)-the carafe needs to be cleaned with a bottle brush due to small opening (no biggie), the water reservoir lid is a little sticky sometimes, the coffee receptacle needs a little extra rogering due to the extra filter lid (which can be removed if you want) and if you don't use filtered water to start with, you'll need to replace filters into said lid periodically. Pretty minor stuff.
Fourth: I am confident that this will be a five star general and look forward to following up this post.
PS: who knew that buying a decent coffee maker could be such a chore! This is my first item review, ever - felt it was time to pay back all those who've I've benefitted from all these years. Enjoy!
UPDATE: It's been two months and to our disappointment, this product has not performed at a five-star level due to two problems: the carafe leaks internally and then when pouring, 'fermented' coffee comes out via the seam between the black plastic collar and lower stainless portion. We initially thought we were pouring too fast, but close inspection revealed the problem. The carafe was never put in the dishwasher and had normal, daily use for two months. Second, the water reservoir has a small plastic tab on top of it that holds it in the machine. When carefully closing the sometimes-sticky lid (previously mentioned), it came down too fast for this tab and snapped it off. The water reservoir still works, but we propped it against the wall to ensure it didn't fall off the machine.
When informed of these issues, Mr. Coffee offered to send a brand new unit out at no cost, but they were out of stock. They sent instead a holdover machine that's ours to keep and instructed us to call them again in 3 weeks to see if the unit's back in stock. Why they are unable to simply automatically send one when it becomes available is unknown, but they are attempting to make it right, which is welcome. I can only hope the new machine is free of these problems, if and when it arrives. For now, no five-star review from this consumer. What a shame.
UPDATE:
Well, Mr. Coffee eventually sent me a replacement unit (after I waited 5 weeks and had to call them to get it sent). This replacement lasted about four days and then would use 1/2 the water in the reservoir for coffee, dumping the remaining 1/2 all over the counter. I gave up. What a disappointment. I took Mr. Coffee out of the loop and was able to return the unit to a local retailer for store credit. Lastly, I have to agree with others who have said the coffee is watery. It's like that because of the maker's advertised brewing speed. Coffee can't steep properly, even when using 3 filters. We've resurrected an old, trusty Krups and the search continues.
UPDATE: After some time, I went ahead with the Cuisinart DCC-1150BK and have been pretty happy with it. Some say that it dribbles when pouring but I've found that this occurs only when you attempt to pour faster than what the spout can handle, which is admittedly not super fast - coffee then comes out the center spot where it enters from the machine. Doesn't brew as fast as the Mr. Coffee, but it does taste better - more than a fair trade-off. Coffee is easily hot enough for us. Came w/ a gold metal filter so we're saving on paper filters. No separate water reservoir (another plus). Simple electronics mounted above the action so any spillage is no factor. Only down side to date is the machine's bottom plate seems to be losing some paint after only two months - one would think that manufacturers would have access to moisture/heat resistant paint. All-in-all the DCC-1150BK has been much kinder to us than the Mr. Coffee was.

Mr. Coffee has really outdone themselves with the new improvements and designs to their latest Optimal Brew 10-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker. When choosing a great machine, I always research and compare with all my friends. When comparing machines, 5 brands stood out with many of the best features you would expect from a coffeemaker, including most importantly, a great cup of coffee. The top 5 best thermal coffeemakers that we found were Mr. Coffee, Bunn, Cuisinart, Capresso and Zojirushi. Zojirushi was eliminated due to terrible company support. For the machines themselves, Capresso seemed to have designs that were not as easy or convenient to use. This leaves the top 3- Mr. Coffee, Bunn and Cuisinart. All three are great designs, all 3 make a great cup of coffee and all 3 have great company support. All 3 also have what every Thermal Coffeemaker has- Leak and Weak. The thermal carafe's develop leaks around the seals and the coffee is more weak than most people would like.

These are two issues that are easily remedied by a couple simple steps. First, to eliminate the leak around the carafe seal- hand wash the carafe only with Dawn dishwashing liquid. The seal gets worn from the acidic oils in the coffee- Dawn removes the acidic oils keeping the seal perfect with no more leaks. This really does work to stop those carafe seal leaks! The other big complaint is weak coffee, and it is a complaint with ALL the thermal coffeemakers we tried! We only use a medium grind coffee for drip automatic coffeemakers- exactly what they tell you to use. The directions tell you to use more coffee if it is too weak. This does help, but there are two other solutions that actually do work better. Using a permanent gold re-useable basket filter instead of a paper filter leaves more sediment go through to your cup, with a stronger flavor. But, the best solution was using a much darker roast coffee which really added strength to the flavor! These solutions actually do work for those that like a strong cup of coffee!

I prefer a thermal coffeemaker over all the others for several reasons. It's FAST (10 cups in about 8 minutes), it's an ENERGY SAVER (No hot plate using electricity, as the carafe keeps the coffee hot and drinkable for over 3 hours- even longer when you pre-heat the carafe with hot water), No more burnt, bitter taste (only smooth and delicious)and the coffee never loses it's flavor in the carafe that can sit anywhere you are (great portability).

Getting down to the last 3 thermal coffemakers that we found to be really great, was easy for me to choose the best one. As far as looks go, this Mr. Coffee won hands down. Beautiful, sleek, black and sturdy stainless steel- it really is gorgeous! It has a programmable clock/timer for wake up coffee! (I love this feature!)It has a brew pause function, meaning I can grab a cup while it's still brewing. It has an audible ready signal. The cord storage is convenient and nice, as is the water filtration which removes 97 percent of the chlorine for a really smooth taste! It has a special cleaning cycle, auto shut off and a sleep mode. My favorite features are the separate water reservoir and the side loading filter basket! These new designs make all the difference in the ease of use! I will never use a coffeemaker without a separate water reservoir ever again, it is so wonderful! The stainless steel insulated thermal carafe has a stay cool handle and drip free spout.

This Mr. Coffee thermal coffeemaker won hands down as THE BEST one for me! The one year warranty and great company support influenced me as well. As for the coffee- they are all pretty close in taste and all being weaker than some people would like, but with the few adjustments I mentioned, Mr. Coffee was definitely my favorite cup, using a little darker roast for a delicious strong cup!

Okay, I really wanted to like this coffee maker. I just couldn't get a great cup of coffee out of it. Sure, I could get a decent cup, but that is not what I am looking for. Believe me, I am not new to coffee. I tried all the ratios and I was not impressed enough to keep it. Besides not making a great cup of coffee here are a few other things that bothered me: first it seems neat to be able to life off the the water tank and fill it, but the lid is annoying. It will only open to one side which blocks the water marks passed 6. The coffee filter drawer is also annoying. You have to have room next to it in order to remove it. So next to a cabinet is out. I have it next to my blender and have to move the blender carafe off the motor base in order to access the coffee filter. The other reviewers who mentioned the thermal carafe being slow to pour were not kidding. It is really slow. It does keep it hot. The two reasons (other than the positive reviews here) for buying this were: it brews at the right temperature (195-205) and it was on sale $69 at target. It does make hot coffee, that is for sure. If it put out a great cup, I could look pass all those negatives. Like I said, I really wanted to keep this, but I can't do it and had to returned it. Life is just too short for good coffee, knowing there is great coffee somewhere else. I ended up with a BUNN NHBX-B, I actually wanted this to begin with. That is in another review.

Ok so i read all the negative and positive reviews trying to figure out what was the deal with this coffee maker. Here is the thing i have found, people who really hate this coffee maker just don't understand what it is or how to use it right. This is a fine buy, perhaps the only buy if you want a Thermal Coffee maker that really works.

ok so first we need to understand this is a THERMAL coffee maker. Why does that matter?
1) You won't burn down you house because you forgot to turn it off.
2) you will never have burnt thick muddy coffee.
3) it saves a ton of money on energy.
4) you can take your coffee pot with you to your table, desk, or backyard, and it will stay hot right beside you just as if it was still being heated.

It is key to understand that the whole point of this coffee maker is that it is thermal which means when it is made it is dumped into a coffee pot that is really a big thermos and that is how it stays hot. This means it stays hot really long without heating, burning, and thickening. It also means your first cup of coffee will be blistering hot and each on after a little less. But big deal, i made a pot of coffee this morning when i got up at 7am it is now 12:39pm and i am drinking my last cup and it is still hot (just not blistering hot).

Common Complaints:
Does it leak? Sure it does when you don't follow directions, or clean it right. Is it poorly designed? - Well there are things i would have done different but that is the case about anything. It works and works very well. It brews incredibly fast (a full pot in 5 minutes or under) and it brews blistering hot (the first cup is too hot for me often). Does it pour slowly? Well duh? of course it does, it is in an air tight thermos that is designed not to let cold air is to cool your coffee pot! Hello? What don't people get about that? Ironically, the same people who complain about temperature are the same people who say it pours to slowly. Sigh. Hey i don't care how big your mug is we are still talking seconds or pouring time not minutes, you won't die waiting, and your coffee will not be burnt or cold!

Real issues:
It is true the fist 5 to 6 pots of coffee have a weird taste. There are a couple reasons for that and ways to fix it. One the pot needs to be washed after manufacturing. I advise you to save yourself the stress and go ahead and run 5-7 cycles of plain water though it before you brew coffee to make sure there is no strange first brew taste. And other reason the taste and even coffee strength can be off is it filters your water. And the filter indeed leaves a slight taste, and slows down the brew (thus the strength). If your not use to filtered water you will taste it more. I recommend you presoak your filter, to get the filter taste out (yes that will slightly decrease the strength of the filter but give you a better coffee). Or if you already use filtered water (as i do) or just don't care if it is filtered, just pull the filter out, you will get a better cup of coffee. While i i have experimented i am still using mine with the presoak. it is more of a personal issue.
Also to prevent leaking wash with water and a mild dish soap and don't be overly rough with filling tank.

Lastly, i have done the research this is the best and only real choice for a thermal home coffee machine without getting into huge dollars. There are others, but they perform worse. This is a good coffee machine, you just have to understand it is not an old burner system (which for some of us is a good thing). It is cutting edge in this price range, but you need to sync with it and seek to learn what gets you the best coffee from it.

Buy. Enjoy. Have fun.

I bought this coffee maker as a gift for Christmas--before I read the reviews. Once I read them, Mr. Coffee already wrapped in silver gift paper, I considered taking it back. I didn't. I kept it, and it was definitely the right decision.

Mr. Coffee was unwrapped on Christmas Eve so that the coffee could be timed and ready for Christmas Morning. I noted to the gift recipient that this gift might suck. I also noted that all the reviews were split fifty-fifty between "best thing ever" and "worthless crap I shouldn't have bothered with." My gift of Mr. Coffee-brewed morning coffee was an accompaniment to a new newspaper subscription, so I knew, at least, that if I was cleaning an inaugural coffee flood Christmas Morning, the gift recipient was entertained with news for long enough that I could whip out the French Press and present the "old way" coffee with my announcement that Mr. Coffee did indeed suck, just like half of the reviews stated.

It's been five days of use now, and here's the deal. I suspected that user error was responsible for most of the "this is crap!" responses. And I think my experience can confirm that. Here are the key things that you are probably concerned with based on other feedback:

1. Will it explode and flood my counter, floor, rug, basement, or face? NO. There are three things that will cause a flood. One is not seating the water container correctly. Just like a humidifier, the water tank has to sit in the reservoir so that it makes a seal. If you put the tank in crooked, it doesn't seat properly. Then you get flood. If you put it straight in, no problem. Perfectly sealed water reservoir. The second is not emptying the carafe. If you poured new coffee into a full coffee mug, you'd get a flood. Same idea. Pretty simple. The third, which seems to be the most frustrating is the cracked carafe. Remember, this holds coffee at NEARLY BOILING for multiple hours in a vacuum. The inside of this thing is hot. And when you add a shift in temperature, even though it's metal, it still reacts. Since it's a manufactured component piece, temperature shock will stress the joints. I would guess that anyone who has rinsed the carafe before letting it completely cool might run into this problem. Not stressing the carafe out has kept mine working tip top.

2. Will my coffee be weak and lukewarm? NO. I have no thoughts on this except it's just not true. Somehow, perhaps it's the pressure, it seems to brew stronger with less. And the temperature, while I haven't taken a thermometer to it, is hot enough that adding cold milk doesn't make any less of hot beverage. Additionally, I'm not joking when I say that the thermal vacuum-sealed carafe keeps the coffee hotter than hot for over two hours. The machine recipient is the slow kind of coffee drinker. One that typically has a cold half-cup after some leisurely sipping. Not having to brew more coffee to keep it fresh and warm over the course of the day, or reheat in the microwave is really a treat. We went out and shoveled the cars and sidewalk the other day while the coffee sat snug in its carafe. Just like a fresh pot--hot and tasty, HOURS later.

3. Does it take eighty hours to pour a cup? NO. It's a slow pour. THE CARAFE IS VACUUM SEALED! It would defeat its heat-keeping magic if the top just opened up and poured like a milk carton. The top to the carafe is two inches thick to make sure that it stays sealed. Patience. The slow pour is there for a reason! The ONLY little thing about this: there may still be some left when you get to the bottom. But surprise! Open the top! It's just as hot and delicious as the rest!

Basically, treat this machine as the sophisticated multi-part machine that it is, and it will do just fine. It's not the slam-the-carafe-into-the-hot-plate, don't-worry-about-the-dripping-it-doesn't-stain, type of machine. The water has its own tank. The filter purifies the water in a separate addition to the filter basket. The brewing mechanism makes a seal above the carafe, and the carafe stays sealed with perfectly hot coffee far longer than any other drinking container I've seen.

So, do reconsider the major complaints posted in these reviews. If you need to keep coffee hot a long time, this is certainly the way to go. Oh yeah, and the timer works just fine. Additionally, I've always wondered who writes these things when they're lengthy. I've never had a product go so wrong that I wanted to save everyone else from repeating my frustration. But now I've written one, and for this one, I know, I was prepared to have bought something crappy because I didn't do my research. But then realized that a little time with the directions, and a little respect for what I had purchased and everything would be just fine. Unless I come back and amend this in a few days when I've thrown it out the window and put my name in the "Yes, it IS crap!" category, I would recommend this machine highly if it has the qualities that you're looking for. Don't go hating on the Mr. Coffee BVMC-PSTX91. Just understand it. And then enjoy the coffee you can brew together.

I'd like to start off saying that I was skeptical that Mr. Coffee, a brand I have associated more for its cheap plastic coffee makers than for quality products, could compete with some of the better known brands in the high end coffee maker category. I found this product through positive customer reviews and after bringing home, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the product was thought out and constructed.
This is my third coffee maker in the past 12 years, with the previous two being Krups. The two biggest gripes I had about the Krups were that the coffee was never great, and the carafes were easily broken (and expensive to replace). Both of these issues were fixed with this Mr. Coffee model.

Positives:
* Piping hot coffee (hotter than my traditional carafe Krups machines), that brews fast and tastes great. This machine seems to be less finicky over the exact amount of grounds per cup than my prior two Krups machines

* The carafe is very well built, with stainless interior and exterior and a vacuum design. There are many imitators out there with plastic interiors that can retain odors and won't keep your coffee hot.

* By going with a thermal carafe, you're saving quite a bit of energy since your coffee maker no longer has a hot plate using up electricity for a couple hours each day.

* The removable water reservoir is nice to have

* The overall design and quality is really top notch for the price point

* Very easy to use interface with standard delay brewing options

Negatives:
* There was a strong plastic smell in the initial brews. I would recommend going through six cleaning cycles prior to brewing coffee, including a couple with diluted vinegar. After that it's fine but it would be nice not to have to go through this step.

* My first carafe leaked when pouring coffee and I had to return to get a replacement

I had a Bunn coffee pot for 14 years which was great other than I had to constantly add water to it to keep the reservoir full (which really sucks in the summer as I don't drink that much coffee) and the fact that you had to add twice the coffee grounds to get a good strong pot of coffee which is to be expected when you run water through it in 3 minutes or less.
I say this because of the reviews I read stating this coffee maker makes weak coffee. I don't find this true at all. The 1st pot I brewed I used 2 rounded scoops which to me is not nearly enough grounds but because that is what most people use decided to try that and found it to be a very good cup of coffee. I use 3 scoops just because I like chewy coffee and have not been disappointed.
It makes coffee in about 7 minutes and comes out great. I don't remove the water reservoir, but rather just lift the lid and fill it that way. Don't see any reason to.
I've read reviews where people bitch about how slow the thermal carafe pours...yep but big deal. So it takes 5-10 seconds to fill a cup. If I fill my Thermos I just take the lid off and pour it that way. I'm very happy with it. It makes a HOT cup of coffee (burned my mouth and I love hot hot coffee) and the carafe keeps it hot for hours (It actually keeps coffee hotter for longer than some thermoses I've had) and the flavor is great. That's all I want out of my coffee.
In my opinion you can't go wrong with this coffee maker. Buy one. I don't think you will be disappointed.

After trying 3 Cuisinarts because i thought the looked "cool", each and every one of them crapped out within a year, this one has been a welcome change.. It brews very fast, looks good on the counter, and is designed perfectly. Extrememely easy to fill both water and coffee filters... all in all this one is GREAT!

If you're like me, Mr. Coffee's Optimal Brew is the coffeemaker you've always wanted. When I received the shipment from amazon, I unpacked the machine and was impressed by the sturdy, attractive design. Next, I cleaned as instructed, ground the coffee, added water and set the timer for brewing the following morning. When I woke up, the coffee was ready to drink and sure enough, it tasted great! No doubt one of the reasons is the water filtration system that's built right into the coffeemaker.

Remarkably, unlike other machines I've used Mr. Coffee is whisper quiet. The stainless-steel carafe keeps the coffee hot for hours, allowing plenty of time to enjoy. And while I rarely need to brew up to 10 cups of coffee at home, it's nice to know that I'll be ready to entertain guests with no problem at all.

I can't say enough positive things about this product. I highly recommend the Mr. Coffee Optimal Brew to everyone!

This coffee maker is as close to perfect as they come in my opinion. Mr. Coffee really thought through the design of this pot, and here is why I say that:
1. Coffee is very hot - when first brewed I can barely drink it (but I don't like boiling hot coffee)
2. Stays hot - this carafe is the best Mr. Coffee has made - I've had 2 of their other models and this one works very well - the coffee does pour more slowly but it's not an issue.
3. Carafe Sensor - This pot won't brew coffee if the pot isn't positioned properly - ever had the pot there but not perfectly positioned? Well if you did, you'll know what a HUGE mess that makes. That will never happen with this pot because it knows if the pot is there or not.
4. Basket overflow drain - If you've had your basket get clogged or have the release not depressed properly resulting in a basket overflow you again, know that a basket overflow is a HUGE mess. Not with this pot, there is a small hole and trough that allows any overflow to safely exit and go into the carafe. Now this will allow the coffee grounds to go into the carafe BUT you avoid the mess of a basket overflow.
5. Electricity storage - I'm not sure what device they are using, perhaps a small capacitor or battery, but if your power goes out for a brief amount of time, the pot will keep it's clock running. This is great for a couple reasons. 1 - You're already going to have to reset your stove, microwave, VCR, etc... do you want to have to reset your coffee pot? 2 - If the electricity blinks out at 3 AM, no worries, your pot will still keep it's time and brew your morning coffee
6. Steam capture - I tried to capture it via photographs, but the steam capture system directly above the pot stops steam from coming out and harming the electronic components - this was a very big issue in the older style pots.

Finally the removable water tank and the slide out basket are great convenience features that make setting up your pot a breeze. If I could think of anything wrong at all it would have to be the lid on the water tank. I'm not crazy about how it works but that is such a small issue that it's hardly worth mentioning. I've had this pot over a month and assuming it doesn't die on me I will continue to push this onto everyone I know! LOL