Customer Reviews

Mr. Coffee MRX36 12-Cup Programmable Brew Strength Selector Coffee Maker

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

 

 

I have been looking for a new coffee maker for some time, one that had the features I wanted but not so complicated you had to take a class in how to operate the thing. The MRX36 has normal and strong for brew strength, you can program it to brew up to 24 hours later, the hotplate is adjustable for how hot your coffee is kept after it's brewed and even has a safety shut off of 2 or 4 hours, plus an audible alarm when you're coffee's ready, you can switch it to silent, all nice choices, great! All in all, you can select 'on' or 'off' on most features but ONE.

Yet the one thing I do not like is the "1000 watt" illumination for the clock. It's BRIGHT! Honestly, at night you can easily see by it yet there's no dim switch. It comes with a back light, also bluish/white which you can turn off but no adjustment to the clock light.

Glad I purchased it, works great, is quiet, makes good coffe, but sunglasses in the kitchen? Put a dimmer switch in the remake!

i looked for this coffee maker for 4 months and when i did the other guys wanted over $100.00 for it .. i got it here for less than 70.. makes awesome coffee.. and it came in a fun color

This is the second "Classic Edition" 12-cup MR COFFEE coffeemaker I've owned. The first one is in brown, the "Cocoa" color designated as model MRX35. This red color, designated on the package as "Poppy", is now discontinued but it may pop up here and there online, and its counterpart(s) are otherwise identical so it still merits a review (MRX36). For those who would rather have a stainless steel and black color combo, there is an identical looking model in black, MRX33, which also appears to be discontinued (but still available online as of this writing).

The features this coffeemaker offers are just too numerous list, but I'll do my best to hit the high points:

* Don't let the 9+ control buttons on the front panel fool you: Each controls just ONE function. No guesswork. No key combinations to program the machine. Easy. Easy. Easy.
* Strong Brew vs. Regular: The Strong Brew option is triggered by a single button click and will slow down the rate at which the water flows through the basket for longer saturation of the coffee grinds.
* An LED backlight serves as a nightlight. It's gimmicky, yes, but this much is true: You won't find a feature like this on any other coffeemaker.
* The backlit LED analog-style display clock is very bright at first. It dims with time but the clock remains as readable as ever. Compared to many Cuisinart models that don't light their displays at all and are comparatively difficult to read, this isn't a problem, IMHO.
* The Fresh Brew Timer displays an elapsed time so you never have any doubt if your coffee is still fresh enough to drink. (Note: Don't expect any coffeemaker to keep coffee over a warming plate for over an hour and still taste its best. Even in the restaurant industry using professional equipment, leaving coffee on a warming plate for more than 30-60 minutes is a big no-no.)
* The charcoal Water Filter disc is placed above the grinds basket. This is significant because it means that the filter will not be forgotten inside the water reservoir, which is where other coffeemakers with this feature often place them. That means your water level indicator mounted on the outside of the machine is always accurate, unlike those coffeemakers that only display an accurate water level when the charcoal insert is in place. The placement also means that you won't forget to replace it quite so easily. The upshot? Better tasting coffee. Oh, and these filters are economical and easy to find, too. Better than can be said for most competing brands.
* The footprint of this coffeemaker is wider than some but also shorter and not so deep. You won't have any problem putting this under a cabinet, and it won't protrude awkwardly.
* The Special Cleaning light will illuminate to remind you to use distilled white vinegar to descale the machine. Regular cleaning ensures that the machine will continue to run as fast and efficiently as it should. Thanks to this feature, my first MRX35 is still working because it didn't allow me to "forget" to maintain it.
* The Warming Plate is not only adjustable but it can be toggled between a 2- AND a 4-hour auto shutoff. A lot of the descriptions say the auto shutoff is limited to two hours. That's not entirely correct.
* The Permanent Filter is square to fit into the square basket "drawer" positioned above the decanter. And no, you cannot buy replacement permanent filters or carafes over the counter. MR COFFEE doesn't list these parts on their website, but they are available by calling or doing an Internet search. The downside is that there are also no paper filters that are square to fit the basket, but in my experience the permanent filter has held up very well for 3 years of daily use. For those who prefer the convenience, however, a cupcake style paper filter will work (using caution not to allow it to fold in on itself). The upside of the square filter, however, is that it holds plenty of coffee grinds. You can make 12 cups of coffee as strong as you want to.
* The nice thing about the design of this coffeemaker is that the coffee grinds don't find their way into the water reservoir, unlike a prior MR COFFEE machine I owned of another type where a common lid covered the water reservoir and the coffee filter/basket. On this coffeemaker, the grinds reside in their own drawer and the water access lid is on the top left. Even if you did overflow it ---- and I never have ---- there's no way to get the coffee to clog up the interior of the tank where they go rancid and begin to make the coffee taste bad.
* On the top Right is a silicone pad that can be used for serving the coffee at the table, and the area surrounded by the metal guard rails will accommodate one standard size coffee mug. This is what MR COFFEE calls a "warming rack".

DOWNSIDES:

1. This coffeemaker has one major flaw compared to other makes and models I've owned from Cuisinart and Krups, and that is that it doesn't brew quite as hot as I'd like. It tops out at about 173°F whereas the competitors in this price range will generally get to ~180°F. I think it all depends on whether you like your coffee scalding vs. hot. The trick to maintaining the coffee at an acceptable serving temperature is to pre-warm your cup, cream or milk BEFORE you pour coffee into the cup. On the other hand, the solution is NOT to dial up the warming plate temperature. Heating the coffee above and beyond what it initially dispenses at will only degrade or scorch the flavor, regardless of the coffeemaker or the method.

2. Condensation forms in the basket/drawer area, which will drip out of the seams onto the lower right corner on occasion. Fortunately, this issue is essentially eliminated when I realized that the area had to be dried between uses (remove grinds basket and air dry or towel dry).

3. MR COFFEE cannot make a coffeemaker with decent nonstick coating. If exposed to moisture, the warming plate will flake, rust and bubble. This is my 3rd MR COFFEE in less than 10 years and after learning my lesson about putting a damp carafe back on the warming plate of an earlier model, I have been very careful to keep the plate clean and dry and this has greatly improved the longevity of the nonstick warming plate.

UPSIDES:

1. I've had reliable service for 3 years from my MRX35 and I hope to enjoy the same and then some from this model. It makes a very smooth cup of coffee, commiserate with the quality of *fresh* coffee you use. (Of course, the old axiom, Garbage in = Garbage Out, still applies.)

2. I've owned not one but two and I don't have a problem with dribbling carafes. It pours very nicely and I suspect anyone who gives it some time will have equally good results.

CONCLUSION:

I don't work for MR COFFEE; I just love my coffee to look as good as it tastes, and this one fits the bill nicely.

Thanks for reading!

Love the color and height of the coffee maker, however it doesn't heat the water hot enough when it is brewing. This makes the coffee week and luke warm. I have to use extra coffee bean and leave the coffee sit in the decanter to warm the coffee.

Selected this coffee maker for our hair salon and everyone comments on it! The coffee tastes nice and is brewed very hot.We love the color and the style,well matches it matches our jive in our salon.

This coffee maker replaced another Mr.Coffee. The function of the machine is fine, and it makes good tasting coffee. The base of the unit does get very hot to the touch when in operation. We have it placed on a trivit to protect the laminate countertop.

I was impressed with the way this coffee maker looked in the ad and it looked great on my kitchen counter as well even though it took up a bit too much space. I do like the bright easy-to-read clock and the color. I used for it a few days and it is now in a closet. It makes awful coffee. I adjusted the heat down as far is it would go as it kept the coffee way too hot. It still kept the coffee too hot. The coffee comes out tasting not nearly as good as I'm used to and by the end of the day, the last two or three cups of coffee are foul tasting sludge. The basket is square. Somebody tell me please where to find square coffee filters. I did not have any fun at all fooling with a cupcake style filter trying to get it to seat into the square basket without fear of it collapsing and making a mess during the brewing. My last coffee maker was a traditional style Mr. Coffee and I was very happy with it so I've gone back to the not-so-fancy coffee maker that leaves room on the counter for my cream and sugar bowls and makes the just-right coffee I look forward to every morning.

Bought this one four months ago. It's got great looks, but then using it is where the fun begins. An excessive amount of condensation leaks out of the right front filter basket where it meets the top and drips water all over the counter. You cannot pour a cup of coffee without dribbling it unless you hold the carafe top up high enough so it does not touch the coffee when pouring. The warming plate became rusted after 2 months of use... Mr. Coffee sent us a new one. Same design flaw and problems. If you want a red coffee maker and it has to be this brand, go with the other model that is more round. We have one at the office and it works fine!