Braun KF180 FlavorSelect 12-Cup Coffeemaker

Other Braun products

Product Features

• Multi-path brewing system fully extracts coffee's rich flavor
• Choose mild- to robust-tasting coffee with flavor-selection dial
• Water filter exchange dial schedules when to change water filter
• Brew-pause for pouring a cup midbrew; programmable auto shut-off, 0-4 hours
• Measures 14.7 by 7-1/2 by 12.2 inches; 1-year warranty against defects

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.7 x 12.2 x 7.4 inches ; 5.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005IX9Q
• Item model number: KF180-WH
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #129,964 in Kitchen & Dining (See Bestsellers in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Equipped with a water-dispersal system for fast, uniform saturation of ground coffee, this 12-cup coffeemaker provides a flavor-selection feature for dialing up mild- to robust-tasting coffee. Electronic controls make several programmable choices available. The clock/timer, for example, can be set up to 24 hours in advance to automatically brew "wake-up" coffee. And the warming plate that keeps coffee hot in the glass carafe can be programmed to shut off anytime between 10 minutes and four hours after brewing. Other features include a coffee-flow shutoff if the carafe is removed for a quick pour during the brewing cycle; a space for inserting a water filter (which is not included); a swing-out filter basket that can be removed for cleaning; and a water-level window for precise measurement. This model comes clad in gleaming white and carries a one-year warranty against defects. With the carafe in place, it measures 13-1/2 inches high, 7-1/2 inches wide, and 12 inches deep. --Fred Brack

Product Description

12-cup Coffee Maker with Flavor Select with Digital Timer Multi-path brewing system Clock and Digital Timer Set your coffee maker's timer to brew coffee fresh in the morning and gently awaken to its fresh aroma

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first Braun, October 9, 2001

By	Hypercleats (Mariposa, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I've been buying auto-drip coffeemakers for years. They never lasted longer than about a year, so I am regularly replacing them...

I finally got tired of that a couple of months ago, when my latest Mr. Coffee cheapo started leaking water and coffee profusely all over the counter. I figured that I would at last try out a "high-end" coffeemaker, to see if there is anything to it besides the cost of a fancy brand name. I bought the Braun KF180 FlavorSelect.

And I've never been happier. There really is a lot more than just a name you pay for. This coffeemaker is marvellous! The carafe actually pours! Yes, without spilling! It is beyond easy to load and operate and clean, very nicely constructed, top design. It makes HOT coffee, and it tastes as good as out of a percolator. It is solid, not some cheap flimsy thing. It has a small footprint for a 12-cup maker, it's full of options like when it will automatically turn itself on in the morning, to how long the hotplate stays on before the safety switch shuts it down (select a time between 10 minutes to 4 hours!) It uses a "multi-path drip brewing" system and features the eponymous "flavor selector." I do not know for sure what makes it tastes so good, but I'm not complaining. This coffeemaker was worth every penny! I knew that Braun was a good name, but now I know that it is backed up by excellent design, manufacturing and features, and not just hype.

FYI: This machine has the compartment to place the water filter, but doesn't come with one out of the box. (The compartment does not take up any room in the tank, it will make 12-cups with or without the filter, unlike some other makers.) If you use municipal tap water (with chlorine added, etc.) you will want to get that filter. They should be replaced around every 2 to 3 months. (Amazon sells them.) If you live out in the sticks like me and use well or spring water, note that this filter is not recommended for untreated water.

It uses No.4 paper filters (more like a pouch than a cone, with a flat, "stitched" closing, not the cones with a circular bottom). If you want to use a reusable filter, you have to get the Braun GF4 Gold Screen Filter (which, like the water filter, is included with the KF 187 version of this coffeemaker, or you can get it separately.)

NOTE: Other brands of No.4-sized reusable filters WILL NOT fit in a Braun FlavorSelect model. (I've tried it with the Krups Gold Tone Filter sold here, and no.) Braun coffeemakers have small, rounded protrusions on the inside of the filter compartment. Paper filters bend around them just fine, but rigid reusable filters will not sit, and the compartment cannot be closed. Make sure it says it can be used in a Braun FlavorSelect before you buy it. I did a Google search for "braun gf4" and found several online vendors for it. (Great filter, BTW.)

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trust me. I did an absurd amount of research. Great coffee!, December 9, 2003

By A Customer

Yeah, I know. I wanted something high-tech too. After years of the same old mediocre coffee, I was expecting houseguests and had an excuse to splurge. I started to go for French press - but would I really go to all of that trouble once my guests left? And I knew I'd need to practice to get it just right. Looked at the wildly techie "Santos," for an automated way to make French-press-style coffee, but read some disappointing reviews about complexity of brewing, cleaning, and flimsy plastic. Looked at thermal pot brewers, because that seemed to make sense - but read many complaints about coffee not being hot unless you first heated the thermal pot with hot water - defeating the purpose of the automatic timer for wake-up coffee. Finally, found an online resource that compared ratings for dozens of coffee makers and this simple, unglamourous Braun product kept coming up as a "best value." I wasn't in love with it - I really wanted the newest-and-best - but had read at least one major negative about almost every new coffee maker. Gave up and bought this, at a great price compared to newer models, and I LOVE it. There's a dial to set coffee strength, and since I make only a cup or two a day for myself I set it at the strongest - works great! The water is fed through lots of different "channels" (holes) inside the filter holder, so that instead of just dripping through the center of the coffee grounds, all of the grounds are being dripped-thru throughout the brew cycle. - You'll see what I mean when you look at the funky-looking inside of the filter holder. Amazingly, it makes a huge difference. I used a Krups 4-cup coffee maker for years and was never happy with my coffee; this model, although it's a 12-cup brewer, makes as little as one cup (my "one" cup is an 8-ounce cup, enough to fill my mug) with the same intensity and flavor as a full pot of coffee when guests are here. If you don't want to buy something fancy only to read LATER that the coffee is never quite hot enough, or the auto-grind feature wakes up your guests at 6 a.m., then get one of these simple, superb machines before it gets discontinued in favor of something fancier. I read 'em all, folks. Trust me. Save the extra $100 and use it to take yourself out to dinner.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good cup of coffee, January 14, 2002

By A Customer

I love Braun products. They are usually sleek and well designed. This one is in keeping with that trend. I had the last Braun coffee maker model for about 10 years before it finally shorted out. I don't like this one as much, but it still makes a good cup of coffee--for an automatic drip machine. They have added some nice features to this model. You can adjust the strength of brewing--I was skeptical at first--but it really does work. However, I don't like the shape of the carafe as much--it's a bit harder to clean (although it doesn't spill). This model also has tons of little crevices and places for coffee grounds and spills to linger. It's much harder to keep clean than the last model which had an overall smoother and rounder surface. Despite these shortcomings--it's a great machine. Much better than Melita, Krups and Mr. Coffee.

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