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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fine coffee maker for the money!, August 12, 2008
This review is from: Mr. Coffee FTX41 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Stainless Steel (Kitchen)
This model (FTX41) is functionally equivalent to the FTX49, the only difference being that the FTX49 has a dark red trim whereas this one has a brushed stainless steel look. The FTX49 is less prone to noticeable fingerprints on that portion of the unit. That's where the differences end.
I purchased this coffee maker at the recommendation of a friend and I'm really happy with it. It has a selectable brew strength, a defeatable audio alarm that beeps when brewing is complete, a clock, and a delayed brew timer.
The delayed brew timer is nice to have if you want to wake up in the morning with a pot of coffee waiting for you. I've used the feature a few times, and I like having it, although most of the time I grind my own beans, so I don't like to let the grounds sit in the coffee machine overnight because they can get stale. Of course, that's unavoidable unless you spend the extra money on a machine that also grinds beans before brewing.
This coffee machine comes with a permanent, washable coffee filter that is sturdy, well-made, and washes out in the sink in a matter of seconds. It also comes with a charcoal water filter that is placed above the brew basket. The manual states that these should be changed every month (I wouldn't be surprised if they last longer than that, though). The replacement filters are inexpensive, but if you already have filtered water, you can leave it out.
Another feature that I really appreciate is the Fresh Brew timer, which allows you to see exactly how long that pot of coffee has been sitting there. If you're in a hurry, you can also pull the carafe out while the coffee is brewing to pour a cup. Once you put the carafe back in its spot, it continues normally. I've tried it a few times, and not a single drop has ever hit the hot plate. Oh, and the temperature of the hot plate is adjustable -- I got mine set at the perfect temperature so it doesn't burn the coffee if it's sitting there for a while.
My only complaints (and believe me, I'm trying pretty hard to come up with them): the display, while attractive, is a little on the bright side -- a switch to adjust the brightness would be nice, even if it was just a High/Low 2-way switch. An internal battery to keep the clock accurate in case of a power outage would have been a bonus too. Finally, even though it looks great and feels pretty strong, it's almost entirely plastic, so it doesn't have that solid "I'm going to outlast your children" feel to it that it might have if it had more metal in the construction.
All in all, I feel like I'm cheating it by giving it only four stars, but it's not quite 5 stars either. It would be a 4.5 for me if I could do that. :)
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