I bought this for my husband for Father's Day. I figured he only drinks 2 cups of coffee a day so the price was pretty reasonable. If he drank much more that that I am not so sure I would have made this purchase. The k-cups are pricey and they are not easily found in local stores. That being said it makes a very nice cup of coffee. My husband drinks the 9oz size and then when his cup is brewed (this is the best level flavor for him) I just lift the lever and lower it back again then press the 'brew' button. This makes a very very light coffee flavor and then I add a packet of hot chocolate to my water. I can have a nice cup of mocha flavored hot chocolate. I can usually get 2 cups of hot chocolate flavored with diluted coffee. So that was a nice bonus!

I also purchased the filter so you can use your own grounds. You have to play around with the amound of grounds used to get the flavor you desire. Again, it makes a good cup of coffee...the k-cups are the preferred method. But when you can't always find or drive the distance to the only store that sells the k-cups or your order has not arrived yet this filter is fine to use.

Don't waste your time buying the hot chocolate packs...especially the ones you pour directly into your cup (there are some that come in the k-cup package). They are more pricey than they are worth. If you just brew a hot cup of water and use any brand hot chocolate it boils down to the same thing (no pun intended :) )

To help my husband out, if I see the water line going down I just go ahead and bring it back to level. I keep a filtered water pitcher in the refrigerator just for this.

I should mention I am not a coffee connoisseur and neither is my husband. We just know what tastes good to us. The coffee brewed in this machine seems to taste better than the other home coffee makers we've used in the past. My 'mocha hot chocolate' is about the best way to have chocolate for me. I am glad I took the suggestion from another reviewer on that one.

Another nice thing about this is the total lack of mess involved. I simply keep the water level full, purge the system when needed, and use the k-cups for the most part. I don't have spills on the counter, coffee grounds scattered about, or gross coffee sitting in the carafe until my husband finally dumps it. There is no dirty carafe to worry about. The machine stays very clean without that nasty coffee build up you see on the conventional makers.

Some mention the watery flavor when you use the larger cup settings. This is the case with the highest setting. As I stated, my husband's setting is the 9-oz size using regular flavor coffee. The bold will give it a little more heft in taste. He seems to like either one. If you prefer that extra boost in flavor then just go with the bold flavors. Some day I hope to see k-cups with more of an espresso flavor by using the smallest cup size. Personally, I like the coffee so weak that I can add the hot chocolate for a different taste all together!...hence my waiting until his coffee is already brewed no matter what the flavor.

I am glad I chose the B-70 over all the other sizes out there. The larger water reservoir makes a difference. It is also nice to choose between 4 sizes. I like the cups over the 'pods' because they are sealed until they are needed. Really if you are going to drop serious money on a coffee maker...get a serious coffee maker.

I could have gone with a regular coffee maker and my husband would have been fine with that. But it was Father's Day and he deserves something extra special. The only reason there is four stars instead of five is the difficulty in finding the k-cups and once you do find them the price. Still, I highly reccommend this item.