Fresh Brew Plus Thermal Carafe

Zojirushi Model EC-YTC100 Coffee Maker - There is the overall appearance of good build quality. The removable water reservoir can be conveniently filled with filtered water from a refrigerator water dispenser. The vacuum insulated thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for several hours without a heating pad but there is a trade-off. It is easier to determine the volume of coffee in a glass container but with a thermal carafe there is no heating pad to rust out. Most glass carafes appeared too fragile for my clumsy morning waking hours anyway. I wish that the Zojirushi coffee maker had a brew strength control feature. I will try adjusting the coffee grind size and/or the water volume to coffee ratio to get a brew closer to my preferences. The front panel is difficult to read as the display is not backlit and the display’s low position in height from the countertop doesn’t help. My kitchen has recessed lighting and is well lit. The coffeemaker is placed on a dark brown/black polished granite kitchen countertop and the display picks up the reflection of the countertop’s dark pattern which makes the low contrast display unreadable. I compensate by placing a white paper towel on the counter in front of the display or use a miniature flashlight when programming.

Good Lord this coffee machine is incredible. It makes the smoothest cup of coffee I've ever had. Its the perfect machine. It has a timer function, and easy release for the water holder, fits perfectly underneath the counter, and the coffee basket is very well made. We've only had it for about a month, but I love it.

Based on a family member’s experience, I bought one expecting that the carafe would do a better job making the coffee hot and keeping it hot than ours. However, that doesn’t work for smaller volumes of 6 cups or fewer. The instructions recommend rinsing the pot with hot water for small amounts, but a big part of the joy of having an automatic maker is to be able to just push a button in the morning! Also hard to get the strength right reliably. But: great instructions (including how to replace components) and solid construction!