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.

This is a very well designed machine that makes great tasting coffee and keeps it warm. The instruction manual is excellent and clearly shows how to clean each part. The carafe works great, doesn’t drip when you pour, and is easy to clean. We love the timer feature which allows us to have coffee ready the minute we wake up.

The coffee maker turns off automatically before the water finishes dripping from the grounds basket ‐ timing issue I suppose. The stainless pot seems to be well made, however, it must be turned upside down to get all of the coffee out, and after letting it drip in the cup after pouring, it still dribbles onto the countertop from the spout. If you don't have small enough hands to reach inside the coffee pot, you will need a bottle brush to clean it. I haven't tried the cold coffee brew, which I don't understand because I believe it will still brew out hot? It's just an ordinary coffee maker, in my opinion.