Customer Reviews With Photos

I bought this coffee maker in 2013 and it is still going strong. When they say 4 cups, it's more like you'll get two nice-sized cups of coffee out of this thing. I first used this in my apartment on my small kitchen counter and now I keep it at work on my desk. If you are looking for a small coffee maker that will fit unobtrusively somewhere and only need it for one person, this is it. Now, it does brew a little slower than some other coffee makers I have had but it still gets the job done. I only wish that I could take the pot off halfway through it brewing and have it pause (my other maker does this) instead having to wait through the slow brew cycle. Love this little coffee maker overall!

After receiving this product we noticed the top didn't "click" on, but we thought it was made that way. After putting them in the fridge to keep them cold, I had a terrible vomiting episode, actually so bad I couldn't even get to the bathroom b4 the explosion. I thought it was something else, but my son found this horrible mold (see pic) which he has been forgetting to send me. Buying these cold brew makers was a terrible decision, haven't made coffee since then.

I bought the mirror finish 44 oz. unit. I was told by a customer service rep at Frieling there will be a brushed finish available in Spring of 2013. I thought it might help with possible surface spotting, but I was not willing to wait. First, this is a beautiful unit. The mirror finish is great, can be wiped clean with ease and is better than expected appearance wise on all counts. It has the feel of a quality tool with no area that suggests that short cuts were taken in the manufacturing process. It is shockingly simple with just the pot cylinder and the lid/plunger/screen assembly. The 44 oz. quantity is the amount that reaches the very bottom of the V on the pour spout - possibly an unusable amount. I judge that approximately 42 oz. (about ½" below the bottom of the V) is close to the actual safe usable quantity if the bloom and screen depth, etc. are taken into account. The Frieling customer service rep told me that pouring water just off boil into the pot at room temperature would yield 205 degree water in the pot. I later verified this with my thermometer. He suggested that the ground coffee could be added to the 205 water and briefly stirred to saturate it before putting the lid in place for brewing. I did this and verified a temp drop to 199 degrees during the four minute brewing time. I used this method for awhile then switched to putting the coffee in first and stirring after adding the water. Either method seems to produce a comparable result. There is no requirement of preheating the pot or trying to measure or estimate the temperature of the water to see if it is in the 195-205 degree brewing range. While I have only been using the Frieling for a few days, it has produced an exceptionally good cup of coffee for me. I am experimenting with the coffee to water ratio to find the best result for my taste. I expect to use this unit for many years. To address some of the cons that I have seen in other reviews: 1. French Presses are expected to have some amount of sediment come through the screen/filter. This unit has less than any other I have used. I was surprised by this. I am using a Baratza Encore burr grinder with medium coarse grind setting. I suggest that those who have remarked on having "grinds" in their cup not use pre-ground coffee, not use a blade grinder, move to a courser grind, pour the coffee only until the pot is almost horizontal, and if none of that works, contact Frieling customer service to see if a replacement screen is needed. 2. The lid can slip forward/downward slightly with a metallic clunk as the pot cylinder approaches horizontal while pouring even if you have your finger on the knob of the plunger rod. You can put your finger on the lid and prevent this, but the lid or escaping steam could warm your finger past the comfortable point. There is a permanent solution for this issue. I call it the 25 Cent Solution. I went to Ace Hardware and bought a little bag containing two 1/4L Beveled Bib Washers for 25 cents (item number 02-1076P). Any hardware store should have these. Initially I cut the washer and slipped it onto the plunger rod, however after a couple weeks it became loose fitting, so I unscrewed the screen assembly from the bottom of the plunger and slid the other washer (flat side down) onto the plunger rod (it fits tightly) and replaced the screen assembly. The washer can now be moved up or down the rod (it gets easier with a little break-in period) into position to hold the lid during a pour. I don't even have to touch the plunger or lid during a pour as long as the washer is positioned against the lid. The washer does not detract from the general appearance of the pot, in fact I think it kind of adds, and can be easily removed if needed. Perhaps Frieling should consider a factory installed custom washer. 3. The lid does not have a closure system at the pour spout of the cylinder. It has been suggested that this will cause heat loss that is bad for the brewing process. Please see this YouTube video: [...] for a comparison of the Frieling and other steel units that have spout closure. There was no significant difference in heat loss even after two hours. Keep in mind that this pot should not be used as a carafe to store your brewed coffee for any prolonged time until it is served after brewing or it can become bitter. The coffee should be served after brewing is complete or poured into a heated or thermal carafe until it is served. 4. It has been noted that this is an expensive coffee pot. I think about it differently. The purchase price is higher than some coffee makers. However the cost of a 40 oz. pot of coffee made with this unit is about 65 cents using (Yes I know, non-gourmet) Costco Columbian beans ($236 annually for 1 pot/day), The result is comparable to Starbuck's Pike Place Roast and is a joy to drink. A 6 oz. cup of Kuereg coffee (made in a machine of comparable price) runs 50 to 60 cents ($438 annually for two cups/day) and to me tastes poor by comparison. A grande Starbucks Pike Place Roast runs $2.11 with tax ($1,540 annually for two cups/day) and it has a very good flavor. While I could choose a $40 Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker recommended by CR, the taste would without doubt not be as good, the machine would have a limited life expectancy and cost about the same $219 annually. So, to me, the pleasure I get in the morning from the coffee produced by me and this inanimate object is worth the difference in the cost of the starter kit. I also enjoy the morning ritual. I say 5 Stars.

Unintended consequences of switch location: The good: -Simple. -Large easily read fill gauge. -Coffee brews quickly and tastes fine (I use paper filters because they absorb bitter oils). Could be better: -The on/off switch is stiff, hard to push, and cheap feeling. -The switch is located on a vertical surface. Trying to pushing the switch on or off only slides the machine across the counter. Thus operating it is a two hand job, using the left hand to oppose this motion. In the second photo I've shown my work around: neoprene with the porous face down was glued to the bottom of the machine. Now I can turn it on or off with one hand for it no longer slides away when I push on the switch. I bought this instead of another Mr. Coffee because I don't need or use the obligatory clock and timer found on those others, and because the fill gauge is exceptionally easy to read. But my advice is to get a Mr. Coffee or some other brand with a softer touch switch located on either a horizontal or inclined surface. August 3, 2022: I am adding to my review. After 10 months the heating element only works intermittently, shutting off before even half the water has been heated. Others are now reporting the same failure in their reviews. Suspect a weak electrical connection internally which is heat sensitive. Before tossing in the trash I opened and inspected. The thermostat is faulty. It cuts off after a few oz of coffee have been made. It will then cool and reset and resume making coffee, only to repeat this off/on cycle ever few ounces. Mine failed in the 10th month but a recent reviewer had the same failure in the first month. Buy something else.

I had Mr. Coffee's original design for 20+ years before it malfunctioned (wouldn't shut off when done). I figured since that one lasted a long time, I'll stick with Mr. Coffee and get the bigger pitcher. After two years, the bottom rusted out and stained my counter top. I'm purchasing their newest model (BVMCTM33RB1). Hopefully it lasts longer than two freakin years. Last chance, Mr. Coffee. Last chance.

This was my 'for me and only me' size coffeepot. I bought it on sale and without trying it, but it has a fatal flaw in the construction of it that irritates the living hell out of me. IT LEAKS EVERYWHERE. There are several pros to this pot: -I like the size of this, it's enough for about 3 regular mugs or my regular morning of a mug and a full travel mug. -The stainless steel carafe is a lot more sturdy than the glass ones, I've broken glass ones before. -Also the stainless steel doesn't show coffee stains. -Regular size filters work in this. -Programmable. Cons: -LEAKS all over the place. I have to hold the top of the pot on while pouring water in, and it still leaks, and when pouring it leaks again. When the pot is brewing it leaks more. It makes my countertop wet and it's so irritating. -The timer on this has a tendency to be fickle. I set mine for 6:45 every morning. It's been about 50/50 lately and I bought the programmable one to have my coffee ready when I come downstairs, not to have to push the button myself. This is one of the earliest robots to service us, and it's failing. I need a bigger one anyway because I need one for two people's coffee addiction, not just my own. But I may buy another brand because this one is good for the money in general but it's a mess to clean up after.

So versatile! Can make lattes with nespresso pods or coffe with k cups! The best part is the nespresso pods drop down after they’ve been used for easy clean up!

Six days in and it backed up and there was water everywhere, but my cup. I went to look for a customer service number and there wasn’t one. You are to only contact them by email. Their reply was automated and noted the response time would be up to a week. It has been over 2 weeks and still no response! I am going back to my Kuerig. They have live people to talk to and have awesome customer service.

~Written by the addicted long-time Starbucks Gold Card Member~ Negatives: *Be careful not to try using this if you have sleeping babies or children because it's really-really loud. *Towards the end of running the automatic frappe cycle, the machine starts to get an unpleasant burning smell. I'm not sure if this is just mine? *The only difference between these frappuccinos and the Starbucks frappuccinos is the texture. The texture from this is a little more like a slurpee texture compared to Starbucks. Overall, this is amazing! I'm pretty much planning on NEVER going to Starbucks again except to purchase more Frappuccino Tumblers to hold my homemade frappes(; Save yourself so much money and just buy this. I love Starbucks' caramel frappuccinos. You can find Starbucks copycat recipes on Pinterest and even tweek them a little bit to your liking. I use 2 tablespoons medium coffee 1/2 cup water 2 cups ice (fill ice to the "MAX ICE" line) 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup caramel syrup The whole process literally takes 5 minutes to make. And you can even put your homemade frappe in a Starbucks Frappuccino Cold Cup Tumbler!

I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I do like it occasionally, so I originally purchased this french press thinking it'd be perfect for making coffee for myself occasionally. 8 cups seemed like a lot, so I went with the 3 cup model. I was pretty confused when the package arrived and this french press was barely larger than a can of redbull. Reading the 'fine print', I now see that it's a 12oz press, and pretty much makes one average sized cup of coffee at a time. I'm not complaining, since that actually fits me perfectly as a single male who doesn't drink coffee very often, but a word of warning to anyone else looking to get something to share with a spouse or significant other: You're not going to get 2 cups of coffee out of this thing. It's a french press for baby mans.

I love this coffee maker! I originally purchased a traditional BUNN, but was so used to programmable machines, I really did not like the functionality. This one works perfectly and makes superb coffee...just like the traditional BUNN brewer. Takes up less counter space, as well.

I initially used this for my coffee maker but unfortunately the slider was too narrow to fit. Ended up using this for my rice cooker instead and it fits perfectly. The bamboo has a nice coating and looks nice on the countertop. There are 4 small wheels attached to the bottom of the slider and it rolls out smoothly with not much effort. Also of note, the wheels only move in a north south direction only.

The fellow Aiden Brewer has been amazing for my wife and I. We used to use a Nespresso machine every day for our daily coffee, but we had recently bought an espresso machine and happened to have a lot of whole beans available so we decided to test out the Aidan and ended up keeping it. It has worked flawlessly for us every day. We love scheduling our coffee in the morning. It really brings up the quality of your coffee every day. This combined with the Fellow Drops and the app gives you a flawless experience and we would recommend it to anyone the only complaint I would have. Is the amount of plastic in the product my fellow owed grinder is heavy and all metal and fill substantial. I’ve had no issues with anything breaking, but I just wanted to point that out.

Amazing!! Copper color was worth the extra money. Looks great in our kitchen. Coffee brews VERY hot. Perfect upgrade from our older model of the same machine.

A first time coffee maker owner! I've had this product for about a month now and I must say it's amazing! Not only is it stylish but it does the job.It's a pretty straight forward machine. I have no complaints thus far and hope it stays that way.