Customer Reviews With Photos
So far so good.... I just tried it ones... It is expensive but there are certain luxuries you must budget for.... This is one of those. So just remember not to put too much coffee grinde in the machine. Enough for one cup always.
Needs an extra paper filter in the original filter otherwise coffee is sludge 😭 lost two stars because I hate having to buy coffee filters
Over recent years, I've turned to French Press and pour-over coffee primarily for my daily brews. Although it became tedious after some time, I stuck with it for the freshness and cleanliness of boiling filtered water. Descaling a traditional drip brewer will only go so far, but I did begin to miss having a machine on my kitchen counter do most of the work for me. I received this coffee maker as a gift from a family member, so I will not be a verified review on coffeemakers.us.com, nor was I sponsored. The Aqua Optima Aurora boasts an advanced water filtration system dubbed Evolve+ and wears a few certifications to back itself. The filter itself sits within the water reservoir in the rear of the machine and is good for up to 150 liters of usage. Requiring replacement of a branded filter raises some concerns for longevity and total product lifespan, but it's relieving to see Aqua Optima uses the same filter across their entire product catalog. The appliance can be drained from the bottom to allow for safe and dry storage or proper inactivity. This is a win for cleanliness too as water really shouldn't sit inside a machine for longer than a few days. There is a twisty cap and a small plug to remove and retain - see photos. An automated rinse cycle can be run but only after 72 hours of non-use; the button to rinse will simply not respond if the lockout hasn't triggered. This is a small oversight that I find comes at the cost of temperature. My hot water and coffee is noticeably hotter immediately after a rinse is run. Various other indicators will alert the user when the reservoir is empty, descaling is required, or the filter must be replaced. There is also a control lock feature that can only be partially disabled. Aurora is controlled by a dial in the center of a touch-receptive panel cleverly separating the two modes offered - coffee on the left, and hot water on the right. The hot water controls allow you to select the temperature and volume in ounces to dispense. Coffee mode displays icons that correspond to the lines on the carafe. Although the manual recommends an amount of coffee in grams for each setting, there's no immediate indication of ounces. This creates a bit of a learning curve for those who drink more than one cup of coffee a day. The travel mug option is 16oz and falls before the 1L option - quite a gap there, considering the smallest available option is 4oz. I can't see myself measuring to brew that small of a cup. What's more difficult to navigate here is the hot plate and lack of configuration around it. Only the largest two settings, 1L and 1.25L, will enable the hot plate for exactly 30 minutes after brewing completes. This time frame cannot be customized. I can see why a single-cup dispense does not run the hot plate to keep coffee warm, and personally I wouldn't want the burner on any longer than 30 minutes anyhow, but this missing option really jumps out. Brewing evokes an ambience similar to that of Keurig. Water is heated rapidly, and the Aurora finishes a pot of coffee without steaming like a conventional machine would. When powered on, the machine emits a subtle high-pitched hiss reminiscent of an old CRT monitor. I could go without that, but it's pretty minor. The filter basket is fixed up top of the carafe and takes #4 paper cones. After remaining idle for some time, the control lock engages by default; it's purpose is unclear to me. I'm not so sure a coffee machine warrants a child safety feature from accessing the display panel. The manual describes a command to disable the automatic lock, however, a different low-energy lock will initiate after 7 minutes instead of after 60 seconds. Getting back to some positives points, build quality is exceptional. The carafe glass feels like a beaker, the handle has brushed aluminum with a bronze accent to match the carafe, the dial clicks into place well, plastic components don't feel cheap, and the bulk of the machine can hold strong. coffeemakers.us.com shipped my coffee maker in its original packaging only (no brown box). I hear they've been doing this more frequently, and unsurprisingly the box arrived with significant exterior damage. Upon opening, the appliance was slightly peeled upward from the front-left corner where the aluminum meets the black plastic. I wedged it back into position, and somehow it's not visually apparent today that it had a rough time in transit. I would add bonus points to the power supply for being completely removable from the rear. It is much easier to relocate or empty the water reservoir with the cables out of the picture entirely. I wish that was more common in kitchen appliances in general. UPDATE: After about 7 months of regular usage, the heating element began to give out on me. I say "began to" because my coffee maker works inconsistently at this point. When selecting a brew or a dispense for hot water, it's a bit of a toss up on whether or not I will hear the machine heat up. It does appear to be self-aware enough to error out and display the code as pictured. The manual indicates this does in fact pertain to a heating element malfunction. Customer service is currently only over a UK number, so be ready to pay up for that on your phone bill. Although I was connected to a human right away, the agent asked for my email to return back to me with information, and I have yet to hear anything. It seems for now that the resolution is to wait for the rinse cycle lockout to kick in. As mentioned in my second paragraph, this function can only be performed after 72 hours of inactivity. Quite a pity, as there is a whole button designated to the automatic rinse. For the price point, this coffee maker is eager to perform in a crowd of upscale drip brewers. Competitors may have a built-in grinder, more precise controls, a steam wand, or could be more willing to share counter space. If you're coming from years on a single-serve machine and longing for cleaner water in your next brew, the Aqua Optima Aurora definitely deserves your consideration. Aqua Optima successfully converted their existing water filtration dispenser into a coffee maker, but all-in-all this product is very much ready for a model 2.
Bought this for my son who is starting college tomorrow. This was his first morning in his new home and he was excited to make coffee... Shattered the first time! Ridiculous!
Update again coffe maker has again started leaking and will not turn on. After only a month of use the fill tube split. Contacted company and provided info needed. They said since it was under one year warranty they would replace That was 3 weeks ago and no replacement. Update: New maker was mailed thru USPS and it took 2 weeks with tracking the package. They did replace without a hassle.
Having same situation as above the decade light keeps blinking no matter how many time I do it it doesn't stop blinking and it can't brew coffee when scale light keeps blinking. It never came with water filter and pods and I can't find the right one to buy for it
The single serve k-cup coffee maker is the perfect size for a dorm room, or if you have limited counter space. I love the sleek design. Just as good, if not better than, a much more expensive option. Easy to use and clean. Small enough to take anywhere. You cannot select a mug size like you can with other single serve coffeemakers. You’ll need to make sure you measure out the right amount of water, so you don’t have too little or an overflowing cup of coffee. Highly recommend!
This is simply a fantastic and very versatile little espresso-coffee maker. I call it little because this is the smallest machine I've ever tested, and it sure can deliver. The machine is well-packaged and ready to go right out of the box. There are 3 different coffee delivery trays depending on which method you're using - pod, k-cup, Illy cup, or ground espresso. I used ground espresso coffee since that's what I had on hand. The espresso tray comes with a two-scoop 51mm basket, which loads like any other espresso machine. Once loaded, simply select 2 or 6oz for the size of your coffee. You can adjust the amount of water dispensed based on your preference. The manual is very well-written, and instructions are easy to follow and understand. The machine also comes with a plastic scoop and tamper and little pump to prime the water system when used for the first time. If you make a lot of espressos, it's well worth getting a proper tamper and distributor to ensure a perfect cup of espresso every time. The espresso machine produced a perfect cup of espresso without delay and with very little noise. Basically, this machine is ideal for small apartments or offices. The water tank holds enough water to get about 4 cups of coffee, depending on if you run water to warm your cup. But the end result is very delightful and impressive. One observation I had was that if you're making more than one cup of espresso, handling the metal basket will be challenging as it will be hot from the first cup. The lower cup holder tray is removable to accommodate larger coffee cups. Overall, a great versatile machine that takes very little room on the countertop, makes a great cup of coffee/espresso and would make an impressive gift for yourself or that someone special. A great quality product, well worth every penny and highly recommended!
This coffee maker would be perfect if it wasn’t for one serious flaw. The carafe doesn't keep the coffee hot or even warm for very long. I had a Cuisinart coffee maker that worked great for 20 years. Coffee would stay as hot as when it was first made in the carafe for at least 4 hours. This unit makes excellent tasting hot coffee initially but by time you go back for a 2nd cup, (15 - 20 minutes) it’s luke warm at best. Any longer, it’s has to be warmed up. For a coffee maker at this price point, this is unexceptable. I have a kitchen full of Breville appliances (Food Processor, Toaster Oven, Tea Maker, Ice Cream Maker, to name a few) and I love them all. They are all well built, good looking, quality appliances that work as well as you would expect. And this Coffee maker is the same except it does not keep the coffee hot for very long. Had I known this was the case, I might have purchased the same unit with the glass carafe and warming platform. I went through the user manual several times and changed the settings to a custom set up that made coffee to the hottest allowed temperature but it still cools down way too fast. And of course, considering it was a Breville appliance, I made the mistake of assuming that it must be the way I had the maker set up, so I kept trying everything to correct the issue. I even rinsed the pot out with very hot water first, as suggested but it didn’t make a difference. So unfortunately, because I thought it was my fault, I didn’t attempt to return it within the return period. So, If you want to make ice coffee or you just want to make a single cup of hot coffee and don’t mind paying a small fortune (nearly $300) compared to other quality brands to do so, than this is the coffee maker for you. I, however, wouldn’t recommend this unit, I would suggest you opt for the model with the glass carafe and warming plate instead. I didn’t go that way because I find the coffee that is constantly being warmed has a bitter taste.
It’s plastic. Even though it’s for cold presses, because it’s also supposed to be a dispenser, the green tea tannins stain and etch into the plastic. It looks terrible and now I wonder what kind of chemicals leached into my tea! The good -Inexpensive at under $13 -Nice dispensing weight -Awesome thumb lever that allows the liquid to dispense -When you don’t push the thumb lever, the container is basically spill-proof! Awesome. -It comes with a spill-proof lid without a plunger for brewing -The rubber handle is designed well and feels sturdy and non-slip -51 oz capacity The bad -It’s plastic -The plunger allows a few large pieces of tea leaves to escape (I only brewed organic green tea in this) -the tea tannins stained the plastic within 2 months of daily use -the tea tannins on the mesh of the plunger etched rings into the plastic
We purchased the Braun BrewSense drip coffee maker in September of 2021 and have enjoyed great coffee. This last year we would at times get an error code that it wasn't sensing the water level which would frustrate my husband who loves the auto program feature to wake up to fresh coffee. The remedy is to unplug for 1 to 2 hours and plug back in which has been working - so weird. Not having morning coffee for 1 to 2 hours became a problem when it reached the 4th time. After trying all the online troubleshooting I called customer service early in the morning. After being on hold 15 minutes I decided to call later when it might not be as busy. After 2 HOURS I had to hang up. That is simply not acceptable. I will be trying to call again as we spent $110 and it is less than 2 years old to see if there is a remedy.
Call me impressed by this Secura French Press 17oz. The 304 stainless steel has some weight to it. The walls are thick and the handle feels just right. Even the lid is impressively designed with a lip that controls the pour as long as you have it properly aligned with the designated arrow. I spent 30 minutes searching top french press reviews online and the secura 34 oz was in the top 5 in a few of them. I was looking for a level 4 filtration french press which this one is not. I brew CrioBru cacao and was worried about grounds escaping since CrioBru recommends using a level 4. Secura worked like a charm. Many reviewers state 34 oz is the perfect size. For me, since i use a 50% ratio of brew and dairy alternative the 17oz is plenty big. I do recommend filling up the carafe with hot water as you wait for the kettle to boil to preheat the stainless. This unit comes with 2 spare mesh filters and coffeemakers.us.com does sell replacements. This is the only part that will eventualy need replacing if you're not a gentle cleaner. As always its best to clean up after use to avoid staining. Happy brewing.
Two months in and the spout chipped in the dishwasher. Four months later it broke off.
I love the design and appearance. The carafe is heavy duty and holds temperature well. It can do everything from cold brew to pour over to gold cup SCA certified coffee. It’s completely programmable if you want to play with bloom time, flow rate, and temperature. Or simply select a preset and go. It’s got a PID controlled boiler that reviles the features of an espresso machine. It can use either cone style or flat bottom filters. SCA Gold Cup uses cone, but limits the pot to 40 oz. If you want more, pull out the come adapter and use flat bottom filters. The setup was interesting, it provides a test strip to check water hardness and set the coffee maker to work best for your water. After setting it prompts you to fill and flush it to get it ready for your first pot. They went all out on features and build quality. A couple of days in and I love it!
I have had this coffee maker for 5 months. At first I liked it even if it was a little tall for my cabinets. But pretty quickly the outer stainless steel started to rust. Then today I washed the carafe and noticed that something was chipping off on the inside, revealing a copper colored metal underneath. This coffee maker only looks high quality. Edit: I contacted the manufacturer about the issue. They said the warrantee only covers "manufacturers defects" and not scratches or rust that "does not impair the functional utility". They offered me a new one if I paid for shipping, I declined. Don't waste your money, the manufacturer doesn't even stand by their own product.
