TimeRanger's Full Review: Mr. Coffee DRX5 4-Cup Coffee Maker
UPDATE; On February 4, 2006 this Mr. Coffee quietly passed away at the ripe old age of 3 1/2 months. No, the innards did not get wet and he didn't emit any smoke. About 1/4 of the way through a brew cycle, Mr. Coffee just decided to stop heating - both the water and the hot plate, even though the power switch remained illuminated. An autopsy was performed. All connections were found to be clean, intact, and without any visible signs of damage. A test of the circuitry revealed that everything is in proper working order EXCEPT the heating element. (During the procedure, it was discovered that a single element provided the necessary BTUs for brewing AND keeping the finished product hot.) Apparently, the element suffered an internal breakdown. HOWEVER, I am happy to say that Mr. Coffee will live again - in the form of other products. The plastic, glass and metals are being forwarded to a recycling facility, and the surviving wiring components will be resurrected in one of my workbench projects.
~Randy
(Can anyone recommend a decent 4-6 cup coffee brewer?)
This review is for the “Mr. Coffee DR4” coffee maker, which is not (yet?) listed here at epinions.com. I chose to list this review under the DRX5 model since they are both made by Mr. Coffee and are 4-cup models. My apologies to those folks who are searching for information about the DRX5 coffee maker. (This review was previously published under the AR5 model. That publishing has been deleted.)
1st, let me state that while I LOVE my morning (actually early afternoon) coffee, I do not consider myself to be a “connoisseur” by any stretch of the imagination. However, thanks to a friend whose blood probably measures 7.4 on the Folgers Scale, I am learning to appreciate the subtle nuances of different beans, blends and roasts, not to mention the various levels of Caffeine Kick that each variable offers. SO, when my last coffee maker dripped its last drop, I needed to purchase a replacement, FAST. Unfortunately, I did not do my homework before making my purchase. Fortunately, this lesson only cost me $18.95.
This coffee maker has most of the standard features found on such “economy” coffee makers:
Removable filter basket (more on this later)
“Pause” – this lets you remove the pot for a brief period while the coffee is still brewing.
Water Level Indicator - Viewable from almost any angle
ON-OFF switch – Illuminated in the ON position
Style - Visually appealing
Capacity - The usual exaggerated number of cups – This Ò-Cup” machine, when filled to capacity holds a total of 22 ounces, which is 10 ounces short of 4 full cups. Or, enough coffee for 2 average “household” sized cups.
Cord Storage – Sort of ….. Just stuff the 24 inches of cord into the provided hole in the back of the unit.
Dimensions – 6 inches Wide, 8 ? inches Deep and 9 ? inches Tall with the lid closed. BUT, you will need a minimum of 16 ? inches of clearance to fully open the lid to fill the reservoir and remove the filter basket.
What this coffee maker does NOT have is *ease of use* or well engineered features.
The rear-hinged lid, which covers both the filter basket and the reservoir snaps down firmly. However it is flimsy and makes the operator wonder if it is going to break while attempting to open it. I also found out that if the lid is NOT snapped into place while brewing, there is not enough pressure on the basket to open the “Pause” plunger (see below) and you end up with hot water and coffee grounds everywhere but where they should be.
The filter basket is difficult to remove, especially when one is as fat-fingered as I am. Unlike other coffee makers that I have owned, the basket holder does not swing or pivot out to one side. Instead, the unit features a 1-piece lid that covers both the filter basket and the reservoir. Incorporated into this basket is the “Pause” feature – a spring-loaded plunger that protrudes ? of an inch from the base of the basket. This makes it impossible to set the basket upon a countertop for filling – it leans precariously to the side, and if the basket is bumped while in this position, it wobbles around in a circle.
Reservoir – While it has “sight” windows on each side making the water level visible from almost any angle, it is hard to fill if the coffee pot is used for this purpose. The molded framework that holds the hot water delivery apparatus and the hinge are in the way. This leaves 2 relatively small openings in which the user has to try to pour cold water into. Miss the openings towards the front or center of the machine and water runs into and around the basket, ending up on your countertop.
ON/OFF Switch – As noted above, this switch is illuminated while in the ON position. Due to the position of the ON/OFF switch – centered in the front of the base - and the construction of the unit itself, if water does spill down the front of the machine, you should unplug this coffee maker from the power source immediately, if your GFI receptacle hasn’t already tripped. Even though this unit carries the “UL” (Underwriters Laboratories) marking, the switch is not waterproof and is not protected against accidental spills. Will you get shocked? I don’t know and I don’t want to find out either!
The Carafe (glass pot) – As unpacked, the spout was off-center from the pot’s handle and the pour opening in the integrated lid. (With a small straight screwdriver, I was able to loosen the handle and its metal band enough to rotate everything back into proper alignment.) The pot’s lid is not detachable from the handle assembly, and due to the lightweight materials used, cleaning is a delicate operation. However, to give credit to the glassmaker, the pot has enough of a spout molded into it to make pouring easy and relatively drip free.
Performance – While good coffee needs adequate time to brew properly, this product is definitely not for those who want their morning coffee in a hurry. From a “cold start” (water and machine at room temperature) it takes this coffee maker a full 6 minutes – from turning the unit ON, to the end of the “gurgling” to make its 22 ounces of coffee. Temperatures – I performed several temperature tests, using both infrared and candy thermometers. Coffee connoisseurs prefer that brewing water should be somewhere between 190 and 205 degrees F when it comes in contact with the coffee grounds. This water heated by this particular Mr. Coffee never exceeded 166 degrees F at the point where it entered the filter basket. Warmer – 20 minutes after brewing, the built in “hot plate” maintained my 3 different “full pot” test runs at a steady 161 degrees. Curiosity made me perform a 4th test, with the carafe filled to the 1-Cup level. After 20 minutes, the liquid tested at 168 degrees F. Please note that without the carafe at least partially full and in place, the warmer plate can reach temperatures that exceed 270 degrees F, so be careful!
Conclusion: Does this model brew coffee? Yes. Does it fit easily onto my meager countertop – Yes. Stylish (as if I really care) – Yes. Easy to operate – NO. Easy to clean – NO. Would I purchase the same model again – NO. Would I recommend to anyone – NO.
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