Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Braun coffeemaker
Braun makes the most reliable coffeemaker that we have ever owned. After our second Braun finally failed after nearly 3 years, I found that retail stores in my locale no longer carried the Braun line of coffeemaker. So, I proceeded to try what was available locally. After the second unacceptable brand that we tried, I went to old reliable Amazon and ordered another Braun. It's great to have a reliable product, and a good cup of coffee. I'll never switch again, as long as Braun is available.
Rating: - My first Braun
I've been buying auto-drip coffeemakers for years. They never lasted longer than about a year, so I am regularly replacing them...I finally got tired of that a couple of months ago, when my latest Mr. Coffee cheapo started leaking water and coffee profusely all over the counter. I figured that I would at last try out a "high-end" coffeemaker, to see if there is anything to it besides the cost of a fancy brand name. I bought the Braun KF180 FlavorSelect. And I've never been happier. There really is a lot more than just a name you pay for. This coffeemaker is marvellous! The carafe actually pours! Yes, without spilling! It is beyond easy to load and operate and clean, very nicely constructed, top design. It makes HOT coffee, and it tastes as good as out of a percolator. It is solid, not some cheap flimsy thing. It has a small footprint for a 12-cup maker, it's full of options like when it will automatically turn itself on in the morning, to how long the hotplate stays on before the safety switch shuts it down (select a time between 10 minutes to 4 hours!) It uses a "multi-path drip brewing" system and features the eponymous "flavor selector." I do not know for sure what makes it tastes so good, but I'm not complaining. This coffeemaker was worth every penny! I knew that Braun was a good name, but now I know that it is backed up by excellent design, manufacturing and features, and not just hype. FYI: This machine has the compartment to place the water filter, but doesn't come with one out of the box. (The compartment does not take up any room in the tank, it will make 12-cups with or without the filter, unlike some other makers.) If you use municipal tap water (with chlorine added, etc.) you will want to get that filter. They should be replaced around every 2 to 3 months. (Amazon sells them.) If you live out in the sticks like me and use well or spring water, note that this filter is not recommended for untreated water. It uses No.4 paper filters (more like a pouch than a cone, with a flat, "stitched" closing, not the cones with a circular bottom). If you want to use a reusable filter, you have to get the Braun GF4 Gold Screen Filter (which, like the water filter, is included with the KF 187 version of this coffeemaker, or you can get it separately.) NOTE: Other brands of No.4-sized reusable filters WILL NOT fit in a Braun FlavorSelect model. (I've tried it with the Krups Gold Tone Filter sold here, and no.) Braun coffeemakers have small, rounded protrusions on the inside of the filter compartment. Paper filters bend around them just fine, but rigid reusable filters will not sit, and the compartment cannot be closed. Make sure it says it can be used in a Braun FlavorSelect before you buy it. I did a Google search for "braun gf4" and found several online vendors for it. (Great filter, BTW.)
Rating:  - Great Deal for Great Coffee
What a deal! Lots of useful features, my favorite of which is the pause and pour. I can pour a cup in the middle of brewing and no more coffee pouring out on the counter. I am very surprised to hear other reviewers having trouble with the quality of coffee brewed. I find it outstanding, you can control the strength of the brew easily. Also, there is no need for gourmet coffee blends, my maxwell house is just fine. I have washed the carafe in the dishwasher, but usually do it by hand. I do not use paper filters, the gold filter is much easiser.
This is my 3rd Braun coffeemaker. Its easy to clean, easy to operate. However I will admit that the programming buttons on my previous model were easier to see and to read. If you're like me and don't change settings very much, then it should be a piece of cake. Set it and forget it. I also prefer the 10 cup carafe size over the 12 cup, but its not that big of a difference. I also have never used the coffee filter, as I have a Brita filter pitcher and just use that water, or plain tap water in a pinch. Quality of my tap water is good though.
Best of luck choosing, I doubt you will find an alternative with this many features at this price. Reliable, doesn't leak, easy to pour and makes a tasty cup of coffee!
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