KitchenAid KCM1208OB Drip Spiral Showerhead Coffee Maker, 12 Cup, 7.17"D x 13.4"W x 14.34"H, Onyx Black

I literally was about to write a long term (5 year) review on how great my last coffee maker was when it started leaking! It still worked great and brewed good coffee but there was a hose split way up in the top of the machine where it went into the lid/drip head and isn't easy, if even possible, to fix. So I was on the hunt for a new pot and found this one. Had it for 4 months now so not a great deal of time to go on but figured I'd write a review on my current thoughts.First, I avoided buying it initially due to the fact that I look for consistent complaints on a product and the number of them when making a decision on a purchase and this one was the carafe cracking or shattering. Incidentally, after reading reviews on the last coffee maker I had, the leaking was a consistent complaint! Anyway...I had my selection down to about 3 different machines but my first pick didn't have the color I wanted available and the other 2 had issues with either the readout getting condensation in it or not working at all after a short time or the machine itself quit working too soon. Kept coming back to the KitchenAid despite the carafe concerns and decided to take the chance as I'm always super careful with them anyway since I'm already concerned about breaking the glass. So far 4 months in and alls well in that area! I really like how the reservoir is separate and can be pulled out for filling/cleaning even though I just fill it from a jug. It's easy to fill from a container and separates the coffee/filter from any chance of splash. I do wish it was a different color since we have a teal accent theme for the kitchen but the last coffee maker was black and stainless steel so not a huge deal. I do like the design-looks like their mixer which we also have- although it is bigger front to back than your average machine. The features are nice, especially the cleaning feature which I just recently used. It lets you know when it's time to run a clean cycle and it does take a while-at least 20-30 minutes for a pot not just a regular brew cycle! It has a beep when you turn it on and 3 beeps when its done brewing that you can't turn off unfortunately but it's fairly muted so not that bad. My last one was thankfully able to be turned off because it was obnoxiously loud! It uses cone paper filters (#4 I believe?) or reusable mesh which is what I use. The basket is easily removable for cleaning as well. Now for my biggest complaint/warning-the design of the lid allows for a good amount of condensation retention and nowhere for it to go so it will leak down the side or sides when you open it, be ready! I always have a dishrag in hand to shove under the lid behind the brew basket when I open it and leave it there for a few minutes opening it halfway and fully open to catch the runoff, then wipe the inside of the lid down. Personally not a deal breaker but it is annoying and I've noticed others had the same complaint. So far I'm very happy with this coffee maker, has some pluses over my last one and a couple minuses but overall I think the only thing that would make the choice of this one over the last one tough is that the last one could brew 14 cups where most only brew 12, this one included.

This coffee maker has been great. It brews strong consistent coffee. We use less grounds for as strong or even stringer cup of coffee than in our previous coffee pot. The tank is easy to use. Love the smaller compact footprint and that the bottons/settings are on the “long” side of the maker.

This KitchenAID coffeemaker provides a robust and hot cup of coffee. I like the removable tank and programmable hot plate timer. Makes as good a cup of coffee as other machines costing 2 or 3 times as much. Nice carafe and includes removable permanent screen filter.

Makes coffee. Nothing outstanding about this unit.CONS: The worst thing is the shower lid. When you are done brewing, if you lift the lid too soon after brewing has finished the lid drips over the sides of the unit right where the buttons are. So I expect it to short out some time if I'm not careful. I don't like leaving the grounds in the machine too long, but now I have to wait an hour + so the top doesn't leak. A slight modification in design could have rectified this problem.PROS: Brews pretty quickly. I like the hourglass feature that lets you know how much longer warming plate will stay hot - but I'm usually done drinking the coffee well before the unit turns itself off.Good reviews helped me decide to buy this coffee maker, but I personally would not buy it again.

So I don't usually write reviews. When I do its because I find a products is a great value or particularly disappointing. I suppose that makes me common. So with my morning coffee I'm going to write this.The maker is good looking, I like its features etc., and importantly its makes good coffee fast.I purchased it for our condo. Thats important because our space is not big and after I pour a coffee I'll often sit at our kitchen island or in the living room well within ear shot of the kitchen.So you ask ; "what is your damn problem?" . Well the hot plate makes an irregular but loud and incessant clicking sound! I'm guessing Its an expansion of the plastic that surrounds the metal disk. The maker is of course nearly all plastic.Seriously ! I'm 66 with undoubtable hearing loss and this is bugging the heck out of me 25 feet away.I enjoy an undistracted read with my first cup of coffee, so now I'm pretty bummed. Its a shame I like everything else about this maker and foolishly I tossed out the packaging. What should I do? Order another one, toss this in that box to return. Just hope number two can keep coffee warm without the clicking ?Anyway I would not have purchased this coffee maker if I knew it was a noisemaker too . I thought I better speak up and let unsuspecting people know so here you go. Good luck out there.Wow So I looked up my purchase to write a review it looks like this old review was never sent !OK then ,perfect because here is a review of number two ! on the replacement unit I purchased .I had learned to live with the reported click and now I cant say really recall the noise the first unit made.As it happened I ordered another unit because the first carafe broke and I couldn't find a replacement one ANYWHERE! . So I bought the same unit again. What can I say , its workeds quick, its not expensive and the color grey was perfect in our kitchen.Well unit two, purchased 5 months ago, just quit working. I suppose if I had a correct tip screw driver I could pull off the base plate and try to identify the problem but today I'll go to Target and buy either a top brand beast or just a good old Mr. Coffee very dissappointing