ZojirushiEC-DAC50 Zutto 5-Cup Drip Coffeemaker,Silver

I got this for about $63. It was originally $79, but Amazon gave me a refund after I mentioned the price dropped the day after I bought it, which was nice of them. I’ve been a Zojirushi fan ever since I got one of their thermos bottles and noticed that it was small enough to fit inside my pockets.As for coffee, I’m no expert. I don’t really know what makes a good cup of coffee, just that the SCA recommends brewing between 190°F and 205°F. I wasn’t sure this machine actually hit that since the coffee never felt that hot right out of the pot. But I stuck a thermometer in the carafe and found that it does eventually reach around 190°F. It just takes a while to reach that point so I usually microwave the water a little before pouring it in, or I run the machine once with plain water to preheat everything.The warming plate is solid, it keeps the coffee around 180°F for about 30 minutes, it could probably do so for longer but I don’t want to test that out. The included water filter is a nice touch too if you want to use tap water with it. When the filter eventually needs replacing, I’ll probably just replace the whole machine, honestly since it’ll be two years at that point.Design wise, it's compact and simple. The top lid lifts off instead of swinging open, which saves space. The carafe’s easy to clean and pours well too. You could probably use your own cup with this coffee maker if the filter fits or use it to make tea.The only real downside is the measurement markings. “4 cups” on the carafe is only around 12 fl oz, which messed with my usual routine. I kept pouring less water than I meant to until I got used to it. Also for the usual price of $79 you can probably get their programmable coffee maker if you don’t mind the size and it being refurbished. Also I think the machine takes like a minute or two to reach optimal coffee brewing temperature, so you might wanna put in a lot of water in the machine or preheat the water a litte but that's my guess.If you’re looking for a coffee maker that’s small and compact while still brewing coffee at optimal temperature this is probably the best decision.

I use this no-frills coffee maker with a smart plug to run a simple routine: it brews, reminds me when the coffee’s ready, and shuts off a few minutes later. It works perfectly for that. The coffee tastes good, it brews quickly, and the water tank is easy to clean. No issues with paper filters collapsing or overflowing either. For the price, it’s a great little machine.

The Zutto is stylish, the decanter looks huge for a 5 cup, it has to be though to hold the basket. the water is hot, Note for those that don't understand how coffee is made; it is the temp at the grinds we are concerned with not so much the temp at the cup. The temp at the grinds is required to extract the correct amount of flavor (if it is there, some brands don't have that much flavor to start with) along with the time that hot water is in contact with the grinds, is what makes the difference in a cup of coffee and a really good cup of coffee.I read that someone verified water temp with a Digital thermometer at the water outlet. Temp range from 180 at the start to 208 at the end, and suggested preheating the water.1- using the old maker, run 2 cups water, while placing filter and grinds in Zutto, then pour hot water into measuring cup =this case 8 oz, and that into Zutto, the rest into the mug/ thermal or ceramic mug will both benefit from preheat. OR2. run the water thru the Zutto, pour measured back in to tank, rest into cup, then add grounds/basket and brew.Personally, could not tell the difference with preheated water, did make a small noticeable difference in cup temp/ thereby coffee temp and how long it stays hotter.First Batch; using One 8 Oz cup and One Half Oz coffee, Folgers morning blend (not a flavorful brand to my pallet), to compare to the the known results of my old Elite coffee maker. The Zutto can use a 4 or 8 cup paper filter. Reading the instructions I see that time varies from 3 to 7 minutes depending on cups being brewed, Note that the perk can done in as little as 2+mins, but wait a minute more for the water to finish draining through the filter.Result; ceramic mug is hot to the touch, note that the ceramic pulls the heat from the coffee so if you think it is too hot, switch from the thermal mug to a ceramic one. Also can preheat the cup with hot waterIt stayed hot/ above room temp, = the elete resulted in cool coffee before half cup was gone. Flavor is deeper, can tell that more was removed from the grounds, so aside from the lame folgers mix, the Zutto does definitely make a better cup of coffee.Second batch, the problem becomes obvious.OK, the h2o temp is good, so...The Problem is the filter/grinds holder:With the first batch, I had waited and the grinds had drained fully, when pouring the manufacturer says hold thumb on lid, that worked the first time.The second batch I wound up with a teaspoon of grinds in the cup:Why? Because:1. the two holes in the filter basket were slightly clogged with grinds, the paper filter was pressed against them. there by retaining some water in the grinds, which flowed out when tilted to pour, carrying with it grinds.2 the filter, this was a full size paper, was pushed down into the basket, this put it against those two holes and also down from the top edge of the basket.3. this is a really bad design. A basket full of grinds that is designed to tip sideways when pouring out the liquid REQUIRES certain Design Features: features that effectively contain the grinds, eh?How to Fix the problems;1. easiest; remove the basket before pouring. easy enough to lift out and hold with one hand while pouring with the other.this does present the problem of drips of coffee, however the basket Does have a base that allows it to stand stable on its own, say, on a saucer.2. add 4 small bars across the bottom of the basket about quarter inch up, to hold the filter up from the holes. and allow plenty of time for all the water to drain out of the basket before pouring. (still has potential of grinds falling out as the last cup is poured. )3. Or, the manufacturer could take responsibility for their product design.Since it is the Zojirushi team's design to pour with the basket & grinds in place, it should also be their design to contain those grinds and also allow unrestricted draining of those grinds.In my opinion the Best way to do that is; make a stainless basket/ container/ filter. Specifically; similar to the tea containers, a closing latched mesh basket shaped filter. This SHOULD be normal and Included with the maker.Conclusion; I took the mesh filter from the old coffee maker, it fits in theZutto basket, it also hangs on the lip of the so it does not touch the bottom of the basket, I also use a paper filter, 1. the extra oils from "no paper" don't do anything for me personally, 2. it is much easier and cleaner to pull the paper full of grinds and drop them into the compost, compared to tapping out the wire filter and still need to wash grinds out, -- just a personal preference.I also set the basket out on a dish before pouring coffee.Note that I also use a much better grade of coffee to brew from, it takes the same amount of time to brew as before, with much much better results than the other coffee makers previously mentioned.Now if Zojirushi will send us the enclosed grinds basket, all will be well.OK;After several weeks of use, and experimentation; I have discovered these things;User error, I pushed the filter down into the basket; this resulted in a semi plugged outlet, and the front of the basket has a drain slot, which was not properly covered because of the filter misplacement. And because of being used to the drip maker with the auto-stop on the basket, I did not wait long enough for the water to fully drain from the basket.The result of this combination was that grinds were washed into the cup as it was poured.The easy correction is; only press the filter in gently and not to press to the bottom, then also leave just enough above the rim of the basket to fold out on the front edge, this is to trap the filter with the basket cover. And Wait the appropriate amount of time before pouring.I still lift the basket out before I pour, it is just easier for me that way. I also plugged one of the two drain holes in the bottom of the basket, lets the water soak the grinds a tiny bit longer, and have had no over flow problem - using up to two cups of water.I would like to see a change to the basket cover; the current design puts the water into the center of the basket. I noticed that if brewing 4 cups there are dry grinds at the top outer parameter. This could be corrected with a more dispersing design in the lid.

Easy to use. Makes excellent coffee. Just the right size for my 3 cups in the AM. Looks classy on my counter. Not messy.

Almost perfect small drip coffee maker. It brews the coffee quickly & keeps it hot. The coffee tastes good. It is well made & it’s good quality. The carafe is very sturdy & pours well. Also it looks nice on the counter. Wish it didn’t require paper filters.

I'd love to give this small coffee maker five stars - it makes great coffee; I like the removable water reservoir, the easy access brew basket, the multiple pour-through holes in the basket, and the brew temperature - not scalding at the first sip. HOWEVER, I will not purchase another horrifically fragile carafe! Three is enough since the carafe is half the cost of an entirely new machine. I am not careless with my kitchen equipment and have attempted to baby these delicate carafes. No more. It's sad that I see others have the same issue but the company has done nothing to address it.