Braun KF400-BLK Aromaster 10-Cup Coffeemaker, Black

I have owned two of these. The first one served me well for a decade. Really simple stuff with no frills: spoon the coffee in, pour the water in, turn it on and enjoy the results.During those ten years, a couple of things went wrong. A red plastic insert in the on/off switch popped out - cosmetically annoying but it didn't affect functionality. The brew pause feature also became flaky, with some liquid dripping onto the hot plate when I removed the carafe during brewing. Still, I carried on using it. Finally, a few months ago, I smelled something like burning plastic and I took no chances. I decided to replace the coffeemaker. After ten years of use, though, I couldn't complain!I researched and pored over options. Looked at fancy, expensive coffeemakers with lots of bells and whistles, as well as cheap basic models. Here on Amazon, every coffeemaker seemed to get a baffling mix of good and bad reviews.In the end, I replaced my Aromaster with the exact same model. I am glad that I did. For one thing, it isn't too tall. A lot of coffeemakers won't fit on the counter under a kitchen cabinet; this one will. And although it is simple, this coffeemaker just works great. It makes a good-tasting, piping hot cup of coffee. If you use cold, fresh water and fresh beans that you grind just before brewing, you'll have especially good results.If you need a coffeemaker that brews automatically in the morning, or one with a built-in grinder, this isn't for you. If you want one that beeps and bloops like R2-D2, then this one is too basic. But if you want a coffeemaker that makes good coffee and keeps it hot, and is simple to keep clean and inexpensive to buy, this is for you. Highly recommended.

Seems to brew good coffee, though I don't drink coffee and this is the opinion of guests. Because we brew rarely this machine is perfect, but the carafe is so thin that it's when, not if, the carafe will break. The little plastic piece that helps to hold the lid on the carafe broke on first use. My understanding is that the carafe is more expensive to replace than buying the new complete set. Not recommended for frequent use.UPDATE: 8 years later the carafe has not broken! Used about 20 days a year when in-laws are visiting. I guess dad in law is a careful guy.

The #1 Rated Consumer Reports Braun KF400's flimsy plastic parts can not hold up under 2 washes on an ordinary cycle in a dishwasher (and no mention by Braun that the product is NOT dishwasher safe). The dispenser became malformed after the first wash under minimal heat, and the clip-on part of the pitcher's top broke off. The second washing destroyed the dispenser altogether as a vital plastic piece completely broke off, disabling the machine from working altogether! I threw the the machine out after only using it a dozen times and lost my money. If you purchase this coffeemaker be prepared to have permanent coffee stains, residue and odors on the product, for it is impossible to completely clean this effectively outside of the dishwasher. Total Crap!

I was sad to learn that the Braun Aromaster KF400 coffee maker was effectively dead in the USA. I bought two before; each lasting over 6 years (very good considering I use it at least once a day).The Aromaster made the best home coffee I ever had (outstanding for an appliance costing $20). The secret was the special lid that trapped steam in the carafe (which sadly was as delicate as other parts on the unit and broke easily, effectively costing almost as much to replace the parts as buying a whole new unit).The things that made the KF400 great are almost impossible to find in a single brew appliance today: 10 cups, a small footprint, simple design, replaceable parts, no frills, low price, and (of course) great coffee.I think the Krups KM1010 is a respectable substitute for the Braun (though much more spendy at 2.5x the cost); I have as much respect for the Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinder as I do for the KF400, so I figured Krups could make the grade. So far, I am more pleased with the performance of the Krups 1010, but the flavor was really outstanding with the Braun Aromaster KF400.It may sound trivial to rave so much over a simple object, but if you love coffee as much I do, you can fully appreciate just how great a work of industrial design Dieter Rams' classic Braun appliance really was ... it was innovative, useful, aesthetic, understandable, unobtrusive, honest, long-lasting, thorough down to the last detail, environmentally friendly, and had as little design as possible.Amen.