Side by Side Comparison of: Mr. Coffee vs Mr. Coffee vs Everyday vs AlwaysDirect

I needed a new coffee maker after my warming plate cracked making me scared it could be a fire hazard. I started my hunt for a new one & this one checked ALL my boxes. Very easy to use & program. Perfect price. I've had expensive makers & they weren't even as good of quality as this mr coffee. I also like the fact they are sold at a lot of places making it easy to get a replacement glass pot quickly if need be. I highly recommend mr coffee brand coffee maker especially thus model.

At one point I had 3 different coffee makers on my counter at the same time trying to find a decent one. Our last coffee maker was an Oster. It was great but after a while one of the hoses under the heat plate would blow off ever few weeks and it got really annoying. We have a Mr. Coffee in our locker room that never fails, always works likes it's supposed to, so I figured I try this one. LOVE IT.No problems with any of the negatives other people have brought up other than the display. It is pretty much worthless :( I miss the cool blue light emanating from the Oster. Unless you're 3 ft tall you can't read it and even then when I scroutch down I have to have my magnifiers on to see the numbers. However, that's not why I bought the coffee maker. I bought it to dependably and repeatedly make great coffee - and that it does!!

Great coffee maker. Purchased this after reading Consumer Reports ratings. Very easy to use. Ditched the filter that everyone was complaining about being so expensive to replace as we use filtered water anyway. Easy to set up the system to brew automatically in the morning. I like the strong brew feature. Coffee is just as hot as other coffee makers we have had. It does turn off after 2 hours and isn't adjustable. If I hear it beep and I want it on longer, I just hit the bre button and it will come on again for another two hours. Very happy it turns off by itself or I would have burned coffee.

Really nice basic coffee maker. We've had a number of coffee makers - different kinds of dispensers/carafes, ones that have hot water functions, Keurigs, espresso machines, etc., but this basic one has been our favorite.We've had it for a few months, so to comment on some of the reviews I saw before purchasing:-- It doesn't leak-- It's impossible to misplace the carafe-- Don't have any kind of basket overflow issues-- Programmable clock works just fine - not intended to be a bright clock like on a microwave-- No issues with filling with water - use the carafe, it's easier to not miss-- Programming is really simpleNo complaints!

I bought this coffeemaker because I'm not a morning person. I absolutely love dinking coffee but I hate waking up knowing I have to go prepare it and then wait... I looked into Mr. Coffee because it's definitely a cheap alternative for what I'm looking for (a coffee maker that brews a delicious cup of coffe automatically). I dont know why, but I got curious and decided to read the negative reviews only after I purchased it. So I was pretty nervous when I read things like "the coffee pot lets out this disgusting oder and the coffee tastes like it has plastic in it" or "returned next day" or "my coffee pot leaked and the water wasnt going into the pot correctly". I was very unhappy and I justified to myself that the bad reviews were due to quality (its like a $20 product). When it came I was adamant to do everything right. I cautiously read the directions manual to make sure I do everything exactly the way it tells me to. I was instructed to soak the coffee pot, the lid, and the removable coffee filter in a "mild detergent". I let them soak in the sink for about 15 minutes. Afterwards I was instructed to fill the entire coffee pot with cold water and run it through without a paper filter. To my relief there was no disturbing oder or horrific after taste. Its just an awesome coffee maker that wakes me up to the sensational coffee smell every morning.

I purchased this pot for use at work. We needed a coffee maker that was easy to use, made good coffee, had a few perks (other than the coffee)and was a reasonable price. The coffee we make goes into two different hot-pot carafes, the Zojirushi 2.45-Liter Brew-Thru Air Pot, Polished Stainless Steel and the Mr. Coffee DRD95 8-Cup Stainless Steel Double-Walled Thermal Carafe Accessory, both of which do an excellent job at keeping the coffee hot and fresh tasting.The Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Chrome has been performing exactly what we wanted it to. A consumer magazine rated this as a "best-buy", which is why of the hundreds of coffee makers available on Amazon, I took a good hard look at this one, including reading the Amazon reviews add decided to buy this brand and model.Because I was making coffee for a number of people, I actually took the time to read the directions - and - follow them! That might be one of the reasons I'm quite pleased with this product. It is easy to use, fast to set-up and then clean later, fool-proof on overfilling (if you read the directions) and best of all, we've gotten lots of compliments on the coffee, brewing several brands and flavors.The only thing I'd do differently if I were designing this coffee maker, is make a bit longer cord. I understand it's short for safety, as it probably should be, but where I'm using it at work, I have to find someone who can crawl under a desk for me to plug it in.I know some folks have height restrictions on their counter tops. You do need to pay attention to how tall this product is, both open and closed and make sure it fits your space. A through review of product specs and customer reviews helps make sure you're getting what works best for you!

Our coffee maker wasn't getting all of the grounds wet when we were using paper filters. We switched to this basket and it solved all of our problems. It's really easy to rinse out and saves us from having to buy paper filters. Yay, Earth!

My coffee is tasting better. The flavor is definitely coming through better than with the paper filters I was using. I use it with the Mr Coffee 10-cup coffeemaker with thermal carafe (another good purchase)

When buying the Mr Coffee there was no Mr Coffee filter for sale at that store. I got a universal filter which was just 'okay'. The problem with the universal filter was the flow rate. Even when using the strong setting, the water would over flow the filter sometimes getting grounds on the pot. Not a real big deal but come-on, that's what the filter is there for, right? The Mr Coffee filter fits the brewing basket better, stands a-little taller, and flow rate is prefect on the basic settings. I've not yet used the filter for 12-cups yet but the 10-cup work prefect every time.

Perfect fit for my 10-12 cup Mr Coffee. Easy to clean. Handle makes it easy to remove. Saves on paper filters.

I really wasn't sure about purchasing this item. Based upon the reviews I read here, I was concerned about two things. Would there be grinds in the coffee and how hard would the filter be to clean. I have been using this filter twice a day for five weeks and these concerns were laid to rest. Sometimes there is an extremely small amount of residue on the bottom of the cup which is a non issue. Just leave over the last tablespoon. As far as cleaning out the filter, simply run water through it then put it in the basket and rinse it out again. It couldn't be easier.

I will no longer have to deal with fluffing up a paper filter and hope that it doesn't flip down during the brewing process. As you all know this ruins the pot of coffee and you have to hope you have enough time to brew another pot. I will keep paper filters for emergency only and for those rare instances where I brew two pots simultaneously.

This item is a must have and I will never be without it.

Bought this on August 30th of 2015 to replace an identical model that was also a few years old. The old one didn't stop working, but we got a coffee bean stuck in the water intake and couldn't remove it cleanly, so we opted to replace. Today (8/8/17), this one died. For several months it had been giving the completion beep halfway through the brew process instead of at the end and this morning it made about 5 cups and stopped. I could not get it to start brewing again and the hot plate seemed to turn off as well. Overall, for the price...Almost 2 years of daily use has been great. It makes good coffee in a fairly quick time. 10 minutes or so for a full pot. The LCD is not backlit, so that's a bummer, but it's cheap and works well.

I just ordered this coffee machine. It's very nice, but it was very disappointing that it didn't come with the basket to hold the coffee. I was all set to program it to have my coffee in the morning when I realized that it didn't come with one. I think it's ridiculous that it should have to be sold separately, when it's a necessary component!

Ordered this almost exactly 4 years ago and expect to have for at least another 4. Works great- like the 2 hour heating time and auto shut off as well as the handy "cleaning" function. We almost always set the brew to "strong": which works well. Only drawback is that the pause and serve function has never worked very well: it will always dribble some and then scorch the hot plate so that we end up just waiting until the whole brewing process is finished even if we'd rather not... Overall a good buy and has held up very well. Good tasting coffee.

Had to replace a late, lamented Black and Decker DCM-2500 SmartBrew. (Other, newer Black and Decker models have not lived up to this one, and why they've changed the design is beyond me.) Went for the Hamilton Beach 46201 first, based on the reviews, and I don't understand why people seem to love that pot. They must like lukewarm coffee.I returned that mistake and went for this one - now THAT's more like it! Hot from cup 1 (and as you should know, the temperature of the hot water hitting the grounds is VERY important - this pot gets it right). Brews a cup every bit as good as my old B&D.Now, is it perfect? No. The carafe is light as a feather - handle it with care. The inside of the brewing area never seems to rid itself of condensation - it collects in several spots, which you can either dry out with paper towel, or just tip the machine backward to drain. And, yes, the plastic smell you've read about is there, but for me it was gone after 2 or 3 brews, and it NEVER flavored the coffee. And aesthetically, the shiny, fake chrome look is kinda cheap and annoying (but not as annoying as having to potentially pay an extra $15 for the all-black version, so I'll live with it). A backlight on the clock would be nice, too. And the Fresh Brew Timer is useless - it starts from the beginning of the brew cycle, but it should start, IMO, at the END of the brew cycle after the 3 beeps (their way, your coffee is already "12 minutes old" right after a full pot brews).All minor issues, as far as I'm concerned. Hot, uniformly-brewed coffee, cheap pot, it's a winner!

Nice product. The control panel is a little more complicated than necessary because of some unusual features, but it is intuitive and although I shouldn't say this, you really don't need the manual, So, here are the pros and cons:PROs- 12 cups - Nice, but make sure you purchase the larger size filters. The smaller 4 cup filters just won't work very well.- Two hour shut off - a must for a coffee make that is designed to keep the java warm for a while. If you forget it, the coffee might not taste very good as the water evaporates, but it won't stay on long enough to crack the carafe or cause a fire.- Brew strength options - I haven't tried this yet and have always just used a little more coffee to make it stronger, but this feature could save you some money over the long haul - very long haul.- Programmable for a timed start - essential for those of us who like to wake up to the aroma of brewing coffee.CONs- This model comes with a water filter that fits on top of the grinds basket and filters the minerals coming in from the "showerhead spout." The manual recommends that the filter be changed monthly. I have never had a problem with hard water, although I use a water filter on the kitchen sink. Unless you have really foul water, and then again this might not help, I suggest that this is a totally frivolous feature that is designed to get you to trot out to the store and buy more filter replacements since it is recommended that the filter be changed every 30 brews or monthly.. Fortunately, the coffee maker does not require this. You can make the coffee without using this filter.- The unit also has a built in sensor that determines whether you are using a glass carafe (provided) or a thermal carafe. I imagine that the metal skin of the thermal carafe triggers a magnetic switch which prevents the warming tray from going on. I actually bought this unit because I was unhappy with the Mr. Coffee thermal carafe unit I had been using, since it was more difficult to clean than the glass, and the coffee was never really hot enough.All in all, it's a nice coffee maker, but I think these extra features have to add something to the price. I can't help but wonder how much less it would have cost without the water filter and the carafe sensor.Since both of these features are optional, I was tempted to give the unit FIVE stars, but I feel a little annoyed that the manufacturer is trying to put something over on us. Just my opinion. As John Galt says, "Value for value." If the price is acceptable to you, then it's FIVE stars.Get the bagels and coffee cake ready. Breakfast is served.

We've been using Mr Coffee makers for years now. They make good coffee, keep it hot, don't cost too much and are, for us the best value on the market. We stepped up a level for this one because the Amazon price was right. We normally don't go for the fancy features. All we need is auto shut off.Anyhow, this pot works great. Surprisingly, the "stronger" setting actually works. What is does, I have no idea, but the coffee tastes stronger when we use the setting. The machine is attractive and easy to use.Just some quibbles:The lid for accessing the coffee holder and water reservoir opens to the side, instead of front to back. This requires pulling the machine further out on the counter and turning it, which sometimes pulls out the plug. Annoying.Another effect of this opening style is that it's more difficult to pour water into the machine, especially for a lefty, than with our earlier, simpler machines.These are really minor quibbles, but hey, that's what a review is for.

Pretty good solution to the daily paper filter hassle. Be careful not to grind the coffee beans too fine as the filter will clog and overflow. Cleaning the filter is a little messy but most users won't mind a few coffee grounds going down the drain. I like the idea that I'm not running my coffee thru a paper filter that has been bleached with Chlorine.

Seems a little cheep construction wise, but works perfect. Just be sure to wash it out as soon as you are done with it, before the grounds dry.

I bought this filter because my paper filters kept collapsing and grounds would get into my coffee. I absolutely hate the feeling of grounds in a cup of coffee. At first I used a paper filter with the permanent filter, but then I needed more grounds to get the same taste (surprise), but with more coarsely ground beans and this filter I was able to get better tasting, groundless coffee! The only drawback was that the filter was slightly smashed in the package. Luckily it straightened right back out. I really love how the handle makes it easy to clean up after the pot is done.

I bought this for convenience of not having to always put in a paper filter. I've used similar gold filters like this before in my Cuisinart Coffee maker. The Cuisinart filter had a"V" shape at the bottom. This one is round at the bottom as shown. The sides are gold screen/mesh as show and the bottom is solid black plastic. The Coffee grinds then sit inside and on top of the plastic bottom. So it's not exactly like the water runs "through" the coffee grinds but rather the grinds become saturated at first and then the coffee essentially overflows from inside the filter into the carafe below. It might be better this way as the grounds may be in contact with the water a bit longer and so seep more coffee flavor out. I put flavored creamer in my coffee so most coffee tastes fine to me.

Updated 1/7/17: I used our coffee maker only about once per month for myself and/or special occasions for company. Otherwise we use a Gaggia brera espresso machine daily. So this filter, having a solid plastic bottom/base is just annoying to clean since you can't actually rinse the grounds straight out so it's a game of rinsing-tipping-rinsing-tipping. It's just annoying, nothing else terrible. Still seems to filter and and brews my coffee just fine.

The filter I received DID NOT have a plastic bottom as some reviewers have stated.
Couldn't tell you if this is an original or knock off brand but it is a fine quality and fits my need.
Well worth the price.

My only complaint is that some debris does get into the coffee...
However, I expected that it wouldn't be able to filter as well as paper before I bought it.

Bought this product under 4 months ago, Loved it and the coffee tasted fine. The best part was having an auto brew schedule. However, the machine just stopped brewing completely. Lights come on, but nada. It won't even try to brew. I found out by googling that this is a common product problem. Did everything in the user manually and finally called the help desk. The auto response system took way too long (4 min) and the fourth option on their auto response is "won't brew" (find that funny). Then the auto response tells me to clean the coffee maker by brewing it with vinegar.... c'mon guys... it won't brew!! After 4 minutes, got a prompt to ask for a Representative. The Representative was AMAZING. She asked me a few simple questions, and hurray they are shipping me a brand new machine! The part I feel bad about it filling up a landfill with this old one. Just a shame it wasn't built with more quality, but I guess I get what I paid for. Glad Mr. Coffee did well by us, lets hope the new one works better.

I'm diappointed with this coffee maker for a couple of reasons. I was unaware that you are supposed to use "water filters" (a pillow type pad with charcoal in it that gets inserted between the hot water stream and the coffee in the basket. This slows down the brewing process since the water pools on top of the filter pillow. If you omit the filter pillow the water hits the coffee and the coffee grounds bounce out (some landing in the coffee). If there is to be a water "filter" it should be before the water goes up the tube that heats the water (which would help eliminate the minerals precipitating out of the water which ultimately slows down (and clogs) the tube.The first "pillow filter" that came with the machine only worked for about 2 weeks before the water started pooling so I just put the pillow filter frame in now and make the coffee without a filter.I would not buy this coffee maker again.

I went back and forth over whether to give this two or three stars. Ultimately decided on three, because it does make coffee at an adequate temperature (even if only barely so) without any huge pains in the neck...and because it is (or should be) commonly understood that a dirt cheap price often comes at the trade-off of quality or other form of consumer satisfaction. This is no exception.Here are the problems I have experienced:1. The "strong brew" function flat-out Does Not Work. It worked for a couple of months and then dropped dead. If I select the strong brew feature, the pot beeps (as though finished) about 10 second into the cycle and then continues under normal brew mode. This appears to be a very common complaint, and Mr. Coffee is displaying no desire to fix it. The response, after you filter out all the fluff and read between the lines, is: "Noted...so just don't use that feature."2. As mentioned above, the water heating is only barely sufficient. Consumer Reports recently dropped this coffee maker from its "Recommended" list because of this, and I agree with that decision. The cup stays plenty warm if you sip it all down immediately (I don't know anyone who does this), but not after 15 minutes in a normal mug.3. The carafe itself (I have the glass one) spills if you pour too quickly. This typically isn't a problem while pouring brewed coffee (as I am not dumping it quickly then), but often when I use the clean carafe to pour fresh water into the back of the coffee maker, it spills out (and in excessive quantity, not just a few drops) onto the counter next to the coffee maker. I can hear your reflexive response..."Just pour more slowly"...and I do, but this is still cheap, bush league stuff. This is the 21st century...we have the technology available to make carafes that don't spill.Otherwise, it's fine. "Good enough" anyway. The programmable time brew function (what is called the "delay" feature) works well and has never let me down. Some people have complained that the filter basket does not seat properly when the carafe is inserted, but that's baloney...it's designed that way on purpose. There has to be weight in the filter basket to compress the spring, and the water that fills it provides more than enough weight to do so. It may even be designed that way to keep the water in the filter longer and thus extract more coffee from the grounds (then again, the unimpressive water heating & non-functioning strong brew feature certainly counterbalance this design). It may look weird, but this part (at least in isolation) works just fine.Enough rambling already. If you buy this, do so because you're on a budget and you don't mind coffee that cools off quickly after it is poured and isn't particularly strong. Me personally, I like my coffee hot and strong, so I will be replacing this thing some time soon.

Updating this review 4/11/17:This coffee maker was a 4-5 star coffee maker, right up until the day it just stopped working. It's roughly two years old at this point, and should still work. I bought a Mr. Coffee, because I am of the mindset that it is a quality coffee maker. I was hoping to get 5-10 years of use out of it before replacing, so imagine my surprise when without warning, it just stopped working. I'm waiting on my replacement which we ordered two days ago (yes, another Mr. Coffee--because I foolishly bought a 5-10 year supply of the charcoal disk type water filters for this machine, thinking, optimistically I'd get a lot of use out of this coffee maker). If this machine dies a premature death, I'm going to go back to a Krups, or perhaps a Braun.Much in the way Maytag used to be a name associated with quality, I had a similar mindset about Mr. Coffee--now my faith in the brand is, shall we say, LACKING.CAVEAT EMPTOR.(Original Review, 2015)When it was time to give my old Krups its funeral, I was glad I bought this to replace it. Sleek. Programmable. User friendly. Easy to clean. Produces a great pot of coffee. Great value for all these bells and whistles. Now *if only* the machine would load ITSELF! with the coffee grinds and water the night before--then I'd be in heaven:)

My name is Michael, and I'm a coffee addict.Coffee-wise, this coffeemaker is everything that "major consumer magazine" says it is - it heats the water HOT, its "strong" option is handy (although I wish it was the default) and it looks kinda stylish. For $40 or less, you can't get a better cup of coffee.That said, there are a couple of issues with the Mr. Coffee ("BVMC-SJX33GT" seems so formal) that you'll want to know before you buy.The primary problem is the seating of the filter basket. It's atrocious. There's nothing to hold it firmly in place, so it "floats" as you remove and replace the carafe, even with the lid closed. It also has a spring-mounted "drip stop" plug, which is supposed to stop the coffee from flowing when you remove the carafe. Of course, as in all coffeemakers, the coffee is still actually brewing, and you need to replace the carafe in a reasonable amount of time or the filter will overflow.BUT because the filter basket in the Mr. Coffee is not firmly held down, you must make sure the carafe is COMPLETELY seated under it. If you quickly put the carafe under the basket but don't manage to push it all the way back, the plug stays closed and you will return to coffee and grounds on the counter, on the floor, and in every nook and cranny of the coffeemaker itself. Waking up to that will NOT make your day. I've only managed to do that twice in the nearly one year that I've owned it, but I still have to make the conscious effort to push the carafe all the way in, because the one time I don't think about it -- coffee everywhere.But think of it this way: even with the hour of my time I've spent cleaning up after this, I'm still ahead of the $300 I'd have paid for a Technivorm.The other issue is minor but also design-related: condensation on the bottom of the lid. When I flip it up, all the condensation runs back into the filter basket and reservoir (the latter means more frequent cleaning).If the basket and lid were designed better, this would be a 5-star coffeemaker and there would be no reason for a sane person to even consider anything more expensive. But as it stands, for some people its flaws will outweigh the great coffee it's capable of making.

Update 9/8/15: Consumer Reports magazine no longer recommends this coffeemaker because it no longer heats water reliably to the temperature required (195° to 205° F for five to six minutes) to nominally extract flavor from coffee grounds:"Because the new models of the Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT no longer measure up, it is dropping in our Ratings from a recommended model to lower in the pack."Update 1/24/15 - after 2 years of daily use:LCD clock display has not failed due to condensation on its face. Impressive!Filter clogging with colossal spillage over rim of basket - never happened.No hint of plastic smell/taste after the first few brews: There was some when first used, but no more after that.Never had a mildew smell.Only big change is that the warming plate at base is corroding / turning brown. But I have a Cuisinart that does that, too.Conclusion: unit is working the same as when new. Totally satisfied. If it dies tomorrow, I'd buy another without delay - unless of course I saw better reviews for a different unit. Thanks all for your helpful comments!Original review December 2012:After using this Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT coffeemaker for a week, I thought I would attempt to address some of the complaints that other reviewers had on this coffeemaker. Some of the complaints are valid, others, well, it seems like they're describing a different unit altogether, or at the very least a defective one or a different production run than mine. Here we go:1. Coffee overflowing out of the basket and into the reservoir and out to the countertop: I did not experience this. This could theoretically happen if one were to accidentally use 2 paper filters, which could reduce the rate of coffee going through the basket, which would then create an overflow situation. This scenario would not be limited to this coffeemaker, then. Overflow could also happen if one were to accidentally allow grounds to go into or remain in the plastic basket, which could clog it. Again, not particular to this coffeemaker. Could also happen if the carafe were incorrectly placed in the coffeemaker: not likely at all (see below).2. Length of brew time too long: No reviewers stated how many minutes per batch, or how many cups and minutes per batch. This unit seemed to take a reasonable amount of time - the same amount of time that my Cuisinart maker takes.3. Brewed coffee not hot enough: Using a good candy thermometer, I measured the temperature of a brewed pot of coffee (while in its glass carafe) immediately after brewing: 175 degrees. Scalding hot. Temperature dropped to 155 degrees within 5 minutes. Suggestion: to keep your coffee hot, move coffee to a hot-charged, insulated carafe immediately after brewing.4. Plastic smell while brewing, plastic taste of brewed coffee: I definitely got the strong plastic smell with the first couple of water-only "prep" no-coffee brew cycles, and a bit less with the first few coffee cycles. This smell is no longer present after 6 days of use. Plastic taste: I did notice a slight plastic aftertaste with the first few coffee batches, but no longer. I suppose I may have gotten used to it, or it is no longer happening, or a combination of both. I think that it is the latter case.5. Coffee leaks from basket onto the warming plate while using "pause and serve" feature (sneaking a cup of coffee during brewing cycle): I saw two or three drops of coffee go onto the warming plate: not too bad. Quick swipe with a damp paper towel keeps the plate clean. Not a defect.6. Warming plate not hot enough, no temperature setting for plate: I do not use the warming plate - my coffee goes directly from the pot to an insulated carafe right after brewing. Applied post-brewed heat is the enemy of brewed coffee. The longer you keep your brewed coffee on *any* warming plate - regardless of temperature - the worse it will taste.7. Correct carafe placement onto warming plate is difficult and likely to cause basket overflow: Despite my best, repeated efforts, I could not *incorrectly* place the pot onto the plate. The pot placed itself into its home 100 percent of the time. The only way I could get it to *not* place itself correctly was to barely balance it on the front edge of the maker, which was difficult in itself.8. LCD Clock display not illuminated: True. A definite shortcoming of this unit, especially considering this is a programmable unit. A missed necessity.9. Condensation on clock and buttons on front operating panel: True. Could have long-term reliability consequences.10. Water spout not positioned properly over grounds: Impossible! The closure of the unit's lid forces (rotates) the spout into the correct position - that is of course unless one does not close the lid.11. Filter paper collapse and fold-over onto grounds in basket, causing clog and overspill: It could happen, since I have experienced this with other drip makers. Not particular to this unit, then.12. 2 hours post-brew auto-shutoff - too soon?: Nope. Coffee cooking for 2 hours on a warming plate would taste horrible. Want hot coffee two hours later? Move it from the pot to an insulated carafe directly after completion of brewing cycle. I would actually prefer that there were no warming unit on this machine.13. Power cord length too short: It measures exactly 24 inches from the back middle of the unit to the male power plug. Dealbreaker? Not for many, I'm guessing.14. Water filter placement onto top of brewing basket is difficult: Agreed. Must be done carefully. I chose to not use the filter at all, since I use purified water already. Plus, by not using the water filter, it's one more step I don't need to perform. Hot water seems to distribute nicely onto grounds without it - all of the grounds in the basket are soaking wet after the brewing cycle is complete.15. Amount of coffee brewed is much less than amount of water used: After multiple 8-cup water brews, I consistently yielded 7.75 cups per batch. That's about 3 percent water loss to evaporation. Insignificant. Any more loss than that, then there must be some other cause at play. I could not cajole my unit to lose any more water than was lost to evaporation.16. Condensation of water in reservoir after brewing creates musty or mildew smell: It could happen in theory. I leave the lid open after brewing for a while to avoid this possibility. Again, this scenario would not be limited to this unit.17. Reliability after several months: Unknown. Only had it a week.18. Amount of coffee needed to produce a given coffee strength: My unit yields similar strength as on my Cuisinart maker given the same amount of grounds/water/grind fine-ness.Summary: It seems that some of the complaints are totally unrealistic (IMHO), but others are totally valid. I hope this helps!

Expected the bottom to be a screen also, but it's solid plastic...does not work for what I'm using it for...not coffee. I think for coffee it would be fine.

Solid product and fits right in to the Mr. Coffee GTF2-1. I have had the product now for over 6 months.

The only complaint I have is that it leaves a coffee residue in the pot / cup. This might be due to the finest of the coffee grinds (I buy starbucks pre-ground coffee). If I use a regular coffee filter I don't get any residue.

Cleaning: I empty out my coffee grinds in the trash then I have to rinse out the inside of the basket because there are still some coffee grinds left over.

Your product arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. It is very easy to use and fits beautifully into the machine. The price is fantastic!
The disappointing features are personal rather than mechanical. The taste of the coffee through the gold basket was not the same as with paper filters from my old coffee maker (Gevalia 12 cup). It was somewhat flat. Cleaning the filter was rather a chore as well and I am concerned about the waste of water in that effort. I'm keeping the filter, however, as it will be a great backup when I run out of paper filters.

OK HERES A GOOD QUESTION,,WHY DID MINE NOT HAVE THE HANDLE AS SHOWN HERE WOULD MAKE IT EASYER TO HOLD WHEN HOT GRINDS NEED TO BE EMPTY JUST WONDERING

Apparently there are two models of these filters, the one shown in photos above (solid plastic bottom) and the other I received from other seller of this model (cravingsavings). I received a screened bottom (not solid plastic) version similar to this Cuisinart model:

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-GTF-B-Gold-Coffee-Filter/dp/B0001IRRLQ

Maybe the screened bottom is old design, maybe hard plastic bottom is new design or visa-versa...who knows.

Though the GTF2-1 was designed for a Mr. Coffee the filter seals perfectly in my 10 cup West Bend coffee maker.

In a paper filter (besides absorbing coffee bean oils), micro ground coffee particles clog pores of paper fibers and the hot water rises within the paper filter to find open pores to exit from. This “hot water pool” that occurs within the paper filter gives the coffee grounds time to saturate, sink, soak and bloom to release all its flavor before the coffee flavored water exits out the bottom hole in the filter holder.

This does not occur with these types of filters. Openings don’t clog with micro coffee particles so readily, thus the hot water practically runs right through not giving the ground coffee a chance to soak and bloom. Depending on the size of the exit hole in the filter holder and the coffee makers water dispensing spray head pattern (also clogged by minerals or not), water runs through this filter so fast that one can actually have the missed dry coffee grounds leftover after the brewing process. The water doesn't have a chance to “pool”. This is a waste of coffee and probably a weak cup of coffee too. Forget about “Good to the Last Drop”, you wouldn't want to drink what’s left at the bottom…ah…micro coffee sediment particles found!

So I feel, (if one had a choice in the matter) I would probably would have preferred the solid plastic bottom. Anything to slow down the water flow. For those who have large overzealous holes in their filter holders (like myself) stick with paper As for the small amount of “commercially ground” coffee bean oils getting through, it doesn't bother me, but for those who grind their own dark roast beans, concerns may be over watching their LDL cholesterol levels, definitely paper.

In conclusion, unless they can manufacture these with a finer pored screen, these so-called filter (more like “coffee screens”) are handy to have in case one runs out of paper filters. They save you a trip to the store.

I've purchased two of these Mr. Coffee branded coffee makers in the past 5 years for myself and now the second one is leaking water from underneath the unit. The first item just quit working one day after about 2 years of no problems. I had purchased the steel carafe with it for keeping the coffee warm without the hot plate so I decided to buy another identical product for that reason. Now after 3 years my second Mr. Coffee leaks water so you get a mess even when brewing immediately after filling with water. Delayed brewing would be a water disaster. I won't be buying a Mr. Coffee brand unit again. I give my two coffee makers 2 stars vs, 1 star for lasting over 2 and 3 years respectively. By the way I never noticed the strong chemical smell that many have reported.

Bought this for heating water to make tea as I drink about 3 pots a day. This seemed like a better solution than the tea kettles. Note that only R.O water is ever used in it.I do agree that it is messy when opening lid as it drops condensation which gets around past the stopper and onto the burner or falls outside the sides, but I keep a towel handy to wipe up when refilling.I like that it allows for a hotter brew and rely on the 2 hour time-out and gentle reminder if I need to restart.The problem lies with build quality.I had my unit for 6 months and it stopped brewing. I read the reviews and see this quite common. As an engineer and ex-electrician I decided to look into the problem as I did not have time to do without while shipping it for warranty repairs. First thing I noticed was that as I opened the bottom that there was a rattle coming from a loose internal screw. Looked around and could not verify where it was from so I chalk it up to a bonus they provided, kind of like when you find a bug in your food and consider it free extra protein.I was concerned that the electronics may be bad but that was not the case as I heard the relay click when trying to start it. A little probing with the power off and using a multi-meter showed that one of the thermal cutout fuses was open. Seeing no potential damage, as well as the fact that the second fuse was still intact, meaning that it was more likely a bad fuse than an actual over temperature condition, I did some research and found replacement fuses (at Amazon), although I did have to buy five and only needed one. After a 2-day prime shipment, and cutting out the old and crimping in the new with trimmed down stak-on lugs and the pot is fully operational again. Also note that there are many you-tube videos to help if you have basic repair capabilities and weigh the risk that this is a safety item.So 2 stars is what it gets for good features but bad manufacturing. There is no way a consumer item should have such a short MTBF.

I'm Mixed on my opinion of this machine. It's a great coffee maker....until it dies. I've had 2 die on me. One within the 30 day return period, this last one died yesterday after about 5 months...outside of amazon's return period. The heating element goes bad, causing the maker to not be able to heat water, thus the maker is useless. I would love to love this machine, but TWO of them dying of same problem within 5 months is REDICULOUS. I have a replacement one that's been going for a month....well see how long that one makes it. Horrible reliability issues with these pots. If you only want the coffee make for a month or so...buy away, but don't expect it to last. I wish amazon would look into this and remove this product from its site.

Bought one at local big chain store, lasted for 3 1/2 months and just stopped working. Warranty is one year and getting a resolution and replacement coming was pretty easy. Due to length of time before replacement would arrive, I bought another at Amazon thinking who couldn't use a spare pot, right?That one made it 6 months before just "up and quitting" like the first. So...now I am using the first warranty replacement and am going to get replacement on the second one. Really disappointed in this unit, thought Mr. Coffee would be a better brand. So, I don't recommend buying this model, although when it worked it worked fine. Also, no back light on clock...so unless you have light directly on it you'll be using a flashlight to set the delay at night, poor design there!

I purchased this in April 2015 and today it stopped working. The lights came on and it started to brew, but stopped after only a few tablespoons brewed. I tried restarting it, and the brew cycle would not continue. The warming plate was also not hot. During the 6 months that it worked, I have no real complaints other than the fact that the clock is not backlit on this model, which I really miss from our last one. We owned the previous model for about 9 YEARS before it failed. Mr. Coffee clearly is not making the same quality products these days. I am going to see what my options are with the 1-year warranty. Hopefully I do not have to pay for shipping, but if I do, I will not bother repairing it and will never purchase another Mr. Coffee product again.UPDATE 5/21/17: I received a replacement machine at no cost, which has worked fine until today. We have the same issue! The lights turn on when I try to start the brewing cycle, but nothing brews and the warming plate doesn't heat up. Very disappointed as we are no longer under warranty. I guess you get what you pay for, and this is a cheap coffee maker.

Took it out of the box and set everything up for delay brew. But every morning it didn't brew.... Only brewed if you hit it to manual. Of course, by-passing the whole purpose of having a time delay. Called Mr. Coffee and they said unit defective. Not a good sign. Mr. Coffee they said they are shipping me out a brand new unit immediately!!! Now THAT'S customer service. No return old unit, no this and that. Just shipping a new one. Maybe telling them I got it on Amazon helped... I WOULD have called Amazon, cause Amazon kicks butt in the customer service department also and I KNOW they would have sent me a new one too, but I thought I'd give them a break from me for awhile....so went direct to the source :) you're welcome Amazon.Anyway, been using it now for a month or two. But now when it brews, the coffee is only luke warm... In other words, two problems with two units is enough for me!!! Its a shame too, as its a real nice coffe maker and looks really pretty. But alas, if it doesn't function....all that is meaningless.Going to call them AGAIN and see if they will send me another unti....but I highly doubt it.

Grounds end up in coffee. We have worked with amount of grounds but it doesn't let enough water through in our Mr. Coffee 12 cup decanter coffee maker.

This was purchase to go along with the PSTX91 Coffeemaker for our son. He says that it filters fine but he finds it leaves a slight metallic taste to the coffee.

It works. My compliant was with the shipment. The box is flimsy and when they packed it with the coffee maker and was essentially squashed in transit. I wanted coffee and didn't want to wait on another so I did my best to work it back into shape. It will be forever creased but it works.

Only used it two weeks and it's already in the trash. My finger barely touch the top between the mesh and the plastic and made a hole. I was still able to make it work. Then it happened again only worse on another side. I bought it to keep filters out of the dump and now this "expensive" one has joined them.

I thought this would work with my 12-cup Mr. Coffee machine. It fits into the coffee maker well-enough but it's is way too small to make 12 cups, unless you like really weak, bland coffee. The water-soaked coffee grinds spill over the side before the carafe is half full, resulting in a clogged drip path and sludge in the bottom of every cup.

Unfortunately, this came already busted - the first (and second, and third) time I tried to make a pot, the coffee leaked out everywhere, all over the heated surface directly below the pot, causing steam and sizzling noises, and all over the counter and floor. I'm not sure where the leak is even coming from, but it most certainly makes the product unusable. Definitely disappointed in the quality control in this deal. I know I was paying a lower price for a warehouse product, but this was straight-up unusable from the get-go.

If you asked me two months ago, even a week ago, I would tell you that this was the greatest thing ever. The programmable timer works wonders! I loved waking up to fresh coffee before my early day. I could sleep for a few minutes longer while this pot did all the work.HOWEVER-After owning this product for six months and 1 day, it has stopped working entirely. After doing some research it seems as though this is a common problem with a relay switch. My suggestion would be to do more research and find one with a longer life span.

This pot worked great for 4 months then broke. We only used purified water in it to help preserve the mechanism since hard water can do a number on coffee pots, but even the cheap ones have lasted us years not months. I would have returned it but I was told it had to be within one month so this is my only recourse. I am very disappointed in this pot and will try another brand next time. There are too many available to take a chance.

Right off the bat this product ticked me off.The clock has no back light, and recessed a bit into machine making it extremely hard to read. They have nerve making a product with out a lite clock so you can see it clearly :PThen I see it does not even come with a few paper filters or the permanent filter at all. So now I have to go to store and try and find them or order them from here and wait a few more days. I guess Walmart might carry them since they do sell this same coffee maker.It takes almost 8 minutes to make a 10 cup pot of coffee, this thing is really slow compared to other coffee makers I have had.Also has others have said this coffee maker has a very strong plastic smell. I ran several pots of water through the machine and it still taste like plastic so I am returning it, this is a piece of junk.

I ordered this coffee maker, assuming that it would be an upgrade from any and all of my previous Mr. Coffee makers. In actuality, it is a step backwards, in as much as their designers chose to put Design over Functionality. All of my previous programmable coffee makers had a LIGHTED ANALOG CLOCK and I thought that this one would have a lighted digital clock. Also, the designers failed, when they moved the reservoir water level marker, to the right side of the coffee maker. Now, you must depend on the accuracy of the markings on the decanter as the markings on the reservoir are out of view, It makes a good cup of coffee, but so did my old one's and it did not have the same bulk or shortcomings of this one. Had I realized it's short comings, I would never have made the purchase. I called Mr Coffee about these failures and looked at their web site, only to find that this particular model is NOT shown in their inventory, other than in Red and the suggested lighted models,were not shown either. Partial solution: Keep a flashlight handy, in order to read the digital and adjust settings 11/9/16-Comments justified. 11/9/16-COFFEE MAKER FAILED THIS MORNING.WILL NOT OPERATE IN ANY MODE. PREVIOUS COMMENTS JUSTIFIED. NO SOUR GRAPES. LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD (Purchased 12/12/15)

I tried two of these devices and both have the same design defect. The coffee basket has only one point of support (shower head) to hold down the coffee basket. Because of this issue, the basket raises up when the decanter is placed into the machine. The reason for this is that the basket's valve (at the bottom) is spring loaded and the top of the decanter pushes the basket up rather that opening the spring loaded valve. If the manufacturer simply put a tongue in groove tab at the front of the basket so that this point is held firmly in place, then possibly the shower head can hold the back side of the basket in place. Even that solution though requires that there is a tighter fit between the shower head and the basket. As a confirmation to my premise, I was able to easily rig the basket to stay in place by using two spring clips, one in front & one at the rear of the basket. I sent both devices back though because the product should never have been placed on the market in this state.

Leaves sludge at the bottom of the coffee pot.

Bought wrong size not returnable

I ordered 2 of these for 2 coffee makers of the same brand. It still allows coffee grounds to pass through on both of them.
Useless!

So disappointed! I am a fan of permanent gold tone after i used it in Cuisinart coffee maker. I needed a filter for Mr coffee frappe maker so ordered the filter. It fits poorly and i regret ordering it. After desperately searching for a product review of cafe frappe maker and failing to find one with permanent filter, i decided to write the review to give heads up to all of those who bought a cafe frappe maker and are considering permanent gold tone filter, please DO NOT BUY!

This filter is not really compatible with the charcoal water filter, which is a part of Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT coffeemaker. Without the charcoal water filter the coffeemaker does not work right, since the charcoal water filter distributes hot water over a large area. Bottomline: this filter is not compatible with Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT coffeemaker.