Bonavita 5 Cup Drip Coffee Maker Machine, One-Touch Pour Over Brewing w/Double Wall Thermal Carafe, SCA Certified, 1100 Watt, BPA Free, Dishwasher Safe, Stainless Steel, BV1500TS Home & Kitchen

60 reviews for Bonavita 5 Cup Drip Coffee Maker Machine, One-Touch Pour Over Brewing w/Double Wall Thermal Carafe, SCA Certified, 1100 Watt, BPA Free, Dishwasher Safe, Stainless Steel, BV1500TS Home & Kitchen

Cliff S.
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Started leaking after 5 years. I bought this 5 years ago when I retired. Pricey, as these things go, but I liked the stainless carafe, the compact and efficient look, and I discovered it made pretty good coffee. Was content to use it forever. Then this morning I had a pool of water under it and half the coffee I was expecting. Somehow, someway, it sprang a leak. Can't imagine that's fixable, though that won't stop me from trying.How long are these things supposed to last with daily use? I've got no idea, but I guess I was hoping and expecting more than 5 years, given the price. Over 5 years I hit the on/off switch somewhere around 2,000 times I figure. Tempted to write to the maker and see what they think, out of curiosity mostly.In any case, I bought hundreds of #4 paper filters recently, so you can be sure I'm getting a new one that requires #4 filters, and it'll probably be the Amazon Essentials, if for no other reason than to see if it lasts 5 years for $35.The Amazon Basics substitute is about $35. 4 people found this helpful
tamara goldstein
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars It is advertised as a 5-cup but, it only holds 3 cups. I missed the window to return it, by 2 days. It is advertised as a 5-cup but, it only holds 3 cups. I missed the window to return it, by 2 days.
Michael Meadors
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Machine, Great Coffee I'm very happy with this coffee maker. I used to use an AeroPress to make a single-serving for myself each morning, but I found that I wanted more coffee than what it could make, and I usually wanted a second cup too. So, I wanted a good quality drip coffee maker, but nothing huge.I'll start out with what I don't like, and then get to the positives:1. There's not a good place to store the carafe lid when not in use.2. It's hard to get all the liquid out of the carafe due to a ledge inside it. However, those are not dealbreakers for me.Here's what I like:1.The size of the machine and volume of coffee it produces is perfect for most households in my opinion. The machine isn't bulky and doesn't take up a ton of precious countertop space. When filled to the 5 line (full), it makes four medium sized cups of coffee - great for a couple. When I'm just making it for myself, I'll fill it to the 4 line and make two large servings.2. Simple and elegant design. The machine looks great on the counter and is easy to use with one button.3. Pre-infusion mode. It's important for fresh coffee beans to bloom/off-gas, and this machine has a setting to do that. This more closely mimics what would be done with a quality pour-over. The pre-infusion mode is easy to set up - just press and hold the button until it flashes. The machine will stay in this mode every time you use it unless you reset the machine by pressing and holding the button again or unplugging it. It flashes during use to let you know if it's in that mode, so, you'll know if another household member unplugged it without your knowledge and reset it.4. The coffee tastes great. I usually use a medium-coarse grind if I'm brewing a full pot or close to it.5. The carafe. Despite the cons I listed above about the carafe, I love that it's not a glass carafe. It keeps the coffee warm without the need for a hot plate like you'd find with a glass coffee maker. I love that it has a screw top too and that you have to press a button to release the coffee. That makes it easy to make a pot and then haul it to another part of the house to have with you for a refill. It's also great that there's not breakage risk, like with glass. It also just looks better, especially since glass coffee carafes tend to get a dingy and brown tent on them after a lot of use.Overall, I'd really recommend this. 8 people found this helpful
Guy S.
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Really wanted to hate this coffee maker... I've tried - and failed miserably - to make a decent cup of coffee at home. Since the late 80's.... Two coffee makers. French press. Pour over. Grinding my own beans - beans that were hand picked by elves, roasted under a rainbow, and carried to the store by unicorns. No matter what I try it always tastes awful. Always.And my standards aren't high: My favorite coffee has always come from donut shops and Dennys - and the rare specialty shop that serves a decent cup of dark, smooth, non-bitter, non-sour coffee.I recently bought a house in the hinterlands - and though we have an excellent coffee bar it closes very early - and it was costing me a fortune. And with no Dennys or donut shops close by it was time to exorcise my coffee demons once and for all and begin making coffee at home. After a ton of research I bought the Bonavita 5-cup in spite of the bad reviews. The larger Bonavita TS1900 was highly rated, but larger coffee makers often don't make 4 cups very well and I wanted a coffee maker optimized for smaller batches.Waiting for this thing to arrive made me feel 50% like a kid at Christmas, and 50% like the guy who bought the Brooklyn Bridge. A coffee maker just heats up water a drips it over beans - why should it cosdt 14x more than a comparably featured unit at WalMart? But the coffee snobs seemed to think Bonavita was magical, so I took the leap.When the unit arrived I made my first batch with finely ground beans from my local gourmet-ish market. And.... it was awful: no wonderful fresh-brewed aroma, strong, dull. And it was lukewarm. LUKEWARM!A big reason for buying the Bonavita was because it was capable of brewing at 195 - 205 degrees, but I didn't see any way to adjust the temperature. Bonavita's website FAQ's said nothing, nor did the user manual, so I called tech support. No answer, so I left a message.... And then requested a return from Amazon. I knew that there wouldn't be any way to adjust the temperature, and 195 - 205 is a large range when brewing coffee - the Brazen unit would have let me adjust the water temp in 1 degree increments. This unit would definitely be going back.But the next morning something unexpected happened: Bonavita returned my call.The first thing the tech support person asked was the grind of my beans. Turns out that fine is a no-no, coarser is better. I was also advised to make the full 5 cups if I wanted the coffee to be hot. And to let the hot water stand in the carafe for a minute or two before brewing. And to buy a coffee scoop. Also, as I suspected, there was no way to adjust the water temp.I was skeptical but decided to experiment before returning the unit. I bought more beans, ground one batch at the Drip setting and another batch at the Coarse setting. I also bought a coffee scoop and a thermometer to measure the water temp.Using the Drip grind beans my next batch of coffee was amazing. Strong, smooth, not bitter, not sour. The best coffee I've ever made, possibly the best I've ever had. As an FYI, I measured the water temp while brewing and it was a couple degrees shy of 200.Unfortunately, donut shop and Dennys coffee now tastes awful to me. And the coffee at work... let's just say I've contacted the UN human rights folks. I can't justify buying a 2nd Bonavita for my office so I tried a Presto My Joe: lots of work for a diabolically awful cup of coffee. My coffee-snob friend brought in his Aeropress. Better than My Joe, but not by much. And just for good measure I tried a Cuisenart coffee maker - same beans, same grind, sour taste.So now, thanks to the TS1500 and Bonavita's nice tech support lady, I can only drink coffee made at home. 631 people found this helpful
Fitzie63
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Perfect size coffee maker that's easy to set up and use. Carefully reviewed the instruction booklet and followed those for "before first use".PRO: Great advantage that it doesn't have a bunch of complicated setup nor programming steps. Easy to fill the tank and pour the FILTERED water into it. After running the water through the tank, 3 times, while allowing everything to cool down in between, worked great. Booklet suggest weighing the amount of coffee (in grams) as you prefer rather than "eyeball" guessing according to personal choice does produce a better result. From start to finish, this machine is not "instant" but does work quickly. Had NO spillage messes when pouring from the Carafe because I followed the booklet's instruction to pour with the lid properly screwed into place. SIZE: This "5 cup" coffee maker is: five 6 ounce cups of coffee or equal to TWO 12 ounce coffee mugs of your favorite brew.CON: I don't recommend the so called "pre-infusion" method. Thought I would try it but found that it overly wets the paper filter causing one side of the filter to collapse into the wet coffee grounds, some of which ended up in the bottom of my coffee cup. Will probably not use that pre-infusion method in the future.Was really excited to finally be able to have additional servings of coffee besides my rationed 12 oz. morning regular cup by easily fixing a pot of decaf coffee later in the day. Will be donating my big Keurig machine and accessories to a non-profit second hand store whose purpose is to provide funds for the local christian school system. Had the Keurig since November 2011. It took up too much counter space and, since I refuse to pay the outrageous k-cup prices, it was a nuisance to fill my own do-it-yourself K-cups (bought an extra one of those long ago). When you make your own coffee, either with this great little Bonavita gem or fill-your-own-Kcups, @ $10.00 for a good quality full 3 pound can of dark roast coffee, a 12 oz. mug of coffee costs just a touch over FIVE CENTS. Compare that to the average EIGHTY CENTS/12 oz. for one made with commercially packed Kcups or, worse yet, paying umpteen $$$ for buying your coffee from a Starbucks coffee bar. By the way,NOTE: Will reserve future review updates after I've had a chance to use the machine for a while.REVIEW UPDATE: This simple to use great little coffeemaker is probably a Ten STAR Machine instead of 5. There is absolutely not even a tiny drip when pouring from the carafe when using it. Those that had that issue have chosen to leave the screw-on carafe lid off the unit. To those that choose to PRE-HEAT the carafe with boiling water then pour it out before making a pot of coffee are creating acidic chemical changes when the coffee is finished brewing ~~ and you wonder while it tastes bitter, DUH! Wake up and read the instructions before you do stupid things. The problems you negative reviewers have or are facing is not caused by the machine function. Those issues are created by you, the user of the machine. Yesterday, when setting up the machine for next morning use before going to bed, I carefully weighed my dark roast (great) already ground coffee on my little digital scale, in grams (for accuracy). Since this little gem is a FIVE CUP model, I weighed a totel of 25 grams (5 grams per cup... according to the booklet suggested amount). It was much stronger than my usual robust flavor that I prefer. That's not the machine's fault, it's how I chose to prepare it. Just finished setting it up for tomorrow morning with a slightly less amount. This process is just a little-by-little learning curve. So, the bottom line, if you want a RELIABLE, good quality coffee maker, (I call that a "no brainer" system): This is the machine for you. UPDATE: Recently received a question from another user who was complaining that, when pouring a cup of coffee, some of the coffee ends up on the counter instead of in the cup. That user was NOT pouring with the CARAFE LID properly screwed on to the top of the carafe: it's a "must" to pour with the lid on and pressing the release tab in order to pour. 51 people found this helpful
Xxxxxxx
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, merely great. Some of the negative reviews almost caused me to pass on this brewer. I am glad that I decided to buy it, anyway.I am experienced with coffee and brewing methods. I have been drinking specialty coffee for years, have all the equipment, used to roast my own beans, blah blah. I have pourovers, vacuum brewers, and French presses. My go-to brewing method has always been French press. But I was always a bit envious of my son-in-law's Technovorm, which makes a great cup of coffee. I finally decided to break down and get a Technivorm, but when I checked the price I learned that it has gone up by nearly $100. So, I came across this device, and bought it. Here is my review:Coffee quality is excellent, as good as the Technovorm, in my view. One of the criticisms is that this brewer is not SCAA sanctioned, and this concerned me because I was afraid that the brew temperature would be inadequate. Not so. This brewer gets to 200 deg. F. Great cup of coffee.An advantage of this brewer, for me, is that I can make a small pot with no loss of brew quality. I can made 12, 18 or 24 ounce pots and all are great. A lot of times I want just one cup, and because I can make a great 12 ounce pot, I don't waste beans.One complaint I read was that it is confusing to put the brewer into the special, pre-infusion mode. I found this claim to be false. With the machine off, you hold the switch down for five seconds. Now you are in special mode (which I haven't used much), and you stay there until you exit the mode (another five second push) or until you unplug the machine. Nothing could be simpler. In fact the entire operation of the machine is simple, an advantage.Another complaint was poor quality. To me, this device is no better or worse, quality wise, than the Technovorm. Yes it's light weight and has a lot of plastic. So does the Technovorm. This is a good looking machine that will not embarrass you counter top.Another complaint was about how the carafe pours. I think this complaint is fair. The carafe is hard to empty completely and does a poor job of pouring unless the top has been installed. My solution is to use the top whenever I pour. It takes five seconds or less to install (it has a one-turn thread).A final complaint is that there is no warming plate and that the carafe dies not keep the coffee warm long enough. Well, no and yes. No, coffee should never be kept warm on a burner because it creates bitterness, and it does this very rapidly - don't do it, better to microwave it, if needed. Yes, the carafe loses some heat, as it has a lot of surface area. It keeps the coffee plenty hot for me, but I would say that an hour is about it.In summary, this brewer makes an outstanding pot of coffee. The brewer isn't perfect. It is merely great. If there is a better option to brewed coffee at a hundred bucks I don't know what it is. 900 people found this helpful
Glenn Box
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply brews the best coffee I've had! It's simple, just one switch, and brews the best coffee I've had at home!
Latreenbeast
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product I have had one for 12 years, I can't say how impressed I am with the quality.Yes, buy one, simplicity. great coffee.
Sue Heinkel
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes the best tasting coffee. This is a quality coffee maker. I like the smaller size, as I am the only one in the house who drinks coffee. I ordered this one for our summer house because I already have one for our main home and I love it. It is worth the cost. One person found this helpful
John F. Miller
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Bought in 2020; Still Going Strong in 2023 So far so good. The coffee maker works as well today as when I first took it out of the box.
MT
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Good coffee- minor faults in design Makes a great coffee and is a very pretty design but the slow brew function and the carafe lid are extremely faulty.The slow brew option is awesome but only works 50% of the time. In order to activate the bloom/slow brew option you have to hold down the on/off button for a few seconds, but it's very unpredictable, I never know if it'll work or not, not matter how long or short I press the button.The carafe lid screws on and is supposed to seal shut once the open/close lever aligns with the handle on the carafe. However, after a few washes, the lid stopped sealing shut in alignment with the handle making it difficult to pour. For some reason it leaks even when its sealed shut. Not sure what the problem is, I've tried fixing it but for the price of this coffee maker, something like a lid sealing properly shouldn't be a problem.Once its shut, it does keep the coffee in the carafe warm/hot for a few hours despite not having a hot plate, so the quality of the carafe itself is good and it does brew good coffee.
maquilter
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee maker for small maker. Love the size, love the way it is made. Have had it only a short time. Have not gotten the amount of coffee grounds to use correct to my taste. Saying that I have not dumped any coffee!!! Glad I purchased this one.
dmb3428
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the norm The coffee produced at the office should be outlawed, I refuse to drink it. So I needed to replace an aging "cheapie" that also would be small enough to fit on my desk and after a lot of research decided to spend a bit more on a quality product. I was down to this model and a technivorm but couldn't justify a $300 coffee maker for the office. I usually drink 2- 12oz cups back to back in the morning so this size of maker was perfect (25oz), my current fav coffee is mcds medium roast so temp is critical as to not produce a sour or bitter tasting coffee. Out of curiousity I wanted to see if the advertised temp was being produced by my machine, at the shower head temp was between 198 and 201 (1200 ft elevation) filtered water. I also tested the carafe to see how long it could keep coffee hot enough to drink, without preheating it I found that coffee is drinkable up to an hour, after that prepare to nuke your cup. This wont be a problem for me as I tend to down it sooner than that, I like coffee almost scalding hot. This was one concern I have with any machine, will it get it hot enough to my liking? The bonavita def does!Additional info: does the shower head work like advertised? It's kind of random, it doesn't pour out a stream out of all the holes but seems to work randomly. One thing you can do is turn the brew basket left-right while brewing to ensure that all grounds are being saturated. The only con I can think of is having the brew basket sitting on top of the carafe, when done brewing I have to run it to the sink and try not to drip coffee every where on the floor! If you are a TRUE coffee snob I doubt any machine will satisfy you, stick with a manual pour over or an aeropress, IMO that is still the best cup you will ever get.... 3 people found this helpful
Amazon Denizen
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars DESIGN FLAW!!!! The ONE place you have to interact with this machine -- HOW MUCH WATER TO PUT IN -- is made very difficult by their decision to use very faint markings on the outside of the water reservoir. Instead of bright white, they are a semi-transparent gray, against a black background. Perhaps an effort to be subtle, but a mistake negates the design elegance. An older version of this machine which I owned had white markings. Who makes these dumb decisions? One person found this helpful
M. Griffith
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars This is my second Bonavita and the compact size is perfect! My old one died and DH replaced it with a BUNN with a glass carafe. I really hated the glass as I am a slow coffee drinker and like to enjoy it. As well, the smaller size is much better for the tiny "barbie-sized" kitchen. I get about three mugs from the pot which is about all I need. It stays hot for a couple hours (this ain't no Yeti-type insulation but way better than many).Flavor wise, it's WAY better than the BUNN could ever dream. If you set up the presoak function, brewing takes a few minutes more, but is well worth it. It has the smoothness of pour-over coffee with the convenience of a button.As well, it is a great excuse to make a fresh pot later in the day for a pick-me-up or an afternoon pastry pairing (yeah yeah, I don't drink so I rely on pairing coffee and tea but still want to feel culinary fancy).Id highly recommend unless the whole house downs a full sized pot every morning. For one or two people, the size is perfect, and it takes little maintenance. As a bonus, coffee prepping the night before doesn't make the pot leak like other brands. Just get up, stumble half asleep to kitchen, and push the button. Coffee in about 10 minutes while you toast a bagel, feed the pets, or stand by silently wondering why the heck you are up so early. One person found this helpful
Kevin Zimmerman
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars If You're Considering this Coffee Maker, Probably Worth It, but Caveats Galore. If you're considering buying this coffee maker, you probably should. It makes coffee that tastes as good as a Moccamaster, but it's smaller. That's what I wanted, that's what I got. I also own a Moccamaster, but it takes up too much counter space. I also make pour overs and French presses at home, but on most mornings I want four or five cups all for myself. I'm perfectly happy with it... but there's one really big issue.The metal carafe blows. The whole unit is pretty flimsy and plasticity (although the heating coils clearly work really well — it reaches temperature quickly and consistently, and the shower head over the basket works very well). But the carafe retains coffee stink like the worst, cheap office coffee makers. I've had a Moccamaster for 10 years, and have never had any smelly carafe issues with normal cleaning. After a couple months with the Bonavita, all the vinegar and Urnex and scrubbing in the world couldn't get the smell out. I don't know what the technical difference is between the metals used by the two manufacturers, but it is real, and it's annoying.(Full disclosure, I also ran it through the dishwasher a couple of times to try and get the smell out, and water got into the insulated walls of the carafe via the seam for the plastic handle/spout, and stayed in there. One should never put anything double-walled into the dishwasher for that reason. But it's still annoying.)Now for the good news/bad news. The good news is that it's totally fixable, the bad news is that you have to spend another $30 to do so. Bonavita sells a 5-cup glass carafe separately. You can get it on Amazon (part number BV61500CAD). And it becomes a whole new, much easier to use, nearly perfect small coffee maker for picky coffee drinkers. You can put the carafe in the dishwasher and it cleans perfectly. It's lighter, it looks nicer — the only issue would be that it doesn't keep your coffee warm for a longer period, but that's not an issue for me. I make the coffee, I drink the coffee right away.I wish Bonavita would sell the 5-cup machine with the glass carafe as an option. It's a superior product. 3 people found this helpful
Mitch Hellum
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars This is my 2nd one This is my 2nd purchase of this coffee maker. The first one still work just fine, but needed one for my GF's place for when I go over there.I've read a lot of the reviews, so here's my take. It makes great coffee, especially if you use the infusion feature. It's easy to use and setup, and there's very little to cleaning it. The pot keeps the coffee warm for 2+ hours, but after that slowly gets to warm. I'd say after 4 hours, it's warm. I made my coffee this morning 2 1/2 hours ago, and still pretty hot.You need the lid on to pour the coffee (appears to be designed that way?), but my thinking is that you will want the lid on to keep the coffee hot and fresh anyway. And yes, it does keep a tad bit of coffee in the bottom, doesn't quiet drain all the way, but a rinse and quick shake will fix that.Bottom line, you're buying a coffee maker, simple to use and makes great coffee, and it competes against makers twice the price. The listed cons are minor at best for me. 8 people found this helpful
Ramona L.
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Brews great coffee The Bonavita brews great coffee. I love the "spray brew option"...if you buy this pot be sure to use that, you'll be surprised at the difference in the brewed coffee. Very attractive appliance and a nice small size, perfect for small batch coffee. With that said, the reason I gave 4 stars - Bonavita needs to tweak a couple design flaws, I've adjusted to accommodate, but they are a slight nuisance. 1. The stainless thermal pot is hard to get all your coffee out. The design simply does not allow all the liquid to pour out. (the same goes for when you wash it out. There is always residual liquid). You really can't pour your coffee without the pour lid in place, which I find silly when I'm just brewing a single cup of java. If you try to pour directly from the pot, it spills all down the side of the pot and your coffee cup. (note: the pour lid is not used during the brewing process, you must place it after the coffee is brewed). 2. As much as I love the spray brew option, the technique to set that option is awkward, (hard to explain here). You use the on/off switch to set it and it takes two steps and your finger covers the switch making it difficult to see if you've actually set it for the spray option. I appreciate the simplicity of it's brewing style, I prefer that over all the electronic bells and whistles on other brewers. Keep in mind this brewer doesn't have timers to preset, but it does have automatic shut off. Otherwise it is one of the best drip coffee brewing systems I've used, reasonably priced. I would still buy this same model, however I would love to see Bonavita work on the design issues for the next model.
Emily K. Spicer
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Good coffee, bad carafe design, really bad pouring cap This little things makes good coffee, and the function for a longer soak works. It from day one, pouring and the lid have been issues. The carafe is designed in such a way that it never fully empties. You have take the pouring cap off to get the last 1/4 cup out, and even then, you can never get it all out. And that screw-up pouring cap is terrible. I would have to screw it on past the point where it lined up with the handle to keep it from leaking. And today, less than 6 months after I bought it, it came apart completely. I’m taking it as a sign to buy something else. 3 people found this helpful
Erika
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes the best cup of coffee I’ve had this product for 4 years and it is always reliable in giving me the best cup of coffee. I’m about to upgrade to the 8 cup for Christmas :) I’ve tried fancy coffee machines at friends’ homes such as Nespressos but I think this machine is by far tastier. Even four years in it’s going strong and I still get excited for my first cup every morning and make the same facial expression of how great my cup of coffee is. It’s weird to feel romantic about a machine but I think bonavita nailed it in making coffee. I don’t care for bells and whistles of coffee machines and I appreciate the one button no nonsense and preinfusion mode. Just wanted to write my super overdue review and how happy I am with this machine. 5 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Takes a bit too long to run/drip through! For the most part I think this is a good machine so far. It’s a good size, the coffee tastes good. I have 2 things I don’t like, 1 it takes too long to drip through the grounds even though the hot water passed quickly. 2 There is no way to get a quick pour before it’s finished dripping. The lid has to go on to pour without it making a mess. So the drip part will continue to drip if you set it aside and want to pour the first cup. I wish it had an auto timer that would solve it for me. Otherwise I need to be patient - the coffee is really good.
Mom of 4
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Hot, quick, smooth coffee. Need to work on carafe! My old Keurig recently died and I went back to the drawing board on coffee. I have become somewhat of a snob when it comes to coffee and like a really hot smooth cup of coffee. None of the coffee makers I bought had a temperature of over 180. Ewe!!! Trust me I bought about 5 and tested them all out including a new top of the line Keurig. They all went back. A family member has a Bonavita and he and everyone raves about it,but he also roast and grinds his own beans so I never thought anything about it and just assumed it was because of his technique. He also had a 12 cup one. I am the only one in my house that drinks coffee and I do not want a huge coffee pot. I drink about 1-2 travel mugs of coffee a day and do not want to brew a huge amount at a time. In comes this beauty. The 5 cup plain. I wanted the one with the clock, but wasn't sure if I would like so I purchased the plain one. Best cup of coffee in years. Hot, smooth, and quick. Such a simple design, but oh so good. The only downside is the carafe spout. Very hard to pour into a travel mug or any mug or cup for that matter without it dripping all over the place. I brew 5 cups at a time and it fits into my travel mug. It is perfect. Wish Bonavita would look into fixing the carafe issue and I think it would be the perfect coffee maker. However in their defense, it would be hard to keep a hot coffee if you make a bigger spout. I have brewed this and went back in 20 minutes to pour it up and it is still so hot. That is key for me. Quickness and the temperature. If you are looking for a good, basic, hot coffee then look no further. By the way, temperature coming out of the spout consistently registers between 200-205 with about every brew. I tracked it for about 2 weeks. Then after having it for several months, did the same thing and still between 200-205 every time. 2 people found this helpful
Peter Folk
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Takes up more space than seems necessary, and doesn't feel "convenient" This makes fine coffee. I like my Nespresso and french press better but each according to their own, and this one is fine. My main gripe is that it is inconvenient.The main inconvenience stems from the fact that the coffee filter holder attaches to the CARAFE, instead of attaching to the "water dispenser arm" or its protective assembly. That means that, when the carafe is not present in the coffee maker, the filter holder is cluttering up my kitchen somewhere, and when I go to make coffee it may or may not be where I need it. This also makes the act of pouring a cup of coffee more complicated: you have to remove the carafe, remove the filter holder, pour your coffee, maybe replace the filter cover with the insulating carafe lid, figure out what to do with the filter holder (now would be a good time to, ugh, WASH it so that's another few steps), and only then finally get to put in cream and drink my cup-a-joe.These inconveniences are enough to make me avoid using this device. I don't really want all this complication before my coffee OR after it in the morning...so I live with slightly less high quality coffee from the Keurig and this device goes unused.
fay773
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great little coffee maker! Only had the 5 cup coffee pot a few days . I'm a big coffee drinker! I have a pot on all day . I put boiling water in the carafe an let it set for several minutes. It helps keep the coffee hot . I grind my own coffee. Have no trouble cleaning the pot , as some people have complained. Love it!!!
Nia
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for one or two coffee drinkers No issues at all with spillage when pouring. Easy to clean and use.
Amazon Customer
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee maker This 5 cup coffee maker is just the right size and the stainless carafe keeps the coffee steaming hot. Love it
M
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee, almost great carafe Definitely noticed better tasting coffee with it, and I like that it doesn't have a warmer which can burn coffee if it sits too long. Instead it uses a thermal carafe. The carafe pours well as long as you screw the lid on, without it you can still pour but you have to be careful not to spill.Unfortunately, the carafe has a lip on the inside that makes difficult to get all the water out. Or coffee grounds if they stray in there — I was using some leftover #2 filters and one of them folded while brewing.Since I'm single and drink the coffee immediately after I make it, constantly screwing the carafe cap on each time was a bit of a pain. But you can always put the cone dripper on top of the coffee mug itself. Or the inexpensive Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer W/ Glass Carafe, 6 Cups (6 Ozper Cup) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CFLCT/ works as well, is far easier to clean, and looks a bit nicer. Melitta's coffee dripper has one hole — same as the Bonavita, so you can use it, or else use the Bonavita dripper if you prefer.
rp
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding 5 Cup Coffee Brewer Have used the BV1500TS for several weeks, daily, along with different coffee blends and have experienced excellent tasting coffee every time brewed. Each cup of coffee is at a perfect temperature along with being very clean and crisp. I can brew any volume from 3-5 cups without losing any quality. I have yet to experience any of the criticisms or negative reviews, including one from a prominent web site that reviews coffee makers and stated that the coffee was bitter tasting with this BV1500TS. As with just about every coffee maker, the BV1500TS has excellent instructions including to adjust the coffee and water volumes to the coffee type and grind. I have not experienced a bitter tasting cup of coffee to date over time period while using different coffee blends. I have had to make minor adjustments with the coffee to the water volume with each coffee blend however, that is to be expected with any coffee maker and coffee blend (as stated in the instructions).Another comment was is that this brewer is not SCAA sanctioned. This brewer gets the coffee as hot as it should be and, after doing further research, found a web site that stated the SCAA accreditation needs to be for a coffee maker that brews more than 3-5 cups of coffee.Another criticism was pouring from the carafe. It pours much better with the lid installed as it is obviously meant to be used in this fashion and is very quick and easy to install. The carafe does leave a small volume when "empty", probably due to the shape and design of the carafe. However, in my opinion, the volume left is insignificant.The carafe does keep the coffee hot. I have yet to experience an issue with the coffee being cool or getting cool while in the carafe. However, I also do not keep the coffee for a long time due the small amount of coffee brewed.The coffee brewer does have a short power supply cord (~26-27 inches), which is acknowledged in the instructions. The instructions also state that a longer cord or an extension cord can be used (along with the usual safety recommendations).A nice addition to the brewer packaging was a few Melitta #4 cone coffee filters (natural brown) and a package of descaling powder.Overall, this brewer is excellent and outstanding and seems to be specifically designed for 3-5 cups of coffee at the ideal temperature. It is not perfect, however, what coffee maker is perfect and can brew as well with such consistently at this price. 6 people found this helpful
Steven Anderson
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee but makes a mess I previously owned the larger version of this coffee maker. It was fantastic. This smaller 5 cup version has a filter system that sits loosely on the carafe. Every time it brews coffee, coffee water goes everywhere. Just like the bigger version,It makes really great coffee. Unlike the bigger version, it creates a mess every time. 3 people found this helpful
David
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Thank goodness: no beeps! Tasty coffee, lousy heat preservation. It makes delicious coffee quickly without the premium price of a Technivorm. Compared to my previous 12-cup Krups coffee maker, the Bonavita's cup is much smoother and more flavorful. I won't be relying on my Aeropress for a good cup, but instead for a smaller, different brew. I have not done a side-by-side comparison between the straight brew and the pre-infusion mode, but from day to day, I cannot tell the difference.My favorite aspect of this maker is its simplicity: only one button, no unnecessary digital read out, and no annoying beeping. My old Krups would beep three times, pause, and then again upon completing a brew. My parents' Cuisinart also beeps several times. However, the brew basket is a little annoying to deal with after brewing. It will continue to drip and is unsteady on its own. So I think that the best course of action is to careful handle the very hot grounds immediately. Thankfully, the #4 filters have enough room to be held onto without touching the grounds themselves.Lastly, the carafe. One reason I purchased this model is not so much for its carafe as for its lack of a heating element. With my old, run of the mill coffee maker I would immediately turn it off and pour the coffee into a thermos. So I'm used to a bit of steps before drinking. This carafe pours well (albeit a little slowly) with the lid on, and pours the last bit without the lid fine as well, though there will always be a bit left. Unfortunately, it does not keep warm very long. I like coffee hot, so I tend to pour small amounts throughout the morning and have a final cup in the early afternoon. That last cup is at best barely even tepid. Perhaps I should not expect Thermos level heat preservation for a carafe, but I have gotten used to having reasonably hot coffee as late as 3 or 4 pm. With this, by noon it's room temperature (coffee made between 6 and 7 am). One person found this helpful
Ryan Phillips
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Makes a great cup of coffee, but has several flaws I've been using this coffee maker for several months now. It makes a very consistent, good cup of coffee. I got this one, because I can make the full 5 cups to fit my 40 Oz. travel mug. It works well for that, as it should, at this price point.However, I am overall disappointed, largely because of the carafe. First, the carafe lid MUST be on, before pouring any liquid out, even when using it to fill the water reservoir. If you try to pour without the lid, you will get water or coffee everywhere except where you're trying to pour.Second, and I don't know if this is a quality control issue, but the carafe lid has a lid of its own, which you can remove to clean. On mine, the cap comes off too easily, and will pop off as I'm removing the carafe lid.And third, my biggest issue with the carafe, is that no matter how hard you try and shake all the coffee/water out in order to empty it, there still remains a significant amount of liquid inside. This is due to a bad design of the carafe, where the rim meets the stainless steel body, there is a lip that prevents all of the liquid from leaving the carafe. Because of this, I have to weasel a towel into the carafe to soak up any remaining liquid, once I'm done.My final issue, and probably my smallest gripe with this coffee maker, is that there is no good way to store the basket and carafe lid. I leave the basket on top of the carafe, placed inside of the coffee maker, and the lid will just sit on top of the machine. Not exactly an elegant solution, which I would expect out of a coffee maker this price.I may be overly critical of this coffee maker, but I feel my review is justified, as I should not be having these issues with the high price tag of this machine. If this were 1/2 the price, then I would understand. 3 people found this helpful
Clinton Webb
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars A great choice if it's on sale I got this on an "open box" deal for $66, and for that price it's impossible to beat. For the list price it's still quite good but possibly more difficult to justify. I would say for what I paid, it's a five star product. For the over $100 list price, it's closer to four stars. Read on for my detailed thoughts.I've worked at a few coffee shops, done cuppings with roasters, tried many different brewing techniques, roasted my own beans, etc, so I've definitely tried plenty of good coffee. This coffee is good. When you pay more for a drip machine, you're essentially buying consistency -- water temperature, volume, brew time, where the water is distributed over the grounds, all of these things matter, and make a difference in the flavors that end up in your cup. So while a $10 walmart dripper just indiscriminately dumps some moderately hot water over your precious coffee, a more expensive maker will control these variables with greater and greater precision. It's possible a moccamaster is more precise, but I don't have experience with one. I can say that the coffee the bonavita produces compares favorably with the extremely expensive, top of the line fetco machines (with proprietary spinning showerhead drippers and all the other bells and whistles) we had at the last coffee shop I worked at. I've changed cities since I worked there, so it's difficult to compare apples to apples, since I don't have access to the same beans, but using fairly middle of the road beans I've gotten pleasing results. It's not as good as the godly-est pourovers I've ever had, but it's fairly consistently quite good, doesn't require you to stare lovingly at your hario for 10 minutes, and can brew several cups at once, unlike an aeropress. Changing the volume of beans used and the fineness of the grind yield relatively predictable results, which is a wonderful encouragement for experimentation in search of your personal perfect recipe.To address some of the common complaints:I find the coffee plenty hot when the machine is finished brewing. It's very important to preheat everything before you start brewing, especially since it's a comparatively small volume of hot coffee. I run a two or three cup "blank pot" through the machine to rinse the filter and heat everything up before I brew.It's true, the pot does not keep the coffee hot all day, however I have to say it's just a little ridiculous to expect it to. It's a relatively small volume of liquid (less liquid=less heat retention) in a pot that has a fairly large surface area, including that big, plastic, heat sucking lid. This is part of the reason for the tall, skinny design of the moccamaster, to minimize the surface area of the lid. I've found the bonavita carafe keeps my coffee reasonably hot for a couple hours, which is plenty for me. It might not be the world's best thermal pot but it's also not terrible, and the wider lid makes it easier to clean. For what I paid it's fine.It's got a few plastic parts but what coffee maker for around $100 or less doesn't?I don't know if they changed the design of the carafe since the previous reviewers bought theirs, but I don't experience the problems they've had with pouring without the lid. I wouldn't call it a great pouring experience but it also doesn't make a huge mess as others have complained. It definitely pours better with the lid but if I pour a cup without I don't have any problem. Maybe a drip or two but nothing out of the ordinary. That being said, the complaint about there always beings about a tablespoon of liquid remaining in the carafe is totally true. It doesn't make me crazy, but it is kind of mystifying how I can leave the thing upside down for hours, come back, and there's still a tablespoon of water rolling around in there. I don't think the volume of liquid is enough to affect the quality of the coffee, and if you wanted to you could just dry it out with a towel, but it is a very strange design problem.Bonavita offers a double walled glass carafe replacement that looks beautiful and is probably better than the stock one on most counts, but is rather expensive given the cost of the machine itself.Overall, if you want something approaching consistency and quality from a drip brewer, this is a good choice. Maybe not the world's best, but also not the most expensive. Since I got it for 66, I'm quite happy. But if I had bought it for list price, I might have felt like I would rather have saved some money and just worked on my chemex technique. So at 66, five stars, over 100, four stars. 14 people found this helpful
Al
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Simple Easy to use, regular coffeemaker. No timer, brews and turns off. Hold hear with carafe rather than a hot plate.
foxvalleyal
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Brews A Great Cup Of Coffee I tested the brewing temperature on this Bonavita BV1500TS 5-Cup. It's hard to get a good measurement of the water coming out of the shower head as it cools as it hits the thermocouple probe so I then placed the probe in the grounds in the basket. Temp was 193.7F and the Coffee in the pot measured 187.9F. I would say the water brewing temp is probably consistent with the SCA Certified optimum brewing temp of 195F-205F even though this particular 5-Cup model is not SCA Certified. Water distribution is evenly distributed across the grounds from the shower head as stated. This 5-Cup model comes with the Cone Shape Basked and Filters.I've owned the BV1900TS for about 2 yrs 9 months now. I bought the BV1500TS to replace this one because it's not functioning 100% anymore. After the first year, the beeper stopped working at the end of the brewing cycle. Not a deal breaker there but just something I'm mentioning. After 2 years 3 months it now shuts off randomly during the brewing cycle and you must restart it again. You can't restart it right away and usually have to wait 30 seconds to 1 minute or so to restart the brewing cycle. I've read the reviews from other people having this same problem and being disappointed as I am. I descale my coffee makers religiously every 45-60 days with the Mfg recommended descale solution. I think Bonavita is one of the better SCA Certified Coffee Brewers out there that won't break the bank but disappointed with the longevity of the coffee maker. I would expect to get at LEAST 3-4 years out of it before it starts crapping out and not right after the Mfg Warranty runs out just after 2 years. The cost of the BV1900TS or BV1901TS is anywhere from $109-$180 so not exactly chump change for a coffee maker.So, I decided to replace it with the BV1500TS 5 Cup Coffee Maker since it's only $60. I can live with the smaller capacity as it brews the same quality cup of coffee as the BV1900TS 8-Cup Coffee Maker.Here are some other notes. The Cone Shape Coffee Grind Basket is exactly the same size as the Round Shape Coffee Grind Basket on the BV1900TS. This means if you prefer the Round Shape Coffee Grind Basket (as I do) you could purchase that separately and use that instead of the Cone Shaped Coffee Grind Basket. I already had one since I own the BVTS1900TS so I use that one instead. The double wall stainless steel pot keeps the coffee hot enough for about an hour. Not great but I go through it pretty quickly. Especially now that I have the 5-Cup Coffee Maker. If Bonavita could improve the Coffee Pot and make it Vacuum Sealed Double Wall such as one from Zojirushi which is probably the best thermal insulated carafe or mug out there this coffee maker would get almost a perfect score. Another thing I will mention that I didn't realize until I received my 5-Cup Coffee Maker is that the Carafe Lid fits nicely in the Filter Basket, then on top of the Carafe which then will all fit on the platform under the shower head. No need to store these on top of the coffee maker or somewhere else when not in use. This is the way the Coffee Maker came packed in the box. Never realized that until getting this one and they will store the same for both the BV1900TS and BV1500. You need to put the carafe lid on before pouring coffee. It's that way by design, so you will put the lid on immediately after brewing to trap heat and flavor in the pot. That last cup you really have to almost invert to get the coffee out and then remove the lid to get the last little bit out of the pot. This is not a deal breaker for me either. Just another thing for people to complain about.All in all I would recommend the Bonavita Coffee Makers. They are SCA Certified and best bang for buck in brewing a cup of coffee to the right specifications. 6 people found this helpful
Rachel Santos
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee maker Small, easy and clean to use. Coffee brews hot like it should. Only downfall is you have to use the attachment to pour cleanly. The attachment works great but you have to take it off to brew and put it back on to pour.
Hugh S.Hugh S.
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars It leaks when I pour--just annoying Great taste, handsome design. And I probably won't return it. However...After making the coffee, you replace the drip cone with the screw-on carafe top. For the life of me, I can't get this top on in a way that it doesn't leak when I incline the pot to fill a cup.It probably has to do w/ the fact that, when the lid is on tight, the thumb tab on the lid that you press to pour doesn't line up with the handle. For whatever reason, the coffee seeps out from the connection between the lid and the pot.There's a white plastic seal at the base of the threads; I have it in there without a kink. So I think it's a design flaw.Bizarrely, I had one of these pots previously and it didn't have these issues.So, every morning, I pour the coffee while holding the pot it over the sink! 5 people found this helpful
ZedordaZedorda
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars First day experiences with updates. Starting out liking it a lot. With a cold pot serve temp is 180 -185F, with a hot pot 190-195F. With the #4 cone filter it allows for me to get more coffee in my brew. I like my coffee strong at about 38g coffee to 600ml water. My pot does not leak or drip right after pouring. In case you are wondering the 5 cup mark for the water is 750ml and each cup is 150ml.As soon as it arrived I unboxed, loaded a filter, and started brewing cold filtered tap water with a cold pot. After measuring the results poured out the water and added new cold filtered water. Then brewed 3 more cycles without grounds measuring the results with a hot starting pot and basically cleaning the unit also. Once done I brewed two 4 cup pots about 3 hours apart thoroughly enjoying them, all stats were consistent with the above numbers.A point to be aware of is the shower head will have some condensate water in it after a brew that ,at least in mine, did not drip out. I had to tip it forward and give it alittle shake to get it to drip out. This is likely not an issue for those with somewhat dry environments and use clean water but otherwise a good idea to get that out each time.Will update......a few days later 3/13/22The carafe is the only real problem with it's retention and the thermal ability is low quality in general. My Yeti travel mug is much better. The reason I picked a thermal carafe brewer was because I did not want a hot plate under the carafe. So I am switching to a glass carafe. I have a Hario style 700ml borosilicate glass server which works but not great. I have 2 more on order I will picture once I test them.Will update...10-07-22 Sorry I can't really help with the glass carafe since what I ended up using is not being sold anymore. But I have discoverd why some have rust issues. It is directly connected to over filling the water reservoir. As soon as you get about 4mm over the 5 cup MAX mark. Water will slowly leak into the center tube with the hot water line heading to the showerhead over the basket. Not into the hot line but around it leading right down to the heater coil. I noticed this the first time I decalcified the unit. Becuase I over filled it by just enough to see the drips going down the center tube. Mine leaked enough to puddle under it but if the over fill was not as much I could see the inside getting wet but not puddling. Then just rusting over time. Not a defect as long as you follow the directions. Other than finding this the experince with the unit has been great and I am happy with the purchase and suggest it to others.03-08-23 I found an ok glass carafe but it does not work with the original basket. I bought the Technivorm 13192 Manual Brew Basket. Which also uses the same filter but adds the manual flow control. It is now the best steep and release single cup brewer. My single cup starts with 400gm of water and 21gm-23gm of coffee. I also run it in the pre-infusion mode(blinking light).Since it is still working like a champ with no rust I can find and it lets me brew what I like. I have bumped it up to a full 5 stars. Compared to other 5 cup brewers.Carafe: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TCVXAU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1Mug: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TWBW5KG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 11 people found this helpful
Solomon
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Good coffee poured from a frustrating carafe Just for frame of reference, I'm neither a Folgers guy nor a $100/pound specialty coffee guy--I mostly buy whole bean coffee from grocery stores.This machine makes great coffee--easier, faster, and better-tasting than the pour-overs I make. I assume it's largely because it regulates water temperature throughout the coffee-making process better than I can. The manual says to use 10 grams of coffee grounds per "cup," which results in coffee that I personally like, but is probably stronger than most Americans like or are accustomed to.A couple of minor gripes:The markings on the water reservoir are too faint for my 80-year-old mother to be able to see. I put a sticker on it to help her out--no big deal.Also, I have the same frustrations with the carafe as some of the other reviewers. If you don't put the top on it, coffee will dribble down the side. When you do put it on, the coffee pours out in a weak stream, which I guess is for aerating/decanting the coffee or whatever, but I wish it would just pour out faster. The carafe also will not give you all of the coffee--about a sip's worth will remain inside. Let it go--this coffee tax is Jesus' share, and if you try to take what's His, the only way it's coming out is all over your brand new white shirt. Our God is a vengeful god. 14 people found this helpful
Good Reviews
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Adequate, typical coffeemaking performance and flavor, easy to use. Hardly a "thermal" carafe. As for flavor of brewed coffee, there was nothing outstanding or deficient noted when using freshly-ground coffee. Instructions provide detailed steps and several methods for measuring coffee, such as volume versus weight to adjust flavor. Temperature: Temperature of freshly-brewed coffee is only hot enough to be satisfactory, nothing more. Previous comments about the short time the carafe maintains the temperature of the coffee are accurate! Don't expect hot coffee an hour later. While the most significant heat loss comes from lacking a nicely sealed lid during brewing, even when first rinsing the pot with hot water, the coffee in the carafe loses temperature quickly after brewing, just not as quickly as a typical glass carafe.Handling: The lid of the carafe has to be removed in order to brew coffee with the filter basket resting on top. The gap between the top of the filter basket and brewer lid allows a lot of steam to escape during brewing, which may or may not affect overall brew quality. The spray nozzle array diameter seems to be better than many others, thus assisting in a wider dispersion of hot water over coffee grounds. Brew time was on par for a small coffeemaker.Luckily the filter basket holds standard 8-12 cup size coffee filters, so I was able to continue reusing my mesh filter. The filter basket has to be removed from the coffee maker and from the top of the pot in order to place the carafe lid on after brewing. The carafe lid has to be screwed on immediately after brewing to keep coffee warm. Pouring the coffee with the lid on requires depressing the lid lever, which is easy to do. Putting on and removing the lid took a few days to become accustomed to but once I realized it is exactly one full turn, then all I had to do was place the lid in the position it will be when closed and spin the top around clockwise once with the lever until if comes full stop. After brewing, to get the lid on quickly, a little care has to be exercised in removing the filter basket with coffee likely to drip from the hot grounds, set it down and then turn attention to screwing on the carafe lid. Although the unit requires the lid to be off during brewing, at least it is unlikely that overflowing will occur since the filter basket does not feature a a pause-and-serve valve on the bottom. Even without a pause-and-serve feature, the short brew time of a small coffeemaker like this one isn't very inconvenient, and much preferable to cleaning up big messes caused by the failure of pause-and-serve valves on other models. Due to the water reservoir being separated from the filter basket, there is no apparent chance of coffee grinds contaminating the reservoir if overflows happen. Cleaning the parts is easier and more effective when instructions are followed, since the carafe lid separates into sub-components. Cleaning the brewer lid (above the filter basket) and shower head is also easier when knowing how to separate the different sub-components. Separating some parts for cleaning required snapping the brew lid off and back on, and the first time was difficult. I'm concerned the connecting points will break if they don't become easier to separate in subsequent cleanings. The height of the unit is typical of small coffeemakers, so storing after use under a cupboard is easy. The width of the unit is wider than more stacked-style models due to the side-by-side design of the reservoir, but I like the concept because as mentioned above it reduces the chance of coffee grounds from the filter basket entering the reservoir. It was easy to follow instructions and turn on the pre-infusion feature. Don't repeat the process if you want it to always execute it, since it will stay in memory until the activation step is run again, so if you try to activate the feature again, it will turn off. (On/Off toggle function, same steps) This feature was one of the main reasons I selected this model. I hardly notice the time difference when running it versus running the brew cycle without the feature, so I'm leaving it on. I will have to measure the time difference between the two modes to see if the pre-infusion function is really doing something different. I've seen a complaint on here that claimed it did not.After two weeks of daily use, the only complaint I have is that the coffee loses heat rapidly in the carafe. For people who really want the longest heat retention, you'd have to instill nearly boiling-hot water to preheat the carafe for maybe 10-20 minutes before brewing coffee. Otherwise, just count on the microwave to warm up that 3rd cup. 3.5 true cups is about the capacity of this unit, since manufacturers are allowed to call 5-6 oz. a cup of coffee, even though 8 oz. is a true cup. All coffeemakers use this fudge factor in describing their products. 17 people found this helpful
Paul Rako
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars The best coffee I have ever had. I am not a coffee snob. I drink it with milk. I use Folgers decaf. I refuse to grind my own beans. I prefer to let billion-dollar multinational corporations do the grinding for me. I used to plop three heaping tablespoons of Folgers into a cut-open plastic jug and pour my reverse-osmosis filtered water over it. Then I put it my microwave for 14 minutes. I drained the coffee through a Brawny paper towel into a 30oz Balfor thermal mug I got on Amazon. OK, so a bit savage and feral, but I didn't want to be a total suburbanite with a coffee machine. The Bonavita BV1500TS brews in one-third the time. I bought one of those gold-tone permanent filters so no drinking paper residue. I was delighted to see Bonavita is thoughtful enough to put a 4-pack of filters in the box, so I didn't have to wait for the permanent filter to arrive. I was sure my low-temperature microwave method would be less bitter, but it was the exact opposite. The Bonavita made perfect coffee, and it was my goofy old method that made the coffee taste bad.There is a review on CNET, "Bonavita BV1500TS review: A high-end brand's step-down coffeemaker brews with bitter results," by Brian Bennett. He claims this model makes bitter coffee. He also says he loves the 8-cup model. He notes that he tested with a very touchy coffee known to be bitter. I almost bought the bigger unit based on this. I am so glad I didn't. The coffee I made today was the best-tasting, smoothest, most delicious coffee I have ever had anywhere. I disagree completely with Bennett's review. Maybe it is outdated. Maybe he got a bad unit. Maybe he did not run three carafes through the unit in preparation, as the directions tell you to. Maybe he got the coffee maker on a grumpy day. As an engineer, I can see that the water delivery system needs to cool the water down from boiling before it drips on the grounds. Maybe Bennett left the lid open or blocked the vents or tested in a hot or cold warehouse. All I know is he is dead wrong. His testing was not double-blind, so I don't put much credence in it.The unit came in a couple days, even with regular (not Prime) free shipping. It was delivered on Saturday despite saying it would be Monday. Yeah Amazon. The unit was well-packed, and had a decent little manual included. As noted, I loved they put in 4 filters, although the gold-tone filter came today too, but only after I made the first cup.OK, its fast, and fantastic coffee, and its small and compact. The bad is that while it brews in minutes, you have to wait for the water to drain past the coffee after it stops brewing. No different than any other machine, I suppose. There is a plastic lip inside the stainless steel carafe so it never drains completely. No problem, one factor in getting this one versus the 8-cup model is that there is a glass double-wall thermal carafe available for this model. Its 30 bucks, here on Amazon. I will suffer with the stainless carafe until I do a "treat yo'self" to the glass one. I did love how the top screws onto the carafe, with perfect registration and a lever to open carafe drain. It does have a very restricted flow out of the carafe. Come on Bonavita. This is a drug delivery system. We want it fast. I did not notice any leaking or dripping problems as some others have noted. After I made the three conditioning pots, for the actual first coffee I did not bother to screw on the top. I just poured directly into my 30oz Balfor thermal mug, then added the milk. The perfect temperature of the coffee made it taste even better. This was after adding milk however.No, this is not a shill review. I bought it with my own Social Security money here in the Florida retirement community. I am just so used to being disappointed with products, it was great to get one that exceeded my every expectation. Best yet, I save wear and tear on my old analog commercial microwave, a Sharp R-6300. Search Google for Sharp R-6300 and you can read an article I wrote years ago about that great unit. Next up is a tea-maker I also ordered from Amazon. I hope its as good as this product. Its another way to reduce the usage of my microwave, which I consider irreplaceable.I got so worked up writing this, it occurs to me there is no reason I can't make a second pot tonight, its decaf after all. Now I get to try the paperless filter, yippee.[Update, Oct 2021, four years later.] I still love this coffeemaker. I not only have used it every day, I have taken to brewing tea in it, so that means I use it more than twice a day on average. A family-sized tea bag makes 5 cups, four brews fills the gallon jugs I used to buy at the supermarket. Way cheaper, I can make decaf or caffeinated tea, and no artificial sugar or high prices. I love that it just takes one button press, no "features". I don't want to program a computer with every product I use, I just want to press a button and have it brew and turn off automatically. I don't want a heater under the carafe.I had to buy two more double-walled glass carafes. One I dropped. Good thing, since its pour spout was hand-firmed and way too tiny, it was nearly impossible to pour without dribbling coffee down the side. The second was not properly sealed so condensation formed inside. There is a little glass nipple on the bottom where they are supposed to seal it off, and that was not sealed. The handle is two small as well, but it kinda works. My review for that will be "Italian style, Italian quality." I came back here today since I am considering buying a second one, since I don't want to go a day without the machine, when the first one wears out. I did learn that some people credit the cone filter with better coffee. Oh, I gave up on the permanent filter, it left little grounds in the coffee. I just use a #4 cone filter from Publix. They are cheap and work great. 65 people found this helpful
Souljacker777
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Good quality coffee maker without unnecessary features. Very nicely made coffee machine. This coffee maker makes excellent quality coffee by presoaking the grounds and then brewing at ideal water temperature. Bonavita seems to really know what they are doing. I was between the 5 cup and 8 cup version. I'm glad I went with the 5 cup which makes enough for a full cup in the morning and a full travel mug to go. So perfect size for solo or two people on daily basis. Thanks to covid have not had groups of people to make coffee for. I'm sure the 8 cup version is more suitable for that situation. Same coffee that tasted average at best with old coffee maker now tastes amazing. It brings out flavor notes I did not know existed with previous coffee maker. Yum!Not only is it easy to clean. Its kind of a natural process for us less compulsive folk. Dump out old coffee from previous day and rinse out the metal pot and lid with hot water which will keep the coffee hotter longer in the pot. The filter holder was cleaned the day before. After making the pot of coffee you naturally remove the filter holder to screw on the lid. Dump the filter and grounds and rinse it for the next day. Initial setup of machine requires you to hold the button (yes, the only button) for about 5 seconds until it flashes then, until you unplug, it will always flash when turned on in this pre soaks mode. After completing the brew cycle it shuts off automatically which is really the only "feature" I want. My previous no frills coffee maker did not have an auto shutoff feature and, on multiple occasions, I boiled off the remaining liquid leaving burned on coffee at the bottom of the glass carafe which is such a pleasure to come home to at the end of the day. When the glass carafe finally broke, I decided to upgrade. This metal pot is much less fragile than glass.Worth the higher price for a better quality machine that makes a better cup of coffee. One person found this helpful
Benjamin
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great machine so far, love it! I waited one full month before writing this review because I wanted to be sure of what I had to say.First of, coffee and coffee makers are like literature and books: you like the books I don't like, and vice-versa. So, this should be enough to put any hard feelings aside. I am bewildered by the huge amount of non-sense that goes on in a lot of reviews online, and I just wanted to contribute with a simple, straight-forward review of mine.We have tried so far 5 different coffee beans so far. We like some better than others, but this is absolutely a matter of personal taste. The one thing we have noticed, though, it is the importance of the grinder in creating the perfect cup. Sometimes a great bean of coffee may be ruined because it is too coarse, or too fine. Play around with that until you find your niche. Also, we use Melitta #4 cone filters, which are the ones recommended by Bonavita (you will get a free sample). They are about 5 cents each, but worth because of its superior quality.In terms of the machine, we simply love it.One button operation is perfect. The cone system with the 'shower' on top seems to be really better than the old system we used to have with other machines/brands. The carafe has gained a lot of hate, and although I can't say there is no water at the bottom of it after washing it, I really can't understand the disproportionate level of hostility.This machine does not keep your coffee heated for hours like others do. But this is an advantage. Because the stainless steel carafe keeps your coffee warm naturally for about one hour, and because you should not drink coffee after one hour the coffee was brewed. Make more people!I bought the 5-Cup because there are only two coffee drinkers at home, and this is sufficient for our breakfast or afternoon coffee needs. Also, because I spoke to a customer service representative at Bonavita before I purchased, and I was told it is best when you brew coffee to the maximum of the machine capability. So for this machine, 4 or 5 cups is best. For the other one, 6-8 cups.I believed I read this someplace else, but it is true that this machine will make better coffee after a week of two of its first use. Do not return it right away. Be patient and try different coffee beans, different grinds, and after a couple of weeks, you'll get what you are looking for.And last but not least, yes, the customer service at Bonavita is REALLY good, because I submitted a question to them and they called me back within 4 hours to respond to my question, and I was not even a client yet. Now I am, and if I need an extra machine for my office, or for a gift, I will by Bonavita again.Amazon, as usual, has the best price in the whole United States of America. How do they do it? And this machine makes superb coffee for under hundred bucks. Your search is over, buy it! 14 people found this helpful
Kevin J. Waldron
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Happy with purchase and the Customer service is second to none! 06/26/2020 I am updating my old review to reflect the outstanding Customer service I have received from Bonavita. So my original 5 cup failed after about 2.5 years. I contacted them via their website and they sent me a new one. (just over two years ago) The replacement failed not sure why.. Could be the hard water. It does turn on but water does not flow. Now bear in mind this a unit they sent me after the original unit failed and was out of warranty. This replacement unit was also out of warranty, yet they are going to send me another one! If you have an issue with your unit go right to the website. It may take a few days for a response but they will get back to you.This is a review from 11/2015...I bought this because my Saeco coffee maker was a little past its prime. I would have gone for the 8 cup but generally I brew one cup at a time, So this was the right choice for me. So far so good.If you read the other reviews critical and positive you will read about the pros and cons but I do like it so far. I use two tablespoons of coffee per cup and brew one cup at a time. I might brew more that one cup at a time after reading some reviews here.I think for the price you cant go wrong. I have seen this coffee maker go for more on ebay and I would advise checking the price daily on Amazon as it does fluctuate. I also purchased the gold coffee filter. Free shipping via prime so I think its a pretty good deal.Some of the brewed coffee stays in the carafe after you have poured it into your cup, I probably would not have even noticed this unless another reviewer had not brought it up. That small amount may account for about one sip of coffee (if that) (read update) The other and this is not a complaint is that after brewing you must after removing the drip cone put the carafe lid on the carafe to pour the coffee out.I am happy with my purchase an even though it may not be the perfect coffee maker I'll give it 5 stars anyway. (downgraded to 4 stars)I knew a lot about it before my purchase as some of the reviews are very detailed.I would advise reading some reviews and make an informed purchase.Just a quick update about a month later. 12/20/15. So I've used this coffee maker for just over a month and every day. The coffee is good but I don't like the fact that one cannot get all the coffee out of the carafe after pouring out the last cup. After pouring out all the coffee look inside and you will notice a couple of tablespoons of coffee which is almost impossible to pour out of the carafe. Even after taking off the lid and shaking the carafe over the sink,there is almost always some liquid which remains in the carafe. This is a design flaw in my opinion and I think the company should recall the carafe and replace it with one that does not retain liquid, I am downgrading to 4 stars 4 people found this helpful
avocet
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars As good as the original quick and easy and, as with their 12 cup original model, hard to beat for good flavor when using this type of coffee brewer
SinaSina
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed! Avoid this ... There are much better options with similar prices! having seen the reviews i had really high hopes for this coffee maker. though it falls short in many fronts. first if you are expecting a high end nicely built coffee maker ... well it is not ... it is a cheap mass manufactured type with key issues as follows:1. Temperature control: This makes the biggest difference in coffee taste, the first images shows the temperature half way through the brewing cycle.. it consistently stays around 170 f - 175 f which is much lower than advertised. I even warmed up the pot by rinsing it with 200 f water prior to brewing. I got around that by using hot tap water ( @ 140 f ) which ended up giving me a consistent 200 f pour.2. Taste - fairly disappointed here, at best ( using pre heated water described above to get the right temp) it tastes like my cheap drip coffee maker. In description it says that this comes with "Optional pre-infusion mode " ... ummm no! it just starts and goes as a normal cheap coffee maker. maybe the high-end models have that option though not this one!3.a. Flask design (second and third picture) : You would expect the flask to be a high quality built which holds temperature for at least a couple of hours. NOPE! you would be wrong, the flask has a large lid which has zero insulation with a thin layer of plastic on it. Much of the head is lost from here as heat rises up... so after 1 hour the temperature drops to about 160 f from 200 f ... so do not expect the coffee to remain hot if you are not drinking it right away.3. b. Second issue with flask design is that it has a lip on the inside so you will always have a good amount of water or coffee stuck in there even if you turn it upside down with lid removed! not a big deal with this makes cleaning the pot a bit of a challenge.3.c. the list is very cheap and flimsy ... it is hard to put it on ( doesn't fall in threads easily ) and I fully expect it to break within the next 1-2 years as the two pieces of it move apart as i'm tightening the lid.3.d. because of the awkward design of the pour spout on the flask without the lid you can not pour coffee without spilling it ... even with the led on you have to hold a specific angle to avoid spilling coffee all over the place. 7 people found this helpful
Scott Brown
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Drip Coffee Maker I researched and reviewed at least 100 different coffee makers before purchasing this one. What others have said about the quality of this machine is true. I am not a fan of most drip coffee makers because they tend to break easily, are very expensive for the quality and often make rubbish coffee. I still prefer pour overs, coffee press and espresso but my wife wanted something easy to make coffee quickly while watching our kids without losing out horribly on taste.This unit functions much like the Technivorm machines, but I could not afford the prices for them unfortunately. Happily, though, it seems that I did not need to as this coffee maker does an amazing job. It has a pre-brew feature that allows you to set the machine to bloom the grounds with a decent spray of hot water before the main brew begins. This is a huge game changer as it allows the grounds to bloom and saturate, priming for a great extract. I have tried it with and without this feature turned on and the difference with it on is amazing.I also love the thermal carafe and it will keep your coffee hot for around 2 hours and warm for about another hour and a half. I came back 4 hours after brewing a pot a few weeks ago and it was still drinkable, although a little brackish by then. This is also a great feature because it does not sit on a hot plate and keep cooking the coffee. As a result, one can drink on a pot much, much longer. The carafe is very easy to rinse out and we only wash it fully about once a week since the stainless steal washes very easily with a bit of hot water. The only complaint I have with washing it is that the lip makes it very touch to fully empty the carafe and you have to turn it upside down and shake it to get most of the water out. There will still be a bit in the carafe after this step, though, because of the lip.One recommendation I would make is to grind the beans on a medium ground level and even though the instructions say to put 10g of grounds per cup measured on the machine, I would recommend going about 10g less as this seems to make the best tasting coffee; regardless of the roast or bean type (I've tried many). For example, if I make 5 cups, I use 40g of grounds. I would highly recommend using a decent kitchen scale for accuracy as it really does make a difference in the taste of the coffee. I measure the beans first, grind them and immediately put the grounds in the filter for great, fresh coffee. I also recommend fresh roasted coffee (either roasted by you or purchased as recently roasted) for the best cup of coffee, but that is another discussion entirely.If you want an amazing coffee maker at a very decent price for what you get, this is the one that myself and many others recommend. One person found this helpful
Josh
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Top Drip Coffee Maker I say top because it's the best drip coffee maker that I have owned to date. I haven't yet tried a Technivorm which has high respect amongst coffee drinkers. I give 3 stars for the cleaning due to residue setting on the bottom of the water reservoir that is really hard to get off. This is most likely a result from my hard water.
Shishir
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Makes great coffee - But I don't recommend this for this price First things first - this makes excellent pour over coffee. I've owned this for almost a year and I have few major gripes with this and I would not recommend you purchase this. This is a expensive coffee maker for what it does. It has one button - ON. Nothing else.The coffee, if you leave it for a little bit after you make it, will eventually get cold because there are gaps between the basket and the carafe. There is no heating element at the bottom to keep the coffee hot, it would have been a cheap and excellent addition to add a heating element at the bottom of this machine. The carafe is also extremely poorly designed - I work in product design engineering and I don't know how a coffee company would green light this carafe. You *have* to pour your coffee out at a certain angle if you have 2-3 cups of coffee in the carafe or it will spill out anywhere but your cup.Final thoughts: This is an excellent coffee maker - but at this price point I would've expected things to be a little more touched up and an extra convenient feature or two. I would spend my money on either a cheaper pourover or the machines with a hundred more features than this at a little higher price point. 3 people found this helpful
Amy Lou
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Best coffee I've had from an electric machine in a long time The coffeemaker and I are still feeling each other out. It's been on my wishlist for years but I've been using a stovetop Moka pot most of my adult life and was worried the translation between the two would leave me, a coffee snob, disappointed. I wanted a machine with a price point of under $100 and this is one of only two machines I believe that fit the bill and are SCA certified home brewers. The correct brewing temp and time plus the metal carafe v. glass and no burner plate to "keep coffee warm" aka scorch it all make it a great machine.For a single person the size is perfect for me. The cups are in 6oz measurements so I use 10g of medium-fine coffee grounds per "cup" of water in the machine. It's a pourover style in an automatic drip so I get the grind used for pourover. I warm the carafe with hot water for a minute or two before making the coffee. The flavor is beautiful and very similar to the Moka which is unfiltered and boiled.The only cons so far are during the first brew the water did not empty completely through the filter. I did not have this problem again since though. To pour the coffee without making a mess/wasting any, you really do need to put the top on and it's a screw top which I keep remembering the hard way when I go to pour and it pops off. It looks like a top you just press on but it really is a screw on top.I'm used to the Moka brew which is stronger and hotter. I prefer the "cooler" temp of Bonavita coffee because using a thermos or mug with steamed and frothed milk makes everything the perfect temp. With the Moka the water is boiling and coffee is too hot to drink for a long time unless I let it sit on the stove before pouring it which nobody has time for.Which brings me to my final point about why I love this purchase so far. I think it simplifies the end product while making quality coffee that fits into my routine better. I still use the Moka during the transition but I think I will end up being very happy with this addition. 5 people found this helpful
D.G.
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars A very long but thorough review. Four month owner. I bought this last fall after facing a conundrum with my beloved Bunn machine. The Bunn, while amazing, took up a lot of counter space, and frustratingly, did not have a pre-infusion feature for freshly roasted coffee. This led to some issues with brewing and partially dry coffee beds, resulting in thin, sour coffee. Additionally, I'm really the only coffee drinker in my house, and it didn't make sense to have a 10-cup brewer for just me.Enter the Bonavita. Brewing a full pot makes enough coffee for two standard size mugs or a large travel mug that I fill before going to work - perfect for my daily amount - and does the job in less than ten minutes.Bonavita's claims on optimal brewing temperature on this machine are *mostly* true. For *science*, I measured the water temp from the showerhead during a normal brew cycle using a simple meat thermometer with a long probe. It started the pre-infusion around 190F, stayed around 195-198 for most of the brew cycle, and got up to 202 toward the end. Your mileage may vary, and brew temps will be affected by how clean you keep your machine. (Read as: Descale regularly and use good water!) How effectively it gets and stays in that 195-205 degree range also seems to depend on it being plugged straight into the wall instead of a power strip or a multi-outlet. This tiny brewer requires a lot of power to work at its best, so I suggest having a dedicated wall outlet for it, preferably not on the same circuit as other power-hungry appliances.As for the coffee itself - it's great. I get slightly more nuanced/complex cups making a single pour over, but if you were to blind test me on the two, I'd probably get them mixed up. It goes without saying that the adage of "garbage in, garbage out" applies with this brewer - don't use bad coffee and expect it to knock your socks off. I've consistently gotten good results, though, following a 1:18 ratio and weighing my coffee and water.So why three stars?The carafe is every bit as awful as others say it is. Seriously.Aside from weighing as much as the brewer itself, the carafe is literally impossible to entirely empty, leaving about an ounce of liquid at the bottom. It's awkward to clean thanks to the screw-on lid design, isn't great at pouring cleanly, and having to remove the filter basket to put on the lid gets old quickly. If you're considering this machine, take my advice - ditch the included carafe and go with the glass version. It's baffling that Bonavita haven't thought to make the glass version the included default, and it feels like adding insult to injury that one has to pay for another carafe in order to get the best experience. That really is the ugly black eye of this machine.If you made it this far, I'll say that the machine's pros outweigh the horrific design and function of the thermal carafe - but if you purchase this, you may as well add the glass carafe to your cart. 3 people found this helpful
Bria Fleming
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly simple, great coffee. Just wish the carafe was higher quality. This little coffee pot brews excellent coffee. Flavor is perfect, and I love how simple it is. No digital display/hot plate/extra energy use, one button to brew, super easy to clean. My only complaint is the carafe. Coffee becomes lukewarm after about an hour to 90 min, which is a bummer on the weekend. For the price I would have expected better quality for this important part. 2 people found this helpful
Better DealsBetter Deals
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great little coffee maker I can see why the Bonavita devices carry a premium price. The coffee maker itself is very basic. There's a single button and no provisions for a timer. Hint: hold down the button for a few seconds until it flashes - this will active a brief pause where it adds a tiny bit of water at the start and then waits for a few seconds to let the grinds bloom before continuing the process. The carafe isn't very well insulated, so coffee goes cold after 20 minutes. Also, pouring from the carafe requires removing the basket and attaching the lid. Even though the carafe has a small indentation for a spout, without the lid it will make a terrible mess. (Ask me how I know.)But the one saving grace, and it's huge, is that it can make excellent coffee. Water inside the basket is nearly boiling and all of the grinds get equally wet. Even though there aren't any controls on the device, there are a number of adjustments that can fine tune the process. An article, "Dialing in with the Bonavita Coffee Maker" by Ryan Felbinger, was immensely helpful in figuring this out.Also, adding some automation is simple enough by using a Switchbot. This allows for timers and Alexa control if you get the hub. It's kind of cute watching the little finger pop out to press the button too. 3 people found this helpful
Janet Ebsen
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars K-cup converted I had used K-cup coffee for the last 15 years. Easy to use at work and convenient at home. Recently retired, I thought why am I still making K-cup when I have the time to brew a better cup? Saw this Bonavita reviewed on Test Kitchen and gave it a try. Wow. The biggest difference is the lack of bitterness and the return of true coffee aroma and taste. I burr-grind my whole beans in a Chefmate and store them in a CoffeeGator. I’ve gone from drinking coffee to savoring coffee. Best purchase in a long time! 4 people found this helpful
W. Ewell
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Coffee if You Don't Mind the Quirks This machine makes the best cup of coffee you will get from a drip grind. It is rugged and well-made, but has some strange quirks that are annoying. First the good news: It uses a full depth Melitta filter and cone, and heats only an ounce or so of water at a time, so it gives excellent penetration of the ground coffee. It will brew a full pot in less than five minutes. It shuts itself off after brewing. There is no hot plate under the carafe, so you can place the carafe directly onto a counter or table without damage. Some reviewers noted that it is mostly plastic, but it is not the brittle styrene found in cheaper machines. This unit is made of a much stronger and slightly flexible polymer - possibly nylon - that should stand up well. It is also wrapped in stainless steel for added strength and protection. The clear part appears to be glass, but may be a very hard plastic.Now here are the downsides: In order to get the full-depth filter into an under-counter unit, the cone extends into the carafe, so you have to remove the cone promptly after brewing and install the cover on the carafe to keep the coffee hot. You also need to have the cover on when you pour. If you try to pour without the cover, it will slop and dribble all over the counter no matter how careful you are. It pours slowly, which helps to aerate the coffee and make it taste better, but the slow pour could aggravate an impatient user. I also found that the paper filters tend to collapse when sliding the carafe into the machine with the filter cone, no matter how carefully I fold them, so I use a permanent gold filter that I had bought years ago for a Melitta brewer. One last annoyance: you cannot pour the last ounce or two out of the carafe; you can only replace it with water, then sponge it out - or just leave it in.If you pre-heat the stainless steel carafe, brew a full pot, and install the cover immediately after brewing, it will keep a full pot above 160 degrees for two hours or more. It the pot is not full, however, it will cool much faster. For me and my housemate, it works fine, as she likes to wait awhile after waking before having her coffee, while I want mine right away. As others have noted, it keeps the coffee above 160 degrees for at least an hour. All said, I am very pleased with this machine. Despite its annoying quirks, it makes wonderful coffee.
James
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee with some caveats Legend5 stars can’t leave without4 stars great3 stars okay2 stars meh1 don’t even botherSo I gave it a 4 because it brews one of the best cups of coffee and at the end of the day, that’s what you want. Pour over VS Drip , i prefer the flavor of the pour over.PROs:Easy to brew, easy clean, brews in under 7 min and it’s simple. Carafe keeps coffee hot. Good price.CONs: Lots of plastic, paperweight, once is done you have to discard the coffee grinds because the drip filters sits on the carafe, then might as well as clean the cone and such. One you wash the Carafe, there is still water inside of it as if the difficult to remove because maybe of the rough edges? I don’t know why water still inside of carafe. Also the 5 cups is for like 2 people. Buts that’s ok, drink less and keeps me honest.Comparison: I had an OXO Brain Barista that was same pour over style that stopped working. One person found this helpful
Mark S
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Makes Great Coffee and Mine Didn't Leak! I am writing this review because I have seen so many bad ones and want to chime in.First, this pot brews great coffee. I got tired of making a single pour over (or aeropress) every time I wanted a cup, and was looking at a technivorm but could not convince myself to pay for it. I also only did not want an 8-cup brewer because I would never drink that much before it got old or cold. The Bonavita heats the water to 195 degrees or so (based on my own measurements) and drips perfectly to not over or under extract any of the coffee. Is it as good as other methods? Not quite, but if I want a better cup, I can still make one by other methods.Second, the other big issue - the leaking carafe. I was worried because of the other reviews that I would end up with a mess as well. So far though, I have had no issues with leaking or trouble pouring. Sure, there is a small amount of coffee left in the pot when I am done, but its not enough to worry about. I am not sure if they made a change recently in the pot design that causes the leaking or if some are just defective. I did receive a coupon for coffee filters in the box with mine that had expired 8 months prior, so maybe mine was an older model without the problems that other people experienced.Third, the design. This is where I took off a star. As others have noted, there are 4 parts to the brewer. The base unit, the carafe, the filter holder and the carafe top. If the pot is in use, there is no place for the carafe top. Once you brew, you remove the filter holder and put the top on the carafe and there is nowhere to put the filter holder. When you are done and cleaned everything, you can place the filter holder back on the pot and slide the two into the base, but then the carafe top has to sit somewhere by itself. Not a huge deal since I generally just rinse the filter holder and immediately place it in the drying rack of my sink, but If you had a smaller counter top and a single basin sink, it could be a problem.Overall, a great little pot that makes great coffee. If you feel like rolling the dice on a leaky carafe, and get a lucky one then you will be happy.
Amazon Customer
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply great coffee As someone who is not familiar with the scientific nuance of coffee brewing (grinds their Starbucks beans using a subpar Mr. Coffee grinder) this makes great coffee. I thought only the darkest of roasts were appealing until I tried a proper unit like this one. I used to fill my old $20 coffee maker so full of grounds it would spew out the basket and still not be 'strong enough'. I was always thinking: "Why can't coffee taste as great as it smells." This Bonavita makes coffee like that and I find myself experiencing the subtleties of different varieties and roasts.I personally enjoy the one-button simplicity of this unit. Setting it up is a little bit more involved than a maker with a swing basket and auto drip valve but I find it's worth it. I've used it every day for the past 4 months and it's holding up well. Cleaning is a bit difficult due to the carafe's shape and the complexity of the lid, but they both seem pretty durable. It seems like there are some potential leaky points of failure on the carafe in general—specifically the gasket. That said, mine hasn't leaked from anywhere yet. Maybe it helps that I never throw anything with rubberized materials or gaskets into the dishwasher.Overall, It's a great introduction to what a proper coffee maker is and can produce—worth every penny. 3 people found this helpful
Caseyb7
Rated 3 out of 5
July 1, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Bonavita is on all the expert's lists for really good coffee makers - and priced accordingly I've had both Bonavita's on my Amazon wish list for months to watch the price action and learn the range. Ultimately I decided on the 5 cup vs. the 8 cup based on footprint size and that 5 cups would work most of the time for my needs.Bonavita is on all the expert's lists for really good coffee makers - and priced accordingly. The features they tout are that they consistently deliver the recommended brewing temperature @ 195-205 F, simplicity and an excellent designed flow head to best immerse the coffee with the hot water. YouTube is full of very well-done videos about the whys of best coffee makers, so worth a look if you are debating.This small cup Bonavita is most often listed @ $145 or so. Watching Amazon I eventually paid $95 - so that worked for me.I like SIMPLE and this is SIMPLE. Just open the lid to the water reservoir, add grounds and press the button. It is also fast.The thermal carafe works well keeping your 2nd cup warm. Thermal carafes are a big deal in the professional reviewers I read/watched because they don't scold the coffee like the hot plates and glass carafes.It comes with an auto off button unlike my Zojirushi which, even with practice, I forget to turn off - so I like that.Coffee - I'm not much of an expert, but I do like the taste but taste is so individual better to read other's reviews.Footprint is good on the 5 cup as I debated about the 8 cup but that is significantly taller and I have cupboards over my counter so the height and overall footprint were important to me - I'm happy with the relative economy of the 5 cup machine. The smaller size makes it easier to operate.There are some annoyances that YouTube reviewers will warn you about. The design flaw I don't understand is that you WILL have coffee left in the carafe. The design is such that it just will not empty which means it will stain up and leave the bitter residue in your carafe which everyone tries to avoid with coffee.Swapping out the carafe top from making to pouring is a pain - which is well-documented by all the serious reviewers. So if you want a swallow while the coffee is brewing - forget it - there is no "stop & pour" function like is standard on most other makers.However the most commonly cited negative on this maker goes away if you are careful on Amazon - price. This is a pricey unit, but I like mine a lot better at $95 than $145. So this is a variable you can control and will make you more tolerant of any other negatives you find on this machine.Good luck!----------------------------After a month I'm modifying my review & deducting a star on the rating. It doesn't come with a heating plate & a big selling point was the quality keep-warm carafe. Not so - it really doesn't do much, certainly not the 2 hours some of the product reviews & claims I read talked about.Also, the complicated routine of having to screw the top on to the carafe after brewing in order to pour a cup has gotten old quickly. If you just make a cup for yourself you must screw the pour top on to pour, then immediately screw it off to wash. Really not fun.So, I'm now a reluctant 3 star reviewer. 44 people found this helpful
Paul H
Rated 5 out of 5
July 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars My long search for a quality auto-brewer has finally come to an end. UPDATE 10/31/17 - After a year of use, this machine has died. Takes about 10 minute to go through a complete cycle, and only half the water is in the final product (the rest turns to steam). I strongly suspect my hard water is to blame for burning out the heating element, so take this as a warning, DON'T FORGET TO DE-SCALE YOUR COFFEE BREWER.For 5 years I've been making pour-overs on V60 and Chemex every single morning for myself and my wife. Specialty coffee, always single-origin, always under a month old. Can the Bonavita do as well as a pourover? No. Does it do good enough? Sometimes. Note: This review primarily is for coffee nerds (you know who you are) but includes tips for people who don't know what a V60 is.First: Ratios. The golden pourover ratio (25g coffee, 400g water) will result in bitter coffee. Water that ratio down a bit, 30g/500g is ideal, I've found, but if you want to do 600g of water, bump up to 35g. I have not found a suitable ratio for the coffee brewer's maximum capacity of 800g.Second: Grind. Go for a coarser grind than your roaster recommends. Just one step coarser. If you typically do a #12, do a #13 or #14. The design of basket seems to allow the grounds to soak a little longer in water than a typical pour-over, so you don't want to over extract by slowing the water drain. A coarser-than-normal grind is necessary to accommodate.Third: Filters. Don't use "natural" brown filters. You might expect that a natural paper filter would allow more of the coffee flavor through, but the opposite is true, it will just screw with the chemistry of your brew and result in bitter coffee. The Melita white bleached #4 filters are fine, you can find them at every grocery store. I prefer Hario V60 #2 filters, because I already have piles of them for doing pour-overs, and I just fold the bottom to fit inside the filter basket.Last: Beans. Not all bean varieties are going to excel, you're very limited in extraction control (read: you have no control), so you'll be better off with a bean that has a smoother profile. Stay away from medium and dark roasts, stay away from bright, acidic profiles, and you're pretty safe. The Moonbat blend by Halfwit coffee is perfect. Natural and Honey process coffees also do well, thanks to the longer extraction time.With some adjustment and patience, this is a really good small batch brewer. The carafe keeps coffee super hot for a long time. The pre-infusion mode is great for giving the coffee a chance to bloom. And it goes fast. I don't know how it does it, but somehow the water gets up to temperature in under 30 seconds, with a total brew time of push-the-button to done in under 5 minutes. I would not recommend this brewer to people who don't already know what they're doing, but it's one of the few auto-brewers I would recommend at all, and the price is a steal. And if you can drink more than 800g of coffee in a day, try this guy's big brother, the BV1800. 22 people found this helpful
LittleRed
Rated 4 out of 5
July 1, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Great flavor I had a large Cuisinart coffee maker that I've used for years. But, as we've downsized (kids off to college & on their own), I needed a smaller pot because I found that the coffee tasted burnt when I was having my last cup (only have 2 cups). I did a ridiculous amount of research on Amazon, Consumer Reports and family and friends! I was very specific about what I wanted. First I needed something much smaller -- less than 6 cups (needed to figure out what was a mug vs a cup!). I wanted to try the a thermos pot since it was less likely to taste burnt if the coffee sat in it for a longer period of time. I didn't care about scheduling brewing ahead of time, but wanted a pause to pour a cup. In the end, I had to compromise -- no pause setting was available in a smaller carafe size. Saw reviews of this model and talked with a friend that had a larger (9 cup) version. She didn't have any of the issues others seem to have. Took a leap of faith and order the 5 cup version. I've had to change my coffee making habits! But, frankly the end result has been quite good. So ... clearly I'm providing too much here, but I would suggest that you fill the maker with water, then add some hot water to the carafe and replace the top and allow carafe to get warm (while that's happening, take your dog out for a quick romp around the backyard!), then come in and pour out the hot water from the carafe and brew the coffee. It stays hot, until the final cup!! 2 people found this helpful