Mini Drip

The Capresso 5 cup minidrip (model 426) is the perfect size for me and works flawlessly so far (it arrived two days ago, 7 Dec 2018). The molded text on the bottom of the maker says "model 426" and has the number 4245 as well (without a label). A detail where the physical device and its manual disagree is: the manual says that the removable filter holder snaps into the maker. It doesn't. Instead, it has loop handles on top and closing the lid forces the basket down. That presses the spring-mounted plunger (which is mounted through the bottom of the filter holder) against the top of the carafe. When the spring is collapsed by the carafe, the plunger is raised so water can flow out the bottom of the filter holder. (The plunger seals the hole at the bottom of the filter holder when the carafe is absent.) The manual calls that plunger the "drip stop". You can interrupt brewing by pressing the on/off button twice, then restart it by pressing the button once. Independently of that, you can remove the carafe during brewing for a few seconds to pour a cup of coffee. (The manual says you get 30 seconds. I’m guessing that’s based on the water flow rate and the risk of overflowing the filter.) The spring-mounted plunger seals the filter holder once the carafe isn’t there to push it up. The carafe has to be tilted slightly to get under the spring easily when putting the carafe back on the hot plate. The gold mesh filter that comes with it has a solid plastic bottom and some water pools there without draining into the carafe. Most water goes out the sides of the filter as designed, but even without coffee grounds in the basket, water pools on the flat bottom of the filter basket. A filter that has gold mesh on the bottom would be a better design, I think, to ensure as much water as possible gets through the grounds into the carafe. I’ll be switching to paper filters to get more water through (tho’ the paper will absorb some), and for increased ease of handling, especially since the gold filter seems a little fragile. The manual says to use medium coarse ground coffee in the gold mesh filter. It seems to be ok with Folgers 100% Colombian with only a tiny bit of sediment allowed through. A smaller mesh hole size would allow finer grounds to be used. But maybe that would impede the flow-through rate, so maybe the filter would overflow, given the machine’s water flow rate? The manual says to not exceed 8 tablespoons of coffee grounds in the filter. The level in the water reservoir is indicated by a white stair-step piece of plastic. The overflow hole is slightly above the height of the "5" step. To fill the reservoir to its maximum you have to add a little more water while watching the overflow hole. I'd prefer the overflow hole be on one of the sides, rather than the back of the unit. This really only affects you if you use a separate pitcher to fill the reservoir. The carafe has water levels marked, so you can fill the carafe and pour the measured water into the reservoir. So I’ll probably learn to fill it with the carafe. My instant read thermometer says the water is 175 degrees F immediately after brewing. After an hour on the hot plate, it’s 172 degrees. The lid latch is stiff, so it can be hard to open; it lifts the entire unit! However, it’s plastic and slightly flexible. I’ve found that twisting the small handle slightly serves to disengage the latch more easily than just trying to lift the top straight up. Opening it that way is even easier after brewing since the plastic has been warmed by the steam (so is more flexible). By twisting, I mean as tho’ turning a knob on a horizontal axis. The carafe is marked with input (water) amounts and output (coffee) amounts for 2 through 5 “cups”, with the difference between input and output reflecting mostly (I assume) the water retained by the grounds. The carafe holds 27 ounces when filled to the input level for 5 cups, and about 1 ounce less for output. So it’s close to the industry’s standard, which is 5 ounce cups.

Good size for one person, carafe pours great, and it's simple to operate. My biggest problem is that there seems to be no way to avoid one or two drops of coffee from dripping onto the hotplate when I remove the carafe. Then I have to clean it off with a rag to make sure it doesn't get baked on. Not sure I'll be keeping this. UPDATE: I have found that if I wait a minute after the coffee finishes brewing before I pull the carafe out, there is no drip issue. So I've changed it to 5 stars because it really is a convenient, easy-to-use machine that makes very good coffee.

I’ve been using this for about an year now, so far it has held up fine. I chose to buy this one because: 1. I had been using an AdirChef single cup coffee-maker but wanted to make more coffee in one go (for morning and for taking to work). The 5-cup size of this coffeemaker was perfect for my needs. Note about the size: The “cup” of 5-cup is a European measure, and it’s also the standard for coffee-makers in the US. If you are going from 1-cup drip coffee-makers to this (like I did), don’t expect it to make 5 times the amount of coffee from your one-cup coffeemakers. Here, 1 cup = 5 oz. As I drink from a standard 12 oz mug, for me it makes enough for 2-servings of coffee. 2. Capresso is a relatively known/specialized brand for coffee equipments. I don’t think they’re the best-ranked or anything, but it’s just that personally, I feel more comfortable buying a coffee-maker from a company whose main business is coffee-related items, and not a variety of stuff from toothbrushes to exercise machines. 3. It has a hot plate and an auto-shutoff. The coffee stays hot for two hours, and after two hours the machine shuts off automatically. I keep the coffee machine plugged to the wall and so far it has been completely safe. I haven't measured the temperature of the coffee, but freshly brewed it's very hot (at least, hot enough for my taste). On the hot plate, it's a little less hot (not steaming), but still good enough to take out and drink comfortably any time within the 2-hr mark. Other details: Coffee-filter: It comes with a reusable gold-tone filter, but I don’t like cleaning it up everyday, so I use paper-filters (basket type, 4-6 cups). My taste-buds aren’t refined enough to sense a taste-difference between this and the 1-cup coffee maker I had, and anyway it isn’t a fair comparison because the sizes are different. The other coffee-maker I have is a moka-pot which makes much stronger coffee, again no way to compare tastes. The carafe: It’s glass, therefore easy to clean. I don’t have a dishwasher so I don’t know if it’s dishwasher-safe. But it’s easy enough to clean by hand. Except, the glass is very light so it feels flimsy and fragile in your hand. I don’t know how shock-resistant the glass is, and I have no intention of testing it. Other than that, I like the design of the carafe. It has volume markers, for both water and coffee. So you can use the carafe to fill your desired measure of water, knowing how much coffee it will produce (some water will be retained by the ground so the coffee will always be little less than the water). The lip of the carafe is well-designed and feels nice to pour from (doesn’t spill). The stepwise cup markings inside the water-reservoir: These are very helpful for me because I can pour water directly from the water-filter and know the measurements. In my previous coffeemaker, I used to fill the carafe/mug with filtered water and then pour it to the coffee-maker’s water reservoir, or just fill it to some random measure (which is very bad for making coffee). Having a measuring system inbuilt to the reservoir helps to bypass that step. I specifically like that it’s inside the reservoir and not to the side like many other coffee-makers, because I have very little space in my apartment so I don’t have to free the side of the coffee-maker to be able to see the markings. The 24-hour programmable timer: I like to grind my coffee just before brewing, so I haven’t tested this feature. Overall, I like this coffee maker. The one negative is that there is always some drops of coffee falling to the hot plate as you remove the carafe. It badly affects the smoothness of the ‘pause’ function. At first I was worried about the coffee droplets on the hot plate, but as I said in the beginning, so far it hasn’t caused any problem.

The good thing about this is the small size. I am now the only coffee drinker in my home, and had a 14 cup coffee pot. This small size takes up much less space. The coffee is good. I like a French roast which is stronger. The step design where you add the water is helpful. I use 4.5 cups of water to make two mugs of coffee and 2-3 very full spoons of coffee. The heat plate keeps it warm. It would be better if the clock would light up. I haven’t tried programming it to self start. The plastic pot cover can be annoying as it snaps into the pot top and flips up attached. I cut down the #4 filters, wet it prior to adding the coffee. Overall good for the price. One Year later additional information: The non stick base where the pot sits and the heating plate is has worn off. There are always some coffee drips which I wipe off. The non stick surface is rubbing off on the sponge I use. I do not know if this will eventually affect the glass pot or not. Another thing I dislike is when you turn the pot off or push the off button, you have to do it twice or it will end up with delayed function and button on left side lights up.

I bought this Capresso coffee maker after I had previously purchased the "Gevi 4-Cup Coffee Maker with Auto-Shut Off". The Gevi was nothing but trouble. The Gevi's carafe wasn't tall enough to fully engage the coffee filter stopper, so the coffee wouldn't come out fast enough. The coffee would overflow the basket. The Gevi's carafe lip cracked after a few uses. Gevi's customer service sounded like they were working from their couch while they watched TV, and they wanted me to film a video of all of the problems with their product in order to get it fixed. This Capresso unit has been problem free so far, and feels better made as well. I have previous experience with a Capresso coffee bean grinder, and it has been excellent as well. Capresso customer service was excellent when I needed them a few years ago. EDIT: Changed my rating from 5 star to 1 star. Today, after just over 1 month of light use, the coffee maker will not brew. Very disappointing, as I sort of liked this machine. I am going to try and call Capresso Customer Service, and I will update my review depending on their response. EDIT 2: I called Capresso on a Tuesday morning, I was on hold for about 20 minutes and then the system told me to leave a message and hung up. The next day I tried again a little later in the day and after about 10 minutes I got an agent. They told me I could send the unit back to them, and they would fix or replace it, but I had to pay for shipping. I am sure shipping would be rather expensive for a person like me without a corporate account, and I would be without a coffee maker until they figured it out, and wait for shipping 2 ways. Not very good customer service, as I only had the unit about 6 weeks. I decided to start an Amazon return, since it was within the extended holiday return period. Amazon will send me a new one, and I need to drop off this broken unit to a Staples store to insure I don’t get charged. Review was initially 5 stars, dropped it to 1 star when it stopped working. It stays at 1 star unless the replacement unit lasts a few years…

15 years ago I needed a small five cup coffee pot. I bought a Sears Kenmore 5 cup pot and I have really loved it. The only problem I had with it was the pot would dribble when it poured and the spring loaded stopper on the main basket dripped occasionally on to the heater pad when the pot was removed, eventually causing rust. In January I noticed a leak and found the pot cracked around the bottom metal ring, so I was looking for another coffee pot without much success (everything is flimsy and cheap). Then I found this Capresso on Amazon and it appeared almost identical to the Kenmore pot so I ordered it and (eureka!) it was almost identical. It looks great and brews a great cup of coffee. The heater pad and brewing heater seem stronger and, what do you know!, they fixed the pot so it doesn't dribble, pours without a drop of dribble and the spring loaded stopper on the main basket doesn't drip. (stronger spring I think). The filter cup is large and you can make three full pots on the same strainer before emptying or, as I do, with a standard filter paper inserted inside the strainer (you could probably make even more if you remove the strainer and put the filter paper directly in the basket, I just like the double filtering). The heater pad appears to have a nice anti-rust coating. This pot has the same clock and programming as the old one although I never use it. If there's a power Interruption you have to reset it. The water measuring indicator is the same "stepped" indicator as the old pot except that it is almost iridescent white, easy to read and accurate. Also I like that the brewing arm swings down with the lid instead of swinging sideways as some do. The only negative thing I have to say about the pot is that sometimes the lid pops just a hair when you put the pot under the basket, no biggie just tap it back down (or if you want to be crafty trim the ears on the main basket or bend them to a little less height). I guess that's about it. This is a very nice coffee pot worth the extra money, good value. I don't know but I expect it will last another 10 or 15 years

After my last Mr. Coffee coffeemaker died, I figured it was time to look elsewhere. After reading a number of reviews across a number of websites (not just Amazon), I settled on the Capresso 5 cup Mini Drip Coffee Maker, and I'm glad to say I'm please with my purchase (of about a month ago). This coffee maker does exactly what it says it does. It brews a hot cup of coffee quickly and efficiently, with little effort on the part of the user. Open the lip, place the ground up coffee beans in the basket, add the appropriate amount of water, close the lid, and press start. Within a few minutes you're rewarded with a nice cup of hot coffee. Pretty darned simple. Can I say I can taste a difference from my old Mr. Coffee? Nope. Now, change the coffee that goes into the basket and I might just tell a difference. A few reviewers noted a "plastic smell"; after removing the coffee maker from its box, I ran 2 full pots of water thru the machine first to negate any unwanted manufacturing particles or smells, not that I noticed any. This was not an issue for me. Is the coffee hot? Yes, and oh so ready to be consumed. I can't tell you the temperature as there are other things I'd rather do first thing with my coffee rather than drop a thermometer into my freshly brewed coffee. The coffee is delivered nice and hot, but not hot enough to scold you should you be a klutz and spill it into our lap. Is it noisy? No more so than any other coffee maker I've used. One person complained that the clock is on top of the base, thus hard to see, and is unlit. Well, yes, that's true, but it's all a part of the timer, should you care to use that feature. Chances are there is another clock within reach of the coffeemaker (maybe the stove, the microwave, an alarm clock, a wrist watch, or a wall clock) - for me (and maybe not you), this is a non-issue. This is a basic drip coffee pot. It performs its sole task very well and the unit costs relatively little. I'm very happy with this coffeemaker and I trust you will be too, should you care to push that ADD TO CART button above. Go ahead, do it.

For its price, this coffee maker works great so far. I’ve used it for two weeks. I’ve found if you follow the directions and prepare to brew in the same order as the directions, it’s perfect! I don’t use timer so can’t comment on it. The carafe has a removable lid and it’s easy to clean. I fill carafe with cold water to the cup level I’m making. The carafe is clearly marked. And then pour water into machine. Put the basket into holder and make sure it’s seated correctly. Measure coffee (I grind fresh roasted whole beans to the size that’s suitable for drip). Put the lid on the pot, place it on the burner, put lid down and snap it into place. Turn on machine. Takes about 5 mins for 3 cups - including about 30 secs for coffee to completely clear the machine into the pot. I immediately turn it off - the 3 cups fills my thermos - and take the grounds basket out. I clean the basket, clean the pot and leave the top of machine open for several hours to let inside dry out. I use a paper towel to wipe out condensation and clean the heating plate. I do this for every use and expect it will enable the machine to last longer. Plus your coffee will taste better if you start with it clean. It takes up very little space on counter, is easy to move around and is perfect size for a one coffee drinker household. So far I really love it. Oh, and it makes great and piping hot coffee!

I just needed a reliable drip machine for myself. I chose this one because of the reusable basket, but everything else works fantastic. The basket is easy to clean, the machine is easily programmable and easy to operate, the coffee is exactly how I want it and I love that the reservoir has clearly marked levels - the pot also has clear markings WITH additional markings to compensate for water lost during brewing. If you need a little coffee maker that's easy to use and reliable, I do recommend this one.

Todo me agradó. Es muy cómoda y tal como se describe se recibió.

Small , convenient and is perfect for he two of us, also easy to clean, we are enjoying this unit very much !!

Muy buena cafetera, lo recomiendo ampliamente, ya que la requiero para pocas tazas.

I use this machine every day, scheduling it to make coffee in the morning before I go to bed. The coffee it makes is great, and just enough for 2 people. It always works, except when it doesn't (4 stars). I've had several mornings where half of the coffee was on the counter around the pot, and not in the pot. I still don't know why, but I've found that leaving something heavy (a big novelty mug) on top of the lid after closing it seems to have solved the problem.