Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I spent a lot of time online looking for a 4 to 5 cup coffeemaker to suit my needs. There are the usual suspects: Mr. Coffee, Braun, etc, that seem to get universally bad to mediocre reviews from people, especially people who know anything about coffee. I decided to skip all of those and look for something that would make a really good cup of coffee. My choices became limited to two coffeemakers: one made by a company called Bodum (which looks like some kind of laboratory beaker) and the Zojirushi Zutto. The Bodum model supposedly performed well and made excellent coffee under ideal conditions, but many people who reviewed it said that it was prone to mishaps such as overboiling. So I went with the Zojirushi. I was not disappointed. The Zutto is extremely well-designed and functional. The coffee filter is in the lid of the pot (not attached to the maker, like most autodrip models), and there is a removable charcoal water filter to remove chlorine, etc. It's very easy to clean, attractive and perfect for a small space. After running water through it a few times to remove the burned-plastic taste you would get from any new coffeemaker, I brewed up a pot of Green Mountain. The coffee was excellent, the best I've ever had from an automatic drip maker. After the pot was left on the burner for 10 minutes, the coffee still tasted good, with only a very slight hint of a burned taste. I'm assuming this means that the heating element is set to the correct temperature for keeping the coffee warm. There were no problems with pouring; you just have to place your thumb over part of the lid when you pour. The Zojirushi Zutto is a well thought-out and sturdy product, far better than anything comparable from any American company.