Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is definitely a "tweener" product - the kind of product that exists in most product categories somewhere between the elite products made for true (and affluent) connoisseurs, and budget versions aimed at people who are just not as interested, picky, or well-funded. On several parameters that matter when making coffee, it's significantly better than, say, a $30 coffee maker from Target, but it is not as good as a $300 coffee maker. It is exactly what it is supposed to be: a decent step up from the cheapo units, but not quite "high end". I am giving it 5 stars for being a really solid performer for its price. However, I do believe it is a 4 star coffee maker when price is not an object; but it is unfair to rate it on that basis. So, let's talk about the two things that are of prominent importance in deciding how good a coffee maker is: brew temperature, and the temperature of the coffee while sitting on the warmer. Brew temperature: Coffee, according to all people who really study this stuff or work in the coffee business, should be brewed between 195 and 205 degrees. Not many coffee makers - even ones much more expensive than the Savoy - achieve that. Super cheap coffee makers can be way lower, like 160 degrees. I tested this one at 188. 188 is acceptable; you'd need a discerning palate to tell the difference between 188 and 195. That said, the problem with lower temperature brews is that they fail to extract all the flavor and essence of the beans, and yeah, I guess there is a slight, slight sense I get that this machine does not pull out 100 % of the available flavor. Temperature of the coffee warmer (the plate at the bottom): In other words, what temperature is the coffee after it's been sitting on the warmer for an hour? Ideally, it would be super hot. Basically, anything over 165 degrees will be perceived as HOT. If you're like me, anything under 150 will be unsatisfying and below 145 or 140 will seem lukewarm and be sent right to the microwave. Sitting on the warmer, the coffee in this unit stays right around 180 degrees, which is very hot. And it will hold that temperature until it shuts off after two hours. So those are two things that are really important in a coffee maker. I give it a B on brewing temperature and an A on keeping the coffee hot. That makes it a tweener product in my opinion: much better than budget models, but not truly high end. Some other features and observations: - The auto shut off is 2 hours, which is the perfect amount of time. That said, for best flavor, it's best to get it out of the pot and into a decanter, rather than letting it sit on a hot plate and burn off over the next 2 hours. - The reservoir is large and it's almost impossible to splash water all over the place when loading it. - The filter area is huge and the #4 filters slide right in, with less fuss or mess than other coffee makers I've had. In addition, the gold strainer can be used in place of a paper coffee filter, which creates a bit more mess but results in a better tasting cup of coffee. I waver on using it - depends on how patient I feel that day. There is no doubt the coffee tastes better if you don't use paper filters, and having the built in metal filter is a nice feature. Note that if you don't use a paper filter, you'll end up with a little sludge in the bottom of your coffee cup - but I actually like seeing, smelling, and occasionally consuming the sludge. - The reservoir level indicator on the water tank is easy to view and makes it possible to see how things are proceeding from any angle - The clock is backlit - It uses # 4 cone filters,which I think produce a better cup of coffee than flat (basket) filters - it concentrates most of the grinds in a smaller area, which brings out the flavor better. It also requires less coffee grounds relative to basket filters, which is cheaper in the long run. - very simple, uncluttered control panel which really suits my tastes. None of the stupid programmable crap that no one uses anyway. - Good spout on the carafe - very little to no spillage when pouring coffee into a cup. Quite unusual in that respect. In sum, I would say this is an outstanding coffee machine FOR THE PRICE. If it brewed at 200 degrees it would be an outstanding machine at any price, but my understanding is that that requires more expensive internal guts that cannot be accommodated in a machine at this cost. Aside from that one detail, this unit gets a lot of things right. It's most definitely a worthy upgrade from machines that are only $10 to $20 less and lack many of its features and advantages.