Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This would have been a 5 star review had the machine been better at regulating the strength of the coffee and had a larger pot. I may be the reluctant "Queen" of grind and brew machines. I have had quite a few in search of everything I want: ease of use, control of strength, little or no maintenance, easy clean, large pot, and a heater plate. I have tried Cuisinart (several makes - about 3 different ones), Kenmore, Breville, Capresso, and Gourmia. In my quest for a decent grind and brew, I found many were quite flawed because they broke or jammed easily, they were hard to clean and required in depth cleaning often, or were cheaply made with inferior plastic parts. So when my most recent machine (a high end Breville) started to to go after just 9 mos of ownership, I was exasperated. I was tired of searching for what didn't seem to exist, and for paying big $ for poorly engineered machines. Yet I did not want to give up the grind and brew type because it makes the best coffee I believe. So I came across this Krups. I decided to chance it as I had not tried Krups yet. When I received the machine, I quickly realized it is essentially a Capresso. However, it so far is not as persnickety as a Capresso and is much easier to clean and maintain. The coffee is great and the machine is easy to use. It keeps the pot hot for several hours - an important feature for me because the thermal higher end pots do not do this to my satisfaction. Plus they pour lousy. It is kinda loud while grinding, and it is a bit slow in making the coffee, but those are minor flaws I can easily live with. The biggest knock I have against the machine is how much beans it uses and how it does a poor job of regulating the strength of the coffee. On any setting or grind level the coffee comes out the same - strong. I like it that way, so I can deal, but I would prefer to have it work the way it is supposed to so I have control of flavor. I have had it for 1 week at this writing, so we shall see. I am glad I bought it so far. I hope it lasts a long time, and maybe when it dies there will be an improved version. For now it is the best I have found.