Customer Ratings & Reviews

This coffee maker is easy to use and makes great tasting coffee. I have recently become a coffee aficionado (aka snob lol) and am making coffee with French presses and moka pots. For the sake of saving time in the mornings, I prep this coffee maker the night before and it makes a strong flavored cup of coffee. Not quite as flavorful or rich as the traditional devices but gets fairly close. Far better than the Cuisinart I used to use. The last great feature is it stays warm for 4 hours. This is good for my wife who wakes up later. The quality of the coffee is comparable to when it is first brewed. 5/5 stars!

Holy cow! This coffee maker is amazing. This baby produces one smooooooth, hot cup of coffee with no bitterness. I only wish it was a 12 cup, not 10.

Excellent features for the price I bought it on sale. The feature of stronger coffee is very good it has actually saved me money by using one less scoops of coffee. This is my first coffee maker with cone-shaped filter and I think it would have advantages over the other type. Overall I'm very happy with the taste my coffee maker makes.

People often look for different things in a coffee maker. From build materials to aesthetics; from brew settings to more complicated features like milk frothers and more. This Calphalon Special Brew keeps things simple: brew a good pot of coffee, and look good while doing it. UNBOXING: In the box, you’ll find the coffee maker, the 10-cup carafe, and a few #4 cone style coffee filters. The unboxing experience was easy and hassle-free, allowing me to get right to the setup and brewing. FIRST-TIME CLEAN: The instruction manual recommends cleaning out the removable filter basket and the carafe before brewing. I then proceeded to fill the carafe to the 10-cup mark with cold water, then filled the reservoir and placed the empty carafe on the warming plate. I pressed the button to start brewing, and after a couple minutes, it finished. Afterwards, I dumped the hot water in the carafe and my first-time clean was as fast as my unboxing experience. RATIOS: According to the manual, 1 cup is 5 fl oz. So this 10 cup carafe delivers a maximum of 50 fl oz of coffee. While you may have different preferences, here are the suggested ratios: Water | Ground Coffee 10 cups 17 Tbsp* 8 cups 13 Tbsp 6 cups 10 Tbsp 4 cups 6.5 Tbsp *May cause overflow if using fine coffee or decaf coffee BASIC USAGE: Using the coffee maker is easy. Make sure your carafe and basket are clean, then fill the carafe with the amount of water you want to brew, then pour that into the empty reservoir. Place your carafe on the warming plate, set the filter into the basket, pour in your grinds, then brew. The coffee maker will brew until all the water in the reservoir is depleted. So be sure to brew only the amount you want! RESULTS: After brewing was completed, I measured a temperature at the middle mark of 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit. It took about 6 minutes to brew (8) cups, or 40 fl oz. One reason for this lower temperature is because I used colder water, and also filling the carafe with colder water caused the carafe to be cooler. That being said, after some time elapsed, I re-measured a temperature of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. So using room-temperature water or pre-heating your carafe just before brewing will yield hotter temps right after brewing. Alternatively, you can wait for the coffee to reach your prime drinking temperature. That being said, 10 cups will take longer to heat compared to 4 cups. In my opinion, I think this coffee maker does put out good coffee. In comparison to my previous single-serve coffee bar, I’d say this coffee maker created more aromatics and delivered a more robust, full-body flavor that I enjoy. Waking up to the smell of coffee is always nice, and I actually got positive comments regarding the aroma. While that’s a testament to my choice of coffee, it’s also a testament to the coffee maker doing an excellent job. ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Once it is brewing, you can press the “Hour” button on the clock to show the amount of time elapsed since the machine started brewing. That way, you can decide for yourself if you want to continue drinking a pot that was brewed 2 hours ago or make a new pot. Bear in mind, that this does have a warming plate that will keep the coffee warm for 4 hours. After which, it will turn off. You may also turn it off whenever you like by pressing the Off” button. Additionally, there’s the ability to do a “Strong” brew, which I personally won’t use, as it will keep the water in contact with the coffee grinds for longer, creating a stronger flavor, but could become overwhelming or even burnt. My favorite feature is the delayed brew. Set the time you want your brew to start, fill the reservoir with water and your filter with grinds, and press the “Brew Later” button. When that time rolls around, it will start brewing. EASE OF USE: One thing that I liked was the filter basket having a rotating handle so it can lay flat when brewing, but can easily be swung up after brewing so you can remove the basket and empty the contents without risking any burns to your hands. Another thoughtful feature was that this swinging handle is removable so that you can fit a reusable filter that may already have a swinging handle. I bought the #4 GoldTone reusable coffee filter, and after removing the handle from the filter basket, I was able to fit my GoldTone filter. Even after having removed the handle from the basket, there’s still a little pull-up tab on the basket so you can continue to remove it with ease. Calphalon wants to give you the best experience, regardless of your choice of filter. Regarding the paper filters, the included filters are #4 cone filters, and they fit quite nicely. They weren’t too large, they weren’t too small. They hugged the basket without causing any frustration, so I was happy with the experience. DESIGN: Firstly, if you have tall countertops (like a liquor bar), this coffee maker is taller than cheap coffee makers, so having to pour water into the reservoir will be just a tad bit more challenging if you are eye-level to the top of the reservoir. On standard countertops, I’ve had no issue filling the reservoir, and it fits in the space between my countertops and the kitchen cabinets without issue. Additionally, it has a clean aesthetic that makes it pleasant to look at. One thing some may dislike about this is the short cable length. I don’t personally see a need for having a longer cable, as it sits close to an outlet on my countertop, but others that want to position it further away from the source outlet may have to use a separate extension cable. But day-to-day, I think the design is pleasant, while being easy to tuck away. CONCLUSION: Overall, this coffee maker is for those who are looking for a machine that has a pleasant aesthetic and makes a great pot of coffee in little time. Its features are simple to use, and the brew/cleanup process is quite easy. As someone who likes a good cup of black coffee, this has become my go-to machine.

Broke after a year. Worked great then it stopped brewing more the 2 cups at a time. The grounds basket broke also and replaced it once already. Great then crap after I say 6 months

At $160, it's easy to write this off as a solution in search of a problem, I mean come on, who'd spend $160 for a coffee machine? That's what I thought at first. My wife and I are self-identified coffee lovers, we have an espresso machine, single brew and now this bad boy. At first, my wife was disappointed to learn that it only had a 10-cup carafe. But then we used it for the first time and holy freaking cow! A typical problem with any coffee machine is that the heating element stays on no matter how much coffee is in the carafe. That's why coffee at the bottom tastes hotter and more burnt. This thing has a "smart brew" feature and we noticed immediately that our last cup tasted just as fresh as our first cup. The temperature was even roughly the same, my last cup wasn't scalding hot from being left on the element for so long. OF course, it has what I would consider typical features like a clock, timer and a strong brew option. There are several things to note: 1) When this thing is brewing, it will release a lot of steam from the top. So make sure you don't leave it under your cabinets, we have it on a sliding platform that we can pull out and push in. That way, we don't run the risk of damaging the wood in our cabinets or the lighting underneath them and can push the coffee machine back when the brewing is done. 2) The coffee filters you'll need are the cone shaped ones - we had some of the regular ones and when I tried to use them (because my wife put the cone ones up somewhere I couldn't find them) there were some grounds that I found in the coffee. There's worse things you can spend $160 on - and for my wife and I, this was the perfect fit for what we needed. We can each get 2 cups of coffee per 10-cups in the carafe and that's just fine with us. We love this coffee machine!

My last coffee maker was a run of the mill maker that never made the right strength of coffee. It was either watery or super strong. I am not a couple of weeks into using this machine and can confidently say that this produces consistently. When it comes down to it the quality of this maker lies in 2 areas consistency and the physical build of the device. As I mentioned earlier, the strength of the coffee is very predictable, which is a good thing. I followed the direction on the instructions and have yet to have a bad pot. Secondly, the design and build is outstanding. Its sturdy and very pretty on the eyes. It also has some neat features, such as timed brew and a button which makes "stronger" coffee. All in all, this consistent sturdy coffee maker is one that is sure to last and worth every penny!

==== Summary ==== This Calphalon coffee maker, despite looking very sleek and modern, is an overpriced and underwhelming product. The unit is too tall for use underneath my kitchen cabinets, the left-to-right orientation takes up too much space on the kitchen counter, the "20% more flavor" sounds like a nebulous marketing claim, and the features it offers (Delayed Brew, Strong, Keep Warm) are no better nor more special than my older <$50 coffee maker. Its few saving grace are its good-looking design, easy programmability, and its ability to brew coffee pretty fast. **Pros: -Slick & modern design in stainless steel & dark gray color scheme. -Crisp and bright LCD screen. -Easy to clean and maintain. -Simple operation. -Brews coffee really fast. -Delayed Brew function is helpful & easy to set up. **Cons: -The power cord is a bit too short. -Unnecessarily too tall. -Takes up too much space on the kitchen counter. -Very prone to fingerprint smudges. -Too expensive for what it can do. Not a good value. ==== Design ==== My first impressions of this Calphalon coffee maker started off great. The dark gray design with stainless steel color elements looked great and I liked that it looked modern and high-tech. The LCD screen is big, bright, and easy to read. All the buttons are tactile and worked well. All the parts actuated smoothly and in a frictionless precise manner. Then the negatives began to surface. The short power cord, the unnecessarily tall design that makes it difficult to fit underneath my kitchen cabinets, and the left-to-right orientation that takes up too much space. Once I started to touch and move the coffee maker around, I realized that it is very fingerprint- and smudge-prone and a hassle to constantly adjust it around the kitchen counter. It sure looks fancy but that's not enough for me to like this thing. ==== Functionality ==== When it comes to executing its primary function - brewing a cup of coffee - this Calphalon coffee maker does a good job. I poured about 6 & 1/2 cups of water, pressed "Brew," and it finished brewing in about 2 & 1/2 minutes. Speedy~! The water was very hot as well, which I liked. Afterwards, it automatically entered the "Keep Warm" mode that lasts for about 4 hours without burning the coffee, according to Calphalon. I would never leave coffee alone for that long so I don't know if my coffee would've gotten burned or not. But it is nice to have that option nonetheless. Using a coffee grinder and the included filter, I tried the "Strong" setting but I couldn't taste any difference. Maybe it was just the particular coffee beans I used, maybe it is just some hazy marketing gimmick, or maybe my tongue isn't sophisticated enough to detect such nuances. When it comes to performance, though, I'm happy with this Calphalon coffee maker. ==== Value ==== For the price this Calphalon sells for, it is NOT a good value. My older <$50 Black & Decker machine can do almost all the same things this Calphalon can do - brew coffee, perform delayed brew, and keep warm. My older unit's brewing time is definitely longer and water feels less hot. The Calphalon looks fancier, of course, in its stainless steel and dark gray color scheme. However, it is just a paintjob over a build that does not feel any sturdier than my older Black & Decker model. Unless you really, really like the way this Calphalon looks, I recommend that you purchase something else. ==== Conclusion ==== I wouldn't recommend this Calphalon coffee maker to my friends or family. At its current price point, it simply isn't a good value. Sure, it brews coffee really fast and water is hot and steamy but its inconvenient design quirks - too tall, bulky left-to-right orientation, large footprint, short power cord - and basic functionality do NOT justify its unusually high price.

It’s difficult to get excited about a drip coffeemaker these days. You can buy manual pour overs or go to the other extreme and buy highly automated coffee+espresso makers for great quality coffee. Yet, there are plenty of people who are perfectly satisfied to have 10-12 cups of “just” coffee. Now, why select the Calphalon Special Brew? Sure, it makes decent tasting coffee in a nice looking package. The real reasons are some cool features you don’t get with manual pour-overs and nifty coffee/espresso machines: 1- Timer that tracks how old the coffee is 2- Control of coffee strength 3- Warmer timer 4- “Precise” temperature water boiling system ensures consistency If you make a lot of coffee for several drinkers or if you’re an all-day drinker this is a great machine.

I’ve had this coffee maker for almost a year now and it has worked very well. Prior to this, I had a Keurig coffee maker, and although it made some of the best tasting coffee, the tedious switching out coffee pods and filters for only 1 cup of coffee got old pretty quick. The taste of the coffee was very good, not quite as good as my Keurig, but good enough that I’m glad I made the switch. The selling point for me on this coffee maker was the ability to set a timer on the brew time. This cake in handy on busy morning when I needed to get out of the door. The burner stays on 4 hours from the time the pot of coffee is made. One downside, although I may be wrong, I wish it came with a plastic filter to more easily throw away coffee and refill instead of buying more paper filters. I bout this coffee maker for around $50 on sale. Overall, this product has been well worth the money I paid and it also adds a sleek look to your kitchen.

This Calphalon coffee maker is one of the best machines I have ever purchased. It has a brushed stainless finish with black trim and the design & shape makes a 'fashion statement' sitting on my countertop. There is a window in front that will show you how much water you are putting in. The coffee basket swings out for ease in putting in the filter and coffee. This is the first coffee pot I have had that does not drip as I am pouring the coffee into a cup or thermal container. Makes the best tasting coffee ever with an adjustment you can set for strength. .

First the styling of this coffeemaker is so nice. Really a showpiece on the counter. Makes excellent coffee quickly. Unlike many, this units kicks into gear and water starts flowing. You can go mild to nice and robust by varying the coffee added and the strength setting. I’ve tried units with insulated carafes, but got tired of toweling up dripped coffee from the counter. This carafe doesn’t drip a bit, if a little care is taken, especially when pouring the last bit. It does have a fairly large footprint and uses a little more power, having a warming plate, but more than makes up for it in functionality and looks. Highly recommend!

We bought this coffee maker based on the Best Buy reviews we saw online and do not regret it. It is a very attractive model and since we don't have it under a counter top, it fits. We have a coffee/tea station on a section of our counter top where there are no cabinets so the side by side design of the water heating container and coffee pot fit nicely. To maximize room, we bought a short metal rack on which we put the coffee maker so there is space underneath for other items to be stored. If you do have to put this under a counter top it might not work for you. There is a good deal of steam generated and it could damage your cabinets, according to some of the reviews here. If you want technical information, read some of the great technical reviews here. The coffee that we've had so far is very good. The only reason we got this is for the aesthetics (previous, working coffee maker is an old, white, plastic model that is compact but very dated looking) and the ability to set a timer for the coffee to be brewed. The coffee maker does look good and it's great to be able to set that timer. As others have mentioned, though, this is not worth 160 dollars or whatever the retail list price is. We got this as a deal of the day for a drastically reduced price and we'd never have even looked at it at the regular price. The original coffee maker we got from Best Buy did not work so we returned it the next day and they promptly reordered a new one for us. The price on that one was listed as 99 and even that seemed high (of course, we did not have to pay the difference - our original pricing held). So, it's worth it if you can get it a discounted price. Hopefully it's built to last.

Easy to use and brews really good coffee. Timer is easy to set and love the design.

When I needed a new drip coffee maker, I looked on Consumer Report's ratings. Top of the list was this Calphalon coffee maker. It was half off at Best Buy. Still more than I thought I needed to pay to get some hot coffee every morning, but with the cost of K-cups, it was not going to cost anything close to that way of making Java. It is easy to use. I pour in the water in the evening. Pop in a filter. Put the coffee in. Push the auto start button which is pre-set for 5:30 p.m. I push it back against the back wall of the counter top and at 5:30 I smell the coffer, or if I am up I hear is gurgle. I am about two months into using it and I have no regrets. Lots of setting but one I set it up for auto start every morning, I don't care about any other features. It does its job. I makes decent coffee (if you buy the kind you like.).

Nice looking, works very well and easy to use. Makes delicious coffee.

Good coffee maker, simple and efficient. There is not really special in it, but everything works fine, carafe does not drip, there are no leaks, coffee is hot, timer works perfectly. The only issue is the power cord that is really short, what makes it difficult to install it some places. I bought it cheap, would not pay full price.

Let me start by saying this is a nice coffee maker. It does everything well. super fast keeps coffee hot for hours. I don't believe it reaches optimal temp for perfect coffee. but all in all it does a nice job. Not worth the full price of 159. I got this on sale and it's perfect for me

I had purchased this Special Brew 10 Cup Coffee Maker by Calphalon to replace my Bella Coffee Maker. First, this is my first Calphalon product ever and I must say I'm impressed - the build quality is good as is the design - my only gripe is that for the price, it should include a stainless steel coffee cup! Second, I purchased this as part of Best Buy's Deal of the Day so I can't complain too much regarding having the stainless steel coffee cup. Third, my main dislike is how this is designed to sort of function in one direction only given its design - I'm a right handed person so I'm naturally used to using my right hand to pour the water in the coffee maker, however, the design of this coffee maker forces me to use my left hand to pour water since the location of the water tank is on the left. Overall, the coffee has been great and the overall build quality is good. I'd highly recommend giving this particular coffee maker a try.

It is easy to use and in my house we drink a lot of coffee, so coffee maker is perfect because it's makes 10 cups very quickly