KitchenAid 12-Cup Glass Carafe KCM111OB

KitchenAid 12-Cup Glass Carafe KCM111OB 
$99.99

Pros
The KitchenAid is brimming with convenience features.

Cons
One year is the extent of the warranty.

The Verdict: 6.5/10The KitchenAid is a perfectly serviceable drip coffee maker.

Easy-to-fill & clean removable water tank
Refined brew process for optimal coffee flavor
24-hour programmability
Digital display with variable brew strength selector
Pause and Serve feature
About KitchenAid
Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2009, the KitchenAid brand now offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars.

The KitchenAid 12-Cup Glass Carafe drip coffee maker is one of our top ten full-featured coffee makers. The manufacturer has been associated with kitchen appliances for almost a century, since it began shipping the very first stand mixers in 1919. KitchenAid as a brand began after one of the manufacturer’s wives proclaimed the stand mixer to be the best kitchen aid. KitchenAid dishwashers followed in the 1940s. In the 1950s, KitchenAid bought the Chambers Range Company, which added cooking appliances to the product lineup. KitchenAid refrigerators debuted in the 1980s, followed by blenders in the 1990s. Now, KitchenAid coffee makers take advantage of micro components to conveniently equip a caffeinated society that demands features such as programmable clocks.

This is one of the coffee makers that brews 12 cups of coffee through a permanent filter into a glass carafe kept hot by a warming plate. Interestingly, a permanent filter is not necessarily better than a paper filter. There is scientific evidence to suggest that paper filters are more effective at trapping certain molecules, found only in coffee, which can raise cholesterol.

When it comes to convenience features, this product sports a programmable clock to delay brewing until a time of your choosing. It indicates the water level so that you don’t have to guess. You can sneak a cup during the brew cycle, and it will shut itself off after two hours if you manifest the human tendency to occasionally forget. It has the extra brew-strength feature. The water tank is removable so that you can fill it in the sink and then return it to the unit.

The manufacturer supports users of its coffee makers by telephone or email. The warranty is for one year.

The accompanying instruction booklet is quite good. KitchenAid is one of the few vendors in our review of coffee makers to advocate the use of vinegar for cleaning the unit, without preferring the commercial coffee cleaning solutions. Regular cleaning with vinegar is the best way to ensure that your drip coffee maker continues to make fresh-tasting drinks. Vinegar cleans because it is an acid. It doesn’t cost very much and it can last without refrigeration. You don’t need the commercial coffee cleaning products. Just run vinegar through your coffee makers. You can even dilute it with water by 50 percent.