Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable FTX45-1

Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable FTX45-1 
$49.07

Pros
A timer feature displays the elapsed time since brewing was complete.

Cons
The warranty period is just one year.

The Verdict: 8.8/10Mr. Coffee is a perfectly serviceable machine at an affordable price.
Features

Programmable
Removable Filter Basket lifts out of Brew Basket for fast-and-easy filling and cleaning.
Brewing Pause 'n Serve lets you pour a cup of coffee while the coffee maker is still brewing.
Delay Brew allows you to set your coffee maker up to 24 hours in advance to begin brewing at a specific time.
2-Hour Auto Shut-Off keeps your coffee warm for 2 hours and then automatically shuts off.
Dual Water Windows show the amount of water in the reservoir for accurate filling.
Special Cleaning Cycle makes cleaning your coffee maker quick-and-easy.
Brew Strength Selector lets you choose to make your coffee stronger.
Water Filtration removes up to 97% of chlorine for better-tasting coffee.
Cord Storage safely stores excess cord to keep your countertop neat.
Fresh Brew™ Timer lets you know how long your coffee has been waiting for you.
Audible Ready Signals alert you when the coffee maker has finished the brewing or cleaning cycle.
About Mr. Coffee
1972 - Proud Parents

Mr. Coffee® team introduced by North American Systems, Inc. founder Vincent Marotta, Sr. and partner Samuel Glazer in Cleveland, Ohio.

1972 - New Invention
The Mr. Coffee® brand invents the first automatic drip coffeemakers that provides both convenience and affordability for household use.

1975 - Valedictorian in Just Three Years
Sales of Mr. Coffee® brand coffeemakers increase from 1,000 to 38,000 a day, making it the best-selling coffeemaker brand in the U.S.

1975 - First Born
In what will be the first of many new product categories, Mr. Coffee® brand introduces coffee filters to the market.

1977 - Tough Times
During a coffee shortage in the United States from 1977 to 1978, a coffee saver feature was added to Mr. Coffee® brewers that allowed consumers to brew the same amount of coffee with fewer grounds.

1980 - Legions of Americans Transformed into "Morning People"
Mr. Coffee® brand begins adding programmable timers to their coffeemakers to benefit consumers.

1986 - Career Coup
Mr. Coffee® brand develops Pause N' Serve feature that allows consumers to serve a cup before the entire pot is brewed.

1989 - Tea Time
The Mr. Coffee® brand introduces the Ice Tea Pot TM, the first automatic ice tea maker.

1992 - What'll he think of next?
Mr. Coffee® water filters were introduced in response to consumer concern over dangerous levels of lead in tap water. Resulting ad campaign stated, "Mr. Coffee -- What'll he think of next?"

1995 - It's Hot Tea Time
The Mr. Coffee® team introduces Mrs. Tea™ a hot tea maker, a favorite for tea connoisseurs.

2000 - Facelift
Print advertisements play up sleek new look of Mr. Coffee® coffeemakers while commercials feature a "mock-umentary" about the coffeemaker's recent facelift.

2002 - Mr. Coffee® Celebrates 30th Birthday
Three decades of achievements are celebrated with hip, contemporary print campaign featuring Carson Daly and Chris Klug.

2003 - Mr. Coffee® "Coffee Moments" Campaign
Brand repositioning campaign is launched with country music superstar Toby Keith as its newest spokesperson.

2004 - Mr. Coffee® brand helps coffee lovers relax, indulge and enjoy
With the introduction of the FT and IS series, the number one selling coffeemaker offers new perks for coffee lovers who cherish their individual coffee moments.

2004 - Mr. Coffee® brand launches its single-serve coffeemaker
Launch of single serve coffeemakers for those who enjoy one or two cups of coffee at a time using coffee pods

2005- The Mr. Coffee® Experience: On Tour
The Mr. Coffee® brand touches millions of consumers with a mobile-marketing campaign that highlights a wide variety of Mr. Coffee® products.

2006- Café Motion Launch

2007- Celebrating 35 Years
Launch of the Mr. Coffee® Classic Edition in celebration of the Mr. Coffee® Brand's 35th birthday. The MRX coffeemaker features classic design with revolutionary features.

2007- Mr. Coffee® Brand Launches Mr. Coffee® Branded Coffee
Indulging in America's passionate and ever-brewing love affair with coffee, the iconic brand launched Mr. Coffee® branded coffee, ensuring consumers enjoy personalized coffee experiences cup after cup.

2009- Mr. Coffee® Brand and Keurig Announce New Line of Single-Cup Coffeemakers
In June, the Mr. Coffee® brand and Keurig announced a new agreement to jointly develop Mr. Coffee® single-cup coffeemakers. They will feature Keurig's branded, patented single-cup brewing technology for more than 200 varieties of gourmet coffees, teas and hot cocoa packaged in Keurig's patented K-Cup® portion packs. The new coffeemakers will be sold alongside other Mr. Coffee® products in the U.S. and Canada.

2009- Mr. Coffee® Brand Unveils Café Frappe
Mr. Coffee® Café Frappe is just another example of the brand's commitment to innovation and leadership. The Mr. Coffee® Café Frappe is the first-ever at-home appliance model to brew and blend all-in-one, bringing coffeehouse-style beverages from brewer to cup in three minutes.

From Sunbeam Products, Inc. (doing business as Jarden Consumer solutions), comes the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable, which traces its lineage back to 1972 when Mr. Coffee first started shipping automatic drip coffee makers. If you are remembering a Mr. Coffee-branded appliance in the film Apollo 13 (a story that takes place in 1970), it is just a Hollywood anachronism. This appliance is an excellent drip coffee maker. The only reason that it does not rank more highly in our review of coffee makers is that the power output is merely adequate and the length of warranty is not best in class.

The Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable is one of the coffee makers that brew through paper filters into a glass carafe kept warm by a hot plate. Mr. Coffee sells an optional permanent filter, but we prefer paper filters for two reasons: first, paper filters produce better-tasting coffee; and second, paper filters remove certain biological molecules found in coffee that raise cholesterol. This unit also features a basic water filter to reduce hard water deposits and to prevent chlorine and hard water taste. There is also a brew-strength option that brews more flavor from coffee grounds.

Contemporary drip coffee makers, with all of their electronic conveniences, would have appeared to be pure magic when coffee drinking was first recorded. The first reference (probably apocryphal) is in the 17th century. It describes the story of a 9th-century goatherd, Kaldi, who discovered coffee after witnessing the energizing effect of coffee beans on his flock.

This Mr. Coffee model belongs to the 21st century class of coffee makers, products that are loaded with features that add convenience. It has a water-level indicator, a programmable clock to select brew time, a brew-pause feature, an optional brewing-complete audible beep and automatic shut-off after two hours. This is also one of the few products to feature cord storage, which keeps excess cord off of the counter. A fresh brew timer displays the amount of time elapsed since the unit finished brewing.

Customer service for the Mr. Coffee coffee makers is available by telephone. Length of warranty is one year. Although there are quite a few online complaints from users who report leaks and sudden equipment failure, the unit that we have been using for months has not failed.