KitchenAid KCM1204OB 12-Cup Coffee Maker – Onyx Black

This replaced our (prior version to this one – same design) Kitchen Aid KCM1202OB, that we had since 2007 or 2008 I believe.The new KCM12040B is more compact. First to answer the plastic taste. There was NONE! Here’s what I did to combat that.Wash everything that comes apart, including the plastic filter holder (take out the filter from the sleeve first), wash the pot, the metal basket, the plastic piece holding the basket, etc. I took out the filter in the back, unlocked it from the plastic holder and let it soak for about 30/40 mins, per instructions, as long as it took for the coffee maker to go through the clean and strong brew cycle. I filled the coffee pot to the 4 mark with distilled white vinegar. filled it the rest of the way to the 12 mark with water, put in a paper filter on top of the metal filter it comes with and put the maker on clean cycle. Still letting the filter soak, empty water vinegar mixture, empty the filter basket and put a new paper filter on top of the metal filter. Fill the pot to the 12 mark with just water, put it on “strong brew” and let it run. Repeat the same way this time putting the charcoal filter back in and letting it run through on a regular brew cycle. FYI – We don’t use the permanent filter, just paper filters, but I did it this way just in case any residues would get trapped in the paper.Taste/Flavor – We use a name brand columbian coffee already ground up. For those of you old enough, we have one of those clear plastic cool aid scoops that we’ve been using for the past 20 years. So, I don’t know exact measurements, but I can tell you, the coffee flavor is great. I make 10 cups using 5/6 cool aid scoops 12 cups 6/7 – depending on my mood – set the maker on bold and viola, nice nutty flavored bold coffee.Let’s talk about the 2 hour pot limit that people are complaining about – Get a coffee carafe, we picked ours up at WM $14.00, we’ve been keeping our coffee hot this way for years. It keeps coffee hot for 4 hours, and you don’t get burnt coffee taste. Once the coffee is done brewing and you leave it sitting on the hot plate, you are burning it, not to mention changing the flavor and the compounds. If you are leaving the pot on longer than 20/30 mins the coffee flavors and textures are going to change dramatically from when it was first brewed.Size – This is smaller than the our previous version of KA that we owned. Fits the counter nicely. Make sure you do have the 15 inches plus to put it under any cabinets.Why 4 stars? The buttons feel cheap. I know it’s a little thing, but they do not feel very well made which has me concerned. You have to give them a hard push, more than most modern appliances these days, to get a response.I also don’t see a way to remove the swing out basket for a thorough cleaning when it would need it. Also to note, this machine is made for left hand dominant, I’m right handed, depending on where you place it. But I’m up for learning new things – scooping coffee with my left versus right, not a big deal, but it would be nice to be able to switch the swinging mechanisms from the left to the right.I like the way the water fills in the back, our prior KA coffee maker, you could take the back off, but that was more of a pain than ease of use for filling since water would spill through the hole in the back and the spout on the coffee pot was short so water would spill every time.Design is good. Easy to understand the buttons and their functionality, not difficult to set time or auto set up. I don’t hear it, but it does beep when it starts brewing and when it is finished. The beeps are quieter than our old KA coffee maker.P.S. For Pour Over Feature WHICH THIS DOES NOT HAVE – Put it on Bold, same concept, slow brewed water poured over coffee grounds.

I don’t write a lot of reviews but I’m pretty impressed with this coffee maker so far. I’ve only had it about three days but I love everything about it. I’m glad I ignored the negative reviews and took a chance. I figure if the company is still around and so many are sold, they must be doing something right. I’ve owned several of the Cuisinart variety.over the years and I just didn’t want to bother with another one, they have always crapped out on me, and the carafe broke easily. They are supposed to be a superior coffee maker but that hasn’t been my experience. The most recent coffee maker I’ve owned was the Bunn Phase Brew. It has been discontinued by the way. It makes a great cup of coffee but they don’t come any larger than 10 cups, the back is open and I had to keep cleaning coffee spatters off the wall and there is no sneak a cup feature. Also, the electronics are all on the bottom so if you spill, it can cause real problems. With that said, the KitchenAid is a really good looking machine. I was impressed with the way it was packaged for shipping, secure yet very easy to unpack. It is large but I have plenty of room so it’s not a problem for me. It has a large reservoir on the back so pouring water from a gallon jug of purified water is easy. The water level display faces front and is very easy to see. The pot is large, I’m happy to be able to make a big pot of coffee anytime. The filter basket swings out for easy access and lifts out for easy cleaning. It does not make a lot of noise at all. There are a few beeps, but they are low and not disruptive in my opinion. I love the retro look of the machine and even though it’s plastic it seems well made. I took note of the many reviews that mentioned a plastic taste so I ran water through with a few drops of vanilla before I brewed coffee. The coffee tastes great and stays hot. These are not cons in my opinion. Time will tell if it is durable and reliable. I’ll let you know.UPDATE: 11/16/17 I’ve had this coffee maker nearly 6 months now and it’s still my favorite. I’ve had no problems. Still makes a great cup of Joe.

Love ❤️ it!!!!! Coffee filter is easy to clean. Makes a strong cup of coffee. With a normal sized mug I make about 4 cups of water with 3 instead of 4 tbsp of coffee. I have a little of coffee ☕️ left over in the pot. That’s the “small batch” setting. If I’m making 2 cups of coffee it’s 1 tbsp per cup of water but minus 1 tbsp. It advises one tbsp per cup but woooo that’s kinda too strong. That’s on regular brew not bold. So plus you use less coffee. I’m really loving it. My husband used to stop at Tim horton’s And bring us home coffee daily almost, now I get the pleasure of having it ready for him! I have not used the programmable brew time yet. I leave mine unplugged due to old wiring. Fuses blow in that room easily. I rate this easily 5 stars. Worth the investment!

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Love this coffeemaker, brews quickly and quiet and looks great in my kitchen!