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Please get your coffee and sit though this review, it's a bit long. So many people and places rate this as the best drip coffee maker because of the ideal brew temperature and brew drip time. I spent more time on this review because I want to justify the expense of this coffeemaker. The bottom line is that to get the really best tasting coffee out of this expensive coffee maker, you may have to spend just a bit of time fussing with it. This includes finding the right amount of coffee to add, using filtered room temperature water, and I found as some people suggest that if you leave the brew basket top off and stir the coffee grinds during brewing (at least for the first minute when the water has filled the basket and the grinds are swimming in water) , you get even better tasting coffee (better flavor extraction). Also, unless I buy another thermal carafe specifically the Thermos Nissan 51 Ounce Stainless Steel Carafe, I should drink all the brewed coffee within the first hour. The included carafe just does not maintain the coffee at a decent temperature for more than a half hour, especially if you use the brew through lid. If the thermal carafe is to replace the need for a heating pad to keep the coffee warm, then I am disappointed that the carafe can't keep great brewed coffee hot for very long.
Note that the CDT and its original brother the KBT 741 leave ½ cup of water in the heating chamber after brewing. If you dry out your Technivorm (pour out any excess water and dry the reservoir) like I do, then you may wish to add a ½ cup of water to the chamber when brewing to compensate. Otherwise, it's only your first batch of coffee that may be a bit stronger.
The instructions recommend using fresh tap water (I use filtered water from a carbon block system). This does result in a brew temperature of 195-200°F degrees as measured using my Thermapen. As an experiment, I reused the heated water from the carafe to brew coffee (the water has not yet cooled to room temperature). Don't do it. This seems to confuse the Techivorm's heating element's thermostat and the brewing temperature drops to around 180°F degrees instead if the 190 to 200°F degrees if I start with room temperature water. And why did I reuse heated water? Why waste water? The instructions recommend "preheating the thermal carafe", likely so that the temperature of the brewed coffee does not cool below 190°F as it fills the thermal carafe.
What do I like about the CDT?
The coffee brewed from the Technivorm is more palatable so that I do not need to adulterate the coffee with any sweetener or creamer (if you use decent coffee beans). I don't have a connoisseur's palate but I also like to consider that I don't have a dead one either. Even when I brewed carafes of coffee using 10 year old Maxwell House coffee (year 2000 stash) I can tell a difference in taste between it from a CDT and my other coffee maker a Cuisinart DCC-450BK 4-Cup Coffeemaker with Stainless-Steel Carafe, Black. The coffee from the Cuisinart is harsher and bitter more likely because of the 170°F brew temperature although the brew time is about the same as the CDT (5 minutes). I wouldn't have believed the taste difference had I not brewed using both coffee makers. So if I use filtered water (at room temperature) and fresher quality coffee beans I will get better tasting brewed coffee from the Technivorm.
The very open reservoir design makes adding water into the reservoir a breeze (no one should make a mess pouring water into the reservoir).
The CDT's reservoir`s round shape makes it very easy for me to dry the reservoir with a kitchen towel. I wasn't sure about the KBT's square shape and keeping it as clean. The only difference between the CDT and the KBT 741 is the shape of the reservoir (and the added height of the CDT's reservoir to keep the same capacity as the KBT 741).
The CDT comes with a 4 foot long three prong power cord. I don't have any problems plugging in my CDT anywhere in my kitchen.
What are my disappointments?
The included thermal carafe is my big disappointment. While I know that the carafe is designed to be poured using a lid (whether the included lid or the optional brew through lid, both which work okay), how difficult would it have been to stamp a small V-shaped spout on the carafe? It would help me pour my coffee into my Thermos Nissan 16-Ounce Stainless-Steel Insulated Bottle without spilling hot (and precious) coffee down the side of the thermos (yeah, I did have the carafe's top in place). After I brew my coffee and screw on the top onto the thermal carafe, the outside of the thermal carafe is about ten degrees warmer than my kitchen counter: this carafe is loosing too much heat! The 198-200°F degree coffee drops about 25° degrees after an hour with the regular lid or 10°F loss per half hour with the brew through lid. Oh, and this is where I preheat the carafe with hot water! The carafe just looses too much heat. Maybe Technivorm could have Thermos Nissan make their thermal carafes? I have a travel size Thermos Nissan that I use for nursing my coffee at work. Even up to eight hours after brewing I still enjoy my coffee's hot to warm temperature (without preheating)! The Technivorm carafe has no information on where it is made.
UPDATE: March 8, 2010: I contacted the seller complaining about my carafe's inability to keep the coffee hot. I was sent a replacement carafe under warranty (no charge). BIG DIFFERENCE. The carafe looses about only six to seven degrees per hour instead of the 25° with my original carafe (with the regular lid) and about 12°F when using the brew thru lid. So my coffee is still hot for at least four hours after brewing. So make sure your carafe is not defective by testing it. The box the replacement carafe came in says it's made in "Amerongen-Holland".
PROS:
The coffee brewed from the Technivorm is more palatable so that I do not need to adulterate the coffee with any sweetener or creamer (assuming you use decent coffee beans) and filtered water.
The large reservoir opening is easy to add water without spilling and also make it easy to dry with a kitchen towel.
It comes with a 4 foot power cord so you should be able to plug your CDT nearly anywhere in your kitchen.
Bottom line. Yes, I will keep it. Even with its faults', the Technivorm still makes it easy to make a great tasting cup of coffee, especially if you drink your coffee black (I've become a black coffee convert).
CONS:
The CDT (and KBT 741) leaves ½ cup of water in the heating chamber. You may wish to add a ½ cup of water to compensate if you empty and dry out your Technivorm after each use.
For the cost, it needs to come with a better thermal carafe that can keep coffee hot for a longer time (make sure you test yours: it should only lose about 6-7°F an hour with the regular lid. And can Technivorm at least stamp a pouring beak on the carafe for even easier pouring, especially when pouring into a travel thermos?
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Product Description
Technivorm is Europe's leading manufacture of quality coffee brewers, sanctioned by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), and the European Coffee Brewing Centre (ECBC). Technivorm success is based on commitment to research and building, by hand, these superb brewers since 1964. " ... If you must buy an automatic drip machine, this is the one. Though pricey, it's the only drip coffee maker that hit optimal temperatures for brewing and serving in our tests. It's also fast and very simple to operate, and pieces disassemble easily for cleaning." Cook's Illustrated - Sep/Oct 2009.
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