Zojirushi EC-BD15BAFresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker

Amazon.com Review

Lots of folks dislike the burnt flavor that coffee gets when it sits in a glass pot over a heating element. To avoid this, coffee shops often brew right into large thermal pots to keep the coffee warm without it becoming overcooked. The Zojirushi Fresh Brew does that, too, but in home-sized batches. It looks great, too, with a glossy black body and stainless steel carafe and brew basket.

To brew, lift the lid and swing the water outlet spout to one side while the filter is being loaded; the spout will return to its proper position when the lid is closed. A small red ball in the water gauge makes it extra simple to read. And an electronic clock module also serves as a timer that will start the brewer at a specified time. The carafe's lid is designed to be on during brewing, with a small cap to help keep the heat in after it's ready. The Fresh Brew also has a pause-and-serve function that stops the flow for 30 seconds while a cup of coffee is served.

To clean the brewer unit, use a solution of white vinegar and water, following the instructions in the accompanying booklet. The unit is not immersible. The exterior can be wiped with a damp soft rag; do not use abrasives or scouring pads. The filter reservoir is removable; clean with warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. The coffee brewer measures 15 by 12 by 9 inches (includes carafe handle when unit is completely assembled), and it uses #4 cone-shaped disposable paper filters. The Fresh Brew comes with a detailed instruction booklet. Zojirushi guarantees its products with a one-year limited warranty. --Garland Withers

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Average Customer Review

(1,041 customer reviews)

1,174 of 1,206 people found the following review helpful

Among the best auto-drip brewers. See tips, below..., April 30, 2005

Doug Cadmus "Coffee Aficionado" (Waterbury, Vermont) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Zojirushi EC-BD15BAFresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker (Kitchen)

I've spent several weeks week getting to know the Zojirushi Fresh Brew... and for the most part, I'm quite pleased. It has some foibles [which I'll get to in a moment] but on the whole it's a very capable coffee brewer. More, it's one of the very few home models I know that can brew 8 cups of just-roasted coffee at a proper 2 tablespoons per cup ratio without fuss, and - this is important! - maintain proper brewing temperatures throughout the entire brew cycle.

The details...

Zoji has been making vacuum pots and the like for nearly 100 years, and they've been making an assortment of rice-cookers, tea brewers and hot water dispensers for decades. While this is, I believe, their first home coffee brewer, they've got more than a little experience in kitchen electrics. They've put that experience to good use.

If you've ever brewed up a thermos full of coffee using a big Melitta filter cone then this setup will look pretty familiar. For all intents and...Read more

356 of 368 people found the following review helpful

So very much to love about this coffee maker, August 3, 2004

Happy Catholic Mom "HCM" (Friendswood, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zojirushi EC-BD15BAFresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker (Kitchen)

We purchased this machine last month, after much research, to replace a 6 year-old Cuisinart basic model. We were looking for a well-made thermal carafe machine at a reasonable price. We found it!

We can't find enough good things to say about it! Of course it is very stylish looking and it fits nicely on our counter under our standard size cabinets. Yes, you have to move it out to fill the water chamber and basket, but big deal! I can do that!

It is extermely easy to program with just enough controls to make sense.

It makes good hot coffee that stays nice and hot for a good while. While it may not keep it scorching hot like a model with a hot plate, which also continues to cook and burn your coffee, it is definitely hot enough! We made some coffee one morning and didn't finish it. We purposely left it in the pot while we were gone and upon returning home at 5 pm, the coffee was still amazingly warm. It was not hot enough to want to drink it,...Read more

409 of 427 people found the following review helpful

Another quality Zoji product - just what I was looking for!, March 25, 2004

Bev_from_RI "bev_from_ri" (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zojirushi EC-BD15BAFresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker (Kitchen)

I was looking for a coffee maker with a large capacity, unbreakable carafe, auto-shut-off, pause-and-serve, and a programmable timer. I found everything I wanted
with this Zoji. It has a stylish, brushed stainless carafe that stays cool to the touch and has no breakable glass liner like some carafes have. The base has an easy to read water-level display, with markings up to 10 cups, but it has a larger capacity than my old 10 cup Braun. It also has a cute little elephant on it!The 1.5 liters works out to approx. 51 ounces, or just over 6 (8-ounce) cups. My old "10 cup" coffee maker held about 5 8-ounce cups. I never have quite figured out what counts as a "cup" in coffee terms, but it seems to vary between 4 and 6 ounces. This is a pretty tall (15 inches) coffee maker, and you have to lift the lid to add the coffee and the water. Since steam comes out of the top, I pull it out from under the cabinet when it's running. If you have shallow counters, this could be a...Read more

Zojirushi EC-BD15BAFresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker

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