I love my Zojirushi machine--I've had it for a few months now and it makes great coffee that stays hot all day long, and it's easy to clean. My main issue with it are the filters. Everyone's reviews say that #4 permanent gold filters fit theirs. I've tried 4 different brands of gold filters, and none have fit so far. I know some people, in their reviews, have said that the filter issue has been resolved, but mine still has the weird sized basket. I emailed Zojirushi to ask them directly if there's a specific brand that fits their coffee maker. This is the letter I got back from them: "Thank you for your inquiry regarding the the filters for the EC-BD15 thermal coffee maker. At this time there is no permanent filter for our unit. We reccomend using regular #2 or #4 filters even though they are not a perfect fit. Please visit our website for further developments and we apologize for any inconvenince this might have caused." I've been cutting a half-inch off of normal #4 disposable filters, which is kind of a pain. If I don't do this, the lid won't close.

I've had this coffeemaker some 6 months now and still love using it everyday. The carafe lid isn't perfect, but it works well enough (it pours). It makes a great cup of coffee, keeps it warm enough for long enough (hours) and is very easy to use. I am so happy I bought this coffee maker and replaced my old Krups. If it doesn't arrive broken or doesn't break down immediately as some people have reported, then this is an excellent choice if you like great coffee and little hassle.

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 purposes, the Fresh Brew simply adds an automated hot water delivery system to the mix... with a few improvements.

Improvement number one: not only does this system brew into an all-stainless thermal carafe [no hot plate here, thankyouverymuch] but it also insulates the brew basket. What good is it, after all, to heat up all that water if it's just going to get cold while you're brewing? This is huge! This is important! This is... well, I'm excited about it, okay?

Improvement number two: the Fresh Brew features an accurate gauge of water volume. When it reads that you've got 8 cups of water in the brewer's reservoir, it means it. Mind you, we're talking 6 oz. cups of water -- that's the way the coffee world measures a cup [unless you're Bodum and then it's 4 oz.].

Improvement number three: the Fresh Brew is patient. The biggest pain about the manual pour-over method is that you've got to wait to add more water, especially if the coffee is really fresh. Fresh coffee blooms with its charge of CO2! Faced with a full basket of coffee that was literally fresh from the roaster the Zoji didn't overflow, nor did it heave grounds into the water dispensing shower-head. More, the grounds were thoroughly saturated; no dry spots.

So where's the foibles?

Like a great many autodrip brewers the feeder tube that comes from the Zoji's heating element to the shower-head takes a straight path right through the water reservoir. For most brewers this is a game-over situation... the heating element simply can't overcome the heat exchange that occurs en route to the brew-head. On the Zoji, the heating element *does* get hot enough... provided that the water you've placed in the reservoir is not *too* cold.


Example A: In the office using the "unchilled" spigot on the water cooler, I draw off 48 ounces of water for the reservoir and brew a pot. Throughout the brew cycle water temperatures in the brew basket range between 195 and 200 degrees F. The result is a lovely pot of Ethiopian Yrgacheffe that is sweet, floral and lemony.

Example B: At home I draw off 48 ounces of water from the water filter in-line with the refridgerator. The temperature of the water in the reservoir is about 40 degrees F. and the resulting temperature in the brew basket never tops 185 degrees F. The result is an icky pot of the very same Yrgacheffe that is bitter, murky and flat.

The moral: mind your initial water temperature and you'll do just fine.

All in all, the Zojirushi Fresh Brew is capable of making 8 cups of coffee that's on a par with manual pourover methods. Better, really, as it insulates the brew-basket to better maintain water temperatures.

My expectations of this coffee maker were high, and it lived up to that expectation. (for the most part)

Reviews have said that this coffee maker hits the right brew temp and makes HOT coffee. I want to confirm this fact: I pour a cup and a billow of steam pours from the cup.

Reviews have said that the steel caraffe keeps the coffee hot for hours. I want to deny this, and then confirm it. IF you just pour it straight in, then no, not for hours. IF you take away the burden of the hot coffee warming up the steel in the caraffe by pre-heating it with hot water before you pour in the coffee, then yes it will stay HOT for hours.

Some reviewers have mentioned that the mechanism to open the valve on the steel caraffe to pour the coffee is uncomfortable and poorly designed. I have to agree with this 100%.

Just so everyone knows, its NOT 10 8oz cups. there are about 7 8oz cups.

My personal tips and a summary.
-If you use a paper filter the water will flow faster and you will have to adjust the amount of coffee you use. (use more)
-If you use a permanent filter (many recommend a 20.00 swiss gold filter, I just got one for 5.00 from target) , the water will flow through quite a bit slower making the coffee stronger. If you dont account for this technicality by adjusting the amount of coffee you use,you will over-extract the beans and get a bitter taste; as I did. Adjust your amount of coffee per 8oz cup (7 total). I personally recommend one tablespoon of medium ground beans per 8oz of clean/filtered water. Dont forget to add in another 1/2 cup of water to account for water evaporating during brew.

I have found that I can easily replicate the coffee I love from coffee houses by using their beans with this particular brewer, using 1 tablespoon of ground coffee per 8oz of filtered water, grinding the coffee in a burr vs blade grinder, and adding in a little extra water to account for evaporation.

I give this coffee maker a 4 out of 5 stars. 4 verses 5 mainly because of the poor design on the steel caraffe lid. You may have never heard of Zojirushi before, but wow can they make a great cup of coffee !

I bought this coffeemaker for my mother for Christmas. After she used it for 3 months, it stopped working. This is very disappointing because I paid $89 for this model. This is my first experience with this particular brand and I would not recommend it due to poor reliability.