Braun AromaDeluxe KF 580 10-Cups Coffee Maker
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- Max. Power: 1100 Watts
- Operation: Electric
- Type: Coffee Maker
- Capacity: 10 Cups
Similar in Espresso Machines & Coffee Makers
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Good performance in a neat little package
Pros
Nice looks (stainless basket KF590), Compact design, great carafe.
Cons
Weak coffee in small batches. Sounds like a hissing space monster when finishing.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This machine, although not laden with bells and whistles, successfully competes with the larger black and stainlees-look Cuisinart and Krups machines, and it delivers good, hot coffee.
After looking at a number of coffeemakers and having purchased a Krups FME4, I thought I'd made the right decision. WRONG! The result was an extended nightmare of three returns to the store and four or five returns to the factory due to peeling hotplates and other quality issues because I stubbornly clung to the thought that Krups would get it right. They couldn't. Despite a good design and equally good features, the machines suffer from awful production and quality control issues.
So, I discovered the Braun KF580-590 series. I actually purchased the newer KF590 "Impressions" model, the only difference from the 580 Deluxe being its nicely done stainless steel filter basket. Previously unavailable from Braun, it had the look that we wanted.
The KF590 is a compact, very good-looking coffeemaker with a great carafe (the best yet). Unfortunately, it only has a ten cup capacity, which when converted to the capacity of the cups at our house, equals only a little more than six 8-ounce cups of coffee. (Two pots for eight people) But that's OK. We seldom need to make batches larger than the the KF590's capacity.
NEGATIVES
The KF590 features a "fast brew" system, which one might think is a great feature. I suspect that the system at least partially involves the KF590's higher water temperature. It does make coffee faster than most machines, but I found it to make somewhat weak coffee when making smaller batches, say one to three cups. The water just comes straight down into the grounds in a narrow stream rather than spraying out over the grounds like it did in the slower Krups FME4, which made outstanding coffee in any amount. I noticed it right away. Larger batches seem fine, however. This seems to be the only significant negative thing about the KF590. I found my own way around the situation by folding a small piece of paper towel in two and placing it over the grounds prior to brewing. It seemed to slow or better distrubute the passage of water through the grounds, allowing it to absorb more coffee flavor. Braun really should have designed a better water distributor or included a 1-3 cup option like Krups and others.
The otherwise quiet brewing KF590 is a noisy, steamy little bugger as it finishes. There is plenty of popping and hissing noise, accompanied by plumes of steam. It's very noticeable in the early morning quiet. This machine does NOT need an alarm to tell you when the coffee is ready!
POSITIVES
The Brita water filter setup is nice, but we won't be changing it as much as Braun is recommending...$$!
The carafe, with its ergonomic, non-slip grip, is the best I've seen. The lid flips up with a thumb press and is easily removable for cleaning. The warming plate works very well and has a nice non-stick coating.
The simple timer is easy to set up, and you won't need to hunt for the manual if something gets screwed up. Basic instruction are on the underside of the water compartment lid. What's best here is the ability to program the KF590 to shut off anywhere from minutes to hours after brewing. It's a feature found on top-of the-line machines lately. We have ours shut down after an hour. The Krups went one step further-it would quickly shut off if it was inadvertently switched on without water in it, and it would let you know it did so.
Looks-wise, The stainless basket really sets it off. It's much nicer than the grey plastic of the KF580, but too bad, the timer panel is still grey plastic. Come on, Braun, we want a stainless timer panel, too. I do have reservations about putting the stainless basket in the dishwasher. I think we'll be washing it by hand...All in all though, the KF590 is a very good looking coffeemaker.
The 590's reduced height will make it easy for shorter people to fill the water tank, which has very visible water gauge on the left side of the machine. The carafe/tank markings are reasonably close. The clock display is constantly backlit. A good idea, but I hope the lamp doesn't burn out.
Coffee temperature. The KF590 produces a HOT cup of coffee, the temperature being about 180 degrees. Milk or cream, or pouring the coffee into a cold morning mug cools it down, but it will still be plenty hot. The warming plate keeps it at just about that temperature.
The KF590 has few shortcomings, the most significant being somewhat weak coffee when made in small batches. The paper towel solution worked for us, and we find the KF590 to be otherwise an excellent product.
So, I discovered the Braun KF580-590 series. I actually purchased the newer KF590 "Impressions" model, the only difference from the 580 Deluxe being its nicely done stainless steel filter basket. Previously unavailable from Braun, it had the look that we wanted.
The KF590 is a compact, very good-looking coffeemaker with a great carafe (the best yet). Unfortunately, it only has a ten cup capacity, which when converted to the capacity of the cups at our house, equals only a little more than six 8-ounce cups of coffee. (Two pots for eight people) But that's OK. We seldom need to make batches larger than the the KF590's capacity.
NEGATIVES
The KF590 features a "fast brew" system, which one might think is a great feature. I suspect that the system at least partially involves the KF590's higher water temperature. It does make coffee faster than most machines, but I found it to make somewhat weak coffee when making smaller batches, say one to three cups. The water just comes straight down into the grounds in a narrow stream rather than spraying out over the grounds like it did in the slower Krups FME4, which made outstanding coffee in any amount. I noticed it right away. Larger batches seem fine, however. This seems to be the only significant negative thing about the KF590. I found my own way around the situation by folding a small piece of paper towel in two and placing it over the grounds prior to brewing. It seemed to slow or better distrubute the passage of water through the grounds, allowing it to absorb more coffee flavor. Braun really should have designed a better water distributor or included a 1-3 cup option like Krups and others.
The otherwise quiet brewing KF590 is a noisy, steamy little bugger as it finishes. There is plenty of popping and hissing noise, accompanied by plumes of steam. It's very noticeable in the early morning quiet. This machine does NOT need an alarm to tell you when the coffee is ready!
POSITIVES
The Brita water filter setup is nice, but we won't be changing it as much as Braun is recommending...$$!
The carafe, with its ergonomic, non-slip grip, is the best I've seen. The lid flips up with a thumb press and is easily removable for cleaning. The warming plate works very well and has a nice non-stick coating.
The simple timer is easy to set up, and you won't need to hunt for the manual if something gets screwed up. Basic instruction are on the underside of the water compartment lid. What's best here is the ability to program the KF590 to shut off anywhere from minutes to hours after brewing. It's a feature found on top-of the-line machines lately. We have ours shut down after an hour. The Krups went one step further-it would quickly shut off if it was inadvertently switched on without water in it, and it would let you know it did so.
Looks-wise, The stainless basket really sets it off. It's much nicer than the grey plastic of the KF580, but too bad, the timer panel is still grey plastic. Come on, Braun, we want a stainless timer panel, too. I do have reservations about putting the stainless basket in the dishwasher. I think we'll be washing it by hand...All in all though, the KF590 is a very good looking coffeemaker.
The 590's reduced height will make it easy for shorter people to fill the water tank, which has very visible water gauge on the left side of the machine. The carafe/tank markings are reasonably close. The clock display is constantly backlit. A good idea, but I hope the lamp doesn't burn out.
Coffee temperature. The KF590 produces a HOT cup of coffee, the temperature being about 180 degrees. Milk or cream, or pouring the coffee into a cold morning mug cools it down, but it will still be plenty hot. The warming plate keeps it at just about that temperature.
The KF590 has few shortcomings, the most significant being somewhat weak coffee when made in small batches. The paper towel solution worked for us, and we find the KF590 to be otherwise an excellent product.
