Simply the finest coffee machine you will ever own.

So my grind-n-brew died. Finally happened, I can't complain. Actually, I'm not going to miss the early morning aircraft-taking-off noise of the grinder switching on. Or the horrendous beeping of the thing when it was done. Or the fifty dang parts I had to clean.

But I still needed a new machine.

I looked around, I talked to coffee nuts -- by which I mean people who actually make coffee with a press. In the morning?? Give me a break!

If, they told me, you're not going to get it together to make coffee with the press first thing in the morning, you need to buy a Capresso machine.

And, they also said, if you're going to buy a Capresso, get the most expensive one.

Well, so they didn't actually say that.

Capresso is the North Face of coffee equipment. In other words, a) it is the best equipment money can buy, and b) it costs twice as much and is only about 50% better than everyone else's stuff.

I'm willing to let that go, because I love this company. The guy who started Capresso used to run Krups USA, but left to make the best coffee machines in the world, without having to worry about market share. I also love their dedication to customer service. You buy a machine from them, you are a preferred customer for life. Period. You call, they know who you are, ask how the machine is doing, they know how long it's been since you ordered charcoal filters and so on.

Here's the nitty gritty on the MT500:

It's beautiful. And it puts that beauty on the inside; it'll brew 10 cups pronto, about 5 minutes, and then switch itself off -- since it brews into the thermal carafe, it doesn't need a hotplate. Plus it won't be cooking your coffee for an additional two hours.

It has a stainless-steel lined heating system. This is unique, and reduces water contact with traditional aluminum elements -- in other words, reduces that ugly white buildup to practically nothing. And the stainless, combined with the fact that it brews into an insulated carafe, means this thing is QUIET. Plus, it doesn't beep at me when it's done.

It has a built-in charcoal filter, easy to replace, the machine even lets you know when it's time to do so.

And it's easy as anything to clean. Stainless is that way. The plastic cone which holds the goldtone filter pops right out, and cleans easily. The only other part that gets dirty is the carafe and its lid, which are a piece of cake.

Wait, did I mention the coffee tastes fantastic? It does - the water is filtered and very hot, which is exactly what you want.

Great machine. It's a little hard to find, but if you're reading this, clearly you're willing to look for it. I'd recommend buying from Capresso directly, if for no other reason than to enjoy the experience of talking to their staff. I don't know what they're doing out there, but their telephone people are consistently amazing.

***UPDATE*** 11/18/02

So I've been using this machine for 8 months now, and thought I'd drop a line on how it's been going.

Solid construction has paid off, nothing has broken. The nice thing about the stainless construction is a damp cloth with a little detergent takes off the water spots, and presto! It looks brand new again. I remember thinking the seal on the carafe's lid might be a problem, but it's held up.

I've found myself not using the programmable start feature, since the machine brews so quickly. I do fill the tank before I go to bed, and just start it when I get up in the morning; by the time I get it together to find cups and sugar, the coffee's ready. Much as I hate to buy something and not utilize it fully, this seems like an extraneous feature.

The speed is nice, too, when I have company. I can fill everyone's cup, and just rinse the gold filter and brew another pot before people are out of coffee.

Customer service continues to be impressive -- they knew who I was again when I called for new charcoal filters. I've seen their newer machines in stores, with the filters sitting next to them for sale, but it's so simple to just call and get them sent, I buy them that way.

Would I buy another? Yes, but it looks increasingly like I may never have to.

***UPDATE #2*** 11/19/08

Oddly enough, I pop by Epinions nearly six years to the day since my last update on this machine. And, since I'm here, I should let you know:

It's still running famously.

I've replaced nothing but filters, and even then less often than I probably should have. And the coffee remains remarkably good. As in, people still remark how I always have amazingly good coffee.

I guess there's no other way to put it: six years, eight months later, this was probably one of the best purchases I've ever made.