The first cup of brewed coffee is outstanding but everything goes downhill from there. There's no seal on the carafe's screw in top to prevent heat loss nor is there any means to keep the carafe warm on a built-in warming plate. I've debated sending my brewer back in for a full refund & then buying the 9-cup version, but haven't done so yet. From my research the 8-cup makes a slightly better pot of "joe" than the 9 due to the flat-bottomed filter insert. And a great cup of coffee is what it's all about, right?