I upgraded from the previous version of this coffeemaker, so I knew in general what to expect. The carafe is the weakest point. There is simply NO WAY to empty the carafe into the coffeemaker (to put the water in), or into a coffee cup, due to the overly large lip on the inside of the top of the carafe - a real design flaw that has made it through at least 2 versions of this coffeemaker.