This coffee maker has been better than I even thought it would be. For starters, it looks fantastic on my kitchen counter. It also takes up less space than you would think. It's not a small unit, but I like it better than a typical more box-y look of other coffee makers. Thanks to the carafe too, the coffee stays warm for hours when I've had to run out the door! The only thing to be aware of is that it takes about 3 or 4 uses to get the plastic taste to go away. At first I was worried that it's a 9-cup maker instead of a typical 12-cup but honestly, I like this one more! And guests have loved watching it brew.