It's a definite upgrade from the cheap Mr. Coffee as far as looks go. I'm simply tickled by how pretty it is. My household drinks a LOT of coffee (at least three pots daily) so we burn through coffeemakers and have generally stuck to buying ones that are inexpensive enough to be considered "disposable". This brews coffee that is MUCH hotter than the previous (aforementioned) coffeemakers. The carafe seems well-designed, to prevent dripping and dribbling. It does tend to make strange noises, but as I've only had it a few days, I'll reserve judgement on just what they may be. For the moment, I'm quite satisfied with this purchase.