Review on ☕ Stainless Steel Saeco Easy Fill 12-Cup Automatic Drip Coffee Maker by Michael Herrera

What really appealed to me about this coffee maker was its unique user-friendly design. Rather than pulling the entire unit out from under the counter to fill the tank, the tank and filter assembly sits in a removable drawer above the carafe. Second, Saeco is a well-respected maker of quality coffee makers, so I thought it would be a tough choice. On the other hand, the comfort is what I expected. It is very practical that you can take the tank to the sink and fill it there without having to move the entire device. Second, the coffee tastes just as good as I've ever had from an automatic drip coffee maker, with the #4 cone filter, which I've always liked better than the flat pleated filters that many other coffee makers use. I love that you can set the carafe's temperature (I don't like scalding drinks) and that it tells you how long the machine will run before it shuts off automatically. (You can always restart the cycle simply by turning the power off and on again.) On the other hand, I've unfortunately found that the tank/box usually gets stuck and has to be pushed out to fill the tank or remove old bases. I finally realized that what was sticking out was the fold-out plastic handle on the cone filter holder. Even when properly folded, it rose a millimeter or so higher, cutting through all the violent distances badly. I took some sandpaper hoping I could shave off the handle just enough to completely clean the hole. Time will tell if this has solved the problem. My second complaint is that it seems impossible to pour coffee from this carafe into a cup without spilling something on the counter. The coffee flows down the sides of the spout, runs down the outside of the pot and drips onto the table from below. Not sure why the decanter-lid assembly doesn't work better, but in my experience it seems like just a bumblebee project - surprising for a coffee maker with a lot of experience. My third and final complaint is a nitpick: At 12-1/2 inches deep and 9 inches wide, this coffee maker takes up a lot of valuable counter space. Perhaps the size is related to the detachable design of the tank. I'm not sure, but I'd be happier with a less dominant device. UPDATE (10/23/12): Both bad and good news. Bad news first: My solution to the stuck sandpaper box problem didn't really do much; the box is still stuck and it's still annoying. The good news is that my complaint about the leaking carafe lid stems from not being able to close it completely. It's still a fancy design, but if you're careful and make sure the lid is fully closed, it won't leak when you pour your coffee.