Mr. Coffee eLume 12-Cup Coffee Maker

Pros

• Sleek modern design
• Easy-to-use touchscreen controls

Cons

• nothing in particular

Description

• Makes up to 12 cups of coffee
• Costs around $60
• Includes a water filter unit
• Can be programmed for later brewing

Guide Review - Mr. Coffee eLume 12-Cup Coffee Maker

Overall, the eLume is a pretty typical drip coffee maker. The feature that makes this unit special is the touchscreen control panel. There are no buttons on the eLume, just an illuminated panel that responds to a light tap of your finger. It's very snazzy. When the power is off, only the clock and power button stay lit, giving the machine a very minimalist look. When on, the rest of the controls appear. (see photos).

Other than that, it works much like your usual drip coffee maker. The grounds basket compartment opens from the top, instead of having the basket swing out. I found it much easier to use that way.

There is a place for a small filter capsule that helps reduce the chlorine in your finished coffee, if you use tap water in your machine. I like the idea, but the holder for the water filter sits inside the grounds basket so the water pours through the filter before your grounds. Works fine, as long as you use paper filters. I have a resusable mesh grounds basket that gets in the way, so I can't use the water filter.

I did find the coffee a bit weaker than I would have expected, so I would recommend using the "strong" brew level for every day coffee brewing.

Other features include an automatic shutoff after 2 hours, which includes a timer display so you can see for yourself how long the carafe has been sitting on the warming plate. When it turns off, it beeps so you know that it's going off. I like that since I often forget and like the chance to grab a cup before it starts to cool.

You can see a few photos of the controls and other features.