Breville BDC600XL YouBrew Drip Coffee Maker

• Sales Rank: #3089 in Kitchen & Housewares
  
• Color: Silver
• Brand: Breville
• Model: BDC600XL
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 16.25" h x
  14.00" w x
  9.00" l,
  16.00 pounds
  

Features

• Brewing system doses the right amount of coffee with the right amount of water while heating water to the optimum temperature
• Built-in 0.5-lb bean hopper and integrated burr grinder
• Carafe' setting with brew pause feature and makes up to 12 cups of coffee
• Single Cup' setting from regular to extra-large cup size
• Adjustable strength settings

• Brewing system doses the right amount of coffee with the right amount of water while heating water to the optimum temperature
• Built-in 0.5-lb bean hopper and integrated burr grinder
• Carafe' setting with brew pause feature and makes up to 12 cups of coffee
• Single Cup' setting from regular to extra-large cup size
• Adjustable strength settings

Why the Breville YouBrew?

Most drip machines simply drip water over the coffee grounds to make coffee, but coffee needs to be steeped in hot water for full-bodied taste. The Breville YouBrew began with the question: how do you brew the perfect cup of coffee from a drip coffee machine?

The Breville YouBrew makes it possible for you to make your ideal cup of coffee with its unique coffee brewing system. In the single cup mode, the Breville YouBrew holds the coffee and water together for a stronger, more flavorful cup. The process is similar to how a French Press coffeemaker works, which allows the coffee and water to steep together for 4 minutes before drinking. This gives you more control over the flavor of your coffee. Simply choose your favorite bean and roast, choose your preferred strength, and choose your ideal flavor profile, and the YouBrew’s intelligent Brew IQ system does the rest. Your choice, your coffee nirvana, Breville’s YouBrew.

This is how the Breville YouBrew stands apart: it simplifies coffee-making but still makes it possible for you to customize your perfect cup.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

188 of 195 people found the following review helpful.
The Apple of Small Appliances
By Craig S
The more I look at their products, the more I think Breville is trying to be the Apple of small appliances. They clearly research how products are actually used, and then try to improve. The YouBrew has some innovations that I really like - and then I must ask: why are they the only ones who seem to care.Here are the features I like best:#1: Useful LCD display. Every other coffee machine I have tried has - at best - a couple of flashing lights and a simple clock display. The Breville has an backlit LCD display that actually tells me something beyond a flashing '12:00' !!! At first, the display seems overly complicated. You quickly discover that the information is useful and logically presented. I personally would have programmed the buttons a bit more consistently and would have used the up and down buttons with more functions (like setting carafe size) Self-clean mode could also be easier to set. With that said, the Breville's user interface is still 10 years ahead of everything else. When making coffee in the morning, I press one button and I am done. The Breville is even nice enough to tell how me how much time is remaining until my coffee is ready. BTW: The Breville clock does NOT flash 12:00 or show the wrong time when you don't set the clock after a power failure or if - like me- you rarely use the timed brewing functions. Very thoughtful.#2: No plastic smell. I didn't care about this until I recently bought (and then returned) a Mr. Coffee and a Cuisinart maker. Both had terrible plastic smells that you taste even after rinsing the machine several times with vinegar, soap and water. I understand that the smell and taste will diminish over time. I just don't know how safe it is to drink even small amounts of liquid that has been contaminated in this way.#3 Smart brewing. Being able to control the coffee to water ratio and then the steeping time for any size cup or carafe is absolutely brilliant. It allows me to make coffee the way I like it and I can consistently reproduce my results, time after time. I can also switch from single cup to 12 cups and get exactly what I expect. Outstanding!The features I like the least:#1 Height. At 16 3/4" tall, this coffee machine will have trouble fitting under some kitchen cabinets.#2 Grinder Noise (minor concern): Using my trusty dB A meter I measured it at 80 db. Not a big deal since it runs for only a few seconds. To put this in perspective, it is quieter than a Starbucks store grinder (92 dB) or even my Dyson handheld vacuum (88 db).Summary: The Breville is what I wanted in a drip coffee maker including many things I didn't know I wanted.======= Two year Update =======I have owned the Breville BDC600XL for almost two years now. Here is my review update:Things I still like:1. Convenience. I add beans about twice a week and water daily. I add a new paper filter and rinse the holder. That's all I do to get my coffee every day. I recognize that there are potentially better methods but they require more work. I remain happy with the Breville's automatic results.2. Coffee Temperature. Controversial for sure. I believe there are 2 camps: Coffee must be near boiling temperature or hot is good enough. I am in the latter camp because I will often let my coffee sit in the thermo carafe before getting to it. Fine for me. For those who need hotter, then a heated glass carafe is the only way to go. I believe Breville now makes such a model but I'm not interested. I am likely to leave my coffee sitting on most days. The thermo carafe remains my preferred solution.3. Timed Operation. I never used the timer functions very much in the past. Too error prone and annoying. Setting up the Breville to run the next morning is fast and easy. I now find myself doing it on most weekdays.4. Coffee Strength and Flavor: I am still very happy. I typically brew a six cup carafe at strength level of 3. I understand personal preferences apply here. I continue to look forward to my morning cup.Things that could be improved:1. Fine versus coarse grind - I also own a Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder. Its grind coarseness setting is much appreciated.2. Software bugs - Mostly amusing but that's what we get with 'smarter' appliances. Bug #1 is: The Breville thinks 12 noon is 12 AM. In other words, the clock and wake up timer go 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 AM. Of course it should go 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM. Bug #2: After you add water, the Breville selects the number of cups you last used for timed operation UNLESS the number of cups of water in the reservoir is higher. If so, it now selects the higher number but does NOT update the display. You might now be getting 9 cups instead of the 6 cups shown. This can cause overflows if you fill the reservoir to full.3. Customer Support - I have had no failures but when I informed Breville about the two software bugs described above, the support person on the phone basically said "That's life". I think they can do better than that.Final Summary:Still five stars and I would buy again. I have not found anything better that meets my desire for flexible control, decent automation and good taste. I suspect I will keep this coffeemaker until we get useful WiFi capable appliances in a few years.

93 of 96 people found the following review helpful.
Talk about the Wow! Factor
By K. Cloonan
UPDATE December 2013: I still love my Coffee Maker! Yes, I think it uses more beans than it should. Yes it is loud. But it makes coffee that I look forward to - Every. Single. Morning.Not only that, but Breville Customer Service is the best I have ever experienced. My first unit had a slight issue where the clock would lose a couple minutes a week - irritating, but not a showstopper. Nonetheless, I contacted Breville, who acknowledged the issue, and put me on a waitlist for a replacement when the software fix was finalized. Sure enough, they called me (albeit several months later) to inform me the new/improved maker was available, and arranged for a swap. So that was great.Then came my issue 3 weeks ago. I accidentally dropped my thermal carafe while transporting the coffee maker to work to show it off to some co-workers. The plastic rim/pour spout shattered. I was very angry (at myself). When I got home, I started shopping for a replacement carafe - they want $60 JUST FOR THE CARAFE!!! I could not see shelling out more than the cost of an average coffee maker just for a carafe. I decided to contact Breville, and see if they had a used carafe from one of their warranty returns - a long shot, but what did I have to lose? Breville wrote me back within a couple minutes asking for proof of ownership (serial # of my unit, and copy of receipt). I asked why, since this was not a warranty issue - it was an issue of my own doing. They wrote back again within one minute confirming that the issue was my doing, but they needed to confirm my ownership so they could ship me a BRAND NEW CARAFE!! I just received the new carafe in the mail, and am very happy. Thank you Breville!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I read every review on this and other combination Grinder/Brewers. This one had what I was looking for - a burr grinder (instead of the inferior blade), and decent reviews. Although the YouBrew is almost twice the price of some of the competition, I saw a recurring theme across all the reviews - You get what you pay for.So I took the leap, and spent more on this coffee maker than I have spent on all my previous coffee makers and grinders combined,times about 4. And I'm glad I did.Here are my thoughts after using it for a couple weeks:Cons:It is big. It is a beast. It weighs a ton. But it is sure a conversation starter sitting there on my counter top.The stainless steel does show fingerprints. So I wipe it down to keep it looking nice. We'll see how long that lasts...Previous reviews talk about how loud the grinder is - and they aren't kidding. It sounds like I did something terrible when I push the start button and this very loud grinding noise starts up. But I'm getting used to it. Plus, I've been using it in program mode, where it grinds beans and brews before I get up, and apparently the grinder noise is not loud enough to carry up the stairs and wake anybody up.I tried the gold-tone filter it came with - Meh. It made a decent enough cup of coffee, but what a mess to clean up afterward. I made a full carafe using the gold-tone filter, and the grounds completely filled the filter basket, and overflowed some into the removable housing. Then I had to wait until the thing cooled down so I could dig around in the grinds for the little handle on the gold-tone filter, and then I had to dump it upside down to empty it into the kitchen garbage, making a hell of a mess. So I switched to paper filters, and it's back to simply upending the housing and discarding the filter full of grounds into the garbage, then giving the housing a rinse.Pros:This thing make the most awesome cup of coffee I've ever made! I've been roasting my own coffee for a while now, so I really enjoy fresh roasted beans. This maker really does a beautiful job of grinding and extracting the coffee-goodness out of my beans.You can make a single cup (in something like 8 different sizes, from 7.5oz up to a healthy 21oz bladder buster.You can program the strength (amount of coffee used) and flavor (amount of time the ground beans steep in the water). Or you can program to make a carafe of between 2 and 12 cups (of course, a "cup" is really small. 2 cups = one normal mug of coffee)The LCD screen really is easy to understand. It's well laid out, and very intuitive.You can turn it completely off when it's not in use (so no little LEDs lighting up the kitchen in the dark)It holds 60oz of water and a half pound of beans, so you can go a day or 2 without reloading (at least I can...)There is an automated "door" that rotates closed after grinding, to keep steam and moisture from entering the grinding chamber. Great idea.It is solid. It has a nice fit and finish to it. There is nothing cheap about it. It has a satisfying click when you shut the filter door.One point I found to be helpful - I put little felt discs on the bottom - it comes with a rubber non-skid bottom, so it stays put. But I like being able to slide it out from under the cabinet when I am filling it, or to let steam vent while it is brewing, and then sliding it back when it's not in use. The felt pads definitely help from marking up the counter top, and makes the sliding smoother.In summary, as I mentioned at the start - you get what you pay for. And I'm happy.Update - February 2013: I have had my YouBrew for 6 months. I have read the growing number of reviews (both good and bad) and have come to this conclusion: when the YouBrew works, it works very well. Unfortunately, it appears, Breville does not turn out 100% good product, thus the bad reviews. My advice for anyone who has had a unit that does not work (i.e. does not make hot coffee, grinder breaks, water stops pumping, whatever), contact Breville and get a new one. It's unfortunate that their output of good units is less than 100%, but it's got to be above 90%, so your odds of getting back-to-back defective units is slim. After 6 months, I can state that I have a unit that operates as it should. I have hot coffee. The carafe keeps the coffee hot for several hours - it keeps it warm for more than 12 hours. Yes it's awkward to get that last 1/2 cup out, but I don't dwell on it. The loud grinding doesn't bother me - it's kind of like an alarm clock - it goes off at 5:45am, and I know I will have amazing coffee in about 12 minutes. The only minor irritation I have with my unit is that it loses about 1 minute a day on the clock - So I have to reset the clock a couple times a month. No big deal, it takes all of 10 seconds. Breville has stated they are aware of this issue and are working to correct it. All in all, the YouBrew remains one of my favorite appliances, and I really enjoy great coffee now.

394 of 458 people found the following review helpful.
Well engineered, but not without faults. 3.5 - 4 Stars
By Ethan A. Winning
We can all agree on what's really lousy coffee (from army mess to a couple of high-end places where servers are called "baristas"), but what's really a great cup of coffee is a matter of conjecture, the qualioty of the beans, and what we're accustomed to. I'm no connoisseur: I know what I like; rich, a little strong, and with cream.The Breville You Brew is nicely designed, takes a little thought, and makes a decent cup of coffee, but nothing comparable to that really good coffee one gets at a FINE restaurant (the Ritz-Carlton comes to mind). After playing with it and making everything from one cup to a travel mug to a full carafe, the end product is no better than what my Cuisinart and *premium* [Dillanos]coffee puts out.I think what this boils down to - to use a very appropriate phrase - is the coffee. My wife and I think Caribou and Starbucks are bitter even though the pres. of Starbucks says that there's no bitterness in coffee, period. Still, I think it's important that the reader knows this because it will give a point of reference. Knowing that, here are the pros and cons as I see them in the Breville YouBrew.Design and Pros:Easy to Use - Don't let the "panel" with all the options put you off. The You Brew is well designed, actually very easy to use, and does everything but drink the coffee for you.Make a Mug or a Carafe Full - You can make a mug or carafe-full.Use Ground or Beans - You can grind your own beans or use pre-ground.Fill the Reservoir with Water, and It Knows How Much to Use, and Pre-Heats before it brews - You can fill the reservoir with water the night before and have the thing go off at 6 AM, and it will pre-heat the water before it starts brewing. The folks at Breville even thought of making sure that the steam that's generated during the making of the coffee doesn't go back into the bean reservoir.The machine will use just the water it needs for whatever you tell it to brew, and you can fill it more easily than many machines because the water reservoir is in the middle top of the machine, though the machine is quite tall.Insulated Carafe - The carafe is heated and keeps the coffee at a decent temperature for several hours, but not the whole day as some have said. You can indeed take the carafe out and pour yourself a cup while it's brewing without any leakage (our Cuisinart leaks badly when you try that).Good Coffee By The Mug - Disregarding making a carafe-full for the time being, individual cups and travel mugs produce the most uniform and best coffee. The water to grounds ratio seems to be best for the mug.Easy to Clean - Last, it's easy to clean.Neither Pro Nor Con or Both: I loved the fact that this is an insulated carafe, and that it does keep the coffee warm for several hours. However, I prefer a glass carafe because I want to know how much coffee is left without having to guess. It's too bad that there isn't a see-thru level on the side.Cons:It's Huge and DOES Make a Difference (See Uploaded Photos Out of the Box) - Again, this thing is huge, and at 16 inches is 3 inches taller than our old Cuisinart. My wife who is just a tad under 5 feet, has to stand on a step stool to fill it with water. Counter height is normally around 36" which makes the reservoir 52" off the ground, and don't forget that the brewer is not at the edge of the counter, but pushed back. I'm 6'2" (yeah, you should see our wedding pictures), and even I have some difficulty in reaching up and over.Can't See If Any Coffee Is Left (a BIG deal) - The carafe has no indicator to tell you how much coffee is left. This has become a much bigger issue after using it for several weeks. Just when you want a cup, it turns out that somebody's left it empty ... again. Glass carafes might not keep coffee warm for as long a period, but I MUCH prefer glass.Noisy - The grinder is REALLY noisy, and that's important if one person is up at 5 or 6 and the other still in bed. And yes, it is loud enough to wake somebody up!Is Not Uniformly Hot - The coffee isn't uniformly hot, and seem to be cooler than what our other pots have produced. That can be an issue if you do use cream/milk which will make it even cooler. It's not important to me during my "ice coffee season" which is about ... always, but I do like a hot cup of coffee at breakfast. YouBrew is best for the first few cups while our Krups and Cuisinart were much too strong until the carafe was half full.Pricey - Even at this hefty price, I'm not sure that Breville uses copper heating coils. (I think that Technivorm is the only one that does.)Consistency - Because it's freshly ground coffee, one would think it would be stronger, but it isn't and I haven't found a way to override the amount of water or coffee that's used. I have found that pre-ground coffee is stronger which is a surprise.Summary: I do like the design, but at times I wonder why I would want to go through the decision-making and choice selection process. I've been making coffee by the pot for over 50 years: maybe I'm just not enough of a snob. I have wondered if Green Mountain - those folk that bring you the one-cup serving container at a high profit margin - isn't talking many people into the cup-at-a-time rather than the carafe because that's where the money is (and I see that Gevalia and Starbucks are joining forces).I like the design, but more from an engineering point of view much more than aesthetically. It's really too big to be beautiful ... even in the largest kitchen. That it's stainless is only a concern when you have stainless appliances.The coffee is good, but not fantastic. Again, I emphasize that it's still a matter of taste. On the one hand, you can't go wrong. On the other, there are French drip pots for a quarter the price that can produce some really great cups of coffee. America's Test Kitchen still prefers the French drip, but then, who's to say they have the same criteria and taste buds as mine.While many would say that, for a good cup of coffee, price shouldn't be a consideration. Who are these people??? This is a very expensive brewer, and for this kind of money, I really would expect the best cup of coffee.[I used to teach management principles and psychology, and everyone whose ever been in my seminars knows that one of my two principles is, Satisfaction is a function of Rewards Over Expectations. For the price, I think that most would EXPECT a great cup of coffee. If this was $79, the coffee might be thought to be better. Subjectivity does indeed play a role. The other principle...well, I'll save that for another review unless you want to email me.]EW

See all 358 customer reviews...

Breville BDC600XL YouBrew Drip Coffee Maker

In Stock! Go to STORE Now !

14.00" w x
9.00" l,
16.00 pounds

Features

• Brewing system doses the right amount of coffee with the right amount of water while heating water to the optimum temperature
• Built-in 0.5-lb bean hopper and integrated burr grinder
• Carafe' setting with brew pause feature and makes up to 12 cups of coffee
• Single Cup' setting from regular to extra-large cup size
• Adjustable strength settings

• Brewing system doses the right amount of coffee with the right amount of water while heating water to the optimum temperature
• Built-in 0.5-lb bean hopper and integrated burr grinder
• Carafe' setting with brew pause feature and makes up to 12 cups of coffee
• Single Cup' setting from regular to extra-large cup size
• Adjustable strength settings

Why the Breville YouBrew?

Most drip machines simply drip water over the coffee grounds to make coffee, but coffee needs to be steeped in hot water for full-bodied taste. The Breville YouBrew began with the question: how do you brew the perfect cup of coffee from a drip coffee machine?

The Breville YouBrew makes it possible for you to make your ideal cup of coffee with its unique coffee brewing system. In the single cup mode, the Breville YouBrew holds the coffee and water together for a stronger, more flavorful cup. The process is similar to how a French Press coffeemaker works, which allows the coffee and water to steep together for 4 minutes before drinking. This gives you more control over the flavor of your coffee. Simply choose your favorite bean and roast, choose your preferred strength, and choose your ideal flavor profile, and the YouBrew’s intelligent Brew IQ system does the rest. Your choice, your coffee nirvana, Breville’s YouBrew.

This is how the Breville YouBrew stands apart: it simplifies coffee-making but still makes it possible for you to customize your perfect cup.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

188 of 195 people found the following review helpful.
The Apple of Small Appliances
By Craig S
The more I look at their products, the more I think Breville is trying to be the Apple of small appliances. They clearly research how products are actually used, and then try to improve. The YouBrew has some innovations that I really like - and then I must ask: why are they the only ones who seem to care.Here are the features I like best:#1: Useful LCD display. Every other coffee machine I have tried has - at best - a couple of flashing lights and a simple clock display. The Breville has an backlit LCD display that actually tells me something beyond a flashing '12:00' !!! At first, the display seems overly complicated. You quickly discover that the information is useful and logically presented. I personally would have programmed the buttons a bit more consistently and would have used the up and down buttons with more functions (like setting carafe size) Self-clean mode could also be easier to set. With that said, the Breville's user interface is still 10 years ahead of everything else. When making coffee in the morning, I press one button and I am done. The Breville is even nice enough to tell how me how much time is remaining until my coffee is ready. BTW: The Breville clock does NOT flash 12:00 or show the wrong time when you don't set the clock after a power failure or if - like me- you rarely use the timed brewing functions. Very thoughtful.#2: No plastic smell. I didn't care about this until I recently bought (and then returned) a Mr. Coffee and a Cuisinart maker. Both had terrible plastic smells that you taste even after rinsing the machine several times with vinegar, soap and water. I understand that the smell and taste will diminish over time. I just don't know how safe it is to drink even small amounts of liquid that has been contaminated in this way.#3 Smart brewing. Being able to control the coffee to water ratio and then the steeping time for any size cup or carafe is absolutely brilliant. It allows me to make coffee the way I like it and I can consistently reproduce my results, time after time. I can also switch from single cup to 12 cups and get exactly what I expect. Outstanding!The features I like the least:#1 Height. At 16 3/4" tall, this coffee machine will have trouble fitting under some kitchen cabinets.#2 Grinder Noise (minor concern): Using my trusty dB A meter I measured it at 80 db. Not a big deal since it runs for only a few seconds. To put this in perspective, it is quieter than a Starbucks store grinder (92 dB) or even my Dyson handheld vacuum (88 db).Summary: The Breville is what I wanted in a drip coffee maker including many things I didn't know I wanted.======= Two year Update =======I have owned the Breville BDC600XL for almost two years now. Here is my review update:Things I still like:1. Convenience. I add beans about twice a week and water daily. I add a new paper filter and rinse the holder. That's all I do to get my coffee every day. I recognize that there are potentially better methods but they require more work. I remain happy with the Breville's automatic results.2. Coffee Temperature. Controversial for sure. I believe there are 2 camps: Coffee must be near boiling temperature or hot is good enough. I am in the latter camp because I will often let my coffee sit in the thermo carafe before getting to it. Fine for me. For those who need hotter, then a heated glass carafe is the only way to go. I believe Breville now makes such a model but I'm not interested. I am likely to leave my coffee sitting on most days. The thermo carafe remains my preferred solution.3. Timed Operation. I never used the timer functions very much in the past. Too error prone and annoying. Setting up the Breville to run the next morning is fast and easy. I now find myself doing it on most weekdays.4. Coffee Strength and Flavor: I am still very happy. I typically brew a six cup carafe at strength level of 3. I understand personal preferences apply here. I continue to look forward to my morning cup.Things that could be improved:1. Fine versus coarse grind - I also own a Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder. Its grind coarseness setting is much appreciated.2. Software bugs - Mostly amusing but that's what we get with 'smarter' appliances. Bug #1 is: The Breville thinks 12 noon is 12 AM. In other words, the clock and wake up timer go 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 AM. Of course it should go 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM. Bug #2: After you add water, the Breville selects the number of cups you last used for timed operation UNLESS the number of cups of water in the reservoir is higher. If so, it now selects the higher number but does NOT update the display. You might now be getting 9 cups instead of the 6 cups shown. This can cause overflows if you fill the reservoir to full.3. Customer Support - I have had no failures but when I informed Breville about the two software bugs described above, the support person on the phone basically said "That's life". I think they can do better than that.Final Summary:Still five stars and I would buy again. I have not found anything better that meets my desire for flexible control, decent automation and good taste. I suspect I will keep this coffeemaker until we get useful WiFi capable appliances in a few years.

93 of 96 people found the following review helpful.
Talk about the Wow! Factor
By K. Cloonan
UPDATE December 2013: I still love my Coffee Maker! Yes, I think it uses more beans than it should. Yes it is loud. But it makes coffee that I look forward to - Every. Single. Morning.Not only that, but Breville Customer Service is the best I have ever experienced. My first unit had a slight issue where the clock would lose a couple minutes a week - irritating, but not a showstopper. Nonetheless, I contacted Breville, who acknowledged the issue, and put me on a waitlist for a replacement when the software fix was finalized. Sure enough, they called me (albeit several months later) to inform me the new/improved maker was available, and arranged for a swap. So that was great.Then came my issue 3 weeks ago. I accidentally dropped my thermal carafe while transporting the coffee maker to work to show it off to some co-workers. The plastic rim/pour spout shattered. I was very angry (at myself). When I got home, I started shopping for a replacement carafe - they want $60 JUST FOR THE CARAFE!!! I could not see shelling out more than the cost of an average coffee maker just for a carafe. I decided to contact Breville, and see if they had a used carafe from one of their warranty returns - a long shot, but what did I have to lose? Breville wrote me back within a couple minutes asking for proof of ownership (serial # of my unit, and copy of receipt). I asked why, since this was not a warranty issue - it was an issue of my own doing. They wrote back again within one minute confirming that the issue was my doing, but they needed to confirm my ownership so they could ship me a BRAND NEW CARAFE!! I just received the new carafe in the mail, and am very happy. Thank you Breville!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I read every review on this and other combination Grinder/Brewers. This one had what I was looking for - a burr grinder (instead of the inferior blade), and decent reviews. Although the YouBrew is almost twice the price of some of the competition, I saw a recurring theme across all the reviews - You get what you pay for.So I took the leap, and spent more on this coffee maker than I have spent on all my previous coffee makers and grinders combined,times about 4. And I'm glad I did.Here are my thoughts after using it for a couple weeks:Cons:It is big. It is a beast. It weighs a ton. But it is sure a conversation starter sitting there on my counter top.The stainless steel does show fingerprints. So I wipe it down to keep it looking nice. We'll see how long that lasts...Previous reviews talk about how loud the grinder is - and they aren't kidding. It sounds like I did something terrible when I push the start button and this very loud grinding noise starts up. But I'm getting used to it. Plus, I've been using it in program mode, where it grinds beans and brews before I get up, and apparently the grinder noise is not loud enough to carry up the stairs and wake anybody up.I tried the gold-tone filter it came with - Meh. It made a decent enough cup of coffee, but what a mess to clean up afterward. I made a full carafe using the gold-tone filter, and the grounds completely filled the filter basket, and overflowed some into the removable housing. Then I had to wait until the thing cooled down so I could dig around in the grinds for the little handle on the gold-tone filter, and then I had to dump it upside down to empty it into the kitchen garbage, making a hell of a mess. So I switched to paper filters, and it's back to simply upending the housing and discarding the filter full of grounds into the garbage, then giving the housing a rinse.Pros:This thing make the most awesome cup of coffee I've ever made! I've been roasting my own coffee for a while now, so I really enjoy fresh roasted beans. This maker really does a beautiful job of grinding and extracting the coffee-goodness out of my beans.You can make a single cup (in something like 8 different sizes, from 7.5oz up to a healthy 21oz bladder buster.You can program the strength (amount of coffee used) and flavor (amount of time the ground beans steep in the water). Or you can program to make a carafe of between 2 and 12 cups (of course, a "cup" is really small. 2 cups = one normal mug of coffee)The LCD screen really is easy to understand. It's well laid out, and very intuitive.You can turn it completely off when it's not in use (so no little LEDs lighting up the kitchen in the dark)It holds 60oz of water and a half pound of beans, so you can go a day or 2 without reloading (at least I can...)There is an automated "door" that rotates closed after grinding, to keep steam and moisture from entering the grinding chamber. Great idea.It is solid. It has a nice fit and finish to it. There is nothing cheap about it. It has a satisfying click when you shut the filter door.One point I found to be helpful - I put little felt discs on the bottom - it comes with a rubber non-skid bottom, so it stays put. But I like being able to slide it out from under the cabinet when I am filling it, or to let steam vent while it is brewing, and then sliding it back when it's not in use. The felt pads definitely help from marking up the counter top, and makes the sliding smoother.In summary, as I mentioned at the start - you get what you pay for. And I'm happy.Update - February 2013: I have had my YouBrew for 6 months. I have read the growing number of reviews (both good and bad) and have come to this conclusion: when the YouBrew works, it works very well. Unfortunately, it appears, Breville does not turn out 100% good product, thus the bad reviews. My advice for anyone who has had a unit that does not work (i.e. does not make hot coffee, grinder breaks, water stops pumping, whatever), contact Breville and get a new one. It's unfortunate that their output of good units is less than 100%, but it's got to be above 90%, so your odds of getting back-to-back defective units is slim. After 6 months, I can state that I have a unit that operates as it should. I have hot coffee. The carafe keeps the coffee hot for several hours - it keeps it warm for more than 12 hours. Yes it's awkward to get that last 1/2 cup out, but I don't dwell on it. The loud grinding doesn't bother me - it's kind of like an alarm clock - it goes off at 5:45am, and I know I will have amazing coffee in about 12 minutes. The only minor irritation I have with my unit is that it loses about 1 minute a day on the clock - So I have to reset the clock a couple times a month. No big deal, it takes all of 10 seconds. Breville has stated they are aware of this issue and are working to correct it. All in all, the YouBrew remains one of my favorite appliances, and I really enjoy great coffee now.

394 of 458 people found the following review helpful.
Well engineered, but not without faults. 3.5 - 4 Stars
By Ethan A. Winning
We can all agree on what's really lousy coffee (from army mess to a couple of high-end places where servers are called "baristas"), but what's really a great cup of coffee is a matter of conjecture, the qualioty of the beans, and what we're accustomed to. I'm no connoisseur: I know what I like; rich, a little strong, and with cream.The Breville You Brew is nicely designed, takes a little thought, and makes a decent cup of coffee, but nothing comparable to that really good coffee one gets at a FINE restaurant (the Ritz-Carlton comes to mind). After playing with it and making everything from one cup to a travel mug to a full carafe, the end product is no better than what my Cuisinart and *premium* [Dillanos]coffee puts out.I think what this boils down to - to use a very appropriate phrase - is the coffee. My wife and I think Caribou and Starbucks are bitter even though the pres. of Starbucks says that there's no bitterness in coffee, period. Still, I think it's important that the reader knows this because it will give a point of reference. Knowing that, here are the pros and cons as I see them in the Breville YouBrew.Design and Pros:Easy to Use - Don't let the "panel" with all the options put you off. The You Brew is well designed, actually very easy to use, and does everything but drink the coffee for you.Make a Mug or a Carafe Full - You can make a mug or carafe-full.Use Ground or Beans - You can grind your own beans or use pre-ground.Fill the Reservoir with Water, and It Knows How Much to Use, and Pre-Heats before it brews - You can fill the reservoir with water the night before and have the thing go off at 6 AM, and it will pre-heat the water before it starts brewing. The folks at Breville even thought of making sure that the steam that's generated during the making of the coffee doesn't go back into the bean reservoir.The machine will use just the water it needs for whatever you tell it to brew, and you can fill it more easily than many machines because the water reservoir is in the middle top of the machine, though the machine is quite tall.Insulated Carafe - The carafe is heated and keeps the coffee at a decent temperature for several hours, but not the whole day as some have said. You can indeed take the carafe out and pour yourself a cup while it's brewing without any leakage (our Cuisinart leaks badly when you try that).Good Coffee By The Mug - Disregarding making a carafe-full for the time being, individual cups and travel mugs produce the most uniform and best coffee. The water to grounds ratio seems to be best for the mug.Easy to Clean - Last, it's easy to clean.Neither Pro Nor Con or Both: I loved the fact that this is an insulated carafe, and that it does keep the coffee warm for several hours. However, I prefer a glass carafe because I want to know how much coffee is left without having to guess. It's too bad that there isn't a see-thru level on the side.Cons:It's Huge and DOES Make a Difference (See Uploaded Photos Out of the Box) - Again, this thing is huge, and at 16 inches is 3 inches taller than our old Cuisinart. My wife who is just a tad under 5 feet, has to stand on a step stool to fill it with water. Counter height is normally around 36" which makes the reservoir 52" off the ground, and don't forget that the brewer is not at the edge of the counter, but pushed back. I'm 6'2" (yeah, you should see our wedding pictures), and even I have some difficulty in reaching up and over.Can't See If Any Coffee Is Left (a BIG deal) - The carafe has no indicator to tell you how much coffee is left. This has become a much bigger issue after using it for several weeks. Just when you want a cup, it turns out that somebody's left it empty ... again. Glass carafes might not keep coffee warm for as long a period, but I MUCH prefer glass.Noisy - The grinder is REALLY noisy, and that's important if one person is up at 5 or 6 and the other still in bed. And yes, it is loud enough to wake somebody up!Is Not Uniformly Hot - The coffee isn't uniformly hot, and seem to be cooler than what our other pots have produced. That can be an issue if you do use cream/milk which will make it even cooler. It's not important to me during my "ice coffee season" which is about ... always, but I do like a hot cup of coffee at breakfast. YouBrew is best for the first few cups while our Krups and Cuisinart were much too strong until the carafe was half full.Pricey - Even at this hefty price, I'm not sure that Breville uses copper heating coils. (I think that Technivorm is the only one that does.)Consistency - Because it's freshly ground coffee, one would think it would be stronger, but it isn't and I haven't found a way to override the amount of water or coffee that's used. I have found that pre-ground coffee is stronger which is a surprise.Summary: I do like the design, but at times I wonder why I would want to go through the decision-making and choice selection process. I've been making coffee by the pot for over 50 years: maybe I'm just not enough of a snob. I have wondered if Green Mountain - those folk that bring you the one-cup serving container at a high profit margin - isn't talking many people into the cup-at-a-time rather than the carafe because that's where the money is (and I see that Gevalia and Starbucks are joining forces).I like the design, but more from an engineering point of view much more than aesthetically. It's really too big to be beautiful ... even in the largest kitchen. That it's stainless is only a concern when you have stainless appliances.The coffee is good, but not fantastic. Again, I emphasize that it's still a matter of taste. On the one hand, you can't go wrong. On the other, there are French drip pots for a quarter the price that can produce some really great cups of coffee. America's Test Kitchen still prefers the French drip, but then, who's to say they have the same criteria and taste buds as mine.While many would say that, for a good cup of coffee, price shouldn't be a consideration. Who are these people??? This is a very expensive brewer, and for this kind of money, I really would expect the best cup of coffee.[I used to teach management principles and psychology, and everyone whose ever been in my seminars knows that one of my two principles is, Satisfaction is a function of Rewards Over Expectations. For the price, I think that most would EXPECT a great cup of coffee. If this was $79, the coffee might be thought to be better. Subjectivity does indeed play a role. The other principle...well, I'll save that for another review unless you want to email me.]EW

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Affordable Coffee Maker

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• Brewing system doses the right amount of coffee with the right amount of water while heating water to the optimum temperature
• Built-in 0.5-lb bean hopper and integrated burr grinder
• Carafe' setting with brew pause feature and makes up to 12 cups of coffee
• Single Cup' setting from regular to extra-large cup size
• Adjustable strength settings