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Category: Product Review (Page 1 of 8)

Melitta Vision Luxe Coffeemaker Review: A Design Forward Drip Brewer

A few months ago Wabilogic sent me the Melitta Luxe Vision 12-cup coffeemaker to sample and review. As I shared in the previous post, I have been using an automatic coffeemaker fairly often over the last few years. While this is primarily a manual coffee brewer blog, I would imagine most of you own an automatic drip coffeemaker, brew coffee in it and might be interested in my perspective on this unit.

The Quick Verdict: The Melitta Luxe Vision Coffeemaker is an aesthetic and design forward machine. The downsides I see are the slightly higher price and the fact that there is no option to completely turn off the heating plate. The visual design elements are what make this coffeemaker stand out as I would put the brewing performance on par with other non SCA-certified conical drip coffeemakers. If you like how this brewer looks, can afford it and want a coffeemaker that brews consistent coffee, this is a good choice. I cannot speak to the longevity of the Luxe Vision as I have only used it for a few months.

It can be purchased directly from Wabilogic here or through Amazon here.

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Need a New Coffee Maker?- OXO 8 Cup Coffee Maker Review

When OXO approached me about sending me their new 8 cup coffee maker for review, I was a little leery. This is a manual brewing blog after all and I have been championing manual brewing methods for the last six years. After some deliberation, I decided a sponsored OXO 8 cup coffee maker review could be fun. The auto drip coffee maker scene has seen some changes since I last visited the subject in 2014. Let’s see what this new wave of automatic brewers is all about. 

2026 Update: Five Years Later, I’m Still Brewing with the OXO 8 Cup Coffee Maker

I originally published this article in 2020. After using this machine pretty consistently, I wanted to revisit my thoughts on the brewer and share some observations from years of use.

It has been more than five years since I first reviewed and the OXO 8 Cup Coffee Maker and I have to admit that it has occupied a spot on my counter for most of that time (see What Gear Earned a Spot on My Coffee Counter for Five Years?).

My overall evaluation of this coffee maker remains mostly unchanged. It has proven durable and reliable through years of consistent use. Surprisingly, I have rarely used the single-cup brewing option. In fact, I’m not even sure where I put the single-brew attachment. I appreciate that single-cup brewing is an option with this machine, and it might persuade some people away from K-cups. If I am making one cup of coffee, I would prefer to make a pour-over instead of setting up the machine for single-cup brewing.

One issue that I have encountered a few times involves the thermal carafe. Because the opening where coffee enters the carafe is relatively small, it can occasionally become blocked by coffee residue, oils or a haphazardly placed coffee ground. A few times, this has resulted in my coffee overflowing onto the counter instead of flowing properly into the carafe.

The solution is pretty simple. The opening needs to be kept clean and clear for the carafe to function properly. My personal workaround has been even simpler. When brewing, I usually remove the carafe lid entirely and switch the brewer to single-cup mode. This disengages the automatic stopper in the filter basket while eliminating any possibility of the carafe opening becoming blocked.

After brewing hundreds of pots of coffee with the Oxo 8 Cup Coffee Maker, I can still recommend it. It remains one of the better automatic coffee makers I’ve used and continues to brew an excellent pot of coffee with the push of a button.

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Book Review- The Philosophy of Coffee By Brian Williams

Over a year ago, a fellow coffee blogger and friend of mine, Brian Williams, sent me a copy of his book, The Philosophy of Coffee. It was my intention to read it and feature it in a post before the book became available in the U.S. (September 2018) but, alas, time does have a way of slipping through one’s grasp. Here we are, mid April 2019, and I wanted to let my readers know about the book and, if you have not found his blog yet, Brian himself. 

Brian Williams, author of the blog Brian’s Coffee Spot, published a book with The British Library early last year. The Philosophy of Coffee is a concise volume giving an overview and introduction to coffee. 

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. They boast a collection of over 150 million items in all sorts of mediums. You can check out their website www.bl.uk to browse their digital collection. You can also find a few books of a similar breadth and format from the British Library such as The Philosophy of Beards.

The Philosophy of Coffee is a handsome, baby blue hardcover book, featuring a Moka Pot on the font and the spine (it looks quite charming sitting on the shelf next to my other coffee literature). It is very reasonably priced and would make a great gift, especially with the addition of a bag of quality craft coffee.  

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