Home > Consumer Reviews > Mr. Coffee DRTX85 8-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker with Thermal Carafe, Black and Stainless Steel

The coffee maker is fine. Cone filter basket, thermal carafe. All good items. BUT the lid on the carafe is very difficult to open. The design is such that you are supposed to insert your fingers into the groove on the top of the lid and turn. If you are a woman with FINGERNAILS, this can't happen. If you have arthritis or just weak hands, you are going to have to call for help to get this coffee out.

The main flaw in the design of this pot is the lid on the carafe. If Mr. Coffee can come up with a lid that's easy to open, they'll have a great system here.

Coffee pots, coffee pots, I have lots of them. 12 cup, 10 cup, 4 cup, 1 cup and 1 single travel mug cup; thermal pots and regular, some programmable and some with the sneak a cup feature. Like Goldie Locks some were too big and others too little.

I was looking for a 6 cup and found this 8 cup. It was on sale (50% off) so it was too good to pass up. All my coffee makers work well, do they each have their own quirks; pros and cons? Sure, and this new pot is no different but overall I am very happy with it.

I last bought the Black & Decker DCM18 Brew 'N Go Coffeemaker to use in our motorhome (I'm the only one who drinks coffee). It works fine but I found that I was making 2 batches of coffee; one when I first got up and the other for the road. Even the four cup was too little; hence the 8 cup. It is a bit large for the motorhome (to store as I actually have a large countertop area) and I probably will have excess coffee but overall is great, especially if I happen to have a fellow coffee drinker visit.

Now, what are some drawbacks? The on/off button is strange. It doesn't seem to be a simple press or a switch operation. I just kind of roll the button and so far it starts. When I take out the coffee filter basket (which I'm glad I can at least take it out easily, just move the inner pour spout) some coffee dribbles onto the bottom plate-no big deal, just wipe it up. The single travel unit does this too and also sprays coffee grounds up where the water pours out into the basket (I just clean the unit after every use). Personally I like all the features of this 8 cup, especially being able to sneak a cup and being able to program start times. It does seem rather tall and wide for the size of the pot but I am not complaining.

Would I have paid over $50 dollars-no, not at this time, I mean how many darn coffee makers does one need--but I would like to try the 6 cup--just kidding. Maybe!

I like it. I want my coffee hot & available without the burn from sitting on a hot plate.
Pros- Keeps coffee hot without burning it (2-3 hour)
Easy to operate
Shuts off after brew, no hot plate
Programable with clock
Cons- Must prep canister with hot water for coffee to stay hot for more
than an hour
Screw on canister top inconvient but seals heat well

We had given up on Mr Coffee products, but this Mr Coffee promised all the functions we need in this house: auto shut-off, 2-hour thermal carafe, mid-range capacity, simple controls, all at a sensible price. We used it, delighted with our choice, for almost six weeks, when one day we found ourselves standing by the coffeemaker to re-start it again and again just to complete a single brew. It simply shut itself off before the brewing cycle was completed. After a weekend of this infuriating routine, we returned it for a full refund.
Mr Coffee? Never again.

This item was not purchased on Amazon and is well worth the $40 paid.

What I like:
Programmable timer
Auto shut-off as soon as coffee is brewed
Size of carafe
Unbreakable carafe
Overall size of coffee pot
Coffee is still warm after 3 hours if lid completely screwed down
Easily stowed while RV in motion

What I dislike:
I have to remove the lid just like opening a pickle jar. A problem for arthritic hands.
The current time can be accidentally changed quite easily. Need for "Set Time" button.

I love that I can program this coffee maker and if I oversleep, I still have nice, warm coffee that is not burned three hours later. The stainless steel carafe, cord storage and overall size make this a great coffeemaker for RV trips (depending on your counter space). We used it in a 24-foot Tioga. While driving the coffeemaker is stowed on its side in the sink. Great!!!