BUNN BT Speed Brew 10-Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker - Fast Home Coffee Brewer with Stainless Steel Carafe, Black - Perfect for Office, Kitchen & Entertaining Guests

I have bought four of these pricey units over the years and several different models before that.. The last one is just eight months old and it has pits on the bottom of the inside of the pot and one of them has started to form a circle of rust. I wrote a message online to report this to Bunn but received no response. So today, after waiting two weeks I called. The rep was sassy and assured me that it was my water that was causing any problems because their pots are stainless steel and do not rust. Well, I’ve not had one rust before but this one did. It is not my water because I only use distilled water in the unit. I wanted to send a picture but they didn’t want that. The sassy rep chastised me, saying they would replace it just this one time. What? It is still under warranty and I have never asked for a replacement before! She also informed me that I would need to return the pot at my own expense. Just so you know, this is not the company it used to be and the customer service is a far cry from what it used to be. I don’t intend to cast any reflection on the quality of the coffee from this unit. It’s as good as it ever was. It’s just the company that has gone downhill. Pity….they have lost a long standing supporter because they no longer follow the standards they tout on their website.This is the third one in about 14 years. Good coffee maker and makes a consistent brew.****Update 9-14-15****Heating element has gone out (or some other problem that has caused the water to stop heating). This was my 3rd unit in 8 years. First one lasted 2 years, then developed a leak. 2nd one lasted 2 years then the heating element went out. This one lasted 4 years. Some would argue that is not a good record of reliability, but in general, I've enjoyed this machine and it was a good 4 year run of fast, tasty coffee. In a weird kind of way, the timing was perfect. I've been a big fan of Bunn for many years, and this coffee maker in particular, but for the last couple of months I've noticed that the coffee wasn't tasting as good. Can't really describe exactly what was wrong, just that it was not as good, even after cleaning. Maybe deposits had built up over time that were getting into the coffee. Maybe the spray head was no longer spraying properly. Regardless, I had actually decided to try something different, and I have a Bonavita 1900TS on order, and it should come in in the next day or two. Ironic that the Bunn crapped out right after I ordered the Bonavita. Almost like it knew.........****Update 10-5-11****Unit has died (heating element apparently went out). Now out of warranty since it has been 4 years. On the one had I hate to spend $135+ to get a new one, but on the other hand, once you've had one of these things, it's hard to go back to the traditional coffeemaker. It did make great coffee for 4 years, and I loved having my coffee ready in just a minute or two. Despite the fact that I would have liked to get more than 4 years out of my original purchase, I will probably buy another one.****Update 2-27-09****My coffee maker developed a leak. I dusted off my original paperwork, and was very happy to see that this unit comes with a 3 year warranty. I sent it back to Bunn, and they sent me a brand new unit. Painless and relatively quick (less than a week). Yet another reason to buy a Bunn. The only thing I would mention is that I had to pay to have the old unit shipped back to them. Cost me $13 UPS, so it's not really that big a deal, but I just have this old fashioned notion that if something is covered by warranty, it shouldn't cost the consumer a penny to get it fixed or replaced.****Original Review****I don't see why anyone would buy a traditional glass carafe coffeemaker. The heating element scorches the coffee after about 15-20 minutes, so if you haven't finished the pot by then, you end throwing the rest away. At least I used to, until I discovered thermal carafes years ago.I really like this coffeemaker. I am a big coffee drinker, and I usually make 1 pot in the morning, 1 pot in the afternoon, and 1 pot at night. The quality of the coffee that it brews is excellent, and I like the fact that the coffee is ready in 3 minutes.A few other observations:-I have not had any problem with the carafe. No spills or dribbles, and it keeps the coffee piping hot for a good 90 minutes, and then drinkably hot for another 2 hours. I especially like the fact that you don't need to open and close the lid to pour the coffee. The lids stays in the closed position while the coffee is brewing and it stays in the closed position when you pour it from the carafe.-I have not had any problem with the basket overflowing or grinds in my coffee, but I have noticed that the grinds rise up to the tippy top of the filter, and I use Bunn filters which are a little taller than most. Although I have not had a problem myself, I can see where someone who likes an extra strong brew and adds a little more coffee might have an issue. For me it works, and I use about 10 tablespoons of coffee per full pot.-I don't particularly like the automatic feature that starts the brewing cycle as soon as you close the lid to the water chamber. I would prefer to have a button to press, but its not a huge deal for me. Like another reviewer, I can see potential disaster if I have company or overnight guests and they want to make the coffee, and I haven't briefed them on how the machine works.-Price is high when compared to the Mr. Coffee type machines with glass carafes, but I really do notice a difference in the taste of the coffee when I visit friends and they break out their $30 coffee maker after dinner. I think the price is a fair price for what you get, and although I haven't had it long enough to comment on its durability, Bunn typically makes products that stand up over time.-The entire machine does have a rather large footprint, and it is bit taller than many coffeemakers. I have alot of counter space and my cabinets are high, so its not an issue for me, but do yourself a favor and take 30 seconds to measure the space where you intend to put the machine to make sure it will fit nicely.Overall, if you're into good coffee, and you're willing to spend the money, and you're willing to overlook a few very minor flaws (see above) I would highly recommend this machine.I love Bunn products, therefore the 2star rating, the machine is easy, if not cleaned once a week it boils and gurgles for at least 10 minutes after each and every pot, it sprays water everywhere and I mean everywhere, we keep forgetting to double check and make sure the carafe is empty, and I mean empty and dry, or it overflows, and needless to say my white cupboards are coffee stained and the underneath is starting to discolour..... I personally think the water spraying everywhere is my biggest annoyance... and good luck getting the replacement part during 'COVID'.... I does keep the coffee kinda hot for an hour, definitely NOT the 2 hours it states! yes I would buy BUNN again, but definitely not this particular model....UPDATE: I have had this machine for 11 Months and it has ruined my white cupboards and still overflows... the coffee grounds literally overflow out around the top, and coffee and grounds quite literally spew all over... my hardwood floor has lifted and my white cupboard are permanently stained and the coffee is hot for half an hour and warm for maybe an hour. complete waste of $261.45This is my second BUNN BT Velocity Brew. The first one lasted 12 years - it finally died and my immediate reaction was need to get a new one ASAP.Instead I googled reviews, talked to many people, looked around, and generally wasted a lot of time and energy (surviving with only my French press and espresso machine)For a dependable daily coffee machine with predictable quality results in a hurry - there is only one option.By far, the best coffee maker I have bought. It is well-built and gimmick free. At first it seemed odd that it keeps a reservoir of water ready for brewing, even though it is only used once daily to make a pot of coffee. So I wrote BUNN to ask if we should turn it off for the day, and they replied within hours (surprise!) and suggested I leave it on, and that it is what it is meant to do. So why have a programmable timer/clock/turn off time when it brews a pot of coffee in 4 minutes? And, the coffee stays very hot for over an hour in the thermos pot. It needs regular ground coffee, not fine, and BUNN filtres (they are taller than the standard basket filtres). If you are only brewing one or two cups, the standard basket filtre can work. Yes, this coffee maker is a bit expensive, but worth every cent.Fast coffee no wait time the carafe keep the coffee hot. No burnt taste. If you like your coffee when you get up and not having to wait 20 minutes for one of those Wheezing Asthmatic type coffee machines, this is it. Some say but you are heating water all day. I say yes I am because I want my coffee now. I can Buy a Can of coffee for what I would pay for those little Sippy Cup Keureg type in one day/morning. That to me is a waste.I'm really disappointed with this coffee maker. I was hopeful that it would be as good as the bunn coffee maker I had through Tim Hortons. The water comes out too fast. The grounds go every where causing a huge mess. I contacted the company that sent it and they gave some tips which were not helpful. Unfortunately a number of people are affected by the poor performance of this machine and will not likely have a high regard for this brand.