Contents
Nothing is more satisfying than a nice cup of coffee on a cold winter morning right? To ensure you get the best experience from your coffee, we have been studiously trying and testing a whole range of coffee makers.
Today, we are going to tell you more about the Mr. Coffee Optimal Brew machine. This machine is at the slightly lower end of the mid range pricing and retails at around $70. It’s not cheap, but it does not break the bank expensive either.
It’s still enough of a price that no one wants to purchase one and then realise it probably isn’t the machine for them. We have collated out information to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.
The Features of the Mr Coffee Optimal Brew Machine
“The optimal brew coffee maker is designed to extract the fullest flavour possible. It combines a high brew temperature of up to 205 degrees Celsius and a faster brew speed resulting in nothing short of exceptional tasting coffee.”
The features of this machine include:
- Removable water reservoir: This makes filling the water tank and emptying out any excess, left over water easy. It also makes cleaning easy too.
- Just brewed thermal carafe technology: The thermal carafe with the just brewed technology works to lock in heat while maintaining the fresh taste you want your coffee to have.
- Water filtration ready: Simply add a filter to remove the pesky chemicals from your water leading to better tasting coffee and less need to descale your machine.
- Daily brew timer: Set the timer so your coffee will start brewing at a pre-selected time meaning you can wake up to a freshly brewed pot of coffee every day. Check out our detailed guide on how to use the delay brew on Mr Coffee.
- Freshness timer: This features ensures the coffee you are drinking is still fresh. If it moves out of the time for freshness, the machine will alert you.
- Auto shut off: The machine will automatically switch off after two hours so you no longer need to keep the notion of turning it off in your mind. Saves you power and money.
- Grab a Cup auto pause: This feature allows you to pause the brew mid cycle and grab a cheeky cup before the brewing process has finished. Ideal if you’re in a hurry and want to grab a cup of coffee earlier than you’d planned.
- Cleaning cycle feature: The machine will tell you when it needs to be cleaned so you don’t need to try and remember when its due.
- Lift and Clean filter basket: Cleaning your machine has never been easier than the new lift and clean feature allows. Simply lift the filter basket and clean!
- Optimal brew time: The machine brews a ten cup carafe in seven minutes – The perfect time for full extraction without over extracting.
This machine comes with:
- A user manual
- A standard warranty
- A water filter
- A carafe
Optional extras include:
- An extended warranty for three or four years for a small additional fee.
- Mr Coffee GTF2-1 Basket Style Gold Tone Permanent Filter – This means you won’t have to buy anymore paper filters which can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Also read: Drip Coffee Maker Reviews - Top 10
How this machine works
The Mr Coffee Optimal Brew machine is simple to work. Simply fill up the water reservoir, add your coffee and go.
The pre-set timer is also easy to use. Just fill up the water and coffee and select the time you want to brew your coffee and switch the machine on.
The Good
The Bad
Top Tips to Getting the Most Out of Your Machine
Here are some ideas on how to get the most consistently good coffee from your machine:
- Use only as directed from the manufacturer
- Make sure the machine is cleaned thoroughly when the light comes on
- Make sure the machine is regularly descaled
- Use only good quality coffee
- Don’t pre-grind your coffee – for the best flavour, grind it as you want to brew it
- Make sure you change the water filter regularly
- For stronger tasting coffee, use a finer grind so the water can soak in more
- Experiment with the amount of coffee you add to the amount of water to get the right taste for you
- Run two plain water cycles through the machine when you first set it up before brewing your first coffee for best results
Best Suited for..
This machine is ideal for anyone who wants a practical, easy to use machine that can be pre-programmed and doesn’t require much maintenance or hassle to get good tasting coffee daily.
Not Suited for..
This machine isn’t ideal for anyone who likes their coffee to really pack a punch. You can add extra coffee to get the flavour a bit stronger, but it never reaches that really dense strength that comes from coffee that’s almost syrupy in texture.
What's the Bottom Line?
Overall, the Mr Coffee Optimal Brew machine is consistent with the level of features and use you would expect from a machine from this brand. As long as you don’t like your coffee overly strong it produces a consistently good tasting coffee time after time.
