Wish I had an alternative to suggest. I bought this model several years ago after lots of research. Almost immediately, the led readout started blinking, apparently wanting another filter, although obviously the filter was brand new. Yes, yes, I tried fixing it. We've replaced the filter several times; the light has never stopped flashing. Yes, that's a small thing. The programmable feature does work, it's not the easiest thing to manage. As other reviewers have mentioned, the coffee-us interruptus feature is tricky and the carafe is prone to spill. I have gotten used to always having a towel nearby to clean up after pouring. The thermal carafe is a nice feature and I will look for it in my next coffee maker, which I can't wait to purchase. None of these problems would really bug me if I'd spent $20-$30 on the machine. But for these bucks, it should have been flawless and worked forever. Like in the olden days, when appliances were built to last, she said, adjusting her girdle.

This product looks great in our kitchen, sleek and simple with a small footprint. We don't use all the bells and whistles available, but it provides simple one-button use. The water is a little difficult to pour in the back because of the narrow front-to-back reservoir. The insulated carafe is durable and does a good job of keeping the coffee warm. To pour the coffee properly, you need to remove the top completely, a minor inconvenience.

Brews fast and hot, but the coffee cooled off too quickly in the carafe. The outside of the carafe is warm to the touch and coffee was tepid after an hour and room temperature after 2 or 3 hours.

My husband and I agree that the coffee tastes better than with our old Cuisanart. We did have to experiment with the amount of beans we grind but now we have found the perfect amount. Another big advantage over our Cuinart is the thermal carafe. First it isn't fragile like a glass carafe. Secondly we can bring the carafe to where we are sitting and it stays hot. No more getting up for more coffee because the carafe needs to stay on the warming plate. Coffee stays at the perfect temperature for over an hour or more. If we reheat the carafe the coffee stay acceptably hot for a lot longer.

As for the issue that the water gauge is difficult to read we found a simple solution-we turn the coffee maker so the gauge is angled more towards us. No problem. We have no problems with over-filling and water spilling out. Initially add water slowly to see if the red ball has moved because it doesn't move right away. When the red ball rises carefully add the rest of the water. Again no problem.

I highly recommend the Capresso if you like a great cup of coffee.

This is a great coffee maker. I was looking for a carafe coffee maker after our cuisinart coffee pot broke. The Capresso makes excellent coffee, is really well designed with a simple screw on lid for the carafe and makes coffee so fast it is crazy. I also happen to love the design - not that I really care what it looks like if it makes good coffee, but you get your cake and eat it too with this coffee maker. Highly recommend if you want to pay a bit more for a coffee maker. Bottom line if you drink coffee every day and in particular throughout the day (as the carafe keeps the coffee hot for hours) then this is a great choice.