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Mr. Coffee CG12

If you are looking for the least expensive coffee brewing machine with no bells and whistles, then Mr. Coffee's CG12, 12-cup switch coffee maker, offers just that. The basic features let you enjoy hot cups of java within a reasonable amount of time.

Key features

- This switch coffee maker can brew 2 to 12 cups of coffee.
- It has a detachable filter basket that makes cleaning a breeze, making sure that there are no residue.
- The Pause 'n Serve feature lets you sneak a cup even when brewing for the whole pot is not yet finished.
- The on/off indicator light tells you when the machine is on or no longer working.
- Dual water windows makes it a lot easier to check the water level in the reservoir for refill.
- The stain-resistant warming plate not only makes coffee warm but makes it easy to clean as well.
- Water filtration is available for removing the chlorine taste in water to serve better-tasting coffee.
- Cord storage helps tuck away the plug and cord to keep the countertop tidy and safe.

Advantages

For its cheaper price, you won't be disappointed with its nice design. It can easily be placed on any counter. It also has a durable carafe that's quite easy to clean.

Some consumers also said that its simplicity is one of its main advantages. It is fairly easy to operate, though it lacks more advanced features such as programmable settings. It keeps coffee warm, some say, even to your final cup. The warming plate not only prevents staining but can also withstand water spills without burning.

This 12-cup switch coffee maker is an option for those who are under a strict budget or looking for a quick replacement for their broken coffee makers.

Disadvantages

For its price, you can't expect it to have a lot of features. It has no clock and delay brew option. There's also no option for the coffee strength. However, the auto shut off, according to some, should be a standard in coffee makers. Unfortunately, this doesn't have one. Though the filter basket can be lifted, it is a bit difficult to clean because of the grooves inside.

Despite the water filtration option, some say that it only makes average-tasting coffee. It also makes some noise when brewing. There are reported spillage from the decanter and the back of the coffee maker.

To avoid leaks and overflow, you have to be very careful in using the machine and pouring from the carafe. For its price, it is also said to be cheaply constructed.

Pros
- low price
- simple and easy to use
- durable full size carafe
- nice design
- warming plate doesn't easily burn despite spills
- keeps coffee warm

Cons
- makes some noise when brewing
- makes average-tasting coffee
- doesn't have a lot of features such as the auto shut off option, brew strength selector, timer, etc.
- reported spills and leaks when not used with basic care
- cheaply constructed
- filter a bit difficult to clean

Comments for
Mr. Coffee CG12

Average Rating starstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 04, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I love this simple maker
by: BanjoBob48

I drink coffee all day every day.
My machine is on 17 hours a day, coffee until right before bed, then Tea.
I don't need, use or want a clock, timer, delayed brew or any other stuff that just drives up the price.
I fill the pot with water to dump into the maker and it always fills it exactly to the overflow holes in the back.
Within a minute I can pull the pot and get that first cup.
This pours better than all the pricey machines I've had.
The handle is more comfy too.
I think the quality of the brew is about the quality of the coffee, and I buy the good stuff.
All coffeemakers heat water and drizzle it over the basket, and this one does it as well or better than any machine I've ever owned.
Replacements are dirt cheap.
I think this is the ideal machine, at least for me.
I now keep a spare CG12 on hand because the thermal thing only lasts a year or so.
Apr 14, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		get this one!
by: Bill

My family uses a Mr. Coffee model number CG12. We've had this appliance for about a year.

This is a good, simple unit. Nothing fancy. No timers, no settings, no dials, knobs or displays. It has ONE, count it with me, ONE button. We call it the hot button. When you push it, the coffee maker starts getting hot. When the button is off, it starts getting cool again.

We love this coffee maker. We can set it up before we go to bed at night and the next morning all we have to do is stagger into the kitchen and press the button. A quick shower later and there's a pot full of hot coffee.

Making coffee is same, standard, easy method every other Mr. Coffee uses. You put a coffee filter in a removable plastic cup, spoon in your grounds, replace the cup and dump a pot of water into its gaping maw. Close the lid and hit the button. The only button.

This coffee maker doesn't try to out smart you either. It doesn't turn off after a certain amount of time. If you want to have a hot pot of coffee ready for you to drink all day, go for it. Don't waste your money on those overly complicated vanity appliances.

Get this one. Its cheap, easy and does just what the name says, make coffee.
Jul 16, 2009
Rating
star 		Complaint
by: Anonymous

My only complaint (and it's a big one for us) is that it ALWAYS drips when you remove the decanter--during brewing, after brewing, ALL the time. Have had Mr. Coffee coffee makers in the past and this is the only one I would never purchase again.
Mar 25, 2009
Rating
starstarstar 		Spills coffee everywhere
by: Kimberly

Our coffee maker broke so I went out and purchased a new Mr. Coffee CG12 coffee maker. It was nothing special but I liked that it was white and didn't have a lot of special features that could break on me.

After the purchase, I have noticed some items that I wish I knew before I had purchased this model. First thing I do not like is the carafe. It does not pour without spilling coffee all over the countertops. I always pour coffee over the sink to avoid the mess. Second is that there is two holes in the back of the water well. They are there to keep you from overfilling the coffee maker, but I like to pull the coffee maker forward on the countertop to fill it with water, and then push it back. But water will spill out of the holes if you push the maker.

It makes coffee like I would expect it to. It does not have a fast brew time, but it is not too longer either. Clean up is ok, no different than any other coffee maker.

I would not purchase this maker again if I needed a new machine. I miss my old machine every morning!

Mar 25, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Basic entry level brewer
by: Plish

I purchased the Mr Coffee CG12 at Walgreens a large national drug store chain. It is a value priced coffee maker that is under $20.00. It is a simple setup.

Coffee maker with heating tray. It has a opening at the top of the machine to pour or store water. The case is a heavy weight plastic shell. It includes a removable filter basket, coffee pot and coffee tray.

It is a easy one button brewing switch it does not include any timing mechanism but does allow you to pull out the coffee pot and pour while the rest of the coffee is still brewing. This is the basic entry level brewer.

There are no bells and whistle with this model just easy quick brewing. The unit produces a hot pot of coffee in about 2 minutes. Like I said earlier its a no frills machine and you very much get what you pay for.

I only needed a simple model so it fits my purposes to the tee. I've owned models in the past with many more features. And if you were to compare it to a higher priced model I am sure you can find many things missing.

It kind of boils down to cost. If your like myself and only need a unit to brew coffee and keep it warm then this is the unit for you.

It prices, simplicity of use makes it one of the better models in my book.
Dec 26, 2008
Rating
starstarstar 		Simple - not for extreme coffee maker
by: Jason

I have a Mr. Coffee Maker Model CG12. It is inexpensive; it cost me about thirty dollars. It is very simple to make coffee in seeing as it is an automatic coffee maker. The pot is glass making it easy to clean and dishwasher safe. The coffee maker is quiet compared to other inexpensive coffee makers.

You can’t hear it boiling and brewing the coffee, even when it’s close to being done. My main negative complaint about the coffee maker is that the spot where you pour the water in is very hard to clean. In fact, I do not think I have ever owned an appliance so hard to clean! If you try to make more than what the coffee pot deems is ten cups of coffee at a time, the water will spew out too fast and will then overflow causing you to have coffee grinds in your coffee.

This happens even though there is a twelve cup dispenser on the coffee maker. The water spout also very easily tips over the coffee filter causing the same problem, coffee grinds in your coffee. If I were to rate this coffee maker on a scale of one to ten, I would have to rate this coffee maker a three.

It’s very inexpensive and some would go as far as to say cheap. It does get the job done, you will always have coffee, but your coffee may have coffee grinds in it if you do not know all the tips and tricks that go along with this coffee maker. For a cheap buy, a college student, it is not a bad coffee maker.

For the coffee extremist, you would be very disappointed. It only has one switch – on or off. There are no gizmos or gadgets. So it’s a very basic coffee maker, only for the very basic coffee drinker.
Dec 16, 2008
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		The proof is in the coffee
by: lynne

After finding out the stainless thermal carafe coffee maker I'd purchased at Starbucks had been recalled, I declined their offer of a replacement, did some research and decided to try the Capresso machine I saw at my neighborhood Tullys. (I also borrowed a friends Cuisianart coffee maker, but found that it took up too much space on the kitchen counter).

I've had the machine for 2 years now and have been impressed with the taste of the coffee. I also love how it keeps the coffee piping hot.

The downsides of this machine are that there are no markings on or in the carafe that let you see how much water you are going to pour in. This means you have to fill the carafe and pour it very gently into the machine and watch for a small red ball to bounce up to show you how many cups of water you have added to the reservoir. It takes a lot of trial and error and the ball seems to just sit there and then all of the sudden shoots up to 4 so I find I end up making and drinking a lot more coffee than I had intended.

It also took a few tries to get the lid lined up in a way that the coffee poured out in a steady stream. There is a dot you use to line the lid and spout up but it's not very noticible and both my mother in law and friend who has a masters degree in computer science from Carniege Melon, ended up unscrewing the lid too far and pouring coffee all over the counter rather than in their cup.

All in all thought, the proof is in the coffee and this machine makes a nice cup every time. I have come to rely on it and hope it lasts a long time.

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