Toastmaster TCM8TD Stainless Steel Carafe

by Stephanie
(Mississippi)

I originally registered for this coffee maker (before my wedding) simply because I liked the way it looked. It is stainless steel and black. It has a very modern look, which I like. It is also compact which is good because of our lack of counter space.

We don't drink a lot of coffee, so I like that it is small (only 8 cups). It seemed like it would be easy to use and simple enough to clean. It works ok. If I had to rate it from 1-10, I would probably give it a 3. The one positive thing about it is that it has a digital timer. You can set it at night and wake up to a pot of great smelling coffee.

The compartment for the coffee filter is awkward and requires strangely shaped filters. The water compartment leaks from the bottom and tends to hold water somewhere underneath and steadily leak. I never could find the source of that problem, but even after I cleaned up the obvious leak, it seemed to always be sitting in a pool of water.

Also, if you don't place the carafe just right while it is on, it leaks on to the heated plate below it and burns, which doesn't smell very appealing. It is difficult to tell if it is really clean after washing it because of the shape of the carafe. I am sure it was a novel idea when the concept was conceived and it is a very nice looking coffee maker, but operationally, it leaves much to be desired.

Unless you are planning to use it as a counter ornament, I would not recommend purchasing it. One thing I think I should say is that I have purchased other Toastmaster appliances with great success. This particular item just wasn't one of those purchases.

I should also probably say that my review of this coffee maker is in no way a reflection of my feelings toward the gift givers. (smile)