Description
What This Mr. Coffee Machine Is
This is the black version of Mr. Coffee’s basic 12 cup drip machine, listed as model SK13-RB. It is closely related to the white SK12-RB elsewhere in this catalog, and the differences between the two listings are color, a slightly different depth figure and a few specification fields. The specification table lists the coffee maker type as a drip coffee machine, the filter type as reusable, the special features as manual and permanent filter, and the operation mode as fully automatic.
The product is a plain filter brewer with no timer and no strength setting. That is not a criticism. A machine with three moving parts and one button lasts longer and costs less than one with a screen, and for a household that simply wants a pot in the morning it is the right answer. Buyers who want more should compare the white Mr. Coffee Simple Brew for the sibling listing, or the programmable machines in the coffee machines category.
Auto Pause, Cord Storage and the Indicator Light
The Grab-A-Cup Auto Pause stops flow from the basket when the carafe is lifted, so a cup can be poured mid brew. It is the feature most likely to matter every day in a household where one person leaves before the pot is done. It should be a short pause rather than a long one, because the basket keeps filling while the carafe is away and can overflow.
Cord storage is a genuinely useful detail on a small counter. A machine with a fixed length of cable trailing behind it wastes depth, and being able to wind the excess into the body pushes the machine closer to the wall. The brewing indicator light does what it says, and on a machine with no display it is the only signal that the heating element is on, which matters for remembering to switch it off.
The Permanent Filter and Cleaning
The reusable filter basket replaces paper and removes the running cost. Mesh lets coffee oils through, giving a heavier bodied cup with a little sediment, where paper traps them for a cleaner result. Neither is better, and most machines of this class will accept a paper filter in the basket if that is preferred, although this listing does not confirm it.
Mesh needs washing rather than rinsing. Coffee oils build up between the layers, go rancid and taint later pots, so the basket should be cleaned with detergent regularly. The other maintenance job is descaling, and how often it is needed depends entirely on local water hardness. Neither task is difficult, and together they are the whole maintenance list for a machine like this, which is considerably less than a grinder equipped machine such as the Breville Barista Touch requires.
Size, Power and Placement
The listed dimensions are 11.76 inches deep by 12.3 inches wide by 13.8 inches tall. The depth figure here is nearly two and a half inches greater than the one on the sibling white listing, which describes the same basic machine at 9.2 inches. One of the two is likely wrong, so plan for the larger figure if space is tight.
At 13.8 inches tall this will not sit under a standard upper cabinet with the lid free to open. The listed voltage is 110, within standard North American household supply, and no wattage is published, so the electrical draw cannot be stated from this data. The listed weight of 3.6 pounds is light for a 12 cup machine with a glass carafe, which suggests the figure may exclude the carafe.
Where a Basic Machine Still Makes Sense
There is a reasonable argument that a plain drip machine is the sensible purchase for most households, and it rests on where quality actually comes from. The largest variables in a cup of filter coffee are the coffee itself, how recently it was ground and how much of it goes in the basket. A machine’s contribution is narrower: it controls water temperature and how evenly the bed is wetted, and beyond a certain point additional features address convenience rather than flavor.
What that means in practice is that money spent on a burr grinder will change the cup more than money spent on a brewer with a screen. A household with a basic machine and freshly ground coffee will usually drink better coffee than one with an elaborate machine and stale supermarket grounds. The features worth paying for are the ones that solve a daily annoyance rather than a flavor problem: a timer, a thermal carafe, a removable reservoir. Anyone who wants those should look at the programmable machines in the category listing rather than at a plain brewer like this one.
Highlights
- Grab-A-Cup Auto Pause for pouring before the brew finishes.
- Removable filter basket that lifts out for filling and cleaning.
- Permanent reusable filter with no paper required.
- Cord storage to keep the counter tidy and the machine close to the wall.
- Brewing indicator light on a machine with no display.
- Frustration free packaging, according to the listing.
- Listed at 110 volts with a straightforward button interface.
Things To Consider
The specification table contradicts itself, listing the special feature as Manual and the operation mode as Fully Automatic. The recommended uses field reads Traveling, which is not a sensible description of a 12 cup mains powered drip machine with a glass carafe. No carafe capacity, no reservoir capacity and no wattage are published anywhere.
The depth conflict with the sibling listing is worth taking seriously for anyone planning a tight installation. Measure for 12 inches of depth rather than 9 and there will be no surprise.
The functional limitation is the warming plate, which flattens coffee within about half an hour and gives it a burnt edge after that. There is also no timer, so nothing is ready before somebody presses the button. A household that wants coffee waiting should look at a programmable machine such as the Cuisinart 14 cup programmable coffee maker, and one that holds coffee for a morning should buy a thermal carafe machine instead.
Who Should Buy It and Who Should Skip It
This suits a household that brews a pot and drinks it within the hour, that wants nothing to learn and nothing to program, and that would rather spend on coffee than on equipment. It also makes a sensible second machine for an office, a workshop or a holiday property.
Skip it if you want a timer, a thermal carafe or any control over strength. Skip it too if counter height is limited to less than about 14 inches. Anyone brewing a single cup at a time should look at a pod machine such as the Keurig K-Select, which wastes less coffee than a pot brewed for one.
