BELLA (14755) 12 Cup Coffee Maker with Brew Strength Selector Reviews

The BELLA (14755) 12 Cup Coffee Machine does many fundamental things right, but messes up some of the details in a way that will drive most users nuts. This model does come with regular and bold brews, so you can choose the overall strength of your coffee. Like most machines of this size, it’s programmable, so you can make sure you have hot coffee when you need it most. Somewhat uniquely, it includes a reusable and dishwasher-safe coffee filter, so you’ll save some money on filters, and have an easy cleanup.

This one is way better and not that much more expensive at under $40. The programming is easy. I wake up with a full pot ready. It automatically turns the heat pad off after 2 hours. I like the simple design. No need to buy filters. Makes good coffee.

Of all our years of using coffee makers my husband (an engineer) commented on each one "why can't they design a carafe that doesn't dribble during pouring"? Well, after studying Consumer Reports I purchased our Bella 12 cup coffee maker, but had my doubts about it because it was so reasonably priced (the old adage "you get what you pay for" came to mind. Well, shame on me! This little jewel is the first we've ever had that doesn't make a mess! It's easily programmable, has a "bold" setting for stronger taste, and beeps when auto on and off. Bottom line, I love it and would buy it again in a minute!

Unboxed, placed on counter, set time. Filled with water to run through two potfuls to clean, as per instructions. Water immediately began leaking out from underneath the coffee maker onto the kitchen counter, and continued until every drop had leaked out!

I’ve requested a replacement, which should arrive tomorrow. I’ll update the review then.

UPDATE

The replacement arrived and is working as expected. Nice coffee maker, but a couple of features would make it even better. I wish you could turn off the beeps that signal when coffee is ready, so it doesn’t wake up people who are still sleeping. Our previous coffee maker had this feature. I also wish the time the warmer stays on after brewing was adjustable, as I would prefer 3 hours instead of 2. I find that the temperature of the warmer is perfect for keeping the coffee hot. I noticed some reviews complaining of this. After my initial experience, I have to believe that those reviewers received a defective unit as well.