A Zojirushi Coffee Maker Buyer’s Guide
Founded in 1918, the Zojirushi Corporation has been producing high quality consumer electronics for sale the world over. Although they are particularly well known for their rice cookers and vacuum seal flasks, the company also produces two well known lines of coffee makers – the Zojirushi Fresh Brew and the Zojirushi Zutto. Although both machines are quite capable of brewing a fantastic cup of coffee, each one offers something a bit different in terms of features and performance. These differences are reflected somewhat in price and also in terms of user feedback, which can be found through online coffee forums, Amazon and even here at Best Small Coffee Maker. For the purposes of this article, we will summarize the product facts and user feedback from Amazon, the world’s largest online marketplace. In addition to coffee makers, you can find an array of kitchen appliances on Amazon including blenders, toasters and even a stainless steel juicer.
When it comes to selecting a small coffeemaker, people typically think of price first and performance second. This mindset makes sense when you consider what most people know about coffee; that it’s simply a beverage derived from mixing hot water with ground beans. While that’s certainly one way to describe coffee, the connoisseur knows that there is much more involved in the process, particularly if superior coffee is the outcome. Before going on, it’s important to note that we have never felt it necessary to spend a great deal of money to achieve consistently great coffee. In fact, coffee is at its best when broken down into the basics: freshly roasted beans, proper water temperature and a quality grind using a burr grinder; everything else is simply extra stuff.
Of course, although there aren’t many essentials when it comes to brewing coffee, there does need to be a vessel through which to brew your favorite beverage, which for most people is the automatic drip brewer. When it comes to Zojirushi coffee makers, the two most popular models are the Zojirushi EC BD15 coffee maker and Zutto coffee maker.
The Zojirushi EC BD15 Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker
As their most popular coffee maker, the Zojirushi Fresh Brew Coffee Maker features a 1.5 liter thermal carafe for keeping the coffee piping hot after brewing. The thermal carafe feature is particularly notable since the common reason for stale/burnt tasting coffee is being left on the burner after the brew cycle has been completed. While a glass carafe must be left on the burner to keep the coffee hot, a thermal carafe can maintain the temperature of your coffee even with the burner off.
The EC BD15 also features an electronic clock/timer in addition to an automatic shut-off feature. The machine also allows the user to interrupt the brew process to grab a cup of coffee. Also known as pause and serve, this feature is meant for people that simply can’t wait for the cycle to complete.
People Like
• Thermal Vacuum Sealed Carafe
• Brews at Proper Temperatures for Best Extraction
• Large Capacity
• Accurate Water Level Readout for Reservoir
• Trusted Brand Name
People Dislike
• Uses Hard to Find #3 Filters (though #4’s can be used if folded down or cut)
• Price
You can find the EC BD15 through Amazon and other online retailers for around $79.99, which is not a bad price when considering just how capable and well reviewed this machine is.
The Zojirushi EC DAC50 Zutto 5-Cup Drip Coffee Maker
At the time of this review, the Zutto is really the only other coffee maker produced by Zojirushi aside from the EC BD15 reviewed above. When it comes to Zojirushi coffee maker reviews, the Zutto comes in at second best, though you shouldn’t let that dissuade you from purchasing one. In fact, there is some upside to the Zutto including its smaller overall size and capacity and its lower price tag. Perhaps its biggest negative is that it doesn’t include a thermal carafe, which may not be a deal breaker for those people that are just looking to brew for 1-2 people.
In addition to being quite a bit smaller than the EC BD15 in terms of physical size and brew capacity, the Zutto also features a less powerful heating element. The Zutto also doesn’t include an electronic clock/timer like the BD15 does.
People Like
• Build Quality
• Performance (cup quality)
• Removable Water Reservoir
• Removable Charcoal Water Filter
People Dislike
• No Thermal Carafe Option
• No Pause and Serve Feature
• No Automatic Shut Off
• Price (approx. $70 online)
Ultimately, if you’re in the market for a drip coffee maker and you want something that is well built and does the job consistently then there may be no better choice than a Zojirushi coffee machine. It is rare to find two very different machines that are each so well reviewed and respected by coffee drinkers throughout the world.
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