BREW PERFORMANCE: Met recommended guidelines of 195°F or more, maintained for five or six minutes. CONVENIENCE: Fairly convenient to use, based on how easy it was to understand the controls, fill the reservoir, insert the filter, gauge the amount of remaining coffee, and clean the machine. CARAFE HANDLING: The carafe was especially easy to use, based on how comfortable we found its handle, whether it dripped while pouring, its overall balance when full, and how hard it was to empty.