Chefman, My Barista Single Serve Coffee Maker, Black

I previously had the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew. After a month of using that, it started to have problems. We dealt with it for a couple of years, constantly trying to work the bugs out until one day the water stopped falling into the reservoir. I thought about opening it up, but I didn't want to bother.So after some research, and finding the k-cup machines are often far too expensive, I bought this guy. I love the idea of a larger reservoir in which I can make multiple cups of coffee without having to refill. I love the idea of a faster cup of coffee. I love the design.Upon getting it, I was not disappointed. It was easy to setup and start using. I had a cup of hot coffee in no time with a k-cup alternative from World Market (their k-cups have less waste and are biodegradable).This machine is very quiet, and actually doesn't make a sound when it's done. I kind of wish it did so I knew when to grab the cup instead of checking every so often.I guess the one major downside is the design of the cup holder. It's kind of small. Many of the mugs we have simply do not fit. It's a bit annoying to have to know which mugs work and which don't.Something surprising is the girth of the power cord. It's very thick. Like as thick as a cord coming out of the back of a desktop computer. This means that it's a bit harder to hide the cord. If you like a clean counter, this may be an issue for you.Overall, I'm happy. No problems with operation so far. I will update the review if that changes.

If this review had a Minus 5 Star that would be my choice.Of all the products that I have bought this has to be the sorriest.I really wish that I had paid closer attention to the Negative Reviews!I wish that I could say at least one good thing about the single cup coffee maker,but I can't!Yes I can---- it does not take up much counter space.Truely believing that it was the answer to my needs,I opened it,cleaned it & threw the box away.I live in a high rise & when you throw something away it is gone.Next morning,I anxiously make my first cup of coffee.I grab a coffee mug,wait that won't fit.I get a second & a third before I can find a cup to fit.Then the water temp is warm at best,the coffee very weak.We drink Jet Fuel K-cups,so strong coffee is what we are looking for.There is now unexplained water on the counter.I get it up.My adult son goes in to make his coffee,& the K-cup explodes.Now we have coffee,& coffee grounds to clean up.I discover if you take the K-cup holder out,put the k-cup & holder back in the machine,slowly lower the top,Then the handle,it usually will not blow up the K-cup.Now, so I can have a so so cup of coffee,I follow the above directions,then half way thru,I remove my cup,quickly replace it with another cup to catch the remaining water.I now have a least a fair 4oz. That I can call coffee.My son,he now drinks a coke,rather than to mess with the mess.I will notify Amazon to see if I have any recourse,since I thru the box away.Hopefully I will.But I if I don't I will throw this machine down the same garbage shut.And will by anotherKEURIG.I guess that there is a reason this machine is cheap.It is a cheap Machine.

I kind of liked this unit at first, but it definitely did NOT grow on me.What I liked:Small, light, convenient, nearly instant warm-up.Easy to manage water tank.What I will throw it away because of:Watery coffee - - I have to remember to shut it off mid-brew, or it puts in too much water even on "small" setting.Buttons have no feedback and have to be pushed multiple times.Actually TOO light, it moves around the counter just by using it. Won't stay put.The lid-puncture spike is too small to pierce the top of the biodegradable K-cups (the ones with the paper bottom). I have to manually punch a hole in these cups or they won't work.All in all, a big disappointment. Can't recommend it unless you like weak coffee and use only the all-plastic cups.

I received a Keurig 2.0 brewing machine around the holidays and I purchased this machine for my desk at work. The main concerns for me were noise level and good brewing.One of the other people on this site was kind enough to answer my question about the noise level, and they were correct it is rather quiet. This little thing is nice and quiet relative to a Keurig. It makes a hum noise that is much less obnoxious than my Keurig 2.0 at home. That thing gurgles and grinds and sounds like it might be euthanizing a small rodent or something, but this Chefman unit has a nice steady hum. I suppose I would liken it to the sound of an electrical transformer. It makes good coffee and tea. I’ve been running it for a few months now and I’m noticing that it is slowly putting more and more water out with each cup and I suspect that the metering part is suffering from some normal buildup and probably needs to be cleaned.The two weaknesses I have found with this unit are the cartridge setup and the low clearance for mugs. This unit uses a formed plastic cartridge as the holder for your kcups. You put the cup into that plastic cartridge, then put that cartridge into the machine and close the lid to puncture. It works well enough, but I prefer not having bits that I can lose that will render the machine useless. It also comes with an alternative cartridge with a fine mesh basket for loose leaf tea or custom coffee grounds, so that is a nice plus. If you have a particularly tall mug, you will probably be ok, but note that you will never get any respectable travel mug into this machine; it simply isn’t made for it. The heating cycle is remarkably fast.For the market area that Chefman is targeting, this is a nice machine. It’s not the Cadillac of brewers and it clearly wasn’t designed to be. However, if you are like me and want something with a small footprint to put on a desk or in a workshop, this thing is a great find at a great price.NOTE: I cannot speak to the reliability issues that others have been having, as I have had no issues with mine so far. To be honest, at this price if I can get 2 or 3 years out of the unit, I’ll be very happy.ANOTHER NOTE: Don’t be shy when you close the lid. Try to do it in a snappy fashion, as it is performing the puncture with that motion. If you do it too softly, it won’t make a clean puncture and can be a pain.