Black & Decker DE790B 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Coffeemaker, Black with stainless carafe Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I think this is a great buy. I live alone. For me, the 4 cup machines were just too small and the 12 cup were too big. I also did not want a machine with a hot plate since they burn the coffee and make it taste bitter. I was happy with the $10 B&D single cup machine which I kept at my desk at work. This was the cheapest Carafe machine I could find ($29.99 at Target).
I am a bit of a coffee geek. I home roast my own coffee beans. Grind my beans right before I brew my coffee. I have not checked it with a thermometer, but this brews at a close to ideal temperature. I am using about 7-8 grams per cup and find it makes a good strong cup of coffee. The brew cycle is on the slow side, but for me that is good. The slower brew makes for a better extraction. I use a mesh basket and have not had a major problem with the grinds overflowing into the coffee. This has been a big issue with other machines I have owned. But by keeping the water coming at a decent speed, it seems OK with this machine.
The carafe does a fair job at keeping the coffee hot. After 4-5 hours and three mugs, the coffee is still at a good hot drinkable temperature. The outside of the carafe stays cool to the touch. Yes a hot plate machine would keep it hotter, but after an hour or two, the coffee would be burnt.
I will offer one tip for hotter coffee. Either rinse or or let the carafe sit for a few minutes with hot top tap water right before brewing. This will preheat the carafe a bit and make a few degrees difference in your coffee.
I know there are a lot of negative reviews on this I will try to address some of the points.
The Machine Flooded my Counter:
This is not the machines fault. You did not have the carafe properly seated in the machine. This can be a problem with any machine where you stop brewing to serve a cup. Cuisinart machines are even worse at this. But if you make sure the carafe is seated correctly, you will not have a problem. Also if you fill it above the 8 cup level, the carafe will overflow.
Hot Plate did not work:
Thermal Carafe machines generally do not have hotplates. Plus hot plates generally have auto shut off now. So after a couple of hours, your coffee will in addition to taste burnt, will cool quickly. This machine keeps your coffee for 4-6 hours without tasting burnt.
Coffee tastes bitter or metallic:
Make sure to rinse after each use. Try cleaning it with sudsy water and the occasional soak with white vinegar and water.
Timer is tough to use:
Read the owners manual. It is not rocket science. It is like programing a digital alarm clock.
Yes there can be bad machines that do not brew at the right temp. But most of the bad reviews for this product are the result of user error and not due to a design defect.
For the money, this is a great buy in a thermal carafe drip Machine. There are no major flaws. It looks good on the counter, and keeps the coffee hot for a few hours. For $30-$40 I think this machine is a steal!!!

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Use the digital clock / timer and wake to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.In a hurry?Enjoy the convenience of Pause-to-Serve to stop the brew cycle while you pour a quick cup full.For peace of mind the unit shuts off immediately after brewing and the thermal carafe keeps the coffee at optimal temperature for several hours.

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La Crosse Technology WS-2010-13 PC Interface for use with WS-2010 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The software basically is awful. The part that is supposed to FTP to a website crashed my XP computer repeatedly despite reinstalls. Emails and calls to the company went unanswered.
I interface reminded me of an old DOS based program in its look and limitations.
I returned the part and software after several days.

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Observe and analyze the weather just outside the front door on a PC with this PC interface receiver from La Crosse Technology. Designed for use in conjunction with the WS-2010 weather station, the interface receiver collects weather data measured and sent by the weather station’s wireless outdoor sensors. The interface receiver offers storage for several days of weather data when disconnected from a PC. By connecting the interface receiver to a computer’s 9-pin serial port, the user can access the PC interface software and the stored data to create graphs, charts and execute other weather analysis and documentation tasks. The interface software is compatible for computers with Windows 95/98/NT operating systems; software for more current operating systems is available on La Crosse Technology’s website. For successful use of the PC interface, the computer should have a minimum of 16 MB RAM free, 32 MB for NT systems. The PC interface necessitates the ownership of a WS-2010 weather station, remote sensors, and compatible PC. Additionally, the separate purchase of two AA batteries is required to power the receiver. The PC interface receiver measures 4 inches long by 2-4/5 inches wide by 1 inch high.

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Denon S-32 Internet Radio with Built-in Speakers and 2-Alarm Clock Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I did a lot of research before I got this unit. It came down between the Philips Streamium and the Denon S32. I decided to go with the S32 because of past experiences with Philips - they make awesome products, but they have the nasty habit of canceling production AND pulling all support (Many years ago - 14 to be exact - I had a Philips Nino PDA, and all of a sudden: bye-bye! from the company!) Unlike other folks, I did read the description of this product, so I did not expect a CD nor a DVD player (weird!)
The pros: Internet radio, ability to create favorites lists - so it adds a semblance of organization to the thousands of radio stations that you can end up with! News from around the World, in their original languages. I speak several languages and this is a great way to keep the practice up! Deep rich sound, not over bassy like other systems. I love the high contrast white led display - I can read it from almost any angle (while in bed - perfect!) and you can always dim it if you think is too bright. I also really like the sleep function, I like to read before going to sleep and this function serves as a reminder!
The cons: no Mac support! What up with this???!!! Even though it says: "Plays audio stored on PC or Macintosh computers..." NOT true... I read the instructions, top to bottom and unless I missed something (or I was having too many drinks!) I did not find any mention whatsoever of Mac, anywhere, at all! - that's the 1st star off. The 2nd star off comes because of poor WiFi reception. It comes with a bitty 3db antenna, come on, for the price, they could've thrown in at least a 7db antenna! I have a "Chumby" ([...]) which is also a WiFi radio player (of sorts) and this bitty thing has much better reception than the S32 unit; I solved the problem by getting an Airport Express and extending the coverage of my Airport Extreme... kind of disappointed about the reception issue (but solved by spending $100 extra!) Another fact, but I do not consider it a negative (more or less) is that I cannot charge my iPhone on the S32 - kind of silly, when almost all iPod products coming out these days CAN charge the iPhone - but then I appreciate the peace and quiet of not having a phone in my room when I go to sleep!
Overall: Highly recommend it!

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The Denon S-32 wireless network music system with built-in speakers and 2-alarm clock, one of Denon's first two networked audio products, delivers a smart way to play music from your computer throughout the home. The WiFi certified S-32 offers the ability to stream music either via Ethernet, or wirelessly, from internet radio sources and other network attached storage devices such as PC or Mac computers on the network. The S-32 built-in speakers were targeted to have internationally accepted sound reproduction that is excellent for music with a powerful bass response. Its mono-out allows the use of separate subwoofer of one's choice if ever required. The S-32 comes with a clock with two alarms with auto clock set-and-adjust via internet, and FM/AM radio as well as a built-in dock for iPod for easy drop-in functionality.

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Geneva Clock Co 4248 Elgin Alarm Clock Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)All in all, this is a reasonable alarm clock for the price. We bought it for our baby's room hoping for something that would stay lit all the time but not be too bright. In this sense, it serves our needs. The one problem with it though is that the display is impossible to view from any angle but from the front and above. It is somewhat bizarre that it is this way as I have never seen anything like it. Perhaps it was designed this way so as to not give off too much light in a bedroom, but it would be very hard to see from your night stand.
To see it from a seated position (as in from the baby glider), it has to be placed on the floor across the room in our room configuration. The shelf that is right at eye level next to the chair won't work.
It would have been nice if the product listing said something about this "feature."

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The Elgin alarm clock 4248 by Geneva Clock Company is an elegant multi-functional electronic LED clock. It features an easy to read extra large font 1.9" digital display which shows time, day, and month. The casing is brushed silver in color and the face has bright green illuminated LED numbers and letters. This clock is perfect for home or office, kitchen, bedroom, or family room. It is also the ideal gift for an aging parent, especially with failing vision or memory issues. One quick glance from across the room, and you have all the information you need!

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