The Mr. Coffee 8-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker Black DRTX85 is an efficient, affordable machine with an 8-cup capacity.

This unit is styled in black and comes with a brushed stainless-steel thermal carafe. It is surprisingly compact for a full-size unit, measuring approximately 8 inches wide by 10.5 inches deep by 12 inches tall. A flip-up lid provides access to both the water reservoir and filter basket.

There were several features we liked about this unit, starting with the dual exterior water windows, which show at a glance from either side, exactly how much water is in the tank. The sleek control panel has six pushbutton controls, which we found quite intuitive. The buttons let us quickly set the time (hr/min), specify a delay brew time, initiate brewing immediately or shut the unit off.

The DRTX85 uses standard cupcake-type paper filters. The brew time was fast, finishing a full 8 cups in less than 8 minutes. If you are in a hurry for the first cup, the brew-pause feature lets you remove the carafe for up to 30 seconds during brewing to sneak a cup. Or, you can use the programmable clock/timer to preset a brew time so the coffee is ready when you want it.

During our tests, the coffee came out at different temperatures, ranging from 160 to 172 degrees Fahrenheit. We found we obtained the hottest results by pre-warming the thermal carafe with hot water before brewing.

The double-walled thermal carafe has a plastic stay-cool handle, with a convenient thumb-notch indentation at the top. The brew-through lid keeps heat and steam locked inside so the coffee stays warm for several hours. We noticed a drop in temperature of about 6-7 degrees each hour. Because there is no need for a keep warm function, this unit shuts off automatically when the brew cycle is completed.


Pros: Thermal carafe, programmable clock/timer
Cons: Coffee temp drops more rapidly than some other models, carafe lid must be loosened to pour coffee

Warranty
1 year