Mr. Coffee's Classic Edition Programmable Coffee Maker MRX35 has all the makings of a great countertop appliance. It is stylishly designed with black and brushed metallic surfaces, and comes with a laundry list of standard and specialty features designed to please even the most sophisticated coffee drinker.

The Classic Edition MRX35 is equipped with Mr. Coffee's Water Filtration system, which consists of a round carbon-based filter that snaps onto the top of the coffee filter basket. The water gets filtered just before it comes into contact with the grounds. Inserting the disk was a bit tricky, since it involved twisting a support ring to flip open the filter holder. Once inserted, however, each filter is good for approximately one month (or 30 brew cycles).

A box-style cabinet (10.75x7.25x12.75 inches) houses a water tank on one side and has a recessed chamber with warming tray to support the 12-cup glass carafe. We especially liked the easy slide-out filter holder, which holds a removable permanent mesh filter and water-filtration disk. A wire rack atop the machine acts as a cup storage space. With a removable silicone mat that doubles as a hot pad when you need to place the carafe on a table for serving.

The brew time for a full pot was just over 10 minutes (less than 1 minute per cup) and the temperature of the coffee was approximately 180 degrees in the carafe. We noticed that the drinking temp fluctuated between 160-175 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on whether we used mugs that were cold versus those that were preheated with warm water before filling.

The built-in programmable clock/timer is easy to set and lets you predetermine the brew time as well as the auto-shutoff interval (2 or 4 hours). Other customizable settings include the brew strength, warming plate temperature and audible signals to indicate the completion of the brew cycle or clean cycle.

One particularly nice feature is the Fresh Brew timer, a visual indicator of how long the coffee has been waiting for you. A quick glance at the clock display shows you, in minute increments, exactly how much time has past since the brew cycle was completed. This lets you determine whether to have that last cup or brew a fresh pot.

The control panel consists of a series of clearly marked pushbutton controls. To brew a pot immediately, we simply pressed the "Brew Now" button and waited while the machine worked its magic. Impatient coffee drinkers can always sneak a cup during brewing, thanks to the handy brew pause function, which halts dripping while the carafe is removed.


Pros: Programmable clock/timer, customizable auto-shutoff, brew-strength selector, clean cycle, Fresh Brew timer, permanent mesh filter, water filtration
Cons: Tricky to insert and remove water filtration disk

Warranty
1 year, limited