Mr Coffee Perfect Brew Review: Intelligent and Versatile

Waking up to the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee has got to be one of life’s ultimate pleasures. With this Mr Coffee Perfect Brew review, I aim to see if this machine can deliver that “Holy Grail” experience.

Is it the “perfect brewer” worth a permanent spot on your kitchen counter? Let’s take a first look, exploring features, functionality and overall value.

Overview: Mr Coffee Perfect Brew Review

Mr Coffee has built a solid reputation for quality and versatility since 1970. Its latest brewer, the Mr Coffee Perfect Brew hit the market this September after much anticipation. As an advanced drip coffee maker, it screams style. It boasts a slim, stainless steel body targeted to the space-conscious home-brewer. This sets it apart from larger Mr Coffee machines.

Another surprising must-mention for this Mr Coffee Perfect Brew review is its Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) certification. Few brewers achieve this badge of honor, especially at this price point.

As for the digital user interface; it not only looks cool, but appears to be fairly easy to use. Working with the intelligent brew system, this display auto-adjusts brew temperatures and times. It also auto-selects water volumes based on beverage selections. Trust me, if you’re in a hurry, these features will come in handy.

The Perfect Brew has an impressive seven brew settings. These allow you to adjust strength and batch size for coffees, teas and express “cold brews.” So remarkable is this versatility, that it matches and even beats higher-end at-home or commercial machines.

Accessories-wise, the Perfect Brew isn’t that generous. For starters, it offers a plastic coffee scoop (which comes with most drip machines, anyway). What impresses me, though, are the color-coded tea and coffee filters and baskets. These ensure a perfect brew for each beverage type.

What about the price? Well, at $199.99 it’s pretty high for the size.

Overall, this is a pretty cool multifunction starter home brewer from a brand better known for basic machines. But does it deserve a space in your home? Keep reading to get my full take below.

Mr Coffee Perfect Brew Features

So how does this SCA-certified home brewer measure up on specific features? Let’s take an in-depth look.

Size and Design

The Perfect Brew is a modern, stylish and space-saving brewer. It’s the epitome of sleek, boasting a stainless steel finish with attractive matte plastic accents. In addition, its front-facing digital display adds a touch of unbridled sophistication.

Interestingly, this machine has a removable water tank with separate hot and cold brewing sections. This makes it both easy to refill and clean.

Crucially, rubber feet ensure stability when the machine is in use and a 24-inch (61-centimeter) power cable offers placement convenience.

The Perfect Brew also incorporates features similar to home espresso machines. In place of a carafe, you can brew directly into seven-inch-tall coffee cups or travel mugs. That’s Ideal for those on-the-go mornings!

But, while the Perfect Brew is compact, at 16-inches tall, it may not fit all under-cabinet spaces when its lid is open. You’ll want to measure carefully to ensure it fits in your intended location.

User Interface

This machine’s user display is refreshingly versatile, providing seven ways to brew coffee and tea. It enables you to make:

To enable this, the control panel has a center clock, center dial and a variety of brew buttons. These come in handy when selecting brew strengths, quantities and brew times. The “Set Time” button, in particular, primarily programs the clock. But together with the “Delay Brew” function, it ensures you get to wake up to fresh-brewed coffee.

Flexibility is another highlight. The Perfect Brew can brew a full carafe or single cup servings. These options cater to everyone, from solo drinkers and families to small office crews. Conveniently, this appliance also boasts a dedicated “Clean” button for easy auto-prompted maintenance.

Intelligent Brew System

One of the features I love about this coffee maker is the hot and cold brew system. No wonder this coffee maker is also called the Intelligent Coffee Maker!

For starters, it boasts a mid-brew pause function for those who can’t wait for a full carafe. Additionally, as it brews, it maintains precise temperature control in line with SCA Gold Cup recommendations.

A crucial part of how this coffee maker achieves superior brewing is its heating element. This sophisticated temperature management system allows it to brew a larger quantity of water quickly. Again, this helps it adhere to SCA Gold Cup standards.

What impresses me most, though, is that these brew features are typical in more expensive domestic or commercial machines. This showcases Mr Coffee’s commitment to quality and bringing professional-grade versatility into the home.

Brew Settings

A must-mention in this Mr Coffee Perfect Brew review is this machine’s range of brewing options. Because these brew settings are largely automated they require minimal to no input from you.

As mentioned, the digital display provides extra brew buttons for hot, over-ice and express cold brew beverages. This versatility ensures precise control over a wide range of brewing variables. As a result, it helps you achieve optimal extraction for coffee and optimal infusion for tea.

Now what does all this mean? For coffee, it means a well-balanced flavor profile. And for tea? A delicate, nuanced cup that highlights hidden flavor notes.

Overall, Mr Coffee has done well here. They’ve zeroed in on a feature and perfected it to appeal to both coffee and tea drinkers.

SCA Certification

SCA certification is a prestigious recognition in the coffeeverse. It indicates that a brewer meets rigorous standards for excellent coffee. Furthermore, it demonstrates a brand’s commitment to quality.

When it comes to this machine, SCA certification shows that it can: 

These criteria help the Perfect Brew avoid common pitfalls like under-extraction (weak, sour coffee) or over-extraction (bitter, harsh coffee).

Volumetric Control

The Perfect Brew stands out for its precise volumetric controls. What does this mean? Well, it means that it can optimize flavor profiles for various beverages, by using clever systems, such as:

Again, these volumetric controls are typical in higher-end commercial machines.To be honest, I would not have expected to see them in the Perfect Brew. That they come with this $199.99 coffee maker was a pleasant surprise!

Glass Carafe

Mr Coffee has gone all out on the glass carafe. It embodies functionality and style. Made of durable, BPA-free, borosilicate glass, it boasts a removable hinged lid (for easy cleaning), precision-pour spout and stylish stainless steel handle.

Its 8-cup capacity, although slightly smaller than the Mr Coffee 12-Cup Coffee Maker, is still suitable for smaller households or frequent brewing.

Despite the carafe’s quality and warming plate’s one-hour runtime, I always prefer thermal carafes. They retain heat better and prevent that horrible “burnt coffee” taste. As such, I recommend drinking your coffee within 30 minutes of brewing with this machine.

Still, the intelligent warming plate stands out for me in this Mr Coffee Perfect Brew review. It only heats up with the carafe, and for 60 minutes at a time. This allows you to brew safely with coffee glasses, travel mugs or coffee cups.

This is a thoughtful addition from Mr Coffee. Perfect for those rushed-up mornings when you don’t have the time to brew a full pot!

Accessories

Compared to other brands, Mr Coffee includes thoughtful albeit few accessories. For starters, the Perfect Brew comes with a dual-purpose, tea and coffee scoop. Good enough! 

But, the accessories that really wowed me were the specialized filters and baskets. These brew either coffee or tea, and are color-coded for ease of use. Besides simplifying brewing, these filters also prevent unwanted flavor transfer.

Following on, these filters also perform another essential function. When inserted, they activate specific micro-switches in the brew chamber. In turn, this tells the machine to optimize brew settings for either coffee or tea. How? By adjusting factors like water temperature, brew time and water flow rate. Pretty neat, huh?

How to Use the Mr Coffee Perfect Brew

To begin, fill the water reservoir with fresh, filtered water and power up your machine. This reservoir has clear side markings for guidance. Remember to pour water into the hot or cold brewing section, depending on which coffee you’re brewing.

Next, open the brew chamber and put in the relevant coffee or tea filter basket and filter. This prompts the machine to wake the relevant brew mode on the digital display. Load up ground coffee or loose-leaf tea into your removable filter. Alternatively, you may use a No. 4 cone paper filter for a sediment-free brew.

Let’s concentrate on brewing hot coffee for this Mr Coffee Perfect Brew review. First, ensure that the coffee maker is in “Coffee” mode. Then use the relevant buttons and center knob to select your brew. You may choose to brew an 8, 12 or 16-ounce serving or an entire 40-ounce carafe. To this end, the machine will automatic-calculate the number of coffee scoops you need.

Now, position an empty carafe or coffee mug on the warming plate and hit the “Brew” button. The machine should switch from “Clock” to “Timer” mode on the digital display. For carafes, this automatically activates the bloom function before brewing. If you’re brewing a full carafe, the countdown timer should also switch to a count-up timer once brewing finishes. This, in turn, activates the warming plate.

It’s worth noting that the Perfect Brew has a sensor-activated “Brew-Pause” feature, which allows you to sneak a cup mid-brew.

Also, there are other brew modes besides hot coffee. You can enjoy iced coffee, a fast-brew cold brew and hot and iced teas. The user manual should guide you on all these extra (and handy!) brew settings.

Mr Coffee Perfect Brew Cleaning

Before cleaning your Perfect Brew, unplug your machine from the mains. Then, compost the used grounds and paper filters if you can.

After each brew cycle: 

Additionally, keep to a weekly and monthly cleaning schedule that takes care of your machine’s unseen components. Some must-dos include:

Dont skip these cleaning must-dos. They’ll ensure your coffee machine continues to brew great-tasting coffee and operate efficiently for years to come.

Mr Coffee Perfect Brew Technical Specifications

Verdict: Mr Coffee Perfect Brew Review

In conclusion, the Perfect Brew seems like a straightforward coffee maker geared to the everyday home brewer. Its intuitive user interface, space-saving design, SCA certification and brewing versatility are definite pluses.

However, it has its drawbacks. The glass carafe, while durable, is a no-no for me. And, considering its tiny size, the price seems a tad high.

Ultimately, after this Mr Coffee Perfect Brew review, I find that this strikes a fine balance between convenience and quality. And although I haven’t put it through its paces, yet, I intend to do so eventually.

My final recommendation? Go for it if you rank ease of use, brewing versatility and space-saving design over intricate brewing controls.