We found the best overall coffee-maker reviews at Consumer Reports, which tests and rates 30 drip coffee makers, along with 10 pod-type coffee machines. The Wall Street Journal has the best review specifically on thermal-carafe coffee makers. Taste-testers included representatives from three Seattle-area coffee roasters. Among other criteria, models were specifically tested on their ability to keep coffee hot after four hours. Cook's Illustrated and Good Housekeeping have good reviews, but they are nowhere near as current as Consumer Reports and The Wall Street Journal. Owner-written coffee-maker reviews at Amazon.com (and to a lesser extent, Epinions) proved extremely helpful, since owners can comment on long-term reliability and ease-of-use issues.

Drip coffee is the most convenient way to get your morning brew, even though most coffee aficionados say drip coffee isn't 'real' coffee (see our report on espresso machines ). Even so, reviews say that when done the right way, drip coffee can be a pleasure to drink. Cook's Illustrated says when the coffee beans are ground to the correct size (not too fine), the water temperature is right (195 to 205 degrees for brewing, 155 to 175 for serving), and brewing is fast enough (four to six minutes), the drip method results in a rich flavor.

In a recent review of thermal-carafe coffee makers at The Wall Street Journal, the DeLonghi DC55TCB 10-cup (*est. $75) is rated the best value. Taste-testers liked its thick, flavorful coffee. We could not find any corroborating reviews of this model, but at Amazon.com, other DeLonghi coffee makers receive some low ratings from owners.

DeLonghi also makes a 4-cup model that brews directly into a portable thermal cup, the DeLonghi DC51TTB (*est. $30) . Unfortunately, this model also gets low scores from a dozen owners, most of whom say the carafe leaks when you try to drink from it and that it imparts a plastic taste to the coffee.