Starbucks Barista Utopia

Pros: Funky design, rich coffee taste, takes up less space on the countertop.
Cons: Uses way more coffee ($$$), flimsy filter, 10 cup brew amount is a bit misleading.

After hunting for an attractive grind-and-brew carafe model and coming up empty handed, save the $199 USD Capresso Coffee Team Luxe Coffeemaker available from Williams Sonoma, I turned my attention toward Starbuck's Utopia.

Although this...

Pros: Conversation piece and unique design
Cons: Weak brew

I so wanted to love this machine. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my mother using a stove top vacuum coffee maker on special occasions. The Utopia is a real conversation piece and a beautiful example of product design engineering.
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Pros: Attractive style, easy to use, makes a fantastic cup of coffee
Cons: Expensive, questionable durability, cleaning

I think I drink enough coffee to qualify as a pseudo-expert on the subject of coffee and coffee makers. Certainly expert enough to tell you that Starbucks' Barista Utopia is an awesome machine that I'm not at all disappointed with.

The Utopia...

Pros: Easy to clean, brews very quickly, makes a great cup of coffee.
Cons: Pricey, plastic parts might wear out over time.

As something of a coffee afficianado (maniac?) my quest for the perfect cup of coffee never ends. Although many folks are perfectly happy throwing some folgers crystals into their drip coffee maker, I demand a higher quality cup of coffee.

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Pros: best damn cup of joe than 95% coffee shops
Cons: pricey but acceptable if used 5/7 days

Well.

After coveting Bucky's Funky Bean Brew Bucket since I first saw it earlier in the spring I finally succumed and purchased it for the wonderfully reduced x-mas sale price of $129 cnd.,(reg $225).

Actually I socially engineered...

Pros: The vaccume brewing, looks like a chemistry experiment, but best of all GREAT COFFEE!
Cons: Plastic, common guys, you should have known!

Well hello again, fellow epinionators! Just checking in for my once a year epinion, back in style.

So let's talk about the Starbucks Utopia . So I work there, I guess I should have a high opinion of the product, well I do, but there's a...

Pros: Excellent coffee taste and temperature, attractive and trendy design, fun to watch brewing process
Cons: Plastic construction not aesthetically pleasing, carafe is hard to clean, somewhat pricey

Oh, the sadness of a broken heart and shattered dreams. I'd just experienced disappointment when an expensive coffeemaker let me down (see my review for the Capresso CoffeeTeam Plus) and I was reluctant to trust again. Still, my addiction to caffeine...

Pros: Cool looks, great coffee, consistent results, fun to watch it do its thing!
Cons: Took a little work and research to work the flaw out of the design.

I bought my machine ( Starbucks Utopia, 10-12 cup model ) on a whim because they were clearing them out. I initially found the same issues with it as others had posted on this site. So I put in away for a couple of years, using it only as a back-up. I ...

Pros: Good fast coffee, easy clean-up, cool design.
Cons: It will take at least three tries to make your first good cup.

I bought the graphite Starbucks Utopia from starbucks.com, which was a great experience in itself. Starbucks.com is one of a few on-line retailers that will ship to a Post Office box (this is a big deal for me). I received a free bag of ground house...

Pros: Vacuum system makes great coffee; not over heated so bitter oils not released.
Cons: Plastic construction. Parts wear out quickly; but replacable

The vacuum purculating system makes a GREAT tasting coffee as it's not over heated so that the bitter oils are not released.

Over priced plastic construction feels flimsy. Why isn't this tempered glass? The wire filter/pacifier thingy wears...

Pros: Beautiful machine, makes great coffee and not difficult to clean.
Cons: Durability of polycarbonate?

When I watched the Utopia in action at Starbucks I immediately fell in love with it. After sampling the coffee (Mocha Sanani) I was hooked. It was the best cup of coffee I've ever tasted. Not one bit of bitterness even though it is a "bold" coffee....

Pros: This machine brings coffee to a new level.
Cons: Defective filter but don't let it stop you!

I used to have a drip coffee maker that I threw the required Folgers crystals into in the morning and, in a few minutes, drank a cup of coffee or two. Then I tried a perk coffee pot and saw such a difference in the taste of the coffee. My farberware...

Pros: FANTASTIC cup of coffee, entertains guests, great warranty help
Cons: Durability not great, but good warranty.

Well, here is the exception to the rule. I have had more questions from company about how this pot functions, and every single person, including a Starbucks employee, comments on how good the coffee tastes. Eventually, I find people staring at the pot...

Pros: Richer coffee, interesting to watch the brew process.
Cons: Harder to clean. Longer brew time. Can't "steal" a cup before brew is finished.

I've accumulated seven varieties of coffee makers but find that I usually choose the Utopia in the morning! It's style of brewing, mixing the grounds with the water for a minute or two provides a richer cup of coffee. The "non-paper" filter allows more of the coffee's oils to come through with also gives a richer cup.