KitchenAid 12 cup coffee maker with spiral showehead: an American innovation?

Why choose KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker with spiral showerhead over other coffee makers?

We really enjoyed testing this product for the KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker review. Anyone who chooses this machine over others may do this because of added features. These features do not commonly occur elsewhere.

The 29-hole spiral showerhead is what truly sets this machine apart from other coffee makers. A version of it exists in more expensive machines, such as Redline MK1, but KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker (KCM1208DG) offers it at a much better price tag. What a 29-hole spiral shower accomplishes is more even coffee ground saturation, which yields in a cup of more balanced coffee.

Furthermore, KitchenAid coffee maker comes with a glass carafe of a unique spout design. This helps avoid unwanted spills on the counter.

The machine also has several attractive features, like the Bold feature (that allows me to brew stronger coffee), an auto brew set-up feature (that allows me to program my next brew), and an auto shut of function (that switches the machine off automatically 2 hours after the brewing cycle ended).

Overall, the machine comes with all the necessary features we would need from a drip coffee maker. We can program it to brew coffee up to 24 hours in advance. We can also program it to shut off. Further, the machine comes with a permanent filter and a flavor saving glass carafe.

Who is KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker perfect for?

As we were testing the product for this KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker with spiral headshower review, we wanted to see who this machine can be a compelling choice for. From our perspective, KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker is a highly functional coffee machines that delivers great coffee thanks to some additional technological advances.

We feel that this coffee maker will particularly appear to coffee lovers who are looking for solid quality and great coffee:

✓ Ability to program the machine and the brew

✓ More even and robust coffee flavors thanks to a 29-hole spiral showerhead

✓ Ability to control coffee strength

✓ Correctly measure quantity of coffee grounds for a perfect cup of coffee

✓ Reasonable price

Who is KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker NOT perfect for?

Just like with other coffee maker reviews, we would like to remain honest in the KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker review. This coffee machine is by no means a perfect drip coffee maker (but no machine is!).

Here are some examples of users that may find KitchenAid coffee maker to be unsuitable:

✗ High expectations of sophisticated or nuanced coffee flavors

✗ Desire to use pods or k-cups

✗ Smaller or more compact machine

✗ Much more advanced technical features

KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker review and Evaluation 🕵️

→ Appearance

KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker with spiral showerhead (KCM1208DG) has a rounded, shiny exterior. While most of the unit is plastic, it comes with a couple of elegant stainless steel accents. The coffee maker is available in two colors: Matte Charcoal Grey and Onyx Black. Matte Charcoal Grey looks versatile for any kitchen. Those who are looking for a note of elegance and prestige may opt for an Onyx Black version.

The machine has a fully removable, transparent water tank that is easy to refill. This coffee maker also comes with its own 12 cups glass carafe with a unique spout design, which promises to make pouring easier and less messy.

The machine has two sets of Brew/Cancel buttons, to give flexibility in operating the coffee maker from any side that a user desires. The first set of buttons is on the main control panel. Another one is on the narrow side of the appliance.

The control panel is on the wider side of the machine, right between the water tank and the brew basket. It has a digital screen that shows the time and also the icons related to the set ups of the machine.

Overall, KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker comes with 5 buttons on the control panel

• Brew/Cancel: to start/stop brewing, and to stop warming cycle once brewing finishes.
• Auto Set: to program the start time of the next brew cycle up to 24 hours in advance. The time can be set for any time, day or night.
• Hours and Minutes: to set up the hour/minutes, and to program auto brew function.
• Bold: to brew stronger coffee.
• Clean: to initiate a cleaning cycle.

→ Features and technical specs

Voltage: KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker with spiral showerhead (KCM1208DG) is made for 120V, and can be used in Canada and the US only.

Basket size: KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker has a brew basket that is large enough to hold the coffee grounds to brew 12 cups of coffee. The basket comes with its own permanent gold mesh filter with the “Dosage Ladder.” The ladder provides an accurate measuring scale for adding the right quantity of coffee grounds to the filter. For example, if I need to brew 12 cups of coffee, then I need to add coffee grounds until the 12 cups scale level.

To brew filtered coffee, I will need to replace the permanent filter with a #4 paper filter. In this case, since the dosage landed is no longer available, I can use the dosage chart located at the back of the water tank.

Please remember to NEVER use both paper filter and permanent filter at the same time. Doing so may significantly damage your coffee maker and cause water overflow.

We recommend using medium grind size beans appropriate for automatic drip coffee makers. If a grind size is too fine, the coffee may taste bitter, and the coffee particles may clog the filter.

Beverage size: KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker comes with a 60oz carafe and water reservoir. Each cup is calculated at a size of 5oz. The machine will brew through the entire quantity of water in the water reservoir, unless we decide to cancel the brewing. To cancel and stop the brewing cycle, we need to click on one of the Brew/Cancel buttons.

Weight: With a weight of 10 pounds, KitchenAid coffee machine is a fairly light appliance. The glass carafe contributes a lot to the weight. If you want to move the appliance, we recommend removing the carafe to avoid breakage.

Unit size: KitchenAid KCM1208DG is 13.4 inches wide, 14.34 inches tall, and 7.17 inches narrow, so it is a bit large. The buyers will need to find the right place for it on the kitchen counter, to accommodate the height (the lid that covers the brew basket opens further up).

Water reservoir: The 60oz water reservoir is easily removable. It is at the back of the machine, and is made of a transparent material that allows to see how much water is in it. Furthermore, the lid covering the reservoir opens up. Therefore, we can easily re-fill without removing it.

Additional perks: What we would like to emphasize in this KitchenAid 12 cup coffee maker with spiral showerhead review is that the machine is largely a regular drip coffee maker, with a few additions!

In our opinion, there are a couple of features that make this espresso machine very attractive. They are as follows:

✓ Fuller and more complete flavors thanks to a 29-hole spiral showerhead that ensures more even coffee extraction. Unlike many other drip coffee makers, KitchenAid has come forward with a unique feature to extract coffee more evenly and fully. 29-hole spiral showerhead ensures that hot water hits coffee grounds from various sides, thus producing an exceptionally flavorful cup of coffee.

✓ Easy ways to measure appropriate amounts of coffee with a dosage ladder (and permanent mesh filter). The permanent gold mesh filter has something that other filters miss, which is a dosage ladder, that helps measure the quantity of coffee. The ladder has markings for the recommended coffee ground quantities to brew 4,6,8,10 and 12 cups of coffee.

✓ Mess-free coffee pouring with a 12-cup glass carafe. KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker has a uniquely designed glass carafe with a spout. The spout significantly reduces accidental spillage.

✓ Pause and pour to enjoy a cup of coffee faster. This features enables to remove the glass carafe and pour a cup of coffee before brewing is complete. When the carafe is removed, a special valve stops the flow of coffee from the brew basket. However, brewing does not stop. We need to make sure to place the carafe back in the place within 25 seconds to avoid the overflow of the water and coffee grounds from the brew basket.

✓ Clean with smile and ease. The clean function lets us know that it is time to clean the unit. The function activates after 100 brews, when the Clean icon appears on the digital screen.

✓ Full programmability to enjoy coffee at any time of day. The Auto Set button on the control panel helps set up the machine to brew coffee automatically, at a future desired time. This is a great feature to have, because it can save time on busy mornings.

→ Performance

Brewing time: KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker brews a full 12-cup carafe (60oz) in 10 minutes. This is on par with other drip coffee makers.

Flavor: KitchenAid KCM1208DG brews deep and rich coffee. In order to bring an even more flavorful cup of coffee, the machine comes with a strength control, which allows to brew bolder coffee. For brewing 2-3 cups of coffee, the manufacturer recommends that we always use the Bold setting.

Temperature: While KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker does not have temperature settings, it delivered fairly neat water to brew coffee. In our tests, it reached about 170-180 F degrees. It is slightly below the desirable water temperature for a perfect cup of coffee, but it still the job. Furthermore, he warming plate stays activate for 2 hours after the brewing cycle ends, in order to maintain coffee in the glass carafe at an optimal drinking temperature.

Noise levels: The machine makes NO noticeable noises.

Cleaning: Overall, the machine is very easy to clean, thanks to its design and structure. Part of that convenience is dishwasher-safe parts. The manufacturer recommends cleaning the machine with vinegar after 100 brew cycles. The clean icon lights up on the digital screen when it is time to descale the machine.

Further, the removable water tank, permanent filter and glass carafe can be washed with soapy water. The brew basket and the gold tone permanent filter can be cleaned on the top rack of the dishwasher. We recommend wiping the showerhead with a damp cloth, in order to remove any coffee splashes.

Customer-reported technical issues

KitchenAid KCM1208DG comes with a 1-year limited warranty. In order for the warranty to be effective, the machine needs to come from an authorized retailer.

We did not experience any major issues while testing the product for this KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker with spiral showerhead review.

Further, it appears that other users were generally happy with the performance and durability of the machine. There were a couple of recurring complaints:

• Glass carafe can break easily,
• Cleaning cycle can take longer after several months of use,
• Water tank can start leaking after some use.

Buyers also reported that, whenever the machine broke down, they found it difficult to replace the parts. In some instances, they had to wait for weeks for the part to be back in stock so that they could purchase it (this was usually reported regarding the replacement of the glass carafe).

→ Health and safety

This product is made mostly of plastic, but the KitchenAid website claims that BPA-free materials are used for all parts intended to be in contact with coffee and water.

→ Price to value: is KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker worth the money?

KitchenAid coffee maker sells at an extremely reasonable price $$ on Amazon and other retailers. In our view, this machine offers a fantastic price-to-value ratio. KitchenAid is a well-loved brand among stand mixers. This coffee maker is an entry for KitchenAid into a new category, and we were certainly very happy about it!

KitchenAid offers some unique features such as 29-hole spiral showerhead for more even saturation. Furthermore, the dosage ladder makes it easier to figure out the most appropriate proportion of coffee grounds to water.

Should I buy KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker? Owly’s verdict! 🔨

We hope that our KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker review makes your decision making process a little bit easier.

If you are looking for a coffee machine that has a reasonable price and that also comes with the type of features that can make your life easier, then KitchenAid with spiral showerhead may be the coffee machine for you.

This machine is all about the design touches. The look of this machine is sleek and modern, and has the potential to create a positive impact on the look of your kitchen. Also, the machine has some interesting features that coffee drinkers can find attractive, like the auto brew functionality, the Bold setting, and the unique spiral shower head and dosage ladder on the permanent filter.

However, if you are someone who likes to invest in appliances that set themselves apart through their look, and design features, then this KitchenAid coffee maker may be just the appliance for you.

What do you think?

Do you like your KitchenAid 12-cup coffee maker? Did you enjoy our KitchenAid KCM1208DG 12-cup coffee maker review? Do you have any questions?

Let us know in the comments under our KitchenAid coffee maker review!