Review: Zojirushi coffee maker (5 cup)

Why choose Zojirushi Coffee Maker (5 cup) over other machines?

Sure. Zojirushi Zutto Coffee Maker is not among the best drip coffee makers. However, it offers something that those other coffee makers do not have.

As you may discover in this Zojirushi Coffee Maker 5 cup review, this appliance brews fairly neat coffee with simplicity and convenience. It had an elegant and modern look, one that can adapt to many kitchens. It’s small and compact. It fitted perfectly on my countertop.

• Consistency in flavor and temperature
• More advanced than other small and compact coffee makers (1-touch operation, warming plate, glass carafe, charcoal filter)
• Has a concealed 24oz removable water reservoir
• Can fit into smaller kitchens, spaces and homes
• Comes with a charcoal water filter that can last up to 2 years

Who is Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker (5 cup) perfect for?

Though not as basic as AmazonBasics coffee maker, Zojirushi Coffee Maker (5 cup) is simple and basic. In my opinion, it can be a good choice for any of the following:

✓ More advanced features such as one-touch operation, warming plate, removable water reservoir

✓ Temporary coffee maker with simple features

✓ A small and compact coffee maker (for an office, dorm or some other small space)

✓ Not caring so much about the flavor or high quality

✓ Glass carafe

✓ BPA-free

✓ Consistency in flavor

✓ Easy to operate

Who is Zojirushi coffee maker 5 cup NOT perfect for?

Though there are pockets of customers that this coffee maker might be perfect for, Zojirushi certainly is not the best choice for everyone. In my opinion, this coffee maker may not be good for any of the following:

✗ Plastic-free appliance

✗ Consistency in quantity and quality of coffee

✗ High quality of coffee

✗ An advanced coffee machine

Zojirushi coffee maker (5 cup): Review and Evaluation 🕵️

→ Appearance

When I first saw Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker, I was quite impressed with its appliance. After reviewing AmazonBasics coffee maker, I expected Zojirushi to be yet another cheaply-made coffee maker. I did not realize I was very far from the truth.

Zojirushi came with a simple, straightforward yet modern and sleek design. It came with a silver matte plastic and a glass carafe. Due to its versatile look, the machine fitted perfectly into my kitchen.It was merely 11 inches in height, and about 4 pounds in weight. It was easy to handle.

The machine was also very simple to operate. Unlike other, more complicated drip coffee makers, Zojirushi coffee maker (5 cup) is a one-touch operation coffee brewer. The on/off button is located on the side. There was no way to press it by accident.

→ Features and technical specs

Voltage: Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker is made for 120V, and can be used in Canada and the US only.

Basket size: Unlike other models, which have a basket affixed to the frame of the coffee maker, Zojirushi has a filter and a basket placed in the glass carafe. This was a very interesting solution. However, once coffee was brewed into the carafe, the filter, basket and coffee grounds remained inside the carafe.

Beverage size: Zojirushi Coffee Maker brews about 24oz of coffee. This is not the size advertised (5 cups), but rather about 4 cups of coffee.

It’s not large enough to host a party, but it brews 2 large mugs of coffee. I found the machine to be really useful for a quick coffee in the morning, or at work when I would like some coffee to get a dose of energy.

Weight: Given the materials with which Zojirushi coffee maker (5 cup) is built, I did not expect the machine to be heavy. It was barely 4.5 pounds. It was easy to unpack, assemble and place on the counter. I imagine most people could find it easy to lift, move, or slide the coffee maker on the counter.

Unit size: Zojirushi Coffee Maker (5 cup) is a compact machine that can fit into most spaces. It was 6 x 9 x 11 inches. Due to its petite size (similar to AmazonBasics coffee maker), I was able to easily place it on my countertop.

Carafe: When it comes to cheaper coffee makers, I am typically wary of glass carafes. They are fragile and they can break easily.

I was quite pleased with the Zojirushi’s carafe. It was solid, sturdy and well-made. I prefer glass over thermal, as glass does not give coffee any metallic flavors.

I had one small problem with the carafe. The handle seems to be somehow tied to the carafe with a single steel band. It felt like it was going to break apart whenever I picked it up.

Water reservoir: Zojirushi coffee maker comes with a 24oz removable water reservoir. The design of water reservoir was not the best. I had to pull it out from the frame, which required additional 11 inches of space under my top cabinet. Further, I was actually able to brew 3-4 cups, so I am confused about the 5 cup messaging.

Additional perks: Unlike more expensive coffee makers, Zojirushi is a simple and convenient coffee maker available in the market. Overall, it’s more advanced than AmazonBasics, for instance, and comes with a couple of features that I valued and appreciated.

✓ Zojirushi coffee maker (5 cup) was extremely easy to use due to a one-touch operation. The machine comes with only one button: on and off. The button was conveniently located on the side of the machine. As an added safety precaution, it was almost impossible to press it “by accident.”

✓Zojirushi zutto coffee maker (5 cup) came with an automatic warming plate. As soon as the brewing has finished, my coffee maker turned into a keep-warm function to preserve the heat of my coffee until I turn off the machine. Unfortunately, there’s no auto-off, and the coffee maker needs to be manually turned off. Otherwise, the keep-warm function continues.

Further, Zojirushi Coffee Maker (5 cup) comes with a charcoal water filter. As with other coffee makers, I feel like charcoal filter slightly improve the flavor of coffee. The company says the filter should last for 2 years.

→ Performance

Brewing time: I was very pleased with Zojirushi’s efficiency. The brewer took about 3-4 minutes to brew a full carafe.

Flavor: Before reviewing this product, I expected an AmazonBasics quality of coffee: basic and bland. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with what Zojirushi zutto coffee maker delivered. Coffee was consistently smooth, even and tasty.

Temperature: Unfortunately, Zojirushi did not deliver my desired brewing temperatures. In my measurements, it reached between 170 to 180 F degrees, which is lower than a perfect brewing temperature of 195 to 205 F degrees.

Noise levels: In my experience, I have not noticed any remarkable sounds or noises coming out of the machine. It was on par with other brewers. There was an audible sound when the brewer was coming to an end of the brewing cycle. However, this was not unusual.

Cleaning: Cleaning was rather simple. With a removable lid and reservoir, I found it rather easy to clean my coffee maker.

Customer-reported technical issues

Though I was mostly pleased with Zojirushi 5-cup coffee maker, I was a bit disappointed in the handle.

It appears that Zojirushi users have been mostly pleased with the machine, and claimed the coffee maker to be reliable and solid. Negative comments are very rare and few in between. If there were any, they had to do with the following:

• A handle seems wonky/li>
• Lukewarm coffee – does not heat water sufficiently for a perfect beverage

→ Health and safety

Zojirushi claims that all their 5-cup zutto coffee maker is BPA-free. However, the machine has a lot of plastic parts, including a basket that is placed inside the carafe. After brewing is complete, the basket remains inside the carafe to bathe in hot water/coffee.

The BPA-free status is helpful to know, but it typically does not guarantee that there are no other potentially dangerous substitutes used in the production process.

Reports show that many manufacturers replace BPA with other types of plastic. These types include but are not limited to BHPF (fluorene-9-bisphenol), TPP (triphenyl phosphate), and bisphenol S (BPS). The exact health effects of the BPA substitutes, such as BHPF, TPP and BPS, are unknown at this point.

I was not able to find much detailed information on what kind of materials or chemicals are used, so I am not able to verify. I will be reaching out to Zojirushi I can include it in the Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker review.

→ Price to value: is Zojirushi coffee maker (5 cup) worth the money?

Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker (5 cup) sells at a $$ price point. In my experience, it can brew consistently good coffee. I love that the appliance seems sturdier and more reliable than other similar coffee makers.

However, the unit is mostly plastic and comes with a very basic feature set. At this price point, I would expect a much more advanced coffee machine. For these reasons, I would evaluate price-to-value ratio as only good.

Should I buy Zojirushi coffee maker (5 cup)? Owly’s verdict! 🔨

Whether or not to buy Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker (5 cup) is up to you. When I was looking for a small, compact and lightweight coffee maker for my small office, I could not afford a DeLonghi ESAM3300 or Breville BES870XL.

Zojirushi is not a coffee maker I would want to use to entertain guests. It’s made almost entirely of plastic and brews lukewarm coffee (though still good tasting).

Zojirushi, though quite expensive, was a perfect choice for me and my temporary needs. It brewed really good cups of coffee, and was an overall reliable machine. I strongly preferred it over AmazonBasics coffee maker.

Do you like your Zojirushi coffee maker 5 cup? Did you enjoy our Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker review? Let us know in the comments!