Mr. Coffee 12-Cup AD Series Coffeemaker: Coffee in a Cup or on the Countertop

My husband and I are both coffee addicts. When our under-the-cabinet coffeemaker broke about 18 months ago, I didn't research what to buy. A coffeemaker is a coffeemaker, right? Knowing I didn't want the under-the-cabinet model again, I just went out and bought the most inexpensive coffeemaker I could find. 

The main appeal to me of the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup AD Series Coffeemaker - besides the price - was that it brewed 12 cups. There is also a 2 hour automatic shutoff, so I didn't have to worry about going out and forgetting to turn off the pot. Also, if I wanted a cup while the coffee was still brewing, pulling out the glass decanter would automatically stop the process. No more holding a cup underneath the drip while I tried to pour at the same time! 

For a while it worked great and made a great cup of coffee. I would measure the water by filling the glass decanter to the metal band, then pour it into the water reservoir. A paper basket-type filter is placed into the funnel and then the ground coffee placed in the filter. Turn the coffeemaker on and violá - a perfect cup of coffee every time. 

I never used it, but the machine also had the capability of setting up the coffee ahead the night before to brew in the morning. Simply fill as directed above, check to make sure the clock is correct, then set the time that you wish for the coffee to brew. When you wake up, your coffee will be waiting for you. 

The shut-off worked perfectly also. Any time I'd forget I would always come home to find the coffeemaker off. I became so spoiled by this, it is a feature I will need from now on with coffeemakers! 

The coffeemaker even looked attractive on my counter. Since all of my appliances were black, the black coffeemaker fit in perfectly and did not seem out of place. Some decanters I have come across don't pour correctly, but I never had that problem with this one. 

It sounds great, doesn't it? Great price, makes a good cup of coffee, easy to work... 

About six months into using the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup AD Series Coffeemaker it leaked out all over the counter. The first time it was no problem. I cleaned up the mess, then cleaned the coffeemaker by flushing it with a solution of vinegar. 

Unfortunately, the problem did not solve as easily as this. We never knew when we brewed a pot if we would end up with coffee all over the counter. Since there were other appliances on the counter, it meant pulling everything out and cleaning up. We tried to figure out where it was coming from: Was the decanter cracked? Did it overflow somehow? Was the drip squirting instead of dripping? Was there a hose that was disconnected? 

We never figured out what exactly was making the coffeemaker leak. No matter how many times we cleaned it, we could not stop this from happening. In the end, we were keeping a paper towel underneath it to prevent the counter from being soaked. After we'd finally had enough, we threw it away and purchased a new coffeemaker.