I love this coffee maker. First, we have black stainless steel appliances in our kitchen. It is difficult to find kitchen appliances that match, and this black stainless steel Cuisinart Duo Coffee maker is a perfect match. I have had a few Kuerig coffee makers over the past few years, 2 of which have since broken. I don’t expect an appliance to last forever, but when 2 of these quit working, I decided to search for something else. That is when I came across this Cuisinart coffee maker. The coffee maker comes with 2 types of brewing choices in a single unit. There is a traditional brewing side, with a 12 cup carafe for making larger quantities of coffee, and a pod side for single serve coffee. Each side has its own water dispenser, which I like. For the brewing side, you place the amount of water for how many cups you would like to brew into the water reservoir and it will brew exactly that amount. Each side also contains a holder to place a charcoal filter in to purify the water. Two filters are included with the coffee maker when you purchase it. There are several features on this maker that I absolutely love. The brewing side can be set to automatic brew, so you can have a pot of coffee waiting for you at whatever time of day you choose. It comes with a mesh perma-filter, or you can choose to use disposable paper filters instead. It also features (and this is my very favorite), a “bold” button for brewing extra strong coffee. You can also choose to brew your coffee over ice, to make a delicious cold drink. With the first cup of coffee I made with this machine, I used the pod side, and it was one of the best cups of coffee I have had in years. Of course, I set the timer for the brewing side for the next morning, so I could check it out. It surpassed my expectations. The coffee maker was quiet, so I was not even sure it had made the coffee, until the exquisite aroma reached the bedroom. I was in coffee paradise. The pod side also has some excellent features. The coffee maker can accommodate several sizes of cups and travel mugs. For single cups or small travel mugs, there is a flip down cup holder that fits the short sizes perfectly. For an average tumbler, you just put your tumbler on the bottom base to brew. For tall travel mugs, the bottom tray lid can be removed to fit the larger tumblers. You can select 4,6,8,10, or 12 oz. brewing capacities. This is a great, versatile feature. The single serve water reservoir holds up to 42 oz. of water and has a convenient handle to allow easy removal/replacement. This coffee maker is sleek, compact, lightweight, extremely functional, and brews excellent coffee. I could not ask for more. It has features I did not even know I wanted until I had them. I am so very happy with my coffee maker, I have already recommended it to a friend.