Touch Plus Single Serve Coffee Maker with Jumbo Cup & Carafe - Black/Silver K-Cup Compatible Brewer with Rapid Brew Technology (Model T526S) - Perfect for Home, Office, and Small Spaces

I have owned a few of this specific model of the Touch Brewer over a 10 year period and it is one of the best on the market but unfortunately it has major engineering flaws as many of you have already discovered.Pros:1. It makes one of the fastest, hottest k-cups out there.2. No annoying digital k-cup technology.Cons:1. The water pump fails, usually in under a year. The symptom is that the coffee maker will make a partial cup of coffee and then eventually it will stop making a cup altogether.2. The plastic release latch will break eventually from the force of closing the lid usually within 3 years.3. The k-cup holder gets clogged.If they fixed #1 and #2 in the design this could be a top coffee maker on the market. As an engineer I was able to resolve some of these issues. The pump is a cheap pump but you can replace it with a little wire splicing. I was able to find a better one that was made in Japan (as shown in the photos) for a few dollars. I combined that with some food grade tubing and some tubing adapters to fix the issue. After that fix the coffee maker will usually last 3-4 years until the plastic latch breaks (#2 above).If you manually open the lid and push the top down to puncture the k-cup before releasing the lid latch, it will not put much force on the latch and help it last longer.If the Touch Brewer will still produce a hot cut of water with the k-cup removed, but not with the k-cup inserted, then it's not the pump but instead the k-cup holder is clogged with grounds (#3 above). Take it out, turn it over and bang it on a surface until the grounds come out.If you have a little engineering skill you can repeat the steps I did in the photos to fix it and get a long lifetime of usage out of it.I've only owned this product for a couple of weeks but love it so far. Great flavor, hot coffee and reasonably priced. I've used Keurig coffee makers for years and this one is far superior. Now we'll see how it lasts.It was difficult not to give this coffee brewer a 5-star rating... because it truly does deliver!This is our 2nd purchase of this identical brewer... and we now know that you're likely NOT going to get 2-full years out of this product, but more likely you'll get, maybe 20'ish good months.It's a great k-cup brewer, but at this price point... I would hope for a longer shelf life. If they ever come out with a newer version with bigger promises, I may take the plunge again.Thanks to TOUCH for their good effort in delivering a very decent product... just make it better next time!Purchased for one reason, the high temp claim. Ran numerous cups and could never reach 179 using 2 thermometers. Rear reservoir was not easily removed but not a deal breaker. Other features are similar to less expensive brewers If you want high temp, look elsewhere. Contacted their support and was quickly told to return for refund, so I did. Search continues for high temp kcup machineCarafe not insulated - So I fill my fresh brew in insulated Yeti Cups. Leaving the last 10% of coffee in the carafe since the filter doesn’t filter out all the fine (bitter) grounds. Water reservoir large enough for two full carafes. After that you need to refill it. No auto timer for the mornings but it is so fast that this really isn’t an issue.I would definitely buy this product again. I have bought 4 so far over the past 6 years. for different homes and office. My current one at my home has been in use for 20 months with no problems. I don’t use Kcups rather grind my own and use the Jumbo Pod with my own (Kona-Koa Peaberry) coffee. One jumbo pod of fresh ground coffee is perfect for a full carafe. I find the jumbo paper filters do not allow enough room for a full carafe brew in the Jumbo Pod. I sympathize with those that have had problems. I had one lemon and returned it. All has been good since then. Still, it’s the best!My husband, who is not a coffee drinker, couldn't understand why I insisted on this coffee maker instead of the K-brand makers that can be found in every store. But I have used those machines, and I didn't want the disappointing cup of coffee they make. The Touch Plus, this coffee maker, solves all those problems. It turns on instantly- there is no waiting to select your cup size. It does take a little while longer to brew, but because of that, you get a full flavored cup of coffee. Besides, since I can select my coffee size immediately after turning on the machine, I don't even notice how long it takes. I love that I can use any brand or type of coffee, and that it came with a refillable filter so I can use up my bags of coffee, or simply save money. I haven't tried the carafe yet, so I'm not sure if the coffee will be strong enough, but it is a small carafe. It looks like two mugs worth of coffee. I can't imagine getting four cups out of it.First of all it's a great coffee maker... but it is honestly so much more, it's a great company! I had a problem with the water tank leaking about 6 months after purchasing our coffee maker. I called the company and Julie could not have been nicer or more helpful. She first helped me trouble shoot the problem. Then when she wanted to have their team look at it, she sent me a pre-paid UPS label, and within a week I had a brand new one back with no issue what so ever! This was far an away a great reason to purchase a Touch machine as you can have the confidence that they will back your machine and help you!!! I have read countless reviews about other KCup machines and most people say they are either junk or work for a while but have to be replaced regularly. You don't have to worry about this with Touch. Both my mom and I have one and we love them, even traded in our Nespresso for it!