I have every type of coffee maker ever made and this is one of the best ever.....great coffee, never bitter. The directions to prep the unit and make the coffee are simple. Once it is prepped, it is mere moments till a great cup of coffee. The warming tray has a separate control, so be sure it is on when you power on the unit. It works very well - I accidentally left the coffeepot on when I went out one day - I returned 4 hrs later and the coffee was still hot! This is a great value/great price. Thanks, Overstock. You Rock!