I had 16 people coming for a buffet lunch and I thought I could never cope making coffee for them all in my little caffetiere so I decided to buy this coffee maker. What a brilliant machine! You just put one dessertspoon of coffee in for each cup (it makes anything from 2 - 12 cups) and the right amount of water which is all marked out on the resevoir, then push one button and hey presto in a few minutes (up to 7 for 12-cup amount) you have a jug full of great coffee. Not only that, it keeps it piping hot on the hotplate for 2 hours and then auto turns off as a safety feature but you can just push the button again and it continues to keep it hot. I really wish I had bought ones ages ago as it makes life so much easier and it can even be programmed on its timer to make the coffee at any time you choose so you can wake up to freshly made coffee in the morning!