Instant Infusion Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker – Two-Minute Review
Instant is a brand that is revered for making some of the best Instant Pots, as well as the best air fryers. And now, Instant is capitalizing on its popularity by dipping its toe into other appliance categories, including coffee makers.
The Instant Infusion Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker is a simple drip coffee maker. If you’re reading this review, you’ve probably already rejected all the fancy Italian coffee makers and single-serve coffee makers in your quest for the best coffee maker. And if you’re looking for big cups of hot coffee that you can swallow, then one of the best drip coffee makers is a great choice.
This is a simple and easy-to-use coffee maker, which should be enough for many people. But if you want additional features like adjustable brewing strength or an adjustable warming plate, you’ll need to look at the next model.
In my tests, the coffee maker delivered hot, drinkable coffee at the touch of a button. It’s incredibly easy to use, and I like that it comes with a reusable mesh filter, so there’s no ongoing expense of buying paper filters. There’s nothing new or groundbreaking here to wow you, and its design is unimpressive, but overall, considering the price, it’s a good buy.
Instant Infusion Brew 12 Cup Coffee Maker Review: Price & Availability
- List price: £69.99/AUD99
- Available in the UK and Australia
At the time of writing, the Instant Infusion Brew 12-Cup coffee maker is available in the UK and Australia. It is very reasonably priced and easy to find online via Instant Brands Or on Amazon.
This model is not currently available in the U.S. Instead, the Instant Infusion Brew Plus 12-Cup Coffee Maker is available for $69.99. Although very similar, the Plus model has a few extra controls, such as adjustable brewing strength and a warming plate that stays on for up to four hours.
- Value for money rating: 5 out of 5
Instant Infusion Brew 12 Cup Coffee Maker – Specifications
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.1 x 6.9 x 14.4″ / 35.9 x 17.6 x 36.6 cm |
| Timer | 24 hours |
| Reservoir | 1.8 liters/ 60 ounces |
| Maximum number of cups | 12 |
| Heating plate | Yes |
Instant Infusion Brew 12 Cup Coffee Maker Review: Design
- Simple LCD touch control
- Reusable mesh filter
- Dishwasher safe carafe
As I mentioned, this is a fairly average coffee maker in terms of looks. It’s not the kind of machine you’d want to put in a place of honor in your kitchen for passersby to admire, but it’s also not going to offend anyone.
The removable water tank at the back has fill lines for 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 cups. The coffee pot has the same cup markings and sits on a warming plate that turns on automatically when brewing begins.
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The UK model has a hotplate that stays on for 40 minutes. However, if you buy it in Australia, the hotplate will keep your coffee hot for up to four hours. A button on the control panel allows you to turn the hotplate off at any time.
Under the flip-top lid, you’ll find a reusable, washable filter. A coffee measuring cup is included, and the rule of thumb is to add one rounded scoop of ground coffee per cup. So if you’ve filled the water reservoir to the 8-cup line, you’ll need to add eight rounded scoops of ground coffee to the filter.
Apart from the start button, which initiates brewing, the only other adjustable setting is the 24-hour timer. It’s easy to use and means you can set the coffee maker before you go to bed and come back in the morning to fresh coffee.
The jug, brewing basket, and coffee filter are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. You should also run a descaling solution through the machine every two to three months to remove any mineral deposits. Other than that, this model is fairly low-maintenance.
Instant Infusion Brew 12 Cup Coffee Maker Review: Performance
- Intuitive to use
- Easy to clean
- Basic functions
There was no instruction manual in the box, just a getting started guide with a QR code to access the manual. The online user manual was very thorough, but since the Instant Infusion is a simple machine, I had no reason to refer to it often.
As is usually the case with coffee maker cup markings, they don’t translate to typical cup capacities. I found that the four-cup capacity produced enough coffee to fill two standard cups.
When you want a coffee, you can remove the jug briefly during brewing and the coffee will stop dispensing until you put it back in. And thanks to the solid pouring spout, the liquid pours out of the jug without dripping.
The temperature of freshly brewed coffee varied depending on the amount of coffee brewed, but was generally around 160-180ºF/70-80ºC. After 30 minutes on the hotplate, the temperature rose to an average of 183ºF/84ºC.
The only issue I had with this coffee maker was brewing a full jug. I added 12 rounded tablespoons of ground coffee as recommended. However, during the brewing process, the coffee grounds spilled out onto the top of the filter and some of it went into the jug of coffee.
The timer is very easy to set and when you turn it on, a handy clock symbol appears on the display so you can be sure it has been set. It worked as expected and I went downstairs in the morning to have a freshly brewed coffee.
The taste of coffee will always depend on the type of coffee, as well as how freshly the beans are ground, so it’s variable, not to mention subjective. But even with fairly generic store-bought ground coffee, the brewed coffee was pleasant, if a little bitter.
Even though they are dishwasher safe, I chose to wash the carafe, brewing basket, and coffee filter in the sink, as they require nothing more than a quick rinse and wipe to keep them clean on a daily basis. However, when I washed them in the dishwasher, they came out perfectly clean and undamaged.
- Performance Rating: 4 out of 5
Is it worth buying the Instant Infusion Brew 12-cup coffee maker?
| Value | Affordable prices and easy availability online. | 5/5 |
| Design | The design is simple and inconspicuous; it’s just a coffee machine without any unnecessary frills. | 4/5 |
| Efficiency | It works as expected: it is easy to use and brews drinkable coffee. | 4/5 |
Buy if…
Don’t buy if…
How I Tested the Instant Infusion Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker
- I used it every day for a week
- I tried the programmable timer
- I rated how easy it is to clean
I installed the Instant Infusion Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker in my kitchen and used it instead of my regular coffee maker for a week. And despite being a fan of espresso-based coffees, I drank many cups of this drip coffee.
There aren’t many features to try, but I used the programmable timer and made coffee in different cup sizes to see if it was consistent no matter how many you brewed. I also checked the temperature of the coffee and how it changed while it was sitting on the warming plate.
Home appliance reviews are my specialty, and as a qualified home economist, I love kitchen appliances. I’ve been reviewing everything from coffee makers to blenders for over 15 years, so I know a thing or two about what works and what’s, quite frankly, annoying.
- First review: April 2024
