In article . ac.uk,
Peter King wrote:

I've tried on-line reviews, and have found them contradictory, and mostly
by people who have just bought their first coffee-maker. What I need is
advice from people who know what they're talking about. My coffee-maker
has just died, also after over ten years service, and I need a simple,
straightforward maker of good filter coffee. I don't want steamed milk,
I don't want clever gadgets that are almost certain to go wrong, I just
want coffee.

Get a Chemex or a cone filter holder. Best bang for the buck:
http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.brewers.shtml

As far as autobrew, Philips made a good machine; you may have better
luck finding it in the UK than here in the US.

The main criterion is whether the machine heats the water hot enough, to
ensure proper extraction. Brewing temperature should be 92 to 96 degrees
C; I believe the Cuisinart machines, as well as some of the Capressos,
meet this standard (as well as the Philips).

Second thing to look for: a machine that brews into a thermal carafe. It
is FAR better to keep the coffee warm with a carafe than with a heating
pad; the latter makes the coffee become bitter after about 20 minutes.

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