Product Review: Mr. Coffee Three-Quart Ice Tea Maker

If you are looking for a great iced tea maker, then The Mr. Coffee 3 Quart Ice Tea Maker by Sunbeam is the one to have. It makes the best tea and it is so simple to use.

Price
I bought mine for $19.99 at Wal-Mart, but the prices vary depending on where you purchase it. It does include the pitcher and some even come with 2 pitchers.

Product Description
The packaging of the Mr. Coffee 3 Quart Ice Tea Maker is very eye catching on store shelves. Sunbeam has updated the design and graphics over the years. The Mr. Coffee 3 Quart Ice Tea Maker comes in a variety of different colors including red, yellow, green, blue, and aqua blue. The tea maker design can be easily stored away. The pitchers are plastic and have a "flip top" spout cover with a strainer. The Tea Maker is styled in white with accents in which ever color you choose and a color coordinating lid on the pitcher. The pitcher has a special notch in its base to help ensure that it is aligned properly against the brewing tower during brewing.

Dimensions
Height 10.4 inches
Width 21.5 inches
Depth 17.8 inches

Features
"The Mr. Coffee 3 Quart Ice Tea Maker makes up to 3 quarts of cold, refreshing, iced tea or iced coffee in less than 10 minutes. The iced tea maker's water-level indicator makes measuring easy, and when the brewing cycle is complete, the unit shuts off automatically. The appliance includes a durable plastic carafe with a comfortable handle and easy-pour spout. It has an on/off indicator light and an automatic shut-off for peace of mind. The pitcher is easy to pour and the brew basket is removable for simple cleanup. With a space-saving design that's ideal for storage. Makes refreshing iced tea quickly and effortlessly, so it's perfect for entertaining or relaxing with friends!"

Instructions
1. Fill pitcher with tap water to desired capacity as indicated by the 1, 2 and 3 quart WATER levels marked on the pitcher.

2. Pour water into the water reservoir.

3. Place desired amount of tea bags in the steeping basket (or put in a paper filter and add desired amount of loose tea) and fill the pitcher with desired amount of sugar.

4. Slide the steeping basket on top of the water reservoir until it fits into place and then secure lid on top of basket. Make sure the steeping dial is in the closed position.

5. The instructions given say to fill pitcher with ice cubes to the desired capacity as indicated by the 1, 2 and 3 quart ICE levels marked on the pitcher, but I do not do this. I only recommend putting ice in it if you are planning on serving the tea immediately.

6. Slide the pitcher with lid, spout first, under the machine making sure the spout lid is open.

7. Plug the cord into an electrical outlet and depress the push button (ON). The indicator light will illuminate to let you know the machine is on.

8. When the brewing cycle is completed, the iced tea maker will shut off automatically. Drain the remainder of the tea in the steeping basket by turning the steeping dial to "OPEN". I actually fill the steeping basket with water at least twice and open the dial. This gives the tea that perfect taste!

Cleaning
The tea maker and pitcher are very easy to clean. The brew basket, pitcher, and pitcher lid, should be cleaned in a mixture of mild detergent and water.
To clean the base, fill the pitcher with water to top water level mark. Lift the reservoir lid on the iced tea maker and pour the water into the water reservoir. Do not overfill. Insert the brew basket in its place. Close the water reservoir lid. Place the pitcher lid on pitcher and plug the power cord into an electrical outlet and push the "on" button. When the cycle is complete, it will shut off automatically. Slide the pitcher away fro iced tea maker and discard the water in pitcher.

I have read many negative reviews about the pitchers included with the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. Mostly that they are poor quality, crack, and just do not hold up well. These reviews also state that they put their pitchers in the dishwasher. I just wanted to point out that the instruction manual states "To maintain the quality of parts, we recommend hand washing only. These items are not dishwasher safe."

Overall Opinion
I absolutely love the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker by Sunbeam. Being from the South, we drink a lot of tea, so you can imagine how much use I get out of this tea maker! I have never had any problems out of this machine. I especially love how you can store the tea maker away in your cabinet without hassle. It is very accessible and extremely easy to use. This is the best tea maker out there and I would never go back to making tea the "old way." I think the only negative about this product is finding a replacement pitcher at a reasonable price. You can buy a whole new tea maker and pitcher for what just a replacement pitcher would cost you.

Sources:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080109114608AAzNHML