Morphy Richards Accents Filter Coffee Maker review

There’s a lot to be said for style and convenience, and Morphy Richards has delivered both with its Accents Filter Coffee Maker. Available in three colours (red, polished metal and black), it’s an attractive looking coffee machine and definitely is something that most people would be happy to put on display in their kitchen. It’s also relatively compact and is taller than it is wide, making it easier for most people to find a home for this coffee maker.

Build quality

It’s also very well made, feeling sturdy and tough. It’s reassuring to see that door at the top, which flips open to reveal the filter holder, is securely attached and moves smoothly. Once open it contains the removable filter, which is washable, so you can use it again and again. Personally, I prefer a filter coffee machine that takes paper filters, as a fresh filter every time means you’re starting from scratch each time and you can change the type of filter you like to get the taste you want; a washable filter can taint the taste of coffee as it ages and makes coffee the same way every time. Morphy Richards sells replacement filters for £5.64 each, and you’ll want to replace your old one as it starts to become used.

Making coffee

You’ve got two methods of making coffee with this machine: now or at a preset time, using the built-in clock. Both methods start off by filling the filter with your required coffee, which you access by lifting the flap on top of the machine. You then need to top up with water. It’s good to see that the jug has the same measurements on it, as the water reservoir. As usual, for a filter machine, the measuring lines are demarked by ‘cups’, with the Accents able to make between four and 12 cups of coffee (a maximum of 1.5L). This makes it one of the larger capacity coffee machines that I’ve reviewed.

After that, it’s a matter of hitting the go button or using the simple controls to programme a start time. After that the cycle begins and within a short amount of time coffee starts pouring into the jug. An anti-drip mechanism means that you can remove the jug without excess coffee in the filter dripping onto the hot plate underneath. This hot plate will keep your coffee warm up to 30m, keeping in with EU law. This is fine, as leave coffee for longer on a hot plate and the constant warming makes it turn more and more bitter.

Coffee quality

Coffee came out at a decent 67C, which is just about right and in-line with other top filter coffee machines. The coffee was deep and strong looking, with our test beans producing strong and slightly nutty-tasting coffee. A little of the subtlety in our beans was lost; these flavours tend to come through when using a paper filter, where you’ve got more control over the final product. Even so, the coffee was very good from this machine.

The Accents Filter Coffee Maker also has an Aroma button. If you hit this the machine takes longer brewing the coffee, resulting in a stronger drink, although it’s useful for improving extraction if you’re brewing a smaller amount of coffee (five cups or less). It’s a matter of taste as to whether or not you like what it does.

Maintenance

It’s exceptionally easy to keep the machine clean, although you have to wash everything by hand as no parts are dishwasher safe. In addition, you should descale the machine. There’s no light to tell you when to do this, but the instructions state that two-to-three months is right for hard water areas; those in soft water areas need to do it every six months. Regular coffee machine descaler will do the job and you only need to follow the descaler’s instructions, followed by running clean water through the machine for three cycles.

Conclusion

A coffee machine that takes filter papers, such as the Melitta Look Timer, will give you more control over your coffee and a slightly better taste, but I recognise that for some the hassle of paper filters isn’t the right option, particularly if a machine is only to be used occasionally. In that case, the Morphy Richards Accents Filter Coffee Maker produces great-tasting coffee at a reasonable price, and it’s well-built, too.