Morphy Richards 47470 /71 /73 /74 /78

Ever since my mum went in for the Nespresso coffee idea, our old filter coffee machine had been looking vulnerable and lonely. It was initially a gift from a friend who could see at the time that we didn't have a traditional filter coffee machine in the home and for many years we went without following a lot of tat from Comet's Proline brand where we had had three machines pass through our hands year after year. So we did without filter coffee, even though I had my handy Cuisinart travel filter coffee cup to take advantage of! Although received as a gift, the Morphy Richards Rapide filter coffee maker looked quite novel at the time and although she showed very little interest compared to her Nespresso machine, I'm a fan of filter coffee in general and jumped at the chance of using it, instead of continually using my travel mug and sieve.

Nar2's Quick Skip Product Spec

• 1440 watts, black and silver plastic chrome look.
• Model: Morphy Richards 47470 to 78 Rapide Europa Coffee Maker.
• Size: 38cm by 65.5cm height - not compact!
• Coffee strength dial.
• 1.4 litre capacity tank.
• Permanent washable Filter.
• Dishwasher safe Glass carafe.
• Thermostatic hot plate.
• 10 cup capacity.
• Price in 2008 £22-96 to £35-00 with original 3 year guarantee.
• Price in 2012 £5 to £35.

Design & Quality

These days this coffee machine is no longer sold on the high street and bargains can be had if you look online. It was only last year that I saw our same model being sold on Gumtree at a price of £5 and the seller had barely used the machine, shown in green as on Ciao here. When it was brought to the UK market I can recall it was available in many colours like black, green, white, yellow and even a dark royal blue colour, and all at that time carrying different model numbers, hence the variations of model numbers on here.

Our machine was black and grey Graphite though and in terms of the design, the plastic-stretched helmet like Morphy Richards "Rapide" Graphite 47470 / Europa Filter does what it suggests on the box. It has a classy look to it, the lid being silver and the rest of the body in a grey glitter like graphite colour. As my mother remarked, it looks like something out of Star Trek and I am inclined to agree. It looks like something a Clingon would use with its raised head! I like the way it sits but I'm afraid its a bit bulky, mostly because it is one of those coffee machines that has been designed so that the front of the machine looks out from the work top from the lid point of view and not to the side.

However, I like the quality that this machine gives, because the plastic feels and looks a class above the thing I had before! The plastic used on the machine is also thicker and the jug has a smooth entrance for it to sit on as well a non-stick hotplate that is, thankfully non stick and very easy to clean.

The jug also features the same gauge as applied to the gauge at the side of the machine, so you always have an accurate reading from tank to carafe. The jug also has a nice cool touch handle and a fixed lid. The jug also sits symmetrically in the middle of the machine and the lid and jug are dishwasher safe. It's nothing more than a filter coffee machine. But it is one that has impressed me to look out for the same functions in a future purchase for my own use. Overall I am impressed with the design and the thought that has gone into this type of machine - they may all function the same, these kinds of filter coffee machines, but they're not all built the same way.

General Performance

Compared to the last filter coffee machine which was a totally unwise decision, the MR has been a boon because it is so easy to use. Flip up the water lid which has a nice hinge on the back, suggesting longevity in the first instance and pour COLD water into the machine. This is like a professional machine I use at work, as normal domestic filter coffee machines only use boiled water from the kettle. I was impressed with this because if I don't get a nice warm mug of coffee in the morning, I'm like a dog chewing a wasp in the mornings and technology being the way it is these days, I find myself becoming more impatient if I don't get what I want in less than a minute!

After you put the cold water into the machine, pour the amount of coffee grinds into the permanent washable filter. Like the last filter coffee machine, this Morphy Richards model has a mesh filter which is totally washable (I usually dip it into soda crystals to ensure all the dullness has gone) but it has a good channel at the bottom of the net basket to ensure that ALL the coffee goes into the jug, leaving little water behind. After you have poured the grinds in and put the water amount to your liking (gauge on the left hand side and designed in a oval like way, to blend in with the overall "organic" design of the machine) you can then adjust the rotary variable switch which allows you to limit the strength of filter coffee depending on your choice.

Then, all you do is switch the neon button on at the bottom right hand corner of the machine and wait. Whereas before I would have to wait a considerable amount of time for our old coffee machine to gurgle and could hear it from three rooms away from the kitchen, I didn't realise that this machine is quite quiet, bad news for the people on those Red Mountain Coffee adverts on TV a couple of years ago! Less than a minute passes and the coffee is ready! No wonder this machine is called "Rapide." I think the secret to its speed of producing hot filter coffee is that it has a fast element which boils the cold water and a high wattage of 1440 watts - obviously this is more than enough to produce a heat strength suitable to drink for human consumption. Thus, the thermostat will keep the coffee hot after it has been made, but only for a short time, say around 10 minutes.

However, as much as buyers and coffee lovers would love filter coffee - did you know that filter coffee in general isn't supposed to be boiling hot? It is a traditional drink that is water down espresso coffee, usually lukewarm or warm to the palate allowing the fuller strength of the bean to come through bit by bit rather than instantly when you drink an espresso. Filter coffee should never be served boiling like the hot boiling cup of instant you may make yourself.

As with most electric filter coffee machines, the MR 47470 is fitted with an anti-drip tap mechanism that is supposed to stop coffee from dripping onto the hot plate after the carafe is removed. I'd like to say that the design works - but it seldom did, only ever providing no drips at all when extra fine filter coffee powder was used.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Cleaning the machine could not be easier. Thankfully as the design is soft and curvy it is easy to clean and the plastic inside does not dull either with the amount of steam it produces. This is good in some way because after the coffee has been made you can go into the machine and give it wipe with a damp sponge. It does warn you not to put your fingers in after coffee has been made, amongst the finer points in a defined manual supplied with the machine.

Downsides

In use, the MR Rapide is a good machine that does what it promises although early on the coffee "strength" dial just could not be trusted and appeared to be little more than a steam dispersal regulator rather than a true filter coffee strength dial. In general use then, when it came to reheating, the plastic handle on the Carafe has metal bolts bolted to the glass making it useless to be put into a microwave for reheating. As such we usually keep a spare Pyrex milk jug next to the Rapide so that cold coffee could be heated up. This is because the thermostat will only heat up the hot plate when the machine is putting brand new coffee through the filter - it cannot act as a heating up plate thereafter.

From its arrival in early 2007, our Rapide was used three times a week and the machine began to become intermittently colder on the thermostatic hot plate. This was an aspect I didn't think was the machine's fault until I took a look at it and just wondered why the plate wasn't heating up the coffee the way it should have been. Then I realised! If you leave the carafe on a cold surface after use, instead of pushing it back into the machine instantly once you have poured the coffee into a mug to drink, the cold surface affects the glass, thus not giving it enough time to heat up when it is ready to be used the next time. Because the Rapide is quick at boiling up the water, once it hits the jug, the jug will have been warmed up to a suitable temperature.

Another downside is that sadly in 2010, our Rapide's function button got stuck! The springy mechanism behind the LED encased button had been pushed in and out so often that I guess the plastic holding seal behind it gave way. Having had bad experiences with Morphy Richards UK I was at two minds whether to call them or not! Although a replacement part was not available for the button alone, Morphy Richards were very helpful and sent out a replacement bottom part of the machine, effectively replacing the machine with just us using the old carafe and a new mesh filter as the old one was beginning to tear away from the bonds on the plastic grid carrier. How refreshingly different and all because our machine did have a guarantee behind it and my father had forgotten to tell me he had registered the machine!

Final Thoughts

As a consumer who had a Morphy Richards food processor a couple of years back (and I vowed never to buy a MP product again) I am quite surprised about this machine made by the same company. Whilst it is well made and functions well, there are some parts like the power button that may break in long term and some of the features are less than they claim. If buying second hand it is probably worth considering on the basis that the coffee it produces, produces the product quite well - but for those looking for more modern features that actually heat up the coffee after it is made to a carafe that can be placed in a microwave, you'll probably have to look further afield and remember, Filter coffee is never served boiling, so if you want that you'll have to boil up the coffee yourself! Thanks for reading! (c)Nar2 2012