I was torn, as I wanted a carafe coffee maker for hosting, but also I wanted a single-serve with K-cups for work mornings. I also wanted a bean grinder, so we could have a fresher, more authentic coffee experience. But I dont have the counter space for 3 seperate appliances. Then I discovered THIS beauty.First off, who needs a manual? This thing is so simple to use, its self-explanatory. I tried a K-cup, and it worked flawlessly. My husband didnt even wake me that first morning to ask how to run it before he left for work. And he is a simple man, so that speaks volumes on the ease of use.A few days later, my son asked for hot chocolate, and I remembered the store-brand pods we had purchased a week prior. It was a DISASTER. Hot chocolate poured out of every crevice EXCEPT the dispenser, and it was a mess. Since the coffee pods had worked without issue, I blamed the off-brand pods and cheap packaging, vowing to never again run them through here. Then my husband had the same issue happen to him with coffee a few days later and realized why. The part that holds the pod and funnels your drink into the cup has a criss-cross pattern, like an unhelpful filter of sorts, right at the exit point. And it causes the holes to be so small that any undisolved residue that happens to escape will cause it to clog. This piece is easily removable, and I didnt know why before but now it makes sense. Just rinse it every few cups and you can put even the cheapest hot chocolate pods through without issue.The single-brew allows for 3 sizes (8oz which is my go-to, 10oz, and 12oz which is my husband's choice for work). Just press the "Pod" button until your desired volume is on the screen. Then press the "Brew" button. The water tank capacity is a bit smaller than my previous Keurig, but understandable as it is a combination machine.Now onto the grinder and carafe. The grinder is inside the top lid, and easily removeable for cleaning. If your beans are already ground, you can skip this by putting the grounds directly into the filter via the front access panel. But seriously, once youve ground your own beans once, youll never want to buy pre-ground again. The difference in taste is... phenomenal. I intentionally bought Tim Hortons coffee grounds and just COULD NOT get it to taste the same as going to the franchise. But with the Tim Hortons beans, freshly ground immediately before brewing, it tastes JUST like their coffee, but better. I wouldnt DREAM of going back to buying grounds. And dont need to make the 10min trip to enjoy a nice cup anymore either.Moving onto the actual carafe. Yes, the grinder is a bit loud. That is to be expected of ANY electric grinder/blender or other blade-equipped pulverizing machine. It lasts but a moment, youll survive I promise. Our kitchen is open concept and I have not once woken the baby as it blends right in with his white noise. If you cant stand it, you need to buy a hand crank and exercise your patience.All you do to brew a pot is pour water into the reservior, insert the beans (1tbsp of beans per cup of coffee), press "Carafe", and press "Brew". Its literally that easy. If you put grounds directly into the front panel, dont forget the press the "Grinder off" button before you press "Brew" though. It can do up to 12 cups, which works out to about 6 standard Correll mugs. But, its fast, and cleaning is super easy with the removable parts, so you can have a second pot ready in minutes if needed.I dont know why Amazon alerted me to a high return rate. Maybe the clogging pod piece? I certainly will NOT be returning it, and hope it lasts for at least a solid decade as Im never going back to a single-purpose coffee maker ever again. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!PS. Amazon wants me to mention coffee temperature per the review suggestions. The amazing thing is that, while the coffee is definitely hot, I have not yet burned my tongue. Maybe its the cream I add, but it comes out JUST right so that you dont have to wait 10 minutes to start drinking, but wont burn yourself in the first sip either. Perfection.