I LOVE this machine! My absolute favorite appliance in the kitchen. It works so well, it is quite, easy to use, makes fantastic tea, and really is a tea lovers dream. I'm primarily a black tea drinker and for that, the variable temp control is less useful as one can boil water in many other ways, but the constant temperature during steeping and the convenience of setting it and walking away til it is done is great. I have especially felt this convenience when making tea for guests. In the past tea making was a multi-step process that required me to step away from the party to set water boiling, again to pour over leaves, and again to get the tea after having timed it. Now I can simply set it up and walk away knowing that it will alert me when it is all ready! [A word about guests: I prefer to offer my friends a variety of teas. The one draw back to the Breville vs my old method is one can only make one kind of tea at a time. So either I use the tea maker simply as a hot water kettle and make tea by the mug or smallish pot or I make one kind at a time. So I decided to hold on to my old hot water kettle so that if several guests want one kind I can make it in the Breville while the one or two that desire a different kind can have theirs made individually with water from the kettle. It is a rare logistical issue, but it does happen from time to time].The Tea Maker has also given me a great appreciation for green and oolong teas. Green in particular was never "my cup of tea" ;) but after using the Breville Tea Maker I can really say that it makes a world of difference having it steeped at the proper temperature and not scalded by boiling water! The same goes for Oolong and White teas.Now, obviously, it is pricey and was a total splurge/birthday money kind of purchase. But it is totally worth it. I use it several times a day and I've owned it for a little over six months and it still works great.For care and maintenance I've used the "Revive tea cleaner" product to clean it and I've used more homemade solutions and both work fine to get rid of the residue that develops after continued use. However the Revive stuff really is super easy and makes it gleam like new.Several reviewers have warned that this is a fragile item and, as it is made of glass, I can only imagine that is true! I've not dropped it or smashed it against anything and I warn everyone who might be tempted to wash it (like my wife or in-laws) that the base of the carafe is not to get wet and that has effectively scared all away from touching it but me :) So I'm careful to not mishandle it and all has been well.I love this tea maker and can't imagine going back to a world before it. I miss it when I'm on vacation! If you are someone who loves the ritual of tea making, this will of course not really be up your alley. But for those of you who sometimes want to enjoy that ritual and often just want a good, bold cuppa? Spring for the Breville, it is well worth the expense.Man, all this reviewing has me hankering for some tea, thankfully I've got some brewing in the kitchen as I type!Cheers!