The Bodum coffeemaker made the best cup of coffee I ever had. As for other reviewers who had trouble cleaning the top, I just use a spray faucet and wash the grounds out into the garbage disposal in the sink--simple and fast. As for the strength of the coffee, the seal needs to be tight between the top and bottom and a high grade of coffee helps. Otherwise, use rounded scoops instead of flat scoops. The only way you could get weak coffee if is it isn't configured correctly.