If you go to the Braun Web site and want to search for your model coffee maker, be aware that Braun thinks these are two word model numbers. Their search engine wants you to enter KF + 157 for the KF157 model.

The filters work. We like them more for the hard water problem than the chlorine issue. The filter does both well. Just pricey.

81 of 87 found the following review helpful:

The Braun/Brita Monopoly Game: Works Well But Costly  Jan 02, 2006
By M. Allen Greenbaum
Apparently Braun teamed with the Brita company to offer this replacement water filter that currently costs $9.99 for two. Though their instruction manual practically pounds you over the head with how necessary it is to replace the filter, it doesn't tell you what model to get! (From the instruction manual: The water filter "improves coffee flavor by significantly reducing chlorine and also prevents calcification ... Provided that the cartridge is replaced regularly every two months, it not only brews better tasting coffee but can also extend the life of your coffeemaker by preventing [this gets redundant] calcification buildup. Braun water filer cartridges are available at your local retailer or Braun service centers.")

Important:
If you own a Braun and want the replacement filter, the best thing you can do is read the outstanding KWF2 filter review on Amazon.com (posted October 27, 2002, and located a few pages down) by Stephen Holland of Naperville, Illinois: "Model numbers that this applies to, October 27, 2002." I excerpt from that review here: "As of 27 October 2002, this filter fits Braun Coffee makers models KF580, KF550, KF510, KF190, KF187, KF180, KF157, KF155, KF150, KF145, KF140, KF130." I suggest you give him a "helpful" vote for the research he did. (Stephen, please write me if you prefer that I not use this excerpt.)

I have the KF 590 (also known as the KF590E), and according to this website http://www.theessentials.com/jump.jsp?itemID=994&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C8%2C65%2C336&iProductID=994 , that model also uses the KWF2.

(The following section is taken from my own review for the Krups 590): Braun's manual recommends that you buy a new water filter every two months, but the Braun-linked website above tells you to replace it every 70 brews. Depending on your consumption, that could easily take three or four months, not two. Also, running vinegar through the machine twice should dissolve most or all of the calcification, and one can always just buy bottled water. At one filter every two months (see below), annual replacement (assuming no shipping) will cost you about $60, or about 75% of the current Amazon.com sale price. Braun and Brita executives must be in their cups over this sweet little arrangement they've brewed. It's a great coffee maker, but the convenience of the filters will cost you.

46 of 48 found the following review helpful:

Thank You, Amazon!  Nov 04, 2003
By Debbie Lee Wesselmann
I used to buy these filters locally for my Braun Flavor Select, but, when I moved, I could not find a source. I am so glad I've found them here because I wouldn't want to do without them.

Although the Flavor Select does come with a dummy cartridge to place where the filter belongs, it is well worth your while to use the water filters. I was going through coffee pots every couple of years because of hard water deposits in the lines - and vinegar cleanings did not help. The filters have kept my Braun brewing coffee without ever having to use vinegar or other methods of interior cleaning. While I can't say that my coffee tastes better, I can attest that these filters have lengthened the life of my brewer.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:

pure water  Apr 03, 2007
By J. D. Ruiz
It is worth changing the filter. It does affect the flavor of the coffee. Simple to use.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Awesome product  Oct 12, 2005
By Samit Banerjee Personal "Maverick"
Very nice product, works exactly as advertised. We have bought several other Braun coffee makers. The glass carafe's usually did not last long. My wife prefers the metallic carafe and it has kept the coffee warm for upto 6 hours.

My only complaint is about the inclusion of the water filter. We use RO or bottled water and really don't need a filter. However Braun does not make the same model without a filter. The filter is an added cost for those who don't need it. Also, the filter in our case has lasted between 3-4 months and so we have not replaced it every 2 months as the manufacturer suggested.

See all 153 customer reviews on Amazon.com