Beverage-making machine with illuminated brew basket for measuring loose grounds

A beverage maker, comprising:

• a housing having a platform, a tower mounted to and extending upwardly from the platform, and a basket holder fixed to and extending generally horizontally from the tower and over the platform;
• a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing;
• a heating unit;
• a fluid outlet positioned over the basket holder;
• piping fluidly connecting the fluid reservoir with the fluid outlet, the piping routed adjacent the heating unit to permit the heating unit to heat fluid in piping as it travels from the fluid reservoir to the fluid outlet;
• a brew filter positioned in the basket holder, the brew filter being formed of a permeable material;
• wherein the brew filter includes a transparent window, the window including markings corresponding to a level of material contained in the brew filter;
• wherein an illuminating unit is positioned in the basket holder;
• wherein the transparent window is positioned so that light from the illuminating unit passes therethrough.

A beverage maker, comprising:

• a housing having a platform, a tower mounted to and extending upwardly from the platform, and a basket holder fixed to and extending generally horizontally from the tower and over the platform;
• a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing;
• a heating unit;
• a fluid outlet positioned over the basket holder;
• piping fluidly connecting the fluid reservoir with the fluid outlet, the piping routed adjacent the heating unit to permit the heating unit to heat fluid in piping as it travels from the fluid reservoir to the fluid outlet;
• a brew filter positioned in the basket holder, the brew filter being formed of a permeable material;
• wherein the brew filter includes a transparent window;
• wherein an illuminating unit is positioned in the basket holder;
• wherein the transparent window is positioned so that light from the illuminating unit passes therethrough;
• and
• wherein the beverage maker further comprises a controller operatively connected with the illuminating unit, and wherein the controller activates the illuminating unit based on an action taken by a user of the beverage maker.