Hey Milan! Thanks for the feedback.
The noise of the Four is less than most coffee makers, in our testing, but this is certainly a subjective thing.
If you do push the Start button by accident, if you push it again for 2 seconds it will turn the unit off.
As far as a drip stop, we have a nice ceramic drip catcher available that you can place the filter basket on after brewing: https://ratiocoffee.com/collections/carafes-drippers/products/catcher-white
We have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee so you're welcome to return the unit if you decide it's not for you.
Thanks again for taking the time to send in your feedback!
“This is the perfect office machine … far superior to your typical coffee scorcher, of course, or any pod-tastic machine. Since we'd been loving our Ratio Six at home for a few years now (a more than worthy replacement for our Mochamaster Grand that went on the fritz), I was excited to jump on the Kickstarter project for the Ratio 4 (to replace my Mochamaster One-Cup at work ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). I would say the Ratio Four's brew is a bit of a cross between pour-over and drip - a plus in my opinion. The distinct bloom cycle has an clearly positive impact, and I personally appreciate the slightly less astringent brew than my typical experience with pour-over. I appreciate the easy option of flexible brew size depending on my need for caffeine. The separate water tank is much more convenient than finding a way to fill up a permanently mounted tank and the pass-through heater works great - more controlled temp than an in-tank heating element (esp. at 7000'). The machine is a breeze to set up, use, and clean, and has a very manageable countertop footprint. A couple of caveats; 1) I was surprised the unit arrived without at least a few 'startup' paper filters, so make sure you buy some corresponding filters to ship along with your Ratio Four and, 2) (as mentioned in other reviews) the start button, while conveniently placed and very intuitive, is extremely sensitive and it's very easy to re-start the machine while just trying to (even gently) wipe it down after brewing.”
“I have had my Ratio 8 (made of aluminum, wood, and a glass water reservoir) for +4 years and absolutely love it, but felt the need to downsize since I only drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day. When the Ratio 4 came out on Kickstarter with an unbeatable price, I had to get my hands on it in hopes I could replace my Ratio 8. My first thoughts upon opening the Ratio 4, was that I must've missed the fact that aside from the adorable glass carafe, it is made of all plastic, which I am weary of. The other unusual change is having the start button above the filter basket, which I have accidently pressed more often than not as much as I have attempted to avoid doing so. However, do not be fooled as it still brews an amazing cup of coffee and is much easier to cleanup! Ultimately I decided to make the Four a work-office coffee machine as opposed to a home one, because the quality and natural materials of my Ratio 8 is far more luxurious and perhaps unbeatable. I will forever give Ratio Coffee 5-Stars as I love their products, designs, and committment to making the best minimalistic coffee machines.”
“Amazingly good coffee with flexibility. Perfect for small batches or the quick single cup. Love that you can use your own dripper if you prefer that. Cups are always delicious!”