How do you open the basket - Toastmaster TCM10 Coffee Maker

if it is the Cosmopolitan "Hot Basket" you put a tablespoon of water in the water hole. The opening is located on the cover of the "hot basket". This method is best for items made with grain such as : bagels, Italian or French bread, biscuits, Danish pastry, dinner rolls, hard rolls, yesterday's rolls. To keep these items hot, place the rack in the bottom of the hot basket lettering face up add 1 tablespoon of water to the water hole opening located on the cover of the" hot basket".

If the basket does not slide easily out of the shredder cabinet it maybe "jammed full" of shredded paper which is preventing the basket from sliding out. There is a clear concave "handle" on the front of the basket which users should reference to determine the fullness of the basket. I pulled out and pressed upward on the "handle" it easily popped in towards the basket. From there it was possible to remove enough of the shredded paper to allow the basket to slide out. WARNING: UNPLUG THE MACHINE AND REMOVE THE PUPPY FROM THE ROOM.

The machine did not complete its cycle, either while finishing a brewing cycle or a cleaning cycle. This is caused because the motor is not strong enough and overheated. I think it is a design problem, but there is a "work-around" solution.
First, to put basket back, look inside opening. You will see a flap at the back of the opening. This flap is down and is what is preventing insertion of basket. Take only the grounds basket. Tilt the grounds basket and insert it so the back end of basket goes under the flap. Then level out the basket. Note the flap is now inside the back end of the grounds basket. Holding the basket up and level, re-insert the drip tray and the basket holder underneath the basket. These should now slip into place.
The "work-around" solution is to let the motor cool down. Unplug the machine for at least 30 minutes, then turn unit back on, and the cycle should complete because the motor is now cool.
I notice this error 8 happens mainly when the voltage from the Hydro Utility is low. This happens during peak electricity usage hours. So, to clean your machine, do it on the week-end during the daytime either mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

Good luck

From the manual I found online here.
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE COMPLETELY CLEAN AND DRY ALL PARTS AFTER EVERY USE. Always turn coffeemaker OFF and remove the plug from the electrical outlet before cleaning. Open the reservoir lid*. Remove the grinder basket lid by using the recessed area on each side of the lid. Then remove Grinder Basket. Open Filter Basket Door. Remove Filter Basket Cover, Filter Basket and Filter Basket holder. The grinder basket, grinder basket lid, filter basket and filter basket cover can be washed in warm soapy water and rinsed thoroughly, or cleaned in the upper rack of the dishwasher. Dry all parts after every use. Do not put any water in the unit once the grinder basket has been removed. Wipe the area under the grinder basket with a damp cloth. If water gets into the grinder motor, the motor may become damaged and may malfunction.
DECALCIFICATION Decalcification refers to removing the calcium deposits which form over time on the metal parts of the coffeemaker. For best performance from your coffeemaker, decalcify the base unit from time to time. The frequency depends upon the hardness of your tap water and how often you use the coffeemaker. To clean, fill the water reservoir to capacity with a mixture of 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water. Turn the coffeemaker on by pressing the ON button. One cycle should be sufficient to adequately clean the coffeemaker. When the cycle is completed and the five beeps sound, turn coffeemaker off. Repeat operation, this time using fresh cold water.

Open the reservoir lid. Remove the grinder basket lid by using the recessed area on each side of the lid. Then remove Grinder Basket. Open Filter Basket Door. Remove Filter Basket Cover, Filter Basket and Filter Basket holder. The grinder basket, grinder basket lid, filter basket and filter basket cover can be washed in warm soapy water and rinsed thoroughly, or cleaned in the upper rack of the dishwasher. Dry all parts after every use.

1\ Amount of free open area is the ratio of the open area through the strainer basket to the cross sectional area of the pipe. A good basket strainer should have a ratio of 4 to 1. 2\ Ease of basket removal is important because baskets may require frequent cleaning or replacing due to buildup. 3\ Compactness of the design saves you valuable space. A small strainer is less bulky and easier to handle. 4\ Availability of basket perforation sizes gives the strainers the flexibility to cope with a wide range of particle sizes.

You have to pull it open from the side. Then, lift out the filter and the basket.

sounds like there is a bad relay, that is shorting out, and releasing the filter basket accidentally. Also, check to make sure that there is nothing blocking the latch that holds the filter basket in place.

broken basket.

Pull the top of the basket toward you and the top of it should swing out. Then you can lift the basket up and out once the top of the basket is partly open. Hope this helps. Have a good day. Mac =)