In both the Mr. Coffee (four and ten cup versions) machines we have, the drain hole that empties into the coffee pot is not in the center of the basket (I don’t know the official name for the part) which holds the filter. It’s a little off center.
Why?
TV
Less wave action from a nonsymmetric stream placement ?
Just a WAG, but I think the lid of the coffee pot pushes against a lever that cuts off the stream of coffee. That allows a person to get a cup instead of waiting for the whole pot to fill up, and then getting a cup.
Not to contradict your experience, but my Mr. Coffee 4-cup has the hole precisely in the center, surround by some quarter-inch fins in a radial sunburst pattern. So they aren’t all like that.
In mine, the fins are there in the sunburst pattern aiming dead center but the hole is not dead center in either of them.
Who knows, maybe the hole driller (machine or guy) was having a bad day with mine.
TV
It could be to prevent drip-through. If everything is centered with the hole drips along the filter will all coallesce in the centre and might drip through the hole. By placing the hole in an offeset position, you prevent “filter leakage”.
Sorry, that explanation isn’t very clear. 