Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal
|
List Price: Our Price: $71.99 You Save: $73.01 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 3-4 business days Buy Used: from $44.99 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal
Customer Review: Excellent Coffee Maker, FAST Shipping
Summary: 5 Stars
We purchased this coffee maker from Amazon (Ordered from Beach Camera) on March 17th with Free Standard Shipping, and we were surprised when receiving the product on March 19th -- FAST!! We were very pleased with Beach Camera for their promptness.
We read the reviews and surfed the web to research the key points for selecting a coffee maker to make a great cup of coffee at home. IMHO, too many reviews blame the coffee maker for variables that are beyond the control of the coffee maker. We suggest prospective buyers for this coffee maker first read Cuisinart's suggestions in the Amazon ad for "The Perfect Cup of Coffee". We list those suggestion points below with our own commentary for each of the four basic elements discussed plus a critically important fifth element:
The Quest for a Perfect Cup of Coffee
It is generally agreed that there are four basic elements critical to the perfect cup "plus" our #5. All of these elements are complementary for making the perfect coffee -- i.e. if one of these elements is sufficiently inferior, it can detract from the benefit of the others. So, in the spirit of the chemistry of these five elements working together, we share with you our belief for each of the following basic elements.
Element 1. Water:
Coffee is 98% water. We agree. If you have lousy water, don't expect a miracle from your coffee maker. The Cuisinart DCC-1200 does include a charcoal filter as an attempt to counteract bad tasting water.
Element 2. Coffee:
While the bulk of the liquid is water, all of the flavor should be from the coffee. We agree. As with anything related to our sense of taste -- individual taste varies greatly, especially when it comes to coffee. So make sure you really do like the taste of the coffee you're using before blaming the flavor on the coffee maker.
The Perfect Cup of Coffee
Element 3. Grind:
The grind of the coffee is critical for proper flavor extraction. Our experimentation permits us to agree with Cuisinart's recommendation for a medium-fine grind. If you are finding lots of grinds in your coffee, you're probably grinding the coffee much too fine.
Element 4. Proportion:
I think most will agree that too much or too little coffee has a consequence when it comes to flavor. Once you have selected your favorite coffee combined with the optimum grind, experiment with proportion in your quest for perfection.
Element 5: Brewing Temperature (our additional basic element):
Our research on the web provided a convincing argument for the role temperature plays in brewing the perfect cup of coffee. Consumer Reports had one article that summed up brewing temperature succinctly:
"The best coffeemakers reach 195 degree to 205 degrees F during brewing, the temperatures required to get the best from the beans and avoid a weak or bitter brew."
We found that 195 degrees seems to be a widely proposed metric for brewing temperature. Now armed with new knowledge, we researched the brewing temperature for the Cuisinart DCC-1200. Here's some of what we discovered. We found a few sites asserting 185 degrees to 195 degrees as the brewing temperature of the Cuisinart DCC-1200, though 195 seemed to be the most common assertion. We haven't found the "official" claim for brewing temperature, but so far, we're pleased with the performance of our Cuisinart DCC-1200. You may also wish to click on the link below for a fun read about a guy who performed his own temperature tests:
[...]
Bottom line -- we're pleased with our Cuisinart DCC-1200 purchase and overwhelmed by the speedy delivery.
Customer Review: Unique appearance and great tasting coffee.
Summary: 5 Stars
1 year update ---
Still perfect in every way! Not a single issue or inconvenience after a full year of 1 to 2 pots of coffee daily. I must live in a charmed region of the US because I have not changed the small charcoal filter until recently and it always produced fine coffee. The gold tone filter basket was seldom used (it really did leave rather grainy sediment, as expected). I soon removed the filter basket and just use standard paper filters... never had a paper filter collapse during brewing. My coffee maker is left on a kitchen counter with a low cabinet clearance, so I simply slide it toward me to fill the small top opening under the lid - never a problem. The finish is still immaculate and all controls function perfectly and are easy to program. The auto shut-off is a wonderful and useful feature - no burned coffee forgotten in the carafe. Couldn't be happier with this product!
Original review ---
I was sold by reviews I had read, the simple look, the uncommonly long warranty period, and finally the sale price on amazon.com. After 1 month of use, I am completely satisfied and actually quite impressed. Not the curvy plastic contours of many other new products (which can look simply cheap) and everything functions wonderfully. I use #4 filter papers placed inside the permanent lift-out gold tone filter basket to limit transfer of grounds to the carafe. This entire unit has a very solid & stable feel. The carafe is a smooth design and does not drip. This product will require a bit of cabinet height clearance to allow filling the small water reservoir located toward the rear beneath the hinged lid, but I just pull the unit forward on my counter - useful too for seeing the "steps" of the water lever indicator. The coffee tastes great even with nasty local tap water, so the mini charcoal filter seems to work very well. I would recommend using bottled water for hard water areas to increase filter replacement time (my local grocery store offers purified water refills for only .30 per gallon from a vending machine). Coffee making time is around 7 minutes for a full carafe (which seems quite fast) and 5 gentle peep-peep-peep tones sound when cycle is complete. This is a very easy unit to keep perfectly clean. All the coffee which I have tested tastes great! And, a 3-year warranty... when do you ever see that?
The two knobs (yes, REAL genuine plastic rotary knobs) function nicely and I happen to like the Retro-appearance of this product. The ON/OFF lever looks like it would "click" into position, but is a clever faux-toggle which self-centers after it activates a silent electronic switch. The 4 small metal buttons are soft-touch sensors too. Tiny LED lights on the front indicate when certain functions are active, but they do not demand excessive distracting attention. The LCD clock/timer is easy to use and to read although un-lit. I have just added 3 photos of this product with captions you may wish to view, too.
I purchased this from amazon.com with FREE shipping and during a surprise 1-day sale of precisely the model & color I was seeking - the $60 total price was a great bargain (these are seldom found discounted) - but the full $80 list price I would not hesitate to pay if purchasing again. It was delivered in only 3 days and arrived in a very securely packed outer carton. Before making this purchase I spent an entire day reading hundreds of various reviews for a several highly rated products within this price range. I think this was a great choice and one not simply made on impulse or for appearance or price alone. This definitely gets my vote for a fine and very solid feeling product.
Customer Review: We love it for its less obvious features.
Summary: 5 Stars
When you read the product description you basically finish thinking, "It's a very nice coffee maker, but still just a coffee maker, nothing spectacular." In fact, I don't really know what inspired me to want this thing so much, but now that I have it I can tell you it's a very smart choice.
Starting from the top, as coffee makers go this has a rather hefty lid that seals in the steam rather than letting so much of the water evaporate away. I believe it's this feature that makes it so that when you fill the pot up to a given line with water and pour it in instead of using the fill indicators on the inside, you actually get that amount of coffee. Put simply, pour in 12 cups of water (right to the line) and get 12 cups of coffee. Most coffee makers will actually advertise that this letting off of steam is a function to spread the aroma, but the truth is it's just a mark of poor design that this model wont have you suffering from.
Inside that top is where the hot water comes out and sprays onto the coffee grinds. On this model the water comes out of a sort of showerhead which evenly distributes the water over the entire filter full of coffee, but more importantly it does so more gently than any model I've seen before so the coffee doesn't go flying up onto the top making a mess that never really gets cleaned up on every other machine I've ever owned. Normally I'd say you just have to live with a mess of coffee on the inside of the lid, but Cuisinart has made it so you don't have to.
The basket in which the coffee filter sits is easily removable and washable, and actually prevents coffee grinds from getting all over other internal parts. As with the above, this makes for a clean machine that doesn't require more than the occassional wipe down with a damp cloth. I will never have to scrub this thing out in a futile attempt to have a clean coffee maker.
And if you're not already convinced this is the most thoroughly thought out coffee maker design ever, look at the back and you will see this little gutter just below the level of the lid. This is so that when you open the top and all that absolutely pure water--from steam--that has condensed on the top flows off the hinge when you open it, it flows right back into the machine instead of all over your countertop.
I also love the ability to set the temperature of the carafe.
And of course it has a timer, clock, self-clean button, yadda-yadda, that many "high end" coffee makers have. I really think the features above this paragraph set this machine apart.
Only one CON: The gold filter is fairly useless--but it's not an essential part of the machine anyway, so no problem. I would only use it if I was out of paper filters. On a medium size grind, the filter gets clogged and the water doesn't flow through properly, or as well as with paper filters. When using the gold filter, I ended up with coffee dregs in my cup. It's a nice "extra" especially if you're extremely conscientious about paper use, but I wouldn't pay extra for it.
BOTTOM LINE: I found that while my typical selection of coffees do taste better when made in this machine, it's not significantly so, but that the ease of use and maintainence of this coffee maker is a real pleasure.
Get it--if you love coffee but don't like the trouble of cleaning most coffee machines or living with the coffee grime they leave all over the machine. Don't get it--if you expect miracles.
Customer Review: Surprised
Summary: 4 Stars
I was kind of surprised to see all the high reviews for this coffee maker. Maybe I just got lucky and never had a bad coffee maker in the past. Reading all the positive reviews I tend to agree with major positive points, but to me the negatives were a lot more annoying than others seem to think. I'll try and be brief.
Positives:
+Firm snapping carafe lid - doesn't leak out the sides or pop off too easily. After 3 years it still is quite well fitting.
+Small cup indicator - 1-4 cups, not sure if it actually makes a difference, but it makes me feel good.
+Nice design - visually appealing, tall yes, but I have short cupboards and it fits fine.
+Preset Timer - Very handy and in my experience, accurate. Easy to set as well.
+"Coffee's ready beeper" - convenient so you don't forget about it, but also so it doesn't have to be babysat.
+Heater Plate - I thought this would be hard to clean, but it isn't: a friend over filled the basket so coffee+grounds spilled all over the pot, warmer, counter etc, and it was a breeze to clean. Didn't get baked on.
+Heater plate controls - Nice option since I don't like my coffee scalded. Hasn't ever overheated the coffee (even w/ >2 cups in the carafe)
+No Nonsense dials - very easy to navigate.
Negatives:
-Water reservoir - There is a 1 1/2 inch opening on the right back corner that you have to stare straight down into to see how full it is. Quite an awkward opening and inconvenient.
-Gold filter - too small to fit 4 cups/8Tbls worth of grounds in (I always end up with grounds overflowing or exploding onto the top shower head).
-Reservoir/filter Cover - This lifts straight up & back. Requiring large overhead clearance or constant moving to fill it up. Also, it consistently has steam coffee/water droplets on the underside so when you open it the stale water droplets slide back into the water reservoir and down the back of the machine.
-Brew Pause (TM) - Doesn't seem to work for me. Still lets out enough coffee mid-brew to be annoying, and require clean-up.
-Clock - Small, difficult to read, no back-light. Doesn't bother me since I only use it for presetting my morning coffee.
-Self-Clean Setting - Mine has never told me it needed cleaning (LOL). It's been 3+ years. It HAS needed cleaning.
-Skewed Proportions - Cuisinart has dictated that a coffee cup is 5oz. And should be brewed with 1 Tbls coffee grounds [per the included instruction book]. (Start Vent) Where did they get this?? The standard recommendation by most every coffee company is 2 Tbls per 6 oz water. This is false advertisement in my opinion. The maximum capacity is 15 Tbls in the filter basket which only lets you brew at one time 7 & 1/2 cups in this so called 12-cup coffeemaker. I could go on ...!(end of vent)
-Charcoal Water Filter - I can't imagine using unfiltered water to make coffee in the first place. If you aren't using quality drinking water in the first place I suppose this would benefit you.
-Showerhead - This is a very cool idea, poorly executed. It sprays with such force that coffee ends up on the lid, the sides of the basket etc.
Summary: This makes a decent cup of coffee. I don't dislike the machine, but have always been annoyed with the negatives. When I saw the rave reviews I felt it needed an equal look at both sides.
Customer Review: An accurate review
Summary: 4 Stars
Some of the reviews here seem to be either at one end of the spectrum or the other so let me try and help you decide.
The fact of the matter is that this is a drip coffee maker with a built in grinder and timer. Most drip coffee makers are pretty much the same. The question is, how important is that built in grinder to you? Do you use a timer?
As drip coffee makers go, this one is pretty expensive comparitively. You can just as easily buy any coffee maker and seperate grinder. I would recommend the Bunn brand unit with thermal carafe as a cheaper alternative.
Ok, so lets look at this machine from an operational standpoint so you can see what making coffee will be like with this unit.
Your first question is, will you grind your beans or use grounds? It's rather nice to be able to choose. Ok, if you are going to use beans you will begin by opening the hatch and locating the grinder. It's comprised of 2 parts and both can be removed. Lift the top and fill with beans.
Next you will add water. The opening is a bit small but unless you have parkinsons you shouldn't be spilling wate all over like some reviews I have read here.
Theres an indicator inside that tells you how much water is in there. In this unit you will be adding the same water you will be drinking for this brew. With bunn, your water is already inside and heated for a faster brew.
Ok, next if you are like me, you need to dump out the old grounds from the previous brew. There is a button on the side and when pressed, the filter basket pops open. You can use the gold basket that is included or number 4 disposable filters.
Now here is an important part. On the top of the basket there is this plastic cover and if you forget to put it on you will have a mess. Ok put the basket back with cover on and you are ready to brew.
Just as important as the cover on the basket you must also be sure the pot is empty (you can't see through it because it's thermal) and that the cover of the pot is on. If you forget you will have another mess.
Now it is time to brew. Select the 'grind off' button if just using grounds and then press the on button.
Cofee takes a few minutes to brew but you can interrupt the cycle.
Someone in these reviews mentioned something about the burner burning underneath but this simply is not true. The burner is not electrical. It does not heat. The pot is thermal and coffee stays hot for 4 hours. Some have also said the coffee is not hot enough. If that is the case you must have a defective unit.
So all in all, the Cuisinart is pretty easy to use but there are extra parts to deal with. The grinder and the cover for the filter basket. Inside the water tank there is also a charcoal filter.
The final thing to note here is that since the unit does heat up, you will get condensation in the top where the grinder sits. You will have to wash the grinder after each use whereas a seperate grinder will stay relatively dry.
If you decide you don't want all these extra parts and you want coffee brewed a bit quicker, the Bunn with thermal pot is your next best alternative.
I am relatuvely happy with the cuisinart but I don't think it is for everyone. If cost is a huge issue, remember this is a drip machine like any other.