Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal
Customer Review: A Fabulous Coffeemaker! Buy The Best - It's Worth It!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently decided that it was time to buy a new coffeemaker and wanted the BEST! I did my research thoroughly, online and by word-of-mouth, and decided on Cuisinart's DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker. This terrific gadget arrived a week ago and I am thrilled with it.I love my coffee and usually make time to have at least one, if not two, 12 oz. mugs of freshly brewed java before I leave the house in the AM. Although this is a 12 cup coffeemaker, the settings are geared for a 5 oz. cup. So, for those of you who think a 12 cup machine is too much, this factor should be considered. Coffee is 98% water and if the quality of water used is not good, your final result won't be either. Cuisinart's DCC-1200 has a charcoal water filter that removes chlorine, calcium, bad tastes and odors. The self-cleaning feature is terrific and a warning light will flash to notify when calcium buildup is interfering with the machine's functioning mechanism. Programming for delayed brew time is a snap with the LCD digital clock. One of the features I like best is the heater plate control knob. I like my coffee steaming hot - and this feature assures that I can control the temperature of the nonstick heating plate. The machine also looks great on my kitchen counter.
I had thought about buying a combination coffeemaker/coffee grinder and decided against it. Apparently, many combination machines leave a sludgy residue and are a hassle to clean. I preferred using my own grinder, which is easy to clean, and this coffee maker - also very easy to clean and maintain. This machine is a coffee lover's dream!!
I bought the BEST! Very highly recommended!!
JANA
Customer Review: Full of design flaws
Summary: 1 Stars
I regret purchasing this coffee maker. I've had it for 3 months now. Between the minor and major design flaws, this is a high-maintenance appliance.
Minor design flaws:
1. When lifting the lid to fill it with water, there is so much water collected on the lid (from the previous day)that when the lid is fully upright, water drips down the back and onto the counter. The only way around this is to partially lift the lid the night before so all of the accumulated water evaporates or drains into the tank. (The lid needs to be fully upright to fill the tank)
2. It is a bit awkward filling the tank. The area to fill the tank has a small mouth, and the shape of the carafe is such that it must excessively inverted to empty it of water. I have learned that resting the spout of the carafe on the side of the coffee maker when pouring ensures that no water will spill outside the maker.
Major design flaw:
This unit has 'flooded' about 6 times in the last month, resulting in coffee on the counter and not in the carafe. I have changed the grind of the coffee from fine to a courser grind, but it still happens. I am using paper filters and this has happened with both those included with the coffee maker and those that I bought. I could be doing something wrong, but the bottom line is that I have had coffee makers for more than 20 years and this is the first time that this has ever happened.
As others have said, it would be nice if the beeping could be switched off, but it isn't all that loud.
Anyway, I'm stuck with this sucker for now.
Customer Review: In the Aye of A Storm
Summary: 5 Stars
You know, I was getting a little nuts reading the schizophrenic yet passionate reviews for the DCC-1200. It's hard to believe that one coffeemaker could elicit so many gushing positives and at the same time be lambasted for poor design/engineering. Well, I made the leap and bought one last night, having just returned a new, fully-programmable, stainless steel,upper-end Mr. Coffee that functioned perfectly as a machine but maybe the taste of the coffee was a little plasticky. After reading the Cuisinart reviews, I felt it as a bit of a gamble to acquire more expensive, suspect machinery for the potential return of better tasting coffee. But the investment has totally paid off, at least in taste. The Cuisinart truly produces a warmer and much smoother cup of coffee than the upper-end Mr. Coffee, using the same pre-ground Folgers Custom Grind from Walmart, a finer than average grind. It is a notable difference, and I guess there is more to brewing coffee than just showering grounds with hot water.
Perhaps Cuisinart has made improvements to the product over time,because the unit functions fine and cleans easily, though how it holds up over time remains to be seen.
And now, retailers have just cut the base price from $99.99 to $79.99, and with a 20% off Bed,Bath & Beyond coupon, we're talking about a $64 dollar machine that looks great and brews a rich, smooth cup of coffee. You really can't go wrong with this, and the people who complain "you have to turn the knob to 'brew' AND THEN hit the 'on' switch!" need to quit being so...retentive and appreciate the larger picture of a better cup of coffee.
Customer Review: Best coffeemaker for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
We are in love with this coffeemaker! We are hard-core coffee lovers, and this has all the basic features anyone needs without all the "bells and whistles" some coffeemakers have.
Cuisinart clearly did their homework listening to consumers when they designed this. The hard metal exterior blows away other flimsy plastic coffeemakers by competitors that cost the same or more. I recommend the black model, which is easier to keep clean than the stainless (which tends to show fingerprints and will pick up oil and grease like a magnet if your coffeemaker is next to your stove).
The replaceable charcoal filter in the water-well eliminates any water impurities that might interfere with the flavor of your brew. The easy-to-read numbers on the water well remind you how much water you've put in...useful when it's 5am and you can't remember how much water you just poured in!
The separate gold-tone filter and filter basket make it easy to keep the interior of the machine clean, and the widemouth 12-cup glass carafe is also very easy to clean up.
The controls are solid-state and very durable. Very retro-cool looking. The separate temperature controls for the hotplate and the brewing chamber are great if you're only making a small amount of coffee, or you want to make sure your coffee doesn't get to hot and/or acrid if it's going to be held on the burner for longer than a half-hour.
The self-cleaning mode, auto-brew and auto-off features also work great as promised. If you want a basic coffeemaker, forget plastic models and get this one. You will not be disappointed.
Customer Review: Fundamental Design Issues
Summary: 3 Stars
I have to give it up for stylistic looks - but there are some fundamental flaws -
Removing and replacing the lid from the coffee pot takes a bit more practice than you would think would be necessary. A little squeeze here - some pressure there - and it finally pops off. I've had for six weeks and still haven't mastered a sure fire easy way to pop that thing on and off.
Don't buy this unless your sink hose can reach over to fill up the reservoir - the area to pour in water from the pot is very small and it's easy to spill into the filter area and outside the machine making a pre-coffee mess.
After making coffee, when you lift the lid on the top of the unit to remove the used filter, the condensation from it just pours all over the back of the pot creating q quick little post-coffee spill you have to clean up every time you use it.
Also if you don't have at least 20" clearance space from the counter top to the bottom of any cabinets - you're going to have to be dragging this (yes - it is heavier than most coffee makers) all over the counter to be able to access the reservoir to put the coffee in.
Frankly, for the cost and other design issues, I would hope that the coffee would be significantly better - but it is really no better than my previous $15 coffee maker.
Granted it does have some good things (timer, adjusted plate temperature) but these things don't compensate for the others.
In short, if you have stainless steel appliances - this will look great. If not, there are easier coffee makers to use out there.