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: Fire hazzard?
Summary: 1 Stars
Update:
I wrote my initial review of this product in August just after buying the coffee maker. At that time I read a couple of reviews about this unit starting on fire, but I chose to ignore them because there were hundreds of very positive reveiws. Well today my machine burned out. Thankfully it did not start on fire, but there was a definite electrical burning smell that filled the house. The machine seems to be fried and none the lights or clock work.
Buyer beware.
When my 14 year old Braun coffee maker finally bit the dust, I shopped and shopped to find a suitable replacement and finally settled on the Cuisinart.
Overall I really like this machine, but there are a few things that I definitely preferred on the old Braun, which is no longer made...I would have bought that same model if I could have. Any product that is used every day and lasts 14 years is pretty impressive to me.
The pros:
Adjustable heat setting. This is nice for those who use cream in their coffee since you can set it to be hot enough so that even after you add cream to your coffee, you still get a good hot cup. If you drink it back, you can dial the heat back a bit so it's not lava hot on that first sip.
Styling - it looks nice sitting on the counter.
Excellent carafe - the carafe pours PERFECTLY...not a single drip, ever. I also like the plastic rim around the top which offers a little protection from breaking.
Adjustable auto shut off timer. The default is two hours, but you can adjust it up to four.
The cons:
As many other reviewers have noted, it is a bit of a pain to pour water into. It's not that bad, but no doubt you need to watch what you're doing or you'll end up pouring water all over the counter instead of into the machine. I haven't missed yet, so I'd call this just a minor annoyance. Plus, the fact that the carafe pours so nicely makes it a little easier to hit the small opening when pouring water in.
Slow brew time - the good old Braun was a lot faster at making a pot. I would say this one might take up to twice as long (just a gut feel since I can't actually time it out against the dead Braun).
Carafe lid - the lid is hard to get on and off. I have worked out a technique to be able to do it fairly easily, but it does not just easily snap into place nor does it come off very easily.
Based on reviews I read about countless other machines, I do think this one might be the best one out there. It's not quite perfect, but it is very good. Oh, and it does brew a great cup of coffee!
Customer Review: Good and bad
Summary: 4 Stars
UPDATE: 2/13/2009 I've made 8-12 cups of coffee in this everyday since I bought it. It's still working great and making excellent coffee. No failure of any kind and the cleaning light hasn't come on yet. :-)
4/15/2003
The good:
I've had this coffee maker for 3 months now, and it gets used every day. It makes great coffee, looks nice, very quiet, and has some nice features. I especially like the timer to have the coffee ready when I come down in the morning. It makes up to 12 cups, but makes 6 just as well. I like the filter holder that comes out so you don't drip on the counter or floor. (Make sure to push it down until it slightly snaps down or the lid won't close.) Some have complained that the condensation on the lid drips on the counter. I found that if you just open it about a third of the way, pause for a couple of seconds, remove the filter holder, and put the lid down again you don't get the drip. My old Braun pumped out a lot of steam at the end of the perk. This doesn't do that. Steam has to go somewhere, so it stays inside the lid and condenses back into water vapor.
Some have complained about the cone filter, but I used to have a Braun and I'm used to it. I like them better than the basket filters because they keep the wet coffee inside better making clean up easier (pinch it shut and the coffee grounds stay inside) and it uses less coffee. Yes you have to fold the filter to fit the cone. Big deal, an extra 3 seconds out of my day for some really good coffee. The carafe is an easy pour and fits the hand well; no drips. The clock is small, but then it's just there for the timer. You want a kitchen clock, buy a kitchen clock. My stove and microwave both have clocks. I know what time it is in my kitchen.
The bad:
It fits neatly on the back of the counter, but height is a problem. I have to pull it out to put in the water, filter and coffee. Pouring the water in became a real challenge, and my biggest complaint. The inside is black with a stair step level indicator. I'm short (5'7") and it's hard for me to see down inside the water reservoir. Pouring from the carafe was impossible. I had to move the carafe to see where the level was. I solved the problem by using a small plastic pitcher, which I marked for both 6 and 12 cups. I would like to see the reservoir marked by an internal indicator of some sort.
The real test:
To me the real test is, if I knew then, what I know now, would I still buy it. Yes I would. If there was an external indicator I'd give it 5 stars, but I'd still buy it.
Customer Review: It works ok - something else to consider
Summary: 3 Stars
Bought this from Amazon and have been using 1-2 times every day for a couple months now. Researched quite a bit before and read many of the reviews here and agree with most of the common positive and common negative issues mentioned by others. Bottom line - it makes good coffee and everything works. Before buying, I read the complaints about the tiny reservoir and lack of external reservoir view and felt it would not affect us. But now that I have it, I've found these to be really annoying. You have to pull the coffee maker out on your counter so that you can get your head directly over the top (I'm 6' tall so easier for me than my wife), ensure there is good lighting, and then stare into the small opening and then try determine when the water (a clear substance!) has crossed over the tiny white stair steps denoting quantity of cups desired. If drip coffee makers were a novel new concept, this would be more forgivable, but after decades on the market, you should expect better design especially given the high price point and especially from a quality company like Cuisinart. One other lesson learned, this is our first regular experience with a permanent coffee filter which was also a selling point to avoid the cost/waste of paper filters. But we only used it the first three times and then went back to paper filters because the permanent filter was a pain to clean every day and I'm sure the water wasted rinsing it clean under the faucet cost more than the $0.01 paper filter which we compost along with the coffee grounds. I also thought the variable heat setting would be nice, but we just set it on low and have never changed it. The built in water filter also seems like a nice feature, but we already filter our water so it's just another maintenance item for the house ($3.50 to replace every 6 months if you follow the manual). We prefer cone filter coffee makers because it seems to take less coffee, tastes better (subjective), and has less splatter/mess. Previous coffee maker was a $12 Gevalia cone that lasted 20 years but unfortunately could not find that any longer and most cheaper coffee makers now seem to only be the basket rather than cone type. So what should you do? I just saw a recent Consumer Reports and it recommends a Cooks coffee maker so that might be something for you to checkout - I'm sure it also has some issues but I've seen it for 50% less than this Cuisinart, it appears to have most of the same functions, looks good, and seems to have an easy to use external view of the reservoir quantity. Good luck with your search.Customer Review: Whew!
Summary: 4 Stars
I was nervous about buying any coffee machine because I'm very picky about coffee, and there are so many bad machines out there. Having lived in Europe, I am used to strong, robust coffee and usually make it in a stove-top espresso maker or French press. I also often have coffee Turkish style. All this means, drip coffee makers usually signify weak, watery brown water that's vaguely coffee-flavored for me. For all of these reasons, I am extremely pleased that this machine turned out so well. The filter helps keep the water tasteless so it doesn't affect the taste of the coffee, and the temperature is hot enough that it can extract flavor from the grounds effectively. Normally in drip machines, the water is not hot enough so to get any kind of flavor, I would need extra coffee but then it would turn out too bitter. This machine produces good, full-bodied coffee with the "proper" amount of grounds. Yay! Favorite features: water filter and gold-toned filter, adjustable heat for the plate, automatic on/off programming, and of course, the best feature of all is the good coffee!
I read almost every review before I ordered this machine and what I'll say about some of the negatives I read is that I never ever experienced any sort of water overflow or detached handle or anything. I really don't know how there could be that much water overflow unless it's user error or a defective machine. I have barely even gotten even random drips! As for the water well, I suppose it could be a little awkward if you're not tall to be able to see into the well to measure your water, but just use the carafe to measure and then just pour it in. So so simple. Just read the directions and use some common sense!
I waited for a while to post a review and if I had written this last week, I probably would have given it 3 stars, thinking that it was pretty decent. Then I visited a friend for a week and was reminded just how bad other machines could be - and I'm not talking about a $15 Mr.Coffee! This was a higher end machine. I couldn't get a good cup of coffee out of it for the entire week. I came home, made a pot in my Cuisinart and was struck by just how much better the coffee was.
I'd probably give it a 5-star, but I don't for the sole reason that I still, ultimately, prefer my cafetiere, French press, or Turkish cezve, but for those early mornings when I want to wake up to a pot of coffee already made, or when I just need quantity as well as quality, this machine is fantastic.
Customer Review: Finally, a coffeemaker designed by someone who makes coffee
Summary: 5 Stars
I love, love, love this coffeemaker! For starters, it makes hot coffee, not lukewarm like too many others. And the coffee I'm getting is just perfect.
I love the fact that I can set the warmer plate automatic cutoff time to the time I prefer, anywhere from 0-4 hours. I love that I can set the warmer plate temperature - low, medium, high - since some plates either burn the coffee or don't keep it warm enough. I actually prefer a glass carafe to a thermal carafe despite claims that coffee would taste better in thermal. I have found thermal doesn't keep the coffee warm enough for me and I never felt the coffee tasted discernably better. And I like the fact that it makes up to 12 cups. I haven't used the 1-4 cup brew option button, but it's a nice feature to have. I have made 6-cup pots and they were just as tasty as the 12-cup pots.
I didn't think I'd care much about the built in water filter, since I use either purchased bottled water or water from a nearby mountain spring for my coffee. But the coffee is tasting so much better, I have to think it's making at least some difference.
I love the fact that the filter cone is built into the top. No swinging out and dripping over the counter. I know some here have complained about condensation dripping from the lid, but I haven't had a problem with that at all.
The machine has a nice hefty, well made feel to it and is nice looking on the counter. I chose the matte black metal finish. The carafe also has a nice hefty feel and doesn't drip when pouring.
I don't have a huge problem with the stairstep measuring device inside the machine, but it is hard to see, especially in a black machine. If, like me, you don't use the carafe to measure your water, you may not like this feature at all. All told, though, to me this is a minor issue. If you have good lighting on your kitchen counter, it may not be a problem.
My last two coffeemakers were a Presto Scandinavian, which made nice, hot coffee but was very poorly made - it just died after less than a year of use, and a $200 Capresso that I felt was appallingly poorly made considering the price and made coffee that wasn't hot. This is a far superior machine.
I have to point out, though, that Costco has this coffeemaker for around $55 - $25 less than Amazon. My store had several color choices including the black or white with stainless steel and the matte black.