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: So far, so good!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had very, very bad luck with coffee makers of late. I started out with the 14 cup model of the Cuisinart, which didn't even last a year. The on/off knob stopped working after about 8 months. Plus, that particular model was badly designed and when you opened it after the brew cycle, water poured (not just dripped, either) out the back, all over the counter. I had even worse luck with the DeLonghi 14 cup coffee maker.
We drink a lot of coffee, so the 14 cup sized maker (so called...more like 5 or 6 cup, all told)made sense. I soon realized that it's very difficult to find a 14 cup coffee maker, and when you do, it's very, very difficult to find replacement parts. So, after an exhaustive search, I finally settled on this model. I purchased it in August, and have waited a few months just to be sure I liked it before reviewing it (I formerly gave the DeLonghi 5 stars, and when it died after 6 weeks, I couldn't change my rating...grrrr).
First off, I love the black matte finish! It looks brand new even after several months' use (and we brew at least 2 pots per day, sometimes 3 or 4). Furthermore, those 2 cups make a big difference when it comes to the design of the top of the maker. Virtually no drips out the back when it's opened.
The coffee tastes great, and if you want it even hotter, there's a setting for that. I think the "normal" setting is fine, but everyone's got different taste. Also handy is the "self clean," which is a misnomer...what it does is tell you when the pot needs to be "vinegared". It doesn't do it itself...you must clean it manually, of course. It's also a good idea to regularly change the water filter (when it needs "self cleaning" is a handy time). Wish those were more readily available.
My only minor gripe is that when you do use the amount the manual says to use, you end up with wet coffee grounds all over the inside of the lid. No big deal...just wipe it down after each use.
Customer Review: Excellent coffee, Easy to Use
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes, it WOULD be possible to improve the design but I gave it 5 stars because I have a lot of experience with many coffee makers and this one surpasses all of them for coffee taste and ease of use.
A couple of things to watch out for:
1. If you are making 12 cups of coffee and like coffee very strong, use a paper filter rather than the gold mesh one that comes with the unit. Do the same if you use a very fine grind of coffee beans. If you use the gold mesh filter under either of those conditions, the grounds may overflow the unit.
2. After you are are done with the unit, if you want it to dry out (I recommend letting it dry between uses) you will have to stuff a rolled up paper towel (or similar thing) under the plastic top lid to keep it open a crack so it can air-dry.
3. The lid to the glass pot removes completely for filling and then snaps into place. The snapping requires a little attention to the technique.
4. The unit is 14.2 inches tall and I am short. I rely on the glass pot to measure water since I can't see into the unit when I pour into it (unless I step on a stepstool). Also, it might not fit in some people's counter space due to the height.
I've been using this product several times weekly (once 3 times in one day) for 3 months. I usually make 8 cups of coffee at a time and I've been using the gold mesh filter.
The unit keeps the coffee hot and delicious for an hour before it turns itself off. It beeps when the coffee is ready and beeps again when it turns itself off. There is some kind of magic inside the pot that uses heat and controlled water flow to get just the right brew to make great coffee. The glass pot permits me to see how much brewed coffee remains and to check if I have washed it well after I use it.
I never realized that a good coffee brewer could make such a difference in the taste of coffee. I have been recommending this coffee brewer to all my friends.
Customer Review: Nice, but certainly not perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I did my homework prior to purchasing this item. It was one of the most highly rated coffee makers from the materials and reviews I read. There is no doubt it is a nice looking appliance that blends in well with my kitchen of black granite countertops and stainless steel apppliances. It is a little tall and slightly larger than it should be, but that is fine.
The features work well and the coffee is always hot, but not overheated. There are three problems that should be addressed with this coffeemaker. The first problem is the carafe itself. The cover fits snugly (good feature), but it took a little while to figure out the best way to take the cover off without creating a problem. Here is a tip -- there are these little cheap pieces of plastic extending out and above the handle on the cover where one needs to pull on to take the cover off. To put it back on, is also a not all that easy. Perfect alignment is essential.
The second design feature that needs to be changed is the water fill. In order to put water into the well, the opening is so small and the coffeemaker a bit tall, that spillage is a common occurence unless one is patient and accurate -- not always the qualities one possesses BEFORE having the morning java.
The third design improvement would be to have a clear view of how much water is in the well. Again, I am of average height and I need to get up and over the coffee maker and look down into the water well to see how much water is in there and the water well has a cheap plastic "ladder" with the numbers of cups on it. Of course, this is not a big problem if you are pouring from the marked carafe.
In summary, the Cuisinart DCC - 1200 12 cup needs some design changes like making the appliance smaller, improving the design of the carafe cover and the water fill opening needs to be larger. On the positive side,the coffee is good and hot and the features work well.
Customer Review: Still Worth the Money After 5 Years of Outstanding Coffee
Summary: 5 Stars
In 2003, I wrote the following - I hesitated about spending the money on this coffeemaker, but after returning two different Delonghi coffee makers, decided to give it a try because of other reviews. If you're short, the water tank is a bit inconvenient to use unless you fill it using the pot, but otherwise, there are no drawbacks. It brews an excellent cup of coffee and is easy to clean and use....
September 2008 Update - This coffeemaker still brews an excellent cup of coffee; in fact, three friends have purchased a Cuisinart DCC-1200 after seeing this unit in use. I had never had a bad cup of coffee, until recently, that is. Within the last two weeks, this had begun producing coffee that resembled tea more than coffee. After checking the on-line manual and finding no troubleshooting section, I e-mailed Cuisinart.
I fully expected to receive an incomprehensible response from an outsourced CSR. Imagine my surprise when I actually got a phone call from a CSR based here in the U.S.! After determining that the unit was heating water to the requisite 175 - 180 degrees, we discussed my coffee making process. I'd recently begun putting a paper filter atop the coffee in the mesh filter because the coffee was "puffing" up and making a mess. I had been using flavored coffees that were ground on expresso grind (okay, I'm not a coffee afficinado, so I didn't know I shouldn't do that). The fine grind was causing the puffing and using the extra layers of filters was preventing proper brewing. The very next pot of coffee was outstanding.
As for leaking, I've not had that problem - except when I put too much coffee in the unit (no more than 12 tablespoons) or when I overfilled the tank. Going above the 12 mark on the stairstep will cause water to leak out if the unit is moved or bumped.
The one drawback I see is the cost of replacing the carafe - it runs $25 at the big box home stores.
Customer Review: The Best Home Coffeemaker
Summary: 5 Stars
I had been using a Krups Il Caffe Duomo which was the worst coffeemaker I have ever used. I replaced it with this Cuisinart unit and I am very very happy with it. This unit brews quickly, the 3 temperature carafe heat selector will keep your coffee piping hot regardless of how much coffee is left in the carafe; you just raise the carafe temperature to high when the pot first brews and then lower it as you empty the carafe. The auto shut off timer is great since I often run out of the house leaving the coffee pot on. Also great to have a brew start timer as well. The 12 cup capacity is enough for everyone. The water filter system is a nice plus as is the permanent metal coffee filter should you happen to run out of paper ones. Be aware of one thing though; the machine is a bit on the tall side and the top hinged door requires even more overhead space, so this unit would not be ideally suited to be located directly under a cabinet on the counter, it needs enough space to fully open the top door to put in the water and coffee.
I recommend this coffeemaker without reservations.
Update 11/2010 --
Last year I was working and started to smell a burning smell. The coffeemaker had smoke coming out from underneath it. Plastic was melting somewhere inside the unit and it appeared to be overheating. I unplugged it and called Cuisinart. They replaced the unit immediately with a brand new unit. I am glad I was home at the time this happened and shudder to think what might have happened if this thing caught fire while I wasn't home (I usually let the timer turn the unit off for me after I've left the house). I was very impressed with the service I received and the replacement is working well after a year but clearly there was a design flaw or gradual defect in my original unit and it could have been a disaster. I love this coffeemaker but I am keeping an eye on it in case it overheats again.