Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Brushed Metal
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Brushed Metal
Customer Review: 2 stars for good looks, convenience and really good coffee
Summary: 2 Stars
We purchased this Coffee on Demand in January 2009 and I had to return it in July because it stopped working. As others have said, sometimes it would work, sometimes not. It would stop during a brew. It would shut off if it did make it through a complete brew and had to be turned back on....which worked sometimes and not others. There were times it had to be unplugged and plugged back in to reset it. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't and we had to wait for the machine to cool off completely. Eventually, it couldn't be programmed at all. I cleaned my coffee maker faithfully every month with vinegar so I know it wasn't anything I did wrong.
I haven't had a problem filling the coffee maker. I have it to the left of my sink and I use the sink sprayer to fill it. That works perfectly because the water gauge is on the right side of the machine and I can see how much water I'm putting in. I do have to pull it out from under the upper cabinet because the lid can't be opened unless I do, but that's just not an issue for me.
Cuisinart paid to ship the new one to me, but I had to pay $31.00 to ship back the old one through the USPS who now charges according to box sizes and NOT weight. The box weighed 11 pounds and I had to pay for 21 pounds because of the size of the box. Ridiculous. So far, I've paid $131.00 for this Coffee on Demand. I just hope I have better luck with the new one because I am not spending any more money on this coffee maker no matter how much I love the looks, convenience and good tasting coffee.
The condensation from the lid running down the back of the unit is very annoying, but if the machine continues to work, I'll put up with the mess because that's how much I LOVE the looks, convenience and taste of the coffee. Whoever designed this Coffee on Demand with a dripping lid, should be fired. Where's quality control? You can't tell me that Cuisinart never tested this machine before it was sent to be manufactured. They had to know about the lid problem. How could they not? It's a very, very stupid design. And there is obviously a defect in the electronics of this coffee maker. Cuisinart needs to either fix the problems or discontinue their "Best Selling coffee maker"....that is a quote from the Customer Service rep I spoke to. They must be making these things for dirt cheap if they can afford to replace thousands of them under their warranty.
As much as I love the looks, convenience of no carafe and the taste of the coffee, I cannot recommend this coffee maker with a clear conscience...which saddens me because it COULD BE the best thing since sliced bread.
October 24, 2010 UPDATE:
The replacement coffee maker (from July 2009) just started leaking coffee all over the counter-top this week. I tried tightening the screws around the heat plate in the reservoir thinking that may be the cause of the leak, but it wasn't...still leaked coffee. I then tried thoroughly cleaning the little "plunger" on the dispenser thinking it may be leaking slowly because it wasn't sealing properly, but that didn't help either. The leak doesn't happen immediately, but does if the coffee is sitting in the reservoir for a few hours, which is always the case around here. The leak has to be coming from either of those two areas or there's a crack it in that I don't see.
I called customer service today and she said it sounds like the reservoir needs to be replaced and they're sending out a replacement at NO CHARGE and we are to just throw out the old reservoir. If I didn't love the coffee so much, I would just toss this when it goes out, but I will probably get another year out of this coffee maker and if I do, I'm considering buying another one just because of the taste of the coffee and the convenience of having no carafe to deal with. I'm spoiled! I love the looks of this too. It's really sharp looking. I do believe Hamilton Beach makes a dispensing coffee maker too. I may check it out and switch. We'll see. I'm hoping that by the time I will need to replace this Cuisinart DCC-2000, they will have perfected it and fixed all the little glitches in it. We can only hope because I really do like the looks and the coffee...and they DO stand behind their warranty.
ANOTHER UPDATE February 8, 2011:
I doubt than many people will ever read this far into all the reviews posted here, but just in case some do:
The Coffee On Demand died this morning....for a few hours until it cooled off. The clock needs to be set every day and it may or may not brew for a preset time in the morning. We can't program the auto off anymore. I made our coffee this morning and about 10 minutes after I poured my first cup, the machine shut off and wouldn't turn back on. I unplugged it and plugged it back in to reset it, but it was dead. Hours later I plugged it back in and it worked. Right now I am in the process of running vinegar water through it (twice) hoping that will help. It brewed through the 2 vinegar cycles and I'm on my 2nd clean water rinse and it's still brewing! I will let it sit for an hour or so after this last rinse cycle to see if it shuts off on me. We shall see.
I'll update again if there's anymore issues. I know the vinegar cleaning won't fix the electronics as far as the clock/programming goes, but if I can just keep brewing my coffee, I will be happy. I really don't want to give up on this coffeemaker! I LOVE IT. It makes the best coffee and it looks so great, but it REALLY needs to last longer than it does for $100.00. We more than likely will buy another one of these when this one dies. That's how much we all LOVE it. Three gluttons for punishment I guess. ;) This really is a true love/hate relationship here!
UPDATE March 22, 2011:
The On Demand DIED today and I'm putting it to rest in the garbage. I DID order another one because we LOVE the coffee and the fabulous design. IF anything should go wrong with the new one, I will post it in an new review.
Customer Review: Wonderful coffee maker with a shelf life
Summary: 4 Stars
My husband and I bought this coffee maker last Christmas (2007) and it has worked beautifully until this week. Putting in coffee and water, and cleaning the unit daily is not difficult, just different from what we've all been used to. Pouring water in is not that big of a deal. The space is bigger than an inch, as has been reported, and doesn't take that much precision. I use either a 2-cup or 4-cup glass measuring cup. The 2-cup has the best pouring spout, so I favor this one. Just find your best pouring spout and life will be good! I keep my cup in the drying rack of the sink, next to the coffee pot. It's very convenient.
The coffee quality has been exemplary, with little sediment at the bottom of the pot. Over time the heating plate under the water resevoir will get dirty and need some scrubbing if you just rinse the unit out daily with water as we do, rather than soap and water. We tend to empty the last bit of old coffee just before we brew the new, so it sits overnight. If you're more meticulous and do it after your last cup, I'm sure yours would stay cleaner.
All but the tallest travel cups fit under the unit, at least by removing the removable base plate. We have only one or two very tall mugs which are still too tall, and trust me, they are the TALLEST mugs one could find. All average to large mugs fit just fine without moving anything.
Customers noting water collecting under the pot are accurate. I have never noticed it coming out of a hole in the back (although it very well might be). I do notice that when you lift the lid to remove the filter, all the condensed water on the large flat lid slides down the back of the machine onto the counter. I routinely put a rag in the back when I open the lid to catch this. My husband does not, hence he leaves a sizable pool. I do have to move the pot every couple days and clean or I have difficult staining to deal with.
I gave this coffee maker 4 stars because after one year and a few weeks, the ON dial has quit working (actually the entire electric panel seems shot as no dial works now). A couple days ago I turned the knob as usual and went off while I thought my coffee was brewing. Eventually I went back, surprised to see it not brewed or even on. Thinking it my mistake, I turned it again, but it did not go on. I checked the electrical outlet to be sure it had power, plugged and unplugged the unit, and then it finally went on. Then it worked OK for a couple days and today--no luck. There is no coaxing the unit to go on.
I then looked online to see if anyone else was having this problem. Indeed a slew of HSN customers who also had loved their pots have had theirs die anywhere from 5 months to 2 years. I didn't remember that there was a three year warrany, but others did. Some said they received a new pot and others didn't. I called and they are sending me a brand new unit, but they said I would have to pay shipping to my home, and then to send my old unit back to them. When I asked if we could split the shipping, they agreed, so now I will pay only to return my unit in the box they are sending the new unit in. I am pleased with this level of customer service. They did not require me to find my receipt, only to give the model and serial number of the unit.
Edit (December 2009): On November 4 my replacement coffee maker (above) went out again! Same thing, except this time it wouldn't be resurrected, even temporarily. I called Cuisinart and they said it was out of stock and would resend it when it was in. They didn't have a date but seemed certain it would be soon. I called back a few days later for a date, trying not to replace this with a temporary pot. A manager told me I should have one in 10 days or call back. After two weeks I called back and a well-informed woman (finally) told me that this model was being redesigned because of this existing design/electrical problem and it had no estimated delivery date; however, one would be shipped as soon as it was available. They offered us a model with a glass carafe immediately, as they had on November 4, but we decided to wait for the redesign. As it was going to be an extensive time, however, we did purchase the small Keurig k-cup machine and are very happy with our varied coffee, tea, and cocoa choices for the whole family. We'll probably just store the new pot when it comes!
At this moment, I'd probably have to give the Cuisinart DCC-2000 a two-star rating, for poor reliability. On the other hand, how many companies give a three-year warranty for their coffee makers, thus giving you a chance to replace your pot for a third time? Their warranty is cumulative: it doesn't start over with each replacement machine. Also, this time I was told I would only have to send back the power cord when my new unit arrives, rather than the whole pot. I hope they remember this when I finally get that replacement...I threw out the pot and saved the cord in a drawer for return!
Customer Review: This is my Coffee Mothership
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this as a gift for Christmas and after reading the reviews here, I was dead set on returning it immediately.
I let it sit in it's box for a few days and finally decided I was just going to give it a try. Boy am I glad that I did.
I have always used coffee makers with the carafe & burner. Always. I was a little intimidated by this machine because it looked like something you'd find on the Starship Enterprise. Very cool, very clean and neat in appearance, but very intimidating. I wondered how on earth I would be able to tell how much coffee remained in my pot, after spending 15 years gauging that visually through a glass carafe. I was slightly annoyed that I'd have to lift the inner container to rinse it out between uses. I really just didn't think it was going to be a pleasurable change.
Wrong!
It did take a few days for me to adjust to the differences. That, I think is natural when you update anything in your life. This machine really deserves a chance to wow you. For some of you it will, for some of you it won't. I can't predict who this is best for but I can tell you that it won me over quickly.
It does not come with a large container to fill your water reservoir. I noticed that some people complained about that. I just grabbed a tall plastic cup, filled it with filtered water from my Pur Faucet thingamajig and poured it in. Works perfectly. No hassle. Yes it's a bit of a change from filling up a glass pot and dumping it in, but if you aren't bothered by the change it's really not a big deal.
It comes with a little water filter stick that you can place in the water reservoir. I use filtered water for my coffee anyway so I found this completely useless and just left it in the box.
The first few times I used this machine I pulled it toward the edge of my counter, out from under my wood cabinets because that's what I had to do with my old machines to keep the steam from causing damage. I quickly realized I no longer needed to do that with this machine. The steam does not gush out the top. It does not steam up the wall or cabinet bottom. In fact, I put my hand on top of it a few times and didnt feel anything but slight warmth. I love that!
The coffee gauge is very cute. It took me a few days to be able to guess how much I had left in the pot as I drank it - but then I realized - each notch in the gauge represents 2 cups of the 12 cup capacity. The moment that clicked in my head I didn't have another moment of confusion when looking at the gauge.
It does NOT show dust and water spots the way black coffee makers do. This brushed chrome looks so clean and elegant on my counter that sometimes I just like to stand and look at it. I get excited when i get to the bottom of my cup because that means I get to go play with the machine again.
It uses standard 12 cup round filters. It does not require any funny shaped or odd sized filters. It does come with one of those gold mesh permanent filters if you're into that. The filter basket has a little handle to lift it by, as does the container that holds the brewed coffee under it. They nest together very neatly. The only thing you have to watch is when you put the basket in, make sure the handle is folded down toward you, not the inside of the machine. Not hard to remember. If it's flipped the other way the lid will stick up a tiny bit.
If you keep turning the machine on after it clicks off, your coffee stays fresh and hot allllllll day. It doesn't get that burnt taste that comes with glass pots sitting on a burner all day.
It has it's own cleaning mode. A little light will let you know when it's time to run that cycle.
The space below the dispensing lever is large enough to accommodate some pretty big coffee mugs. Wide or skinny, tall or short - you won't have a problem fitting your favourite cup in there. The lever requires minimal pressure to dispense. It seals tightly when you let go.
I slide a small folded paper towel under my cup before dispensing. This catches the whopping 1-3 small drops of coffee that may fall out into the grate if you pull your cup away quickly. I have still not had to clean the grate. It's spotless. Even if it got dirty it's the easiest thing on earth to take off and clean. It's 2 pieces. Virtually fool proof. Unless you have cloven hooves.
I really love it. Really and truly I love it.
I'm glad I didn't let negative reviews affect my decision to keep it. She and I will be good friends for a very long time.
The only thing that would make this any better (for me) would be a removable water reservoir.
Customer Review: You Should Buy This Coffee Maker - Unless You Are One of "Those" People
Summary: 5 Stars
I wholeheartedly agree with the second reviewer from the top, the one that admonishes the complainers on this product. I absolutely LOVE this coffee maker. One of my best purchases ever. It's not perfect. They could have designed this better, but I'm giving it 5 Stars anyway because it really is great for the purpose for which it was built - it makes great coffee and it keeps it hot for 4 hours so I CAN HAVE MY SECOND AND THIRD CUP taste as good as my first cup because none of the water has evaporated. That's the problem with the carafe coffee pots. What use is a 12 cup coffee maker if only your first cup is hot and tasty? In this one, I have a 4 hour window to enjoy my coffee.
Be warned, it's not for everyone. If you are a serial whinner, and you complain about the 1% that's not perfect on something instead of noticing that it got a 99% score, this machine may not be for you.
Let me sell the rest of you on this machine though. Take this into account:
- I bought this machine for my wife for XMas 2008, which means that we have used for 13 months now.
- We have used it on average 4-5 days per week.
- We normally make 5 cups in the morning for the two of us.
- Once every 2 weeks on average, my wife has a kids play date at our house and she'll put on 12 cups for her guests.
- And, I sat down at the computer this morning after turning the coffee pot on with the sole purpose of writing this review, soemthing I've been meaning to write for the past 6 months. It's added that much to my life.
WHERE IT'S NOT PERFECT:
- Yes, it was not well designed with respect to the water reservoir. The slot is in the back and the openning is small. It's easy to splash water out the backside if you are not using the right containter to pour the water in with. I found out the first week that we have a tall water bottle that holds 6 cups of water. It has about a 3 inch diameter round top. We keep this next to the coffee maker and leave it there. Every morning, we use that to pour the water into the machine. If you are not a moron, you will figure out how to pour water in here without making a mess in about 5 seconds.
- There is a little bit of cleaning you have to do to the lid of the machine. There is a little bit of residue that builds up right at the top. I just take a wet paper towel and wipe it off every day. This takes another 5 seconds.
- That's it. Those are the only 2 problems I've had with this machine in 13 months.
WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT IT:
- No filter to change.
- No carafe to clean and potentially break.
- COFFEE STAYS HOT for 4 hours.
- Coffee tastes great until the last cup because there has been NO EVAPORATION of the water in the pot in those 4 hours.
- Love the push button. Very comfortable to use.
- I forgot another negative. For tall travel mugs, you just remove the bottom tray to slide it in. For super tall ones, slide the machine to the edge of your counter, it will still work.
- And the machine is handsome and looks great on our counter.
The bottom line is this, the people who give this machine 1 star would refuse to sleep with Cindy Crawford and call her ugly because of her mole. It's not perfect, but think of it as "character" on an otherwise loveable device that will give you coffee happiness. Think about this one aspect - the fact that peoplen normally put up with their second or third cup of coffee tasting bad because the water had evaporated from the carafe. We don't have that issue.
Got to go now - I have good coffee to drink and work to get to.
Customer Review: Some good things, some bad things
Summary: 3 Stars
Received a Cuisinart Brew-Central (DCC1200) as a gift about 4 years ago, which died when the switches no longer worked. Since it brewed 1 or 2 pots of pretty good coffee every day, I was happy with it, & wanted a change of look anyway.
One of the things I never liked about the DCC1200 was a drippy glass carafe. Even though the Cuisinart marketing says it's drip-less, I constantly was wiping up a lot of dribbled water after filling it up, or coffee drips after pouring. When I saw the DC2000, knew that problem was gone. Also, the DCC2000 has very similar controls to the DCC1200, allowing simple programming for auto-on & auto-off, and a button for making a small pot of joe. The DCC2000 can be programmed to shut it off after 4 hours (2 hours is default), which is a nice upgrade over the DCC1200 where max is 2 hours. Unfortunately, the DCC1200 has an adjustable hotpad temp control, which the DCC2000 is lacking.
Unlike other reviews, I don't find filling the DCC2000 to be any problem. Since I use the filtered water spigot on the fridge door, filling it up using the removable tank isn't an option. I use a large 1 quart measuring cup, which it takes exactly 2 quarts to fill. Also, since my water is already filtered, the internal filter in the DCC2000 has no effect on taste, so I won't be buying the replacement filters.
It takes about 10 minutes to brew a full pot, same as other makers I've had. It is nice grabbing a quick cup before the brew cycle is complete without having it drip all over a hot pad like my old coffee makers.
The DCC2000 uses a flat style of coffee filter basket, which I find is less efficient than a cone style. But the appliance would have been 3 or 4 inches higher by using a cone style, so this must have been a design trade-off. Bottom line, you may use slightly more grind than a cone style.
I've noted the 2nd or 3rd cup of coffee is actually hotter than when first brewed, the internal keep-warm heating pad actually heats it up a little higher. This makes me wonder if the water is hot enough during the brew cycle to give the best brew possible. I don't have an accurate wet thermometer to check, but I suspect it isn't reaching the optimum brewing temp.
What really is aggravating with this maker is not having a light under the tap. I have many large black & brown cups, filling them is almost a guessing game. I may look into putting a cheap little LED light down there if possible.
So how's the coffee? Not bad. Same as my old DCC1200. For a drip machine, I don't think you'll find better taste in this price range, or even higher, unless you want to spend double the price.
Pros:
- No more drips
- Hot, not burned coffee for 4 hours
- Easy & versatile programming
- Great looking, & matches my Cuisinart Burr grinder which sits beside it
- Easy cleaning with removable internals
- Quiet, no more hissing or bubbling sounds
- Good cup of Joe
Cons:
- No light under tap
- Some tall cups won't fit, even with tray removed
- flat basket vs cone
- brewing water temp?
- Same electronics as DCC1200 which ultimately failed
- Concerns about leaking after several months which others have reported
Bottom line - a good coffee maker that looks good too, but not having a light & overflowing a few cups of Joe, along with concerns about long term reliability may make this a return.