Cuisinart® Grind and Brew Thermal 12 Cup Coffee Maker
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Great Coffee. Huge Pain in the A**.
In theory this should be a great little coffee maker. I REALLY want to like it. In reality, however, it's almost more of a hassle than it's worth.
I've used this roughly a dozen times since I bought it two weeks ago and already the chute between the grinder and the basket is clogged. While Cuisinart does warn you about this in their manual and also provide you will a small brush to clean it, 15 minutes later there's no amount of poking and prodding that can truly get all the ground bean residue out.
While having a machine that grinds the beans for you is incredibly convenient, I'll be going back to buying ground coffee and using the trusty, Plain Jane, drip Cuisinart coffee maker I had been using prior to purchasing this one.
March 1, 2012
Coffee Pot
We have really enjoyed our new coffee pot, however it can be a little bit loud while grinding the coffee and has clogged due to the oil from the coffee beans. With that said, it was super easy to clean out and it does make a great pot of coffee.
August 25, 2011
Great concept, poor design
We have always been a big fan of Cuisinart products and have been pleased with all we own until this one. Two main issues - the "chute" between the grinder and the basket that holds the ground coffee gets clogged up at least twice a week, requiring you to disassemble the top part of the machine, clean the chute with an implement of your own design as nothing comes with the machine (we use the end of a chop stick, kept next to the machine for this purpose),, reassemble everything, pour out the full pot of coffee that was just made and looks like tea since none of the grounds got into the basket, and start the process all over again. Not great when you're rushing around at 6AM getting ready for work and school and thinking there's a fresh cup of Joe waiting for you. Second, as someone else mentioned, the carafe has an inner lip to it that requires you to take the top off it to get the last cup of coffee out of it. Not a big deal, but annoying. Seems like they manufactured this one without anyone at Cuisinart actually testing one for a couple weeks.
September 17, 2010
Makes Great Coffee
We got this from our registry and are extremely pleased with the product. We immediately went out and got whole beans of our fav coffee. It comes out amazing every brew. The only part of this product I am not 120% pleased with is the carafe. I find it a little hard to get that last cup out. I would highly recommend this to anyone.
June 27, 2010
Great Product
I previously owned the Cuisinart Automatic Grind and Brew - the model in which the grinder only holds enough for one pot of coffee. I loved the great coffee it made, but hated messy cleanup involved with making each pot of coffee. The coffee grounds got wet in the grinder and it was a pain to clean out.
I was excited to see the upgraded model which holds a 1/2 lb of coffee and the filter cover has a special top that moves for grinding and brewing automatically which prevents moisture from reaching the beans! No more cleaning the grinder! This model is Hassle free!. I love, love, love this coffee pot! The thermal decanter does pour slower than the glass model but I find it doesn't spill as much. Well worth the money!
January 28, 2010
Disappointment
We purchased this product with high expectations and were looking forward to upgrading from our tiny old 4-cup Cuisinart coffee maker. This machine is best suited for individuals with large coffee consumption. It is huge and takes up alot of counter space. Some additional things to note:
1) Coffee flavor/strength seemed weak, although we tried to experiment with the strength control knob. It never tasted as good as our small Cuisinart coffee maker. Very poor.
2) The base does not contain a heating element so if you like hot coffee, this is not the machine for you. The carafe is thermal and that is all you'll have to keep your coffee warm.
3) The carafe itself is large and clunky - hard to handle. Unless it is completely full, it is difficult to pour from. Poor design.
I thought I may be too particular and/or picky but when I went to return it, the customer at the register next to me was returning the exact same machine! She and her husband were also very dissatisfied with it. We've gone back to our old Cuisinart and have greater appreciation for smaller, simpler things than ever before.
January 15, 2010
Amazing product!
This is the most fantastic coffee maker ever! It's easy to use, and makes a perfect pot of coffee. The coffee stays hot and fresh all day, and I love that I can choose the strength. I'll never go out for coffee again!
November 15, 2009
poor pouring from thermal carafe
Although this made spectacular coffee the thermal carafe is horrible. I have had numerous wrist surgeries and not only was the thermal carafe unexpectedly heavy, the coffee trickled out. To hold and basically turn the carafe upside down to get coffee out made it impossible for me to pour. I had to return it and will purchase the glass carafe version. I real disappointment because I really wanted a thermal carafe to keep my coffee fresh.
August 22, 2009
Never going back to Starbucks...
...except to buy beans ;) I previously owned a Melitta Grind and Brew, and after 5 years, decided that it was time to upgrade.
A felllow coffee loving friend of mine endlessly extolled the virtues of his burr grinder...and I decided to one-up him with the burr grinder and coffee pot combo here.
My coffee intake has tripled since purchasing! The burr grinder really effects the taste and each cup is wonderful. I love having the carafe...no burnt flavor or need for a separate carafe.
The only downside is that the grinder is quite loud; I just program it to go off simultaneously with my morning alarm. After my first snooze is up I am stirred from my sleep with the smell of a delicious cup o' joe.
June 23, 2009
the only coffeemaker I'll ever use
Grind n Brew is the best invention every! I'll never own another kind of coffeemaker. This thing is awesome. Throw in the whole beans and add some water and you're done! It shuts itself off in case I forget and looks great too. My last Cuisnart coffeemaker was a little fragile but this thing is sturdy. Makes good coffee!
June 21, 2009
You get what you pay for
My parents wanted a coffee pot for Christmas, but they requested a "good one, that would not leak or need replacement after a year or two." This in an excellent coffee maker! It was really expensive, but we were able to catch it when it was on sale, and felt like it was a good deal! They love there new coffee pot! they use the grind feature as an alarm clock too! I think this coffee pot will withstand the tests of time. So far so good.
June 21, 2009
Fantastic coffee!
I love this coffee maker. I do believe grinding the beans daily makes for a better cup of coffee. I have found that the coffee is delicious and the temperature is perfect. The carafe will keep the coffee hot for a few hours, but after that it does get lukewarm. It is important to clean out the basket and the grinder after every use otherwise the taste of the coffee could be effected. I wash the removable parts in the dishwasher every so often, but I don't do it every day as I find they can pick up the flavor of the dishwashing soap. It does help to flush the machine with vinegar and water every few months to remove all the built up coffee gunk, this will also help make better tasting coffee.
June 19, 2009
Cool idea
Love this thing--fresh-ground coffee every morning is a real treat. The only complaint I have is that the chute that delivers the ground coffee to the filter has a tendency to get clogged. It wasn't fun to wake up to a pitcher full of hot water!
June 2, 2009
Best Cup of Joe
My two kids and I bought this coffee maker for my husband for Father's Day last year. Not only does he enjoy it but the entire family does. Our favorite feature is the program setting. Each night we set the timer to go off the following morning and we are greeted by the smell of fresh coffee. It's so nice to be able to get up and it be ready for you instead of making it yourself. We would definately reccomend this product to family and friends!
May 30, 2009
Great Coffe Maker
We got this as a wedding gift and it was a huge step up from our very basic coffee maker from before. I love all of the wonderful features that this one offers such as a built in grinder, timer, water filter, and thermal carafe. It is also great to be able to choose the strength of your coffee at a press of a button.
However, I find myself frequently stopping at a cafe to buy a cup of coffee in the morning when I am rushed. There is quite a lot of cleaning involved when you use the gold filter provided, so I find myself avoiding that whole process altogether.
The coffee ends up pretty thick, too, with visible coffee grinds at the bottom of your mug. May be too strong for some people.
May 28, 2009
Best coffee maker ever!
This is hands down the best coffee maker I have ever used. I have owned over a dozen of coffee makers, and have used the coffee makers when staying with friends, so I've probably used two dozen and none even come close. the coffee is amazing. and it is so handy to not have to fill the beans every day. and the carafe keeps the coffee warm for over 10 hours. this is well worth the money!
May 27, 2009
Grind and Brew
This is an excellent product and so easy to operate. Clean -up is a snap. The coffee is stored in the top and automaically dispensed. You can adjust the coffee strength and the amount of coffee made. It takes a few trials to get it right, but once you do it is great.
May 27, 2009
Makes the morning enjoyable
Drinking coffee every day at home, we have been through many machines over the years and this by far is the best! The coffeemaker is a breeze to use- allowing you to produce fresh, hot coffee that stays that way for hours. The cleaning of it's parts is very easy. The preset button allows you to set up the beans and water the night before, awakening to the smell of great coffee. What I especially like is that the carafe keeps the coffee warm by insulating it cutting down on the amount of time the machine is actually on. Great savings of electricity!
May 27, 2009
Excellent All-In-One
this is a fabulous coffee maker. The burr grinder does a wonderful job, the strength settings are great, and it is very easy to use. The thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot for longer than I thought it would (plus you don't get the over cooked taste from sitting on a burner). One small drawback. it gets tough to pour when you get down to the bottom of the pot. A near perfect coffee maker.
May 27, 2009
Grind it.
I love the coffee this coffee maker makes. My only complaint is that at 5am, it sounds like a jet plane taking off in my kitchen. Not very subtle. So, I end up not grinding in the morning, only brewing from pre-grinded beans. But the coffee is great and I have zero problems with the machine. The thermal carafe is wonderful as well. Coffee stays nice and warm, even if I snooze until 6.
May 27, 2009
