Customer Reviews

Cuisinart DCC1000BK 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I just purchased this unit for about 60 bucks to replace a white Kitchenaid unit that burned out.Since the white unit developed a lot of permanent stains I got a black one,problem solved. O.K. here is what is good about this coffeemaker.IT MAKES GREAT FULL BODIED COFFEE.Programing the features was easy for me, a guy that can't navigate the menu of my phones.I like the fact that I can program my own shutoff duration.The coffee comes out very hot but not scalding. It also stays hot without tasting bitter.This is the first coffeemaker I have owned that the brew interupt feature works without dripping.This is due to a very strong spring on the basket but more on this later. It is also the first unit I have had that does not get coffee spooge all over the water spout and other parts.But in truth I rarely make more than 8 cups at a time. Lastly the carafe does not drip when you pour. Now for my complaints. Due to the afore mentioned spring you need two hands to remove and replace the carafe. Big deal. The reservoir is a little hard to fill due to a small opening.Also to get the last ounce of water out of the carafe you must turn it almost compleatly over.Dropping the basket in the unit is a little confusing the first few times. This unit is not for people with certain handicaps.Please keep in mind that this unit is only a week old as of this writing. However at this time I will say that this is the best coffeemaker I have ever owned.I expect that the brew interupt will fail eventualy,But I hardly ever use it so no prob.for me. The over all construction appears to be very solid so maybe this one will last more than the usual 2-1/2 years of it predecessors.

The Cuisinart DCC-1000 bears the brand name of Cuisinart which is supposed to instill confidence in the quality of the product. Unfortunately, this particular Cuisinart product is middle-of-the-road at best. Why? See the strengths and weaknesses below.

Strengths:

1) Auto shut-off - Very convenient for those of us who can never bring themselves to shut the coffeemaker off. For the reviewer who had difficulty trying to enable the auto-off feature, set the dial to "Auto-Off" and then set the allotted time using the "hr" and "min" buttons.

2) Programmable - Very handy for having fresh brewed coffee to greet you at work or home.

3) Taste - The coffeemaker plus the charcoal filter produces a fine tasting cup of joe.

Weaknesses:

1) Filling the coffemaker - THIS is a big deficiency. The mechanics for filling the coffeemaker using the carafe (as opposed to using a sink-based vegetable sprayer for example) are poor. The placement of the lid combined with the narrowness of the water resevoir makes for a difficult pour. Many times, I will end up with water either still in the carafe, in the cone or else, spilled on the floor.

2) The use of cone filters - Generally, it's personal preference whether one likes cone filters or basket filters for the automatic drip coffeemaker and my stated preference is for the basket filter. However, even with that bias revealed, the Cuisinart still presents difficulty. Sometimes, the cone filter will bend under the pressure of the sprayed water blocking filitration to the coffee grinds and what you will end up with is filtered water. This proves exceedingly annoying.

Make no mistakes, even with the cone filter, this product could have achieved a 5 star rating if it were not for the clumsy designs of the water resevoir and the difficulties in filling it. If you have a vegetable sprayer or are a proficient master at pouring from the resevoir, then I recommend buying this Cuisinart. If you are like me and either have this coffemaker at work or if you are at home with no vegetable sprayer and are not proficient in the carafe pour, then I would suggest another product.

You do not need paper filters with this pot....makes it taste better I think. Programable to start with auto on and auto off.. Water reservoir has a charcoal filter for those who have a lot of minerals in their water...Just what we were looking for and the Cuisinart brand should be dependable ...

I've had this coffee maker for about 9 months. It makes coffee just fine for the first several weeks. The problem is the water reservoir and the drip/filter/basket assembly are not separated. This is a problem with all the Cuisinart coffee makers sharing this basic design. I grind my own beans or use Starbucks pre-ground or similar fine-ground coffees. Coffee grounds and dust get into the water reservoir, and coffee scum builds up in the reservoir and all around the drip mechanism and area under the lift-up top. There are lots of small crevices and corners where the scum accumulates, and it is not possible to take the unit apart and clean thoroughly. Rag wiping just seems to push coffee grounds back into holes in the drip mechanism. Coffee maker cleaners like Dip-It can be used to clean the water path, but the machine is still visibly dirty inside...really dirty. I've had Braun, Krupps and Starbucks Barista Aroma Grande machines. Never see one with this much of a coffee dirt problem. I think eventually coffee residue of any kind in the reservoir builds up on the heating element, taints the flavor of coffee, slows the brew process and eventually gums up and ruins the heating element. Don't buy this coffee maker.

I purchased this Cuisinart coffemaker in Oct. 2001 to replace a KitchenAid (which lasted just over a year before it died) and haven't had the problems that some of the reviewers have noted such as difficulty pouring water in the tank, the pause feature dripping (which I seldom use, anyway because taking a cup out before the entire pot brews makes the remaining coffee more weak), or difficulty with removing & returning the carafe to the hot plate. Sounds like a totally different product! The coffee temperature is adequately hot and coffee is full-bodied (I like my coffee strong & robust, but not bitter). I got the black color which looks great and doesn't show stains--I avoid white because I've had several brands which all yellowed and looked bad after several usings in that color. Overall, this has been a good coffeemaker for me!

After about 6 months of ownership, I finally gave up on this coffee maker and bought a different one. This Cuisinart is terrible for the following reasons: (1) The mechanism that allows liquids to flow when the carafe is in place is terrible. It is a bulky piece of plastic with an exposed metal spring that dips below the top portion of the coffee maker. When you insert the coffee maker onto the hot plate, the spring is pushed upward, but the fit is awkward. You really have to twist the pot around until the spring pops upward. To make matters worse, the spring is defective. Sometimes (frequently), coffee drips out onto the hot plate after you remove the carafe and creates an ugly, burnt aroma. After you wash the carafe and return it to the coffee maker, leftover liquid often drips back into the pot. (2) The measurements on the carafe don't match those on the water tank. (3) The carafe doesn't pour very well, and it is almost impossible to pour all of the water from the carafe into the water tank (unless you have the coffee maker on the ground and you're standing directly over it, I suppose). (4) The controls aren't very intuitive. There either isn't an automatic shut-off, or I couldn't figure out how to use it. I never had a problem in this regard with other coffee makers. (5) The hot plate isn't hot enough, and doesn't have multiple settings (not that I could find, at least).
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I finally gave up and purchased a Black & Decker Smart Brew Deluxe. I haven't owned it long, but it cost half as much and is clearly a better made product. Avoid the Cuisinart.

I purchased this coffe maker 3 years ago and I'm very satisfied with it. I want to purchase the water filter that comes with it, but have not been succesfull to find it here.

We are totally happy with everything about this coffee maker except for the rather small water fill location on the top of the appliance. It's not a huge problem, but if it were slightly bigger there would be less chance for water on the countertop. Just use a little care and it's fine though. Other than that small annoyance, it works great!

This is the best coffee maker I have ever owned. It brews very fast and makes great coffee. It could, however, use some design improvements. The pot is difficult to get on and off the burner because of the spring mechanism above the pot. Also, the spout under the water reservoir lid get lots of coffee grounds splashed back on it, so you have to clean it frequently. But all I care about is fast, hot coffee; Therefore, I'm completely satisfied!

I had an older CuisinArt coffeemaker that I got at a charity bazaar a couple of years ago. It made wonderful coffee but the carafe leaked when you filled the unit or when pouring coffee. The new on has all of the attributes of the old one but does not leak. It makes wonderful, full-bodied coffee--better than the Krups and Brauns that I have had in the past. We are serious coffee drinkers in our household, and we are very happy with our CuisinArt DCC-1000BK.