Cuisinart DGB-550BK Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal

by Cuisinart

• 24-hour programmability with 12-Cup glass carafe featuring an ergonomic handle, dripless pour spout and knuckle guard
• Grinds whole beans right before brewing to produce fresh and flavorful coffee. Grind off feature for pre ground coffee
• Brew-pause feature, auto shutoff from 0 to 4 hours, and 1- to 4-Cup feature
• Includes: Charcoal water filter and permanent gold tone filter that ensures only the freshest coffee flavor flows through. Measuring scoop. Instruction book
• Measures approximately 12 by 10 by 17 inches; 3-Year limited warranty

Product Details

View the Product Manual [PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 18 x 12 x 10 inches ; 10.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000VTP45Q
• Item model number: DGB-550BK
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (473 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,338 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)
  • #47 in Kitchen & Dining > Coffee, Tea & Espresso Appliances > Drip Coffee Machines

Product Description

Grind and Brew Coffeemaker

Retire your alarm clock and wake up instead to the rich aroma of freshly ground, just brewed coffee, with the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Automatic Coffeemaker. One of the Premier Series, this deluxe 12-cup model offers the best of Cuisinart's expert coffeemaking technology to deliver unsurpassed ease of use and rich full-bodied coffee flavor. With streamlined European styling and a graceful carafe, it's a beautiful addition to any kitchen.

The Grind & Brew Coffeemaker features a separate grinding assembly and filter chamber to make beans easy to add and used grounds easy to remove. A convenient "grind off" control turns the grinder off when preground coffee is used.

A nice addition to any modern kitchen, this 12-cup automatic coffeemaker automatically grinds whole beans right before brewing to produce a fresh and flavorful pot of coffee. The 24-hour fully programmable unit allows for "wake-up" coffee, plus its brew-pause function makes it simple to enjoy a cup of coffee before the end of the brewing cycle. The included 60-ounce glass carafe offers an ergonomic handle, knuckle guard, and dripless pour spout for graceful serving. Other highlights include adjustable auto shutoff for up to four hours, a grind-off option, a charcoal water filter to remove impurities, and a separate grinder chamber and filter area to ensure simple cleanup. Housed in elegant Italian styling, the coffeemaker measures approximately 12 by 10 by 17 inches and carries a three-year limited warranty.

A charcoal water filter and a permanent commercial-style gold tone coffee filter allow only pure flavor to flow through, and the popular Brew Pause feature lets you sneak a cup before the cycle is finished.

Dishwasher safe parts. Separate grind and filter chambers for easy cleanup. The freshest tasting coffee outside a coffee bar. What more could a coffee lover as for?

Product Parts and Benefits

• Reservoir Cover
  Flips back for easy filling, Removable for easy cleaning. A safety Interlock System prevents operation of the unit if the Reservoir Cover is open.

• Showerhead
  Distributes water evenly over coffee, reducing temperature loss as water passes through grounds.

• Filter Basket Compartment
  Contains filter basket, filter basket cover, and Cuisinart gold tone commercial style filter

• Brew Pause
  Stops flow of coffee from basket when carafe is removed from heater plate so a cup can be poured in mid-brew, if desired

• Heating Plate
  Scratch resistant with nonstick coating

• Carafe
  The easy-pour, no-drip 12-cup carafe has an ergonomic handle and brewed coffee markings for two to twelve cups

• Measuring Scoop and Brush

• #4 Basket Paper Filters

• Grinder Basket and Lid
  Use the recess on each side of the lid to remove lid for easy addition of beans

• Cord Storage

• Charcoal Water Filter
  Charcoal water filter eliminates chlorine, bad tastes, and ordors from tap water

• Control Panel
  

  1. On/Off/Set Auto-Shutoff Switch with LED Indicator: Audible Tone which will sound 5 times when the coffee has completed brewing and Auto-Shutoff Tone which will sound twice at end of programmed auto-shutoff period
  2. Low Cups Setting with LED Indicator: set to 1-4 cup to imporove extraction and flavor when making fewer than 5 cups of coffee
  3. Hours Set/Minutes Set: press and hold either hour or minute button for approximately 2 seconds to enter Time Set Mode
  4. Clock Display
  5. Grind Off with LED Indicator: use to turn off the grinder when using pre-ground coffee
  6. Program Setting with LED Indicator: press to display program setting or to set programmed brewing

Product Features

• Elegant Italian Styling
• Automatically grinds whole beans before brewing
• 24 hour fully programmable
• Brew Pause™ feature lets you enjoy a cup of coffee before brewing has finished
• Adjustable auto shutoff – 0-4 hours
• Grind off feature
• 1-4 cup feature
• 12 (5 oz. each) cup carafe with ergonomic handle, dripless spout and knuckle guard
• Gold tone commercial filter
• Charcoal water filter removes impurities
• Separate grinder chamber and filter area make for easy cleanup
• Limited 3-year warranty

Easy Operation

Fully programmable, this is the ultimate user-friendly coffeemaker. Simply add beans and water, set the flavor control to 1-4 or 5+ cups, and program start time up to 24 hours in advance. An auto-shutoff feature even lets you set the unit to turn off up to 4 hours after the brew cycle ends.

The Perfect Cup of Coffee

Element 1: Water
Coffee is 98% water. The quality of that water is as important as the quality of your coffee. If water doesn't taste good from the tap, it won't taste good in your coffee. That's why Cuisinart has added a water filter to the Grind & Brew Coffeemaker. The charcoal filter removes chlorine, bad tastes, and odors, for the purest coffee flavor, every time you brew.

Element 2: Coffee
While coffee is 98% water, all of the flavor comes from the beans. To achieve the same great taste you enjoy at a coffee bar, you need to use the same quality of coffee.

Buy the beans fresh and whole, only about two weeks' supply at a time for maximum freshness. Once the coffee bean is broken, its flavor degrades very quickly. That's why the Grind & Brew grinds your coffee just prior to brewing. If it is not practical to buy small supplies, separate larger amounts of beans into one to two week portions immediately after purchase, and freeze them in airtight containers.

The best way to maximize freshness is to minimize exposure to air, light, and moisture. So, once beans have been removed from the freezer, maintain them in a sealed container at room temperature, since damaging condensation occurs every time the beans are removed from the freezer or refrigerator. Note that some coffee experts advise against freezing dark-roast beans, because freezing can cause the oils to coagulate. Other experts disagree. We suggest you experiment and decide for yourself.

Element 3: Grind
The grind is critical for proper flavor extraction. If the grind is too fine, over-extraction and bitterness will result. Too fine a grind may also clog the filter. If grind is too coarse, the water will pass through too quickly and the maximum flavor will not be extracted. The Grind & Brew is preset for a medium grind, the optimal grind for this type of coffeemaker.

Element 4: Proportion
Coffee that is too strong or too weak is always a disappointment. Follow the recommended portions of ground coffee in the instructions included with every Grind & Brew, and later adjust the amount to suit your taste. The Grind & Brew makes up to twelve (12) 5-ounce cups of coffee

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

188 of 191 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ummm Ummm Fresh Ground and Brewed... July 16, 2008

By Cat

Amazon Verified Purchase

I did alot of research before purchasing this coffee machine. Read so many reviews and finally decided to do it. I am so pleased with this product. I realize some people feel it is too noisy (when it grinds the coffee beans, JUST before brewing) and I can say it is noisy. (My own individual grinder was pretty noisy too) So for me to be able to wake up to freshly ground and brewed coffee it worth it. My machine goes off at 5:50am and I do not even hear it.I get up around 6am and have great coffee.I choose to clean it when I am done and head out to work at 6:50am. When I get home all the parts are dry and I simply set it all up for the next day. I do have a suggestion, do not buy the coffee maker paired with the goldtoned filter as advertised on Amazon. It is the wrong filter for that machine. The machine comes with it's own goldtoned filter basket. All in all this is a great coffee maker.

120 of 123 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding service support! December 30, 2007

By rsb

I purchased this coffee maker in August of 2005 from a local retailer, and it has performed flawlessly until today (Dec. 30, 2007). I clean the machine every weekend, since we have highly calcified water where I live. Today, it would not heat the water enough to cause the dripping cycle to operate and some water leaked out of the bottom of the machine onto my countertop.

I called the customer service folks (keep those owner's manuals and purchase receipts) and was pleased to learn that this coffee maker has a three-year warranty. They are sending a replacement coffee maker immediately at no cost to me! All I have to do is send the defective one back to them when the new one arrives(about a $10 cost to me).

I was very pleased with the treatment I received from the service rep on the phone. I have nothing but praise for Cusinart products (I have a blender and a food processor too), and now I can vouch that they stand behind their merchandise, even after 2+ years of use.

Incidentally, the coffe maker grinds coffee and brews it better than any machine I have ever owned. It is a bit noisy when the grinder kicks on, but we've grown accustomed to its 30-second whine. The machine requires careful, daily cleaning and might be too high-maintenance for some folks; but if you like great coffee, fresh-ground and steaming hot at wakeup every day, this machine will not disappoint.

Highly recommended.

322 of 342 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I will never buy another coffee maker March 6, 2008

By Chelsea Russell

I just purchased this coffee maker to replace my Cuisinart Coffee on Demand. This is the second coffee maker like this that I have owned and I am glad that I have come home. When my coffee on demand went out, I purchased another brand coffee maker and returned it within 3 days.

My husband and I consider ourselves coffee snobs and about a year ago began purchasing our coffee whole bean solely and thought it would be a great "ease" in our morning coffee routine to own this machine again.

I have read reviews about the difficulty of cleaning and noise of the grinder. It is actually really easy. After I grind and brew a pot of deliciously strong, rich, hot coffee; I open the lid and take out the grinder rinse it off with hot water and set it on a towel. I then take out the gold tone filter, empty the grounds, rinse it and set it on the towel. Then I remove the filter basket and lid and rinse them and set them on the towel. I leave the top lid open to dry out the inside and by the time I am ready to brew another pot of coffee all parts and inside of the machine are dry and ready to go. All together it takes me less than minutes to clean it. And then when all the parts are ready for a deep clean, I through all parts, including the carafe and lid, into the dishwasher. Piece of cake.

All in all this is the most incredible coffee maker that I have ever owned and the easiet to use and I don't have to worry now about replacing my worn out bean grinder, my coffee maker doesn it for me.

And a note about the grinder basket. I have read reviews that have said that it doesn't hold enough beans for a full 12 cups and then it can't be adjusted for the 1-4 cup feature. The grinder holds just as many beans as what I used in my counter top grinder for 12 cups. And if you only want to brew 1-4 cups of coffee, only put in enough beans for 1-4 cups. The grinder will still run for the 30 seconds that it is set for the 12 cups but it works well and you don't even realize it's doing it.

I would highly recommend anyone who loves to brew whole bean coffee, whether occasionally or everyday, to buy this machine. You don't have to always brew whole beans it this machine, you can turn off the grinder and place pre-ground coffee right into the filter. Also a piece of cake.

I would also recommend that you try the gold tone filter that comes with it. It mixes the oil from the whole bean in with the coffee and gives such a boost in the coffees smoothness and flavor.