Customer Reviews

Cuisinart DGB-700BC Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker, Brushed Chrome/Black

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I purchased this coffee maker around Christmas and was a little concerned over the prior reviews that stated it uses too much coffee. The chemist in me had to do the experiment.

A standard issue coffee from Starbucks was ground to a standard medium grind for coffee makers of this type. The coffee was measured on a 1 gram precision scale according to the specification on the Starbucks coffee bag (2Tbs per 6oz cup) to make 6 cups of coffee. The coffee grinds weighed to be 54 grams. The same coffee beans from the same bag were ground in the coffee maker set to 6 cups and strong. The coffee grinds were then measured on the same scale and wouldn't you know...it was exactly 54 grams.

For my coffee beans this machine on the 6 cup setting produced the following:

Strong = 9 grams (2Tbs) of coffee per cup of water
Medium = 8 grams (about - 1 3/4Tbs) of coffee per cup of water
Mild = 7 grams (about - 1 1/2Tbs) of coffee per cup of water

I can't imagine that one couldn't find a setting to their liking when you consider you have increments of 2 cups with 3 settings (strong, medium and mild) each.

After considerable research for the absolute best coffee maker in the world, I decided to purchase the Cuisinart Grind and Brew DGB-700BC. It has a burr grinder. This one has the 12-cup glass carafe and it has a warming plate. Reviews on the stainless steel carafe have stated there is no warming plate. It seems the glass one does and the thermal one does not. It works perfectly and is very easy to program and use. It comes with a DVD which simplifies the process even more.

It can also brew ground coffee. Just turn off the grinder before pressing the on/off button and it's ready to go.

As for noise, I don't consider it too noisy. After all, it IS a coffee grinder and I expect to hear it when it grinds the coffee.

The hopper holds a half-pound of beans which is enough to make coffee several times (if you're using the mild setting).

The retail price is $199, but many places have it routinely for $169. I purchased mine at Kohls for $159 and they had a "scratch off" sale going on and I got an additional 15% off at the checkout.

I highly recommend this coffeemaker.

This coffee maker works great. There is one important tip that I don't think was stressed in the instruction manual. There is a "Grind" arrow on the lid to where the coffee filter is and this must point to the arrow to the base of the filter holder, or your coffee will be too weak to drink and the coffee grinder sounds like it is dying.

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest at a private lodge in upper New York state that left very very little to be desired. Among the outstanding features of this place was the dining experience which took place four times a day....you could not have wished for better food, service, or drink.

The first time I tried the coffee I thought it was the best coffee I have ever tasted in my 81 years.....and I have tried many different kinds of coffee all over this planet. I went directly to the person in charge of the kitchen and the kitchen staff and asked the obvious question: " Where in heaven did you get your coffee and how did you make it taste like coffee should ?". After looking at their faces with these blank expressions I realized they were not holding back with their "secret" coffee formula....then all of them came forth and said: " We have no secrets and will be glad to show you what we use to make our coffee here".

I was shown a Cuisinart 12 cup coffee maker that grinds the beans with each "batch" of coffee and they had used it many times over the past year or so that they have had this machine in place. Then I went to my next question: "What secret coffee do you use and can I get some ...some how and some where??? The reply was a simple statement: "we only use a coffee that we buy at the local food market called " 8 O'CLOCK " brand ...their Brazilian Beans. Needless to say, I could not believe my ears. Also, the fact that they used "pure water" to brew their coffee-not city supplied water-and that goes without saying: "use pure water for coffee".

So upon return I contacted Amazon and ordered the Cuisinart coffee maker that has the built in grinder plus I got myself a supply of 8 OCLOCK coffee beans and some real good water. Guests at my home all end asking "What kind of coffee do you use and what do you brew it in?"....Nuff said...Thanks, G Miller

PS: like any machine...this one needs care and cleaning from time to time but its no big deal...great coffee taste!

Given the steep price, I was nervous about buying a Cuisinart Grind and Brew after reading reviews of past models, so I did a lot of research before deciding on this new model. The burr grinder/bean hopper system seems to be an improvement over previous models, plus it's super convenient - you don't have to clean the grinding assembly daily, nor do you have to add beans daily! Cleaning is easy and not an issue on this one, even using the permanent gold-tone filter.

After a week or so of daily use, I've found this product to be very satisfactory and have had no problems. I chose the glass carafe w/ warming plate over the stainless thermal carafe because I didn't want to have to pre-heat the thermal carafe and feared it might not make hot enough coffee without that extra step. I've been very happy with the glass version... the coffee temperature is great - nice and hot - right after brewing. I don't let it sit too long on the burner (<20 min.), but I like my coffee pretty hot and this delivers that right away.

As far as coffee strength, I've been satisfied with that as well. I've brewed almost all my coffee so far on the Medium strength setting and adjusted the water a little bit to tweak that. I like my coffee in the middle of the spectrum, I think - not that strong, but not weak and watery either. I'm a coffee enthusiast and must have it daily, but I'm not the kind of really "serious" coffee drinker that is extremely difficult to please - the taste and strength have both been good, in my opinion.

My only complaint is that the dial for the # of cups only has increments of 2 cups, so I either end up with too much (4 cups) or not enough (2 cups) for my 3-cup travel mug. Originally I wished the warming plate temperature was adjustable, as on some other Cuisinart models, but I no longer think that's necessary

I just purchased this unit and I am greatly pleased with it this far.

Pros:
1. The ability to store sealed beans.
2. The quiet operation of the grinder.
3. The quickness with which it brews.
4. The clean, not bitter, taste of the roast.
5. The fact that the coffee brew is hot.
6. The controls are easy to understand.
Cons:
1. They need a back light on the clock/control panel...it's hard to see.

I had their previous model which worked fine for about 2 years. At that time the coffee started to overflow the basket. Cleaning it only fixed the problem for about a week. This time I am using only bottled spring water since my water is "hard". A neighbor told me he had the same problem with the older model until he switched over.
I like the ability to determine the strength of the brew which I have set to medium.

I have had another style "mill and brew" coffeemaker for years and just loved it. Because it is no longer made I went off in search of another coffee maker that would allow me to grind beans just before brewing- as I was so spoiled. I researched all of the models made by Cuisinart and finally settled on the model 790bc. It has all of the bells and whistles--bean hopper, burr grinder,permanent gold tone filter, seperate water filter...I was totally prepared to love this coffeemaker. This is what I can say. First off--the instructions are very thorough and helpful (thankfully)--but can you imagine a coffeemaker at this price point without a back lit digital clock?? Very difficult to see when you are trying to program--and there is no glancing over to catch the time...secondly--the grind basket just hangs by a ledge onto the part that swings out so that you can remove it...it takes nothing to knock it off and it is a 2 hand job keeping a finger on it as you are closing the door to start the brewing or it falls off..I dont know what that is about...I also find that it uses a lot of coffee--I like my coffee well flavored but not bitter and I have gone through a 3lb bag of beans trying to tweak the balance I like. (FYI this coffee maker will continue to brew until all of the water is gone--no matter what you have the grind selector on. For example--I put in 12 cups of water and set the grind selector on 8 cups). It is a really good cup of coffee==BUT==it is not that much better than my old pot that was 1/3 of the price, didnt have a water filter and a permanant gold tone filter(that I still have to line with a paper filter or there is so much sediment)...my old pot had a blade in the bottom of the brew basket and not the much tauted burr grinder of the Cuisinart and honestly the only difference I see and taste is the amount of sediment in the bottom of the cup. Why did I keep the Cuisinart after I had a chance to try it? Because none of my research turned up another coffee maker that offered the grind then brew feature--at least not by a manufacturer that I was familiar with. I could not imagine going back to the standard ground coffee or going through the ceremony of grinding beans and filling the coffee maker and cleaning up the grounds in 2 places and the counter etc. Would I make the purchase again? I would..but I would seriously consider the less pricey models that Cuisinart offers without the burr grinder-I havent noticed a difference that is worth $40 or more. There is a lot of "ceremony" involved with this coffee maker--but once you are familiar with what you need to do it does get to be a smoother operation...and that brings up another question. This certainly isnt the first rodeo for Cuisinart-why such a clumsy process as well as a clumsy machine?

One of the reviews below had it right... "the average lifespan is about 3-4 months" for the grinder. The grinder stopped working on our first one at 3 months and 1 day. The second one (got a replacement from Amazon) lasted about 4 months. I am sending that one back today and getting a cash refund.... Not going to do this again. When it worked, we loved it. My guess is that any positive reviews below were written in the first 3 months, before the grinder burned out.

This is one of the best coffee makers that I have ever owned, and I have had alot, you don't have to keep cleaning the grinder every day, in my eyes for the price it is the best. The only bad that I see is the instruction need to be more clearer

This is a truly horrible product. The coffee channel is horizontal and will plug after one or two uses if not cleaned before every use. This takes about as much time as using a separate grinder with a conventional brewer would. After about 15 months of this inconvenience my wife and I spent a ahlf hour tracking down a smell of something burning in our kitchen area only to find the Cuisinart hot to the touch and beginning to smoke. It didn't actually burst into flames, but I would certainly never leave this appliance unattended. I appears to have burnt out the heating element, and I am in the market for anything but a Cuisinart product.

I would not recommend this product to anyone. It is a flawed and potentially dangerous product.