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Cuisinart Stainless Steel Thermal Coffeemaker, 12 Cup Carafe, Silver

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Customer reviews

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

30,171 global ratings

5 star		76%
4 star		12%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		5%

Cuisinart Stainless Steel Thermal Coffeemaker, 12 Cup Carafe, Silver

byCuisinart

Size: 12 Cup Thermal CarafeColor: SilverProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingChange

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Top positive review

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Overall a really nice unit!

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2017

OK.. If you're looking for a QUALITY review (not that others didn't do well), here is what you need to know about this coffee maker.

We purchased this to replace a 12 cup Black and Decker unit we have had for years. Our issue with the BND unit was it would fill the filter area with water and leak all over if the carafe isn't in the maker just perfectly. It was EXTREMELY annoying and would ruin the start to a good morning when your coffee in not in the carafe and on the counter and floor instead.

1. We needed a coffee maker with a programmable option (I want my coffee to start about 15 minutes before my alarm goes off) CHECK!!
2. We wanted a unit with a stainless carafe instead of glass CHECK!!!
3. We wanted a unit that will keep the coffee warm for extended periods of time. CHECK!!
4. Reading reviews we wanted a unit that does not leak all over the counter. CHECK!!

Here is what I can tell you:

GOOD:
1. Coffee will stay warm for AT LEAST 4 hours after the coffee has been made when sitting in the carafe. (I left my home and returned to HOT coffee, it was 4 hours old).
2. The carafe is heavy, solid and fits snugly inside of the unit, I have had no leaks and don't expect any.
3. programing is easy and YES you CAN turn the beeping off so the unit will NEVER beep when coffee is done etc.

BAD:
Really, the only complaint I have is this carafe has a TERRIBLE design when it comes to the pouring spout. They build the inside up all the way around the unit carafe has to be tilted forward excessively in order to get the coffee (or water when filling), out of the carafe. I believe they did this in order to create a tighter seal so the coffee stays warmer longer. I would say this is one of those "take the crooked with the straights" kind of things... I love having hot coffee for an extended period of time, but I really get annoyed by the fact the coffee pours so slow, filling takes longer than need be due to the crappy pouring design etc..

Honestly, I am very happy with this coffee maker, I feel the coffee is VERY good, VERY hot when fresh out of the carafe (way hotter than my BND unit ever got), and it does very well and being an easy unit to use.

I will add, I noticed that I need to add MORE coffee per cup of water then I ever needed to with my older BND design. Not sure why.. Just a heads up, we use to use 4 scoops of non ground beans to 12 cups of water, now we use 6 scoops for 8 cups of water (we grind our beans at night when we put them in the maker to be made in the morning).

Buy this unit, enjoy the coffee, tweak what you need to for your recipe...

466 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›

Warming Plate corroded & rusted, TWICE in one year!

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2017

I don't usually post comments, but felt others needed to know about my experience. I've owned many Cuisinart coffee makers over the years. This one will be my last.

I purchased the DCC-3200 in August of 2016. We use filtered water and clean our coffee maker regularly. After less than 6 months of use, the black finish of the warming plate had started to flake off and had white spots on it. The manufacturer replaced it for free under warranty. I had to pay to ship it back, at a cost of 1/3 of the total purchase price. Less than 6 months later, in August of 2017, the warming plate was flaking badly and the surface was white with rusting spots. At this point, I stopped using the coffeee maker for fear of starting a fire. Cuisinart offered, again, to replace it under warranty, but I had to pay to ship it back for a second time. Given that this issue had happened twice in less than 1 year, I requested that Cuisinart pay for return shipping. The supervisor that I spoke with refused.

The product and the customer service at Cuisinart had been beyond disappointing. I understand that certain products may have design issues. Own up to it. Cuisinart should not expect a customer to pay to return a defective item for a 2nd time for the same problem. I will not purchase another Cuisinart product nor would I recommend one to others.

715 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Warming Plate corroded & rusted, TWICE in one year!

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2017

Size: 14 CupColor: Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

I don't usually post comments, but felt others needed to know about my experience. I've owned many Cuisinart coffee makers over the years. This one will be my last.

I purchased the DCC-3200 in August of 2016. We use filtered water and clean our coffee maker regularly. After less than 6 months of use, the black finish of the warming plate had started to flake off and had white spots on it. The manufacturer replaced it for free under warranty. I had to pay to ship it back, at a cost of 1/3 of the total purchase price. Less than 6 months later, in August of 2017, the warming plate was flaking badly and the surface was white with rusting spots. At this point, I stopped using the coffeee maker for fear of starting a fire. Cuisinart offered, again, to replace it under warranty, but I had to pay to ship it back for a second time. Given that this issue had happened twice in less than 1 year, I requested that Cuisinart pay for return shipping. The supervisor that I spoke with refused.

The product and the customer service at Cuisinart had been beyond disappointing. I understand that certain products may have design issues. Own up to it. Cuisinart should not expect a customer to pay to return a defective item for a 2nd time for the same problem. I will not purchase another Cuisinart product nor would I recommend one to others.

Customer image

715 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

It's really worth it. It's a very good coffee maker. --UPDATED--

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2015

Size: 14 CupColor: Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

After doing a LOT of research, I decided to order this coffee maker. Taking into account the negative reviews, my personal experience is a mix but mostly on the positive side.

Some of the reviews mention the plastic smell/taste. It WAS there but only for the first few pots. After the first few, it's totally gone. And regarding the quickness of how fast it makes coffee. It works well enough for me. It's done before I know it. It's got a lot of really nice features and it brews coffee hotter than any other coffee maker I have ever had. AND It's about the only one with this capacity in this price range.

I run filtered water and in combination with the in-machine charcoal filters, it makes a darn good cup. And by the way, I picked up a pack of these filters http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013H3UMEU and they work great. Plus, they are WAY less than the Cuisinart brand ones.

The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars is for one reason. When you go to fill the water reservoir, the lid doesn't open far enough to use the coffee pot. You have to get real creative when you reach the end of the pour. Is that a deal killer? Not really, it's just a minor annoyance and the primary reason I didn't feel this coffee maker was 5 star worthy.

Bottom Line: This is the best coffee maker I have ever owned. Although it's not perfect, (and can it be for this price) I am very happy with this coffee maker and I'm sure you will be too.

UPDATE: 3 1/2 months later it has stopped working correctly. The water reservoir no longer empties completely. Towards the end of the cycle, the unit will start this series of clicking and chunking sounds, like it can't siphon the water. The maker will make its series of beeps like it's done but there will be "4 cups" worth of water left in the reservoir. I only use soft water that has been filtered. It's the only water that has ever gone through the maker. I make about 6 pots per week on average. I am also diligent about changing the little charcoal filters.

Another thing to note. It seem to be boiling off a LOT of the water and as a result there is a large amount steam coming off the machine. This has ruined the underside of my cabinet. Do NOT get this unit and put it under a cabinet. I now pull it out from under the cabinet when I am making a pot.

UPDATE #2: As it turns out, it appears that the maker just needed a good cleaning. I ran a solution of CLR and ALL kinds of lime chucks came out. After that, it ended up working properly again. Note to self: When the machine says it needs to be cleaned, clean it. It knows more than you do. It's part of Skynet.

UPDATE #3: 4 Months after purchase. The black coating on the warmer plate is flaking off. This is pretty disappointing.

Customer image

4,403 people found this helpful

Overall a really nice unit!

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2017

Size: 12 Cup Thermal CarafeColor: SilverProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

OK.. If you're looking for a QUALITY review (not that others didn't do well), here is what you need to know about this coffee maker.

We purchased this to replace a 12 cup Black and Decker unit we have had for years. Our issue with the BND unit was it would fill the filter area with water and leak all over if the carafe isn't in the maker just perfectly. It was EXTREMELY annoying and would ruin the start to a good morning when your coffee in not in the carafe and on the counter and floor instead.

1. We needed a coffee maker with a programmable option (I want my coffee to start about 15 minutes before my alarm goes off) CHECK!!
2. We wanted a unit with a stainless carafe instead of glass CHECK!!!
3. We wanted a unit that will keep the coffee warm for extended periods of time. CHECK!!
4. Reading reviews we wanted a unit that does not leak all over the counter. CHECK!!

Here is what I can tell you:

GOOD:
1. Coffee will stay warm for AT LEAST 4 hours after the coffee has been made when sitting in the carafe. (I left my home and returned to HOT coffee, it was 4 hours old).
2. The carafe is heavy, solid and fits snugly inside of the unit, I have had no leaks and don't expect any.
3. programing is easy and YES you CAN turn the beeping off so the unit will NEVER beep when coffee is done etc.

BAD:
Really, the only complaint I have is this carafe has a TERRIBLE design when it comes to the pouring spout. They build the inside up all the way around the unit carafe has to be tilted forward excessively in order to get the coffee (or water when filling), out of the carafe. I believe they did this in order to create a tighter seal so the coffee stays warmer longer. I would say this is one of those "take the crooked with the straights" kind of things... I love having hot coffee for an extended period of time, but I really get annoyed by the fact the coffee pours so slow, filling takes longer than need be due to the crappy pouring design etc..

Honestly, I am very happy with this coffee maker, I feel the coffee is VERY good, VERY hot when fresh out of the carafe (way hotter than my BND unit ever got), and it does very well and being an easy unit to use.

I will add, I noticed that I need to add MORE coffee per cup of water then I ever needed to with my older BND design. Not sure why.. Just a heads up, we use to use 4 scoops of non ground beans to 12 cups of water, now we use 6 scoops for 8 cups of water (we grind our beans at night when we put them in the maker to be made in the morning).

Buy this unit, enjoy the coffee, tweak what you need to for your recipe...

466 people found this helpful

DCC 3200 compared to older 1200 model

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2015

Size: 14 CupColor: Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

We've replaced an older Cuisinart DCC-1200 with this DCC-3200. Since it's a popular line, I thought others might be interested in how they compare. (In the attached comparison photos, the 1200 is on the left and the 3200 is on the right):

Taste: Coffee in the 3200 is more flavorful. A new machine might be expected to be better, but I think they've gotten the flow and temperature of the brewing process better.
Temperature: The brewed coffee is much hotter. Both units have three temperature settings for the hot plate, but the settings on the 3200 are hotter.

Size and Capacity. The 3200 handles 14 cups compared to the 1200's 12 cups. Yet as you can see from the photos, they are the same height to fit on a counter. They seem to get the extra capacity by making the 3200 a little deeper from front to back. We've been surprised at how useful the extra capacity is.

Carafe: The new glass carafe is just like the old one, only larger. It pours nicely with or without the lid on it. The new lid works the same as the old one, popping off and on. (I read some complaints about the lid on an intervening model with a spring opening, but if so, they fixed that by going back to the 1200 style).

As far as I can tell, there isn't a version of the 3200 designed for a thermal carafe like there is for the 12-cup models. I prefer the glass carafe because it keeps the coffee hotter longer, and I can always pour the coffee into a thermal carafe if I want to.

Water Filling. The bigger size also increases the size of the water fill hole. The lid on the top of the 3200 unit raises to 90 degrees straight up, where the lid on the 1200 tilted further back and out of the way. Still the 3200 is easier to fill, and I suspect that the restriction on the tilt may help preserve the integrity of the hot water tube.

Sneak a Cup. Taking out the carafe to sneak a cup during brewing worked great on the 1200 with little dripping, and still does on the 3200.

Basket. The basket on the 3200 is very similar to the 1200, but a slightly different shape to accommodate more grounds for 14 cups. Actually, grounds just barely fit with a 4 cup paper filter in the new basket, and sometimes go above the filter in the basket. The basket actually seems more designed for the included gold filter.

Water filter. The 3200 uses the exact same carbon filters and filter holder as the 1200, but the holder seems to fit more snugly in its hole, which may help prevent clogging (see below)

Beep. The 3200 allows you to turn of the coffee-ready beep if you want.

Controls. Controls on the 3200 are a little easier. The 3200 uses all push buttons with no switches. Separate hour and minute settings make it a little easier to program and set the clock. There is a new "Bold" setting which does indeed seem to result in stronger coffee. There is still a setting for smaller, 1-4 cup pots, but I never use that. You can still set the hot plate to stay hot for up to 4 hours, which is important to me. There is a fairly bright blue glow from the LED display on the 3200.

Cleaning. There was a sensor button on the hot plate of the 1200 that's gone on the 3200, so the plate stays cleaner. The extra stainless steel looks good on the 3200 but probably shows smudges more and might benefit from special cleaner fluids.

Coffee Grounds Overflowing and Clogging. This was the biggest problem before, and I don't know if it's fixed, but it seems better. On the 1200, if you put too many coffee grounds in the filter it could overflow in the brewing process, and sometimes grounds would get into the water system and clog the tube. The 1200 was designed not to be repairable, but customers tried anyway with some difficulty. After one successful repair, we eventually had to replace the 1200. So far, we have not had any overflow issues with the 3200. The larger basket (with possibly a bigger drip opening), the deeper reservoir and longer case, and the more stable, non-tilting lid may help with this, but we will see how it works over time. I do notice that they made the bottom panel easier to remove, with regular screws instead of Torx, if it ever comes to that. My one tip for users is to always use the filter holder with a filter in it, even if your water is fine, because that should help prevent grounds from getting into the heating system.

In all, the 3200 is an excellent replacement for the 1200, and worth the extra money if you are choosing between the two models new.

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3,588 people found this helpful

Good looking machine, great tasting coffee, and POURS JUST FINE

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2018

Size: 12 Cup Thermal CarafeColor: SilverProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

This review is for the DCC-3400 machine with a thermal carafe. This machine makes great tasting coffee, has simple intuitive operation, does not take up much space on the counter, and is *really* good looking. I recently purchased this to replace a similar Cuisinart model that I had for over 12 years. And the previous one was still working fine - it had just gotten dingy after daily use for so many years. I prefer using a thermal carafe because I usually stretch a pot of coffee over several hours, and coffee gets a burnt taste when heated for that long with a heating plate. The primary advantage of the thermal carafe (besides looking really nice) is that it keeps the coffee hot through insulation of the carafe, and not by continuously heating the carafe. So there are three things you need to know (1) the plate that it sits on does not heat up, (2) coffee in the carafe is going to lose heat over the course of a day; that is physics and it's unavoidable. However, it loses heat at a very slow rate. The coffee remains hot for several hours throughout the morning after it has been brewed, and even by the afternoon I would call it very warm - that's 9-10 hours after it was brewed and would be burnt coffee sludge if it were directly heated for that long, and (3) the lid is designed to maintain a seal that reduces the rate of heat loss, but you don't have to twist or open anything to pour a cup. For this reason, the coffee pours more slowly than if the spout were just open. But honestly, the difference is along the lines of taking 4 seconds to fill a cup instead of 2 seconds. I don't understand the claims in other reviews about spilling when pouring, unless they are turning the carafe upside down to try to make it pour faster. The spout pours just fine and I've noticed that this model actually pours a little faster than the previous one I had. If the spout were more open, the carafe would lose heat more quickly. The only way to seal it further would be to design a lid that needs to be twisted open when you want to pour (like a thermos), and it would still lose heat at a faster rate every time you open it. I feel that the design of this carafe strikes the right balance between the seal needed to retain heat and ease of pouring. Another bonus is that the carafe does not need to sit in the coffee maker to stay warm - when serving coffee to a group I can keep the pot right on the table or wherever is most convenient. A thermal carafe may not fit the bill for everyone, but if you need a pot of coffee to stay hot for several hours without eventually tasting burnt, I highly recommend this machine.

261 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2017

Size: 14 CupColor: Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

My Cuisinart lasted all but 2 months and 9 days before the water started draining out of the bottom of it and running everywhere all over the counter before you could even hit the start button. Before then, it was difficult to program and get the settings correct as the buttons were glitchy. Apparently, Amazon won't touch it after 30 days so when contacting the manufacturer, they want you to box it up and pay for shipping before they will send a new one, and of course you have to give them your credit card info to pay the shipping to receive a new one! Last Cuisinart product I'll ever buy!

255 people found this helpful

This drip coffee maker is awesome! I bought it to replace my 10 year ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2018

Size: 14 CupColor: Black Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

This drip coffee maker is awesome! I bought it to replace my 10 year old DCC-1200. Cuisinart seems to have made all the right improvements, but most of all, they perfected the brewing water temp and carafe heater temp. Additionally, they improved the hot water shower head, making it larger so that more of the grounds surface gets wet. Because of this, you get a great cup of coffee! You also now have control of the auto-off time, and you can shut off the coffee-ready beeper. They added a "Bold" button to slow down the brewing process if you want a stronger cup. They added a side-view sight tube so you can see the tank water level from the side.
Being a geek and coffee aficionado, I know that the brew water temp is critical. I did a water temp comparison between the two Cuisinarts and here are the results.
Shower head exit temp Carafe brewed coffee temp on high
DCC-1200 180 170
DCC-3200 195 180

Granted, the DCC-1200 was older, but we maintained it with regular cleanings.
Bottom line, you will be very satisfied with your first cup of coffee regarding the coffee flavor and temp, as well as the tight footprint of this maker on your counter top!

153 people found this helpful

Catherine Botsford

I have loved Cuisinart coffee makers for years but this one is ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2017

Size: 14 CupColor: Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

I have loved Cuisinart coffee makers for years but this one is junk. Amazon even replaced the first one I got but the 2nd one did the exact same thing. It overflows the filter every time and get grounds all over the place. You cannot make a full pot of coffee with it or you will have grounds in your coffee every time

272 people found this helpful

Questionable quality for the price.

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2018

Size: 14 CupColor: Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase

As of today the tube that runs up to the dripper head, its short rubber hose from the heater coil has a hole in it because the "S" bend is too sharp and is attached to the aluminum heater coil pipe, So heat soak cycles plus the bend caused this. No way to take it apart and fix it either as the internals there are glued together not screwed like previous models. have videos and pictures.way to expensive to not get a year out of it, bought Sept 2017-today Mar 2018. Perhaps a more robust reliability test protocol next time before using new materials, my parents machine did the exact thing 2 weeks ago as well not even year either.

122 people found this helpful

Cuisinart not a relilable brand.

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2017

Size: 14 CupColor: 14 Cup Stainless SteelProduct Packaging: Frustration-Free PackagingVerified Purchase

Coffee pot makes good coffee as described BUT after only 3 uses, when I added water for a new pot, water dripped through the showerhead and ran on counter. Tried to get Cuisinart to stand behind their product which they offered to replace the coffee pot except they wanted me to pay $10.00 to ship me a new one and pay to send my 3 day old coffee pot back to them costing me an additional $10.00, a total of $20.00 more dollars for a defective coffee pot for a replacementt!!!. what's wrong with good customer service??? If they cant send me a replacement for a pot only used 3 times without charges then their warranty for the rest of the limited time may not be reliable. As I said the coffee for was good but honestly very disappointed in the company. I have purchased 4 other Cuisinart products which worked great but This is my last purchase of this brand. Thank you Amazon for replacing this for me. At least I can rely on Amazon to stand behind a purchase the manufacturer would not.

285 people found this helpful

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