desertmama's Full Review: Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Coffee Maker
PLEASE SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM
We've had this coffee maker for six months and knew after the first week that we'd make a good decision. Yeah, the water reservoir is a little awkward, but if you're not already shaking from a few doses of caffeine you should be ok.
We're not bothered by the measurement for the water not being terribly visible within the reservoir either. There are markings on the carafe itself that (one would hope) accurately measure the amount of water you're going to pour into the machine. Why would you need to double check this once the water's already in?
The machine has all the standard features you find on most coffeemakers these days: 12-cup capacity carafe, brew pause so you can grab a cup of coffee while it's still brewing, auto-start so the coffee's ready and waiting for you in the morning, auto shut-off after two hours (this can even be changed). I like being able to change the temperature of the hotplate. After two hours the coffee still tastes fresh, not burnt and bitter.
One problem I've had with past coffee makers is a wonky pouring spout on the carafes. They always seem to pour out the side as well as the middle of the spout, which means either water all over the top of the machine and the counter as you're filling the reservoir, or hot coffee all over the outside of the mug and counter first thing in the morning. The carafe on the Cuisinart is perfect -- after six months of use I still marvel at how well it does what it's supposed to do. It's the small things sometimes, you know?
We haven't used the charcoal filter since our water is already filtered. We also haven't had to use the 1-4 brewing feature (really, what's the point?) and haven't had to do a self-clean yet.
The clock on the machine doesn't "light up." This isn't bothersome to us because we've got a clock on the microwave and the stove, but it did take some getting used to because I'd use the clock from our old coffee maker when the other two appliances were in use.
***** UPDATE: January 2008 *****
We've now had this coffee maker for two years and it has started to randomly shut itself off. After reading a couple of other updated reviews I've found this isn't uncommon, though Cuisinart apparently refuses to acknowledge it.
After about 45 minutes it shuts off even though I have the auto-off feature set at two hours. I thought I was going crazy for a little while as my husband said he wasn't touching it either. I'm not sure if it's a wiring problem, but two years seems to be the cut-off for a good working machine. I'm loathe to spend another $90 on a coffee maker so we may move on to another brand if we decide it's unsafe to keep this one.
We're really disappointed that Cuisinart not only put out a faulty product but isn't willing to do anything about it.
***** UPDATE: March 2008 *****
The auto-on feature (make the coffee the night before, set it to turn on in the morning) has stopped working and we've woken to an empty pot for the last week. We've checked the "on" time, I've had my husband watch me to double check that I'm flipping the switch for it to turn on the next morning, and nothing. Time for a new, non-Cuisinart coffeemaker.
Introducing an evolutionary new look in coffeemakers. The Cuisinart Brew Central Coffeemaker makes a bold statement with a brushed stainless steel fin...More at BuyDig.com
Introducing an evolutionary new look in coffeemakers. The Cuisinart Brew Central Coffeemaker makes a bold statement with a brushed stainless steel fin...More at Beach Camera.com
Cuisinart's programmable 12-cup coffee maker is designed to provide high performance with a stylish, matte black finish so popular in today's kitchens...More at Cooking.com
div class="mainContainer Computers Electronics Cameras DVDs Music Games Books Toys in titles descriptions Company Info |Checkout Info |Shipping Info |...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.