mattmeitzner's Full Review: Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Coffee Maker
I researched coffee makers for several weeks before taking the plunge and buying one. I drink drip coffee, espresso, and coffee from a French press, but use a coffee maker to make the majority of the coffee I drink, so I wanted a good machine that didnt take too long and also would last for a while. I actually had a functioning cheapo Black and Decker that I got from Target for around $15, but wanted something that wouldnt be embarrassing to leave on the countertop.
The Cuisinart DCC-1200 seemed like a good option. I checked out several review websites, including epinions.com, but no coffee makers seemed to get perfect marks. Furthermore, I would have liked one with a grinder built-in, but the reviews of these units seemed to say they were unreliable and very difficult to clean. So I went with the DCC-1200, figuring I could grind my own beans daily if I was that into the freshest coffee possible.
Out of the box, this coffee maker looks very sleek. I wouldnt be ashamed leaving it on my counter and having guests see it. The stainless steel looks great, and the retro-style switches and rotary knobs set it off very well. Also, out of the box, Cuisinart gives you a gold-tone reusable filter, as well as a couple disposable filters and coffee scoop to get you on your way. Also nice is that this coffee maker comes with a charcoal filter to remove chemicals from the water prior to brewing. I tried to discern the difference in the taste of the coffee between my prior coffee maker and this one, and couldnt tell whether it was due to the lack of coffee-sludge buildup on my brand new machine (the old one was kind of gross), or due to the water filter, or some other factor. However, I made tea using this coffee maker just to heat the water, and I could definitely tell in that instance that the tea had a cleaner taste to it so Im crediting the charcoal filter.
So far I have been very happy with this coffee maker. Ive used it dozens of times already and it consistently makes a good pot of coffee and it takes about 5 minutes from filling up the water to a full pot of coffee not too bad. It wont win awards for brew time, but its not too long either. I dont have the thermal carafe on my pot, but I like the settings that this unit offers for how hot you want to keep the coffee after its brewed. I dont like mine scaldingly hot, so thats a great feature to let it cool down a bit, and not end up with burnt coffee if I keep it going for an hour or so.
Being that this is a Cuisinart, Im hoping that it lasts for a long time. So far Ive had no issues, but Ive only had it for a couple months of routine use. It has been flawless enough that I discarded the old machine, but only time will tell if it lives up to its nameplate.
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