Cuisinart Brew Central Programmable Coffee Maker DCC 1200 Sends Mr. Coffee Packing
Written: Dec 10 '03 (Updated Dec 11 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: no more bitter coffee, well-thought placement of controls/clock, no-drip carafe, quality appliance
Cons: price, unless you consider the number of makers you've suffered through prior to this
The Bottom Line: I had wasted my time with "old guard" coffee makers for far too long. Enter a modern maker with retro styling --- I'm completely satisfied and caffeine-fixed!
mind-full's Full Review: Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Coffee Maker
I thought I didn't possess the gene that allows a person to make good coffee until I finally caved under the pressure of a good sale and a discount coupon to allow the Cuisinart 12-Cup Brew Central Programmable Coffeemaker DCC-1200 into my kitchen.
Now, I know it was my fault that I endured cup after cup of "eh" coffee each morning and even forced guests to nurse cups of my wretched brew. There were reasons for a guest holding up a hand in polite decline -- and it wasn't good manners, as I suspected at first. It's probably a sure thing that coffee-drinking guests in my home, heretofore, buckled themselves into their cars, heaved a huge sigh of relief and said to each other, "Can you believe she passes that stuff off as coffee? The nerve!"
Take the Cuisinart Plunge
Ah, the plunge. I took it -- not the backward free-fall into a swimming pool reminiscent of a Nestea commercial, but the one requiring the opening of a wallet and the departure of cash in larger-than-you-might-like quantities.
I wouldn't have fallen for the Cuisinart, except the price on this little caffeine-perking gem doesn't rise above $99 these days, and I paid half that for coffee that is waaaaaaaay less than half as good. My math says that's breaking even.
What My Coffee Maker Offers, Daily, On Demand and Without Fail
In purchasing any coffee maker, several things are "must haves" for me. This Cuisinart DCC-1200 provides all of them and then some:
• 12-cup carafe with straight, no drip/spatter pouring
• Warming Plate with Adjustable Temperature and Programmable from 0 to 4 hours right down the the minutes!
• Alert Beeps to let you know that a steaming cup of coffee is ready and waiting for you, as well as a "Last Call" beep to let you know the kitchen is shutting down for the morning ... noon ... or night
• Digital Clock (designating a.m. or p.m.) and Programming Function that allows you to set your Cuisinart to provide you with piping hot coffee at any hour, as long as you remember to not only program it and hit the "on" button, but also fill the water reservoir and spoon ground coffee into the filter
• Little Flashing Light telling you that the Cuisinart needs a cleaning
• Charcoal Filter to get the stuff out of your water that doesn't do coffee or your enjoyment of it one bit of good
• 1 - 4 Cup Feature, which, when pressed, allows the coffee maker to brew one to four cups of coffee at an extra-hot temperature so that the resulting product is actually hot and not almost there, as it would be otherwise
• Pause 'n Serve Feature, a necessity in some circles ... allowing caffeine fiends everywhere 30 seconds to remove the carafe, pour a cup and return the pot to the warmer all while the coffee maker merrily brews along. One extra-nice thing about this is that the pot does not have to be positioned "just so" as with my old Mr. Coffee or face an overflow all over the counter. As long as the pot is on the burner with the lid on it will engage the spring mechanism that allows coffee to run into the pot and you're golden!
Am I Satisfied with My Morning Coffee? Would I Shell out the Clams for This Unit if I Had To Do It Again?
Uh-huh. You bet. And how. No question. The Cuisinart DCC-1200 is the coffee maker for me. Guests ask for seconds if not thirds and I can guarantee that my own coffee guzzling will be genuinely enjoyable rather than a forced effort only to ward off the inevitable caffeine addict's headache. I'm back to enjoying a cup or two of decaffeinated coffee in the evening once in a while, something I wouldn't have considered with my last few coffee makers.
Yes, this one's a keeper.
What the DCC-1200 Does Not Offer
Certainly the Cuisinart designers, at least in their Coffee Maker Facility, are coffee drinkers themselves. If not, they sure did a top-notch job in guessing what we coffee drinkers would like to have in our coffee-making gear.
One complaint I've heard, and even made myself once upon a time, is the omission of that narrow, vertical window along the side of the coffee maker housing to allow for a little red ball to bob at the level of the water in the reservoir.
I once thought this little ball was necessary and a great oversight on the part of Cuisinart. I have come to realize it's not that big a deal and actually makes my coffee making all the more accurate.
You see, I used to pour haphazardly into the reservoir of other coffee makers, eyeballing that little window to see when it reached the desired level for that particular coffee interlude. Now, I realize how inaccurate my method was, as the little red ball could be floating at the top of the miniscus, riding inside the miniscus or gasping for breath in the riptide under the surface of the reservoir. In coffee-making terms, that can be a big difference in water.
Now, I simply fill the Cuisinart carafe to the number of cups I wish to brew and pour it into the reservoir, no eyeballing required.
There is a stair-step apparatus inside the reservoir to allow for those who can't give up that tendency to check, re-check and check just one more time, but frankly, you don't have the depth perception for it. I find it almost impossible to find the water level using clear water against the white background of this measuring device, so I don't bother. Me and my carafe do just fine.
I've heard also that the DCC-1200 is too tall, and that one has to drag it out from under the kitchen cabinet to fill the water reservoir. Ahem ... is this something new? I've never owned a coffee maker that didn't have to be hauled out into the light from its counter top perch for filling, no matter where I've lived. I've had top cabinets at varying heights, but none so posh as to offer space for not only opening a water reservoir but also for tipping up a carafe or pitcher to fill it. I will say that this reservoir isn't wide and does require accuracy in pouring (which you get with the accompanying carafe), but there are worse things ... like bad coffee.
Tips on Using the Cuisinart and Finding Coffee Nirvana
Upon breaking this coffee maker out of its box and washing or wiping down the parts as necessary, I couldn't wait 'til morning to try it, so I didn't. If you enjoy your coffee .. would like to start enjoying your coffee again you will probably feel the same way.
Charcoal Filter: Before the first use it's necessary to soak the charcoal filter (one is provided in the package) in cold water for 15 minutes, then insert it in the long narrow tube provided and slide it into the designated spot in the water reservoir. You can forget about it for a period of 3 to 6 months. I'm still forgetting mine after 8 months, as it's still doing the job of keeping my coffee tasting smooth.
You can omit the filter if you use filtered water or if you really like the way your coffee tastes without the filter. Don't just follow the herd on this one. There's no sense paying $6 every few months for a new filter if it's really not necessary. I find that using it makes a substantial difference in the quality of my coffee, so I continue using it.
Cone-Shaped Coffee Filter: A gold permanent filter comes with the machine. It works, and requires only a good rinsing, and will probably save you a few shillings in the long run. I prefer the old-fashioned paper kind, though, as I use a finely ground coffee and the gold filter leaves some coffee silt in the bottom of the pot. This machine does use the cone style filters, though you can make do with the standard variety in a pinch.
Brewing: The brew cycle of the DCC-1200 is longer than my last coffee maker, but I assume that's because the heated water actually makes contact for a length of time with the coffee grounds before passing into the carafe. No tinted water, this stuff. This is coffee, pure and so simple you will thank yourself for spending the money. I generally brew 8 cups in about 10 minutes, give or take. I've never really timed it, but I'm not edgy by the time the lovely, low-key "come hither" beep sounds to let me know the coffee is ready. The 1 - 4 cup brewing is probably little more than 5 minutes, too, accounting for the heating of the water to a higher degree, which really, really does work.
Cleaning: The DCC-1200 provides a little light to let you know it needs a cleaning. Mine has never gone off, but I clean it every few months just because. Right now, I'm at about 4 months without a cleaning, still enjoying great coffee, and no little light has shone in effort to request anything from me. Nice, nice Cuisinart!
Warranty: This warranty is not standard, by any means. THREE YEARS. That's the Cuisinart Standard Warranty, at least on it's larger small appliances. This and my food processor will enjoy the same coverage, which means on manufacturer defects only, not on human error or other such shenanigans. In other words, be nice to your coffee maker, use it in the manner in which it is intended, and you should have your caffeine friend for a long, long time.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
I purchased my Cuisinart coffee maker as a gift to myself, having had enough of Mr. Coffee in my kitchen, which, at its departure was more an "Old Unfaithful" than anyone should have to experience. It was great for the first 75% of it's time in my kitchen and it was all down the drain after that. So, I splurged on myself and found refuge and respite in Cuisinart.
Sure, it's "retro". It makes coffee ... fine coffee. And it has some bells and whistles but none that are useless. Every morning it does what I want it to do without coaxing, cajoling, begging or badgering.
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