illinigirl's Full Review: Cuisinart DGB-500 12-Cup Coffee Maker
I obtained the Cuisinart G&B because my husband bought it from a friend who had purchased multiple units on sale. It was new. This was a machine I didn't want based largely on negative/mixed reviews both here and on another coffee website. Although it was recommended in a coffee article in Wine Spectator magazine.
My experience so far (a week of daily use)....
I like the programmability of the unit. One caveat is you lose any programmed info including the time if you unplug the unit, which is my habit after each use.
I think the G&B makes good coffee conveniently. It is hotter than my old Braun drip unit. Using the same water/coffee ratios the G&B made noticeably weaker coffee, which I found I could adjust to my liking by using more beans. I typically brew about 5-6cups. I have made pots as large as 11.5 cups with similar good outcome.
The water reservoir number readouts could be improved-by either having actual lines on the sides or by an external reading.
Some claim the grinder to be noisy. This is true but not any noisier than any other blade type grinder. The grinder does run a long time, even after the beans have exited the grinding chamber.
I like the 1-4 cup setting which 'double heats' the water so you get a nice hot cup even with smaller batches. Note you can use this setting no matter how much coffee you are making, so I use it even on 5-6cup pots.
I have noticed some reviewers complaining about coffee grounds getting into the finished brew. I have found that switching to a better basket filter such as melitta avoids this problem. The filters that came with the G&B aren't as good- the pleats aren't as tight, thus allowing some coffee grinds to get between the filter and the edge of the filter basket, and ultimately into the finished brew.
The carafe ergonomics are excellent-no drips.
The grinder capacity is a bit small. 14Tbs is all, which *should* be enough for a 12Cup pot but isn't....
I'm trying to figure out why this machine makes slightly weak coffee and I'm convinced it's not the grinds. I tried a cycle and stopped the unit after it's grinding but before any water entered and checked the grinds. I found them to be similar in size to what I would normally grind myself with a blade style grinder. So it's not the grind size IMO.
Possibly it's the brew method. My previous maker used a cone style filter and the G&B uses a basket style, so not sure if that could cause it.
Cleaning the pieces on the G&B is not hard. A soapy sponge/water is sufficient, and I don't find it inconvenient at all. The only problem might arise when you want to brew back to back pots and then you would need to dry the grinder pieces very thoroughly to avoid beans from sticking before they enter the filter chamber.
Overall I like this machine even though I thought I wouldn't. I do take some extra care to keep it clean but it's not difficult. It makes a good (but not exceptional) cup of coffee. I would recommend it.
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