Cuisinart DGB-500 12-Cup Coffee Maker

Pros: space saving
Cons: very difficult to clean, can't make strong coffee

I thought I was nuts not liking this machine. My son gave it to me for a gift last year. I exchanged several emails with Cuisinart customer service trying to figure out how to make a decent cup of coffee. I tend to like mine strong, but the little grinder is very limited to quantity of beans. All they could do was parrot back the instructions in the book. Sigh.

And cleaning it? Forget it! The brewed coffee manages to get everywhere and most of the parts don't come out (like the swing out tray for the brew basket, the back of the machine where the coffee manages to drip down somehow.) I haven't had it overflow yet, as others have mentioned, but now my coffee pot has broken so I can't use it. I feel guilty because it was an expensive gift, but I really, really do not like this product at all!

And I totally agree with the comments about the noise - it is definitely a jet taking off!

Pros: The grind-and-brew concept is a good one that will appeal to many consumers.
Cons: This product is simply unsatisfactory -- and costly.

Gee, I wish I had researched this coffeemaker. Instead I was seduced by the "grind" feature. I agree with the other reviewers' negatives but I have to add one more: this coffeemaker wastes expensive coffee beans. What I clean out of the grinder and dispose of! It's a shame.

Pros: IT SURE LOOKS PRETTY ON MY KITCHEN COUNTER
Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE

After a year of disassembling, cleaning and then vacuuming the grinds off of my kitchen counter and floor, I made a vow never, ever, ever to buy a product that incorporates the grind and brew feature in the same machine. Trust me, after spending the past year troubleshooting this coffee making fiasco of a machine, it's become clear that the engineering of this combination might look good on paper, but it does not translate to good, hardy coffee. I had similar experiences as your other consumers, continuing to fault myself for the coffee being weak, trying different beans, adding more beans, adding less water, EVERYTHING. In the end, I'm still left with the daily cleaning ritual of scraping the grounds out of the grinder that get jammed and cleaning the apparatus. IT IS NOT WORTH IT!
I've written to Cuisinart and urged them to discontinue the piece of junk!
I'm going back to Mr. Coffee!

Pros: Grinder, keeps warm for hours
Cons: everything!-clean up=doesn't always work correctly

I've had had the earlier (stainless version) for over 4 years and I still have to be nervous every time I turn on the machine because something will go wrong. For some reason, if the "planets" are not exactly aligned, the machine will spill coffee all over the place. I've had this experience with another machine of the same type at my parents. Also, it's a very time to make coffee every morning because the grinder needs to be cleaned out thoroughly each and every time. The clean up in general with this machine is also very difficult. In order to clean the lid of the pot, I have to use a small, special, almost a-tip-like sponge to again, thoroughly clean. The lid still does not clean even in the dishwasher very well. After this morning's fiasco, I'm ready to purchase a different brand.

Pros: hmmmmm . . . the black goes with my appliances
Cons: loud, slow, more complicated than necessary so a pain to clean, coffee is average

This coffee maker has it all! I cannot believe that the Cuisinart people could not do better . . there are 5 pieces that have to be cleaned (before you get to the carafe lid), a stupid little plastic piece with a filter(!) that just sort of sits in the water receptacle. The filter will need to be replaced periodically & I won't even bother. And noisy? we got noisy!!! I worry that it will wake up my next door condo neighbors. Oh, it's also fairly slow. Takes much longer than my previous coffee grinder/maker - RIP dear coffee maker - that is no longer made. I was SURE that Cuisinart was a good choice. And after all this, the coffee is only ok. Run very fast from this product!

Pros: Convenience of griding whole beans and brewing a pot of coffee in one machine.
Cons: Grinding basket MUST be cleaned after each use and completely dry before each use.

After using the Cuisinart DGB 500 coffee grinder/brewer, I found it had the following defects in the design. The grinding basket must be cleaned after each use otherwise, a build up of ground coffee accumulates in the basket due to a moisture build up in it. This may not seem like a problem at first; however, after attempting to make another pot of coffee during a dinner party, I found that it was necessary for me to completely clean and dry the grinding basket before I could make my second pot of coffee. This was a huge inconvenience. What's more, the grinding basket is difficult to clean and if it's not completely cleaned and bone dry before and after each use, I lose quite a bit of ground up coffee because it sticks to the top of the grinding basket, so I'm really unsure of the quality of coffee I'm getting from each pot.

I would suggest purchasing a different grind/brew coffee pot that has a better design as far as releasing moisture during the brew process is concerned. I am a big coffee drinker and I would not purchase another Cuisinart product.

Myra Robb
myrarobb@comcast.net

Pros: I like the preset and fresh grounded beans.
Cons: I do not like how it leaks under the pot.

i would like some feedback if possible to why my coffeemaker leaks every time I use it. I ALWAYS have coffee spots under my pot and a puddle of coffee after use. I have the Cuisinart Automatic Grind & Brew Coffeemaker. I have had it 6 months and do not like it just because of this.

Pros: it makes hot coffee and I like having fresh ground coffee beans.
Cons: the grinder needs cleaning w/ a brush, it doesn't come clean w/ just a rinse.

I have not been able to determine where its leaking from- the bottom? or just a side? Sometimes it seems like its leaking from the bottom and sometimes from that side wall where the coffee pot goes. It leaks about 1/2 cup each time it leaks!! But... its doesn't leak every time I make coffee, just most of the time. Has anyone else had that problem?

I have had this coffee maker about 3 years and it started leaking about 2 years ago.

Pros: Easy to use & clean; competitively priced
Cons: Ours didn't come with instructions.

After reading the problems people were having with this machine, I became a bit concerned with our new Cuisinart Grind & Brew.

However, we've been pleasantly surprised & happy with the use of this coffee machine. We have not experienced ANY mess with the coffee grinds. I'm wondering if the earlier units didn't come with the filter cover? I can see that if this wasn't used then the grinds would go all over the place.

Anyway, I would definitely recommend this product. Our coffee actually tastes a lot better than our previous machine (Braun).

Rich
Torrance, ca

Pros: The coffee is good
Cons: Loud, balky and hard to clean

I coveted this coffee maker for a few years before taking the plunge and now I wish I'd saved my money. While the idea of waking up to freshly ground and brewed coffee sounds wonderful, you actually wake up to the sound of the grinding--it sounds like a jet is taking off in the kitchen. The filter basket door jams regularly, the grinder assembly is difficult to remove, and the whole thing is extremely difficult to clean. The coffee itself is great, but I'm going back to a separate grinder/coffee maker set-up as soon as possible.

Pros: Not enough for the price.
Cons: See review.

I purchased this coffee maker in December 2003. The grinding motor died yesterday. I'm furious. When you pay $160.00 for a coffee maker, you expect to be able to use it for a long time.
I also found out (after I purchasing it) someone I knew had a similar experience with it.

If you go to the Cuisinart web site, there is no company contact information available. But there are lots of links for "Cuisinart Parts."

Another drawback to this coffee maker is that it's hard to make a strong cup of with it. The bean holder is very small.

Pros: Saves the trouble of transferring ground beans from the grinder to the brewing basket.
Cons: Grinder is more trouble to clean and requires cleaning more frequently than a separate grinder.

I bought the grind & brew expecting it to be a great time and work saver, but have been very disappointed in the result. It seems that as the coffee brews, the steam that is created backs up into the grinder, where the residue left from grinding the beans turns into a muddy mess. This means that each time it is used, the grinder portion has to be disassembled, rinsed, and dried before using it again. Otherwise, the output chute from the grinder to the brewing basket becomes completely clogged, creating an even bigger mess.

I am going back to using a separate grinder that can be cleaned out by simply turning it upside down and tapping the side, or at most brushing out a few dry grounds. Much simpler.

Pros: Not a bad looking machine
Cons: Very weak coffee; poor design. Very difficult to clean.

Santa brought us one for Christmas but it is already returned to the store. The grinder bin does not hold enough coffee beans to make a strong cup of coffee (unless you fill the bin and brew only two cups). We stopped using the grinder function and just filled the basket with coffee we ground ourselves, but if you put a decent amount in the basket the water doesn't filter through it fast enough, so then there is a puddle of overflow coffee around the machine. We expected much better from a name brand like this. Generally, the coffee tastes like what you would find in the Les Schwab waiting area. (I love Les Schwab, but I go there for tires, not coffee...)

Pros: Good Coffee
Cons: It does not last. Difficult clean up. Do not waste your money.

It does make a very good cup of coffee, and pretty quick too. Takes a long time to clean up after each use. A lot of time to clean the coffee grinds out of the grinder and "dry" it. If you do not do that is will not work.

We have owned 2 of these, and will not buy any more. In each case the plastic lid on top of the grinder, always breaks. It starts failing when it looses the little tiny rubber grommet on top of the grinder, after that its downhill quickly.

Pros: Attractive all-in-one design.
Cons: Dysfunctional.

As many of the other reviewers have reported, the basket door on my Grind & Brew pops open (during grinding and/or brewing) and spills coffee grounds and coffee everywhere. Initially this problem happened only occasionally; now it happens virtually everyday. If I don't stand there and hold the basket door in while the grinding/brewing occurs, the door would pop open repeatedly. I can't believe that Cuisinart hasn't resolved this fundamental problem. And yes, the machine is not easy to clean, but I would be willing to overlook that if not for the huge mess made when the basket pops open.