Best Cuisinart Coffee Maker

Quick Answer: The best Cuisinart coffee maker is the Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-800P1.

This is my roundup of the best Cuisinart coffee makers.

While I’ve never owned one of these machines, I spent a day and a half researching them (and users’ experiences with them) to put together this article.

As well as giving you my recommendations, I’ll also tell you about a line of Cuisinart coffee makers that I see a lot of other people recommend, but which I personally have found to be overpriced and unreliable.

Let’s get started.

Top Picks

Best Overall: Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-800P1

Quality of Coffee

The Cuisinart Pure Precision makes the best-tasting coffee of all Cuisinart coffee makers.

The Cuisinart Pure Precision is the Cusinart’s only coffee maker that brews according to the SCAA’s optimal brewing guidelines for drip coffee.

The two main advantages that the Pure Precision’s brewing has over other coffee makers are:

• It automatically soaks your grounds in a small amount of boiling water before brewing. This “blooming” cause your coffee to extract more evenly, resulting in a better flavor balance in your final drink.

• Its shower heat rotates as it pours water onto your coffee bed. This ensures even coverage of your coffee with water, again promoting even extraction and giving you a balanced drink at the end.

In short, the Cuisinart Pure Precision makes the best coffee of all Cuisinart coffee makers and can go toe to toe with any drip coffee maker as far as coffee quality is concerned.

Quality of Coffee Rating: 10/10

Functionalities

The Cuisinart Pure Precision only makes drip coffee with loose grounds and has fewer available serving sizes than most Cuisinart coffee makers.

The machine trades off having a large number of functionalities in order to just do one thing as well as possible.

I personally think this is something that all the best coffee makers have in common. However, if you want to brew large batches or small single servings this probably isn’t the machine for you.

It still has the auto-on and auto-off functionalities that all Cuisinart coffee makers have. 

It also has three strength settings, which is one more than most Cuisinart coffee makers. 

These strength settings control how long your coffee is brewed. Brewing on medium or strong will keep it in accordance with the SCAA’s brewing guidelines.

Functionalities Rating: 6/10

Ease of Use

The Cuisinart Pure Precision is harder to use than most Cuisinart coffee makers as you need a good quality grinder and accurate dosing to allow it to reach its brewing potential.

The Cuisinart Pure Precision is for coffee drinkers who are willing to invest in a good quality coffee grinder and measure out their grounds in order to make the best-tasting coffee possible.

While you can still use the machine without doing these things, it’s a bit of a waste of money as you aren’t using the machine to its full brewing potential. You might as well go for a cheaper machine in this case, like the Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14 Cup Coffee Maker,

While the machine requires a bit more work (and investment) to use properly, it pays this back in how good a coffee it can make.

Ease of Use Rating: 6/10

Value For Money

The Cuisinart Pure Precision is one of the more affordable SCAA-certified coffee machines on the market.

In this sense, it offers excellent value for money.

That being said, it is still one of the more expensive Cuisinart coffee makers available, and you need a good quality grinder to use it to its full potential, which will set you back around another $100.

Again, it does pay this back with the excellent coffee it can make.

Value For Money Rating: 8/10

Cuisinart Pure Precision Pros

Makes the best-tasting coffee of all Cuisinart machines.

It is the only SCAA-certified Cuisinart coffee maker currently on the market.

It has three strength settings, one more than other Cuisinart coffee makers.

Cuisinart Pure Precision Cons

You need a good quality burr grinder to make it a worthwhile purchase.

Best Budget Option: Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14-Cup Coffee Maker

Quality of Coffee

The Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 makes good, but not outstanding coffee. Its coffee quality dips if you brew servings over ten cups at once.

The Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 makes better coffee than entry-level drip coffee makers like those made by Mr Coffee and Hamilton Beach.

This is due to its high-quality heating mechanism and its adjustable water head which changes water flow depending on whether you are brewing larger (over 20 oz) or smaller (under 20 oz) servings of coffee.

It is not SCAA certified, meaning that it cannot make as good a coffee as the Cuisinart Pure Precision. This is reflected in its price tag, in fairness.

The Cuisinart DCC 3200P1’s coffee does start to get a bit watery if you brew batches larger than 10 cups at once. 

This is because its brew basket cannot hold enough ground coffee to brew that amount of liquid and still maintain an optimal ground coffee-to-water ratio.

Quality of Coffee Rating: 7/10

Functionalities

The Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 only makes drip coffee with loose coffee grounds. It can make up to 14 cups (70 oz) in one go, which is more than any other Cuisinart coffee maker.

While the machine may not be able to brew with K cups, its large brewing capacity can be really useful if you want to make coffee for a big group.

Functionalities Rating: 6/10 

Ease of Use

The Cuisinart DCC 3200P1’s water tank has measurements visible from the outside of the machine. This makes it easier to measure out your water with than most basic Cuisinart coffee makers that do not have these visible measurements.

All the basic Cuisinart coffee makers are simple to use, mainly because they have control panels that say what each button means in plain English (rather than in symbols).

The Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 is easier to use than most Cusinart coffee makers because its water tank has measurements visible from the outside of the machine.

Many other Cuisinart coffee makers have measurements that you can only see on the inside of the water tank. Because you are looking down at these measurements from above, they are quite difficult to read, especially if you are short-sighted.

This alone makes the Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 one of the easier-to-use Cuisinart coffee makers.

Ease of Use Rating: 8/10

Value For Money

The Cusinart DCC 3200P1 is cheap for what you get.

The Cusinart DCC 3200P1 is cheaper than other similar Cuisinart coffee makers and is significantly cheaper than similar quality Ninja coffee makers.

While there are certainly cheaper coffee makers out there (Mr Coffee for example), these make noticeably worse coffee than the Cuisinart DCC 3200P1.

It’s a better-than-average coffee maker at a mid-market price – in other words, good value.

Value For Money Rating: 9/10

Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 Pros

Can brew up to 14 cups of coffee at once – more than any other Cuisinart coffee maker.

Has water tank measurements that are visible on the outside of the machine. 

Punches well above its weight price-wise.

Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 Cons

Its larger servings of coffee can be a bit watery.

Some models have clocks that run fast.

Best for Single Servings: Cuisinart DBG 2 Grind and Brew

Quality of Coffee

The Cuisinart DGB 2 Grind and Brew makes excellent coffee by single-serve standards.

The Cuisinart Grind and Brew make a better single-serve coffee than a machine that brews with K cups for two reasons:

• The Cuisinart Grind and Brew uses freshly ground coffee whereas K cups have coffee that was likely ground months ago

• The Cuisinart Grind and Brew uses pods that are much larger than K cups meaning that you have a higher coffee-to-water ratio than with K cup brewing. This creates a fuller-flavored final drink.

While the grinder on the DGB 2 isn’t amazing, this pales into insignificance compared to the aforementioned advantages it has over K cup brewers.

Quality of Coffee Rating: 8/10

Functionalities

The Cuisinart DGB 2 Grind and Brew can only make single servings of coffee. It doesn’t require a separate grinder, however.

The Cuisinart DGB 2 Grind and Brew is more of a specialised coffee machine. It does only single-serve coffees, but it does this really well.

It’s one of only a handful of Cuisinart coffee makers that has a built-in grinder, so if you want to brew with whole beans and don’t currently have a grinder, then this could be a very useful machine.

The machine also brews with K cups. It brews preset serving sizes of 8 oz, 10 oz and 12 oz. 

K cups only work well at a maximum serving size of 8 oz, so if you want to brew 10 oz or 12 oz coffees I would recommend using its grind and brew functionality.

Functionalities: 7/10

Ease of Use

The Cuisinart DGB 2 Grind and Brew is a bit harder to use than most coffee makers, but it rewards this effort with excellent coffee.

Unless you use K cups, the DGB 2 requires you to fill up a reusable pod with coffee for every coffee that you make.

This is more effort than most types of brewing. 

The machine is also quite messy, especially when it grinds your coffee beans. You cannot avoid spilling grounds onto your counter when filling up the pods from your grinder.

I’d therefore only recommend this machine if you want a significantly better single-serve coffee than you can get with K cups and if you are willing to put in a bit of extra work to get there.

Ease of Use Rating: 5/10

Value For Money

The Cuisinart DGB 2 Grind and Brew isn’t the cheapest, but it’s decent value for those who are going to use it to its full potential

If you want to make good quality single-serve coffee with pods, then this is one of the best machines for that.

It’s worth the money for the right person.

Value For Money Rating: 6/10

Cuisinart DGB 2 Grind and Brew Pros

Makes ridiculously good single-serve coffee.

Has a built-in grinder.

Can brew with K-cups if that’s what you want

Cuisinart DGB 2 Grind and Brew Cons

Its grinder is hard to clean.

Its grinder spills ground coffee when you fill the reusable pod.

Best Dual Coffee Maker: Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre

Quality of Coffee

The Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre makes the best K-cup coffee of all dual brewers. Its loose-ground drip coffee is comparable to other non-SCAA-certified Cuisinart Coffee makers.

The Cuisinart SS-15P1 makes better K-cup coffee than other Cuisinart dual brewers because it gives you the option of brewing a 6 oz K-cup coffee.

Other Cuisinart dual coffee makers have 8 oz – 12 oz serving sizes. K-cups are not designed to brew with more than 8 oz of water, so the 10 oz and 12 oz serving sizes invariably come out too weak.

The SS-15P1 6 oz – 10 oz serving sizes for K-cups means that it can make a stronger, tastier K-cup coffee than machines that start at 8 oz.

The machine’s drip coffee is decent, but not amazing. It is comparable to other non-SCAA certified Cuisinart coffee makers like the Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14-Cup Coffee Maker.

Quality of Coffee Rating: 7/10

Functionalities

The Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre’s ability to brew with K-cups and make large servings with loose grounds makes it the most versatile Cuisinart coffee maker.

Only a handful of Cuisinart machines can brew single servings with K-cups and larger servings with loose grounds. 

This alone makes the SS-15P1 Coffee Centre one of the most functionality-rich Cuisinart coffee makers.

Functionalities Rating: 9/10

Ease of Use

The Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre’s removable water tank makes it one of the easiest-to-use Cuisinart machines.

The Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre is one of the few Cuisinart coffee makers with a removable water tank.

This means not having to awkwardly pour water into a small hole in the top of the machine – a problem that plagues almost all Cuisinart coffee makers.

Instead, just remove the water tank and fill it up at your sink – much easier.

The machine has a really easy-to-use control panel – however, this is true of all Cuisinart coffee makers.

It’s really the removable water tank that makes it easier to use than other Cuisinart coffee makers.

Ease of Use Rating: 8/10

Value For Money

The Cuisinart SS-15P1P1 Coffee Centre doesn’t offer you the best value for money.

This is in part because dual brewers tend not to offer great value for money (especially when you factor in the cost of K cups), but also because the machine is a bit overpriced generally.

A better value dual brewer is the Hamilton Beach Flexbrew. I talk about this in my roundup of the best dual coffee makers.

Value For Money Rating: 5/10

Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre Pros

Brews single servings with K-cups and larger servings with ground coffee.

Can brew 6 oz servings with K-cups (the optimal serving size for a K-cup coffee)

Its removable water tank makes it easier to use than most Cuisinart coffee makers.

Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre Cons

Its K-cup port needles have a tendency to blunt which can cause grounds to end up in your drink.

Best For Offices: Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee On Demand

Quality of Coffee

The Cuisinart DCC-300 sacrifices some coffee quality for the added convenience of being able to dispense coffee instantly.

The Cuisinart DCC-300 doesn’t make as nice-tasting coffee as other Cuisinart coffee makers.

This is not because of how it brews. The DCC-300 brews just like any other Cuisinart machine, save for the superior brewing of the Cuisinart Pure Precision.

Rather this is because the machine brews your coffee and then has that coffee sit inside a chamber within the machine until you choose to dispense it.

Although the coffee remains hot for four hours after the initial brew, coffee starts to lose its flavor around 30 minutes after it has been brewed.

Therefore coffee from this machine will often taste flatter than that made from machines with carafes.

Quality of Coffee Rating: 5/10

Functionalities

The Cuisinart DCC-300 is the only machine that can dispense coffee at the touch of a button. 

The Cuisinart DCC-300 is unique among Cuisinart coffee makers in that it can dispense coffee at the touch of a button.

This, combined with the fact that it can dispense anywhere from 1 oz to 60 oz of coffee in one go makes it particularly useful for offices where people will want their coffee quickly.

Functionalities Rating: 8/10

Ease of Use

The Cuisinart DCC-300 is super easy to use, especially once you have filled it up.

The DCC-300 is the easiest Cuisinart coffee maker to use because it is the only machine that dispenses coffee at the touch of a button.

Even brewing the initial batch of coffee is easier than with most Cuisinart machines as it is one of the few of these machines that has a removable water tank.

The only feature of the machine that makes it slightly tricky to use is its power cord is only six inches. This can make it hard for you to find a suitable place for the machine to live.

Ease of Use Rating: 9/10

Value For Money

The Cuisinart DCC-300 is very reasonably priced, especially considering its quality compared to other on-demand coffee makers.

The Cuisinart DCC-300 is about twice the price of the other popular on-demand coffee maker, the Hamilton Beach Brewstation.

The DCC-300 has a much better build quality than the Hamilton Beach Brewstation, meaning that it will likely last twice as long as the Brewstation.

This more than justifies its price tag when you consider how much use you will get out of it.

Value For Money Rating: 8/10

Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee On Demand Pros

Dispenses coffee at the touch of a button.

Can dispense whatever serving size you want (up to 60 oz).

Has a removable water tank which makes it easy to fill up and clean.

Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee On Demand Cons

Its coffee will generally taste worse than other Cuisinart coffee makers as it will not be freshly brewed.

It has a six-inch power cord so you may be limited in where you can keep the machine.

Best With A Built-In Grinder: Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Centre Grind and Brew Plus

Quality of Coffee

The Cuisinart Grind and Brew Plus’s built-in grinder allows you to make better coffee than their entry-level machines as you can use whole beans with it.

Coffee made from freshly ground beans is more flavorful than that made from pre-ground coffee because as soon as you grind coffee some of its flavorful compounds start diffusing out of it.

Therefore, the Cuisinart Grind and Brew Plus’s in-built grinder allows you to make better coffee than a basic Cuisinart coffee maker even though they brew in the exact same way.

Unfortunately, the Grind and Brew Plus’s K cup serving sizes start at eight ounces (no six-ounce option available). 

While it makes a good eight-ounce K-cup coffee, its ten and twelve-ounce K-cup coffees are watery as K-cups do not hold enough ground coffee to brew with this quantity of water.

Quality of Coffee Rating: 7/10

Functionalities

The Cuisinart Grind and Brew Plus can brew with whole bean, ground coffee, K-cups and reusable pods. This makes it the most versatile Cuisinart coffee maker on the market.

Add to this the fact that you have multiple strength settings, and the machine can basically serve any coffee-making need (other than espresso).

Functionalities Rating: 10/10

Ease of Use

The Cuisinart Grind and Brew Plus’s built-in grinder does add another process to brewing a coffee. It also adds another large potential point of failure to the machine.

By their very nature coffee machines with built-in grinders are harder to use than ones without grinders as you have the added process of grinding the beans. 

Even if this is automated (ie done at the push of a button) you still need to play around with grind settings until you get the coffee flavor you want.

Coffee makers with built-in grinders also have the added problem that their grinders are prone to clogging up due to coming into direct contact with steam from the brewing chamber.

This requires you to regularly clean the grinder, something that you don’t need to do on machines with separate grinders.

So while the Cuisinart Grind and Brew are not particularly hard to use, just know that by getting a machine with a built-in grinder you are agreeing to put in a bit more work to (hopefully) make better coffee.

Ease of Use Rating: 6/10

Value For Money

The Cuisinart Grind and Brew Plus is only good value for money if you absolutely do not want a separate grinder for your machine.

The Cuisinart Grind and Brew Plus is the most expensive Cuisinart coffee maker.

While it has the most functionalities, I generally think that you will get better value for money if you buy a machine with a separate grinder.

This is true for drip coffee machines generally, not just for the Cuisinart Grind and Brew Plus.

Value For Money Rating: 4/10

Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Center Grind and Brew Plus Pros

Can brew with whole beans, ground coffee, K-cups and reusable pods.

Makes better coffee than most Cuisinart coffee makers as it can brew with whole beans.

Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Center Grind and Brew Plus Cons

You can get better value for money by buying a separate coffee maker and grinder.

Its grinder has a tendency to clog up so requires regular cleaning.

Machines to Avoid: Any Cuisinart Coffee Maker With a Touchscreen

Cuisinart is slowly launching touchscreen versions of their more popular coffee makers.

The most notable machine of this line is the Cuisinart Touchscreen 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker DCC-T20P1.

I found a lot of reviews of this machine saying that its touchscreen was super temperamental, with buttons being unresponsive and the touchscreen often shutting off as you were trying to programme your coffee.

This all sounds frustrating enough to avoid these types of machines altogether.

Looking at the price of this machine, it seems very cheap for a coffee maker with a touchscreen (touchscreens generally are expensive to manufacture). Therefore I am not surprised that its touchscreen doesn’t work very well.

Until Cuisinart improves its touchscreen technology, I’d avoid any of its coffee makers with touchscreens.

What Should I Ask Myself When Buying a Cuisinart Coffee Maker?

Here are the questions you should ask yourself when buying a Cuisinart coffee maker.

Do You Plan on Using Pre Ground Coffee with Your Machine?

Most Cuisinart coffee makers do not have a built-in grinder.

You’re therefore probably going to either need to use pre-ground coffee with your machine or buy a separate grinder.

There are a handful of Cuisinart models that have a built-in grinder. The most notable of these are: 

• Cuisinart DGB-2 Grind and Brew: This is your best option if you only ever want to make single servings of coffee and use whole beans.

• Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Center Grind and Brew Plus: This is your best option if you want to make large batches of coffee with whole beans.

• Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee on Demand: This is your best option for office use.

To reiterate, if you opt for any other machine listed in this article, then you’ll either need a separate grinder or use pre-ground coffee.

I talk more about the pros and cons of buying a coffee maker with a built-in grinder in my roundup of the best grind and brew coffee makers.

The table below shows whether the machines listed in this article have built-in grinders or not:

Machine Name	Does it Have a Built-in Grinder
Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-800P1 (best-tasting coffee)	No
Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14 Cup Coffee Maker (best budget option)	No
Cuisinart DGB-2 Grind and Brew (best for single servings)	Yes
Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre (best dual coffee maker)	No
Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee on Demand (best on-demand coffee maker)	Yes
Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Centre Grind and Brew Plus (best with a built-in grinder)	Yes

What Serving Sizes of Coffee Do You Want to Make?

Cuisinart coffee makers vary in both their maximum and minimum serving sizes.

This ranges from machines that brew only single servings of coffee at a time, to ones that can make up to 60 oz of coffee in one go.

Personally, I think that you should buy a coffee maker that only makes serving sizes that you will use (or as close to this as possible).

I think this for two reasons:

• Coffee makers tend to go up in price as their available serving sizes increase. You are therefore wasting money if you buy a machine that makes serving sizes that you will never use.

• Coffee makers with a smaller range of serving sizes are more precisely built to brew those specific servings of coffee. You are likely to get better coffee from these machines as a result of this. (This is not the only variable that affects coffee quality, however).

In short, don’t overspend on a machine that makes servings of coffee that you will never actually brew.

The table below shows the available serving sizes of all the coffee makers recommended in this article:

Machine Name	Available serving sizes
Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-800P1 (best-tasting coffee)	8 oz – 40 oz.
Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14 Cup Coffee Maker (best budget option)	10 oz – 70 oz.
Cuisinart DGB-2 Grind and Brew (best for single servings)	8 oz, 10 oz, and 12 oz (has preset serving sizes).
Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre (best dual coffee maker)	6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz for single serve; 10 oz to 40 oz for carafe side.
Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee on Demand (best on-demand coffee maker)	5 oz – 60 oz.
Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Centre Grind and Brew Plus (best with a built-in grinder)	8 oz, 10 oz, 12 oz for single serve; 10 oz to 60 oz for carafe side.

Please be aware that Cuisinart likes to measure everything in cups (“12 cup coffee maker” for example) however the size of their purported cups varies from machine to machine.

In the above table, I have measured their serving sizes based on the maximum and minimum capacity of their reservoirs (in ounces, rather than in the more arbitrary “cup” measurement).

Do You Want to Brew with K Cups as Well as Drip Coffee?

Only a handful of Cuisinart coffee makers allow you to brew with K-cups so make sure you check this if you want to brew with K-cups.

Cuisinart coffee makers that brew with K-cups also take Cuisinart’s own brand of reusable K-cups.

These hold around 50% more ground coffee than K-cups, so can be used to make 10 oz and 12 oz coffees of decent strength. Coffees of these sizes made with K-cups are watery as a K-cup does not hold enough ground coffee for the amount of water used.

Cuisinart’s reusable K-cups are always sold separately to the machine. They will, however, pay for themselves very quickly if you brew with K-cups regularly.

The table below shows whether each of the machines recommended in this article can brew with K-cups or not:

Machine Name	Can it brew K-cups?
Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-800P1 (best-tasting coffee)	No
Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14 Cup Coffee Maker (best budget option)	No
Cuisinart DGB-2 Grind and Brew (best for single servings)	Yes
Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre (best dual coffee maker)	Yes
Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee on Demand (best on-demand coffee maker)	No
Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Centre Grind and Brew Plus (best with a built-in grinder)	Yes

How Much Do You Care About Brewing “Optimal” Drip Coffee?

The Cuisinart Pure Precision is the only Cuisinart coffee maker that can brew drip coffee in an optimal way, according to the Speciality Coffee Association of America (SCAA).

Coffee makers that brew in this optimal way are awarded SCAA certification.

The upshot of this is that the Cuisinart Pure Precision will make the best-tasting coffee of all Cuisinart coffee makers. 

You can only get this top performance if you are willing to invest in good-quality coffee beans and a burr grinder. You’ll also need to be really precise with your measurements of coffee and water.

If you aren’t willing to do this then the Pure Precision is a bit of a waste of money as you pay extra for this high brewing performance.

The table below shows whether the machines featured in this article are SCAA certified or not.

Machine Name	Is it SCAA-certified?
Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-800P1 (best-tasting coffee)	Yes
Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14 Cup Coffee Maker (best budget option)	No
Cuisinart DGB-2 Grind and Brew (best for single servings)	No
Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre (best dual coffee maker)	No
Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee on Demand (best on-demand coffee maker)	No
Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Centre Grind and Brew Plus (best with a built-in grinder)	No

I should add that while researching this article I found many websites that claimed that a whole host of Cuisinart coffee makers were SCAA certified (rather than just Pure Precision).

The Cuisinart Pure Precision is the only Cuisinart coffee maker listed as being SCAA certified on the SCAA’s own website.

Do You Want a Machine With a Glass or Thermal Carafe?

Cuisinart coffee makers with thermal carafes are best avoided because their thermal carafes are incredibly drippy.

While I generally prefer thermal carafes to glass ones, I’d recommend avoiding Cuisinart coffee makers with thermal carafes because it’s impossible to pour from their thermal carafes without having them drip coffee all down their front and onto your counter.

Combine this with the fact that Cuisinart coffee makers allow you to set their hotplate to low (so it does not burn your coffee) and you’re best just sticking to their machines with glass carafes.

The table below shows whether each of the coffee makers recommended in this article has glass or thermal carafes:

Machine Name	Does it have a glass or thermal carafe
Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-800P1 (best-tasting coffee)	Glass
Cuisinart DCC 3200P1 14 Cup Coffee Maker (best budget option)	Glass
Cuisinart DGB-2 Grind and Brew (best for single servings)	No carafe
Cuisinart SS-15P1 Coffee Centre (best dual coffee maker)	Glass
Cuisinart DCC-300 Coffee on Demand (best on-demand coffee maker)	No carafe
Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Centre Grind and Brew Plus (best with a built-in grinder)	Glass

What do all Cuisinart Coffee Makers Have in Common?

I’m going to quickly run through the features that all Cuisinart coffee makers have. I am doing this for two reasons:

• Manufacturers love presenting features that all their machines have as unique selling points of specific machines. If you know features common to all Cuisinart coffee makers, you will not overspend on a machine because you want a feature that a cheaper machine also has.

All Cuisinart coffee makers have a couple of annoying features that might make you want to avoid this manufacturer entirely. I’ll flag these up and if they are a deal breaker then you might want to have a look at my other drip coffee maker reviews.

Auto On Functionality

All Cuisinart coffee makers have a digital clock that allows the machine to brew at a pre-programmed time.

This is really useful if you don’t have the time to programme your machine in the morning.

The video below shows how you set the Cuisinart DCC-3200P1 to brew at a pre-programmed time. Pretty much all Cuisinart coffee makers have their auto-on functionality set in the same way

Warming Plate Auto-Off Functionality

All Cuisinart coffee makers let you set how long the warming plate stays on after it’s finished brewing.

This can range from one minute to four hours. I wouldn’t recommend leaving the warming plate on for more than 20 minutes, as this can cook the coffee in your carafe and make it taste really bitter.

Models with thermal carafes will not have a warming plate and therefore will not have this feature (they do not need it).

The video below shows how you programme the auto-off functionality on the Cuisinart DCC-3200P1. All Cuisinart coffee makers have their auto-off programmed in a similar way. Bear in mind that although the person in this video says that the auto-off functionality turns the machine off, it actually just turns the hotplate off.

Descale Mode (No Descale Warning Though)

All Cuisinart coffee makers have a descaling mode that will help you with descaling the machine.

All you need to do to descale the coffee maker is to turn on its descale button, fill the machine up with a descaling solution, press brew and let it do its thing.

While this is handy, I don’t like the fact that Cuisinart coffee makers do not tell you when the machine needs to be descaled. 

Using a coffee maker when it needs descaling can permanently damage its pump and heating mechanism, so it would be nice if the machine could give you some warning about when it requires descaling.

Hard to Fill Water Reservoirs (Negative)

All Cuisinart coffee makers have non-removable water tanks that have very small openings, making them hard to fill without splashing water around their rims.

Combine that with the fact that the entry point to the reservoir sits just behind the ground coffee port and, as one Amazon reviewer eloquently puts it: 

“It is a hard target to hit without getting something wet that you don’t want wet.”

The image below should show you what I’m talking about. The arrow points to the entry point to the water tank:

I therefore wouldn’t recommend Cuisinart coffee makers for anyone with limited dexterity in their hands or who has little counter-to-cabinet clearance as this will make filling up the machine’s water tank very difficult.

Terribly Designed Thermal Carafes

Unfortunately, Cuisinart manufactures thermal carafes that always spill a significant amount of liquid when you pour from them.

This liquid runs down the front of the carafe eventually falling from the base of it. This means that it will puddle on your counter rather than end up in your cup.

This is so annoying that I’d recommend just avoiding Cuisinart coffee makers with thermal carafes unless you value your coffee maker’s durability above all other aspects of it.

Final Verdict

The best Cuisinart coffee maker is the Cuisinart Pure Precision CPO-850P1

If you’d like to see other mid-priced coffee makers, please see my roundup of the best Ninja Coffee Makers.