Every rustic country kitchen needs coffee and finding the perfect coffee maker is no small task. After going through several different brands, I've decided the Cuisinart DCC 3200 Programmable Coffeemaker is the one for my family. I hope my review of the Cuisinart coffee maker helps you make the perfect pot of coffee for your family.
First of all, this coffee maker has an easy to read display. I was so tired of practically putting my nose on the display to see if the timer was on with my previous coffee maker - and, yes, I had my glasses on!! With the Cuisinart DCC-3200, I can see with a glance if the coffee maker is on and if the timer is active. No more getting up in the morning to no coffee! -Not a great way to start the day.
Features
- This coffee maker has large circular push buttons with lights that glow blue showing that you have the timer set or showing that the pot is on. In addition, a red light glows around the "clean" push button when it's time to self clean (which is usually about once a month). Other push buttons include one for brewing "bold" and one for brewing 1-4 cups instead of the full pot.
- The carafe is glass and this Cuisinart coffee maker holds 14 cups of coffee, yet it still fits on the counter under the top cabinets. The carafe lid is removable, which makes it a lot easier to clean and to fill with water than carafes with flip up lids. My one complaint is that I have to pull the coffee maker out from under the cabinet to open the lid to add water. The lid does open straight up, but that isn't quite wide enough (or at least I would like it to open wider). I find that putting the lid on the carafe while I'm filling the coffee maker helps keep the water going inside and not outside. With most coffeemakers, I find I pour more water on the counter than in the pot.
- One great feature I didn't even realized I needed was a temperature setting. This coffeemaker has low, medium, and high options for the temperature of the hot plate. Even on low, this coffee keeps it hotter than my last coffee maker. I use a hotter setting in the winter and low in the summer. A fresh brewed pot of coffee is hotter than any previous coffee maker I've used.
- Most coffee makers I've tried are programmable and this one is no exception. It is fully automatic with 24 hour programming ability and the auto shutoff can be set from 0 to 4 hours. I also like the fact that the tone that plays when the coffee is done and the one that plays when it shuts off can be turned off.
- The water reservoir has a gauge on the right side (facing it) of the coffee maker, so you can see how much water is in it. I don't find this particularly useful since it sits on the counter between two other appliances and I generally make a full pot.
Product Performance
Overall, there is not a lot to complain about with this coffee maker. The lid could open a little wider, but it's still very easy to pour water in once you move it out from under the cabinets. It makes a great, hot cup of coffee very quickly. However, since I always set the auto timer to kick on before I get out of bed, speed isn't that important to me.Dimensions
This coffee maker is 7.8 x 9 x 14 inches and weighs approximately 8 pounds. The power cord is approximately 24 inches long.Pros
- Programmable with 14 cup capacity
- Hottest cup of coffee freshly brewed and 3 hot plate temperature settings
- Regular or bold coffee strength
- Self cleaning with reminder light
- Easy to read display and button lights
Cons
- Must pull it out from under cabinets to open the lid
- Lid could open a little wider