Cuisinart Coffee Bar DGB-300 - Coffeemaker Supreme

WARNING! You will want a daily cup of coffee after using the Cuisinart DGB-300. We were not drinking coffee everyday or even weekly before we got the Cuisinart. I preferred fresh ground coffee and did not like having to grind the beans before making a pot of coffee.

I thought there should be a coffeemaker that would grind the beans but had never seen one or heard of one. A search on this site listed the Cuisinart. I read the opinions both positive and negative and decided the negative opinions were trivial problems and took to looking for a Cuisinart locally.

This was about a year ago (September 2000.) I could not find one, so I went on line and bought one for $99.00. About a month before Christmas I started seeing them everywhere for $99.00 and up.

First, I have read opinions where they stated that it takes up a lot of space on your counter. It seems to me that it is only slightly larger than a typical Mr Coffee. The cord is shorter than on some coffee pots, which I like because I find most appliances have cords that are to long and actually get in the way. The Cuisinart statement on the cord length is “A short power supply cord is provided to reduce the risks resulting from becoming entangled in or tripping over a longer cord.” Even with a short cord, Cuisinart provided a space in the bottom so that you can stow the cord.

When you first take this machine out of the box, your initial reaction is going to be that this thing is complicated. After a couple of initial settings, I use only one button every time I make coffee, which is the same for a typical coffeemaker.

Before I get into all the technical stuff and the little details and more of my opinions about other opinions, let me walk you through how I make a pot of coffee.

I remove the parts from the dishwasher (I wash and dry all the parts in the dishwasher) and place them in the pot. I use the gold filter alone with no paper filters. I add my coffee beans (unmeasured, just fill to top) and filtered water (full pot.) The Coffee Bar Flavor System is set for 10 cups that I always make, therefore no adjustment needed. I press the on button and wait for the coffee. That’s it.

INITIAL SETUP

1. When you first plug in the coffeemaker you will have to set the time.
2. Then you can set a program time for the coffeemaker to come on at a preset time every morning. I do not use this feature because I do not get up at the same time every morning.
3. Set the automatic-off time. The default is four hours and is the maximum.
4. Set the variable keep warm temperature. You can actually set the temperature of the hot plate that keeps the pot of coffee warm.

Now I will talk about the one and only negative I can think of. If you drink more than one pot of coffee and want the unit to grind your beans every time, than this coffeemaker will be a headache. The coffeemaker will have to be cleaned and thoroughly dried before each use. You have to understand that the beans are ground and shot through a shoot into the filter. The bean holder and shoot will get wet from condensation and therefore if you try to make a second pot without cleaning and drying, you will have clogging.

Solution, grind your beans using a grinder and after cleaning the gold filter, put in your ground beans and water, press the grind off button for another cup of coffee.

The manual that comes with this system is excellent. You will find information about how the coffee bar flavor system works and why. Little tips about coffee beans, how to store beans, water, and why you should not heat your coffee for more than 20 minutes.

The features and benefits of the coffeemaker are as follows: large water window which is easily viewed from the front of the machine, the reservoir lid opens to the back, the removable filter basket liner is molded in black plastic to avoid unsightly staining, rubber feet on the front of the machine, easy-to-hold carafe, carafe markings next to the handle, and a taste keeper lid on the carafe.

NOISE. I read in a lot of opinions that the machine is very noisy. Wrong, it is no noisier than any other electric coffee bean grinder. Actually, I believe it is less than some bean grinders. The grinder will only grind for about seven seconds. That is fast; try grinding by hand if you do not think so. Also, if it is six A.M. with no TV, radio, screaming kids, barking dogs, traffic, or anything else going on, of course the grinding is going to sound loud. I am a very light sleeper and the machine did not wake me up but I live in a house and not an apartment with paper-thin walls.

CLEANING. As I stated above, I use a dishwasher. Other opinions have talked about pipe cleaners, bottle washers, etc., making it sound so hard to clean. They are talking about cleaning into areas where little particles of bean land. These particular areas are not important and in my case, it took a year of use before I had to clean them. I just turned the maker upside down and shook it and blew on it. All parts go in and out easily and are slotted to fit perfectly. Also, the lid will not close unless the parts are seated in place correctly. The machine will not turn on unless the lid is closed.

DECALCIFICATION. I have not had this problem because I use filtered water. The machine has a self-cleaning button. The coffeemaker will actually let you know when to self clean by a flashing light.

The machine has a three-year limited warranty and a 1-800 customer service number. I have not had any problems yet, so I cannot make any more comments about this service.

Thanks for the read, and I really believe that you cannot go wrong with this machine. By the way, it makes a great tasting cup of coffee, no bitter taste. Life is good.