For Those in A Hurry: just-the-facts before the longer review. A special service for those who either just want the facts, can't stand long reviews, are ADHD, have had too much coffee, or all of the above. My Advice: avoid this machine. Want the reasons? Read the whole review.
Specs Dimensions: 15-1/4" high, 7-1/2" wide, 8" deep.
Features: (in theory, at least)
10 (5 oz.) cup double-wall insulated thermal carafe.
Built-in grinder allows for programmable grind-on-demand just before brewing.
Grind-off feature for use with pre-ground coffee.
24-hour programmable timer.
Pause-and-Brew - grab a cup before brewing is completed.
Automatic shut-off after brewing is complete.
One-four cup feature (as opposed to a full pot).
Gold-tone permanent filter and four paper filters included.
Built-in water filter. Charcoal filter included.
And according to the box: separate grinding chamber and filter area make for easy cleanup.
Note that "easy cleanup" must mean something else to the engineers at Cuisinart than it does to me! Limited 3-year warranty
The Long Version Go grab a cup of coffee (if you don't have this machine) because this may be an extended read!
The Background- or, why I bought it
My beloved Starbucks Thermal Barrista machine pooped out three days ago. You can not imagine the panic that ensued.
Despite once believing coffee was the handiwork of Satan (not quite, but I was raised Mormon), studying for my PhD qualifying exams made me an addict. A selective, snobby addict--I love good coffee and I drink altogether too much of it. It's probably a major constituent of my blood. Heck, it's like water for me and my friends joke that I should put it in an IV Drip.
However, the key is good coffee. Folgers? Heresy!! It has to be freshly ground, would ideally be freshly roasted, and it absolutely can not sit on a hotplate and cook all day long. That last one I never really appreciated until about three years ago, when I picked up the aforementioned Thermal Barrista. One difference between the Starbucks brew they serve at some McD's in Seattle and the Starbucks coffee you'll find at oh say...Starbucks...is in part that the McDs coffee cooks all day long. It's only one difference of course, but an important one.
I digress...
Anyhow, SBs customer service wouldn't replace my out-of-warranty machine (kudos to them though--they'll give me store credit for the last sales price; about half of what I paid) and there's no place local to buy one anyhow. And I really couldn't wait--a coffee press is fine for emergencies and lazy mornings, but doesn't fit my busy morning lifestyle. So off I went on a coffee maker shopping trip with only a few major criteria. That is, my new toy must:
* have a thermal carafe.
* be constructed durably enough to withstand near-constant use/abuse.
* not have a hotplate.
* have a pause-and-serve feature (the easiest criterion of the bunch as it seems to be standard nowadays).
The Purchase and Machine Specs
The Cuisinart Grind and Brew caught my eye immediately and I'm embarrassed to admit that I did absolutely no research on the machine before laying down $149.00 plus tax for this sleek and gorgeous sludge-making machine. I didn't even look at any other coffee makers! This one stood proudly on a display next to other Cuisinart coffee makers, in a section devoid of any other coffee makers. In retrospect, I feel cheap and manipulated: marketing geniuses successfully steered my purchase with product placement. At the time, I felt giddy with the thrill of finding a coffee maker that not only seemed to meet my standards, but was also beautiful and caressed my fantasies of never having to clean grinder-dust from my counters again.
I did briefly consider my previous self-declared "all-in-one" ban. I actually did think if the blades dull and I can't find replacements, I'll have a half-wasted machine and what if the machine goes out in a few years and I've already tossed out my stand-alone grinder? The machine is too bulky to keep only for the grinder, and I'm too cheap to toss it out even if the only functional part is the grinder!" (sick I know, but it's true. Now you know). I also remembered that I already own a perfectly good grinder or two and don't actually need another one. I dismissed this little objection by reminding myself that I'll still use a grinder occasionally with the espresso machine, signed a credit card slip, tucked the box under my arm, and away I went.
That was two days ago.
Let The Buyer's Remorse Begin
With hands trembling in excitement (or coffee withdrawals, I'm not sure which), I unpacked the machine. A positive point: set-up was user-friendly and intuitive--basically. Although I never thought I'd say that about a coffee machine given that Mr. Coffee is truly plug-and-play (excuse the out-of-context references; I'm a computer geek by nature). I plugged it in, inserted the charcoal filter in its in-tank holder, discovered instantly where where the coffee beans go (not earth shattering--in the grinder perhaps?:)), poured the water in the tank, and hit "start".
The machine responded.
"beep. beep. beep. beep."
I opened it up, peeked in at my beans and water and hit start again. Again the machine beeped a response. I stood patiently waiting for the grinding to begin, trying to convince myself that the beep was just to warn me it was about to start grinding. I was wrong.
To be fair to Cuisinart, this was a simple case of user error and I remembered the advice I gave my parents when they were pulling their hair out over some piece of new-fangled electronics: when all else fails, RTFM (read the friggen manual). I grabbed it and went to set it on the counter to read it. The manual helped, although not as expected. As I moved the grinder lid aside to clear counter space for the manual, I realized that the cap probably belonged on the grinder and not on the counter. Sure enough, lid in place, the machine stopped beeping.
In place of the beeps, the sound of a ice-cube filled blender, and one with dull blades and an overworked motor at that, invaded my kitchen. I ripped the plug out of the wall...I had to have done something wrong! I've been grinding my own beans for 15 years and I've never heard a grinder that loud!! I picked up the manual again and flipped through it. After being unable to find any troubleshooting advice to fix an insanely loud grinder, I plugged the machine in again and let it rip.
Not only was the grinder loud, it went on grinding for an extraordinarily long time. Holy cow! I was sure this thing had ground my beans much too fine for a drip machine--but again, I was wrong. The grind was fine (although not at all adjustable), and the coffee began to brew.
What's Right about this Machine
In an effort to highlight the good too, let me tell you that the coffee wasn't horrible. It wasn't the best coffee I've ever had, but it didn't make me gag either. It was a little weak, even using the maximum amount of beans the machine could hold, but that's probably because it took longer than optimal to brew and the coffee maker suffers from the same problem most drip machines suffer--the water wasn't hot enough when it began pouring over the grounds (no, I didn't actually stick a thermometer in it--that was just a guess). To be honest, the coffee isn't any better than a $14.99 Mr. Coffee could brew. Oh darn, I was supposed to be highlighting the positive.
Let me try again.
Okay, the thermal carafe. It was the only reason I chose this machine over the one right next to it (the Cuisinart Grind and Brew without the thermal carafe). So was it worth the extra forty-nine bucks? Yeah, to be honest, probably. No hot plate, no burnt coffee. Sadly though, I have a few complaints about the carafe as well. It keeps the coffee warm enough for a four hours or so, and if it was the first of its type I'd tried, I'd be satisfied. But my only point of comparison is the aforementioned Barrista...and they don't compare. The Cuisinart thermal carafe is double insulated and probably kept the coffee warm for nearly as long as the Barrista keeps the coffee hot, but the lid construction stinks. The barrista lid is thick, thermos-like, and actually seals when not in use--the Cuisinart's carafe lid is flimsy plastic and I imagine the difference between hot and warm could come from heat escaping through the thin plastic and from the unsealed hole the brewing coffee is meant to enter into. And pouring coffee from this thing takes more effort than should be necessary. The pot has to be tipped almost 180 degrees and the coffee still doesn't actually pour--it tinkles out. I actually thought I was doing something wrong and that maybe the lid needed to be turned to the "unlocked" position to pour.
VERY IMPORTANT: IT DOESN'T. Pay attention--failure to heed this warning will result in coffee dumping in your cup, on the counter, down your pant leg, and all over your floor. Thankfully, unless freshly brewed, it won't be hot enough to burn you, but it still makes a mess. Turning the lid to the unlock position while pouring will....ummm...unlock the lid. That is, the lid will fall off. Now I know this seems like common sense, especially since that's how you turn the lid to take it off and fill it with coffee. But when you've been waiting not-so-patiently as you watch the coffee dribble out of the pot and into your cup, common sense sometimes escapes you and you look for troubleshooting options. Just learn from my mistake here.
And finally...
Abandoning all pretense of telling you what I like about this machine, I'll move onto my number one complaint. After the coffee is brewed, your grinder will be wet. Not just condensations--but dripping wet! The first time I saw it, I thought someone had poured the water over the beans instead of into the tank and I was looking suspiciously at my children (who are much to young to drink coffee or even try to make a pot!). Alas, they were innocent and the folks at Cuisinart were guilty. Although instructions directing you to wash the grinder thoroughly after after use are clearly printed on the lid of the grinder, I would have thought (had I thought much about it when I bought it) that after every other use would suffice. Maybe one day I could forget and it'd still be usable? But Nooooooo. Every use means every use. I'm just too lazy for this machine.
As a result, it's going back and I'll actually shop around before replacing it.
