In general, if you use a K Cup or the reusable filter cup, it’s best to brew on the 8 ounce setting per the manufacturer’s instructions. The carafe is your standard glass model and holds a healthy 12 cups of your favorite brew. That’s twelve 5 ounce cups or less, depending on your mug size and how much – or little – you coffee lovers slept last night. Right off the bat, it’s easy to see that this is a good-looking Cuisinart coffeemaker. Of course, I’m partial to the black version, but this model comes in quite a few colors. There’s your classic silver and white, but Cuisinart also offers a smart-looking copper model as well as a sleek navy blue.
It is on the smaller side, so it doesn’t take up too much of your counter space. It is not programmable, so you will have to fill the water reservoir and turn it on manually every time you want to use it. It does, however, automatically shut off 30 minutes after brewing has finished and your dripless stainless steel carafe is filled. As with the previous two models, the DCC-450BK has a brew pause feature, so you can interrupt brewing to get your first cup sooner.
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t use the K Cups side myself. Okay, I take it back; I might use it to whip up the occasional instant hot chocolate. Still, if you’re a fan of single cup brewers, make sure the single use coffee pods you use are biodegradable. Browse our large selection of quality coffee maker machines and programmable coffee makers below.
I didn’t embark on this Cuisinart Coffee Center review expecting to get pour over quality coffee. However, I was pretty impressed by the results I got from the drip brewer side. During my test I brewed up a couple of pots using a natural process Nicaraguan coffee. Just know that this will affect the overall strength of your coffee, as it was measured out according to a specific coffee grind to water ratio. That to say, the earlier in the brewing process you grab a cup, the weaker it will be.
If you’d rather sip tea than coffee, look for a Cuisinart kettle. Make sure you’ve reached the ideal temperature for different varieties, including oolong, green, herbal and black teas by consulting a built-in thermometer. Plus, it functions as a French press for coffee as well. You’ll pay a premium for a model with a thermal carafe. Cuisinart Coffee If you entertain a lot, such a model is worth the extra dollars, as you can bring the carafe to the table, where it will keep coffee hot for second cups. While Cuisinart’s insulated servers are top-rack dishwasher safe, they may not actually fit on the top shelf and the machine may not be able to thoroughly clean inside them.
The water reservoir is filled by flipping up the top lid, and there’s a water level indicator with cup markers on the side of the coffee maker. The Coffee Center comes with a reusable gold tone filter, but you can also use a #4 paper filter to brew coffee. Doing so can overflow your filter basket, so choose either one or the other when brewing your morning joe.