When it comes to drip coffee makers, Cuisinart is one of the first brand names to come to mind. It’s been a leader in kitchen appliances in general, but coffee makers especially. Cuisinart makes quite reliable products for an affordable price, which is one of the reasons they’re leaders in their markets.
Finding the BEST Cuisinart coffee maker though is not a straightforward task. BEST is a different thing to different people. So what we’re going to do here is give you the best machine in each category, which will hopefully help you find what you’re looking for.
Generally speaking, you’ll have to keep a few things in mind:
- What capacity do you need?
- Do you want to use ground coffee or do you want a machine with built-in grinder?
- Or, do you prefer to use K-Cup pods instead?
Best Cuisinart Full Pot and Single Serve Dual Coffee Maker:
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted
- SINGLE-SERVE: Enjoy three serving sizes – 6 ounces, 8 ounces, or 10 ounces – compatible with any brand of single cup pod including Keurig K-Cup pods with an optional reusable filter cup so you can use your own coffee through our HomeBarista elite Cuisinart features
- SUPERIOR FUNCTIONALITY: Our single-serve brewer has a 40oz removable water reservoir that complements its charcoal water filter and removable drip tray for travel mugs – enjoy energy save mode when you’ve finished your brewing cycle
- CARAFE BREWER: Serve up to 12 cups of coffee at once with our glass carafe coffee maker featuring a stainless-steel handle and body with fully automatic features – 24-hour brew start, self-clean, adjustable auto-off, and ready alert system
- MUST-HAVE FEATURES: Our 12-cup coffee brewer allows you to control your brew strength so you can boast light to strong coffee flavor as well as adjust your carafe water temperature that runs through its charcoal water filter
Let’s start with the machine that gives you two options for brewing coffee, either brew a carafe or a single cup. The Cuisinart SS-15 happens to be one of their best sellers, and it’s quite obvious why. It gives you the best of both worlds, a full 12-cup carafe or a single cup serving in multiple sizes.
Using the 12-cup carafe is straightforward, fill in the gold-tone filter with your favorite ground coffee and let it brew.
To brew a single cup, you can choose serving sizes 6, 8 or 10 oz. Using the included reusable filter cup, you can either fill it using your favorite coffee or you can use any K-Cup pod you like.
Other features of the Cuisinart SS-15:
- Programmable auto on/off (for pot brewing only).
- Brew Strength control: select Bold option for a stronger cup.
- 12-cup glass carafe.
- Two water reservoirs: 60 oz fixed reservoir for the carafe side, 40 oz removable reservoir for the single serve side.
- Includes carafe, gold tone filter, reusable coffee pod for single cup brewing and some K-Cup pod filters.
This machine is also available in model SS-20, which is the exact same in features as the SS-15 except that it has a thermal carafe and has 10-cups capacity.
Best Cuisinart Coffee Maker with Largest Capacity (14-Cups):
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use. UC Cubic Feet: 1.072. MC Cubic Feet: 1.262.
Most drip coffee makers offer a capacity of 12-cups max. The Cuisinart DCC-3200, another best seller, has a generous 14-cup capacity. However, it is important to note that those 14-cups are measured as 5 oz per cup. So how many actual cups you’ll get from it will depend on the size of the cup you use. Nevertheless, this machine still offers a capacity that you rarely see in drip machines.
Features of Cuisinart DCC-3200:
- Brew as little as 1 to 4 cups and up to 14 cups.
- Programmable auto on/off.
- Brew Pause feature allows you to pause the brew cycle to pour a cup before the cycle is finished.
- Brew strength control: choose from regular or bold brew.
- 70 oz water reservoir capacity.
- Includes a gold-tone filter and charcoal water filter.
This is a straightforward simple to use drip coffee maker. If large capacity is what you’re looking for then this is your machine.
Best Cuisinart Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker:
- Please refer to user guide or user manual (provided below in PDF) before first use
The Cuisinart SS-10 single-serve coffee maker is one of those K-Cup brewers that works better than Keurig’s own machines. In fact, the SS-10 offered the 12 oz serving size as an option way before Keurig did.
Now if you’re looking for a compact machine, like Keurig offers, this is not it unfortunately. In comparison to many of Keurig’s machines, which are quite compact, the SS-10 is huge. However, if you want features, the SS-10 has a lot of them:
- Compatible with any K-Cup pod or refillable pod filters.
- Serving size options: 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz.
- Water reservoir capacity: 72 oz
- Hot water on demand, perfect for making tea or instant meals.
- Rinse feature cleans the inside of brew chamber instantly.
- Adjustable brew temperature.
- Includes a reusable filter pod and charcoal water filter.
Cuisinart vs. Keurig – Which Do You Choose?
I know I already said that the Cuisinart SS-10 makes a great machine in comparison to Keurig’s own. However, Keurig did introduce newer models that compete with the Cuisinart, which was years ahead of Keurig.
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted.Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
- WHAT'S IN THE BOX: 1 water filter handle, and 1 filter to help ensure your beverages taste their absolute best
- BREWS MULTIPLE CUP SIZES: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12oz Enjoy the most popular cup sizes. 16.5” High with bale open
- STRONG BREW BUTTON: Increases the strength and bold taste of your coffee’s flavor
- ICED SETTING: Brew hot over ice at the touch of a button for full-flavored, delicious iced coffee
The Cuisinart is comparable with Keurig’s K-Elite model which also has 5 serving sizes, temperature control and hot water on demand.
Features of the Keurig K-Elite:
- 5 serving sizes: 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz.
- Large 75 oz water reservoir.
- Strong Brew option.
- Iced Coffee option.
- Programmable clock.
- Compatible with all K-Cup pods, including refillable filters (sold separately).
Where the Keurig K-Elite Excels Over Cuisinart SS-10:
- Strong Brew: this option will steep your coffee longer for a bolder tasting cup of coffee.
- Iced Coffee Option: this option optimized the temperature and strength settings to brew coffee that will not taste watered down when it mixes with ice.
- High Altitude Setting: when chosen, this setting will prevent the machine from over pressurizing in altitudes over 5,000 feet.
Where the Cuisinart Is Better:
The Cuisinart SS-10 is cheaper than the Keurig K-Elite, and it includes a reusable filter pod.
Best Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker:
- 10-Cup automatic coffeemaker with built-in automatic bean grinder
- Fully programmable with Auto shut off, Brew Pause, 1- to 4-Cup setting, and grind-off option for pre-ground coffee
- Double-wall thermal stainless-steel carafe keeps coffee hot and fresh. BPA free
- Includes: Charcoal water filter and permanent gold tone filter ensures only the freshest coffee flavor flows through. Measuring scoop, instruction Booklet
There’s nothing better than a cup of coffee coming from freshly ground beans. If you want to enjoy your coffee in the freshest form possible, you can either buy a decent grinder separately, or get a coffee maker with built-in grind that does the work for you.
The Cuisinart DGB-650 does just that. It has a built-in coffee grinder that will automatically grind then brew the coffee. And if you ever want to use pre-ground coffee? You can do that, too. So you have two options to choose from.
The coffee maker is available in 10-cup (thermal carafe) or 12-cup (glass carafe) capacity. As a minimum, you can brew 1-4 cups.
The grinder works by grinding all the beans you put in, so it doesn’t have a hopper that holds more beans than you need. The instruction manual will guide you on how much beans to put in for the amount of cups you want to brew.
Other Features:
- Brew Pause feature.
- Grind-off to use pre-ground coffee instead of whole beans.
- Includes a gold-tone permanent filter and #4 paper filters.
- Also includes Charcoal water filter.
- Programmable auto on/off.
Best Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker with Bean Hopper:
- Review Trouble shooting manual and Product Manual for easy usage of the product. BPA Free, Dimensions : 8.27" x 11.61" x 16.34".Dripless Spout & Knuckle Guard
- 24-hour fully programmable coffeemaker with 12-Cup capacity
- Built-in burr grinder automatically grinds beans before brewing
- Strength selector and grind control fine-tune intensity and volume, 8-ounce bean hopper, auto shutoff and brew-pause function
- Includes: Charcoal water filter and permanent gold-tone coffee filter ensures only the freshest coffee flavor flows through. Measuring scoop, instruction Book
If you want a better Grind and Brew experience than the DGB-650 has to offer, then go for this model. The Cuisinart DGB-700 is the upgraded version which has many excellent features:
- It has a bean hopper that holds up to 8 ounces of beans and seals it perfectly to keep it fresh.
- It has a brew strength selector and grind control option to fine tune your brew strength and taste.
These are the best upgraded features from the previous model. Now you can choose from three brew strength options: mild, medium or strong. And the grind option can be selected according to the number of cups you’ll brew.
Other than those two upgraded features, it has the same features from the previous model:
- Brew Pause option,
- 12 cup capacity
- programmable auto on/off
- Includes permanent filter, charcoal water filter, measuring scoop and instructions.
Compare Cusinart Grind and Brew Coffee Makers:
There are a few grind and brew models from Cuisinart: DGB-550 (the oldest version), DGB-650, DGB-700 DGB-800/850 and DGB-900.
For the most part, they work in the exact same way, but with some differences:
The DGB-550 and DGB-650 have the same features but different designs. The control panel has been redesigned in the DGB-650 model to have less buttons, but both still have the same options. Also, both models are available as 12-cup capacity with glass carafe, or 10-cup capacity with thermal carafe.
As for DGB-700, DGB-800 and DGB-900, these are the models that have an 8 ounce bean hopper as well as brew strength settings and grind settings. They are all identical in features, but have slight differences in design. When choosing between them, I’d say compare their prices and go for the best price.
Is It Better To Buy a Coffee Maker with Built-in Grinder or Buy a Separate Grinder?
This is a great question. When should you opt for a coffee maker with built-in grinder and when should you go for a separate grinder?
It all depends on your use and what brewing methods you prefer. If all you want is to brew coffee using a drip machine, then the right choice would be to go for a machine with a built-in grinder. It’s a time saver as well as a space saving option.
However, if you make your coffee using different methods: drip, pour-over, chemex… you name it, these are all methods that require different grind sizes, and this is when investing in a conical burr grinder that offers a variety of grind options makes a better choice.
