I did alot of research before purchasing this coffee machine. Read so many reviews and finally decided to do it. I am so pleased with this product. I realize some people feel it is too noisy (when it grinds the coffee beans, JUST before brewing) and I can say it is noisy. (My own individual grinder was pretty noisy too) So for me to be able to wake up to freshly ground and brewed coffee it worth it. My machine goes off at 5:50am and I do not even hear it.I get up around 6am and have great coffee.I choose to clean it when I am done and head out to work at 6:50am. When I get home all the parts are dry and I simply set it all up for the next day. I do have a suggestion, do not buy the coffee maker paired with the goldtoned filter as advertised on Amazon. It is the wrong filter for that machine. The machine comes with it''s own goldtoned filter basket. All in all this is a great coffee maker.
I purchased this coffee maker in August of 2005 from a local retailer, and it has performed flawlessly until today (Dec. 30, 2007). I clean the machine every weekend, since we have highly calcified water where I live. Today, it would not heat the water enough to cause the dripping cycle to operate and some water leaked out of the bottom of the machine onto my countertop.
I called the customer service folks (keep those owner''s manuals and purchase receipts) and was pleased to learn that this coffee maker has a three-year warranty. They are sending a replacement coffee maker immediately at no cost to me! All I have to do is send the defective one back to them when the new one arrives(about a $10 cost to me).
I was very pleased with the treatment I received from the service rep on the phone. I have nothing but praise for Cusinart products (I have a blender and a food processor too), and now I can vouch that they stand behind their merchandise, even after 2+ years of use.
Incidentally, the coffe maker grinds coffee and brews it better than any machine I have ever owned. It is a bit noisy when the grinder kicks on, but we''ve grown accustomed to its 30-second whine. The machine requires careful, daily cleaning and might be too high-maintenance for some folks; but if you like great coffee, fresh-ground and steaming hot at wakeup every day, this machine will not disappoint.
Highly recommended.
Buy Cuisinart DGB-550BK Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker Now
I just purchased this coffee maker to replace my Cuisinart Coffee on Demand. This is the second coffee maker like this that I have owned and I am glad that I have come home. When my coffee on demand went out, I purchased another brand coffee maker and returned it within 3 days.
My husband and I consider ourselves coffee snobs and about a year ago began purchasing our coffee whole bean solely and thought it would be a great "ease" in our morning coffee routine to own this machine again.
I have read reviews about the difficulty of cleaning and noise of the grinder. It is actually really easy. After I grind and brew a pot of deliciously strong, rich, hot coffee; I open the lid and take out the grinder rinse it off with hot water and set it on a towel. I then take out the gold tone filter, empty the grounds, rinse it and set it on the towel. Then I remove the filter basket and lid and rinse them and set them on the towel. I leave the top lid open to dry out the inside and by the time I am ready to brew another pot of coffee all parts and inside of the machine are dry and ready to go. All together it takes me less than minutes to clean it. And then when all the parts are ready for a deep clean, I through all parts, including the carafe and lid, into the dishwasher. Piece of cake.
All in all this is the most incredible coffee maker that I have ever owned and the easiet to use and I don''t have to worry now about replacing my worn out bean grinder, my coffee maker doesn it for me.
And a note about the grinder basket. I have read reviews that have said that it doesn''t hold enough beans for a full 12 cups and then it can''t be adjusted for the 1-4 cup feature. The grinder holds just as many beans as what I used in my counter top grinder for 12 cups. And if you only want to brew 1-4 cups of coffee, only put in enough beans for 1-4 cups. The grinder will still run for the 30 seconds that it is set for the 12 cups but it works well and you don''t even realize it''s doing it.
I would highly recommend anyone who loves to brew whole bean coffee, whether occasionally or everyday, to buy this machine. You don''t have to always brew whole beans it this machine, you can turn off the grinder and place pre-ground coffee right into the filter. Also a piece of cake.
I would also recommend that you try the gold tone filter that comes with it. It mixes the oil from the whole bean in with the coffee and gives such a boost in the coffees smoothness and flavor.
Read Best Reviews of Cuisinart DGB-550BK Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker Here
I received the coffee maker as a gift. Although the coffee is great, the cleanup and maintenance offset any advantages of using the grinder. The problem is that excessive condensation accumulates in the grinder during the brewing cycle, leaving a wet and sticky mess because of the residual coffee grounds in the grinder.
Although its a messy cleanup, this is a bearable problem if you don''t plan on making another pot prior to an overnight air dry of the grinder. However, if you do attempt to make another pot, then the residual moisture creates even greater problems because you cannot sufficiently dry the grinder to prevent an even greater quantity of coffee grounds from sticking in it during the next brewing cycle.
I suppose that you could use a hair dryer to thoroughly dry the grinder, but that''s more trouble than its worth. Consequently, I have gone back to using a separate grinder, thereby avoiding the messy cleanup and maintenance problems.
In short, the cleanup is much easier if you use a separate grinder. I thus use this coffee maker with the grind feature turned off. However, this nullifies one of its major selling points. Thus, I would not recommend this product.
Want Cuisinart DGB-550BK Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker Discount?
I love this coffee maker. We have have been looking for the perfect coffee maker for a long time. We have tried a french press, the senseo and various other coffee machines. None were good enough resulting in expensive daily trips to Latte Land. This machine has changed everything.
I almost bought it in March then decided not too because of the "messy clean up" reviews. What a shame I didn''t get it then. It makes fantastic coffee. Just tastes great and my husband is very selective about the perfect cup. It is an amazingly easy clean up. I just rinse the grinder and dry it with a paper towel. It takes two seconds. It is as easy as changing the filter paper.
Fantastic machine, easy clean up, fast to grind and then brew. (It is quite loud though)
Save 51% Off
This filter is just plain awesome.
