Cuisinart DGB-300 Automatic Grind and Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker Review

Frankly, I'm a little surprised at the wide range of reviews here for this coffeemaker.
Yes, the coffeemaker does have to be cleaned after every brewing. No, it doesn't make bad coffee. No, you can't just dump coffee beans or ground coffee into the coffeemaker and make good coffee automatically.
The Coffee Bar, as Cuisinart likes to call it, does have several internal parts which must all be in place before you can brew coffee.You can use ground coffee, but you're defeating the purpose of the Coffee Bar by doing so.The grinder compartment can hold enough beans to make 10 strong 6-oz cups of coffee which is what "10-cup" usually means with appliances.I like my coffee very strong and I've been able to load more than enough beans into the coffeemaker to get the strength of coffee I want.
Between the grinder and the attached drain basket is an attached screen through which the ground beans goes through and an inserted gold basket filter which must be in place in order to make coffee.On top of all of this is a cover which fits over the basket into which hot water is pumped up over the grounds and then drips down into your fresh grounds.
On this cover, there is a dial setting which you must set each and ever time depending on the amount (and what I've discovered -- strength) of the coffee you want to have.Finally, this entire assembly is covered by a lid attached to the rear of the coffeemaker and latches in front.
The entire internal assembly MUST be cleaned after each and every brewing.So, yes, if you make multiple pots, you need to clean it each time.(However, is this any different than any other coffee appliance?)
There are additional settings on the front of the coffeemaker that also affect the quality of the coffee; so, basically, the coffeemaker is NOT intuitive and you have to read the instruction manual before you start brewing coffee with this appliance.
All of that said, this coffeemaker makes EXCELLENT coffee.I own two of them, because I originally purchased the version in white, because it was all that was available.When the version in black became available, I bought a second one.Both are still in excellent working condition and I haven't had any problem with either.
The Cuisinart Coffee Bar is a little pricey, but it does make great coffee and I heartily recommend it.

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Product Description:
Cuisinart DGB-300BK 10 cup coffee maker, black. Freshly ground coffee: The coffeemaker lets you grind your favorite coffee beans and then automatically puts the grounds into the filter to brew. Fully programmable with an easy to read LCD display for auto-on function and variable heater plate setting. Great Taste: The coffee bar flavor system is the same special brewing system found in commercial coffeemakers. Simply set the number of cups being brewed, for coffee bar flavor at home. Long lasting taste: The Taste KeeperTM lid is designed to minimize oxygen flow into the carafe so coffee stays fresher, longer. Express Coffee: The brew pause feature allows you to pour a cup of coffee before brewing has finished. Consistent Flavor: The 1-4 cup setting allows you to make only a cup or two without altering the flavor of the brew. Variable automatic shutoff, self clean setting with time to clean monitor, grind off function, 1-4 cup setting, large LCD clock, cord storage, and 3-year limited warranty.

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Cuisinart DGB-600BC Grind and Brew, Brushed Chrome Review

Ye gads.I forgot all about the fierce partisanship amongst purchasers that this wee little machine invokes.Last year, I dutifully combed through all of the reviews and was almost pursuaded to look to another machine.Thank the stars I was not.Like many, I was won over by the lure of (1)the thermal carafe, (2) the auto grind&brew feature, and (3) the shininess.I also trusted the Cuisinart name and had been previously pleased with the Brew Central.I noted, however, that many writers were highly displeased with (4) the noise and (5) the mess.So, after a year, here are my experiences:

(1)The thermal carafe rocks out loud.Yes, pre-heating the carafe seems to keep the coffee hotter for longer, but on the crazy work-mornings that I use the auto-grind&brew function, I do not pre-heat and find no need to, as I am out of the house at light speed.Note that the coffee is still scaldingly hot.People seem irritated/perplexed at the slowness with which coffee is dispensed from the carafe, as well as the steep pouring angles necessitated by the carafe.I am not at all disturbed by either; however, a relative in need of immediate coffee discovered that one can get faster pouring by just removing the lid.Which defeats the awesome vacuum-packed thermal hotness, but seems a likely remedy for those with a fundamental aversion to slow pours.As far as weird geometry issues, I have nothing to offer.

(2)The auto grind&brew is very convenient.It has always worked flawlessly for me and really amazes and pleases guests who may rise before residents.

(3)It is damn shiny.
(NB:I have a lot of stainless in the kitchen and, through trial and error, have found that the Method stainless steel cleaner keeps it all damn shiny and keeps me from going stark raving from the constant buffing and rubbing).

(4)The noise?Really not that unusual for a coffee bean grinder.I did not notice that it was any louder than other grinders.If the "grind" portion of the auto grind&brew is waking one too early, I would imagine that one could either pregrind or use ground beans and just skip the "grind" function.While it is intriguing to imaging a space age machine with stealth grind mode, I would urge potential buyers to neither expect silence nor let lack of silence keep you from buying this machine.

(5)The ire over the mess was what nearly kept me from purchasing this maker.And I completely forgot about the issue until just now when I re-read some of the reviews.I guess that I don't understand what "mess" they mean.There are seven parts to this thing that I clean:carafe/lid, filter/basket/lid, and grinder base/lid.I rinse the carafe and filter with hot water and clean the rest with hot soapy water.It all takes approximately 2.5 minutes.I never have to clean the rest of the machine.I usually tilt the top-loader lid open to let condensation out after brewing is done.I occasionally wipe the inside of the machine down with a damp cloth.I have replaced the water filter a couple of times.But altogether, clean-up is not that big of a deal.Maybe others are not getting a tight enough seal on the the grinder parts?

SUMMARY:I have had this machine for over a year and have never had a single problem with it.It makes delicious, hot coffee.I was almost deterred by the problems that others have had with it, but am glad that I opted to take my chances.I gave it four, rather than five stars because so many people have had problems with it.Even though I have not experienced these problems, the negative feedback must nonetheless be taken into consideration.

cheers!

~currer bell

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Product Description:
With its sleek Italian styling, brushed stainless finish and "loaded" feature package, you'd expect nothing less than a fabulous cup of coffee. And you won't be disappointed! From filtering the water, to grinding the beans, to keeping your brew hot, not to mention having it ready and waiting for you first thing in the morning, this handsome machine does it all, and then some.

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