Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Brushed Metal

I was going to wait several months before giving my opinion on this machine, as it seems that most of the negatives have to do with the machine not working after a few months or a year. However, I am so thrilled with this coffee maker that I decided to go ahead and tell you my thoughts now and if it breaks in a few months, I'll come back and let you know. In the meantime, I have to say that after years of trial and error (most of it in the past three years), we have finally found a coffee maker that we absolutely love; I believe it may even be The One. Here's what I can compare it to (keep in mind that I always use good coffee beans, ground fresh and will drink only filtered coffee because we don't want the cholesterol-producing gunk)... When I first started drinking coffee 25 years ago, I used a Braun. Decent coffee (but I was also a newbie and didn't know much) and the machine was a workhorse. I believe I had it for around 15 years...no kidding. When I finally decided to try something else (it didn't die, mind you, I just wanted to try some other coffee maker...it's probably out there in someone's kitchen working hard...), I bought a Krups Thermal. It made good coffee (similar to Braun) but we had a number of issues with the machine parts not working right from the start. Once we got all of those worked out, we had it for a couple of years (around 4) before we noticed it started not being hot anymore. I mean, as soon as it brewed, we would have to put our cup in the microwave so it would be hot. We heated up the thermal carafe before brewing and everything, but nothing helped. So we went on to a Presto Percolator. I remembered in graduate school housesitting for a family once who had a percolator and it was the best coffee I'd ever had. So, we bought one and loved it for awhile. It made excellent coffee (FAR better than the Braun or Krups) and it was always super hot. So hot, actually, that we had to let it cool down before drinking. But, it became a pain after awhile because since we use filters, we would have to cut a hole in the basket filter to fit it over the percolator tube. And it was a pain trying to get the coffee into the basket...we always wound up with coffee everywhere. And even with filtering it, we always had sludge in the bottom of our cup. This seemed to defeat the purpose of filtering it, so we put that one in the garage as a back-up. Next, we had tried coffee from a Bunn at some relatives' house and were extremely surprised that it tasted good. So we bought one and liked it for several weeks. The coffee was fast (3 minutes) and not bitter. But we like our coffee strong and it was impossible to get the basket filled with enough grounds to make it as strong as we like it. Because it brews so fast, it seems to explode the grounds in the basket and we were winding up with coffee and grounds all over the counter while it was brewing. We kept reducing the amount of coffee we were putting in the basket, used the special Bunn coffee filters, and even ordered the water shower flow adjuster to try and fix it but nothing worked. We just wound up with super fast but weak "what's-the-point" coffee. Also, we weren't crazy about having to have the coffee maker on all the time keeping the water hot. Seemed like a potential hazard and not very good use of our electric resources. I was on the verge of spending $400 on a different coffee maker when I came across this Cuisinart. I loved the idea of no carafe and stainless steel components. I also liked that we could program it, that it had a paper filter option and a nice, wide basket filter for flavor extraction. In spite of all the bad reviews for mechanical issues, I went ahead and ordered it and we have now had it a mere 10 days or so. But, holy smokes, what great coffee! My favorite coffees are those that come from Ethiopia because they have a very distinctive apricot aftertaste to them. I had bought some from my local coffee roaster and was using them in the Bunn (that was the one right before the Cuisinart) and was thinking that I had gotten some beans that weren't good because there was no apricot aftertaste to them. Actually, there was no flavor at all. We were about halfway through this bag of Ethiopian when we traded the Bunn for this Cuisinart. We made coffee with the Ethiopian the first morning and not only was the coffee smooth and hot, it was so full of apricot flavor, I was actually stunned at the difference in taste from the two coffeemakers. The Bunn may be fast but it does nothing for getting the flavor out of your coffee. It was like I had used two different coffees. Anyhow, we love not having a carafe. Love it. Love that we can set the timer for how long we want the coffee to stay hot and that it stays hot without getting bitter. Love that it's filtered with a basket. Love that there is an exterior water gauge so we can see how much water we've put in. Love that, even though it takes almost 13 minutes to brew a 12-cup pot, it's so smooth and flavorful that it's worth the extra time (well, compared to a Bunn). Plus, you can program it if you like. It's easy to clean and yes, it does have a lot of condensation on the lid but I just wait a while and then hold a towel on it as soon as I lift the lid to absorb the moisture. Like I said, I have only had it 10 days so I can't speak to the mechanical part of it. But I can tell you beyond any doubt, that it makes quite possibly the best coffee I have ever had from a home brewing filtered system. Have I mentioned that I love this machine and think it may be The One? Edited March 3, 2011: Been two months and nothing has broken! Still love the coffee. I would add, though, that there is an off-taste that develops after the coffee has been sitting for 3 or 4 hours. It's not as "off" as it gets in a glass carafe, and it takes much longer to become "off"...like I said, I have only noticed this off taste after I pour a cup that's been in the warmer container for longer than 3 or 4 hours. Still better than a glass or thermal carafe. And the initial 2-3 hours worth of coffee are excellent!

I seldom write reviews, but I just had to this time. This is a great coffee maker that makes great tasting coffee and is very easy to use. The dispenser works flawlessly, and by doing away with carafe you eliminate the burnt coffee issue. We had purchased a Braun KF590E on Amazon a year ago; it never made good coffee and half the time would clog and overflow all over the counter, and if the coffee sat for an hour you would get burnt coffee taste. The first cup of coffee out of the Cuisinart DCC-2000 was a real eye opener. The coffee tasted so good, and so much better than the Braun I couldn't believe it. The "press to serve" dispenser is easy to use and eliminates mess, and I like the coffee gauge telling you how much coffee you have left in the pot. It's easy to program, and you can even program the length of time for the auto shut off feature. It is also easy to fill; I am not sure why people complain about this, I use a 2-quart pitcher with water from the RO filter and have no problems pouring the water in. The only thing that is a little awkward is that we have to pull it out from under our kitchen cabinet to open up the top and fill it and put the coffee in, and then scoot it back under the cabinets, but I see this as a small price to pay for the dispenser feature and great-tasting coffee, and not a big deal. You also cannot get a tall travel mug under the spout to fill it, so I use a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup for this. The unit itself looks great on the counter, and matches my Cuisinart DBM-8 burr grinder (which also works great) nicely. I was somewhat confused by the description that says it dispenses coffee "cup by cup"; it actually dispenses as much or as little as you want. I was tempted to buy the Capresso MT-500 because of its ability to heat water to 200 °F, but after reading the reviews about its finicky operation, and saw its price ($160) I figured I'd try the Cuisinart. I was not disappointed. I bought this unit refurbished so it did not come with the gold filter and only had a 90-day warranty; these may be good reasons to buy it new, since you get the gold filter ($10) with it, and also a 3 year warranty.

This really is a great coffeemaker. It not only makes excellent coffee but also cleverly avoids the problem of coffee left over in the carafe cooking into mud on the heating plate over the course of several hours. Several guests have admired the look of the machine, the taste of the coffee produced, or both. Complaints about the need to use a measuring cup or pitcher to pour water into this coffeemaker seem somewhat off base to me-- maybe these people are uncoordinated (or I'm much more so than I thought). It seems to me no big deal to fill the coffeemaker when I set it up each evening for the following morning. I'm not ending up with significant spills. The machine is actually quite well designed, both asthetically (the analog "coffee gauge" with the brushed steel finish, along with the knobs, lever and colored lights seem somehow both 'retro' and modern at the same time) but more importantly, functionally (the coffee reservoir comes out for emptying, with no drips; the filter basket comes out easily; and the water fill gauge on the side is quite accurate). I think my favorite thing about this machine is that it appeals both to me (for my gadget loving nature) but also to my wife (because it looks tidy on the counter, with no carafe.) With a conventional coffeemaker it seems like if the carafe is half full or anything less than sparkling it looks like dirty clutter. The only thing I don't understand is the gold filter. What is the appeal of these things? If one can afford a Cuisinart coffemaker than one can afford paper filters. My feeling is that a filter such as this only serves to make discarding grounds a little easier; it can't replace a paper filter. Not only does it allow the beans' oil (if you use one, look for the oil slick on your coffee! ewwww!) which would normally be held by the paper to get into the coffee, it also lets quite a bit of sediment through. I use the gold filter, with a paper one sandwiched beneath, between it and the filter basket. I am always glad I do when I see the amount of sediment it catches. Using the gold basket in tandem, though, at least eliminates the task of handling a wet filter which is full of grounds. Overall a great product, and well worth the price. The three year warranty is pretty impressive too. ***UPDATE 2/23/07***Still works great...None of the mechanical problems others have mentioned. Still no issue with spilling water-- at least, not often! ***UPDATE 9/14/11***Still working...

I must admit I am hooked on Cuisinart products. This is my 3rd Cuisinart coffee maker, and they keep getting better and better. This one, by far, is my favorite. My only complaint is that it is difficult to read the water level on the side of the maker. The numbers just aren't marked well. I love the look of the "fuel guage" on front showing how much coffee is left in the resivor, and, of course, the press and serve lever....it's SO NICE not to have to worry about those glass carafe's!! I like it so much I"m buying one for my mother for Mother's Day!!! UPDATE: June 24, 2011 Mine "died" about 2 years into ownership. I did what I said I was going to do, and purchased one for my mom and dad. The first one died about 1 1/2 into ownership. But, they liked it so much, I bought them another one. BIG MISTAKE! Guess what...it "died" about 1 1/2 into ownership on that one too! Obviously, a problem with this Cuisnart! I will make another purchase for another Coffee-on-Demand coffee maker, but it won't be a Cusinart. Oh, and by the way, we did everything the manufacuater suggested. We used and changed the filter regularly, and even tried the vinegar and hot water to clean out the system on numerous occasions. It helped for only a little bit, but finally stopped working altogether. Save your time and money...and purchase a different product! I should have learned from the first one I purchased!

Cleaning my old coffee maker glass pot or breaking it was getting really old. Also the constant dripping of coffee on the heating pad was making it build up with burnt coffee and making a really big mess. So... I decided to try something new. I like the design of this, just press a lever and the coffee comes out. Cool! I like pros/cons lists, so here goes: PROS: -makes EXCELLENT hot(!) coffee -auto shutoff (you can set for 1-4 hours) -programmable auto on with a nice green light indicator -brewing light with a nice red indicator -coffee maker beeps when it finishes brewing or when it is about to shut off -keeps coffee hot but not burnt while it is on -can dispense coffee without making a mess while it is still brewing(!) possibly best feature -has an inexpensive replaceable charcoal filter -has an analog dial gauge for coffee level -looks cool siting on the counter -lever to disperse coffee feels well made and coffee never leaks CONS: -filing water reservoir without spilling take practice (using a water bottle makes it MUCH more easy) -taller than normal travel mugs do not fit (you can remove the bottom tray and there is a cutout to fit a normal size travel mug) -cleaning the coffee reservoir is not easy until you get the hang of it (there is a hole you pour the extra coffee/water out of) -emptying the coffee grinds is not easy until you get the hang of it (for whatever the reason if you don't hold it right, the filter will get caught on the handle as it comes out and make a mess) -hard to gauge how much coffee is left when needle is about 1/4 or less (still shows about 1/8 when empty) -brushed stainless is actually plastic (however it does look real) Overall this is a solid 4.5 star coffee maker, could be 5 stars IF it where a little more easy to fill and clean. Others have complained about it breaking before or around 1-yr of use, so far we have had ours about 8mo and it works perfect. I would probably purchase one again and have already recommended it to friends and family members.

I read a lot of reviews before deciding to purchase this coffeemaker. The most popular aspects of this product seemed to be that there was no carafe to wash, and that it kept a good amount of coffee hot for quite awhile. A lot of people were really pleased with how it looked in their kitchens, as well. We've had ours for a few months now and enjoy it a lot. It really does make excellent coffee, and can keep it very hot without burning it for an impressive amount of time. In fact, you can program how long you want to keep the internal warmer on. Once the warmer turns off--and it makes a few beeping noises to signal this--the coffee cools down fairly quickly. I'm not thrilled as most with how it looks--in fact to me it looks like it is missing something!--but that's not a big issue for us. This is what I've learned after owning it for awhile: (1) While this machine is marketed as a 12-cup coffeemaker, it makes the same amount as most 10-cup makers. This is because this maker's cups are considered 5 oz, where as usually a cup (of coffee) is 6 oz. So, you get 12 5 oz cups with this one, or 10 6 oz cups with most others. (Keep this in mind when determining your coffee to water ratio--it took us a while to get it right). Anyway, do not expect to be able to make more coffee than you can with most other makers. (2) There is no carafe to clean, but there are still 3 separate pieces that must be removed and cleaned each time. I don't find the "no carafe" feature to be that big of a boon. (3) Others have mentioned this a lot: you cannot fit a very tall cup under the spout. My husband has a shorter than average commuter mug, and not only does he have to slide out the grate, he also has to pick the whole coffeemaker up to fill his cup. I would say that you probably could not use one of those trendy tall, slim mugs even, without having to remove the grate. That said, I am a big coffee snob and I LOVE this coffee maker! I like my coffee really hot, and that's just what I get. And it makes very yummy coffee, which was our biggest concern. It's kinda fun to place your mug on the little "X" on the grate (to center it), and then push the lever to fill your cup. I would definitely buy this again.

Somewhat a coffee pot freak in search of that perfect brew, I buy any new and different gizmo coming on the market. I have several under-counters, single cup, 5 cup, Keuring, etc., I've had them all. By far, the DCC-2000 is the best of the lot. I'm now on my 3rd unit having worn the others out, and was surprised to find that, unlike so many good products gone by the wayside, the quality remains the same while the price is stable. Moreover, I've noted several improvements: [1] Previous units produced excessive steam/vapor; so much so that the lid would be slightly raised from the pressure. No more. [2] the simulated stainless steel was a bearcat for water spots, fingerprints, etc. The material is now "muted," eliminating this eyesore. [3] The brew is hotter. [4] They've added a Warning Light when it's time to purge the unit of chemical build up. This will be of no value to me inasmuch as I use filtered water, thorughly rinse and air the unit after each brew, and religiously purge my unit. An ongoing concern of others has been the difficulty in filling the water reservoir. True, reconfiguring the water level indicator to the left side would alleviate the problem. Meantime, I use a large, clear plastic bottle upon which I've marked different cup levels with a marking pen, then simply fill to the desired amount and pour. One trick to keep your brew tasty even longer: After the brew cycle has finished, wait about 5-10 minutes allowing the brew basket to drain, then SLOWLY raise the lid just enough to remove the basket/used grounds and discard. This will negate built up moisture from filtering down through the used grounds and producing a bitter taste. Another tip: I ordered my DCC-2000 on 3/14 and had it on the kitchen counter by 3/16. Amazon.com is the only way to buy! Added note: Yes, opening the lid allows condensation to run down the back of the unit. I hated this, and eliminated the problem: After the unit shuts down in 2 hours, or after I turn it off, I open the lid about an inch or so and place a small sponge between the lid and the reservoir keeping it open for about 10 minutes allowing the condensation to run into the tank. Voila!

I believe this is the first 5 star review I have ever given an appliance. DCC-2000 began its life with me as a replacement for a new Cuisinart coffee maker with a burr grinder. The grinder malfunctioned because something as small as that mounted on a chute has problems with oily beans. Don't take my word for it -- ask Cusinart. I called them before returning said coffee pot to Amazon (Cuisinart, I believe, is by far one of the best call centers I have ever dealt with. That is important if you want to trouble shoot coffee pot problems. I did. The DCC-2000 has a 3 year warranty). I love the fact the DCC-2000 does not have a glass or carafe pot attachment (I have broken my share). The machine has a double insulted liner, and it keeps my coffee hot for up to 2 hours (automatic shutoff occurs) and still hot 3-4 hours later. In my past, I have owned messy or hard to clean coffee makers. Everything with this Cusinart comes out the top and disassembles into easily manageable parts that clean up very well. It also has an extra ion exchange filter that improves the flavor of the coffee. The filters are easy to replace. My pot brews in just under 9 minutes. It makes wonderful coffee! The only minus is that although the water pours in through the top of the pot, the angle you wind up doing it at usually makes me spill more water than I have in the past. I can live with that. I enjoy how it looks and so far, after 6 months, it has been the best coffee maker I've owned to date.