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Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 12-Cup Coffee Maker
Rating: 4 out of 5
Currently 4.0/5.0
The DCC-1200 has so far been an excellent coffee maker for our family, and until purchasing this one we haven't had much luck with coffee makers, probably because of the high calcium content in our water. Regardless, this machine has become the best part of our morning routine, as brewing our own coffee has become probably the most important part of waking up. From aesthetics to build and operation quality, this machine has it down pat.
One of the first things you notice about this machine is its retro style. What Cuisinart has done is married retro looks with a modern technology, making this look good on the counter and still work flawlessly. We can program our brewing up to 24 hours in advance, meaning that we don't have to ever worry about waking up with no coffee waiting. And if we're not drinking as much coffee in the morning, there's a setting to ensure that you can make up to four cups with full flavor and aroma. Basically there's lots of technology packed into a retro-looking machine that adds flavor to your kitchen and your morning brewes.
One thing that we have problems with is all the calcium in our water. This machine is great because it has a charcoal filter that removes the calcium and the caffeine for a more pure taste. Also, there is a decalcification meter that tells you when it's time to clean your coffee maker and run your cleaning solution (or vinegar) through the machine. This is a real plus when you live in an area that has lots of calcium in the groundwater. It can make machines clog up really fast and then fail. This has been really important to us, and we enjoy knowing that so long as we pay attention to the meter we're going to have a reliable brew every morning.
In short, Cuisinart has married technology to retro looks and made a great coffee maker. The one thing I wish this had, however, was more programming capability. For example I wish that I could program more than 24 hours in advance, but with this machine you cannot. That said, it's been a good machine, and very reliable, and I don't anticipate purchasing another coffee maker for another few years. Until that self-grinding, espresso machine ends up costing less than $100, I think I'll be sticking with the DCC-1200.
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