The Cuisinart Coffee center features a fully automatic 12-Cup coffeemaker on one side and a single-serve brewer on the other. Sipping solo or serving a crowd, it’s easy to enjoy the gourmet taste you expect from a Cuisinart coffeemaker. And one coffeemaker that does the job of two frees up more space on your counter! .
Coffee Machines
Cuisinart Single Serve + 12 Cup Coffee Maker, Offers 3-Sizes: 6-Ounces, 8-Ounces and 10-Ounces, Stainless Steel, SS-15P1
$4.00
| Asin | B01KIG4YNO |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 10.13"D x 10.38"W x 14.25"H |
| Weight | 12.2 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Cuisinart |
lyn217 –
We used a Keurig for the past few years and thought it was difficult to clean and also wanted a full-pot option. We both work from home and can easily drink 2-3 cups each per day. I like this because we can make a full pot if we’re going to be home all day or just a cup at a time if we want. I looked at reviews of different coffeemakers because I’m trying to find one that makes coffee that tastes close to my favorite Dunkin Donuts. We have a Dunkin Donuts 1/4 mile away, so many days we would run out and bring back four large coffees rather than make sub-par K-cup coffee (even the DD brand K-cup or ground coffee made at home isn’t as good). The reviews I read were positive and I was looking forward to delicious coffee. It’s ok. Not as great as I was hoping. We don’t run out to DD for coffee anymore, but if we’re already out, we still drive-thru and bring some home sometimes because this doesn’t really come close (I’ve purchased ground DD and several other varieties from a special coffee shop. I like to buy from this shop because it’s a locally owned small business.) But, I don’t think it’s the coffee. I think it’s the appliance that makes the difference. I thought spending nearly $200 on a coffee maker would be an improvement, but I’m not sure it is, truthfully. That said, it’s still ok and we like it.
Pros: Both reservoirs come with a filter. I put filtered water in mine anyway, but I like that I don’t have to.
You can set the hotplate to stay hot for up to four hours. So, I love that I can just add a “warm up” instead of using the microwave or pouring out my cup to make a new one.
It looks pretty nice and although it’s big, it’s really no wider than our Keurig was.
Already mentioned, but my favorite thing about it is that we have a choice of one cup or a whole pot.
Cons: I use a funnel to fill the water reservoir because there’s not a very wide opening especially to pour from the carafe. I’ve had better carafes on other coffeemakers. When the spout is too small, the liquid (water or coffee) tends to kind of overflow the spout. The spout has been a selling point for me in the past, but since we had a Keurig for so long, I forgot to look at that feature when buying this one. If that’s important to you, I would look elsewhere.
I have to pull the coffeemaker forward to fill it and push it back after because it’s below a cabinet. Every time I do that I notice water that leaked onto the counter. I’m not sure if it’s an actual leak or if filling the water reservoir all the way and then moving the coffeemaker when it’s full causes a bit of the water to spill out. I don’t see water or coffee leaking any other time. (But after the coffee has been brewed, the reservoir is empty so there’s no water to leak … idk)
We’ve only used the K-cup side a half-dozen times so I can’t really comment on how that is, yet. When I got the coffeemaker, the reservoir for that side was broken. Rather than return the entire machine to Amazon for replacement, I checked with Cuisinart to see if I could just get the broken part. They were very nice, but it took forever to receive it. That side of the coffeemaker is working well and so far the coffee tastes pretty good.
I only gave 3 stars for Easy to Clean because in my experience the full-pot coffeemakers are easy to clean, but single serve are not. Since I haven’t used the single serve side much, I can only predict that this won’t be any easier to clean than any other one.
Would I recommend this? Yeah, I guess. But, I’d suggest comparing some others that might cost less because I don’t think there’s really a difference in the taste of the coffee if that’s what you’re going for.
James –
Funny caption but true. Think about it. All the reviews are either a love or a hate. Just like trying a new brand of underwear. On to the review, I got this for my dads Christmas in 2018 to replace the forever trusty running Mr. Coffee 12 cup. It was time y’all, it was leaking, wasn’t getting hot as it should and just looked nasty. Now this is after a good 20 years of service on a daily!
I will start with the 12 cup part first. I feel pretty sure the engineer behind this was left handed. If you take notice the 12 cup is on the left, so in order to fill the reservoir in the back you can either pour from a distance on the right side (and make a hot mess) or take the easy way and use the left edge to rest the spout and pour. Gives us righty’s a good use for our left hand. The reservoir for the 12 cup has a limited opening to put water in but we have adjusted. Bee cool if you could chose which side you would like what to be on.
The coffee grain filter is pretty cool! Some people are complaining about this making a mess for them? I could see this being a problem if you don’t put a filter in it and mistaking the little tray that holds the filters as a grain holder OR not pushing the tray down till it snaps (you will feel it and know)… Bruh. We use the reusable filter with ours with no problems and yes tinnnnny grains of coffee get through that filter but just makes it bolder. Get your paper filters if you don’t want that.
K-Cup: always wanted one but why buy two whole devices to cluster up the counter? This is not our go to but nice feature. We have not used it as much but we have used it to make hot coco with the K-Cup pericing accessory in the machine while dispensing just hot water. With the hot coco powder in the cup and the force of the water coming out of the KCup it would make a mess because of splashing. Now with the other accessory that would be used for spices and what not was a more steady stream and less of a splash. I can not vouch for those who have had issues with the KCup grounds coming out of the cup, BUT do make sure the little white arrows line up on the one accessory in the back when installing.
The water reservoir for the KCup is cool because it is removable. Some say this leaks and I could see this as the grommet gets older or faulty by factory. But I have personally not had an issue with water leaking. I always just empty it when I know people will not be using it.
The controls are interesting. Took a little fiddling to get everything straight but once you get everything like you like it you are good till it’s unplugged, power goes out, mom, lol got to blame something. There is a separate on/off switch that is good to use every day when not in use. Only catch is to the programmed brew is that the night before after you set everything up, press the on button, press bold (if you chose), press brew. Three buttons to get this thing to brew in the morning like you want it. :/ Mr. Coffee, flip the switch left and done haha. So, I’m getting to like the three button start set up. Almost like starting a spaceship haha. The on/off is a good feature to make sure it is off before you leave the house.
The reservoir has a what!?!?! A filter. This thing gets a lot of hate… “It’s not even useful because the water don’t flow past it?” Umm it was a nice thought. What other coffee pot has a water filter option? Sorry, not a coffee pot expert but been using the Mr. Coffee without a water filter for years and never died from it. People complain about everything everything these days. Got to be optimistic my friends. Good thought for the company. Dang if you do, dang if you don’t. Guess how much flow the KCup reservoir is getting when it is sitting full for about a week without use? Wouldn’t really mater where the filter would be at that point would it? So the filters are in both reservoirs. If it’s that big a deal, just take it out? Wasn’t that hard to solve… While we talking about it, if this filter was in the flow of the pump where most think it should be, the company would get complaints of no flow after a few years of service because most would not check/replace the filter in the pump, cause who wants to be charged for another device they must purchase just specific for this brand?$$$? Y’all have got to think of all angles at this when you complain.
This this has a end chime for the 12 cup which consists of 5 beeps you cannot turn off (the company should make this a option). A little obnoxious the first time I heard it. Now I can sleep right through it no problem.
Mom does not like it because it’s big, but look at it this way, have two separate gadgets would be worse.
Overall my dad and I love this device (come to find out) he was looking at this exact one around summer time and I surprisingly got it for his Christmas. The poor Mr. Coffee 12 cup pitcher had its last round in the dishwasher on Christmas Eve resulting in a cracked pitcher. Timing could have not been more perfect.
Totally recommend. I’m sure if you don’t like it you have some time to return so no loss to you except a little time. You can always go to Walmart and get you a $20 12cup and tape you Kureg to the right side of it, vice versa 😉
Karen –
I fell victim to the sexiness of this machine. The bronze color is so pretty, and fit perfectly into my kitchen design. The bronze color added to the cost, but I couldn’t resist the allure; it was love at first sight.
I did read the reviews. Some were good and some were bad. Because I was in awe of the sleekness, and color, I attributed the bad reviews to people who “just didn’t know what they were doing”.
The machine arrived in April. It was even prettier in person! I was ridiculously excited to wash it and get it set up. (Sadly, this was the highlight of my week).
That first pot of coffee in the new machine was so good! Score! Then, the Keurig side. The first few times using it went well. Easy, clean, and easy to clean up. The only disappointment was that, as some reviews stated, the coffee dripped very sporadically which caused a lot of splashing. Drops of coffee were on the counter, the machine, the outside of the mug. Oh well, I decided I could live with that. After all-it was such a pretty appliance!
Then, the first sign of my poor decision making came. A random Tuesday morning. While making one cup, on the Keurig side, grounds fell into the cup and got stuck inside the k-cup compartment. Okay, a mis-step. I assumed I just did something wrong. It couldn’t possibly be my beautiful new machine!
Then it happened again. But worse. Grounds everywhere, coffee splashed everywhere. A k-cup wasted. Again. So, I cleaned up the mess and tried again. This time-no problems. My do-over cup of coffee was fine.
This process of one good cup, one bad cup continued for a few months. Then it became one good cup, two bad cups.
Finally, six months after buying the machine, I had to admit that my judgement was clouded. I allowed the prettyness to overrule my gut after reading reviews.
I cleaned up so many messes of exploded grounds, splashed coffee, wasted k-cups and dirty dishes that I can’t possibly count them all.
Today, I owe all previous reviewers an apology. I brushed off their negative reviews -warning me not to buy this product- by thinking they were just not doing something correctly. It turns out I was the one not doing something correctly. I wasn’t trusting their experiences. Just like a kid or teenager, I had to learn the lesson the hard way. So-I’m sorry random strangers who tried to prevent me from the horrors of this machine disguised as a beauty. I should’ve trusted you. To the other random strangers who’ve given this appliance a two-thumbs up – I’m very happy you’ve had good luck.
The bottom line is – don’t trust beauty over brains, LOL. Save yourself the many troubles and do not buy this product. Cuisinart is usually a trusted brand (in my previous experiences), but this particular product did not hit the mark. In fact, the mark isn’t even in view. Just look at my photos to see that yes, I used the product correctly; yes, I’m an intelligent person; yet the appliance failed miserably. More than once. More than I can count.
So, the hunt begins again for a 2 in 1 coffeemaker/single brew machine. Please, please trust my experience and don’t buy this product. Don’t regress to that teenager who “knew better” and did things anyway, just to learn the hard way. No one’s got time for that. Ha!!
VPmf –
This could be very lengthy, but I’ll try to “make it short”
This is our third coffee pot from Amazon in a short four months. The first two were replacements for a flex brew Hamilton Beach. Those pots had an apparently KNOWN issue of the warmer plate not working. I failed to keep the first box, so you can imagine how much trouble returning the pot to Amazon actually caused…. So, after repackaging and ordering the second, I kept the box to return the second, just in case.. and amazingly the pot was also defective.
We decided that since we had always had good luck with our other Cuisinart appliances, we should spring for a little pricier pot and go for their comparable one.
If you don’t already know, let me assure you that customer service is completely NONEXISTENT this day and time.
We register all of our appliance purchases, so they did recognize our purchase. We have contacted Cuisinart by email, and they have put us in a back and forth emailing mode, (I believe), to put us off and tire us out. Hoping we will just move on.
The coffee pot leaks ALL the time. My husband, and my brother are both Engineers, so it has been thoroughly inspected by both double EE’s. The company wanted us to “descale” the unit. We complied, even though we use bottled water to fill it, and have only used it for three months. It has leaked since day one. But then, the holidays, company in the house, and two grown ups who can’t function without their morning Joe, we have finally gotten around to spending the hours of dealing with “customer service”. After much trouble, trying everything they can suggest to figure it out, doing everything the manufacturer suggested, we finally removed the bottom plate, and discovered it was full of water. This could kill someone.
As I am writing this review, my husband tells me that they will send a new one after we send them a picture of the pot with the cord cut. Do not buy this pot unless you have a “spare”, or read all reviews and know they are factual. I read the other reviews, and their complaints are legitimate as well.
Update, received the new pot in record time! It has functioned as intended so far.. Thank you Cuisinart.
lynn4591 –
I’ve used Keurig single cup coffee makers since the first one came out years ago. But, recent models have left me greatly disappointed. Based on reviews, I finally made the jump to Cuisinart and this model has met my expectations! I haven’t had it long enough to assess longevity, but the single cup coffee maker is quick, relatively quiet, and produces a good, hot cup of coffee. It easily fits my 16 oz travel mug and the drip tray removes adding even more clearance for a bigger mug. (See pic – with/without tray)
Having the carafe and single cup combined is really convenient too. I use the carafe mainly for gatherings and would typically have to store my carafe and then pull it out of storage for get togethers. While I don’t use the carafe daily, I use it more often now because it’s right in front of me instead of in storage, and I’m very happy with the performance and flavor!
Cons
One con is the volume of the water held in the single cup reservoir. Depending on your frequency of use, you may be refilling often. On the pro side, the frequent filling keeps the water fresh (and is no different than filling your carafe each time you make a pot of coffee).
The reservoir is located on the back of the unit. I haven’t found that to be a problem as it slips on and off so easily. That said, if you place the product in a tight spot, you will need room to pull the unit forward to access the reservoir. Also, as you can see from my pictures, the reservoir is not completely empty before you are required to add more water. (see pic for light and water still in reservoir)
The single cup maker produced some minor micro spatters on the cupboard but I took the advice of another reviewer and put a small dish to raise up my coffee cup. (see pic) Cuisinart needs to build the capability to elevate the cup on future models.
My final con is with lifting the lid to place the k-cup. I have good clearance under my cupboards but the top still doesn’t open all the way unless I pull it out. (see pic – under cupboard and pulled forward) I’ve learned to worked with the limited opening, but if you don’t have a lot of clearance under your cupboard, you’ll be pulling the unit out to place your k-cups every time. However, it’s worth the trade off to be able to fit a travel mug under the single cup dispenser. I’m very happy with this product!
Update Nov 2022: I’ve had this unit two years now. Works as well as the day I bought it. I do use filtered water. I’ve also been using a reusable single cup insert/filter so that I can use fresh ground beans. I’ve gone through two over the past two years. Where the lid attaches is a stress point that weakens over time and eventually breaks off the cup. Aside from that, my only complaint has been the spatter when using the single cup. But, a coffee maker that is quiet, fast, provides a hot temperature and has longevity is worth dealing with the spatter.
Lori Z –
Unfortunately by day 2 we began to see the water leaking issue — the reservoir for the single serve side DOES leak. I will be contacting Cuisinart immediately. The leak is from the bottom where the reservoir sits in the base.
This unit was recommended by our kids who have one and love it. After 3 Keurig Duos that failed within the first 12-18 months, we were ready to look at other brands. This review is for Cuisinart model SS-15BKSP1 that is in “Black Stainless” color.
I almost didn’t buy this one because of the reviews that showed exploded pods and stated the water leaked. However, then I found a couple of reviews that pointed out the k-cup holder MUST be installed correctly: the two white arrows must line up when the insert is put in the unit. I checked with our kids and they confirmed they have never had an issue with exploding pods. So, that issue seems to be user error.
Now about the leaking tank. Yes, it did leak BECAUSE WE OVER FILLED IT! Again, user error. I suppose filling the pot tank with the pot rather than the hose from the sink could have avoided the issue. Edit: it turns out the single serve side DOES leak. Very sad.
Another issue mentioned in reviews was that the unit splattered while making a single cup. The fix for that was to use a taller cup or put something on the tray to allow a small cup to sit closer to the opening dispensing coffee. Our mugs are pretty tall. I did see the first couple of cups kind of splattered, but it all went in the cup. So, no real issue there in my estimation.
I use the single side with ground coffee rather than a pod. This unit comes with an insert that allows that. You remove the black pod insert (in the photo above) and replace it with the grey pod containing a small mesh basket that holds the coffee.
Overall this unit feels durable and it looks very nice. If we find any glaring flaws I will update. However, after reading so many negative reviews that were user error, I wanted to provide our experience.
Jackie Chalmers –
This is my second cuisinart coffee maker. We love this drip and pod coffee maker. The first one lasted 5 years and it made such great coffee we purchased again. I drink decaf husband drinks regular. We love having one machine that brews both ! Always makes a great cup of coffee. Easy to clean and doesn’t take up a lot of room on the counter
Taylor Family –
All right, so basically my disappointment in the Cuisinart Coffee Center lies in what you get for the money you pay. I have a lot to say here. I’ve had this for a week now, and I’m not new to the Cuisinart brand, but I’ve gotta say I am really disappointed in this. This was purchased to replace two coffee makers and save counter space. It is replacing a small one cup Keurig and a Cuisinart Grind & Brew.
First off, I want to clarify what I bought verses what you will see in my pictures. I bought the black SS-15 Cuisinart Coffee Center which comes with the glass coffee pot, NOT the thermal carafe. However, you will see a stainless steel thermal carafe in my photos because I am successfully using the thermal carafe from my old Cuisinart Grind & Brew with this new coffee center! That’s a plus, gotta say that saved me some serious cash. I found a review from another customer who said that their old Cuisinart carafe worked, and just to make sure, I actually took mine to a Target store, and with the help/supervision of an employee, checked to see if it would fit. Of course, it was still a risk, you never really know until you try it, right? So I ordered the center with the glass coffee pot, and now I can confirm that it functions perfectly fine with the Cuisinart Coffee Center. I can also say it’s a plus that the lid the water comes out of with the coffee center is full of holes so the water is properly dispersed across your grounds rather than just flowing from a center hole like my old Cuisinart Grind & Brew. The lid also seals nicely when shut, and the permanent filter is a cone shape too. Although I knew this coffee center didn’t have it when I ordered it, I also really wish they’d have kept the built in grinder design that my Grind & Brew had, I really miss it. I enjoyed that feature, and it would’ve worked well with this new coffee center machine design. They should’ve at least offered it as an option in another upgraded machine, in my opinion.
My biggest complaint from the coffee pot side is a common one. There are only two small spaces where you can pour the water into the machine with one of them being on the single brewer side, which is the middle of the machine, and although the other is on the outside on the other side, it has the removable filter for the water. Unless you have awesome aim, you’ll need to remove that water filter to avoid splashing when you pour water into the machine when using that side, which does seem to be the best place to add water. Regardless of which side you pour the water in, you need the lid up all the way to do so. Not a lot of us have a lot of space between countertops and cupboards, and I’m talking like 2 or more feet here. You can see in the photos that raising the lid up all the way will require at least 8 inches if you want it to stay open on its own, not to mention, the space needed for your hands and whatever container you’re pouring water from, PLUS a very slow and accurate pour. Don’t know about you, but even when we’re at our best, that ain’t easy. I really feel like there is a need for, and plenty of space to add a water reservoir along the back for the coffee pot side of the machine too.
Other reviewers sighted spitting from the single cup feature, and sadly, I can confirm that. Furthermore, it doesn’t just spit when using regular size coffee cups, but also the taller ones just like you see in my photos, AND it’s not just a little spitting off to one side either. You can see in the photos of the counter it’s a good 7 inches out in front, it’s to the side of the machine, and the carafe on the other side too. Guess what? Those pics are taken when brewing with a TALL cup. You can also see how little space there is between the top of the tall cup used, and the brewer too. Yea, it’s not the end of the world and I’d expect some with a shorter cup because that makes sense considering the height the coffee is falling, but I do not find this result with a tall cup at all acceptable. I shouldn’t have to find the perfect size block to put a smaller coffee cup on top of, but if I don’t, that means I will ALWAYS need to use a taller cup, AND be prepared to clean up. I had placed a paper towel around the area when I brewed to see how much spitting I’d get, and I removed it halfway through the brewing thinking it was done, but then had more show up on the counter so that’s when and why I chose to take that particular photo. I never had this problem brewing with my single cup Keurig.
Speaking of Keurig, their single cup filter adapter is much better design than the one which comes with the coffee center from Cuisinart. If my Keurig adapter worked with this new Cuisinart coffee center like my old thermal carafe does, I’d use that instead, but it doesn’t. Ok so the Cuisinart adapter, or pod as they call it, needs to be aligned correctly, yet does not actually snap or lock into position in the machine, which is stupid. The pod lid also does not cover the permanent filter around the sides; it doesn’t completely seal. Maybe that’s part of why it still spits with a tall cup? Took a photo of the pod, but the only way to really show you how loose it is when inside the machine, and that it can be totally turned around, would be with a video. I chose more pics over one video. I’m also not fond of the attached lid on the pod, or the plastic used for to make the pod. You can see in the photo it’s not very sturdy. I’m sure it’ll get broken easily during jostling if put in the dishwasher, and even during hand washing if you’re not really careful, not to mention normal use on a regular basis. For us, that’ll be every day. I would very much prefer it was made with much more durable plastic and a screw on lid that seals the pod like the Keurig one I have does. There is one plus with the Cuisinart pod over Keurig’s, and it’s the permanent filter that it comes with, also shown in my photo. It has an open bottom to allow for better water dispersement so at least there’s that. The water reservoir on the single brewer side is nice, however, the handle detaches way too easily, and doesn’t lock in. It needs to be more secure than it is, in my opinion, in order to avoid detaching while you’re trying to put the full reservoir back on the machine. I’m not even sure it’s supposed to detach! If it’s broken, it’s still functional, but I will need to watch it. Ugh. Furthermore, the single cup side has a drip try which only holds 3 ounces of liquid. If you forget to put a cup underneath to catch your coffee because you’re having a human moment, then it’s a huge mess to clean up.
As far as cleaning goes, the parts that come off for washing clean up easily enough by hand, and I am not putting them into the dishwasher regardless of the fact that they say you can do it on the top rack. I don’t see that resulting in long life. I also don’t see how they can tout this machine as being self cleaning when all it does is blink lights to notify you that it requires a descaling cycle, and it requires more than pushing a single button to do it on the single serve side. There’s a CLEAN button on the coffee pot side so why not on the other side too? The instructions are very specific about how much vinegar to use, and exactly what you need to do for descaling along with what each step looks like with regard to the lights on both sides of the machine. I just think it could be a lot simpler overall if we had a single separate button to push for this process on the single serve side as well.
So I’m keeping it, but I’m really glad I ordered it on sale and used gift cards, otherwise I probably would’ve suffered and not purchased it.
Flip –
This is a fantastic coffee machine. Cuisinart is an award winner. I love the dual k cup and pot feature of this coffee machine. Extremely easy to use. Looks very pretty in your kitchen and works great. Makes the best coffee. You can’t go wrong with this one. Highly recommend it.
D. Yackel –
You really can’t get the feeling for the saga of hunting for a Christmas coffee maker that would let my wife have a cup of fresh brewed decaf whenever she wanted unless you also read my review of the Keurig K-Duo. I monopolized the existing drip brewer, making my six cups of regular coffee each day, leaving her to use a press pot to make the two or three cups she might consume in a week. Long story short, I sent the K-Duo back (it appeared to be defective) and replaced it with the Cuisinart. In all fairness I must say that I already was using a Cuisinart drip brewer that looks and works much like the drip half of the Cuisinart duo. I was concerned about not ordering from Keurig, the company that pioneered the K-Cup technology. To my surprise, the Cuisinart K-Cup unit works very well. Unlike the Keurig which used a single water source to both brew multiple cups and single K-Cups, the Cuisinart has a separate, 40 ounce water capsule for the single cup brewer, and none for the drip brewer. To make drip coffee, you fill the carafe to the desired level, lift the basket lid, and pour water into the well. (A gauge on the side lets you know just how many cups are in the well.) This is similar to the Cuisinart I was replacing. It’s simple and doesn’t deplete the one cup reservoir, as happens with regular use of the brew side of the Keurig. The unit is taller (14.5 inches as compared with 13.0), but narrower all around (about ten inches square). Tom my eye it is more petit and, with it’s stainless steel, more attractive that the massive looking Keurig. But the real test was in whether it could brew a hot cup of brewed coffee. It passed with flying colors registering 195 degrees on two different thermometers. The coffee was hot, even after adding cream, and delicious.
UPDATE: I have now made four pots of brewed coffee with this unit. The coffee tis hot and astes great. I used the Bold setting today and things were even better. My wife has made a couple of cups using the K-Cup single cup brew unit. The coffee was good. She has even put her press pot and thermos away. Visually the unit is much smaller and much more attractive than the K-Duo was. We have found none of the problems some other folks had with leaks and splashes from the single brew side. All in all, this seems like a great coffee maker that allows for a lot of flexibility in its use.