Hotter Coffee and brew strength options – the best of both worlds! The Cuisinart 12-Cup programmable thermal coffeemaker is equipped with cutting edge Coffee technology to give you hotter Coffee without sacrificing taste. Choose a flavor profile Le with regular or bold strength control, and set brew-time up to 24-hours ahead. Our backlit LCD is easy-to-read, a ready tone can be turned on or off, and an indicator light signals when it’s time to decalcify.
| Asin | B01N6T5QNO |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 7.75"D x 9"W x 14.25"H |
| Weight | 9.33 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Cuisinart |
Kat Ashe –
I don’t like the design of the carafe as much as my old, no longer made Krups, as the the opening is Ed large enough to get a small hand in to clean, else it does make good coffee.
Two notes, first the lid on the carafe is a bit hard to open and close, and second, the lid for the water and coffee takes just a little effort to close securely.
Many complain that the coffee doesn’t stay warm long enough for them. You can keep the coffee hot longer in the thermal carafe if you run hot water in the carafe just before making coffee. I’ll still take having to heat the coffee in the microwave over a coffeemaker with a glass carafe with a heat plate that stews the coffee if not finished off within an hour.
CNYGamer –
I am a long-time user of a Bunn Speed Brew machine. After years of loyal service it went to heaven to play in the fields with other coffee makers. And when you love coffee as much as I do and have used the same machine for a long time, deciding on a new one is a bit like getting divorced and learning how to date again.
I knew I didn’t want another Speed Brew. As much as I loved that machine I was always a little uneasy about the fact that it kept water hot in an internal tank at all hours of the day and night. I wanted something different.
A big selling point for me on this model is the thermal carafe. It was unlikely I would have settled on a machine with a glass carafe and a heating element. This carafe is not quite as efficient as the Bunn thermal carafe but it definitely keeps coffee piping hot for about 2 hours. If I use coffee from it after that I generally will pour a cup and warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
It has a 12-cup capacity, which is nice if I’m sharing. In the obscure language of Coffee Making 1 cup is equal to 5 ounces, so the maximum capacity of this brewer is 60 ounces. I typically brew 50 ounces using 14 tablespoons of medium coarseness ground coffee for a very flavorful result. For 60 ounces I use 16 ½ tablespoons. I try to aim for approximately a 17-to-1 ratio of water to grounds. I notice on the uncommon occasion that I brew 60 ounces, the water sprayer has to be cleaned of coffee, but I don’t think the machine was designed for quite that much grounds.
When I brew 50 ounces of water (10 “cups”) it takes 9 minutes on the normal cycle. I have not tried the bold brewing mode because the way I make my daily pot of coffee tastes excellent so why mess with it.
The brewer includes a reusable gold tone coffee filter. It also includes a small bundle of paper filters. But I have been consistently using the reusable filter with excellent results. I was reading that there are some beneficial chemicals in coffee that are potentially filtered out with paper filters, and I really enjoy the flavor of my coffee using the reusable filter so I see no reason to buy paper filters.
The panel lights are a bit bright. The other night I was in the kitchen with the lights off and I was surprised at how much light the machine was giving off. But that’s really nothing to complain about.
As a fussy coffee drink who spent so many weeks reading and re-reading review after review of machine after machine, I am quite happy that I landed on this machine. It comes with my recommendation, for whatever that’s worth. 🙂
Jen B –
This review is for the DCC-3400 machine with a thermal carafe. This machine makes great tasting coffee, has simple intuitive operation, does not take up much space on the counter, and is *really* good looking. I recently purchased this to replace a similar Cuisinart model that I had for over 12 years. And the previous one was still working fine – it had just gotten dingy after daily use for so many years. I prefer using a thermal carafe because I usually stretch a pot of coffee over several hours, and coffee gets a burnt taste when heated for that long with a heating plate. The primary advantage of the thermal carafe (besides looking really nice) is that it keeps the coffee hot through insulation of the carafe, and not by continuously heating the carafe. So there are three things you need to know (1) the plate that it sits on does not heat up, (2) coffee in the carafe is going to lose heat over the course of a day; that is physics and it’s unavoidable. However, it loses heat at a very slow rate. The coffee remains hot for several hours throughout the morning after it has been brewed, and even by the afternoon I would call it very warm – that’s 9-10 hours after it was brewed and would be burnt coffee sludge if it were directly heated for that long, and (3) the lid is designed to maintain a seal that reduces the rate of heat loss, but you don’t have to twist or open anything to pour a cup. For this reason, the coffee pours more slowly than if the spout were just open. But honestly, the difference is along the lines of taking 4 seconds to fill a cup instead of 2 seconds. I don’t understand the claims in other reviews about spilling when pouring, unless they are turning the carafe upside down to try to make it pour faster. The spout pours just fine and I’ve noticed that this model actually pours a little faster than the previous one I had. If the spout were more open, the carafe would lose heat more quickly. The only way to seal it further would be to design a lid that needs to be twisted open when you want to pour (like a thermos), and it would still lose heat at a faster rate every time you open it. I feel that the design of this carafe strikes the right balance between the seal needed to retain heat and ease of pouring. Another bonus is that the carafe does not need to sit in the coffee maker to stay warm – when serving coffee to a group I can keep the pot right on the table or wherever is most convenient. A thermal carafe may not fit the bill for everyone, but if you need a pot of coffee to stay hot for several hours without eventually tasting burnt, I highly recommend this machine.
DeeJ –
Bought this to replace the 10 cup version I had for 10 +years. It makes good hot coffee the bold feature is nice , do not see all that much of a difference in all honesty I’ve only used that feature once. The thermal carafe keeps coffee hot/quite warm for some time, as did my old one. If you do not have enough room underneath cabinets you will probably need to pull it towards the front of your countertop to open the water fill and coffee basket. Since I am the only one who drinks coffee most of the time 12 cups is a little large. Brew time is good.
The reasoning for 4 stars, you are unable to get your hand inside the carafe to clean it need to use some type of a brush, poor design on Cuisinart’s part but I already knew that.
Gordon Jones –
Particularly like the carafe. It keeps coffee warm all day without using any energy, and it pours without dripping. The machine is not small, but it is well designed and takes up the minimum of countertop space it needs to. Operating is intuitive and quick. One warning-don’t overfill when adding water. It will leak the excess onto the counter.
Gail –
I have used this model for 2 weeks now. It makes good coffee, it looks nice, and it is easy to program.
1. I did read reviews for it before I purchased it. The 1 feature mentioned often in the reviews was about the length of the electric cord. It IS very short. Plan on having it Right At the Outlet. Cuisinart should spend a dime more and lengthen the cord.
2. It is nice to have options for filtering coffee. A gold filter is included. I could not tell that the gold filter did a better job than the paper filter. It is a mess to clean up. And, to me, it doesn’t make the coffee taste better. The paper filter works best for me.
3. I did not see anything in the reviews I read about filling the water reservoir. The insulated carafe must be turned upside down, All the Way Upside Down, to empty out all of the liquid. This is not user friendly for filling the reservoir. If you put in the coffee filter and coffee and Then add the water, you will have a wet filter of coffee. Depending on how much water you spill into it, you could have a coffee drip started. So don’t use the coffee carafe. Find a proper sized pitcher and fill the water reservoir first. Then add the filter with coffee.
4. I have not cleaned it yet, just rinsing between uses. So no review on the cleaning aspect.
5. I do like this coffee maker. I must say it makes good coffee. The water temperature is not so hot it makes the coffee bitter; it’s not so cool it doesn’t steep it properly. The carafe keeps the coffee nice and hot over 2 hours. I never have any left past that time.
L. La Raia –
It keeps the coffee hot and makes a good cup of coffee. The area where you pour the water is divided into two equally small areas so I have not filled it up once in four months without spilling at least a few drops of water. You really have to concentrate on pouring the water, and who wants that first thing in the morning? Furthermore, the spout sprays hot coffee when you’re pouring it from the carafe. The design doesn’t give you a nice straight, smooth pour. So that’s the second paper towel you have to use when making your morning coffee. The design from ten years ago was way better.
Lemon Lover –
The overall coffee maker works fine to brew coffee and the carafe keeps the coffee fairly hot. However, there are some major design flaws that make using this a hassle.
1. The carafe has a lip inside that means it doesn’t drain completely when pouring water in the basin or emptying the coffee
2. The carafe lid leaks a little on every pour no matter how you hold it. I can reduce the problem by removing the cap before pouring
3. The lid on the basin opens straight up and down, but because of issue 1 and the width of the carafe, it makes it so you can’t pour the whole amount of water in without making a mess or using another container to fill it
If these issues were resolved then it would be a good coffeemaker. As it is, the previous one I had from Cuisinart was far superior in design
DavidsGirl –
Update: The first one I bought lasted about 19 months. The price has increased almost 50% since I bought that one. When it died I tried a few other models that are less expensive. After a day or a week I returned those and ultimately bought another one of these. I’ve had my second one about 11 months now. I will likely never buy anything else. Best coffee I’ve ever been able to make at home. It used to be if you bought something from Cuisinart you could expect to still have it in five years. I wish that was still the case, but if I’m being completely honest I would buy a new one of these every year if I have to.
I looked at every model of thermal carafe coffee maker and read a lot of reviews before choosing this one.
This is, by far, the hottest coffee I have ever gotten from a home coffee maker. For me, this is a huge selling point.
The thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot enough to enjoy without microwaving for at least 4 hours. Even after 6 or 7 hours the coffee is still warm and tasty. Because it does not use a warming plate to keep the coffee hot, the last drop of coffee tastes as good as the first. I will never go back to a glass caraf. I like the flavor of my coffee better than I have with any other coffee maker I’ve ever owned.
The carafe is large. It holds almost 2 liters if you fill it to the 12 cup mark.
The pour spout is designed specifically so It doesn’t dribble all over the place when I pour.
It makes the coffee pretty quickly. Speed depends on the settings you use and, obviously, how much coffee you’re making. A full pot without the bold setting is read in about 11 or 12 minutes.
It is completely programmable so you can setup the coffee to be ready at whatever time you’d like. It also has a “1-4” button for if you’re making 1 to 4 cups of coffee, and a “bold” button if you like stronger coffee. Those two buttons have a similar function. They slow the water flow over the grinds so you get the full flavor in a small pot, or a bolder flavor in any pot.
A note about pouring because I’ve seen some reviewers that didn’t like how the pot pours. I don’t use the pot to fill the reservoir with water. I did that the first time and it pours way too slowly. That was aggravating. That may be why others complained. So I use a plastic pitcher for filling the reservoir. It appears that the top to the pot is designed to control the flow rate when pouring. I see this as a positive. When I’m filling my coffee cup I’m never wishing it would pour faster. I’m just glad coffee isn’t getting all over the counter, the floor, or me.
I noticed some reviewers said the buttons stopped working after a few months or a year. I will say that it doesn’t take much force at all to get a response from whatever button you push. Because of those reviews I make a point of not using much force when I hit “Brew” or whatever button I’m pushing. If you poke them hard over and over, I could see them not working anymore after awhile.
This coffee maker looks nice in my kitchen. If you have stainless steel appliances it will match. It takes up a very reasonable amount of space on my counter. The measurement lines are on the right side in the middle; however you can pour the water into the reservoir from either side. The reservoir is the whole back of the unit and is accepts water on either the left of the right side.
The filter basket is cone shaped. It comes with a gold screen reusable filter insert. I still use a paper filter in that as well because I don’t like any sediment in my coffee. The paper cone filters cost a little more than standard filters but not so much that it is deal-breaker for me. A few extra dollars every 3 or 4 months.
You have the option to use a charcoal water filter, but if you never use one it doesn’t change how to unit performs. The charcoal filter’s purpose is to filter things like the chloriine flavor out of your water. I use it.
Some reviewers complained that the instructions are lacking in detail. Maybe the manufacturer has updated them since then. For the most part the setup is all pretty logical. The one thing I found difficult to figure out and not explained in the instructions was getting the charcoal filter into the filter holder. Turns out it is apparently so easy it looks hard. I included a few pics. On the stem portion of the charcoal filter holder is the word “open” with an arrow pointing downward. Right below that on the base is a little notch that sticks up. Just gently pull on the little notch and the front of the base flips open. The back left corner of the water reservoir has a slot cutout in the bottom to hold the base of the charcoal water filter setup. You just gently set it down in there. You don’t have to force it. And it stays in place. The last pic is of the cutout in the bottom of the water reservoir. Other than that setup was really easy. The filter basket only fits in one way. It’s a no-brainer to see where the water goes. The instructions tell you how to use all the buttons and features.
There is a ready tone that beeps 5 times when the coffee is finished brewing. It’s pretty loud. If you don’t like that, you just press the “Tone” button near the clock face and the ready tone is off.
It comes with one charcoal water filter, several cone shaped paper coffee filters, and a coffee scoop. Amazon sells the charcoal filters and the paper cone filters for very reasonable prices.
I’ve been using this coffee maker since the day after Christmas 2019 and I have no complaints. I will update this review if anything changes. I’ve had a Bunn, and several models of Hamilton Beach over the course of 20 years. So far, this is the best coffee maker I’ve ever owned.
T. E. Antis –
I work at home and like to have hot coffee on demand throughout the morning at least. So, we were looking for a coffee maker that kept the coffee hot in the carafe for a long time. This one does that very well. The carafe holds the coffee at a seriously hot temperature for several hours. That’s one plus.
This coffee maker has a “bold” button that supposedly results in a stronger brew. We always push it and we are satisfied with the strength of our coffee. I’m still a bit suspicious that it’s all in our heads. I’m not sure what the machine actually does to embolden our coffee.
The carafe that does its holding-at-temp job well pours out at a leisurely pace, much more so than any previous coffee maker carafe we’ve owned. It’s probably a good thing that the coffee maker wants me to slow down a bit first thing in the morning. But it does sometimes bug me that it sets the pace when I might be in a little more of a hurry.
This carafe is a solid, stainless steel item. So you can’t see how much coffee is in it without removing the top. That’s not such a big deal, except when you are setting up the fresh pot for the morning. You have to remember to make sure the carafe is empty or you could find an overflowing mess in the morning.
You might be thinking, don’t you use the carafe to fill the water reservoir? We don’t because unless the lid is off, it pours slowly, and its size makes it a clumsy fit over the water reservoir opening. So we use a separate container to fill it.
Finally, the thing has a beeping alarm to let you know your pot of coffee has finished brewing. It is loud and annoying, and thankfully you have the option of disabling it. I recommend doing that, especially if you set the timer to brew before you get out of bed. It will launch you out of bed for sure when the alarm goes off.
We’ve had it for a few months, and despite my few gripes, we are happy with it. I’m getting used to its differences from the classic “Mr. C”-type coffee makers, and I truly enjoy the long holding time of hot coffee in the carafe through the morning.