Cuisinart DTC-975BKN 12-Cup Carafe Coffee Maker

I have never owned a carafe type coffee maker before. I have always liked the idea of having a burner plate that keeps the coffee piping hot, especially on Saturday mornings when I have more time to sit back and enjoy my coffee throughout the morning. The latest addition to my eclectic collection of coffee pots is the Cuisinart 12-Cup Carafe Coffee Maker. I have been pleasantly surprised at the performance of this coffee maker.

The most surprising aspect of this coffee maker is the quality of the coffee it brews. When you employ a burner plate type brew system your coffee continues to cook after it has been strained through the coffee grounds. Although your coffee stays piping hot with a burner plate, the strength of the coffee gradually increases as the liquid slowly cooks off. This creates a situation where your last cup of coffee may be much stronger than your first...regulating the coffee strength can become a bit tricky if you plan on slowly drinking an entire pot over the course of a morning. With the Cuisinart Carafe Coffee Maker the coffee is stored in a thermos carafe where it is kept warm until you are ready to drink it. What surprised me most about this carafe was that it kept the coffee as hot as I would expect it to be from a burner plate type maker. Merging the best of both worlds, this coffee maker produces a consistent coffee strength that stays surprisingly hot all morning.

The Cuisinart 12-cup carafe coffee maker has several features that appeal to me. Aside from the thermos carafe that keeps the coffee warm, this coffee pot also has a clock and timer that allows you to prepare the coffee maker the night before...allowing you to wake up to the smell of brewing coffee...ready to pour when you stumble out of the bed. There is an audible alert which beeps when the coffee is finished brewing. If you happen to stumble out of bed before the alert sounds, the coffee maker also has a “sneak a cup” feature that will let you pour yourself a cup while the coffee is still brewing. The design of this coffee maker is sleek, with black plastic complimented by the stainless steel carafe and stainless steel accents. The coffee maker is slightly taller than other coffee makers I have owned. Sitting on my counter top, I have to position the pot so that it is not directly beneath the cabinets. The water reservoir lid opens upwards, requiring additional height to fill the tank. The lid does not clear my cabinets. The basket for the coffee filter is on a swivel that opens outward, which makes it much easier to access than the reservoir. Cleaning this unit is very simple. The filter basket lifts out of the swivel arm that holds it in place, allowing you to empty used grounds and rinse the basket with little effort. This coffee maker uses the cone shaped filters.

Read More About The Cuisinart Carafe Coffee Maker