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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant design -- once you're used to it, 29 July 2009
This review is from: Cuisinart DGB900BCU Grind and Brew Coffee Maker (Kitchen & Home)
I prefer coffee made from fresh-ground beans, and drink a lot of it, and this is the best machine I've found to do that without effort. Just fill the hopper with beans and it automatically measures the amount you need, grinds them, and makes the coffee to the strength you specify. You can also set it so that it makes coffee at a predetermined time. It will also work with pre-ground coffee, but if you prefer that then you'd be better off buying a simpler and cheaper machine.
It does take a bit of getting used to, however, and you really need to study the instructions thoroughly in order to get the best from it. Many of the negative comments in other reviews about the strength of the coffee, or the design of the thermos carafe, are I believe the result of people not reading the instructions properly. At first I also had problems with the carafe, but after using it for 3 weeks I now think it the most brilliant design I've come across: it really does keep the coffee fresh and hot for up to 4 hours or so, and if you use it properly it isn't difficult to pour from. I now have no problems at all with splashing, nor with pouring the last couple of cups.
At first I also thought the coffee too weak, but as the instructions point out, you need to stir the coffee before use to mix the strong brew at the bottom with the weaker coffee on top. I find I can do this just by shaking it and swirling it around -- the design means that no coffee spills out.
I agree that I use a bit more coffee for the same strength than I did with my old grinder, because the burr mill doesn't grind the coffee so finely. Also, the permanent "gold tone" filter lets through more of the finest grounds than paper filters, so there are more fine dregs at the bottom of my cup than I used to find.
When I first got the machine my son managed to inadvertently dismantle the lid of the carafe, and I reassembled it wrongly. I phoned the customer help line and got a free replacement through the post in a couple of days, though by then I'd realised what I'd done wrong and had put it right. The help line was indeed helpful, and located in the UK. I'm also impressed by the 3-year guarantee: in my experience not many coffee machines last that long.
If the instruction manual was a bit clearer I'd have given this machine 5 stars; it certainly deserves 4, and when it does finally give up the ghost I'll definitely get another of the same model.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent coffee - no hassle!!!, 6 Dec 2009
This review is from: Cuisinart DGB900BCU Grind and Brew Coffee Maker (Kitchen & Home)
I was a little unsure of whether to buy this machine, but I'm glad I did!
To be clear, I'm no connoisseur - I wanted a machine that would give me a decent cup of coffee using freshly ground beans or pre ground. I didn't want espresso or latte and didn't want to spend a fortune.
Some other reviews gave me concerns which I'll address below:
"Noisy when grinding": Granted; it sounds a bit like a blender going off for about 10 seconds. I wouldn't want this beside my bed!!! However, it sits in my kitchen and doesn't wake the kids when it goes off!
"Jug spills coffee everywhere": I simply haven't found this to be the case. Yes, you have to tip the jug up alarmingly to get the last cup out, but I haven't spilled a drop yet.
"Weak coffee": Again, I have found it is strong enough for me - the instructions do say that you should shake the jug prior to pouring. In addition, you have the flexibility of setting it to grind more beans (I don't need to do that though).
"A nightmare to clean": The filter etc can be rinsed under the tap - a 2 minute job. Each time the hopper runs out, you can remove it and clean out the grinding mechanism with the supplied brush - another 2 minute job! Not my idea of a cleaning nightmare!
"The filter etc. needs to be completely dry prior to re-using": This may be a slight inconvenience, but since the carafe holds 12 cups its rare that I'd want to brew up straight away. If I did need to brew another pot I probably wouldn't mind the additional chore since I'd be buzzing on caffeine anyway!!
"Unclear instructions": I assume they must have updated them, since mine weren't particularly unclear. Either that or I'm just very clever! The only bit that could have used a little extra clarity was the section on programming the timer to come on in the morning. It didn't state in a straightforward manner that you press the "programme" button until the green light comes on to set it. I figured it out in a couple of minutes though.
"Coffee is not hot enough": Again, I'm no connoisseur, but I didn't think it was supposed to be boiling. It comes out hot enough for me, and stays at a decent temperature for a couple of hours at least. If you like it really milky, you may want to consider warming the milk before hand (ie. any more than a inch!)
The main thing that I like about it is that you can set it all up (quickly) and then have the convenience of fresh coffee at the push of a button.
All in all, I love it. It looks good, my friends are impressed - oh, and it makes good coffee!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent machine, 9 Nov 2009
This review is from: Cuisinart DGB900BCU Grind and Brew Coffee Maker (Kitchen & Home)
This is an excellent machine at a fantastic price. The machine is simple to set up and produces fantastic tasting coffee. I actually found the carafe to be well designed and - despite having to turn it upside down to get the last few cups - not as tricky to use as some reviews suggest. By the second time you use it, you'll get the hang of it. The self-sealing mechanism is quite clever. Mine kept a half-jug warm for over six hours in a very cold kitchen; no need to re-heat or use a hotplate. Cleaning is relatively painless too - no worse than a filter machine or cafetiere. I honestly can't think of a negative thing to say. I'd highly recommend it, and would buy the same unit again without hesitation.
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