Others say...

"More show than function."
It took me a long time to finally get a new coffee maker. Basically I want something that has a timer and makes a good cup by the time I'm awake.

Things I like:

1. Combo Burr grinder feature, and nice well to store a decent amount of coffee.
2. Stainless Steel looks & sturdiness
3. Very easy program
4. Built in water filter

Things I am on the fence about:

1. The size of this machine
2. The amount of coffee it uses to actually make 2 -3 cups (I'm just a one person coffee drinker...so maybe this is too much "machine" for me.) But I wanted something for when I entertain too.
3. The time it makes the coffee, even for 2-3 cups is slower than I'd like


Things I hate about this machine:

1. The coffee doesn't stay hot if you're only making 2-3 cups. So if you set the timer, and you're late for your coffee, you'll have to heat it up again in the microwave, or start all over (defeats the purpose of having a coffee maker).

2. The grinder is not consistent, and it doesn't always work. For the past couple of days, I've had to dig out jammed up coffee grinds in the grind well below the bean tray. I think I might have figured out what the flaw in in the machine, and that's adjusting the drip cover so the holes match up to the grind well.

3. The actual pot is horrible, because if you're only making a 2-3 cups, it is VERY difficult to pour. In fact, you'll have to turn the pot practically upside down in order to get your coffee. To solve this problem, make at least 4-5 cups of coffee, and waste the rest so you can have a decent one cup of coffee. This includes wasting a lot more beans.

4. The pot's second problem: it is difficult to hand wash, because you can't actually fit your hand inside the pot to clean it. You have to buy a special long handled cleaning brush, or just rinse only. This is sooo stupid of a design for a pot that I consider the pot itself the major flaw in the equipment.

ONLY buy this if:

1. You plan to make 4+ cups of coffee a day, otherwise, this pot is a complete waste of your coffee beans.

2. You don't mind not cleaning your pot well.

3. You have a lot of counter space, and height clearance, because this baby is tall.

4. You don't mind fiddling with the Burr grinder so it's actually dropping the grinds into your brew basket.

Final comments:
I think there are better machines out there, and if you don't mind grinding the beans yourself first, and then using a machine, investing in a good Burr grinder, and then a regular drip coffee machine might make more sense. For the price of this machine, I probably could have saved space, time, frustration, and most of all costly coffee beans if I decided to do this first. A good machine and Burr grinder will probably cost less than $200, and remain flexible.

"Gmer"
Great concept/coffee maker - but the grinder is of poor quality. I had to return my first coffee machine within two months, and my second one in less than one month, due to the grinder not working. When in worked it worked well but I cannot recommend it based on the poor quality of two machines in less than three months.

"Great Coffee Maker!!"
Let me start by saying that I researched long and hard before getting this machine. Everyone has their own priorities so let me tell you what was important to me. I wanted a grind a brew coffee maker ever since having the coffee at my Mother-in-law's. She had an older Cuisinart that you had to measure the beans into each time you made coffee. That model also came with a thermal carafe, which, if not properly pre-heated, did not keep the coffee hot very long. So, I knew I wanted a machine that had a heating element (and by default a glass carafe) that would stay hot for at least 3-4 hours. Surprisingly, this ruled out many other machines. I need this feature because my wife and I often work offset schedules and I did not want her to have to make a fresh pot just so she could have hot coffee each morning 2-3 hours after I brewed the first pot. I also wanted a machine that would allow me to select the brew strength. Sometimes you get a really dark roast coffee that you want to brew on medium strength...or even mild. This was important to me because sometimes you entertain company that prefers more mild coffee (or stronger coffee like the "rocket fuel" my in-laws drink) than you might usually enjoy yourself. This Cuisinart was one of the only machines on the market that met all of the above criteria that was important to me. I have had it now for a little over a week and I can't be more pleased. The coffee it makes tastes just as rich and full as if you were buying it from Starbucks. The grinder does make noise, but it is not too bad...about what you would expect from a machine grinding coffee beans. My Master bedroom is next to my kitchen and I don't hear it at all...my wife can sleep right through it. The coffee also comes out very hot! Which is just way I like it. I can enjoy the morning paper without having to refill my coffee 5 minutes later because it got cold. The hopper for the beans is another nice function. You can put 1/2 pounds of beans in which for me (I brew between 6-8 cups a day) means I need to refill the beans every 3-4 days. The instructional DVD that it came with is useful. Makes it very easy to understand how you can make the perfect cup of coffee. It really makes a perfect cup of coffee! Some reviews I have read say the coffee comes out weak. Not true in my case. I started brewing a medium roast coffee on the medium setting and just switched that to mild. It can make it plenty strong! I like strong coffee, and this machine can deliver...if you like it that way. I have also read reviews that coffee grinds go "all over the counter" when grinding. I have not experienced that AT ALL! The latch that secures the container for the beans does need to be secured completely, but it is simple to do and not very hard to mess up. Overall, I love the machine and the coffee is the out of this world. I would highly recommend it to anyone!

"welcomed addition to my morning routine"
Coffee is one of those things that could take up to fifteen or twenty minutes to prepare, if you're into that sort of thing. Luckily that doesn't have to be the case. What could be better to exemplify convenience in coffee making, then a Cuisinart? Sure Mr. Coffee would get the job done, but don't chump your coffee like that. Free trade gourmet beans deserve much better. Keeping them in their natural state right until brewing is the only way to insure the full flavor release from each bean. The Burr grinder gives a wonderfully consistent grind with no wasted coffee. Even the steadiest hands are prone to spilling finely ground coffee. Early morning my not be the best time to operate unfamiliar machinery (especially if a morning cup hasn't been swigged), so the lining up of arrows to get the machine to work right can trip one up, but only the first couple times. The thermal carafe keeps the coffee nice and cozy until ready to enjoy without expending any excess electricity. This machine is a welcomed addition to my morning routine.

"Impressive Looking, but lacking"
I really wanted to like this machine and gave it every opportunity, there were several features I liked about this but ultimately I came away disapointed and returned the machine.

The GOOD:
- Great looking and solidly built.
- Easy to understand and operate.
- Makes a very good cup o joe

The BAD:
- On the strongest setting, the coffee was not strong enough
- The coffee does not reach a high temperature and is ice cold in 10 minutes

Overall the quality is very good, but ultimately the machine cannot get it hot enough or strong enough. In my opinion the grind and brew functions perfectly, but it's not much better than a $50 coffee maker

Received this as a Christmas gift from my wonderful Lady and really wanted to like it, unfortunately it didn't but it was a great effort by her and much appreciated