Cuisinart Burr Grind 'n Brew

[sudsmaster]

Still working!

Not a single issue since I exchanged the first one for what appears to be one from a later production run.

And I understand Ralph's is working flawlessly as well.

 

[rp2813]

So far so good

Mine is doing fine thus far, but it's only been a few months. The only thing that has happened with it is that on the two-piece lid for the filter basket, one of the three prongs in the center of the rotating part that snap it into place, snapped off. It still works fine with only two prongs, but I will need to look into a replacement. I'm hoping it doesn't involve purchasing a whole basket assembly. I was going to blame the Thermador DW's steam cycle, but I only use the top rack for filter basket components, and these parts are made to withstand steaming hot water anyway.

 

[sudsmaster]

I have wondered about the longevity of the snap stud feature of the backet lid assembly. I try to be careful to center it before I press down to reconnect the two pieces.

There should be a parts order list that came with the appliance. I doubt the cost will be all that exorbitant, and since yours should still be under warranty perhaps it won't cost you a dime.

 

[rp2813]

Yeah Rich, I try to get things on center before snapping it into place, and am guessing that maybe this one broke upon disassembly and I didn't notice.

I've been meaning to check the parts list but have had my hands full with other things lately. You're right--it's probably covered under warranty.

 

[sudsmaster]

I understand about the full hands, Ralph.

However you might want to check into the replacement part sooner rather than later. That's because the top part of the lid pivots on the snap stud in order to index to the various functional orifices (mainly, grind chute and then drip chute).

Oh, what the heck. I checked for you. The part is not listed in the material that came with the machine, but I found it on Cuisinart's web site. It's a:

Filter Holder Lid
DGB-700LID
$10.00

But I'd call Cuisinart about the problem and maybe they will just send you a new one for free. For what these things cost, that's what they should do!

http://www.cuisinart.com/parts/coffee_bar/dgb-700bc.html

 

[jasonl]

How good is the coffee?

I'm spoiled on using a grinder and french press so it would have to make darn good coffee for me to consider it lol.

 

[frigilux]

My nephew and his wife---coffee-heads, both of them---received a Cuisinart Grind & Brew as a gift and it made excellent coffee. They passed it on to a friend and bought the non-grinding version, as they like to use different beans from day-to-day, and they preferred to use a stand-alone burr grinder. The non-grinder version also makes excellent coffee.

They were at my house recently, and really loved the coffee from my Technivorm, so I think they're eyeing one of those, now.

The Cuisinart is less than half the price of a Technivorm and is probably a much better value.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Rich. I will pursue the lid replacement as soon as I'm able.

Eugene, I caught a portion of "America's Test Kitchen" recently where they compared coffee makers. I believe it may have been the Technivorm that won hands-down. I was waiting for them to mention the other machines they had assembled on the counter, but they never did. I could see my Cuisinart in the mix and anticipated their comments, which never came.

I'll have to pull up their site and see if they have more to say there. Their main complaint about all other makes was that they didn't brew the coffee fast enough, which they said was a key factor in their decision, as brewing too slowly can have a bad effect on the flavor.

However, the winning machine didn't have a built-in grinder. I have tried other beans but always go back to my old standby from the local independent roaster, so having the built-in grinder works for me. Plus, it's easy to empty the Cuisinart's hopper and fill it with other beans if you wish. I'm glad to hear that your nephew & his wife like the Cuisinarts. It was seeming like Rich and I were the only two people on the planet who did!

Ralph

 

[sudsmaster]

The coffee from the Cuisinart burr grind and brew is quite good.

The thermal carafe version (which is the one I have) tied for first place in a review of grinding/brewing coffee makers I read some months ago. The glass carafe version would probably also score well if one were to consume all the coffee within a short time after brewing so that it doesn't get overheated on the hot plate.

As I recall from past discussions here, the issue with most drip coffee makers is that they brew too quickly, and at the wrong temperature (can't remember if they are too high or too low!). The Cuisinart got points because it took the proper amount of time at a good temp.

I have read online reviews of the Cuisnart Burr Grind 'n Brew, and it's evident they got a defective machine with much the same problems I was experiencing with my first one. I'm hoping that the one I have now has had the root cause(s) of these failures addressed, knock on wood. So far it seems to be solid. I suspect Cuisinart didn't make a model change or even a design/component change to fix them, but instead had some seemingly minor assembly issues fixed in Chinese factory. But with sealed electronics it's hard to tell just what was going wrong.

Like Ralph, I select a brand of whole coffee beans and am content to stick with that until the bag is used up. Generally it's a good quality arabica medium roast Columbian. I used to like a light roast Guatemalan variety, but haven't seen it in the markets where I live now. Most whole beans seem to be medium to dark roast.

PS-I tried adding a little salt to a cup of coffee the other day. It immediately took away any bitter aftertaste, but it also seemed to deaden the other flavor notes in the brew. I've noticed a similar effect of salt on salads and freshly cooked just picked from the garden vegetables. It's a struggle for me since I have a real "salt tooth" but I now understand why some hostesses would get a little peeved when I would reach for the salt shaker at their tables, mostly out of habit ;-).

 

[rp2813]

I Called Cuisinart

And ordered the part--it is covered under the 3-year warranty.

The representative asked for the serial number on the machine. I was looking for a sticker of some kind, but it is actually stamped/embossed into the plastic on the bottom of the unit.

Interestingly, I couldn't find the "DGB-700LID" part listed on the parts and accessories order form that came with the machine.

No charge, and should be arriving in about a week. Meantime, the rotating lid with the missing prong is still working OK.

 

[sudsmaster]

Great, Ralph.

Yes, I couldn't find the lid on the order form that came with the machine, either. So I had to go on-line to the Cuisinart site to find it (used Google to hone in on it quicker). Sort of surprising, as this is probably one of the parts that receives the most wear, from being taken apart and snapped back together every day.

I'm really enjoying this machine when it's reliable. It really is a cool device.

I might actually order a second filter basket and lid assembly myself. That way one can be drying out on the kitchen rack while I'm loading the machine up for another brew the night before work. Lately I've been having to set it up first thing in the morning, and it does cut into my work prep time (you know, makeup, adopting the right corporate attitude, etc.. ;-)

 

[rp2813]

Rich, if this machine fails, I will be keeping the basket assembly. I have yet to have anyone even check to see if all the parts were there on any of the machines I've had to return. I always keep the box and no one has bothered to do anything more than open it to see that the machine was in there. The filter basket would ultimately be discarded somewhere down the line anyway.

 

[jaxsunst]

I have the blade grinder version. it works great, it is just at b***h to clean.

 

[rp2813]

I have been tempted to switch to the blade grinder model just to have one that will hold up, but if the burr grinder type are finally reliable, I'll stick with what I have. I like my coffee, but probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two grinding methods unless I brewed up side-by-side batches.

 

[sudsmaster]

I've got all three generations of the Grind and Brew: 1st gen blade (glass carafe), 2nd gen blade (thermal carafe) and now the thermal burr. The 2nd gen blade grinder/basket assembly was easier to clean than the 1st gen, but it is still a PITA compared to the burr grinder.

But the blade grinders never failed. Still got em. Prefer the brew the burr machine makes, though. And the ease of cleaning plus the convenience of a bean hopper.

 

[rp2813]

Yeah, compared to the Capresso burr grind & brew that I had for a while, the Cuisinart makes a much better cup of coffee. That's why I'm willing to put up with their design flaws until they finally get it right.

 

[sudsmaster]

The brew quality with the blade grinder versions wasn't bad, but I remember b
thinking it was a little more harsh than I was getting with a stand alone burr grinder and cone type drip machine.

The first gen blade machine had the plus of using a Mellita style cone filter; the later gens are square filters. I think the ain differe,ce is the cone filters need slightly less coffee; the are more efficient at extraction. But the cones take upmore vertical space and I think that's why they were dropped.