My New Coffee Brewing System

[rp2813]

I'm officially done with grind & brew coffee makers.  The Cuisinart had become excruciatingly slow and would give up and shut down just as it finished brewing less than half a pot.  Vinegar treatments were no help.

 

After losing out on a couple of ebay KitchenAid KCM coffee mills, I found a "for parts" one reasonably priced on BIN and went for it, since the seller indicated that it did work.   I took it apart, cleaned it up and it works like a charm.   It even has its measuring cup.

 

I pulled my Cuisinart DCC-1200 up from the basement and it has become my designated daily dripper.  This morning I ground and brewed up my first batch, and I'm pleased with the results.  I'm particularly impressed by the speed with which the DCC-1200 gets the brewing job done.  I hadn't realized just how pathetic the Grind & Brew had become, taking almost as long as a percolator to brew only half a carafe.

 

With this KCM Coffee Mill in my possession, I'll never buy another problem-plagued, short life span grind & brew machine from any manufacturer ever again.  I like having more control over strength and the option to grind beans for any brewing method, from open pot to vacuum. 

 

It's sort of like going from an automatic to an Easy Spindrier, only with coffee instead of laundry and in reverse and a lot smaller and less expensive.  

 

 

 

[ovrphil]

KCM question

Is that KCM plastic on the base or other? I just ask because I see Hobart's name. Congrats on swingin' the deal and getting a system that works and taste good for you.

 

[lordkenmore]

I suppose I see the convenience of grinder/coffee maker combination. But I've steered clear. I'm leery about durability. I seem to recall the early ones had issues, plus were poorly rated by CONSUMER REPORTS for coffee quality. More recently, I knew someone who tried 2 Cuisinart models in a row, both of which were problematic new. (Like problems out of the box, or in the early days.) It may have been bad luck, and I think at least one was "reconditioned" (although if reconditioned it should have been fully functional for more than a week...). Still...that experience was so bad she returned the second one, and got a regular pot, which--the last I knew--was still working years later.

 

[lordkenmore]

>I like having more control over strength and the option to grind beans for any brewing method, from open pot to vacuum.

And I think there is a lot to be said for this argument.

Of course, in my case, there is a long history of using multiple brewing systems. Even when I was high school, a regular grinder suited my family best, since we could be using the daily driver drip pot, or--on special occasions/weekends--French press or a cheap espresso machine. If the grinder had been welded to the drip maker, well, it wouldn't have been much use for other systems.

Although, to be fair, most "normal" people draw the line at just one drip maker. I'm not normal, but then anyone who reads my posts here already knew that. LOL

 

[mattl]

If I recall the Cuisinart you are using is one of the best rated units out there. I've had one for many many years, but sadly the 2nd or 3rd one died and I opted not to replace it. I am on the lookout at Goodwill for another though. Currently I use a Sunbeam vac pot most of the time and a K- cup machine when time is short and I only need one cup on the way out the door.

 

[gusherb]

I have that Cuisinart brewer. I've tested many, many drip brewers over the years and have found most to be subpar. The Cuisinart is OK but still no match for a Bunn, or any SCAA approved drip brewer. I never use my Cuisinart for that reason, and stick to my VP17 model Bunn.
As far as grinders go, I use a Baratza Encore burr grinder which is about the cheapest grinder out there that the fresh coffee snobs of the internet approve of.

That KitchenAid burr grinder is really cool! I didn't even know Hobart made countertop appliances, or was it made by someone else?

Specialty Coffee Association

The Specialty Coffee Association is a nonprofit, membership-based organization that represents thousands of coffee professionals, from producers to baristas all over the world.

www.scaa.org

 

[rp2813]

The burrs on the KCM are pretty much identical to those on its predecessor A-9 model.   I'm fairly certain it's a Hobart product through and through.

 

The base is plastic -- high impact, I presume.  There is no spraying of grounds all over the place with the KCM model.   It's very well behaved.   No static in the measuring cup either!  I think the internet coffee snobs would approve of the KCM -- if it was still on the market.

 

The Cuisinart Burr Grind & Brew produced a very good cup of coffee.  When it started acting up during the summer, I shopped for replacements (I launched a thread here asking for suggestions).  I ended up at Sears for a Kenmore burr grind & brew machine (re-badged Phillips) that was relatively reasonably priced.  It looked great, was simpler to use than the Cuisinart, but wow did it ever brew an insipid cup of coffee.  I tried different settings and got the same results.  I don't know what it did, but it made fresh brewed coffee from my local independent roaster taste like it had been cooking on a warming plate all day.  It went back.

 

That's when I decided to go on the hunt for a KCM mill and switch back to a plain old auto drip brewing system.  I have a Braun FlavorSelect in its original box.  If this DCC-1200 fails, I may bring the Braun in from storage, but for now I'm happy with the coffee I'm getting from it.  The DCC-1200 uses a cone filter instead of the pleated flat bottom type the Grind & Brew took.  I think cones are a better system. 

 

I've seen DCC-1200s in the thrift stores (indeed, the one pictured above came from a thrift), so if I get attached to this one I may keep an eye out for a back-up machine.  I don't have a regular need for the timer feature, but it's nice to have, and I also like the auto shut-off, even though I'm pretty good about shutting it off myself.  I purchased the DCC-1200 for guests to use while I was away.  The Grind & Brew was too complicated for most people to figure out.

 

And yes, I like having a burr grinder within easy reach in case I want to use my French press instead.  I might use it more often now that the grinder is in the same room.  No more reaching for an inferior blade grinder on a high shelf behind stuff in the pantry.

 

[sudsmaster]

I have a Cuisinart thermal burr grind and brew, and it still runs just fine. I don't believe I've ever run a cleaning cycle in it - maybe that's the reason?

 

However for the past year or so, I've been using an H/B "The Scoop" single serve brewer. This little gem can brew up to 14 oz per cycle, which is plenty for me. I drink maybe two cups a day (12 oz cups!), and a full pot, even thermal, is just overkill. I keep the grind and brew around for when I have guests.

 

For grinding I use a Braun unit, which works well enough. There's a little static but not much. I grind just enough for the Scoop, usually two tablespoons. I don't use the primary filter of The Scoop to scoop up grounds - too messy. Instead I grind just enough and use the Braun coffee measure spoon to transfer grounds to The Scoop filter.

 

One nice thing about The Scoop. I can start a cycle, and as soon as some hot water bubbles over and wets the grounds, I can push the button again and stop the cycle, wait 30 seconds or so, and then press again to resume the cycle. It seems to give somewhat richer, tastier coffee that way.

 

As far as the cuisinart self-grinding coffee makers, I probably have one of each model they came out with. The first generation, a DCC280, had a conical filter, which was nice. But it was a whirly grinder and kind of a PITA to clean.This one had a glass carafe and eventually the lid hinge broke. I repaired it with stainless steel wire. This model requires one measure the desired amount of coffee beans into the grinder before brewing a pot. Naturally, all the parts involved with grinding and brewing have to be cleaned and dried after every use. A pain. One cool feature (at least according to the online manual I found): a "descale light" on the control panel that lets you know when you need to run a dilute vinegar solution through the machine. The other generations just say to do it periodically... LOL...

 

The second generation, a DCC580, also had a whirly grinder the the model I selected has a thermal carafe. Again a whirly grinder, but a bit more sophisticated than the first gen machine. Not fully automatic since one also has to measure the desired amount of beans into the grinder before brewing. A potential drawback to this model is the flat coffee filter. C'est la vie.

 

The third gen, a DGB900, is their first fully automatic grinding coffee maker. The model I have has a thermal carafe. There's a half-pound coffee bean hopper on top. A complex geared lid on top of the filter basket determines which apertures open and close between the filter and the grinder, and the water stream and the filter at appropriate times. When it works, it works very well. But the first machine I got stopped working right after about a month. I was able to return it (to Kohl's) and get a replacement that has been reliable.

 

The third gen's major advantage is that it's a burr and not a whirly grinder. Also, the grinder is kept dry and out of the water/steam path, so it doesn't have to be cleaned and dried after each use. The filter basket with its timing wheel cover does have to be cleaned and dried. I addressed part of that issue by getting a spare basket and cover, so I could have one drying on the dish rack and be ready the next day for the next pot, while the other set is brewing coffee. This coffee maker has been relatively trouble free, although it is a complex mechanism and lots of things can go wrong. As well as the operator forgetting how to assemble the parts and run the damn thing while still groggy from waking up... something that can be avoided by setting the machine up the day before... if one remembers...

 

I suppose I could have bought spare grinder and other parts that need washing for the other two generation machines as well. The earlier gen machines actually work well enough. Someday I should put them all on a countertop and compare their brewing ... and remind myself in more detail what I liked and disliked about each design.

 

 

[rp2813]

The first two Cuisinart DGB models I purchased went back to be exchanged within months when each of them literally ground to a halt.  After bringing the third one home, I discovered where the chute was, and remembered that it had to be periodically brushed out.  That machine lasted a few years.

 

In the meantime, I bought a DGB model I found at a thrift store priced around $15, which had apparently stopped working because its chute was clogged.  By this time, I knew that was what I had to check.  So this latest one that failed me came from a thrift store some time ago and lasted for a couple of years. 

 

For a while, its complex two-piece geared basket lid had been giving me grief.  I'd get a binding sound when I'd turn the machine on because the lid wasn't meshing and rotating.  Opening the basket door and closing it would fix the problem.  Then, when it began taking forever to brew less than half a pot and would shut down instead of going into keep warm mode, I decided it was time to move on to a separate grinder and brewer system.  I had run out of spare machines.  Upon reading reviews on line for burr grind & brew machines from various manufacturers, not a single one of them was problem-free.  Most failed early on, including the $300+ ones which I wouldn't even consider anyway.  

 

That settled it.  Not only was I through with grind & brew machines, but I additionally welcomed the option to burr grind for other brewing methods using the KA mill.  I expect this to be the arrangement for years to come.

 

 

 

[petek]

I can't differentiate between burr ground coffee and a blade machine.. all tastes the same if made in the same machine to me. 

 

[nurdlinger]

I've used up two of the Cuisinart DCC-1200 brewers. Good service from each but it was time for a change. About a year ago I got a Technivorm and have been very pleased. The grinder I have is, I think, a KitchenAid ProLine that I got as a refurb for some good price over 10 years ago. Happy with my coffee system.

 

[ovrphil]

found a DGB 625 Cuisinart at thrift today,

but I passed on buying it. It appeared to be ok, but w/o running water throug it and testing it thoroghly, who knows? The grinder worked fine.

 

[roto204]

Oh, thank God

I'm so proud of you for dumping that damned thing and getting the freestanding grinder. You'll love it! Mine keeps the Norelco cozy company.

I think those Cuisinarts clogged while grinding, and brewed airline coffee, on at least two occasions I can recall when I was there--or took a dump in other various and sundry ways.

Then, we'd be off to the store to get another one, and invariably, the same thing would happen. Maybe not right then--or even next week--but it would happen.

All I could do was stand there, fists clenched at the heavens, like a Chevy man imploring the skies: "Why, why does he keep buying Ford?"

Part of me suspected that Cuisinart was a long-lost small-electrics division of Montgomery Ward.

 

[rp2813]

Nate!  You nailed it!  I'm afraid the curse of Monkey Wards has been cast upon this house forever!

 

I'm so glad they didn't market a line of automobiles.

 

Don't be surprised if you find a Norelco automatic drip machine here next time you're up!

 

[sudsmaster]

This house has a 50 gallon Montgomery Ward water heater that bumps and burbles as it heats, but is still going strong. Circa 1977, so it's almost 40 years old.

 

 

[lordkenmore]

>I can't differentiate between burr ground coffee and a blade machine.. all tastes the same if made in the same machine to me.

The blade machines have come under fire from coffee connoisseur types IIRC. I think it's an issue (or so they say) of heating the coffee while grinding, and thus driving precious flavor away. Plus blade machines make it harder getting a specific grind, and getting it uniformly across all the grounds.

That said...I've been happy with blade machines, and during the short period my mother had a burr machine years back, don't recall a huge difference in the coffee. But that was years ago...

I think the big thing is probably grinding right before use. My grinder is out, and so I'm grinding at the store for the moment. It might have more uniform grind (although the setting dial on the store grinders seems to be wildly off from reality sometimes, but I "know" the grinders I use, and so I know roughly how to set it). But it will go stale faster. I survive, because I stop quickly often, so I'm buying more than once a week. But even plain beans with a cheap blade grinder would probably give better coffee on average day to day.

 

[gusherb]

When I switched from a blade grinder to a burr grinder (a Cuisinart at the time) I noticed a difference in flavor big enough to make that burr grinder worthwhile. When I upgraded to the higher quality Baratza grinder my coffee started coming out even better yet.

The rule of thumb from the coffee fanatics is to invest as much into a grinder as you do your brewer.

I've been to quite a few restaurants where the coffee was downright GOOD, and I would've never suspected it. Those places usually use a decent whole bean and have their own grinder, usually one of those dispensing commercial Bunn burr grinders to go with the Bunn brewer they use. That equipment is quite pricy.

 

[ea56]

I've read that the reason blade grinders are less desirable is because thr blade moves so fast that it creates heat which can alter the flavor of the coffee, sometimes even giving it a slight burnt taste. Burr grinders don't cause the coffee beans to be subjected to unnecessary heat and keep the flavor of the coffee unaltered.