Cuisinart Stainless Steel Coffee Maker, 12-Cup Thermal, Silver

Update: The first one I bought lasted about 19 months. The price has increased almost 50% since I bought that one. When it died I tried a few other models that are less expensive. After a day or a week I returned those and ultimately bought another one of these. I’ve had my second one about 11 months now. I will likely never buy anything else. Best coffee I’ve ever been able to make at home. It used to be if you bought something from Cuisinart you could expect to still have it in five years. I wish that was still the case, but if I’m being completely honest I would buy a new one of these every year if I have to.

I looked at every model of thermal carafe coffee maker and read a lot of reviews before choosing this one.

This is, by far, the hottest coffee I have ever gotten from a home coffee maker. For me, this is a huge selling point.
The thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot enough to enjoy without microwaving for at least 4 hours. Even after 6 or 7 hours the coffee is still warm and tasty. Because it does not use a warming plate to keep the coffee hot, the last drop of coffee tastes as good as the first. I will never go back to a glass caraf. I like the flavor of my coffee better than I have with any other coffee maker I’ve ever owned.
The carafe is large. It holds almost 2 liters if you fill it to the 12 cup mark.
The pour spout is designed specifically so It doesn’t dribble all over the place when I pour.
It makes the coffee pretty quickly. Speed depends on the settings you use and, obviously, how much coffee you’re making. A full pot without the bold setting is read in about 11 or 12 minutes.
It is completely programmable so you can setup the coffee to be ready at whatever time you’d like. It also has a “1-4” button for if you’re making 1 to 4 cups of coffee, and a “bold” button if you like stronger coffee. Those two buttons have a similar function. They slow the water flow over the grinds so you get the full flavor in a small pot, or a bolder flavor in any pot.
A note about pouring because I’ve seen some reviewers that didn’t like how the pot pours. I don’t use the pot to fill the reservoir with water. I did that the first time and it pours way too slowly. That was aggravating. That may be why others complained. So I use a plastic pitcher for filling the reservoir. It appears that the top to the pot is designed to control the flow rate when pouring. I see this as a positive. When I’m filling my coffee cup I’m never wishing it would pour faster. I’m just glad coffee isn’t getting all over the counter, the floor, or me.

I noticed some reviewers said the buttons stopped working after a few months or a year. I will say that it doesn’t take much force at all to get a response from whatever button you push. Because of those reviews I make a point of not using much force when I hit “Brew” or whatever button I’m pushing. If you poke them hard over and over, I could see them not working anymore after awhile.

This coffee maker looks nice in my kitchen. If you have stainless steel appliances it will match. It takes up a very reasonable amount of space on my counter. The measurement lines are on the right side in the middle; however you can pour the water into the reservoir from either side. The reservoir is the whole back of the unit and is accepts water on either the left of the right side.

The filter basket is cone shaped. It comes with a gold screen reusable filter insert. I still use a paper filter in that as well because I don’t like any sediment in my coffee. The paper cone filters cost a little more than standard filters but not so much that it is deal-breaker for me. A few extra dollars every 3 or 4 months.

You have the option to use a charcoal water filter, but if you never use one it doesn’t change how to unit performs. The charcoal filter’s purpose is to filter things like the chloriine flavor out of your water. I use it.

Some reviewers complained that the instructions are lacking in detail. Maybe the manufacturer has updated them since then. For the most part the setup is all pretty logical. The one thing I found difficult to figure out and not explained in the instructions was getting the charcoal filter into the filter holder. Turns out it is apparently so easy it looks hard. I included a few pics. On the stem portion of the charcoal filter holder is the word “open” with an arrow pointing downward. Right below that on the base is a little notch that sticks up. Just gently pull on the little notch and the front of the base flips open. The back left corner of the water reservoir has a slot cutout in the bottom to hold the base of the charcoal water filter setup. You just gently set it down in there. You don’t have to force it. And it stays in place. The last pic is of the cutout in the bottom of the water reservoir. Other than that setup was really easy. The filter basket only fits in one way. It’s a no-brainer to see where the water goes. The instructions tell you how to use all the buttons and features.

There is a ready tone that beeps 5 times when the coffee is finished brewing. It’s pretty loud. If you don’t like that, you just press the “Tone” button near the clock face and the ready tone is off.

It comes with one charcoal water filter, several cone shaped paper coffee filters, and a coffee scoop. Amazon sells the charcoal filters and the paper cone filters for very reasonable prices.

I’ve been using this coffee maker since the day after Christmas 2019 and I have no complaints. I will update this review if anything changes. I’ve had a Bunn, and several models of Hamilton Beach over the course of 20 years. So far, this is the best coffee maker I’ve ever owned.

We have always had Cuisinart coffeemakers. Love them. Good quality, long lasting, easy to use, etc etc. So when my husband wanted to get a coffeemaker with a thermal carafe, he bought a Cuisinart. And because of “brand trust”, he didn’t check reviews. (Always check reviews.) Well, after struggling with this one for a few weeks, I finally put my cup down and insisted we get rid of it.

The issues are pretty much as everyone else reports. First off, the carafe is uncomfortably heavy. Personally, I don’t have the forearms for it. YMMV. Next, it drips and splatters when you pour. And not a little. And it doesn’t matter how careful you try to be — use two hands, go slow — you WILL be wiping up your counter afterward. Every single time. And finally, if you want that last cup of coffee, you need to turn the pot almost completely upside down to get it.

All of these flaws are just symptoms of the incredibly thick thermal wall. Which might keep your coffee hot for the whole day, but in the end, is that really necessary for many people? Oh, and for those few out there who actually wash your carafes instead of just swishing some water in it and calling it done? Well, those thick walls also mean you can’t get your hand in there. So it’s either the dishwasher or the “swishwasher” with this carafe.

On the “pro” side? The reservoir has a measure stick, so it’s easy to fill — IF you have a pull out faucet. The coffeemaker makes decent coffee. And of course, the carafe keeps the coffee hot.

Cela marche vraiment bien!

It makes a great hot cup of coffee. Easy to use, good features- like the 1-4 cup option makes it hotter and slightly bolder. My wife complains that the lid on the thermal carafe has areas impossible to reach for cleaning thoroughly- without a small brush. This is 100% true so all the 5 star reviews are from Cuisinart lovers who can’t see a negative. Another large x is you need super tiny hands to get through the top of the carafe if you want to scrub it. Or you need a dedicated brush on a wire. Or you can put it in the dishwasher every night, but how do you do that if you want to preset your brew time for the first stroll into the kitchen?
All in all it’s a good coffee maker, have had about 9 0r 10 in my 42 years. BUT it’s not perfect 😕