1 minute review
Cuisinart could be a brand synonymous with food processors, and this is indeed the device that has given the familiar household name a go. However, since its debut in the 1970s, the brand has expanded its range significantly, now offering kitchen gadgets, cookware, and gadgets including some of the best coffee makers. (Opens in a new tab).
In the United States, Cuisinart offers a large selection of coffee makers, but in other countries the selection is smaller. The Grind & Brew Auto DGB-650BC coffee maker is available in both the US and UK, with a built-in bean grinder that makes it one of the most highly filtered coffee makers available from the brand.
Its ability to grind whole beans, along with a large 10-cup capacity convection carafe, means this coffee maker promises more than your regular model. But it’s not just for whole coffee beans; The grinder can be turned off if you prefer to use ground coffee. It’s also fully programmable, so you can set it up at bedtime to serve up a fresh cup of coffee when you wake up.
During our testing we found it easy to use and set up, the convection carafe keeps coffee hot, but the 10-cup capacity is only enough to fill five adequately sized cups. We had to fiddle with the amount of coffee to get the flavor we were looking for, but overall Cuisinart Grind & Brew Auto makes a decent cup of coffee with minimal effort. However, there will be a few parts that need to be cleaned at the end of fermentation.
This model is best suited for families who want to get coffee from freshly ground beans, without bothering to take out a separate grinder. But if you drink the entire jug right after fermentation, you can save some money and get the form with the glass beaker instead.
Cuisinart Grind and Brew Auto Coffee Maker Price and Availability
- List price: $129.95 / £160
The Cuisinart Grind & Brew Auto DGB-650BC is available directly from Cuisinart or Amazon in both the UK and the US. The bean grind function and the heat jug make it more expensive than the simplest filter coffee makers. However, those who do not need a thermo beaker should consider the Grind & Brew DGB-625BC. Aside from the glass beaker, it offers all the same features at a wallet-friendly price of just $99.95 / £125.
design
- simple control panel
- The filter is easy to remove
- A beeping sound is heard at the end of the brewing process
The Cuisinart Grind & Brew Auto is roughly the size we’d expect for this model of coffee machine, measuring 15 x 8 x 8.1 inches / 38 x 20.3 x 20.6 cm (H x W x D). They can be pushed to the back of your counter, but if you have wall-mounted kitchen cabinets, keep in mind that you’ll need some space above them to flip the lid and access the water tank and grinder.
This isn’t the most attractive coffee machine we’ve seen. However, the stainless steel exterior is harmless, but it can easily identify fingerprints, which is frustrating. Setup was easy, however, and we were quickly able to figure out how to assemble and start the coffee maker.
Cuisinart comes with two charcoal water filters to eliminate chlorine and unpleasant flavors from tap water. You will see a filter in about 90 days, and you can buy alternatives online cheaply. The water tank is filled by turning the top cap, and there is a water level indicator with cup marks on the side of the coffee maker.
This model does not have a bean hopper, so you will need to fill the grinder with fresh beans before fermenting. However, if you are using pre-ground coffee, the “grind” button will disable the grinder and you can add the coffee directly to the filter, which opens from the front. All parts are easily removable for cleaning by hand or in the dishwasher.
The uncomplicated control panel displays the time and allows you to program the coffee maker to prepare coffee at any time during the next 24 hours. There is also a 1-4 cup button that must be selected when brewing these quantities; Adjusts the process for better extraction and flavour.
performance
- The beaker is poured cleanly
- Easy to program
- 10 minutes for full fermentation
We found the coffee maker easy to use and set up, and unlike espresso machines, there are no hard skills to master. First, we brewed to the max capacity of 10 cups, which took just over 10 minutes, including grinding. The guide recommends about 1 scoop of beans per cup, but no more than 14 scoops, so we chose 12 to make sure it would be strong enough. The flavor was fresh and well-rounded – not too bitter or too strong – but this will vary depending on the beans you use.
At 77 decibels, grinding was the noisiest part of the process. Fortunately, it did not last long. The temperature of the fresh coffee was at 170°F/77°C, and we poured cups of coffee and left the rest in the carafe. After two hours, his temperature dropped to 151°F/66°C, which was still hot enough to drink. After five hours of fermentation, it’s down to 129°F/54°C, which is hot enough – if you don’t plan on adding milk. In general, since the coffee was placed in a jug, and not on a hot plate, for five hours, this is a very good result.
The amount of brewed coffee is determined by how much water is filled into the machine, so to brew four cups – which is the equivalent of two cups – we filled the water up to the four-cup line. The manual advises that if brewing four cups or less, you should add half a tablespoon of coffee beans per cup, so we added six tablespoons. We also press the button 1-4 cups for this drink; You don’t have to do this, but Cuisinart says it will improve the flavor of the resulting drink. It took seven and a half minutes to prepare the four-cup quantity, and the resulting coffee came out at 167°F/75°C. Cusinart recommends heating the carafe with hot water if you want to heat up your coffee. As such, the next time we brewed four cups, we first poured boiling water into the jug and left it for five minutes. After heating the jug, the temperature of the brewed coffee reached 172°F/78°C.
Using ground coffee is easier than adding beans to the grinder – you simply add ground coffee directly to the filter. You will have to remember to press the “Stop Grinding” button, otherwise the grinder will continue to spin. Brew with ground coffee is even quieter, with the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Auto reaching 50dB on our noise meter. A full 10 cups take just under 10 minutes, which is about the same as using whole grains, while a four-cup brew takes five minutes faster. We found that using ground coffee resulted in a stronger brew, but was also more bitter – although this largely depends on the coffee you’re using.
While brewing, you can pull out the beaker to pour your coffee without any spillage, and the brewing will continue after that when you replace the carafe. The comfort plate at the bottom of the jug is the only part of the coffee maker that becomes hot during brewing; The rest remained cool to the touch. We’ve also tried the programming function, and found it easy to set up the machine at night to automatically brew coffee in the morning – although we’d suggest testing to make sure you’re getting it right to avoid having to go without caffeine in the morning.
Cleaning the coffee maker was as simple as emptying the grounds from the filter and then washing all the parts. The filter and carafe are dishwasher safe, but we found that a good rinse removes most coffee residue. It’s a good idea to let all parts dry completely before reusing them, especially if you don’t plan to use the coffee maker for a few days.
Should I Buy a Cuisinart Grind and Brew Auto?
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First test: June 2022