Buy coffee or save money?
A tough decision.
For all of you coffee addicts, going to the store to get your favorite cup of coffee must be a regular.
But spending all that money?!
What if you could have your delicious coffee and still save some bucks?
Impossible?
Not quite.
All you have to do is invest in a good coffee maker and you no longer have to depend on someone else to make your coffee!
Amongst all the options in the market, today, we talk about the Cuisinart 3200 Coffee Maker. This one has been the talk of the town for a long time and it comes with all modern features for your cup of coffee!
This Cuisinart DCC 3200 review talks about its best features, a few aspects it falls behind on, and even more information for you to decide on this.
Without any other interruptions, let’s get started on the review!
Cuisinart DCC 3200 Coffee Maker Review
Known to have the looks of the coffee machines you see in the coffee shops, the Cuisinart DCC 3200 coffee maker gives you the best coffee experience. It comes with several convenient features to let you brew your coffee according to your preferences!
Features to Look Out For:
Here are the features that you will find in all the Cuisinart coffee maker DCC 3200 reviews:
- 14-cup capacity carafe
- Pre-set programs
- Gold-tone filter
- Auto-off feature
- Carafe temperature button
- Bold button
- Timer button
- Cleaning button
Easy to Use:
The buttons on the coffee maker are easy to read and can be handled by anyone! It only takes a few tries to get used to it and once you do, there will be nothing easier than handling this. Scroll down to see my steps on gearing this beauty up.
Flavor:
There is no mistaking the fantastic flavors it gives off. After all, you are making your coffee and setting it to your desired settings. No going wrong with that!
Built to Last:
Made with high-quality stainless steel materials, the Cuisinart 14 cup coffee maker will be your best friend for the longest time. Be careful to not let it drop, and maintain it properly to continue brewing for days!
Value for Money:
At first, the price tag might set you off because it is pretty high. Nevertheless, once you start using this, it will be worth every penny you spent.
To Sum It Up
Efficient, durable, and modern. The three perfect words to describe the Cuisinart DCC 3200 Perfectemp Coffee Maker. Below are a few other aspects to summarize the entire review for our busy bees!
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 7.75 x 9 x 14 inches |
| Weight | 8.75 pounds |
| Capacity | 14 cups |
| Brewing capacity | 70 ounces |
| Type | Automatic drip |
| Material | Plastic |
| Color | Stainless steel |
| Warranty | Limited to three years |
Points Worth Praising:
- Can accommodate coffee for a large number of people.
- Makes 1 to 4 cups of coffee as well.
- The strength of brewing can be controlled.
- Keep the carafe warm with the carafe settings.
- Can be set beforehand to ease some load in the morning.
- Amount of water filled can be seen from both outside and inside.
- Carafe made of glass.
- Easy to clean.
Points for Improvement:
Tastes like plastic on the first use:
Even though the carafe is made of glass, the coffee gives off a slight plastic smell and taste on the first two or three cups. This was a real problem while I sipped on my first cup, but it should not be your issue since now you know this con.
What I would suggest doing is letting it completely washout for the first few tries. Brew up some filtered water with the Cuisinart 3200 and you should be fine when your lips touch the coffee for the first time!
Pouring is messy:
The 14-cup container does come with a sprout but I did not find it very convenient. It gets messy if you try to pour it at a faster speed and you will find yourself cleaning it up after that.
I recommend letting it flow at a slow rate to avoid the mess. The process might be a little slow but at least you do not have to clean up afterward.
Cuisinart Perfectemp Coffee Maker Review: My Take on it
Being a full-on coffee freak, having a coffee maker made it easier on my wallet! My previous coffee maker did not do much for me and that is when I decided to invest in a more expensive one to see how that works out. Needless to say, the Cuisinart 14 cup coffee maker has been my favorite so far!
Here are the benefits it brought out for me:
24 Hours Programmable Feature:
Being the person who hates waking up in the morning, having a pre-set program was of utmost importance to me. You can easily use the Min button on the upper side to set your desired hour of coffee making and the Cuisinart DC3200 will get it done for you.
Moreover, this feature is great for when you want to relax or attend to other activities while your coffee is brewing. Set your preferred temperature, turn the self-programmable timer, and get all the other work done to come to a hot cup of coffee waiting for you!
Carafe Temp Button to Keep Coffee Warm:
Speaking of coming back to a hot cup of coffee, that is not what we get when we let it sit for a long time, do we? Cuisinart thought of that as well!
You will notice a carafe temp button below the LED display and that is what will save your coffee! While your coffee filled jar is still sitting on the unit, turn on the carafe heat and it will keep your beverage warm.
No, it does not alter the taste or make it watery. The coffee stays as it is!
Controlling the Brew Strength:
For someone whose coffee preferences depend on the mood, having complete control over how strong or light my coffee will be, is a godsend! If you want a light coffee, turn the maker on and get your coffee without any hassle.
You know those mornings where you just do not find any energy to go on? That is when the Bold feature comes into play. Press it down to get a kick of coffee boldness and get started on those busy Mondays!
Besides, when you are making coffee only for yourself, use the 1-4 cups button to get the ideal taste. This option adjusts the brewing accordingly and refrains the coffee from being too strong or too light.
Self-Cleaning Feature:
This was the best part for me! I hate cleaning any appliances and that is probably why a self-clean feature or a dishwasher safe machine is so important to me.
The Cuisinart perfectemp 14 cup programmable DCC-3200 was not completely dishwasher safe but it did come with a self-cleaning option. All I had to do was put in a mixture of water and detergent and let it do its magic!
Want more details? Scroll down to see the complete steps of cleaning.
Convenience:
All of these options are great, but how comfortable is it in terms of usage?
For starters, let me tell you that I do not like the thought of operating an overly complicated appliance. And safe to say, this one has been the easiest and most effortless to use amongst all the appliances I have owned.
The water window has a transparent reading gauge that can be read from both inside and outside. Whether you are helping someone else pour the water or doing it yourself, this one got your back!
One feature that left me impressed and got me on the bandwagon for its convenience is the Brew Pause option. If you are in a hurry and need to get the coffee out instantly, let it brew for a few seconds and pause the cycle to enjoy your hot cup of coffee!
Moreover, even if there is a power loss, it will not affect the brewing process.
Why?
The 60-second reset feature picks up on the last input and resumes the brewing as soon as the power in on! How smart is that?!
Shut Down the Beep!
This point might not be all that important in making your choice, but it is definitely worth mentioning. Featuring a Tone button, the Cuisinart Perfectemp 14-cup Programmable Coffee Maker lets you stop the annoying beeping noise when your coffee is ready.
While it might not bother me, it surely bothered my dogs who started barking as soon as it went off! Besides, when you are getting ready for a late-night work session and the beeper goes off, your house members will not be all too happy!
How Well Does it Perform?
It is tough to impress me when it comes to appliances, and this one did an excellent job. This amazing-looking coffee maker sits on your counter like a king and brews up hot coffee in the best possible way!
With the variable options, it gives out coffee hotter than most other makers. In fact, while your barista coffee turns warm before it reaches you, this one stays hot till the very end. You get the flavor and you get the perfect temperature too!
Learning to use this machine might take a few tries, but once you get used to it, you will not go back to anything else. After all, no barista can make your coffee the way you can make it!
Buying the Cuisinart Coffee Maker DCC 3200: What You Need to Know
Carafe Temp:
I did talk about the usefulness of the carafe temp option, but it does more than just keep your coffee warm…
It keeps the coffee warm to your desired temperature!
You can adjust the temperature from low, medium, or high. Being someone who uses a lot of milk in her coffee, I set it to high to keep it hot for a good amount of time.
If you do not add too many ingredients to your coffee, then I believe setting at a medium or low temperature should get the work done for you. Additionally, if you like sipping on coffee with a moderate amount of heat, then the lower settings work just as well!
Add Extra Water
When I use the 1-4 cups option, I always end up with coffee that is slightly bolder than what I intend it to be. That is when I realized that you need to add one cup of extra water when aiming for four cups.
What the Cuisinart 3200 does is it brews three cups of coffee when you pour in four cups of water. Ergo, it gives you a stronger brew than you expected if you do not add in an extra cup of liquid.
Capacity:
You might notice that the glass carafe does not exactly brew 14 cups in the standard 8-ounce cups that we use. Do not go ahead and start cursing at the company because they are right in their way.
Cuisinart uses cups that can hold 5 ounces of liquid and so their measurement is correct according to that. However, when using the 8-ounce mugs, you can get around 9 to 10 cups of coffee.
Slower Than Most:
The Cuisinart 14 cup coffee maker may be a lot of things, but it is not fast. Well, at least not as much as many others in the market.
This sturdy coffee maker takes its own sweet time to brew up your supreme cup of coffee. For me, it took somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes to brew 4 cups of coffee.
Although, if you are running on a tight schedule, this slowness will not hamper you much. Coming with the Brew Pause button, you can easily stop it after some time and grab your freshly made coffee instantly!
How to Use Cuisinart DCC 3200
Now that you have the Cuisinart perfectemp DCC-3200 sitting on your counter, how do you get it started? Here are a few steps to follow:
- Open the lid on top and take out the filter holder.
- Soak and rinse the charcoal water filter.
- Place the filter inside the holder and pop it back on.
- Put your desired amount of coffee grounds into the gold-tone filter inside.
- Pour in water into the water holder by looking at the window for guidance.
- Press down on your desired settings for coffee.
- Wait for a few minutes and you have your mouth watering cups of coffee!
It is best to always refer to the instruction manual in case of any confusion.
Need a more visual representation? Click here!
Friendly advice: If you want the least among of sediments in your coffee, then it is best to get yourself a paper filter. The Royal Premium 10″ Econoline Non-Woven Filter Cones are known to give the best results for the least amount of deposits!
Maintaining & Cleaning Tips for a Cuisinart Coffee Maker
The DCC-3200 Cuisinart is dishwasher safe when placed in the top rack. If you do not want to do that, you can always utilize the self-cleaning feature on it. I have already told you how easy it is to clean and here are the steps as promised.
Before we get started, the LED light does come on when the machine needs cleaning, although, you do not have to wait for that. You can trust your instinct and clean it after every two uses.
- Use a microfiber cloth to clean the body of the unit.
- Fill the carafe with water, till it is filled two-thirds of the way.
- Pour in white vinegar to fill the entire container.
- Take the filter holder out.
- Pour the mixture of water and vinegar into the water reservoir.
- Place the container back into its place.
- Press down on the cleaning button until it turns on the red light.
- Once the entire mixture is out in the carafe, empty it.
- Refill it with completely cold water.
- Place it back into its position and run another cycle of self-cleaning.
- Enjoy the next batch of coffee with the same taste as before!
Notice that I did not mention cleaning the gold-tone filter and that is because it is expected to stay put till your machine dies out. Even so, you can give it a rinse every one or two months to be on the safe side.
Remember that maintenance is key if you want to have the same taste of delightful coffee every time. If the interior is not squeaky clean, it will alter the taste of your beverages.
Where to Buy a Cuisinart Coffee Maker DCC 3200
The DCC 3200 might not be the most sleek looking coffee maker out there, but it is definitely an attention grabber. Having the looks of a professional coffee maker, it brews you the perfect cup of coffee every time.
Click here to get your new Cuisinart DCC-3200 Coffee Maker and start sipping on delicious, hot coffee every day!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Is The Difference Between DCC3200 And DCC1200?
The only aspect that is similar between the Cuisinart DCC-3200 and DCC-1200 is the somewhat same appearance of the two. Other than that, they have slight differences in every other area.
To start off, the coffee coming out of the DCC-3200 is packed with more flavors than the 1200. I believe that is because of the more advanced brewing technology that comes with the 3200. Whatever the reason is, I cannot complain!
Moreover, the 3200 Pertectemp Coffee Maker goes up to a much higher temperature than the 1200. It also accommodates 14 cups of coffee unlike the 12 cups by the Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central.
With Cuisinart 1200, most people complained about the coffee grounds overflowing. It probably was because of exploiting the capacity of the filter, but either way, the 3200 has no such problem.
For me, the 3200’s controls are way easier to see and read. If you look at the Cuisinart DCC-1200, the buttons are all weirdly placed all over the front. Albeit, this is only a personal opinion from someone who loves organized buttons!
How High Is The Temperature Of The Freshly Brewed Coffee?
When the Cuisinart perfectemp coffee maker is still new in your kitchen, it keeps the coffee at a temperature of 170 degrees. Sometimes, I got mine at 180 degrees!
However, as the coffee maker gets older, say 3 years or so, it will start decreasing the temperature. But, I do believe that if you keep proper care of the machine, it will fluctuate only a little.
How Long Does It Take To Brew A Pot Of Coffee?
When brewing the maximum amount, that is 14 cups, the process takes around 8 minutes. If you put it in the bold setting along with 14 cups, it should take 10 minutes or so. For only one cup of coffee, it takes only 2 and a half minutes!
On the other hand, old age probably makes the coffee maker weaker. Ergo, after two plus years, it might take more than 15 minutes to brew 14 cups of coffee.
What Does The Bold Button Do On The Cuisinart Coffee Maker?
Those of you who love the taste of raw coffee, the bold button is for you! Clicking on this instructs the Cuisinart perfectemp 14 cup programmable DCC-3200 to make your coffee stronger than the regular ones.
How?
Basically, what I think is that the machine reduces the speed with which water inserts itself into the coffee grounds. In this way, it gets enough time to properly soak into the grinds, enhancing the coffee flavor.
Do I Need A Paper Filter?
The Gold Tone Filter that comes with the Cuisinart DCC-3200 Programmable Coffee Maker is great for filtering out most of the coffee grounds. Nevertheless, paper filters are great for when you want extra filtration for your coffee. I would recommend using a paper filter if you want to utilize more of the coffee beans.
Wrapping Up
Real coffee lovers know that coffee is not only about getting that full burst of energy. It is about savoring every single sip that touches your taste buds. And with the Cuisinart Programmable Coffee Maker, that desire is fulfilled!
Its ability to let you control the brew strength and self-clean are two of the top features amongst all the other convenient traits.
Once you invest your money in this coffee maker, you will not regret it. So, click on the purchase link given in the Cuisinart DCC 3200 review and get delicious coffee right at home!
For any further questions or suggestions, leave a comment below.
