Cuisinart DCC 3200 Coffee Maker Review

There are times when you want to relax with a cup of coffee. And then there are times when you feel like you need to drink cup after cup to get through the day. We sincerely hope that they are seldom.

So, for people who appreciate drip brew and are sleek and spaceship-like, the Cuisinart DCC 3200 stainless steel coffee maker is a well-liked coffee machine. The Cuisinart DCC 3200 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker can sate your coffee needs in any scenario if that’s your desire.

This 14-cup coffee maker can be a good entry-level option if you’re looking for a simple, cheap coffee maker with a big brewing capacity. Read the full Cuisinart DCC 3200 coffee maker review. We’ll look at the pros and cons of this coffee maker to help you decide if it’s the best brewer for your family.

Cuisinart DCC 3200 Coffee Maker Review

This 14-cup fully automatic programmable coffee maker from Cuisinart has a reputation for producing high-quality coffee in the kitchen. It’s really even one of the best Cuisinart coffee makers available. It can brew hot coffee in larger volumes, and you can always set it to start brewing immediately in the morning.

Let’s look at the factors that make the Cuisinart coffee maker so popular.

Design

The Cuisinart DCC 3200 features a simple design. The control panel of this 14-cup programmable maker is very simple which you will understand quickly.

It looks stylish with a casing made of brushed stainless steel. It doesn’t seem overly tacky, and it doesn’t appear as cheap as some of the other coffee makers in this price range.

Most of the plastic used to make it is BPA-free. Not really the best, but nobody would expect top quality at this price.

The LCD screen is front and center, with a blue backlight. This screen shows the time as well as the hot plate settings for the carafe and the programmable brew start timer.

This is followed by five buttons with accents that control different facets of the coffee machine. These consist of the auto-clean feature, strength controls, as well as brew start and brew off buttons. Below, we’ll go through each of these in greater depth.

The DCC 3200 coffee maker’s carafe is a beast, holding a massive 2070ml, or 70 ounces, of freshly brewed coffee. Anyone who wants a big amount of hot coffee on demand, as evidenced by the carafe’s brewing capacity and the controlled hot plate, is the target market for this drip coffee machine.

You may have observed that on the DCC 3200, the water reservoir is nowhere to be found. That’s because it, along with the built-in water filter, is really located inside the appliance. However, this implies that the tank is not removable. But, a little window on the side of the brewer let you see how much water is in it.

Hardware

Hardware-wise, the “showerhead” design makes sure that the ground coffee is extracted evenly. Some drip brewers tend to concentrate their stream in a small area, leading to over- and under-extracting of various coffee grinds.

Cuisinart recommends changing the carbon water filter in the water tank every 60 days or 60 brews, and it has a water level indicator glass on the side.

If you find yourself unable to wait for the full pot to brew, the Cuisinart offers a brew pause option that enables you to pour yourself a cup while brewing. The pause may be a bit of a misnomer because the coffee maker will keep dripping water into the beans. The brew basket might overflow if you don’t return the pot to the stovetop in less than 20 seconds, according to Cuisinart.

Speaking of brew baskets, the Cuisinart DCC 3200 comes with two distinct types: a cone-style plastic basket that uses #4 size paper filters and a gold-tone metal basket. Filters are great because they are not a one size fits all solution. Paper filters give you a cleaner cup, which some people like, but metal filters give you a fuller mouthfeel.

The metal coffee filter can let some particles through, depending on how finely you ground the coffee (and how consistently your grinder did it). It is safe and often appears as fine sediment at the bottom of the glass carafe or serving cups.

Brewing Temperatures

Brewing with hot enough water is the first function a drip coffee maker must be able to do. This is not because we require a steaming cup of coffee. The reason we need hot water is to properly extract the coffee grounds, even though some people do like coffee strong enough to burn Satan.

We’ll be around 95% there if we use water that is the right temperature, and a great cup of coffee will be waiting for us.

The Specialty Coffee Association states that this ideal temperature ranges from 197.6°F (92°C) to 204.8°F (96°C).

We’ll likely be under-extracting our coffee grounds if the water temperature falls below 197.6°F (92°C). We won’t be able to dissolve as much coffee as we would want since the water won’t be hot enough. A weak and acidic cup of coffee could result from this.

However, if the water is too hot, we may wind up extracting more than we intended, which might result in a dry and bitter brew.

Now, this is where things start to get complicated. I was looking for the precise brew water temperature of this Cuisinart coffee maker while doing research for this post.

The DCC 3200 brews coffee at the optimal temperature, says Cuisinart, using “expert coffee-making technology.” The precise temperature of this, however, is not stated by Cuisinart.

I really must be aware of this! I optimized my research methods as a result.

Customer feedback indicates that this 14-cup coffee maker will brew within a temperature range of 198°F (92°C) and 202°F (94°C) when it is fresh new. This is a little low and doesn’t leave much space for error, but it remains within the allowed range.

However, it seems that the heating elements for certain Cuisinart brewers degrade with time. Temperatures have been observed to fall as low as 185°F (85°C) when brewing. Not quite hot enough to properly boil coffee beans that have been lightly roasted.

You could just get away with it if you’re making dark-roasted coffee. This kind of problem would probably be regarded as normal wear and tear and would not be covered by the short 3-year guarantee provided by Cuisinart.

Programmability

The programmability of this brewer doesn’t really explore any new territory, but that’s not always a bad thing. You choose the time when you want coffee and then hit the Program/Auto On button. The water tank and grounds basket still need to be filled before each usage because this machine isn’t automated.

This is great if you simply want to wake up to the smell of freshly made coffee instead of a shrill alarm. On the other hand, sometimes it is useful to be aware when the brewing mode is finished because it means you can start drinking coffee!

Cuisinart DCC 3200 carafe and hot plate

Everyone has a different concept of what a cup of coffee should be heated to. Some want it steaming hot, while others prefer it warm and ready to drink. While some coffee makers employ a hotplate and glass carafe, many come with thermal carafes. Both methods have drawbacks. Most hotplates keep heating the coffee to the point where it gets stale and unpleasant, but a thermal carafe keeps the pot of coffee excessively hot.

The Cuisinart DCC 3200’s glass carafe is placed on a hotplate. Compared to most other coffee makers I’ve seen, this hotplate functions differently. You can adjust the temperature of the brewed coffee while it sits in the glass carafe using the low, medium, and high settings. The coffee will ultimately go stale if the carafe is left on this hotplate. The coffee should last longer if the heat is set to the lowest possible level.

This 14-cup programmable coffee maker has a glass carafe and a handle made of plastic and brushed stainless steel.

Cuisinart coffee maker ease of use

The Cuisinart has done a fantastic job of letting you brew a cup of coffee the way you like it without putting in much effort. Making coffee doesn’t have to be difficult. Coffee grinds are put in the filter basket, water is then added to the reservoir, and press the button. Press the bold or 1-4 cup buttons before clicking the brew button if you want the coffee to be stronger or if you just want a small batch of coffee.

Both the brew button and the program button have built-in auto-off and auto-on features. It could take some getting used to, but they are triggered by holding down the buttons for a lengthy time. For the first few times you use this machine, you might find it helpful to have the instruction booklet close at hand.

A red warning light on this drip coffee maker lets you know when it’s time to descale.

Just as painless is the descaling process. Simply press and hold the clean button until the machine is in clean mode after adding one part vinegar to two parts water in the reservoir.

Despite all the benefits, we found that many consumers often voiced the same complaint: it was difficult to fill the reservoir using the carafe. Because the reservoir’s cover doesn’t open all the way, it might be difficult to completely drain the carafe. Although it’s a small problem, we felt we should mention it because it’s a frequent use-case scenario.

The Cuisinart coffee maker is very easy to use. Read on to know more.

Cuisinart DCC-3200 cleaning instructions

The time has finally come, ahh. Everyone dislikes cleaning their coffee maker one of most. Avoiding skipping this crucial step is a bad idea. Using soiled coffee machines makes it hard to extract the most flavor from any coffee. No, I’m not simply referring to the coffee grounds that are still in the basket.

Once our fine coffee grinds come into contact with something, coffee oils will ultimately start to slick it. This may result in obstructions and sour coffee. With water, the same thing takes place. Minerals left behind by the water can harden over time, causing more blockages and bad-tasting coffee.

Both of these buildups may be easily removed from drip coffee makers. To remove the muck and leave your brewer (nearly) like new, you may either use vinegar or a basic descaling solution.

Because of the self-clean function, cleaning this brewer is actually pretty simple. There is a “clean” button on the control panel. The gadget will go through a self-clean cycle if you press and hold this button after applying your preferred descaling solution.

In essence, this is much like making a coffee carafe. The descaling solution will enter the machine’s pipes and clean any built mineral buildup from the brew basket, the water tank, and the showerhead. Just be sure you take out the water filter first before starting the cleaning procedure.

Worth the money

The Cuisinart DCC 3200 is in the middle of the price range for drip coffee makers, but not too high. It can brew a decent cup of coffee for a reasonable price and has a high capacity (up to 14 cups). In addition to all this, Cuisinart provides a 3-year warranty for this machine.

The fact that a variable temperature hot plate is included, though, does indicate that Cuisinart is concerned with making sure you continue to receive your money’s worth.

Additionally Interesting Features

Brew Pause

Brew-pause sometimes referred to as the impatient people function is a great feature.

A full 70-ounce carafe of coffee may need up to 15 minutes to brew. Anyone who wants a drink of coffee doesn’t want to wait 15 minutes for it, right?

You may take out the carafe while the coffee is brewing thanks to this easy function. You can pour one or two cups of coffee before placing the carafe back on the hotplate once the coffee has stopped flowing into it.

3-Year Limited Warranty 

It is a wonderful deal to get a coffee maker under $100 with a three-year warranty.

Given that it is a limited warranty, some items won’t be covered. But you’ll have plenty of time to find out if something terrible happens! If you want to go through with it and the heating element does begin to fail, you may always attempt the warranty.

Unfortunately, only coffee machines purchased by Americans are covered by the guarantee.

My Verdict

This unit won’t let you down if you’re seeking a high-capacity coffee brewer. It is fairly priced, has a long warranty, and has a ton of helpful functions.

The flavor of its 1-4 cup setting is surprisingly close to that of its full pot of coffee. Few coffee machines can produce excellent little batches of coffee. Therefore, this Cuisinart coffee maker won’t let you down if you’re looking for a coffee maker that can meet both your own caffeine demands and your desire to serve coffee to a large group of people.

Frequently Asked Questions