Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review : This 14 cup coffee maker is a stylish, top-rated, programmable coffee machine.
The Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker is one of the best of an impressive line of coffee machines from this popular brand.
In this remarkable coffee maker, you can brew up an entire batch of coffee. But instead of dripping it into a carafe, the DC-3200P stores it in an internal reservoir.
From this, you can dispense coffee on demand, one cup at a time.
That’s convenient if many people will drink coffee, but at different times.
(Updated on 20th February, 2023)
TABLE OF CONTENTS – What’s In This Coffee Machine Review? |
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
An Overview
Our Rating: 4.6/5
Key Features:
- Large 14-cup (70 oz) water reservoir
- Removable charcoal filter removes impurities in water
- Gold tone resuseable filter ensures great tasting coffee
- Glass carafe is sturdy, with stainless steel plated handle
- Control panel has simple, clearly labelled buttons
- Automatic self-cleaning mode available
- Brew strength can be adjusted
- Programmable to set brewing time 24 hours in advance
- Brew Pause functionality to pause and grab an early cup
- Dimensions compact enough to fit into countertop spaces
- 3 year warranty
Pros:
- 14 cup capacity
- Single-cup or full carafe brewing
- Automatic and easy to program
- Can control coffee strength
- Brew pause functionality
- Available in a range of colors
- Auto-shut off (in 4 hours)
- Transparent water-level window
- Self-cleaning
- Charcoal water filters
- Reusable coffee filter
- Strong stainless steel construct
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Reservoir overflows readily
- Glass carafe might break
- Lid doesn’t open far enough to refill
Technical Specs
Model: Cuisinart DCC-3200
Manufacturer: Cuisinart
Speciality: Coffee on Demand
Wattage: 1100 W
Programmable: Yes
Auto-shut off: after 4 hours
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 12 cups (71 oz)
Water filter: Charcoal
Coffee filter: Reusable (gold-tone)
Cleaning alert: Yes
Dimensions:
Height: 14.3 in
Width: 10.4 in
Depth: 10.1 in
Weight: 8.7 lbs
Warranty: 3 years
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
The Cuisinart 14-cup coffee machine is a stylish, best-selling and incredibly efficient brewer.
Made from brushed stainless steel, this elegant device sits nicely on any countertop, waiting to delight your senses with delicious strong coffee.
You can get it in black, copper or cream colors.
A permanent filter (gold tone) saves you the cost and hassle of replacing paper filters. A charcoal water filter removes chemicals and impurities in the water. This makes your coffee taste better, and also extends the lifetime of your Cuisinart coffee maker.
This is a programmable coffee machine and allows you to choose whether you want regular or strong coffee.
An auto-off function also comes in handy.
Brewing time is roughly 6 to 7 minutes for the entire carafe of 14 cups. So if you’re always in a tearing hurry, maybe a faster single-serve coffee machine will be a better choice.
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
Taste Test
The brewer’s showerhead design allows water to flow evenly over the coffee grounds. This ensures better extraction of flavor, and a stronger, fresher coffee.
The coffee may not taste as full and rich as when brewed using a pour over coffee maker. But it’s still a hot, strong and satisfying beverage to kickstart your day.
Most customers love the flavor of their hot coffee from the Cuisinart DCC-3200 PerfecTemp. This machine has raving fans with a 4.6 rating from 54,000+ reviews.
The coffee also tastes just as good after a few hours as it does shortly after being brewed.
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Review
Special Features
The Cuisinart 14-cup coffee machine offers many useful features.
Brew Strength
You can readily switch between regular strength and stronger brew at the press of a button. The programmable controls are conveniently situated in front of the machine.
The control panel is simple and designed to be easy to use. A blue backlit LCD screen has a clear display.
You can set brewing time in advance, and toggle a Ready Tone button to adjust how your coffee maker will notify you when it’s done.
Glass Carafe
A 14-cup tempered glass carafe can hold freshly brewed coffee.
A warmer plate ensures that the coffee remains hot for a while. You can set it to low, medium or high.
Water Reservoir
The reservoir is large and can hold enough liquid to brew 14 cups of coffee.
A charcoal filter inside the reservoir soaks up impurities, metals, unpleasant flavors and chemicals in tap water.
Through a transparent window, you can see the water level and top it up whenever necessary.
It is best to frequently empty your reservoir and leave it to dry. This prevents germs from growing in stagnant water.
Brew Pause Function
An interesting special feature of the Cuisinart DCC-3200P coffee machine is a ‘brew pause’ function.
If you’re in a rush and want to serve yourself coffee without waiting for the entire batch to finish brewing, you can simply remove the carafe from the hot plate – and the coffee stops dripping!
But you’ll have to be smart and act fast. The ‘brew pause‘ function only takes a 20 second break. Replace the carafe before it restarts again!
There’s just one tiny problem with using this feature – the coffee may not be evenly extracted, so your drink might be too strong, or too dilute.
Gold Tone Coffee Filter
A permanent coffee filter saves you the cost and hassle of replacing a paper filter every time you brew coffee.
The downside of a gold tone coffee filter is that it may not filter out fine particles. This means some powder may sediment at the bottom of your carafe.
You might choose to replace this with a disposable paper filter instead.
Warranty
The Cuisinart DCC-3200P comes with a limited 3-year manufacturer’s warranty against defects and dlaws.
You however will need to arrange for your coffee maker to be shipped to Cuisinart for any repairs.
To avail of your warranty, register it soon after purchase at the Cuisinart website.
It’s Noisy
The Cuisinart DCC-3200 is not a quiet coffee machine.
It sputters, hisses and gurgles rather loudly. This may be enjoyable, if you like the idea of listening to your coffee brew.
Some coffee makers beep quite loudly to indicate your coffee is ready – but not the Cuisinart DCC-3200P.
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
Control Buttons
There are clearly labelled buttons that help you adjust the nature and quality of your coffee.
- A Power button turns your coffee maker on or off. An auto-off function is included as a safety measure.
- A Bold button switches from ‘regular’ to ‘strong’ brewing mode, so your coffee will taste richer and more robust.
- An Auto-On button lets you pre-program a specific time when you’d like brewing to begin.
- A final Brew button allows you to decide if you’ll brew a single cup – or an entire pot at the same time.
- A Clean button glows red when it is time to descale your Cuisinart 14-cup coffee maker.
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
Programmability
The Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker offers you the flexibility to program several functions.
You can set it up 24 hours in advance to brew your coffee at a specific time. This means you can wake up a freshly brewed steaming hot mug of your favorite beverage.
It’s easy to set this up.
- Add water to the reservoir.
- Insert the filter.
- Measure out your coffee grinds.
- Punch the ‘Program’ button.
- Enter the time you want to begin brewing.
The ‘Auto On’ button will glow blue, letting you know that the program is active.
At the programmed time, your coffee will begin brewing. When it’s ready, you’ll be notified with a pleasant pinging noise.
Cuisinart 14-Cup Coffee Maker Review
Ease of Use : How To Use The Cuisinart DCC-3200 14-Cup Coffee Maker
This Cuisinart 14-cup coffee maker is convenient and easy to use.
You can program it to begin brewing at a pre-scheduled time.
All you have to do is add a suitable amount of ground coffee into the permanent filter. You’ll need roughly a scoop for each cup of coffee you brew.
Then punch in the time, make sure your water reservoir has enough water, and you’re good to go.
At the end, you’ll be notified – and the brewer automatically turns itself off.
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
Cleaning Up & Maintenance
Cleaning up the Cuisinart DCC-3200 coffee maker is straightforward and easy.
Every day cleaning:
- Remove the coffee filter and empty it.
- Rinse the gold tone permanent filter and let it dry.
- It’s best to not use detergent or soap on it, as the flavor may be retained – and you’ll taste it in your coffee.
- The glass carafe and its lid can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
- Wipe down the housing with a damp cloth. Don’t use abrasive material that might scratch your Cuisinart coffee maker.
Deep cleaning/Descaling:
This is required once every 2 to 3 months, depending on how hard and impure the water used.
When the ‘Clean‘ button glows red, indicating it’s time to clean your machine, you should remove the charcoal filter.
Using a solution of 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar, fill the water reservoir. (You can use a citric acid cleaner instead.)
Press and hold down on the Clean button. It runs a cleaning program. At the end, run another full reservoir of water to rinse out the vinegar solution.
Replace the charcoal filter, and you’re ready to brew a new batch of coffee.
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
Our Verdict
The Cuisinart DCC-3200P 14-Cup Coffee Maker ranks as the best programmable coffee maker.
With a 14 cup capacity, easy to program convenience, charcoal water filter and elegant stainless steel construction, this is a coffee machine you’ll feel proud to display on your countertop.
It is available in a range of colors to match your decor. With a durable stainless steel casing and thousands of great reviews, this coffee maker is a well-deserved popular favorite.
The coffee it brews is delicious, strong, and hot. You can brew upto 14 cups at once, and even pre-program the time at which your machine should begin brewing.
The few drawbacks of the Cuisinart DCC-3200P include a breakable glass carafe and a tendency for the filter to overflow at times.
With options like brew strength control, brew pause, and pre-set brewing time, you’ll enjoy strong, tasty coffee on time every morning.
And you’ll get all these features at an attractively affordable price – that makes this great value for money.
Cuisinart DCC-3200P Coffee Maker Review
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does the Cuisinart DCC-3200P take paper filters?
The Cuisinart 14-cup coffee machine comes with a permanent gold-tone coffee filter that can be reused after washing. But you can also use paper filters with this machine.
2. Can vinegar be used to clean the Cuisinart DCC-3200P coffee maker?
Yes, you can use vinegar to remove sediment and scales from hard water. But it is best to dilute the vinegar in two parts of water to make up a homemade cleaning solution.
Pour this solution into the reservoir and then press the ‘Clean’ button to automatically run a cleaning cycle.
3. How to program the Cuisinart DCC-3200P coffee maker to brew at a certain time?
To ensure your coffee is freshly brewed at the time of your choice, program it in your Cuisinart DCC-3200P coffee machine.
By pressing the hour and minute buttons on the clock display, you can set the brewing time. Then push on the Prog/Auto On button, and an indicator glows to let you know it is activated.