Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Are Expensive Coffee Brewers Worth It?

What We Loved

• Build quality & durability
  Praised for hard-to-beat build; each unit has lasted six years in daily use.
• Carafe capacity
  Largest capacity—brews up to 14 cups.
• Control-panel clarity (buttons, dials, touchscreen)
  Simplest operation—press Bold then Brew and you’re done.
• Price
  Costs around $60—cheapest option by far.

Needs Improvement

• Brew-temperature accuracy
  Water hovered at 175 °F and rarely hit 195 °F, falling short of SCA spec.
• Ease of cleaning
  Narrow water chamber traps coffee residue, making cleanup difficult.
• Overall cup quality / flavor balance
  Brew tasted muddled and average—least desirable of the four.