Coffee Maker Review

My New Cuisinart DGB-300 10-Cup Coffee Maker

I received, I think, one of the best Christmas presents ever this past year when my family gave me the Cuisinart DGB-300 10-Cup Coffee Maker. I recently started drinking coffee, in the past couple of years, and I was having a difficult time finding the right coffee maker for me. I had been reading and reading about how to make a good cup of coffee and it seemed like what I needed to do was to move toward a cone filter compatible coffee maker but, I had already put so much money into buying coffee makers (that I ended up giving away) I knew I had to wait and save up a bit.

Low and behold, under the tree Santa had brought me a Cuisinart DGB-300 10-Cup Coffee Maker. I was shocked because, even though it is one of the cheapest makes for all it does, it is still not cheap. I was ecstatic though because my new Cuisinart DGB-300 did not just make coffee, it ground the beans, had a built in coffee bar flavor system, used the cone filters like I had been reading about, included a timer, and last but not least it had temperature controls.

I can't say how glad I was to give my paper filters away. My new Cuisinart DGB-300 has what is called a "Gold Filter" which means it is a reusable, washable filter that you never throw away.

One downfall to the maker was that I couldn't just jump up and make a cup of coffee. The machine is complex and I had to read the instructions first. There is an old saying that goes something like this, "anything worth doing is worth doing well", and this is true for the Cuisinart DGB-300. Making a good cup of coffee means following the instructions closely so you get the caliber of taste you want.

The coffee maker is complex and has many parts and gizmos. It is also large and takes up a lot of counter space. It stands 14.75 inches, is 11.5 inches wide, and is 12 inches in length. It may not actually fit under some counters, so be sure to measure yours before taking the plunge and dropping around $150 on the maker.

One of the biggest downers for me is how much time it takes to clean the machine. You have to take it pretty much apart to be able to clean all of its parts. I am also not crazy about the permanent Gold Filter as it always holds a little residual coffee grounds that do get into the next batch of coffee. I am thinking about using a disposable cone filter again in the God Filter just to see how the coffee tastes.

Even though I mention these two issues with the coffee maker, I love it and would not change makers. The coffee I drink now is smoother and more refreshing than any I have made in the past. So, instead of being a pessimist, I say you need to take a little bad with the good and the excellent coffee makes up for the cleaning and residue.