Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200

The Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 is the best standard coffee maker, according to reviews. Critics say this automatic-drip machine is much better than a basic, low-priced coffee maker, thanks to its durability, excellent coffee and features, which include a small-batch setting, a programmable timer and an adjustable-temperature hot plate. Owners say the nice-looking Cuisinart Brew Central is easy to clean. It also comes with an unusually long three-year warranty. Coffee connoisseurs might want to consider the Newco OCS-8 (*est. $140), which makes exceptional coffee and is one of the small number of home machines that can brew at the optimal temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The OCS-8 has a thermal carafe, which does a great job of preserving the temperature and flavor of brewed coffee.

Although the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 coffee maker is included in a comparison review of about 30 coffee makers at Consumer Reports, we found the most informative reviews for this Cuisinart coffee maker at Amazon.com, where more than 800 people have posted comments about it. We found another hundred reviews at Cooking.com and CoffeeGeek.com, where the Cuisinart DCC-1200 is one of the highest-rated coffee makers in its price class.