Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 Review

What the reviewers like:
Reviews say the Cuisinart Brew Central makes great-tasting coffee, and owners like the feature set, which includes a small-batch setting, programmable timer and an adjustable-temperature hot plate. The majority of owners say that it's a great, reliable coffee maker and agree that the Cuisinart DCC-1200 is well worth the price premium over a basic $30 coffee maker. Owners also like the retro look of the Brew Central.

What the reviewers don't like:
We didn't find many consistent problems noted about the Cuisinart Brew Central, which gets generally excellent reviews. A few owners wish there were a water-level gauge instead of having to look inside to see the water level. We also read a few complaints from owners who say the coffee isn't hot enough -- but this is a sporadic complaint about all automatic-drip coffee makers, not just the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200.

Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 review highlights

The Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 is the best standard automatic-drip coffee maker in its price range. Reviews say it's worth the extra money over a basic $30 coffee maker, due to its durability, excellent coffee and features. These include a small-batch setting and an adjustable-temperature hot plate. Owners say the Brew Central's coffee tastes great and that the nice-looking Cuisinart coffee maker is easy to clean. It also comes with an unusual three-year warranty.

Although the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 coffee maker is included in a comparison review of about 35 coffee makers at Consumer Reports, we found the best reviews for the Cuisinart coffee maker at Amazon.com, where nearly 500 people have written reviews for the Brew Central. 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 range.

Also see full report: Coffee Makers

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Amazon.com
Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central ratings
Contributors to Amazon.com

There are practically 500 owner-written reviews on Amazon.com for the Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central coffee maker. Cumulatively, the Cuisinart coffee maker gets an overall rating of four stars (out of five). Satisfied owners like the sleek look, adjustable warming plate, small-batch setting and programming features. Most say the Cuisinart Brew Central is a great coffee maker for the money. Scattered complaints include coffee temperature and general durability.

2. Consumer Reports
Coffeemakers
Editors of Consumer Reports
Jan. 2007

Consumer Reports' latest review of coffee makers covers 34 drip coffee makers, including the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200. Models are rated on convenience, brewing ability and carafe design. However, there's no rating for coffee taste, nor are there notes on the temperature of the coffee.

3. Cooking.com
Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 reviews
Contributors to Cooking.com

Cooking.com is a retailer site that allows visitors to post product reviews. There are over 75 reviews here for the Cuisinart Brew Central coffee maker, and overall, this model gets a high cumulative rating of 4.5 (out of five). Owners say that the coffee tastes great and tend to agree that the Brew Central looks nice on the countertop. A small number of minor issues are mentioned. A few owners wish there were an external water-level gauge, and some say the reservoir opening is a bit small.

4. CoffeeGeek.com
Cuisinart Brew Central reviews
Contributors to CoffeeGeek.com

CoffeeGeek.com attracts an enthusiast coffee crowd. The focus of the editorial reviews on this site is on espresso, but there's a large section of owner reviews for drip coffee makers. About 40 owners have left comments for the Cuisinart Brew Central, where it gets the highest ratings for a drip coffee maker in its price range. Owners like its retro look and the taste of the coffee. A few people think the coffee isn't hot enough, but overall, reviews are very good.

5. Epinions
Cuisinart Brew Central reviews
Contributors to Epinions

At the time of our visit, there were not yet any reviews posted for the Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central coffee maker, but there might be in the future.

Also see full report: Coffee Makers

Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 Review