Cuisinart Coffee On Demand

12 Cup Coffee Maker Programmable DCC-2000

Posted by Dan

The idea of brewing coffee into a dispenser, then drawing it off into a cup is certainly not a new one. In fact the method is older than the coffeepot. (See coffee urn.) Still, this style of coffeemaker is all the rage lately with java junkies.

The Cuisinart Coffee-on-Demand has the features necessary to replace your oh so passe carafe coffeemaker. It has a 12-cup capacity heated reservoir with a dual layer wall meant to keep the coffee from getting that burnt flavor after brewing. There is a 24 hour programmable timer and clock, and a coffee gauge to keep track of how many cups remain in the unit.

No breakable carafe is a plus, however if you ever fill up a travel mug in the morning like I do, you'll have to fill up a cup and pour it from there as tall mugs will not fit underneath the dispenser. For me that's a deal breaker already. The unit is not unattractive, in a brushed steel robot-head sort of way. For the novelty alone this would be a fun alternative coffeemaker to use. You have to supply your own vessel to fill it with water, since of course... There Is No Carafe.

There have been quite a few complaints concerning the longevity of the electronic components on this machine. Some folks have just had it quit on them after a period of months, and this sounds like a problem that Cuisinart is aware of, as they have replaced many of these no questions asked. As often happens the machine is quietly upgraded and newer models lack the problems of earlier versions. Just be aware.