Cuisinart® 14-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker (DCC-3200) Review

Product Background

The Cuisinart®14-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker (DCC-3200) benefits from decades of Cuisinart's coffeemaker experience. It comes with all the conveniences that one could want in a home brewer including an automatic start, strength control settings, a built-in water filter, a brew stop, an indicator light for timely decalcification, an adjustable heating plate, and an automatic off. It comes with a permanent Gold Tone coffee filter, but you can also use a #4 paper filter if you prefer.

The DCC-3200 during the brew cycle.

Credit: Mary Griffin

ProductReportCard Editors' In-Depth Review

Specifications

Performance Comparison

The Cuisinart® 14-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker utilizes automatic drip brew technology. You can choose your brew strength and that automatically alters the timing of the brewing process. The machine has a built-in charcoal water filter to remove impurities and chlorine before the brewing process begins. Cuisinart customer service says the brew temperature is 185°F+, and we verified the brew temp at 195°F. It took the machine 13 minutes until it beeped, indicating that the brew cycle was complete. The temperature of the coffee in the carafe directly after brewing was 181°F, and after sitting for an hour at the medium warming plate temperature, it was 176°F.

The Cuisinart 14-Cup reached an ideal brewing temperature of 195°F.

Credit: Mary Griffin

We were concerned with the amount of sediment in the bottom of the carafe after brewing a full pot with the recommended 14 level scoops of coffee (65 grams) in the permanent Gold Tone filter. If you want to avoid significant residue and sediment, and still brew a full carafe, we recommend that you use a paper filter.

We found significant sediment accumulation when we used the Gold Tone filter.

Credit: Mary Griffin

The Cuisinart DCC-3200 did not perform well in our blind coffee taste test. We asked 31 coffee drinkers to rank samples of black coffee on overall taste, flavor, body, acidity, and color. The Cuisinart came in 10th out of 10. It scored very low in both body and color, and simply didn't stand out in any category. To learn more about how we tested the DCC-3200 against other coffee makers, please read our How We Test section.

The end result!

Credit: Mary Griffin

We felt that this Cuisinart model was constructed with average quality materials, but that it was still pretty solid for this price point. The carafe is hard to get the last splashes of coffee (or water) out of, but it was easy to pour.

The DCC-3200 is straightforward to set up and to clean up. Occasionally, we found coffee grounds splashed up on the sprayhead, but otherwise, cleaning is a breeze. The carafe and other removable parts are top-rack dishwasher safe.

There are no shortage of functions on the Cuisinart DCC-3200. You can choose everything from your preferred brew strength (regular or bold) to when you would like your hot pot of coffee brewed. With automatic brew time control, plus automatic shut off, this coffeemaker is convenient. Although we prefer a thermal carafe system, we thought that this design was unique because you could choose a warming plate temperature setting. If you are looking for a hot cup of coffee ready when you wake, this machine is capable of delivering.

This Cuisinart model is highly programmable and it also includes a built-in charcoal water filter.

Credit: Mary Griffin

The Cuisinart 14-Cup Coffeemaker is a great choice for a highly programmable machine that offers a large capacity. It's also best for coffee drinkers who prefer the classic glass carafe and warming plate system.

This Cuisinart model retails for $100. We think the 3-year limited warranty is great, especially at this price point. We find that this is a good value for someone interested in a highly programmable machine with a classic design.

The Cuisinart DCC-3200 was not one of our award winners in terms of coffee taste or quality. However, we did like that this coffeemaker is highly programmable and incredibly convenient. We like waking up to a pot of hot coffee, and we find that this machine is well thought out, especially for $100. It's worth a look if you are interested in decent brew temperatures, large capacity, and the convenience of a programmable unit. In addition, the price and warranty are hard to beat. For more information about our award winners, please check out our Coffee Maker Overview.

Mr. Coffee® Optimal Brew™ 10-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker BVMC-PSTX91

• $100
• Best Buy Award Winner
• Programmable

BUNN Velocity Brew NHS

• $130
• On Demand Brewing
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Kenmore 12-Cup Programmable Aroma Control Coffee Maker 367101

• $50
• Programmable
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