Her writing has appeared in Vox, The Cut, Buzzfeed, and Runner’s World, among other publications. Despite her expertise as a barista and a coffee editor, her husband is the one who brews their morning cups. The plastic hinges on the Hamilton Beach 40880’s lid are one of its biggest drawbacks. Other models, including our top pick, the Cuisinart CPK-17, have metal hinges that seem more durable.
It’s easy to avoid this situation, though, since the water-level window lets you see when water is getting low. We recommend the inexpensive Hamilton Beach Stainless Steel 1.7 Liter Kettle for anyone who’d prefer not to break the bank but wants a decent kettle for boiling water. This model is very straightforward to operate, with a simple on/off switch at the base of the handle. The large, heat-safe handle stays cool, and the spout doesn’t dribble when you’re pouring. The glass carafe has an ergonomic handle, dripless spout and knuckle guard, and the machine comes with a gold-tone filter, measuring scoop and paper coffee starter kit.
It seems that across brands, a certain small percentage of kettles will just break within a year or two. Though anecdotally, the ones we’ve long-term tested have lasted years. Another standout feature of the Cuisinart CPK-17 is its limited three-year warranty, which is substantially Cuisinart Coffee better than what you get with all of the other models we tested in this price range. (Most come with only a year of coverage.) Considering that constantly boiling water can be rough on a gadget, having triple the warranty coverage of the rest of the pack is impressive.
Like the SS-15P1, it has a 12-cup glass carafe with a heating plate and reusable gold tone mesh filter. The $218.49 Cuisinart SS-20P1 is the stainless steel thermal carafe version of the SS-15P1, the focus of my Cuisinart Coffee Center review. There’s not a whole lot of difference between the two models, aside from the fact that the carafe is not made of glass. There’s a built-in energy save mode on the single serve coffee maker side, which will dim the lights after 30 minutes of being idle, kind of like when your computer goes into sleep mode.
And it automatically shuts off after 30 minutes, another energy saver. In case you’re wondering, I’d prioritize temperature adjustment features, and brew strengths customizability. And perhaps quality filters for an automatic coffee maker. I prefer a thermal Cuisinart Coffee carafe to a heating plate when it comes to keeping my coffee hot. There’s just less over-extraction overall since the coffee slowly cools even in an insulated carafe. The DGB 900BC is Cuisinart’s answer to a premium thermal grind and brew coffee machine.
If you ever want to use pre-ground coffee, you have the option to turn the grinder off. The carafe can keep coffee hot for up to an hour (there’s no warming plate), and it comes with a secure travel lid if you want to bring it with you on the go. While it doesn’t have customizable settings like the Cuisinart, this cult-favorite machine is pretty effortless and arguably makes the best-tasting drip coffee you can get at home.
Remember to start with the ratio, one tablespoon of beans to one cup of coffee. You can always add more or less depending on how strong you want your coffee. If you’re like me, you probably struggle to wake up, so you need a cup of joe. Depending on what brewing method you use, this can take 30 seconds or 10 minutes. Incidentally, I started out using six scoops of medium ground coffee for a six-cup carafe.
The Cuisinart SS-15 Maker Coffee Center is designed to give you lots of choices with just one machine. For those days when you need a single cup to wake you up before you drive the kids to school, there’s a single-cup brewer that works with K-cups or your own reusable coffee filter. You even have your choice of 3 different cup sizes so you can down a small dose at home or take a travel mug with you. This Cuisinart can also deliver a 12-cup carafe that’s great for when you’re hosting a weekend brunch or book club meeting. With this machine, you get both a reusable coffee filter to save you the bother and expense of buying paper ones and a water filter to improve the taste of tap water.