REASONS TO BUY
Built-in grinder
Easy to fill water tank
REASONS TO AVOID
Inconsistent grind size
Condensation builds in grinder
Difficult to brew
Cuisinart Grind & Brew 12-Cup Review
This machine combines two appliances into one convenient and stylish coffee maker
Credit: Cuisinart
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Our Verdict
The Cuisinart Grind & Brew 12-Cup is a rare model that offers the convenience of a built-in grinder. The concept of this coffee maker is great; however, there is room for improvement. Above all else, the Grind & Brew saves you counter space by combining two appliances into one. However, the grinder is very loud and produces an inconsistent grind size. Coffee beans easily spill into the water tank when filling the grinder. In order to use the Cuisinart Grind & Brew properly, all components must be clean and dry. Condensation on the inside of the grinder turns finer grinds into sludge. Check out how it compares against other machines in our best drip coffee maker review.
Our Analysis and Test Results
More than anything else, the convenience of a built-in grinder sets the Cuisinart Grind & Brew 12-Cup apart from the other coffee makers in this review. The Cuisinart Grind & Brew 12-Cup performed quite averagely overall — the subpar grinder being the main culprit. During brewing, condensation builds in the grinder, which we found to be problematic. The grinder can also only be used once per morning and must be air-dried after each use.
Performance Comparison
The Grind & Brew conveniently combines a coffee brewer and grinder into one machine.
Credit: Laura Casner
Brew Quailty
The Grind & Brew produces a good quality cup of coffee. Although, the brewing temperature is not adjustable on the Grind & Brew. There is no pre-infusion setting, but the spray head effectively distributes water evenly across the brew bed. Good water distribution gives the coffee a better chance of evenly saturating, contributing to better-tasting coffee.
The flat-bottomed reusable filters paired with the Cuisinart showerhead help produce an even extraction.
Credit: Laura Casner
User Friendliness
This brewer is simplistic but also provides an easy-to-use layout with different actions. The interface buttons are labeled well enough that there is not much of a need to reference the instruction manual. The Grind & Brew is programmable with a single-cup option, separate cleaning button, sneak-a-cup feature, and an adjustable automatic shut-off. The carafe is not insulated, but it has a nice lid that does not flap when pouring. The pour is not very smooth, though, and when pouring quickly, coffee comes out of the side of the lid opening.
This model has run-of-the-mill style ease of use.
Credit: Laura Casner
Ease of Cleaning
The Grind & Brew was less than ideal in our eyes when it comes to easy cleaning. The filter basket and cover, grinder basket and lid, and carafe are all dishwasher safe. The grinder must be washed after every use and you cannot add water to the unit once the grinder basket is removed. This coffee maker lost points because all components must be thoroughly cleaned in order to use the grinder.
The Grind & Brew components have little crevices that are difficult clean.
Credit: Laura Casner
Consistency
To gather data on consistency, we measured several gallons of coffee in a test of five back-to-back pots of coffee. Our team scanned the grounds of each batch of coffee to find different water distribution patterns. The temperature was measured for each and every pot to look for any significant deviation.
The Cuisinart Grind & Brew had poorer temperature consistency than any other coffee maker. From the first brew to the fifth, this brewer deviated by almost 5 degrees. Unfortunately, in our testing, the Grind & Brew does not reach the SCA Gold Cup Standard for brew temperature between 195 and 205 degrees. This model performed well in brew time testing, with only a one-second deviation between consecutive brewing.
For consistency testing, we consecutively brew five pots of coffee and measure water temperature, water distribution, and brew times of each cycle.
Credit: Laura Casner
Value
Coffee grinders and brewers can both be very expensive. The Grind & Brew is a good value for a coffee maker with both grinding and brewing capabilities. Although grinding coffee fresh before brewing is the best practice for a quality brew, this grinder does not produce an even grind size. A brew bed consisting of fines and boulders will not produce a balanced coffee. The Grind & Brew does not produce the quality we expect from a brewer at this price.
Conclusion
Despite all of the features on the Grind & Brew we were not impressed with the overall quality of the coffee. We found that the extra features did not improve the overall quality of the coffee. If you are looking for better cup quality at a comparable price, we recommend looking to our best coffee makers review.
—
Liz Nelson
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