For Brewing Coffee, One Drip Coffee Maker Stands Above The Rest
As the coffee scene grows ever vaster, and more and more options become available to consumers, drip coffee makers can easily feel like the neglected child of the coffee world — frequently ignored as they sit uneasily between more sophisticated models and quirky new methods.
But there is a reason drip coffee makers are still big sellers: they are great at producing consistently good coffee for groups of people without a lot of fuss or hands-on effort. When crafting coffee to individual preferences is not a realistic option — after all, people have to wake up before they can start work as baristas — the drip coffee maker comes to the rescue, making coffee for a crowd without making you babysit it. Creamer, sugar, and other additions to your morning brew can do their thing once the coffee is made, but first: Must. Have. Coffee!
Some of the differences in drip coffee quality are due to the coffee itself or the ratio of water to grinds: there are a number of factors that contribute to coffee's unique flavor. But certain elements are the result of the mechanism — not all coffee makers are created equal. Just because you want a lot of hot coffee quickly doesn't mean you should have to sacrifice taste. And when searching for the best drip coffee maker on the market, there's one that seems to stand out from the crowd.
And the winner is...
The drip coffee maker in question is Cuisinart's 14-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker DCC-3200. The company's coffeemakers have appeared on many "best" lists. Consumer Reports called the model "excellent" in both brew performance and convenience. Home Grounds named it "Best Value" of the makers they tested, and both the Food Network and the Spruce Eats rated it "Best Overall" in their guides to drip coffeemakers.
Cuisinart's DCC-3200 model features a number of conveniences: a timer lets you pre-program your coffee so that it's ready for you when you wake up (hello, smell of coffee wafting to your bedroom!); coffee stays warm for two hours after brewing so there's no need to microwave (or toss out burnt coffee); you can adjust the settings to make stronger (bold) coffee without adjusting the grinds used; plus, there is an additional option that adjusts for brewing smaller pots of coffee so you don't have to sacrifice flavor when you cut back on your consumption. While testers complained that the water reservoir is a bit hard to fill, that minor negative was outweighed by the numerous positives: It was a winner in the effort-to-satisfaction department.