Coffee Crisis (Coffee Maker Reviews)

I had a run of bad luck with my coffee last year. Last week I shared my Starbucks saga (if you use one of their travel mugs, you’ll want to check out my post), and today I’m going to tell you how Cuisinart let me down, and share my recent coffee maker reviews.

coffee maker reviews
We fell in love with the Cuisinart grind-and-brew coffee maker that brews directly into a thermal carafe years ago. I always hated the smell of coffee that’s been sitting on a hot plate for too long, and the Cuisinart eliminated that problem, because there is no hot plate. While the “grind” feature wasn’t reliable (after a few uses it became impossible to remove the grinding apparatus for cleaning), the coffee maker brewed excellent coffee, and the carafe kept it hot and drinkable for hours.

Just before Thanksgiving, I noticed a puddle of water around the coffee maker. First I thought that I had spilled water while filling the reservoir, but when there was another puddle the next day, I realized it was leaking. When my husband declared that he couldn’t fix it, I went shopping on Amazon to order a replacement, but looked for a brew-only model since we had gotten used to doing without the grind feature. I was surprised when I saw negative customer reviews for the Cuisinart coffee makers, but they didn’t stop me from ordering this model since it looked like the one we had loved, minus the grinder. 

Cuisinart Coffee Maker Reviews

When it arrived two days later, I was excited to give it a try, and brewed up a pot of decaf after work. That tasted fine, as did the small pot I made before work the next day, but when I made a larger pot over the weekend, it was disappointing. The coffee just wasn’t that hot. A friend who had just gotten the same coffee maker noted that the coffee sits on a hot plate. I hadn’t noticed that–and it seemed silly with a thermal carafe–but when I made the next pot of coffee I confirmed that the base plate was HOT. I think that proves that Cuisinart downgraded quality with this model. A truly insulated thermal carafe would not need–or benefit from–sitting on a hot plate, because the heat wouldn’t get through to the coffee inside! Then I compared the carafe from my old coffee maker to the new one, and found that the new one was noticeably lighter. Rats!

I tried a few tricks to make the coffee hotter–rinsing the carafe with hot water before using it, using the old carafe instead of the new one, choosing the 1-4 cup cycle so the water would be subject to extra heating before brewing–but when even my husband thought the coffee wasn’t hot enough, I knew I was going to have to return my new coffee maker, and write my own negative review.

I did some internet searching in case there was a better Cuisinart model that Amazon wasn’t showing me, to no avail. I did more searching for a different brand that brewed into a thermal carafe, focusing on reviews about HOT coffee. After a few different sites had positive Bonavita coffee maker reviews, I read through all the comments on Amazon and clicked “buy now” on this model:

Bonavita Coffee Maker Reviews

(If you need a new coffee maker, please use my Amazon affiliate link
to check out the Bonavita 8-Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe here)

The Bonavita is simpler than the Cuisinart, with no clock or timer feature. It is easier to fill the reservoir, but the filter base fits right into the opening of the carafe, so you have to wait until it’s done brewing to grab that first cup. That’s not a big problem, but it doesn’t beep when it’s done, so the only way to know it’s ready is to confirm that the reservoir is empty and then carefully slide the pot out to make sure all the water has filtered through. The coffee doesn’t pour well without the lid, so I quickly replace the filter with the lid and then pour myself a piping hot cup of coffee. While I wish the Bonavita brewed into a lidded carafe like the Cuisinart does, and wish it beeped when it was done, I am pretty happy with my new coffee maker!

[Tweet “#Coffee Maker Reviews – Cuisinart versus Bonavita”]

Do you have a coffee maker you love?

Have you had a company downgrade or discontinue a favorite product?

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16 Responses to Coffee Crisis (Coffee Maker Reviews)

  1. Carla says:

    Im not allowed to comment here as I LOVE (when I need to love) HOT SINK WATER AND MY JAVA TUBE 🙂

  2. Lisa says:

    At work I have a mini coffemaker ( Black n’ Decker brew n go) that I love. I got it because I was spending so much money at Starbucks etc. It has saved me so much money!

    Then for a wedding present we got a Keurig that I have at home. Since I’m a “one cup a day” drinker both of these options work great for me. I love the Keurig! It’s so easy and it’s always hot enough.

  3. I am a Keurig 2.0 fan. So glad that you got all of this coffee mess figured out. A girl needs her coffee!

  4. I am a K cup girl since it is just me.
    Super fast, grab my cup and go.

  5. Kim says:

    I don’t drink coffee but my husband loves it. He has a Cuisinart that doesn’t have a carafe. I like that it is self contained and no need for a messy carafe. This is actually his 2nd one in the past 8 years or so. Safe to say he like it!!!

  6. Coffee that isn’t hot enough is evil. I’m still happy with my Keurig – although I do warm it up often. But, I make one cup at a time.

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  8. Oh. Such a great review.You have the way to make different review ways.
    Thank you

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  11. Lynn Matis says:

    Coffee grinding process is one of the important part of makes a best cup of coffee. I used Keurig last 2 years and satisfied their service.

  12. Coffee grinding + Coffee maker + patience = a perfect cup of coffee. I’ve been using Cuisinart and ninja coffee maker and the experience has been great.

  13. Jame says:

    Good reviews, i have ninja coffee maker at home, my experience with this coffee maker is really good, good taste and it can substitute coffee at shop.

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