Coffee is more than just a pick me up, it’s a ritual. But sometimes you don’t need a full pot. If you were the lone coffee drinker in your home or you just want a machine to make smaller amounts, you might be looking at Cuisinart Grind & Brew Single-Serve Coffeemaker. The unique proposition of this machine is that it can make one cup at a time in two ways; you can use prepackaged Keurig pods or fill the included adaptor with your own favourite coffee and make your cup that way.
Cuisinart Grind & Brew Single-Serve Coffeemaker
Summary
Overall I am surprised at how convenient this machine is. It would be most ideal for occasional coffee drinkers as opposed to those who are drinking a pot a day.
Pros
- Convenient to use
- Offers 2 brewing options
- Quiet brewing process
- 90 second brewing time
- Good coffee temperature
- 3 different cup size options
- 48oz water tank capacity
- Coffee grinder efficient & easy clean
Cons
- Grinder leaks some coffee grounds
- Water tank may need frequent refilling
- No room for large mugs
- Large footprint
In this review I’m going to take a look at what this machine is like to use, how it works, what the coffee is like and what you might need to know before picking it up for your kitchen. I’ll wrap things up with the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this coffee machine for you.
I’d like to thank Cuisinart for giving me a machine to review. Though they did provide it, they didn’t ask for nor receive permission to have any input into my review so you can consider these thoughts all mine.
Unboxing & Set-up
The Cuisinart Grind & Brew Single-Serve Coffeemaker is the only thing in the box. There are just two other components that come with it… a removable drip tray, which you’ll place under the spout, and hidden inside a side door is your reusable filter cup.
To get ready to brew you do have a couple of tasks: the machine comes with a water filter, which pops into a small compartment at the bottom of a long holder that sits in the bottom of the water tank. It needs replacement about every 60 days or so. Then, fill the 48 ounce/1.4L water reservoir.
Watch my full VIDEO review of Cuisinart Grind & Brew Single Serve
Cuisinart recommends you follow the instructions to run some hot water through the system in order to give it a rinse before your first use.
Let’s get to know the rest of the machine…
Next up you can fill the small coffee beans hopper with fresh coffee beans and clip the lid into place which will help keep it fresh.
Underneath the beans hopper is a small clip which is where you will place your reusable filter cup when you want to use it. The filter cup is a small K-cup style basket which you’ll fill with your own ground coffee. I’ll get to exactly how to use it and how it works in just a moment.
On the right hand side of the machine is the brewing head. Whether you use your own reusable K-cups, or you purchase Keurig pods, they will get placed under the lid here.
Up top is your control and info panel. This allows you to choose three different sizes of coffee; 8 ounce, 10 ounce or 12 ounce cups. You can also opt to grind your own coffee here and you’ll get alerted if your water tank is low.
Making coffee with Cuisinart Grind & Brew: Fresh Ground Beans
I’ll go over making coffee with your own ground beans and using a K-cup, and let’s start with the ground coffee option.
You’ll have a hot cup of Joe in less than a couple of minutes. Start by opening up your reusable pod and sliding it underneath the grinder. Touch the grind button and wait for it to do its thing. The machine will measure the appropriate amount and also the appropriate grind size. There does not appear to be any way to change either the measurement or the grind size.
When the cup is full slide it out and close the lid. You’ll need to remove the K cup adaptor from the brew head and then set the reusable pod inside, close the brew head and choose the size of coffee you want. An 8 ounce cup brews up in less than about 90 seconds, which I think is quite quick.
Coffee temperature
I measured the coffee temperature just after brewing at about 149°F/65°C. This is quite hot but not scald your tongue hot. You could call it hot but quickly drinkable.
I did notice a rather common feature of grinders like this and that is that you can expect a sprinkling of ground coffee to spill out of the device. Most of it gets captured in the drip tray and shouldn’t be a major problem.
Making coffee with Cuisinart Grind & Brew: Using Keurig K-Cups
Making coffee with K-cups is even quicker and easier. Ensure the K-cup adaptor is in the brew head, then drop in your Keurig pod and close the lid. Choose your coffee size and again this brews up in about 90 seconds.
It does seem like it takes a long time, and the coffee tends to dribble out rather slowly, but given the amount we are brewing here, I think it’s actually a perfectly reasonable length of time.
If for some reason you need to stop the brewing process at any time, just push the brew size button again.
Cleanup
The parts including the filter basket and drip tray can go in the dishwasher but are safe for the top rack only. You can also rinse or hand wash under running water.
Overall review: Cuisinart Grind & Brew Single-Serve
Overall I am surprised at how convenient this machine is. It would be most ideal for occasional coffee drinkers as opposed to those who are downing a pot a day. Let’s go over the pros and the cons of this machine so you can see if it might be right for you.
On the pro side it’s incredibly convenient, while at the same time offering two options for brewing; either your own preferred coffee beans or the convenience of a pre-portioned Keurig cup.
The brewing process is incredibly quiet ensuring that if anyone is still sleeping they’re not going to be bothered. A cup brews up in about 90 seconds or so which is a reasonable timeframe.
The coffee is hot by my standards and you have the option of brewing three different sizes. The water tank holds 48 ounces which will make about six 8 ounce cups before it needs refilling.
The Conical Burr grinder does a very good job of grinding coffee extremely well and to an even consistency. You can also take it apart for cleaning.
So what are the downsides? There’s not a lot of deal breakers for me as far as this machine is concerned. I think the biggest standouts for some coffee lovers might be the sprinkling of coffee grounds from the grinder or perhaps the fact that you might have to refill the water tank more often if you’re making larger portions. And on that note, if you did want to insert a large travel mug, there’s not really enough room for that. The footprint of the machine may also be a little on the large size given it’s only producing a single cup, but since Cuisinart has doubled the brewing methods here, the size is understandable.
In short I think this is a great single serve coffee maker that gives you great options whether you want convenient K-cups or your own grounds. I can absolutely recommend the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Single-Serve Coffeemaker to you.
It sells for about $200CAD/ $149USD and you can get it directly from Cuisinart or from several retailers including Amazon.
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