Cuisinart DCC-3000FR 12 cup 12 Cup CoffeeMaker Chro (Open Box)

Being an old fogey of Norwegian descent gives me a pragmatic perspective ‘grounded’ in lots of coffee making experience. In other words, let us bear in mind that this is a drip coffee maker. It is what it is. All but the earliest model drip coffee makers I have owned had some sort of auto shutoff or valve feature that allows you to stop the flow of coffee while you pour one cup. But, look out if any grounds ever get into that valve! My old Mr. Coffee would clog at that point, and eight cups of grounds and water would overflow out the top of the filter basket, then all over the counter and onto the floor. I like to use paper filters for the convenience of being able to just grab out the filter and toss it in the trash, rather than cleaning out a permanent gold filter. I learned a long time ago that I had to use a filter in a filter. That way, when the paper filter fails, collapses in on itself with grounds overflowing, the grounds get caught in the gold filter and cannot reach the valve. I also keep an eye on the valve to make sure it is clear of grounds. Speaking of the filter basket, this 12 cup model takes the same size filter as an 8 cup coffee maker, so my advice is to be wary of overfilling it. If you want stronger coffee, use a finer grind or darker roast, or use the 1-4 cup setting, which DOES noticeably strengthen your coffee. But when you buy a machine that uses ground coffee, you have to commit to keeping that valve clear. If you don’t, it’s ‘game over.’ If you can’t be bothered with keeping the valve clear, buy a Kerig. The filter-in-a-filter is my backup method. And given all the complaints about leaks from the dispensing end of this machine, I also have a backup for my backup. My machine is sitting inside a 13 x 9 cake pan. Although it has not happened yet, I am not willing to risk a flood in my office, which is where this machine lives. As for that other common complaint about the cord being too short, I have the impression that these machines have been sold with a variety of cords. Mine came with a 2-foot long non-retractable cord; I have read many complaints about machines with only a 2-inch cord; and I watched a video that showed a retractable cord being deployed. I also have the strong impression that the ‘refurbishment process’ consists of cleaning the machine and installing a longer cord, although I have no proof of this. Despite the nice 2-foot cord, I did buy a surge protector for the machine to address another potential problem, that of damage to the internal brain from power bumps. Several of the reviews complained of behavioral whackiness that seemed to me like symptoms of surge-damaged circuitry. The machine is programmable. It can be damaged by a power surge. It is what it is. Negatives: The beeping. It’s like, “Dude, I know I made coffee. Stop freakin’ beeping at me!” I hate having stuff beep at me, and this thing beeps five times. Although the brewing process itself is very quiet, maybe half as loud as my old Mr. Coffee drip machine, the beeper is the reason I moved the machine into my home office where it would be farther away from the room where my husband sleeps. If anyone in the business of engineering coffee makers is listening, PLEASE give us the option of turning off the freakin’ beeper! Not everyone in a household gets out of bed at the same time. I use 1/4 cup of ground coffee and the 1-4 cup setting to get strength comparable to my old Mr. Coffee drip machine. So this new machine uses about 25% more ground coffee than my old one. I did encounter another defect that I saw mentioned elsewhere. The ‘fuel guage’ coffee tank indicator is garbage. It worked for the first two batches I made, but now is stuck on ‘full.’ Tapping and shaking will not jar it loose. Since you cannot see the internal container, it is frustrating to not be able to see how much coffee is left. One star for the unique design and dispensing function; one for the long 4-hour keep warm option; and one for many enjoyable features like the adequate cord, 12-cup capacity, shower head, and programmability. If I could turn off the beeper and if the ‘fuel gauge’ functioned, I would have given it five stars.