The Cuisinart DCC-1100 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

This classically designed coffeemaker is accented with stainless steel for a look that is sure to enhance your countertop. The 12-cup carafe features an ergonomic handle, dripless spout and knuckle guard for comfortable, drip-free pouring. Fully automatic, the DCC-1100 has 24-hour programmability and 1-4 cup setting for those times when you don€t need a full cup of coffee. The Brew Pause feature lets you pour a cup before brewing is completed, while the gold tone coffee filter and charcoal water filter ensure fresh, delicious tasting coffee.

The Quest for a Perfect Cup of Coffee

It is generally agreed that there are four basic elements critical to the perfect cup:

Element 1. Water
Coffee is 98% water. Often overlooked, the quality of the water is as important as the quality of the coffee. A good rule of thumb is that if your water doesn't taste good from the tap, it won't taste any better in your coffee. That's why Cuisinart has added a water filter to the Cuisinart Classic 12-cup programmable coffeemaker. The charcoal water filter removes chlorine, bad tastes and odors, for the purest cup of coffee every time.

The Perfect Cup of Coffee

Element 2. Coffee
While the bulk of the liquid is water, all of the flavor should be from the coffee. To achieve the same great quality of coffee you receive at a coffee bar, you need to use the same quality beans. Buy the beans fresh and whole, only about a two weeks' supply at a time for maximum freshness. Once the coffee bean is broken, its flavor degrades very quickly. If it is not practical to buy small supplies, we recommend you separate larger amounts of beans into one to two week portions immediately after purchase, and freeze them in airtight containers. The best way to maximize freshness is to minimize exposure to air, light and moisture. So, once removed from the freezer, beans should be maintained in a sealed container at room temperature, since damaging condensation occurs every time the beans are removed from the freezer or refrigerator. Note that some coffee experts advise against freezing dark-roast beans, because freezing can cause the oils to coagulate. Other experts disagree. We suggest you experiment and decide yourself.

Element 3. Grind
The grind of the coffee is critical for proper flavor extraction. If the grind is too fine, over extraction and bitterness will result. Too fine a grind may also clog the filter. If the grind is too coarse, the water will pass through too quickly and the desired flavors will not be extracted. A medium-fine grind is recommended.

Element 4. Proportion
The cups on the Cuisinart coffeemaker measure 5 ounces. Add the amount of ground coffee that corresponds to the number of cups being brewed. Many coffee bars and the Specialty Coffee Association of America recommend adding 2 rounded tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounces of water. Some coffee manufactures recommend using 1 tablespoon per cup. Cuisinart recommends using 1 tablespoon of ground coffee per cup, but use more or less to suit your taste. Note: the maximum capacity for ground coffee is 15 tablespoons for the 12-cup coffeemaker. Exceeding this amount may cause overflow if the coffee is too finely ground.