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.

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.

Features and Benefits

You’ll love the way your new Cuisinart Classic 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker looks on your counter as it’s brewing 12 cups of fabulous coffee. The Cuisinart Classic 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker is a statement about how serious you are about your coffee – and your kitchen. Enjoy the full programmability, extreme ease of use, and great tasting coffee.

• Reservoir Cover: Flips back for easy filling.
• Water Reservoir: Open the cover by lifting it up. Pour the desired amount of water in the reservoir using step water level indicator located at the rear of the reservoir.
• Showerhead: Distributes water evenly over coffee, reducing temperature loss as water passes through grounds.
• Water Filter: Charcoal water filter eliminates chlorine, calcium and bad tastes or odors from tap water. Cuisinart recommends changing the water filter every 60 days or 60 uses ‒ or more often if you have hard water.
• Filter Basket: Holds a #4 paper filter or a permanent filter.
• LCD Digital Clock: Displays the time of day and set time for automatic functions.
• Function Knob: Used to initiate programming of automatic functions ‒ Auto On, Auto Off, Program, Clock and Brew. The Auto On feature is used to program the start time of the brew cycle. The Auto On can be set for any time, day or night. The PM indicator is displayed on the LCD for nighttime program times. The Auto Off feature is used to shut off the coffeemaker at a preset time, anywhere from 0 to 4 hours. Note: To program the coffeemaker to shut off automatically, read the instructions included in the Instruction Manual under 'To program the Variable Auto Off'
• 1-4 Cup Setting: For brewing smaller pots of coffee. It provides double heating of the water, so coffee is piping hot.
• Clean Setting: Tells you when it’s time to clean your coffeemaker. Remove built-up calcification from the water reservoir, to help extend the life of your coffeemaker.
• Brew Pause: Stops flow of coffee from basket when carafe is removed (30 seconds max) from the heater plate, so a cup can be poured in mid-brew. Since the flavor extraction rate varies during the brew cycle, we recommend allowing the brewing cycle to finish before pouring the coffee. The coffee brewed at the beginning of the cycle has a flavor profile which is very different from the flavor at the end of the cycle. Once the coffee has finished brewing, stir it before serving to blend the flavors. The coffee at the bottom of the carafe will be somewhat stronger than the coffee at the top.
• Carafe: The easy pour, no drip, 12-cup glass carafe has an ergonomic handle and brewed coffee markings for two to twelve cups.
• Heating Plate: Scratch resistant with black, nonstick coating.
• Ready Tone: Signals the end of the brew cycle with five beeps (coffee will continue to stream from the filter for a few seconds after the tone).
• Power Loss Back-up System: One-minute protection in case of power fails, breaker trips, or unit is unplugged. It holds all programmed information, including the time of day, auto on time and auto off time.
• Cord Storage