Product Review: Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Makers

All of the Cuisinart Grind & Brew coffee makers have a fatal flaw: they are impossible to clean. The newest models are black, which makes the crud harder to see, but it's there. The problem is not the grinder and the coffee basket, which only take a few moments to hand wash. It's the rest of the machine! It's only sleek on the outside. Inside, there are crevices, nooks, crannies, and teensy little places that fill up with bits of finely ground coffee.

Here's the worst problem: The grinder gets wet when rising steam from the hot water going through the grounds in the basket condenses inside the grinder. Then a varnish-like coffee sludge made of the ultra-fine coffee dust in the grinder dribbles down behind the carafe and onto the heater. I like the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, but scorched coffee sludge is revolting.

Any gardener will tell you that coffee grounds are great in compost heaps because they provide nutrients for the assorted molds and bacteria that break down garden waste into "compost". The Cuisinart Grind & Brew coffee makers, unfortunately, provide that same environment inside the coffee maker. The moist crevices filled with coffee dust are fantabulous places for common household molds to grow. I can't spray it with any cleaners because it might ruin the electronics, and I can't reach some of the crevices. Is that a big "yuck factor" or what?

Despite the complex interlocks the Cuisinart engineers devised to keep me from grinding my fingers, their coffee maker needs supervision during brewing. Coffee particles build up in the uncleanable areas of the latches and interlocks. Occasionally, to make your mornings exciting, the latch fails and the basket holder pops open during the grinding cycle, letting the grinder spew coffee particles all over the kitchen. Sometimes the basket holder pops open during the brew cycle and scalding coffee dribbles onto the countertop and floor. If you move fast and slam the basket shut it's less mess to clean up.