Cuisinart PurePrecision CPO-850 8-Cup Coffee Maker – Stainless Steel

I want to start this review by stating that I haven’t used a drip coffee maker in years. I am what people describe as a “coffee snob.” I grew up drinking the traditional Mr. Coffee-style drip brew that my parents were happy with and wasn’t happy with the plastic taste and lack of flavor that came with each cup, even though they always bought the “really nice” models. I can’t stand drinking coffee from restaurants or even mainstream coffee shops, as they still lack the flavor and taste that I want with my coffee. I’m also less than impressed with Keurig coffee and other single-serve brewing systems. For years, as a result of these tastes, I initially made pour-over coffee, then transitioned to the French press method as the best, richest, and full-bodied coffee that I’ve ever had, and I only use certain brands/types of coffee. It’s one of the few things I splurge on.Then I bought a house with a septic and no garbage disposal. And my coffee grounds became a Big Problem with my husband due to concerns about clogging the system – which is valid – not to mention that now we have room for guests, running out to Dunkin Donuts to get a box of coffee for them has become inconvenient, since people don’t want to wait 15 minutes for me to slowly brew them cups of coffee. All things considered, I decided I had to finally bite the bullet and procure an automatic coffee maker.I did a lot of research on the SCAA approved coffee makers since I didn’t want to compromise my taste. After reading about how the heart-attack-inducingly-expensive Technivorm requires “stirring the grinds” in order for even water dispersal (I mean, who wants to babysit the coffee if you’re getting an automatic machine? For me that totally defeats the point), I turned my attention to the second best recommended coffee maker that was far more affordable, the Bonavita. I saved up and purchased one only to find that it felt flimsy and the carafe leaked buckets, retaining liquid inside the upper lid, no matter what I did. Back to the drawing board.I looked at all of the other SCAA certified coffee makers and kept coming back to this Cuisinart PurePrecision Pour Over brewer. It looked very new, was a fairly reasonable price, and the top reviewer notes that he has compared it to the other certified coffee makers and prefers it, which gave me some reassurance. I had a bit of trepidation since there wasn’t a lot of feedback or reviews online since this model is so relatively new, but decided I would give it a shot.The design is very sleek. It looks great in our kitchen – my husband, who doesn’t drink coffee, even commented that it has become a statement piece on our counter. (Photo attached; glass foggy as it was just cleaned with hot water.) The coffee maker looks and feels sturdy, with an impressive display and simple controls that make programming it easy. You set the auto-on time and can also set an auto-off time for the heating pad beneath the glass carafe. I found it interesting that the device comes with a charcoal filter designed to improve the water’s taste should the owner not utilize a water filter on their own. As I use ZeroWater filter pitchers, I probably will not replace the filter when the time comes as I consider it unnecessary.Since other reviewers noted that the steel carafe has leaking issues, as well as the Bonavita I had tried, I chose the glass carafe. I don’t care about heat retention because I pour my coffee immediately into my Zojirushi thermos and go to work in the morning, which keeps the coffee piping hot. What matters to me is whether or not the carafe leaks when I pour from it. And this one does not. If heat retention is a concern, increasing the amount of time prior to the auto-off is probably good idea. I can say that the coffee brewed by this machine is as hot as when I boil water to French press, and I’ve been satisfied by the temperature.As I am the sole coffee drinker in my household, I make about 4 cups and use 2 scoops of coffee per cup. While this is below the recommended flavor amount for the machine (Cuisinart recommends making at least 6 cups for best flavor), I still thoroughly enjoy the coffee made. It is strong and full-bodied, rich. I have used up to coarse coffee and have no problems with it. The one thing I will note – there is almost an imperceptible burr to the flavor of the coffee with this coffee maker that is not there, is smoother, when it is prepared with the French press method, but it is so negligible a difference that it can be overlooked in favor of the time savings and ease of clean-up that comes with this machine.In conclusion, I highly recommend this coffee maker. It produces the best coffee that I have ever tasted from an automatic/drip machine and I am happy with my purchase. I am awarding this product 5 stars and, in my opinion, it is deserving of its SCAA certification. If something should happen or my satisfaction changes, I will update this review.::UPDATE MARCH 2018::This coffee maker still works like it is brand new. I’m still very impressed with it and still love it. I have experienced no issues with water fog or the display dimming, and I periodically clean it out by doing a vinegar/water flush until the water runs clear. I use it every day and have no regrets about my purchase. And, since apparently there is someone on this site attempting to cast doubt on this review and that of the other top reviewer, I can affirm here that I was not given a discount on this product, I was not paid to do this review, I was not asked by the company to do a review, and I have not received any subsequent discounts or perks from doing this review. I am simply a lover of coffee.

As one does, I spent a lot of time researching the world of coffemakers before this purchase that involved perusing the SCAA website as well as countless coffeemaker reviews, and there were relatively few reviews of this coffee maker, so I was a little nervous. I need not have worried – this baby makes awesome coffee. Having had our normal drip coffee maker die, and having read the NYT article about coffee several months earlier, we were excited about changing up our coffee routine. We switched from a rotary grinder to the Baratza Encore burr grinder. We bought a scale. We got this coffee maker. In my research I also looked at the Technivorm Moccamaster, but that seemed to be something you needed to potchy with while it’s brewing, and I don’t need to be that actively involved – why not just get a regular pour over filter in that case? The Bonavita, most reviewers’ top choice, had carafe issues that I didn’t feel like dealing with. The OXO Barista Brain had really mixed reviews and seemed unnecessarily fussy and expensive for what it was.Things to like about the Cuisinart CPO-800:1. The coffee is really good. It took a little getting used to – the SCAA guidelines have you use a LOT of coffee, which we did, on the bold setting. Clearly we are not as cool as the rest of the coffee aficionados who like this bitter, nasty flavor (yes, we tried different coffees). We also tried the medium setting with the same amount of coffee – this was better, but yikes were we using up our coffee supply quickly. Eventually, we settled at about 2/3 of what the guidelines say to use with bold and hot (which is plenty hot enough). We also use the steel filter provided, which really tells you what heathens we are, because everyone knows that coffee tastes better with paper filters.2. It brews fast! I haven’t timed it, but if we forget to set it in the morning to brew while we walk the dogs, it’s no big deal because the coffee is done before I’ve packed my lunch for work.3. It’s attractive. Who cares, right? Well – it’s a nice feature. It doesn’t have a really big profile and looks nice (in a Jetsons kind of way) on the counter.4. The hot plate keeps the coffee hot without burning it. (See – heathens. Real coffee elites would have gotten the thermal carafe version).Things I don’t like:1. Really, only that the carafe is pretty small. It’s just about big enough for one cup of coffee each and then one person to selfishly fill their travel mug while leaving the person who leaves for work later with about 1/2 a cup. However, as mentioned above, it brews so fast that it’s easy to make more.