Cuisinart Coffee Center Review In 2021: Make Better Coffee!

So let us guess, you have either a drip coffee maker or a K-cup coffee machine?

And that is quite easy, because who would have both of them? That just takes up too much space.

One is more convenient when there is a group of people willing to have a cup of coffee, the other is more of an individual coffee consumer choice. And most of us have seen at least one occasion where the K-cup machine gets queued. that’s not a very user-friendly way to get the coffee1

And then there are those who have found a solution: 2 in 1 coffee makers that use K-cups or coffee pods for a single-serve brewer and your own, freshly ground coffee in a drip brewer.

That seems like a good idea, isn’t it?

With such a machine, you have the convenience of preparing a whole pot or a single cup. Best of all, a 2-in-1 machine takes less space on countertops.

So let us find out are they that good in our Cuisinart Coffee Center review!

 

Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-15

 

SS-15 Overview

There are various reasons why you would want the SS-15 Cuisinart Coffee Center. You have seen the product’s key features and specifications.

It’s a good product, isn’t it?

Let’s have a complete review of the SS-15 so you could appreciate it more.

 

Automatic Brewing

One of the best features of the Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-15 is its programmability. This 2-in-1 coffee maker has a 24-hour programmable automatic brewing capability.

So, how does it work?

Let’s say you want coffee at 6 AM on the following day. Set the SS-15 to that time, and you’ll have your steaming hot coffee ready in the morning.

It’s a great feature, isn’t it?

 

The Carafe

The glass carafe is good to serve 12 cups of brewed coffee. That’s enough to bring in some friends and share with several family members.

 

Large Capacity Water Tank

The carafe side has a water tank that holds 1.8 L of water. If you have friends and family members who love to share moments over a cup of coffee, the SS-15 has a lot in its tank.

Another nice feature is the easy-view window of the water tank. It’s easy to tell when the tank’s running out of water supply. There’s no need for you to lift the lid.

 

Efficient Flavor Extraction

On the carafe side, you will notice a shower-head like design in the inner part of the coffee grounds chamber lid. This showerhead gently pours water over the ground coffee.

The trickling water helps extract more flavor than just pouring water directly on top of the ground coffee. With this feature, you get to enjoy great-tasting coffee anytime.

 

Reusable Coffee Filter

The SS-15 gives you the option to use its reusable filter or disposable paper filters. There’s nothing wrong with using paper filters.

But if you’re conscious about recurring costs, then you might as well stick with the reusable one. It doesn’t only help you save money but helps lessen the garbage as well.

 

Programmable Brew Strenght

There are times when you want a light coffee brew. But at times when you need some energy boosts, you’ll need a bolder cup of Joe.

And yes, if you need a booster just press that Bold button, and the SS-15 will make you something strong.

 

Adjustable Temperature

Another nice feature of the SS-15 is the adjustable temperature. You don’t want your coffee too hot?

You can adjust the carafe’s temperature to medium or low. This feature is great when you don’t want to wait for your coffee to cool down to a tolerable temperature.

 

Compatibility to Different K-Cups

Now we’re talking about the single-serve side. If you’re a fan of K-cups, then you’ll love the SS-15.

And what’s good about this Cuisinart model is its compatibility with all coffee pods. Now you can enjoy any of your favorite K-cup brands.

 

HomeBarista Reusable Cup

Don’t feel like taking flavored K-cups coffee? Do you want a single-serve plain ground coffee brew?

Cuisinart thought of this as well, so they designed the SS-15 to use ground coffee in its single-serve side. To make this possible, Cuisinart developed the HomeBarista reusable cup.

 

Auto Shut-off Function

Another interesting feature of the SS-15 is the automatic shutdown function. This may not be an important feature for some people.

But if you’re someone who often forgets things, then this feature works great for you. Imagine how much electricity comes to waste if you just let the coffee maker run all day.

Set the SS-15 to how long you want the unit to function, and it shuts off automatically based on your setting.

 

Self-Clean

It’s a good thing that the SS-15 prompts you when it’s time for a cleanup. If you see the Clean button flashing while using the coffeemaker, then it’s time for a self-clean task.

The machine detects calcium buildup that interferes with the coffee-making process. This could affect the taste of your brewed coffee.

With this feature, you don’t need to remember the last time you clean it. Good for the people who forget things, right?

 

Easy to Clean

Both the carafe part and k-cup side are easy to clean. if you’re using a disposable filter for the carafe side, just take out the filter and dispose of it.

If you’re using the gold-tone mesh filter, simply rinse it with water. You can skip washing it with soap as it may affect the flavor of your brew.

On the cup side, just take out the k-cup and dispose of it properly. And if you’re using the HomeBarista Reusable filter cup, then just do the same washing method as the gold-tone mesh filter.

 

Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-20

 

SS-20 Overview

 

The Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-20 is considered as an upgraded version of the SS-15. Most features of the SS-15 remained with the SS-20.

So let’s focus on the new features of the SS-20.

 

The Carafe

Unlike the SS-15 model, the SS-20 has a bit smaller carafe as it only holds 10 cups of brewed coffee. It’s just a small difference so it’s not to cause an issue here.

Though a bit short on capacity, the SS-20 has a thermal carafe. This means the carafe can retain the coffee’s temperature for a long time.

Another nice feature of the thermal carafe is it’s not breakable unlike the glass carafe of the SS-15.

 

No Heating Plate

Some people might wonder why the SS-20 is not equipped with a heating plate. For obvious reason, the SS-20 lacks a heating plate because it doesn’t need one.

The thermal carafe has enough ability to maintain the hot temperature of the freshly brewed coffee. It’s a nice feature that saves electricity. That’s eco-friendly, isn’t it?

 

RELATED: Want to pair your Cuisinart Coffee maker with some of the Best Cuisinart Coffee Grinder?

 

Ok, That Was “Very” Long Cuisinart Coffee Center Review, Is That It?

From the Cuisinart product line?

Yes!

Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-15 and SS-20 are two great products with incredible features. The SS-15 will cost within the $100 range. And the SS-20 around $200 price range, which is a bit expensive. But does make sense with the improvements over SS-15.

But, it does not stop there, as we have several alternatives to Cuisinart Coffee Center, like:

 

Keurig K-Duo Coffee Maker

The Keurig K-Duo Coffee Maker is also smart. It’s programmable like the Cuisinart coffee makers.

One notable feature of the Keurig K-Duo is its ability to select cup brew sizes in the carafe side. This feature is not available in both 2-in-1 coffee makers by Cuisinart.

Another selling point of the K-Duo is its smart start feature. With this function, you can start selecting all the settings you want including the cup size you need.

You don’t have to wait for the coffee maker to finish brewing before you select the cup size you require.

You might also notice that there is only one water tank shared by both carafe and the k-cup sides. The reason behind this setup is to simplify the water refilling process.

On the single-serve side, the brewing process works the same as the Coffee Center models. K-Duo is compatible with other K-cup brands, although it is worthy to note that it doesn’t work on K-carafe, K-mug, Rivo, and Vue pods.

The Keurig K-Duo is a versatile 2-in-1 coffee brewer, and it’s a bit more affordable than both Coffee Center models. Valued within the $100 price range, the K-Duo is considered a budget-friendly coffee brewing device.

 

Hamilton Beach 49976 FlexBrew Coffee Maker

The Hamilton Beach Flexbrew coffee maker is an easy to use but versatile 2-in-1 brewer. The 12-cup glass carafe is perfect for your group of friends or other members of the family.

Just like the Cuisinart Coffee combo brewer, the Flexbrew is also capable of programming brewing time. Set the time the night before, and you have a freshly brewed coffee ready as soon as you wake up.

Keep on forgetting things? No worries, the Flexbrew has an auto shut off feature, so you’ll never have to worry if you left the coffee machine on.

One of the most notable features of the Flexbrew is the automatic pause and pour function. You don’t have to press a button when you want to pause the brewing.

Simply remove the carafe to automatically interrupt the brewing and pour over a cup, and you’ll notice no dripping. That’s how good this feature is.

Cleaning is easy as well. Just rinse the K-cup pod holder and single-brew basket with tap water, and you’re done.

The pod-piercing assembly is also removable for easy cleaning. Just wash it under running tap water to prevent clogging from frequent use.

If you talk about functionality, the Flexbrew can’t be left behind. Best of all, it’s truly the most budget-friendly 2-in-1 coffee machine in this review.

With a cost just within the $100 price range.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cuisinart better than Keurig?

In terms of functionality, the Cuisinart has the edge. So yes, Cuisinart is better than Keurig, especially on the self-cleaning feature.

The self-clean feature is absent in the Keurig coffee maker. But the Keurig can brew 6, 8, and 10 cups option in the carafe side, which is not a feature of both SS-15 and SS-20 Cuisinart models.

But if you’re short on the budget, the Keurig can do most of the Cuisinart Coffee Center functions as well. So, in this kind of situation, the Keurig is the better choice.

So, deciding on which coffee maker is better depends on your functionality needs, and of course, your available budget as well.

 

Which is the best Cuisinart coffee maker?

Both models of the Cuisinart Coffee Center are great. Both have almost similar functionalities.

So, the key here is to weigh their differences. If you’re into a larger capacity carafe, then pick the SS-15.

When it comes to heat retention, try to figure out if you want the SS-15’s heating plate-glass carafe combo or the thermal carafe of the SS-20.

One point to consider here is, heating plates tend to burn your coffee thus affecting its taste. But the SS-15 has an adjustable heating plate temperature, so this could not be a real issue.

On the other hand, the SS-20 has a thermal carafe, so it doesn’t need a heating plate. Because it can retain heat for longer hours than the glass carafe.

But if you’re conscious about saving electricity, then the SS-20 has the edge as it doesn’t have a heating plate. Additionally, its thermal carafe is not prone to breakage compared to the SS-15’s glass carafe.

Lastly, considering the price, the SS-20 cost a bit higher than the SS-15. So, the budget has the last say on telling which is the better Cuisinart Coffee Center.

If you want to save a few extra bucks, then go for the SS-15. But if you have the money to spend a few bucks would not hurt your pockets if you pick the SS-20 model.

 

How do I clean my Cuisinart coffee center?

Cleaning is part of the routine maintenance of the Cuisinart Coffee Center. Typically, the maintenance is done after 3 to 6 months of use.

As you use the coffee maker, calcium builds up due to hard water. This is not bad but it affects the quality of your brewed coffee.

One thing more, the machine detects if it needs cleaning or descaling. Once it detects that calcium is building up, the Clean light turns on.

So, let’s start with the cleaning process.

• Remove the charcoal filter in the water tank of the carafe side of the unit.
• Fill the water tank within its full capacity with a mixture of ⅓ white vinegar and ⅔ water.
• Press and hold the Clean button until it starts to flash, then release. Now, the machine is in clean mode.
• The coffeemaker will automatically shut off once the cleaning cycle is complete.
• Turn on the coffeemaker and check if the Clean button will light again. If it does, run another cycle of the same mixture ratio of white vinegar and water.
• If the Clean button does not turn on, run another cycle of purely fresh water to rinse the unit.
• Return the charcoal filter in its place, and your coffeemaker is ready to get into action again.

 

 

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Happy Brewing with your new CCC!