The Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central Coffeemaker
Enjoy Great Coffee
with the DCC-1200
Cuisinart introduces a coffeemaker with retro styling and
the latest in high tech features, making it the centerpiece of any kitchen. The
Cuisinart Brew Central coffeemaker is reminiscent of the days of classic styling
and durable materials. A brushed metal exterior with retro-style controls
houses the finest in coffee making technology. This coffeemaker even includes a
charcoal water filter. The water filter ensures great tasting coffee by
removing all of the impurities from the water. The Brew Central coffeemaker
also comes with advanced features such as a programmable digital clock with 24
hour advanced-brew setting, an automatic shutoff, a self-cleaning function, and
an audible beep that signals the end of the brew cycle, which makes brewing the
best tasting coffee easy.
The
Quest for a Perfect Cup of Coffee
It is generally agreed that there are four basic elements
critical to the perfect cup:
Water & Coffee
Filters
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 Brew
Central 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.
The Perfect Cup of
Coffee
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
LCD
& Controls
1. Reservoir
Cover: Flips back for easy filling.
2. Water
Reservoir: When filling the coffeemaker with water, refer to the carafe height
markings and fill to the desired number of cups. Be sure to add a small amount
of extra water to account for the amount of water lost in wetting the grounds
and lost as steam during the brewing process.
3. Showerhead:
Distributes water evenly over coffee, reducing temperature loss as water passes
through grounds.
4. 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.
5. Filter
Basket: Holds a #4 paper filter or a permanent filter.
6. LCD
Digital Clock: Displays the time of day and set time for automatic functions.
7. Function
Knob and Flip Switch: Used to initiate programming of automatic functions.
8. 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'
a. Heater
Plate Control Knob: For controlling the temperature of the coffee after
brewing. There are three temperature settings high, medium and low.
b. 1-4
Cup Setting: The 1-4 cup setting button is used when you make small amounts of
coffee. Normal coffeemakers will produce a colder batch of coffee when smaller
amounts are made, because the heater doesn’t have enough time to properly ‘warm
up’ to heat a small amount. The 1-4 setting basically ‘double heats’ the water,
making your smaller amounts as piping hot as a full pot would be. To use simply
press the 1-4 button on the control panel after turning on the unit.
c. Retro-style
flip switch is used to turn your coffeemaker on and off and works in tandem
with the function knob.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Carafe:
The easy pour, no drip glass carafe has an ergonomic handle and brewed coffee
markings for two to twelve cups.
12. Heating
Plate: Scratch resistant with black, nonstick coating.
13. 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).
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