I’m a coffee drinker but I wouldn’t call myself a coffee connoisseur. I don’t buy cheap coffee blends; my favorite was Taster’s Choice Dark Blend. My daughter in-law, on the other hand, is a true coffee connoisseur. She even grinds her own coffee beans. I always figured that that was an awful lot of trouble to go through until I tasted her freshly ground and brewed club coffee. What I really fell in love with, even more than the taste of her coffee, was her Cruisinant coffee maker. I love gadgets and that automated coffee maker did everything except kiss me awake in the morning.
My birthday isn’t until September 1st but Christina bought me an early birthday present this year, a brand spanking new Cruisinant DGB-700BC Grind and Brew 12-cup automated coffee maker. Christina isn’t cheap but she’s always ready for a good but too. The Cruisinant DGB-700BC Grind and Brew 12-cup automated coffee maker lists for $211.25 but she found it online at the Beverage Factory.Com for a mere $169, shipping and handling included. As they say at The Christmas Tree Shop, “don’t you just love a bargain.” Normally, with seven children to provide for, I would have scolded her for spending so much money on me, but I had really wanted one of those stainless steel wonders. I didn’t scold her, I just arranged to have enough back to school supplies delivered to her door for all the kids.
The Cruisinant DGB-700BC is the Cadillac of automated grind and brew coffee makers. It’s a 12-cup coffee maker but the feature that I really love is the feature that allows you to program it to brew two cups or four cups. This machine really is an intelligent coffee maker because it automatically grinds just enough fresh beans for the number of cups that you want it to brew. You still have to dump out the old grinds yourself, but nothing’s perfect. Another great feature, the one that my wife loves the most, is the ability to dial in the strength of the coffee. How do you like your coffee? Mild? Medium? Strong? All you have to do is tell the Cruisinant’s onboard computer and it will grind the beans to perfection time after time. I love my coffee John Wayne style, so strong that a spoon will stand straight up in the cup. My wife likes a mild brew. The Cruisinant satisfies us both every time.
We’re on a well system in our little mobile home community and the water is hard as well as a little over chlorinated at times, but the Cruisinant’s built-in charcoal filter handles that with aplomb. It’s also hot and humid up here on Walch’s mountain but that’s not a problem for the Cruisinant, its 8-ounce hopper is sealed tight once the top is in place. The beans remain fresh for weeks because no air or moisture can enter.
There are two types of coffee grinders-blade grinders and burr grinders. Burr grinders are the best because they are the gentlest and the quietest grinders made. There are two styles of burr grinders-Wheel Burr and Conical Burr. Conical Burr grinders are best burr grinders because they turn slower than wheel burr grinders and, as you may have guessed, those are the ones found in the Cruisinant.
The Cruisinant DGB-700BC has many more features that makes it a must have appliance. A 0 to 4 hour adjustable automatic shut off, a 24 timer so I always have a fresh pot of coffee when I wake up or get home, a pause and serve feature so you don’t have to wait for the whole pot to finish brewing before grabbing a cup, etc. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing that’s missing is a cup warming plate but that something that I can live without.
If you love coffee, the kind of coffee that you get at the most expensive coffee shops, this is the coffee maker for you.
