Cuisinart DGB-500 12-Cup Coffee Maker

Pros: Coffee is o.k.
Cons: A hassle to clean and it must be cleaned between each use.

This unit makes o.k. coffee but it is a big hassle to clean and it must be cleaned before each use. The bean container sits directly above the pot. The steam created when the coffee brews condenses inside the bean container and the container lid which is irregular in shape. The result is globs of coffee mud in the container and its lid. This cakes on and must be cleaned for proper operation. If you are looking to save time this is not the unit for you. Try the Capresso team deluxe.

Pros: sleek looking.
Cons: Too noisy. Hard to clean. complex to operate.

Too noisy. Hard to clean. Not simple to operate - you have to remember and clean every part. Doesn't make good coffee. Very disappointing and brings down my opinion of cuisinart as a quality design brand. Melitta makes excellent grind/brew for 30% less cost.

Pros: Great cup of coffee
Cons: Hard to clean. Expensive. Timer malfunctions. Labor intensive.

The second time I used this model, the door the houses the filter basket flew open when the grinder was blowing the grounds into the filter. I had grounds go everywhere and I am still having problems with grounds in the door mechanism. I have to test the door every time I use this machine because it still doesn't latch on occasion.
Cleaning is very difficult due to small crevices and poor design. The grinder components need to washed after every use.
Sometimes the timer malfunctions and doesn't start the machine.
Really, this machine makes a darn good cup of coffee, but for me it isn't worth the high maintenance. I haven't even had the Cuisinart for a year and I am looking to replace it.
Having a separate grinder for the beans would still be more convenient than this.

Pros: Looks nice.
Cons: Gets clogged, can overflow, grinder too small, makes very weak coffee.

What a mistake I thought this would be perfect. No more having to grind coffee beans in a grinder and deal with mess of getting into a coffee maker.

The grinder in this machine is too small to make a good pot of coffee. It gets clogged because of moisture from the unit making the coffee. Its not vented well so the residue coffee grinds get muddy and clog up the passage to the filter. Oh and if you grind your coffee too finely the unit will over flow all over your kitchen. If you like weak coffee and don't mind doing allot of cleaning you might do well with this, other wise, don't bother!!!

Pros: Coffee is great!
Cons: Forgetting to put a filter in the filter basket makes for a big mess.

We have had ours for about 8 months now. The main problem area is the slide out basket mechanism. Coffee flakes combine with moisture and this causes sticky residue to collect on the slider tracks. In addition to cleaning the removable parts daily, I also spend time every day cleaning the slider tracks with a Q-tip. In fact I decided to return it under the warranty (I love the 3 year warranty) and see if a replacement unit works any better. If not, I'm going to look for a different brand of coffee maker that both grinds and brews.

Pros: Possibly the best tasting coffee I have ever had.
Cons: It takes a little time to clean all the parts.

I absolutely love this machine. When I read the reviews I was a little reluctant to buy, because of the possible problem with the catch staying closed on the grounds holder. I have had that problem a couple of times, but I found that I wasn't cleaning the top and side edges of the door, which would make it either stick, or not close completely. Now I give it one swipe when I make the coffee, and no more problems. I roast my own coffee beans, and the smell as they grind in the morning is heavenly.

Pros: Saves counter space, water filter a bonus. Easy one button touch for the morning brew!
Cons: Clean up can be a pain if a second pot's needed right after the first.

I can't believe how many people have complained about this machine. Ok, it takes a minute to clean it up (moisture in the grinder), but man, a quick rinse and it's done! I guess if you need to drink one pot after another it can be a pain! *wink*
I find the coffee to be just fine, and I personally find a great bonus with my freed up counter space! No more coffee machine, plus grinder, taking up all my room!
I give it a thumbs up!

Pros: I like grinding just before use
Cons: grinder that gets wedged in top and lack of option for a metal carafe

while the concept is excellent, I was very unhappy with the grinding apparatus. After use I remove this piece to clean. After several uses it became wedged in the top of the coffee maker and would not come out. I now must wipe out the grinds with a sponge. This is inadequate since the wipe process pushes grinds into the basket feeder and clogs it. I always feel that my coffee pot is not really clean.
Also I would like a metal carafe. It is not made for this model-only glass.

Pros: Perfect coffee, so easy.
Cons: A bit bulky, clean-up can be messy.

I am not a coffee drinker and am not confident I can make coffee. And after years of watching my husband totally frustrated with his Mr. Coffee coffee maker, he is now in heaven because his coffee temperature is perfect and the set-up is a breeze. I watched him set up the unit this morning, first he poured the beans into the grinder, put in the filter, added the water, and closed the lid. That's it! I liked that he pointed out the two safety features on the lid to make sure all sensors are fully depressed before activating the grinder. The grinder ground all of the beans, and only a small portion of dry grounds remained in the grinder. And although the unit can be messy from the coffee grounds, using our hand-held sink spray makes clean up quick. Wow! What a neat machine...now what to do with out 2 coffee grinders...

Pros: Fresh ground coffee in the morning.
Cons: Taking it apart and cleaning it out after EVERY pot.

This grind and brew was no fun at all. Yes, setting it and hearing it grind and getting fresh coffee in the morning was nice, but we may fix several pots a day and this machine REQUIRES that you clean every part EVERY time you make a pot. We have 3 or 4 parts sitting on the counter to dry out after every pot!! What a pain! I guess what we wanted was a machine that stores the beans and drops in the right amount to the grinder mechanism and then brews. The cuisenart gathers condensation in the grinder and so that area is wet after brewing a pot and must be cleaned out.
Added note: I ordered from Aabree Coffee and then returned the machine at my expense which was a third of the cost of the machine itself! Customer satisfied? No.

Pros: Makes great coffee
Cons: Hard to clean and prone to leaking. Also is a noisy machine in the morning

My wife has bought atleast three Cuisinart grind and brew coffee makers in the last two years. I think it makes great coffee and I wish there was a competitor because these units don't last but about three months. She has paid upwards to a $100 or more for these things because I like the coffee they make. But it seems after about two to three months they start leaking around the coffee bean holder and you can't take it apart and clean it. We have called Cuisinart offices and they would gladly repair or replace, but you are without a coffee maker while they are doing there thing and you are responsible for shipping both directions. I cannot believe after three units that this is not a common problem and that they have not come up with a solution. We went to the mall today and went through all the shops and even over to Ashers and no one even competes. I guess if I really like the coffee, then I'll just have to pay out 100 dollars every six months for a coffee pot.

Pros: Works well for a while......
Cons: After a few months it is practically useless.

Steam creeps up into the grinder, turning residual coffee grounds into a thick sludge that makes its way to the coffee filter holder. After a couple of months I couldn't get the filter holder to slide out, it was so gunked up. Trying to clean it was futile. You have to dismantle a spring assembly that is next to impossible to reassemble. Mine is sitting in the garbage can as I write this.

Pros: coffee is acceptable
Cons: cleaning it is a major activity

My Mellitta grind and brew broke after 3 good years and I couldn't find a replacement quickly. I bought a Cuisinart. How wrong could I go? Great brand. My kitchen is full of their products. Little did I know.
Compared to the Mellitta it is a disaster. Little things drive me mad. Putting the lid on the pot is an exercise in frustration in itself. Cleaning it is a major activity.
On the positive side the coffee is not bad but it definitely is not worth the effort.
After three weeks this baby goes out to the garage as soon as my new (actually rebuilt) Mellitta arives.

Pros: A decent cup of coffee from an attractive product
Cons: Ease of use, ease of cleaning, extensive and difficult cleaning required between every use

I bought the Cuisinart Grind and Brew for my wife for Christmas and after one use, I'd like to be able to take it back and would if I could. It makes a great pot of fresh coffee (Waffle House will sell you a 5lb. bag for $20 if you ask nicely) but the clean up required and the difficulty in performing the required cleaning between pots makes this a poor choice. Grounds get everywhere and you'd better have a very small hand if you want to clean them all out. The instructions require unplugging the machine from the outlet prior to cleaning which necessitates resetting the time and brewing time! Absurd!

It is impossible to believe that Cuisinart ever did any focus group testing on this product because, if they had, they never would have put it in production.

Pass on this in favor of a Mr. Coffee coffee maker and a Braun bean grinder. Your total investment will be half of that required for the Cuisinart, you'll drink just as good a cup of coffee and you'll have an extra 4 hours a week to work or play.

Pros: Wakes up the neighbors.
Cons: Cannot make coffee.

I have tried, without success to make more than 1 good pot of coffee with this machine. I just bought another.
The grinder portion of the machine is open to the steam coming from the brew cycle. This results in moist grinds that do not make it to the brew portion resulting in weak coffee. Now it clogs up and overflows to the counter/floor.

Horrible design.
Shame on Cuisinart!