Top 8 cuisinart brew central 14-cup programmable coffee maker

I wrote a roundup of a variety of coffee machines in my 2022 Best Coffee Maker Guide, one of which is the Cuisinart DCC 3200 14 Cup coffee maker. It was my pick for the “Best Programmable Coffee Maker,” and it certainly earns the title with some of the best cutting edge coffee technology.

That’s why I just had to order the Cuisinart DCC 3200 from Amazon. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and put the machine through its paces.

There’s nothing better to wake up to than the aroma of a freshly brewed cup of joe in the morning. Ahhh!

I’ve spent a lot of time with this stylish gem of a coffee maker recently, and I must say it really does deliver. Later in this review I’ll share some of my first-hand observations. In the meantime, go ahead and make yourself a cup to enjoy, and we’ll dig right in.

Cuisinart DCC 3200 14 Cup Coffee Maker Overview

Firstly, this 14 cup programmable coffeemaker is a stylish addition to your kitchen countertop. It’s one of the best sellers on Amazon, too. There are several different colors to choose from, and all of them are stainless steel.

While the brushed stainless steel has a classic look, I like the black stainless steel version the best; it’s very sleek. But, if you’re more into neutral or earthy tones, copper and cream colors are also available.

This Cuisinart coffee maker is one you’re going to want to keep out on display as a permanent fixture on your kitchen counter.

Aside from its dashing good looks, the DCC 3200 offers a permanent gold tone filter to save you the trouble of switching out paper filters.

There’s also a charcoal filter to help remove any metals, chemicals or impurities in the water you use for your coffee. This is a great feature, as it will prolong the life of your machine.

Add to that an auto off option and programmable features like regular and bold coffee, and you have yourself an excellent coffee maker. Not to mention the reasonable price point of $73.99 currently on Amazon.

When it comes down to it, the only thing I don’t like is the adjustable hot plate, as these tend to scorch coffee. Though I know many of our readers enjoy using them, I personally recommend an insulated stainless steel carafe for keeping coffee warm.

Cuisinart DCC 3200 Drip Coffee Maker Features

The Cuisinart DCC 3200 Perfectemp 14 cup coffee maker has many great features for its price. One of my favorites is the showerhead design inside that distributes the water evenly over the coffee grinds. That means water doesn’t just flow straight down the center and miss the ground coffee around the edges of the filter.

In addition, I like the ability to brew smaller amounts of coffee rather than a full pot each time. But let’s face it, who’s NOT going to brew an entire pot of delicious coffee if it’s this easy and you can set it up the night before?

Brew Strength

As I mentioned earlier, the Cuisinart DCC Perfectemp 3200 has more than one brew strength. Conveniently, the controls on the front allow you to choose between a regular strength brew or a bold strength brew.

Being able to choose the strength of your coffee is a great option if you buy coffee beans that end up not being as strong as you like. Or, if you were up way too late the night before working on that project for work and you need a real eye opener the next day. If that’s the case, select the bold option during the brewing setup for the perfect cup of stronger coffee.

Similarly, if you don’t feel like drinking a stronger coffee, leave it on the regular brew option for a classic cup of joe.

Control Panel

The control panel is easy to understand and use, and the blue backlit LCD screen is nice and bright. Around the display, you’ll find buttons for setting the time, programming a brew cycle in advance and the button for toggling the Ready Tone on and off.

Some people don’t like it when their coffee maker beeps like something out of Star Wars. While others find that it can upset their fur babies and get them barking. Of course, some people love hearing their coffee maker beep because it means their morning dose of caffeine is ready for consumption. Whatever the case may be, being able to toggle the Ready Tone on and off is a plus.

Buttons

Underneath the display cluster, there are buttons to control how the brewing process behaves. The Clean button will light up red when you need to descale your machine because of the effects of hard water. It’s a valuable feature to have on a drip coffee machine, especially if you don’t clean it on a set schedule.

Next, the Bold button switches your brew from regular to a more robust tasting coffee. This is great in case you get a new kind of coffee that may be a little milder than you expected. Or in case you want something with a little more kick to start your day.

Of course, the Brew/Off button controls the power to the coffeemaker. There’s also an Auto Off feature for safety. You can use the brew button to brew a pot immediately or toggle to turn the machine off.

The Auto On button, on the other hand, is what you’d use to set your brew to start at a specific time in the future. More on that in a bit.

Finally, the last button on the control panel brews a smaller amount of coffee than a whole pot. You’d choose this option if you planned to brew less than five cups.

Program Function

Next up, let’s take a look at program functions. You can program the Cuisinart DCC 3200 Perfectemp 14 cup programmable coffee maker up to 24 hours in advance of when you’d like your coffee to brew. That’s very helpful in the mornings for super busy people, like me.

It’s easy to set up too. First, you add your water, filter, and coffee. Second, hit the Program button and punch in the time you’d like your coffee to start brewing. Oh, and be sure to check the AM and PM before you hit the Auto On to schedule the brew.

If you did it right, the Auto On button will light up blue to let you know the program is active. You’ll wake up to a carafe of piping hot coffee, and who wouldn’t like that?

Glass Carafe

Speaking of carafes, the carafe that comes with the Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker is your standard tempered glass carafe. It holds fourteen cups of freshly brewed goodness, which is a little more than other coffee makers’ usual twelve cup capacity.

The 3200 allows you to adjust the heat of the carafe using a warmer plate. There are three settings: low, medium and high.

The idea behind having an adjustable warmer plate is getting the temperature right for how you like to drink your coffee. Someone who enjoys coffee with milk, for example, is likely to add cold milk that would lower the temperature. In this case, the warmer plate would allow them to make their coffee hotter to balance out the temperature.

Still, I’m not a fan of warmer plates and advocate for the use of thermal carafes.

Water Reservoir

The water reservoir holds enough water to brew a 14 cup coffee pot. The cool thing about it is inside the reservoir there’s a charcoal filter. This filter helps soak up metals, chlorine, nasty flavors and odors from tap water that otherwise would ruin the taste of your coffee.

Reducing the amount of metals in hard water means less maintenance.

In addition, the water reservoir has a water level indicator window, so you can keep an eye on how much water you have left and if you need to top it off before your next brew cycle. I found the level indicator window to be really clear and accurate, so props to the Cuisinart design department!

That said, I recommend you empty your water reservoir regularly and allow it to dry out. Doing so will prevent bacteria from growing.

Brew Pause Technology

Another feature on the DCC 3200 is Brew Pause technology. The Brew Pause feature is for when you’re craving coffee and can’t wait for the pot to finish brewing. If you remove the carafe from the hot plate, the coffee stops dripping so you can pour yourself up a cup.

You have to be quick about it, though! The coffee will continue the brewing process in about 20 seconds, so make sure the carafe is back in place.

Just know that using Brew Pause technology tends to lead to uneven coffee extraction. The initial coffee that lands in a pot is likely to be over extracted, whereas the last cup or two can be under extracted. When you wait until the entire pot is finished brewing, you get to enjoy an even extraction of your coffee.

Gold Tone Coffee Filter

The permanent gold tone coffee filter is a great environmentally friendly option for when you don’t want to use paper filters. Keep in mind, though, that it won’t catch ultra fine particles, especially if your grind is too fine. There may be a small amount of very fine sediment on the bottom of the carafe, in other words.

If that’s a deal breaker for you, the Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker also takes number 4 paper filters. You definitely don’t want to use them together though because that could cause the filter holder to overflow. There’s nothing like cleaning up Niagara Falls first thing in the morning!

Warranty

The Cuisinart DCC 3200 coffee maker comes with a three year limited warranty. If you experience something unfortunate and your machine needs warranty work done, you’ll have to ship it to Cuisinart for repair.

Call Customer Service first to determine if you need a repair or replacement. It’s best to register your new machine online on the Cuisinart website in advance. Also, be sure to keep your receipt in a safe place, just in case you need it. Of course, if you buy from Amazon, you can always go back to your order history. This is one of the best things about buying from Amazon!

How to Use the Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker

I’ll admit that I didn’t brew a full 14 cup carafe of coffee during the Cuisinart DCC 3200 test. That’s a lot of coffee for one person and I didn’t want to be wasteful. Still, I did start out by brewing up an 8 cup batch using a drip blend from one of my favorite independent roasters.

I used the permanent filter, dutifully adding 8 tablespoons of medium ground coffee with the Cuisinart scoop. Ordinarily, I like to weigh my coffee using a coffee scale, but I didn’t want to get too fancy during this review. I’m well aware that most of you use the scoop method, so I aimed to keep it real.

The results were fairly unremarkable, but by no means bad. The coffee didn’t have the body and complexity I can get when brewing it with a pour over coffee maker, but it was hot and satisfying all the same. There was the expected silty sediment at the bottom of my cup, but that doesn’t really bother me.

Four Cup Function

Next, I decided to test out the 4 cup function. This time, I used one of the included paper filters, hoping for a cleaner extraction. I also opted to test out a natural process Guatemala with a lighter roast profile. I changed the brew ratio – adding 5 scoops of ground coffee – and hit the brew button.

The Cuisinart beeped politely to let me know my coffee was ready six and a half minutes later. I know, because I timed the thing. Let’s just say this isn’t the coffee maker to buy if your morning time management skills are lacking.

As it happens, increasing the ratio of ground coffee to water really worked! The Guatemala really shone, the Cuisinart having extracted all the coffee’s delicate and fragrant nuances perfectly. Let’s just say I went back for a second cup, even though I was already way over caffeinated.

Observations

During coffee maker testing, I always take notes on the stuff I feel like you guys might want to know. Here are a few things I observed about the Cuisinart coffee maker:

• This coffee maker is noisy compared to other machines I’ve tested. It gurgles and hisses like there’s no tomorrow! Personally, I found this to be a pleasant reminder of my childhood kitchen.
• Freshly brewed coffee from the Cuisinart clocked in at just under 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Although that’s nowhere near hot enough to convince the SCA that this machine should be Golden Cup certified, it’s perfectly acceptable in my opinion.
• I was really impressed by the showerhead. It really did its job well, and my bed of ground coffee was evenly saturated.
• Some machines beep loudly enough to wake the dead when they’ve finished brewing. Not the Cuisinart Perfectemp, though; I found its beeping to be understated and not annoying at all.

Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker Cleaning

Next, I want to talk about cleaning your Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker. Cuisinart made this a pretty straightforward procedure, thankfully.

First up is the everyday cleaning. Remove and empty the coffee filter you’re using. If it’s the gold tone permanent filter, just rinse it with hot water and let it dry thoroughly. I wouldn’t use any dishwashing liquid on that, as it might end up absorbing the taste of the detergent. Yuck!

Also, you have the option of tossing the glass carafe and carafe lid in the dishwasher.

To clean the housing, wipe it with a clean damp cloth. Don’t scrub with anything abrasive, or you risk scratching up your machine.

Secondly, let’s go over the decalcification process. Once the Clean button indicates it’s time to refresh the insides of your machine, take out the charcoal filter.

Next, make a solution of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water and fill the reservoir. Hold down the Clean button. That’s it. Once it beeps, run a full reservoir of fresh water to rinse it out.

Then, replace the charcoal filter, and you’re ready for the next pot of delicious coffee.

You also have the option of using a citric acid descaler instead of vinegar. I’ve used both and prefer the citric acid cleaner and descaler myself.

Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker Specifications

Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker ManufacturerCuisinart ModelPerfectemp DCC 3200 Product CategoryCoffee maker HousingStainless Steel DisplayBacklit LCD CarafeGlass Brewing Capacity14 Cups Brew StrengthRegular or Bold ControlsPush button Special FeaturesBrewPause, Self Clean, 60 Second Reset Weight9 lbs Dimensions7.75 x 9 x 14 inches Warranty3-Year limited warranty ExtrasReusable gold tone filter, charcoal water filter, scoop Current price on Amazon$73.99

Cuisinart DCC 3200 vs DCC 3400

People tend to want to compare the coffee maker they’re interested in purchasing to other models. The Cuisinart DCC 3400 is the next step up from the DCC 3200. They operate very similarly, but a few differences set them apart.

First, both the 3400 and the 3200 have a great heating system and brew at about the same 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius) temperature, so you’ll get a delicious cup of coffee from either machine.

Next, they both have brew strength control, too, so you can choose between a regular or bold cup of coffee.

Twenty-four hour programmability, a 1-4 cup setting, and the self cleaning feature are on both machines as well.

Finally, they both have the same types of filters and Brew Pause feature for when you have to sneak a cup before the pot finishes its brewing cycle.

In contrast, the DCC 3400 has a thermal carafe with a stainless steel handle that comes with the machine. The carafe included with the 3200 is glass. Because of this, the 3400 doesn’t have the hot plate temperature control of the 3200 since the double wall design of the thermal carafe will keep your coffee warm for a long period of time. This is a plus in my mind!

Also, the DCC 3400’s carafe is only a twelve cup capacity, unlike the fourteen cup capacity that the 3200 boasts.

The prices are different, too. Right now, the Cuisinart DCC 3200 is available for $73.99, while the Cuisinart DCC 3400 is $129.95.

It comes down to if you’re willing to sacrifice two extra cups of coffee and a small sum of money for a thermal carafe. In making that decision, know that the thermal carafes are good at keeping your coffee warm for hours.

Cuisinart DCC 3200 vs Braun BrewSense

Much like the Cuisinart DCC 3200, the Braun BrewSense has both a $109.95 glass carafe and $89.13 thermal carafe version. But, for the sake of comparison, I’m going to start by telling you how the BrewSense model is similar to the DCC 3200.

Interestingly, the Braun BrewSense KF6050 Drip Coffee maker has many of the same features as the Cuisinart DCC 3200. They both have an easy-to-read LED display, push button controls, gold tone and charcoal filters, a 24 hour programmable timer. Pretty similar so far, right?

In contrast, The BrewSense machine has a twelve cup carafe that minimizes air exposure and keeps your coffee fresh. Also, it has a special water level indicator that lets you brew as little as one 11 oz cup. However, it doesn’t have the coffee strength selector or the adjustable hot plate controls like the DCC 3200.

All in all, the Braun BrewSense and the Cuisinart DCC 3200 are very similar machines. If I were to advise you on one or the other, I would say to choose the machine whose features best suit your lifestyle.

Verdict: Big Capacity and Great Programmability

In conclusion, the Cuisinart DCC 3200 is a very good coffee maker for everyday coffee enthusiasts who need a 14 cup programmable coffeemaker to fit their busy lifestyles.

With options like brew strength control, perfect brewing temperature and a 24 hour timer, you’re pretty much guaranteed great tasting coffee on time each morning.

The ease with which anyone can program this Cuisinart 14 cup coffee maker is impressive. Hence my giving it the title of “best programmable coffee maker!”

On top of that, it’s stylish with an affordable price point, to boot. For $73.99, you get a lot of coffee maker for your money.

If you’re leaning toward this particular coffee maker, I encourage you to pick one up today. Coffee makers aren’t updated as often as computers, so you might be waiting for years for the next update.

Also, global supply chain issues are making it harder and harder to get your hands on popular products. That’s only going to get worse, unfortunately.

Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker FAQ

Top 8 cuisinart brew central 14-cup programmable coffee maker