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Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable Review

Great if you want something with high quality taste, but don't want to pay a lot for the OXO
Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable
Credit: Cuisinart
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Price:   $100 List | $82 at Amazon
Pros:  Great taste, relatively inexpensive considering its taste quality
Cons:  Not as thoughtfully designed as other high end machines
Manufacturer:   Cuisinart
By Max Mutter and Steven Tata  ⋅  May 13, 2017
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70
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#3 of 12
  • Taste - 50% 8
  • User Friendliness - 20% 6
  • Convenience - 20% 6
  • Ease of Cleaning - 10% 6

Our Verdict

The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable was the second highest scoring machine we tested. With a little bit of fiddling it can produce a great tasting cup of coffee. It lost out on our Editors' Choice Award because it isn't quite as easy to clean or use as the OXO On Barista Brain 9-Cup, and it does occasionally let some sediment get through into the coffee. However, it also costs half as much as the OXO, which makes it a good choice if you want something that can produce a great tasting cup of coffee, but don't want to pay a premium price.

Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Top Pick Award Top Pick Award  
Price $100 List
$82.00 at Amazon		$170 List
$169.99 at Amazon		$300 List
$299.95 at Amazon		$200 List
$169.00 at Amazon		$330 List
$329.00 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Pros Great taste, relatively inexpensive considering its taste qualityGreat taste, easy to use, single-cup brewing optionGreat taste, almost endless adjustabilityGood taste for a pod machine, incredibly easy to use and cleanGood taste, unique aesthetics
Cons Not as thoughtfully designed as other high end machinesExpensiveSurprisingly loud, very expensiveCan be expensive if not on saleExpensive
Bottom Line Can almost match the OXO in terms of taste but costs about half as muchTop tier taste quality and a simple interface make this a great choice for connoisseursImparts a great tasting cup, but some drawbacks in user friendliness and its high price make it hard to recommend to mostConvenient, and tastes significantly better than Keurig machinesGreat if you're looking for a unique looking countertop appliance, but you can get better coffee for much less
Rating Categories Cuisinart 14-Cup... OXO Brew 8 Cup Breville Precision... Nespresso Vertuoline Moccamaster KBG 741
Taste (50%)
8
9
9
5
7
User Friendliness (20%)
6
5
6
9
7
Convenience (20%)
6
9
6
8
5
Ease Of Cleaning (10%)
6
7
7
9
7
Specs Cuisinart 14-Cup... OXO Brew 8 Cup Breville Precision... Nespresso Vertuoline Moccamaster KBG 741
Capacity (cups) 14 8 12 1 10
Automatic Brewing Yes No Yes No No
Dimensions 14" x 8" x 9" 13.5" x 10/5" x 7" 12.4" x 6.7" x 15.7" 9" x 12.2" x 12.3" 13.4" x 6.7" x 14.2"
Weight (pounds) 9.5 11.5 13 12.3 6.3
Warranty 3 Year Limited 2 Year Limited 1 Year Limited 2 Year Limited 5 Year Limited

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable is a dependable machine that makes a great tasting cup of coffee. It is perfect for those that are picky about taste but don't want to spend as much on the OXO On Barista Brain.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Performance Comparison


The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable earned the second best overall score in our testing. Continue reading to find out how the Cuisinart performed in each one of our individual testing metrics.

Taste


The Cuisinart was a close runner-up in our taste testing, earning a score of 8 out of 10. This was one point behind the leader, and well ahead of the bottom score of 2. When we made a pot using the manufacturer's suggested amount of coffee it tasted good, but a bit weak. Adding in a bit more coffee brought out a strong and flavorful taste that all of our testers loved. It missed some of the more subtle flavor notes that the OXO was able to bring out in its brew, but definitely succeeded in creating a hearty, full-bodied cup. Its reusable filter did occasionally let some sediment through into the pot, but this was only occasional, and never enough to noticeably affect the taste of the brew.

The Cuisinart was the first runner up in our taste testing, losing...
The Cuisinart was the first runner up in our taste testing, losing out only to a machine that costs twice as much.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

User Friendliness


The Cuisinart fell into the large group of average performers in our user friendliness testing. It earned a 6 out of 10, putting it right in the middle of a metric where scores ranged from 4 to 9. Our testers liked that the Cuisinart has a large LCD display and clearly labeled buttons. They also like that they could tell the machine when they were brewing less than 5 cups so it could adjust settings accordingly. While the interface is nice, it isn't quite as streamlined as that of some other models. It also lost some point for its carafe, which has a plastic spout that tends to make a mess if you're not careful.

Convenience


Continuing its trend of being in the middle of the pack, the Cuisinart earned a 6 out of 10. If you include prep and clean up its 6 cup brew time is 12 minutes, which was on the longer side of the models we tested. However, it can be programmed to start brewing right when you wake up. This feature largely offsets the long brew time.

The Cuisinart's interface is fairly straight forward, but not quite...
The Cuisinart's interface is fairly straight forward, but not quite as intuitive as that of some other models.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Ease of Cleaning


The Cuisinart was close to the bottom of our ease of cleaning score sheet, earning a 5 out of 10. The Cuisinart lost points for its reusable mesh filter. While we love that a reusable filter reduces waste, it undeniably adds more effort to the cleaning process. The carafe was easy to clean, and both it and the reusable filter are dishwasher safe for periodic deep cleaning. The descaling process took a full hour to complete, but was fairly easy to do.

Value


The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable certainly isn't a cheap machine. However, if you consider that getting a better-tasting cup requires spending twice as much on the OXO On Barista Brain, the Cuisinart becomes a great value for those seeking a good tasting cup.

Conclusion


The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable is a good machine that makes a great tasting cup. While you can get a better tasting cup from the OXO On Barista Brain, it costs twice as much.

Other Versions


Cuisinart DCC-3400 12-Cup Programmable
  • Nearly identical machine
  • Includes a stainless steel insulated carafe rather than a glass one

— Max Mutter and Steven Tata