Any coffee enthusiast would know that purchasing multiple pieces of coffee-making equipment can be expensive.

If you enjoy single-serve brewing in addition to pots of coffee, a dual coffee maker can be a good alternative. The Cuisinart SS-15 is one of the most well-liked dual brewing machines available in 2023. The Cuisinart coffee maker outperforms the other major k-cup machine we previously owned. This coffee maker is one that we adore.

Below, we dive into this unique dual brewer via our Cuisinart Coffee Center Review.

Cuisinart Coffee Center Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Brew Strength control
• Grounds + K Cup compatible
• Auto shut off

Cons:

• Filter alignment can be fiddly

What is Cuisinart Coffee Center

A 12-cup coffee maker and a single-serve brewer are both located on the left side of the Cuisinart SS-15. Each subsection has its own dedicated brewing chamber, settings, and water reservoir, which can fill up to 60 oz. and 4o oz. respectively.

The single-serve side gives you the choice of using a Keurig K-Cup while the 12-cup brewer uses ground coffee to make your pot. You can use your favorite beans by simply switching to the bundled HomeBarista Reusable Filter Cup and add your preferred dose.

Read More: 8 Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew – Your Complete Guide

Other features include a programmable brew start and energy save function, adjustable carafe temperature and brew-strength control, Brew Pause, and even a charcoal water filter for both water reservoirs.

Overall, the Cuisinart Coffee Center is worth a closer look if you have a family of coffee lovers at home and you’re looking for something with dual capabilities that’s appropriate for travel mugs.

Read More: 5 Best Iced Coffee Makers (2023 Reviews)

Cuisinart Coffee Center Features

Brewing Standards

The Cuisinart Coffee Center 12-cup brewer, which sits on the left side, uses a fixed shower-head design that sprays hot water evenly on your ground coffee, allowing for a uniform extraction.

The 12 cup glass carafe is then filled with freshly brewed coffee. The temperature of the heating plate underneath can be changed, despite the absence of a thermal carafe.

It features a 60 oz. water reservoir that can brew up to 12 cups within 5 minutes. You can opt to use the gold tone coffee filter included with the machine, but if you’re after a more delicate cup, a paper coffee filter can easily fit in the chamber.

For a stronger flavor and a fuller body, the Cuisinart batch brewer also has a strength control feature.

The Cuisinart single-serve brewer can brew using a K-Cup on the right side, and it has a 40 oz. removable water tank on the side that can brew up to 4 to 6 cups. If K-Cups aren’t your thing, you’ll be happy to learn that the included HomeBarista Reusable Filter Cup, which can be placed easily inside the brewing chamber, allows you to brew using coffee grounds.

It brews a single cup, and you can easily remove its drip tray if you want to use your travel mugs instead.
Although, it’s important to note that the Cuisinart Coffee Center has a single centralized boiler, so you can’t brew simultaneously with each side.

Also Read: Can You Heat Up Cold Brew Coffee – Will It Change the Flavor?

Build Quality

The Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-15 has a somewhat larger footprint than other typical coffee makers because it is a dual home coffee maker. The Cuisinart Coffee Center’s specs measure around 10.13″ x 10.38″ x 14.25″ inches and weigh 12.72 pounds.

To reduce weight and ensure durability for frequent use, this Cuisinart appliance is built from BPA-free ABS plastic. This front-loading brewer can withstand frequent use thanks to the stainless steel construction of the user-friendly control panel. The 12-cup carafe that comes with it can withstand high temperatures, but sadly not a drop can!

When it comes down to warranty, the brewer is backed by a 3 year warranty. It should be noted that these machines are not as sturdy as more expensive ones. To enjoy drip coffee for many years to come, you must maintain your Cuisinart Coffee Center properly.

Ease of Use

The Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-15’s user-friendly design and assortment of practical features make it simple to use.

You only need to fill the reservoir of the Cuisinart 12-cup coffee maker to the desired level. Indications on the side of the thermal carafe that is included make it easier to pour the right amount.

Read More: Pour Over Coffee vs French Press – Which Method is Better?

Then, place your ground coffee in the gold tone coffee filter or paper filters and press Brew. Brewing a full pot of coffee only takes about 5 minutes.

Alternatively, you can quickly brew a cup for yourself. The single-serve side of the Cuisinart Coffee Center is a straightforward process. Your preferred K-Cup should be put in the designated slot after you fill the water tank. It can brew a wide range of K-Cups, including hot chocolate and regular coffee.

Choose from three sizes; 6, 8, and 10 oz. and press the desired amount for your With the Cuisinart SS-15’s removable drip tray, you can easily fit your preferred travel mug underneath the brewing head.

Using the HomeBarista reusable filter cup and inserting it into the designated slot in your single-serve brewer will allow you to use your own coffee if you’re not a fan of K-Cups.

Also Read: How to Use a Cuisinart Coffee Maker – Where to Put Water

Cleaning

Cleaning the Cuisinart dual brewer from the outside is simple. Using a soft cloth and soapy water, you can easily clean the stainless steel surface. Accessories, including the gold tone coffee filter, HomeBarista Reusable Filter Cup,removable drip tray, and glass carafe, can easily be rinsed with water in seconds.

Every three months, the Cuisinart SS-15 should be descalced, according to the manufacturer. Thankfully, the brewer has a self-cleaning feature, and the Cuisinart Coffee Center will alert you if the device needs to be descaled.

Descaling is an essential process to avoid any build-up that can clog the machine’s internal piping, and you’ll need to do it for any brewer you buy.

However, some machines reduce the need for cleaning by adding small accessories. That’s the case here, as the Cuisinart SS-15 is bundled with a charcoal water filter that can help filter any unwanted impurities that improve flavor and reduce the need for descaling.

The Cuisinart 12 cup coffee maker can be descalced quite easily, though. Start by removing the charcoal water filter and pouring up to 6 cups of water into the tank. Add 4 ounces of white vinegar, then press and hold the Clean button. Before brewing, do a final water brew cycle in your machine after it has completed the self-cleaning cycle.

The same self-clean method using vinegar and water is used for the single-serve side. You only need to press and hold the 6 and 8 oz. brew buttons on your Cuisinart SS-15 simultaneously for it to enter clean mode. Its filter chamber can be easily cleaned by removing the used K-Cup pods from the slot.

Other Features

The Cuisinart Coffee Center features 24-hour programmability, which is useful when you want a brew ready when you wake up in the morning. The brew start function, also referred to as the batch brewer function, enables you to program the time at which your batch brewer or K-Cup coffee maker will begin brewing coffee.

All you have to do is set it up initially, then turn on your Cuisinart SS-15. You must make sure the brewer has enough water and ready-to-brew grounds, just like any other time.

Nobody enjoys forgetting to turn off their coffee maker. Thankfully, this Cuisinart coffee maker also features an energy save mode where you can program its shut off function for up to 4 hours after the last brew cycle, depending on your usage.

It also has an adjustable carafe temperature knob, which allows you to switch between presets for the heat plate under the glass carafe to avoid over-extracting your brew. The Cuisinart SS-20 has a thermal carafe for purposes of comparison.

Want a cup of coffee now, not when the pot is done brewing? If you want to sneak a cup without stopping the machine from brewing, the Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-15 also has a brew-pause feature.

Is It Worth the Money?

Overall, this Cuisinart coffee maker is a pretty good deal thanks to its dual brewer capabilities and extra features.

Coffee makers of the same caliber as the Cuisinart SS-15 can be pricey. If you’re looking for cheaper products, you might get fewer features, and they tend to be less durable than coffee brewers made with stainless steel components.

As with anything coffee related, it may or may not be worth it depending on your needs. The Cuisinart SS-15 Coffee maker is a respectable investment if you need a practical coffee maker for your office or large household.

The Final Verdict

With its 24-hour programming, reusable coffee filter, charcoal water filter, brew-pause feature, and brew strength control, the Cuisinart SS-15 Coffee Center has a number of features that can make brewing enjoyable and practical.

The Cuisinart Coffee Center’s ability to make a delectable cup of coffee, whether for a full pot or a K-Cup for your own travel mug, is what really steals the show.

This Cuisinart Coffee Center review should have assisted you in determining whether it is the best appliance for you. Yes, it’s a bit pricey but if you’re in a household full of coffee lovers.

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