Cuisinart 12-Cup Coffee Maker, Programmable PerfecTemp Thermal Carafe Coffee Machine with 1-4 Cup Setting, Brew Strength Control and Brew Pause, Stainless Steel, DCC-3400NAS, Silver

Great, simple coffeemaker. I use it seasonally for guests during the holidays as I’m not a daily coffee drinker myself. I’m writing this review to address the issue some folks have had (myself included) with grounds spewing everywhere inside the machine due to the shower head-style water dispenser. Normally, I’m the type who reads the instruction manual but somehow I must’ve missed this last year and as someone who only makes coffee occasionally, I didn’t realize my error until I pulled this coffee maker out for use again this year. DO NOT put a filter inside the machine with the metal filter. It creates too slow of a drip, which is what causes the water to back up and spill coffee grounds inside the machine. Either use the metal filter alone or remove it first and use a paper filler. This year, I removed the metal filter and only used a paper filter. No spillover, coffee tasted better, and it stayed hotter for longer inside the carafe because it was filtering like it’s supposed to. Last year, I would’ve given this coffee maker 3 stars. This year, it’s a 5. Edit: I also only used 8 Tbsp. of coffee grounds. I don’t recall how many grounds I used last year, but no coffee grounds spilled over this year. I’m very happy with this coffeemaker. It’s great for serving holiday guests because the thermal carafe keeps the brew warm while entertaining, the controls are straightforward (also a plus while hosting), and it brews a solid cup of drip coffee. It’s exactly what I was looking for in a coffee maker. Heck, I might even start using it more often! I used it with some fresh local roasted beans and actually enjoyed black coffee for the first time in my life. Cons: Yeah, the carafe a tiny bit finicky, but not enough for me to deduct a star.

I ordered this coffee maker from Amazon because it met three criteria: A thermal carafe, automatic brewing and availability. I needed to replace a different Cuisinart I got about seven fears ago. This has updated electronic features and a larger capacity. It brews coffee and holds the heat the way I like it. But it has a major flaw. The carafe’s pour spout is defective. To prevent it from spewing coffee next to the target cup, the spout literally need to rest on the rim of the cup. I don’t know if this is a design flaw for a one-off, but it’s annoying as hell. I don’t have the energy for the hassle of returning it. Two other things: First, I don’t know why manufacturers in this small appliance space stick with dark plastics. It make thing harder to see, especially for the vision impaired. Second, don’t look for Cuisinart to be helpful. Update: 9/30/25 - Give Cuisinart credit. They sent me a replacement lid. But the probem is the carafe design itself. It is impssible to pour without coffee draining off the spout, down the outside of the carafe and onto the table or whatever. Update 1/28/2026 - Cuisanart has won me back. My DCC-3400NAS' carafe leaked when pouring. You first replaced the lid, but that didn't work. Last week, you replaced the whole carafe with a spare lid at no cost. Thank you.

Cuisinart DCC - 3400 Review I've had this coffee maker since October 2019, just a bit over five years. Generally, I am pleased with the quality of coffee it produces. The shower head water dispersal allows the cone filter to reduce channeling so one is more likely to have an even extraction from the coffee grounds than a single drip source. This sort of showerhead dispersal method has become almost an industry standard over the past decade or more, so I'm uncertain if even mentioning it is worthwhile in a review. My apologies to those who have read this and wondered why I even bothered. The coffee maker is dead easy to use, and it takes about 15 minutes to produce a full pot of coffee when using the "bold" setting. The actual coffee produced is not as hot out of the machine than I get with a siphon maker but is still within optimal temperature ranges. While the coffee maker is plastic, it basically just sits on the countertop and has proven quite durable. In the best of all possible worlds, I'd prefer to have the gauge showing the water level on the front of the machine rather than its side, but with enough counter space it is not a major problem to either rotate the coffeemaker or arrange the machine's location so that both sides are visible to the user. The only downside with the coffee maker is the thermal carafe. While I find the thermal carafe manages to retain the coffee temp pretty well, that positive involves compromises in terms of ease of use. I like that actual interior of the carafe is steel (stainless steel, I assume) as it is durable and seemingly impossible to break as compared to some carafes which might use a glass interior. The carafe's lid uses an interrupted screw design which allows the lid to be removed with only a 45-degree twist of the lid. A small feature, but something which allows the carafe to have a secure lid while in use and help retain the temp of the coffee. In fact, the carafe's design seems to prioritize heat retention above all else. There is a lip around the top of the carafe's interior which limit's heat loss but makes one pour the coffee slowly and it is necessary to remove the lid for the final mug of coffee in the pot to avoid dribbling coffee from just outside the spout. Cleaning the pot would require the hand of a preschooler as the top opening seems to well under three inches in diameter. I try to make do by using a scrub brush with a long handle, but it is less than satisfactory. On the other hand, I make a pot of coffee for my own consumption, as I live alone. For me, the heat retention of the carafe outweighs the difficulty in cleaning the carafe. Others may have different priorities.

I bought this coffeemaker because I was looking for a insulated carafe with a cone filter. I decided on this because it is compact for its 12-cup capacity and the price point is very reasonable. A bonus is that it has a changeable charcoal filter so I can use regular tap water rather than filtered water. The coffee stays hot for about 3 hours. It has all the features I was looking for and after using it for several mornings I was quite happy with it. HOWEVER, days later I noticed that the bottom of the carafe was hot beyond touch (about 200 degrees) right after brewing but cooled down over time. I called Cuisinart who insisted there is no hot plate on the thermal coffeemakers and that they would get back to me in a few days. So I simply returned the unit to Amazon. I loved the function of this coffeemaker so much that I bought the newer model of this unit from a department store for $20 more. The carafe plate on it also heats up during brewing as well! So I'm assuming the plate heats up only during brewing so coffee won't be brewing into a cold thermal carafe. All I know is I'm keeping it. It brews excellent coffee. Just be aware that you want to allow the carafe bottom several minutes to cool down before you set it on something that heat could ruin.

I can't believe this coffeemaker is as highly reviewed as it is. First of all, the stainless steel carafe is impossible to pour because of the border at the top that goes in about an inch all the way around. When full, you have to tilt it 90 degrees just to get a slow trickle. When it's almost empty it is literally impossible to get the rest out without coffee spilling out the sides of the lid, so if you want to avoid spilling and wiping up every time the only option is to pour every cup over the sink, unless you're fine wasting half a cup of coffee every day, and even then you'll still need to pour it out before you brew the next pot. I know the reason for this is to keep the coffee hot, and this isn't unique to Cuisinart. All stainless steel carafes seem to have this design. I just don't know why most people seem to think this is ok. Another issue is the steam. Of course all coffeemakers need a way to allow steam to escape, but the steam is particularly strong with this one. The 3 holes at the rear top allow a strong layer of steam to hit the bottom of your kitchen cabinet doors even if you have the coffeemaker pulled out to the edge of the counter, and it's not a light steam. Even after just one use there was a clear film that you can't remove with a wet cloth. It's only visible in certain light and at this point is something I can deal with, but I certainly don't want to keep exposing my cabinets to this steam. Cheaper coffeemakers I've had have the steam holes on the side, or they just aren't as powerful and so the steam is not as thick. Unlike the pouring issue, this issue can at least be solved by having the coffeemaker somewhere outside the range of cabinets, such as on a cart, so that the steam has more room to dissipate. The third issue is that it is pretty much impossible for condensation not to drip out of the holes in the back and down the coffeemaker when you open the lid after brewing a pot. Not a huge issue but again, for a supposedly quality coffeemaker, having to wipe up water dripping out the back after every single use is not something you should have to do. I bought this coffeemaker thinking it would be an improvement and make my coffeemaking routine easier, not more difficult, than the cheap one I've been using for the past 10-15 years. Of course I didn't start using this coffeemaker until about a month after I purchased it, so by the time I realized all its flaws the return policy had passed, so now I'm out 90 dollars and have a completely useless hunk of stainless steel and plastic. It certainly looks cool, and the functionality is exactly what I was looking for. It just amazes me that supposedly reputable companies like Cuisinart can build products like this with such clear shortcomings. Did they not test it out themselves? Did they really think it's ok to have a carafe that only pours a slow trickle when full, and CAN'T pour out all the coffee without having to turn it completely upside down and spilling? And how is it that people are ok with this? Oh well I guess my standards are just unreasonably high. I'm just so sad that this is where we're at as a civilization. Every time I look at the coffeemaker I'm reminded of all the time spent researching to find the right one, the excitement of finally opening the box, and then the slow realization that I'd have to do it all over again after discovering one ridiculous design oversight after another. It's still sitting on my counter because I haven't had the time or energy to look for another one, but when I do, I'm pretty sure one of the cheaper models with the glass carafe will be the way to go.

Great machine, good for use under low cabinets, but steam can damage them. Good coffee flavor. This replaces the same model purchased 10 yrs ago and seems identical, except the plate where the carafe sits becomes sizzling hot and the carafe definitely does not keep the coffee hot as long as our older model. The hot plate does not really matter, and I am sure it is heat transferred from the water heating element rather than a dedicated warming plate since a thermal carafe does not benefit from this feature. The steam coming off the back of this machine damaged our cabinets, since they are low, so we slide it out prior to use. I know that all coffee makers will have steam but it might be helpful to know that on this machine the vents are at the top rear. The primary reason for deducting 2 stars is the carafe, which does not keep the coffee as hot as the carafe from our 10-yr-old model. Fortunately, we can use the old carafe on the new machine without issue. We drink coffee throughout the morning and are spoiled by the convenience of hot coffee many hours after making it, so the new carafe was a huge disappointment. Many complain about the narrow opening and difficulty cleaning the carafe, but I fill it with hot water and a squirt of dishwasher fluid, Cascade is preferred, and leave it overnight. Next morning it will be spotless. Works for stainless thermal coffee cups also. I would have gotten the highly rated OXO 9-cup machine since it is known to keep coffee hot a very long time, but it is too tall for my low cabinets.

The one I bought six or eight years ago was $75. This one was $125 on sale. It is a 12 pot cup, however, instead of a 10. I do love my Cuisinart coffee pots. I make a full pot every 2 to 3 days, and drink it iced. The carafe now sells for what I paid for my last complete coffee maker. By the way, I pour the water in my coffee maker without the lid on. It works better that way. Suggest you buy extra filters for the coffee maker at the time of purchase. Not coffee filters, filters for the coffee maker itself. They are white and about the size of an ice cube. An old-fashioned ice cube!

I have to modify my review after using this coffee maker for about 10 months. While it does reach the proper water temperature, I am very dissatisfied with the carafe. I mentioned these things in my original review, but the're just more important now: The lid restricts the flow of coffee out too much; its very slow to get my mug filled, and this also has the effect of cooling the coffee. The lid is also very poorly designed, making the coffee go through a chamber that does not allow one access to clean it. I have to run hot water through each opening for several minutes, or submerge it and then shake it out. So I take off the lid before pouring, which is itself too difficult for something one does every day. Finally, the interior of the carafe is weirdly shaped and not designed to easily pour out the contents. One has to tip the carafe completely upside-down to get the last coffee out, which means one cannot see where the coffee is pouring unless one bends one's head down to look under it while pouring. And, as mentioned before, the wire mesh filter basket lets too many grounds through. All these things might seem minor, but when you have to go through this every damn morning, it becomes annoying. I don't have a replacement yet, but I won't recommend this one anymore. **************************************************************************************** This coffee make brings the water temperature up to the 195 degree minimum for a properly brewed cup of coffee. I can absolutely taste the difference, and I use less coffee and better a better cup. Water temperature is the crucial factor in whether or not a coffee maker is even at least good, because without the proper water temperature, what good is it? Regarding some of the complaints reported by the one-star reviews: I only am experiencing one: The carafe has a design flaw in that the inside top is basically flat around the rim, and I have to take the lid off and completely invert it to get all the coffee out, and even then its not 100%. The lid of the carafe is also, frankly terrible. Too many crevices & a flapping valve of some kind will all just get gunked up with dried coffee in time and that will affect the taste. The carafe should have as few nooks and crannies as possible and every part of the pathway should be easy to clean. This one I have to soak under water to make sure no coffee deposits are solidifying. One other complaint: the wire mesh coffee basket works, but it is letting a bit too many fine grounds into the pot. They are not the high-end mesh filters you can buy elsewhere, but it works. If it bothers you, you can use number 4 paper filters instead. I did that for a few months to use up my supply. As for the other complains about water dripping out of the back, too much steam escaping or flooding, I can say after five months of use that nothing like this has happened to me. These sound like genuine defects, and when you consider that EVERYTHING you buy on Amazon was built in China, a high number of defects in any product is the unfortunate reality for consumers today. I strongly recommend exercising your right to return a defective product and not pay any shipping charge for doing so. For me, the water temperature is such an important factor that it overrides the other issues, and I am happy with my semi-budget model. I wish I knew what the "Bold" button does, though. I can't taste any difference when I use it but it gives me tremendous FOMO so I always use it anyway.

We replaced our old coffee maker with this. We like the white and silver look. We use the water filters (sold separately) as our water is very hard. The coffee tastes great and stays hot all morning. We had no trouble pouring from the thermal carafe, so maybe that issue has been resolved. Very nice product.

I LOVE my coffee maker and I have zero regrets making the switch back to a percolator. I used a Keurig for 10 years and when my machine broke I decided to go back to a more conventional coffee maker. I am so glad I did, I have used this appliance everyday for the past 16 months and it still works great. I had to descale once in this time period with vinegar due to my hard water. You can brew 12 cups of coffee in about 5 minutes and the coffee remains pipping hot for at least 5 hours thanks to the stainless steel carafe. I would definitely purchase another Cuisinart coffee maker. The only issue I have with this one is I find it hard to clean the inside of the carafe due to the shape of the opening.

This machine has pretty much any feature you could ask for. Pros: Looks beautiful on my counter, it's not overly large and the stainless steel compliments my other appliances. Very simple to use, especially when programming your coffee for the morning. I like the fact that after the coffee brews you have an alert sound in which you can choose to turn off or on. Very easy to see the water level on the side when pouring the water in. Coffee is very hot when brewed. Coffee carafe keeps coffee hot for quite sometime. I left coffee in the carafe over night and it was still lukewarm the next day. Cons: When pouring the coffee from carafe you have to practically turn it up side down. You must pour slow or the coffee will spray all over. In order to clean the pot you'll have to get a scrub brush as you can't fit your hand in the carafe. Overall the pros out weigh the cons. I'm definitely keeping this machine it's make a great cup of coffee!

This is my third generation Cuisinart coffeemaker (over several decades), and it is the best of the bunch. Seriously! I make coffee usually between 4-5 am and it stays hot for hours and hours....usually until the pot is empty! We are coffee enthusiasts and appreciate the no "bitter" or "burnt" taste after heating for any time at all ( experience with the glass carafe and heated element versions). Easy to operate. Easy to clean. Does what it says it'll do. I ask for nothing less, and nothing more. Worth the price. I've learned that invariably, you do get what you pay for.

Justo lo que queríamos! Que pudiera mantener el café caliente por unas horas, sin que se queme o cambie su sabor. Algo que no funciona en comparación a las de vidrio es que si la pones a funcionar sin la jarra puesta, se derrama el café.