Conair - Cuisine Grind & Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker

This is a fantastic grind and brew coffeemaker for the price. After comparing similar models at this price point, I decided to go with this unit and I would have to say it satisfied all my needs perfectly. Highly recommend.

I bought this coffeemaker to replace the Cuisinart I'd had for many years that developed a leak in the bottom tubing. I was going to buy another Cuisinart grind 'n' brew, because it brews a great pot of coffee from fresh-ground beans (a must have in my world), and it lasted many years before ever having an issue; however, then I came across the Conair grind 'n' brew coffeemaker for half the price, and I'm not usually one to pass up on a deal. For $50, I thought it was worth a try. What I didn't know was that the design of this coffee maker is exactly the same as the old Mellita grind 'n' brew machine I had before my Cuisinart (ie. the beans are ground right inside of a wire mesh basket strainer). The grinding mechanism is just a simple blade that spins at the bottom of the basket. This results in a very uneven grind---some very coarse, some dust---which results in a pot of coffee with a lot of ground coffee sediment. Something I remember of the old Mellita, which I didn't particularly like. I prefer a paper filtered coffee over the mesh strainer, because the ground coffee sediment makes the coffee overly bitter. Plus, a paper filter makes clean-up a snap. The Conair needs to be rinsed after each use. Also, the other reviewers are right, this coffeemaker does not produce a very hot pot of coffee. I find myself pre-warming the coffee mug to help retain the heat that the coffee does have from the pot. I like creamer in my coffee, in which case, it's better to start with a hotter cup of coffee, so that the creamer doesn't cool it down too much. The heat of the coffee may not matter as much to someone who takes their coffee black. If I had it to do over, I'd spend the extra $50 and buy the Cuisinart, even tho mine developed a leak over time ... it lasted much longer than I would expect a grind 'n' brew machine to last. If memory serves, the Mellita didn't last even 2 years before the grinding mechanism broke, so I will stick with this one until it breaks, and then replace it with a Cuisinart.

I have tried lots of coffee makers but none of them satisfied me. This coffee maker is a decent one. It can grind raw bean but I seldom used this function since the coffee made is not as good as ground coffee. The best taste is made with 4 scoops of ground coffee for 4 cups (push all 3 bottom buttons). When you pour down coffee into cups, detach the lid to avoid spilling out. It takes me more time to clean up the machine than other brand like Krups, Mr.Coffee or Delonghi. With the price I paid for this one, I would say it is about right.

I bought this coffee maker for my in-laws that wanted an all-in-one coffee grinder + brewer and wanted it cheap. There are very few options with those requirements. I found a good deal on this maker and despite reviews I read on this site about pouring difficulties and temperature issues I decided to pull the trigger. Regarding pouring difficulties: There is a dot for "Closed" and a dot for "Open" on the lid in English, French, and Spanish. When aligning the dot closed it does not pour at all and when aligning the dot open it pours without a mess. I have to assume that others' issues are user error. Regarding temperature: There is not a hot plate on this maker to keep it hot or burn your coffee. I made 6 cups of coffee and poured 4 immediately, they were plenty hot but not scalding like McDonalds or Starbucks. The other two cups were still hot enough for steam to arise when I poured it into my cup ~1 hour later. Personally I don't see the need to keep one brewing of coffee hot longer than this but maybe others do. Regarding cleaning: The blade assembly is part of the filter and is easily rinsed out but you pretty much can not scrub it with a sponge. The same goes for the carafe; the mouth of it is too narrow with the lid off to fit a hand inside. Therefore you'd have to clean both with a brush on a wand if you wanted to get a good scrub. This is the only reason that I deducted a point as I wish it were a little easier to clean. Regarding noise: The blade grinder is surprisingly quiet for a blade grinder. Mind you it's not quiet, it's about the upper range of speaking volume. Many other blade grinders that I've heard could "wake the dead" and are about screaming volume. If you aren't using the grinder it's no louder than any other drip coffee maker. TL;DR: Set realistic expectations for a cheaper all-in-one and this definitely meets them.

Contrary to most reviews, this is actually a great coffee maker: makes good strong coffee, has easy to clean the components, and the heating coil under the pot turns off immediately--this is a good thing--you should never ever ever leave coffee on a heating coil--it totally destroys the coffee. Nuke a cup once it gets cold. The hole in the back of the water container is so you don't over-fill the pot. Every coffee maker has one. Most are just a little bit higher and smaller so the water doesn't spill out as easily. Fix: put the maker where you want it before you fill it with water, and leave it there until the coffee finishes brewing. Most coffee grind/brew machines clog up with the ground coffee and you have to go through major operations to unclog it. This happens constantly. Since there is no coffee chute in this coffee maker, that is a problem of the past. The design is great. The MASSIVE problem is the horrid coffee carafe: it's awful. And it stinks like burned coffee inside, though that's an impossibility since the heating coil is virtually non-existent. And they don't make a glass carafe to fit this coffee maker. I called (four different phone numbers) and asked, and the less-than-helpful person at Cuisinart Customer Service felt he needed to explain to me over and over again how a thermos works. My blood pressure is still racing. My fix: use the 12-cup glass carafe from your Cuisinart grind/brew machine--you might have to give it a little extra nudge to fit, but it does fit. The Cuisinart grind/brew makes coffee about the same strength as dirty dishwater--I have bought it twice and thrown both in the trash. My only regret: I didn't save both glass carafes.

Other reviewers have complained that the coffee isn't hot enough and the carafe doesn't keep it hot. I completely disagree. Maybe it's been improved recently, because I find the temperature is great. I've left it for three hours and it was still plenty hot. Every coffee maker is a little different, so there's a little bit of a learning curve to get it the way you like it. Be gentle with the lid latch; if it's like the old Melita, it may be weak. I hold the button down while closing so it doesn't 'snap' into place.

Bought coffee pot on a promotional deal for $20 and it does exactly what I had been looking for in a coffee pot. It effortlessly grinds the beans and then brews the coffee. The coffee sits in a thermos unit and we have not had any problems with the temperature of the coffee staying hot for at least an hour or longer. cleaning the ground beans is a bit messy but no more than having to grind the beans in a separate unit and transferring them over. Used the pot daily for a month now and pleased with it. Would buy another one if this lasts a decent amount of time.

I bought this because i'm on paleo diet and i need to drink decaf now, so need an additional coffee maker (wife won't switch to decaf). The grinder works pretty well, was pleasantly surprised. You can use pre-ground coffee as well. It make coffee well and the pot acts as a thermos for a while to keep the coffee warm. It never seems to be really hot, however. When I pour a cup of coffee from the pot, I microwave it for about 30 seconds to bring it up to temperature.