Cuisinart Burr Grind and Brew: What You Actually Get for the Money
The Cuisinart Burr Grind & Brew (DGB-900BC and its successor, the DGB-850) is a 12-cup automatic coffee maker with a built-in conical burr grinder. It grinds whole beans right before brewing, and it does so for about $150 to $180, making it one of the more affordable grind-and-brew machines on the market. The selling point is simple: fresh-ground coffee with single-button convenience. No separate grinder, no extra steps, no measuring grounds. Load beans, add water, press go.
I've tested the Cuisinart against both cheaper blade-grind combo machines and the more expensive Breville Grind Control. It sits firmly in the middle. Better than budget options, not as refined as the Breville, and a solid value for what it costs. Here's the honest rundown on performance, quirks, and whether it belongs on your counter.
Features Overview
The Built-In Burr Grinder
The Cuisinart uses conical burrs with 8 grind settings, labeled 1 (finest) through 8 (coarsest). These settings cover the drip coffee range only. You won't get fine enough for espresso or coarse enough for a proper French press. The grinder dose is adjustable from 2 to 12 cups, and the machine automatically grinds the right amount for whatever volume you select.
The burrs are adequate but not exceptional. They produce a grind that's more consistent than blade grinders but noticeably less uniform than a standalone burr grinder like the Baratza Encore. You'll see more variation in particle size, which means slightly less even extraction. For standard drip coffee, this is perfectly acceptable. For pour over precision, it falls short.
Brew Strength Control
The machine offers a strength selector (mild, medium, bold) that adjusts the grind time and dose. Bold grinds more coffee per cup, not just slower water flow. This is the right approach and produces genuinely bolder coffee rather than just hotter or more bitter coffee.
Programmable Timer
The 24-hour programmable timer lets you set the machine to grind and brew at a specific time. Wake up at 6 AM, and fresh coffee is already waiting. This is the feature that sells most grind-and-brew machines, and the Cuisinart handles it reliably.
One important note: using the timer means beans sit in the hopper overnight, which is fine. But the grinder is loud. If the machine is in an open kitchen near bedrooms, the grinding noise at 5:45 AM will wake people up. Plan the timer accordingly.
Thermal vs. Glass Carafe
Cuisinart offers two versions:
- DGB-900BC: Glass carafe with hot plate to keep coffee warm. The hot plate slowly cooks the coffee, making it taste burnt after 30 to 45 minutes.
- DGB-850: Thermal carafe that keeps coffee hot without a hot plate. Coffee stays fresh-tasting for 2 to 3 hours.
Get the thermal carafe version. The price difference is small (about $20), and the coffee quality over time is significantly better. Hot plates are the enemy of good coffee.
Coffee Quality
For a $150 grind-and-brew machine, the coffee is good. Not great, not revelatory, but genuinely good. Fresh-grinding before each brew makes a noticeable difference compared to using pre-ground coffee from a can. The aroma alone is enough to justify the machine.
With a medium roast at setting 4 (medium grind), the Cuisinart produces a clean, balanced cup with decent body. Dark roasts on the bold setting come out strong and rich. Light roasts are where the machine shows its limitations. The grinder doesn't produce a uniform enough particle size to extract the nuanced flavors of a light-roast single origin. For that, you need a better grinder.
Compared to the Breville Grind Control ($300), the Cuisinart's coffee is noticeably less refined. The Breville's bloom time, temperature control, and steep-and-release valve all contribute to better extraction. The Cuisinart uses a standard drip-through method with no bloom phase, which means the coffee bed doesn't saturate evenly before full brewing begins.
If you want to explore standalone grinders that pair well with any brewer, check out our best grind and brew coffee maker roundup, or look at single cup grind and brew options if you're brewing for one.
Common Problems and Solutions
Grinding Inconsistency
The most common complaint is uneven grinding. The Cuisinart's burrs produce more fines (tiny dust particles) than a standalone grinder, which can lead to over-extracted, slightly bitter notes. The fix is straightforward: use a slightly coarser setting than you think you need. If setting 4 tastes bitter, move to 5.
Grounds in the Coffee
Some users report coffee grounds ending up in their cup. This happens when the grind is set too fine and particles slip through the filter. Use a medium to coarser setting and make sure the gold-tone permanent filter is properly seated. Alternatively, use paper filters, which catch fine particles better than the permanent filter.
Water Leaking from the Lid
The DGB-900BC has a known issue where water drips from the lid area during brewing. This usually happens when the brew basket isn't fully locked in place or the gasket around the lid has deteriorated. Checking the basket alignment and replacing the gasket (available from Cuisinart) fixes this in most cases.
Grinder Clogging
Oily dark roast beans can clog the burr mechanism over time. The grinder labors harder, runs longer, and eventually stops dispensing the correct dose. Monthly cleaning with a brush prevents this. Remove the upper burr (it twists out without tools), brush out retained grounds and oil, and reassemble. Takes about 5 minutes.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The Cuisinart requires regular attention to keep producing good coffee.
After each brew: Discard the grounds and rinse the basket, carafe, and carafe lid.
Weekly: Wipe down the exterior, clean the drip tray, and run a rinse cycle with just water (no coffee) to flush old oils from the brew pathway.
Monthly: Remove and brush the upper burr, clean the grind chamber, and descale the machine with white vinegar or Cuisinart's descaling solution. Fill the reservoir with a 1:2 vinegar-to-water mix, run a brew cycle, then run 2 cycles with plain water to rinse.
Every 6 months: Deep clean the grinder mechanism. Run grinder cleaning tablets through the burrs to dissolve oil buildup.
The permanent gold-tone filter should be scrubbed with a brush monthly. Coffee oils coat the mesh and can impart rancid flavors if neglected.
Cuisinart vs. Breville Grind Control
This is the comparison most buyers are making, so here's the direct breakdown:
| Feature | Cuisinart DGB-850 | Breville BDC650 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$160 | ~$300 |
| Grind settings | 8 | 8 |
| Bloom/pre-infusion | No | Yes |
| Temperature control | No | Yes |
| Steep and release | No | Yes |
| Single cup mode | No | Yes |
| Programmable | Yes | Yes |
| Cup quality | Good | Very good |
The Breville costs nearly double but produces better coffee through bloom time, temperature management, and the steep-and-release mechanism. If coffee quality is your priority and budget allows, the Breville is worth the premium. If you want fresh-ground convenience at a lower price and the difference between "good" and "very good" drip coffee doesn't concern you, the Cuisinart saves you $140.
Who Should Buy the Cuisinart Burr Grind and Brew
This machine is perfect for households that currently drink pre-ground drip coffee and want an upgrade without adding complexity. It's ideal for people who want fresh-ground taste on autopilot, especially with the programmable timer. It also works well in offices where multiple people make coffee throughout the day.
Who Should Skip It
If you care about pour over precision or single-origin flavor transparency, the built-in grinder won't satisfy you. If you already own a good standalone burr grinder, this machine is a downgrade on the grinding side. And if you only drink single cups, Cuisinart makes a single-serve grind-and-brew (the DGB-2) that's a better fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pre-ground coffee in the Cuisinart Grind and Brew?
Yes. There's a grind-off button that bypasses the grinder. Put pre-ground coffee directly in the filter basket and brew normally. This is useful for decaf or specialty pre-ground coffee.
How loud is the grinder?
Loud enough to hear from another room. The grinding phase lasts 15 to 30 seconds depending on how many cups you're brewing. If you use the timer for early morning brewing, expect anyone in earshot to notice.
How long does the Cuisinart Grind and Brew last?
Typical lifespan is 2 to 4 years with daily use. The grinder burrs wear first, and Cuisinart doesn't sell replacement burrs separately, which means the grinder component has a finite life. The brewer side can last longer if descaled regularly.
Does the machine make good iced coffee?
It makes decent iced coffee if you brew a strong batch (bold setting, fine grind) and pour over ice. It won't match cold brew or Japanese-style iced pour over, but it works for a quick iced coffee.
Bottom Line
The Cuisinart Burr Grind and Brew is an honest machine that does what it promises: grinds beans fresh and brews decent drip coffee, all with minimal effort. Get the thermal carafe version, clean it regularly, and use medium to coarse grind settings. You'll get noticeably better coffee than pre-ground, and the programmable timer means fresh coffee is ready before you are. For $160, that's a solid deal.