Cuisinart DCC-3200AMZ Coffeemaker, 14 Cup Stainless Steel

We've replaced an older Cuisinart DCC-1200 with this DCC-3200. Since it's a popular line, I thought others might be interested in how they compare. (In the attached comparison photos, the 1200 is on the left and the 3200 is on the right):Taste: Coffee in the 3200 is more flavorful. A new machine might be expected to be better, but I think they've gotten the flow and temperature of the brewing process better.Temperature: The brewed coffee is much hotter. Both units have three temperature settings for the hot plate, but the settings on the 3200 are hotter.Size and Capacity. The 3200 handles 14 cups compared to the 1200's 12 cups. Yet as you can see from the photos, they are the same height to fit on a counter. They seem to get the extra capacity by making the 3200 a little deeper from front to back. We've been surprised at how useful the extra capacity is.Carafe: The new glass carafe is just like the old one, only larger. It pours nicely with or without the lid on it. The new lid works the same as the old one, popping off and on. (I read some complaints about the lid on an intervening model with a spring opening, but if so, they fixed that by going back to the 1200 style).As far as I can tell, there isn't a version of the 3200 designed for a thermal carafe like there is for the 12-cup models. I prefer the glass carafe because it keeps the coffee hotter longer, and I can always pour the coffee into a thermal carafe if I want to.Water Filling. The bigger size also increases the size of the water fill hole. The lid on the top of the 3200 unit raises to 90 degrees straight up, where the lid on the 1200 tilted further back and out of the way. Still the 3200 is easier to fill, and I suspect that the restriction on the tilt may help preserve the integrity of the hot water tube.Sneak a Cup. Taking out the carafe to sneak a cup during brewing worked great on the 1200 with little dripping, and still does on the 3200.Basket. The basket on the 3200 is very similar to the 1200, but a slightly different shape to accommodate more grounds for 14 cups. Actually, grounds just barely fit with a 4 cup paper filter in the new basket, and sometimes go above the filter in the basket. The basket actually seems more designed for the included gold filter.Water filter. The 3200 uses the exact same carbon filters and filter holder as the 1200, but the holder seems to fit more snugly in its hole, which may help prevent clogging (see below)Beep. The 3200 allows you to turn of the coffee-ready beep if you want.Controls. Controls on the 3200 are a little easier. The 3200 uses all push buttons with no switches. Separate hour and minute settings make it a little easier to program and set the clock. There is a new "Bold" setting which does indeed seem to result in stronger coffee. There is still a setting for smaller, 1-4 cup pots, but I never use that. You can still set the hot plate to stay hot for up to 4 hours, which is important to me. There is a fairly bright blue glow from the LED display on the 3200.Cleaning. There was a sensor button on the hot plate of the 1200 that's gone on the 3200, so the plate stays cleaner. The extra stainless steel looks good on the 3200 but probably shows smudges more and might benefit from special cleaner fluids.Coffee Grounds Overflowing and Clogging. This was the biggest problem before, and I don't know if it's fixed, but it seems better. On the 1200, if you put too many coffee grounds in the filter it could overflow in the brewing process, and sometimes grounds would get into the water system and clog the tube. The 1200 was designed not to be repairable, but customers tried anyway with some difficulty. After one successful repair, we eventually had to replace the 1200. So far, we have not had any overflow issues with the 3200. The larger basket (with possibly a bigger drip opening), the deeper reservoir and longer case, and the more stable, non-tilting lid may help with this, but we will see how it works over time. I do notice that they made the bottom panel easier to remove, with regular screws instead of Torx, if it ever comes to that. My one tip for users is to always use the filter holder with a filter in it, even if your water is fine, because that should help prevent grounds from getting into the heating system.In all, the 3200 is an excellent replacement for the 1200, and worth the extra money if you are choosing between the two models new.

I love the Cuisinart brand and I love this coffee maker. This purchase was a replacement for our old one that finally went kaput. But we had it for years and years, using it every single day, so we definitely got our use out of it. This is the exact same style as the last one but a little updated with a very clean look that is looks fine out on the countertop. It perfectly fits our space...not so tall that it doesn't fit under the cabinets. Of course, we have to pull it forward to pour the water into the top. But it has a reusable filter that is washable so you don't have to use paper filters, which is wonderful. It's programmable so I can set it the night before and it will make the coffee for me in the morning as I'm getting ready for work. The best part, however, is the "bold" button that can make the coffee stronger when it's brewing...my husband and I both like a strong cup. I'm sure this will last just as long as the last one. But when it goes, I'm sure we'll repeat our purchase again!

This coffee maker produces great tasting coffee in a relatively short time. This model is an upgrade design from the one that we have now and it is quite an improvement. The push-button controls work very well and the lighted screen can be easily seen. The settings buttons around the screen are MUCH easier to use than on the model this item replaced.We don't use the metal coffee ground filter because they are actually a dirty, nasty mess that you have to clean everyday! We use a #4 paper filter and the machine makes great coffee with no mess that you have to clean up later. Also, the item sets us a little higher on its legs; this is great if you spill water, etc. and it runs under the unit. The coffee pot itself is a nice size and easy to handle (you can put as little or as much water in it as you wish).Please note, the first couple of times you use the coffee maker it will make "strange" noises. We found that this does not indicate problems it is just the new material expanding/contracting due to the heat being applied to it. No worries!Overall you will like your new machine. We have had this brand for many years and the coffee makers we had expired from "old age" and not because of defects.

I like this coffee maker except for one thing, the carafe is a poor design. I read a lot of reviews including Consumer Reports which gave this unit high marks. I agree it makes very consistent cups of coffee. Easy to set/program. It keeps the coffee hot on the plate which has three temp settings and an auto off feature. The only con is the carafe. It has a plastic ring around the top that prevents all the water from being poured into the reservoir. I included pics but it is difficult to see that you must turn it upside down to get out the last water. It should be designed like my old Mr Coffee without the rim. See my pic of the old Mr coffee. If you watch the videos made for this unit, they all show the reservoir being filled with a separate pitcher of water. After purchasing I now know why. One other note, it claims to be a 14 cup unit but the size 4 paper cone shaped filters that are recommend and a few are shipped with the maker, are all 12 cup. You could only get 14 by leaving out the filters.

This is the coffeemaker I should have bought a long time ago. I have continued to by the cheep $20 or $30 ones at Walmart that end up leaking and do NOT stop brewing when you pour a cup mid cycle. This one has a lid that snaps on and stays on. The pot sets in easily, no tricky misses allowing coffee to brew all over the place. Best of all: No grounds in the brewed coffee. My husband always complained the coffee wasn’t hot enough. This one satisfied his need for hotter coffee. We’ve only had it about a month but we are very pleased. Worth the extra money. I also love that it stays on for 4 hours instead of 2 since my husband is up around 3:00 AM and I don’t get up till 5 or 6. Highly recommend this.