Cuisinart DTC-975 Programable Auto Brew 12-Cup Coffeemakers

Just last week my girlfriend had been telling me how much she loved her thermal one, and it really got me thinking how awesome it would be if the coffee stayed hot, and didn't turn funky like it always does on a burner. A day later, I was staring at this one in the store and fell in love with it.

First of all, it was the 12 cup factor - I had only seen 10 cup thermals before and I couldn't see the point - when I entertain, I need to have more than 10 lousy cups. It also looks super in my white/bisque kitchen, and the brushed stainless steel pot is very nice looking and heavy duty.

I was forever standing in front of the micro reheating a cup of coffee or tea. Today was a very extreme example: I made a pot of coffee at 9:30 am before heading to church - and at 4:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, poured a cup and it was TOO HOT TO DRINK! Mind-blowing! And it tasted exactly like the first cup did in the morning.

The whole fam likes to also likes to drink a lot of tea, especially in the evening, and it dawned on me that I could run the water through it without coffee, and wala.... hot water for tea anytime someone wants a cup... no more standing in front of the micro for 2 minutes.

I can't tell you how awesome this coffee maker is... and having never had one I can set up the night before is truly wonderful. I love the fact that I don't have to open the top to pour. I will never own a coffeemaker with a hot plate again.


Ignore Detractors, this machine ROCKS!   December 31, 2004
M. Wright (Northampton, MA)
143 out of 148 found this review helpful

I use it to make 2 cups or full pots. I have used many different machines over 15 years of drinking coffee (and therefore making coffee) daily and have absolutely no complaints about this machine. I would like to address the complaints here for people shopping for a coffeemaker.

RE: The reported leakage problem. This is due to OVERFILLING. The water reservoir is larger than the carafe for a reason people: Steam builds up as water is heated, if the reservoir were the exact size of the carafe... YOU finish this sentence. If you can- a) figure out in your head what happens to heated plastic without room built in to displace heat and b) either fill the machine with the actual carafe being used or something you measured out beforehand that is equal to the volume of said carafe- than you're smart enough to own this excellent machine.

RE: The BEEP. Yes it beeps (3 times) and yes it's not a whisper, but it's not the trumpet people are making it out to be. These people must have it set up in their bedrooms two feet from their head. If the machine is in your kitchen and you are nearby it's not loud enough to wake you, it's just loud enough to hear if you're in the other room and can't WAIT to get that first cup of java. It's morning and it tells me "hey, your coffee is ready." It's evening and I'm chatting with friends and forget and then it tells me "hey, your coffee is ready." People who complain about the beep would complain about getting wet in the rain or cold in the winter.

RE: The screw cap. Yes it takes 3 revolutions to get this SCREW cap SCREWED on. And like any nut and bolt system you have to start screwing evenly in order to form a tight bond. This tight bond is what keeps your coffee hot. The carafe pours using a built-in ball-bearing that uses that wonderful thing we like to call gravity to move the ball ever so slightly away from the opening so that your HOT coffee can pour into your waiting favorite coffee cup. The stream is thin yes, again for a reason: large openings equal larger exposure to air, air that is most probably colder than you like your coffee.

I've tried many others and this is my favorite. This is the coffeemaker I would give as a gift to someone who really loves their coffee.

Now I will retire to my DTC-975BK and celebrate its excellence with an afternoon cup of French Roast.


Love it.!! Some issues are real but easily overcome   February 24, 2005
Ann Kammerer (San Francisco, Ca. USA)
70 out of 71 found this review helpful

I LOVE this coffee maker. It is true that the coffee is hot and fresh for hours. It's super easy to clean. Definitely one of the best purchases I made. I would highly recommend this machine for most people. Some of the issues mentioned do have some truth...but are unavoidable given the merits of the machine...

For example, the lid does need to be put on correctly and is a little tight (but this required if the coffee is to stay hot for hours). Every once in a while I misalign it, but I think it's obvious when this starts to happen. I could see that someone with arthritis would have a problem. This machine may not be for the very old, or those with people in the house who wouldn't make the effot to do it right (like some teenagers?).

Same thing with putting the brew basket in. It does have to sit fully down and can easily be put in crooked. But after you've used it a few times it's obvious when it's in properly or not. When properly placed you can remove the pot during brew without spilling a drop. Again, this machine may not be best for older people who really can't see very well (my grandmother would have a real hard time) and for those who don't bother to check these little things.

I did have a problem once with the autostopper not working well and dripping when I remove the pot during brew, now I always fill the basket with water and push the button to let water come through when I wash it. Works like a champ again.

Bottom line, for most people this coffee pot is fabulous. I may not be best for older people because it does have a few quirks.


A brilliant design   December 29, 2004
Charles Castleberry (Los Angeles, CA United States)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

As a coffee lover since 3rd grade, and an engineer with a low tolerance for flaws, I'd call this coffeemaker near-perfect. I gave it as a gift this Christmas, and our whole extended family was impressed with the unit. The thermos carafe has an ingenious screw-top lid (easily removed for cleaning), with a beautifully clever mechanism that allows coffee to trickle in during brewing, and pour out without opening the top, but still manage to be airtight the rest of the time. I'd like to shake the hand of the guy that designed that simple-but-elegant mechanism. The coffeemaker brews a full 12-cup carafe in just 10 minutes, a real benefit given the effect that brewing time has on the coffee's flavor. And the carafe is insulated enough that the coffee remained drinkable past the 2 hour mark. The only weakness that I saw is that, since the unit shuts off completely once the coffee is brewed, you can't tell at a glance that there is coffee waiting for you (if it started automatically by the timer). But that's pretty minor, and I'm already recommending this machine to friends. Well done, Cuisinart.


Great Coffee Machine   September 27, 2004
J. D. Keough (North Wales, PA USA)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

I bought the Cuisinart DTC-975 model 3 years ago and have brewed several pots daily. The unit (sadly) stopped working last month but I was pleasantly surprised that I was within days of their 3-year replacement warranty. I receieved the new unit today and am already packing up the $10 Toastmaster unit and getting the Cuisinart ready.

The coffee keeps its fresh flavor for hours (not like those hotplate units). I strongly reccommend this unit to anyone who enjoys delicious coffee.