Cuisinart DGB-300BK DGB-300BK Manual - Page 5

THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE It is generally agreed that there are four basic elements critical to the perfect cup: Element 1: Water Coffee is 98% water. Often overlooked, the quality of the water is as important as the quality of the coffee. If you filter your drinking water, filter the water for your coffeemaker. A good rule of thumb is that if your water doesn't taste good from the tap, it won't taste any better in your coffee. For hard water areas, we recommend using bottled water. The calcium in the water and the softeners used to combat it have a major impact on the extraction of the coffee. Hard water will also accelerate calcium buildup inside the coffeemaker which, in turn, slows down brewing, affects the flavor of the coffee, and ultimately may shorten the life of your coffeemaker. Element 2: Coffee While the bulk of the liquid is water, all of the flavor should be from the coffee. To achieve the same great quality cup of coffee you receive at a coffee bar, you need to use the same quality beans. Buy the beans fresh and whole, only about two weeks' supply at a time for maximum freshness. Once the coffee bean is broken, its flavor degrades very quickly. That's why the Automatic Grind & Brew™ grinds your coffee just prior to brewing. If it is not practical to buy small supplies, we recommend you separate larger amounts of beans into one to two week portions immediately after purchase, and freeze them in airtight containers. The best way to maximize freshness is to minimize exposure to air, light and moisture. So, once beans have been removed from the freezer, maintain them in a sealed container at room temperature, since damaging condensation occurs every time the beans are removed from the freezer or refrigerator. Note that some coffee experts advise against freezing dark-roast beans, because freezing can cause the oils to coagulate. Other experts disagree. We suggest you experiment and decide for yourself. Element 3: Grind The grind is critical for proper flavor extraction. If the grind is too fine, overextraction and bitterness will result. Too fine a grind may also clog the filter. If grind is too coarse, the water will pass through too quickly and the desired flavors will not be extracted. The Automatic Grind & Brew™ is preset for a medium grind, the optimal grind for this type of coffeemaker. Element 4: Proportion The Automatic Grind & Brew™ makes up to ten (10) 5-ounce cups of coffee. Using Whole Beans: • To make a full pot of coffee: Fill the grinder basket to the top. DO NOT OVERFILL OR THE GRINDER COULD MALFUNCTION. • To make fewer than 10 cups of coffee: We recommend you use about 1 tablespoon of whole beans per cup. Note: One measuring scoop is approximately equal to one tablespoon. For 1 or 2 cups, use 1-1/2 tablespoons per cup. Adjust the recipe according to individual taste. Using Pre-Ground Coffee: Although it is preferable to use fresh, whole beans, you can make coffee in the Automatic Grind & Brew™ using pre-ground beans. To do so, turn off the grinder by pressing the "Grind Off" button before turning on the unit. Our recipe: We suggest that you use 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of ground coffee per cup. Note: One measuring scoop is approximately equal to one tablespoon. Adjust the recipe to your taste. NOTE: The maximum capacity for ground coffee is 15 tablespoons, using either a paper or permanent filter. Exceeding this amount may cause overflow if the coffee is too finely ground. 5