Cuisinart DGB-900BCC DGB-900BC 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 of coffee: Element 1: Water Coffee is 98% water. Often overlooked, the quality of the water is as important as the quality of the coffee. 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. That's why Cuisinart has added a water filter to the Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew™ Thermal Coffeemaker. The charcoal water filter removes chlorine, bad tastes and odors, for the purest cup of coffee every time. 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 Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew™ Thermal Coffeemaker 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, over-extraction 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 Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew™ Thermal Coffeemaker is preset for a medium grind, the optimal grind for this type of coffeemaker. Element 4: Proportion The Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew™ Thermal Coffeemaker makes up to twelve cups (54 oz.) of coffee. Using Whole Beans We recommend refilling the hopper after two full pots of coffee have been brewed. Be sure that you have a sufficient amount of beans in your hopper for the amount of coffee you intend to brew. NOTE: The maximum capacity for whole beans is ½ lb. - enough for over two 12-cup pots of coffee. Using Pre-Ground Coffee Although it is preferable to use fresh, whole beans, you can make coffee in the Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew™ Thermal Coffeemaker 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 level scoop of ground coffee per cup. Adjust the amount to your taste. NOTE: The maximum capacity for ground coffee is 16 level scoops, using either a paper or permanent filter. Exceeding this amount may cause overflow.