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.
