Like many other home appliances on the market, a Cuisinart coffee maker requires regular maintenance and some small repairs. Even though they are made with the highest quality from a very trustworthy company, small errors can sometimes occur that can make a coffee maker useless. Instead of wasting the money to buy a new coffee maker or send it back to the manufacturer, it can be very beneficial to learn how to repair a Cuisinart coffee maker.
Troubleshooting
The first step in learning how to repair a Cuisinart coffee maker is learning how to determine if there is actually a problem that needs to be fixed. Believe it or not, many people actually think their home appliances are broken, when in reality, they are either doing something wrong or forgetting a step. If your coffee maker is not working correctly, you will first want to check and make sure everything is in order.
Make sure the appliance is plugged in and the outlet is working, and turn on any light switch that is needed to power the outlet. You will also want to check that all parts of the coffee maker are in place, since many models will not turn on if the coffee basket or pot is not in place. It is beneficial to inspect the entire coffee maker to make sure nothing is out of place, since many problems can actually be easily solved with a very simple solution.
Power Failures
One of the most common problems that can occur with a Cuisinart coffee maker is it having lack of power, meaning the entire appliance will not work. Like mentioned above, the first step is to make sure that the outlet being used is working, and that a switch does not need to be turned on to provide electricity to the outlet.
If the outlet is not a problem, the next step is to check out the machine. There is a chance the cord could have tangled and caused some of the wires to break, or the power supply on the inside of the appliance may not be connected. Although not all electrical problems can be fixed, the best bet is to try and straighten out the cord and make sure everything is connected correctly.
Prevention is the best solution for power problems on a Cuisinart coffee maker, which can be done by taking care of the appliance even when it is not being used. Bundling up or twisting cords can cause them to break, so it is best to roll them loosely to keep them in tact.
Brewing Problems
Another common problem that can occur with the Cuisinart coffee maker is it will stop brewing, even when there is water ready to be transformed into coffee. The machine still turns on and works like it should, but does not continue brewing an entire pot of coffee, and acts like it has finished brewing even when there is still water sitting in the bin. This type of problem is pretty common among various coffee makers, and usually occurs when there is a problem inside the machine.
One of the best ways to fix this problem is by flushing the coffee maker out with a vinegar solution, which can be made with equal parts of vinegar and water. It should be poured in the same place as the water that is ready to be brewed, and will help to clear out the machine and make it ready to start brewing again. This problem is usually caused by calcium building up within the machine, and the vinegar helps to clear out any blockage to help it start running smoothly again.
Weird Tasting Coffee
After using your coffee maker for an extended period of time, the coffee can sometimes begin to taste bitter or like metal. It can be prevented by keeping the coffee maker and the pot clean on a regular basis, but is sometimes inevitable when the coffee maker is used on a daily basis.
Although vinegar does work great at cleaning out the machine, it can also be beneficial to use a de-calcium product such as CLR. Place about ¼ cup of the solution in the machine and fill the rest up with water, and the metal taste should be gone soon after. Make sure to run water through the machine several times after using the solution, to make sure and clean out any solution that may be left behind.
It isn’t hard learning how to fix a Cuisinart coffee maker, since many of the problems can be easily solved. By providing the machine with regular maintenance and keeping it clean as much as possible, many of the common problems can be easily solved.
I need additional assistance with a Cuisinart coffee machine. I need to clear the tube and have to pull off the base plate. What size allen wrench fits this thing. Standard and metric do not fit. Any thoughts
I have the same problem with a clogged tube. The screws for the base plate are ‘security’ screws, which are basically star-shaped with a metal post in the middle. You will have to get a security bit set (they have hollow centers) or else get really creative with a high-quality small flat-blade screwdriver. If you’re careful, you can actually remove the screws with this method, but don’t expect it to be easy. Have you found a site for the replacement parts? It looks like the one-way valve in mine is clogged, and the tube is glued onto the heating element, so I’m reluctant to take it off until I know I have a fix.
My Coffermaker power comes on but the is do not get hot or brew
I have the same problem as Todfd Drew. I cleaned it with vinigar but it still isn’t spitting out the coffee on top? Could it be that a one way valve is broken?
Power, lights come on, brews, but only gets warm,colder every time then doesn’t stay on to keep pot hot. Heater element problem ?
I’d say it’s definitely the element, but check for a fuse under the bottom panel.
My DCC-2000 has no clock no lights etc, I tried removing the screws on the bottom but there is something holding it on. It looks like 2 nuts where the rear feet are. How do you get it off? Hopefully it will be the fuse if I can get to it. Thanks, Ammon
clean button is blinking
Same as Jackie – clean button is blinking and randomly coffee leaks onto the counter. It is definitely coffee and not water so it’s going through the filter basket, etc. Openings in top of carafe seems to be clear. Set for 5:30 A.M. so I’m not going to get up and watch it……The blinking stops if I unplug the coffee maker and plug it back in.
My machine is 5 years old and works great except the clock is losing time which makes the timer useless. Is there a battery in the machine that I can change?
Coffee is going all over the counter top . Only a half of the coffee go into the pot. I have cleaned it several times with the vinegar solution .
Cathy – I think there must be something blocking the flow to the pot. I once had a piece of plastic break off inside and it did the same thing.
Try checking th pipe that delivers the water up to the filter basket.
I have a two year old grind and brew. If you do not have all the internal parts in correctly it beeps until you have all the parts in and they are all fit together properly. Now it wont stop beeping even though I have placed and replaced the parts several times.I re set the power, stll beeps. Can this be fixed??
Grind ‘n Brews are notorious for problems like what you’re describing. The only think I would check are for leaks near the parts you’re replacing. Any water getting in ther would cause a short and cause the beeping.
I can’t remove the complete grinder, any suggestions?
just doesn’t brew. water pours through filter into carafe, makes gurgling sound like it’s brewing clean light is on but no water going up through whatever you call the mechanism.
I can’t get the clean button to go off. It was blinking so I ran vinegar water through twice. It wasn’t blinking but the light is still on. I also unplugged it. Any thoughts??
The machine is in an auto clean mode. You have to allow it to complete this before it will stop blinking. I recommend cleaning it with vinegar as suggested in the article afterward. Check the manual for details re blinking light.
no power when pluged in
How do you remove the bottom panel to check the fuse or the heating element?
Can’t get mine to brew. Power works, clock works. Tried suggestion of unplugging for an hour, then plugging back in and resetting clock and auto off.
nothing
Have vinegar and water wash in the maker now.
nothing is happening.
What really bothers me is that I have had cheap coffeemakers over the years that didn’t give me any trouble for years.
This one is a wedding present from 6 months ago.
Jesse, call Cuisinart and explain the problem. There is a 3 year warranty on it. They will send you a new one and the address to send the old one back to. They did it for me. They were very helpful and stand behind their product. they paid to ship it to me.I had to pay to ship it back. It cost me $10
Sorry Jesse, I should have checked the dates……Bye
Tom!
Mine stopped working, no power. Don’t have the receipt anymore. Do you have a phone for Cuisinart by any change. Mine is almost 3 years old.
@jesse – There’s probaby a short in the coil, so if you’re brave you can try to take the booting off and make sure all the wires are connected.
Otherwise I think you may have to replace it.
Mybeloved DCC-1200 refuses to turn on. I believe it is the switch that is faulty. How do I determine what is wrong? and secondly, is it repairable? Who repairs this cuisinart coffee maker in the Seattle area?
I fill my coffee pot with water and grounds, turn it on, the light comes on, it stays on for about 30 seconds then the machine beeps 5 times like the coffee is done brewing and it shuts off….any suggestions??
My pot worked 4 times and quit. Water heats up and stays in bin. What kind of wrench do I need to open the bottom and take a look? Tried vinegar and water 4 times with no results. Want to open up and see if there is a tube blockage. Company will not repair since it was purchased at Abes of Maine on ebay. Would like to know what wrench to use and hear your ideas.
Does anyone know specifically what wrench to use to open up the bottom of the coffee pot?…DCC -1200 series. Thanks!
torque #10 I belive… just bring the coffee maker to your closest true vallue, lowes, or home depot.
Mine just shots off with out warning. It can be brew or just be off and it loses electric. Plug is fine, cord looks good.
The machine will turn itself back on later at difference or just hit the top a couple of times and it comes on. Darn things out of warranty too. Can anyone help.
Bobby
Sorry, trying to type on a ph.
Shuts of at random and comes back on at different times or just smack it on top and it comes on.
My Cuisenart grind and brew worked fine for the past 4 years, but now the coffee grinder blades are dulling and I’m getting chunks as well as powder. Is there any way of fixing that. I don’t believe a coffee pot should have a longevity of less than 10 years!
EB
will not pump the water
will not pump water
Cuisinart fully automatic burr grind and brew makes gear noise and clicks when turning when trieing to line up gear have to hold up on coffee filter housing to get to brew
we have a cuisinart dcc-790. It begins to grind but backs up into the chute that goes from the burr grinder down to the filter. The filter basket is in the proper position for the coffee to enter the filter but the coffee just wedges into the chute. Any ideas? We do use a very oily beans. thanks, L
no power when pluged in i check the wires and they are fine but still no power to my Cusisnart automatic Grind & Brew. is there anything else i can do. please help.
everything is working except the bean grinder. It makes noice like its working but the beans do not go down. Theln the water comes down and of course it is still water. We have cleaned it out several times, the motor goes on but no coffee coming through. The unit is a DCC-790 not even a year old. We love using the whole beans. Any ideas?
I’ve had the automatic brew and grind thermal pot for 6 years. Can’t find the paperwork. The unit leaks plain water from the bottom ( and it’s increasing) but still brews the coffee.
I have had the same problem of leaking plain water, with two of the same units after 5-6 years. Seems like the resevoir is leaking?
I have the Gavalia coffee pot which looks exactly like the cuisinart coffee pot! Worked fine except for the condensation from the day before going all over the counter, until, a few days ago it would stop working after 6 cups had brewed, then it quit completely. Sometimes it would come on, then go off, now it won’t turn on at all.. Seems to be hot/warm around the clock/program area. Can the switch be replaced, or will it cost too much? Really liked the way it looked, but hasn’t lasted but about a year
Torq #8. Ijust purchased one yesterday after taking coffee pot to Ace to get one that fit the screws on the bottom.
I have a regular cuisinart coffee maker for 12 cups (no grinder).
I put water in the side where the water goes to boil. All of the sudden, the coffee maker went into clean mode. When it finished I tried to make coffee and the water did not go into the coffee grind section. It started acting like it was in the clean mode but no lightt was on. I even disconnected the plug and that didn’t help. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you.
yvonne – What model # Cuisinart is it?
the model number for my cuisinart is-
Brew Central Coffeemaker DCC-1200 series
Thank you, Yvonne
I have the Cuisinart automatic grind and brew, model DCC 490SA. Has worked wonderfully until recently. Now when I turn the knob to start, it will not grind and brew or just brew (if I select “grind off”). There is power because time is correct and the lights come on. It just won’t start. Any suggestions??
My grinder and coffee maker work fine except that coffee grounds are getting into the chamber area around the grinder unit. The grinder seems to fit snuggly on the basket unit but there is as problem somewhere. Any suggestions?
Steve – how is the water flow into the pot? Sometimes if the water is backing up it will cause the coffee grounds to get into the chamber area.
Crystal – How old is your unit? You probably have a short in the power switch. Call Cuisinart CS to see if the will send you a replacement.
yvonne – sounds like an electrical problem. Have you checked the fuse below the bottom plate?
CDC 400 14 cup….power light on; pad does not hear; water does not heat,
any suggestions?
what a useless article titled “HOW TO REPAIR A CUISINART COFFEE MAKER.”. where is the part on how to repair? all i see is “how to identify if your coffee maker needs repair”…
very disappointing
David – coffeemakers can break down in a variety of ways, we attempt to cover the most common here by mentioning easy repairs. If you’d like to offer a constructive comment to help the problems mentioned in the comments, it would most certainly be welcome.
Gary, it’s most likely a blown fuse on the inside of the bottom plate. Take off the bottom plate and replace the fuse.
cuisinart coffeemaker seems to ‘over percolate’ in that an excessive amount of steam is coming from it to the extent that if I put in 8 cups of water, I get 6 cups of coffee. Coffee brews — and is hot— but is releasing excessive steam. I clean regularly with vinegar. Any ideas of what it could be?
It sounds like your charcoal filter needs to be replaced.
when we put the water in, it turns on and does absolutely nothing? tried resetting the filter basket, decanter??? nothing. Any ideas
My cuisinart just stopped brewing. Have power, water, trying to run vinegar through but won’t perk.it is on brew, checked power…red light…what to do?
Ours stopped working last week. We’ve poured gallons
of vinegar through it but still no luck.
I thought a company like Cuisinart would respond quickly,
offering fulfill their warranty. But each time I call I”m given a new “trick” that might make it work. Tho it’s only 6 months
old and cost quite a bit of money (rich lawyer-son gave it
to us for Xmas), my wife is ready to discard it on trash day.
Mine did the exact same thing. One day it worked the next it didn’t. The red brew light comes on but nothing happens. Did you receive any response on ideas how to fix it?
Lois, my Cuisinart just stopped working this morning, with the same issue. Red light comes on but nothing else happens. Did you ever get yours fixed? If so how?
Thanks,
Forrest
DGB-625 the program button stopped working properly. Will light up when I push it SOMETIMES, but the clock will not blink in order for me to program start time. When it lights up I can’t turn it off with just a touch. I have to push the start button to turn off the program light. Other times, the Program button will not turn on at all. Clock and all else works great. Only 4 months old! I have regularly decalcified it. I even let it dry out completely. Anything else I can do?
My cuisnart coffee pot just all of a sudden stopped working, bought it on amazon just two days ago, yesterday brewed a perfect pot of coffee and today turned on this morning, then this evening i came home after a power outage, and to find that my coffee pot will NOT turn on! all outlets are good, cord is good, no power to the pot what so ever! What can I do?
i have a bad switch in my cofeemaker how can my husband take it apart to replace it? Thanks so much
I bought a Cuisinart Coffee Pot model 1150 a while ago and it started leaking water. I took the bottom plate off and saw that the rubber tube was deteriorating and I have tried to find a replacement, but that seems to be next to impossible.. I have removed to old tube and it just about fell apart in my hand. Where can I get a new tube, or are they not available? The pot brewed a good cup of coffee but as of now it is useless. Do I just throw it away or can I get a repair part?
Hi Miriam, please consider the amount of water absorbed by the coffe gounds and the actual measurement of cup size. I use 10 cups and normally get 7/8 cups per full pot.
Ed
I have the same problem as Judy 7/23/11 4:05P
I set the switch to on and it turns off by itself without the coffee being done! What do I do?
OMG I can’t believe so many people have had the same problem that the coffee pot just suddenly stopped working. The red light comes on and that’s it. I also thought Cuisinart was a reputable company and I paid a substantial amount for this pot, more than I had for any other. I tried everything that was suggested. I think Cuisinart should replace all our pots or repair them without a charge. It seems it must be some kind of defect. You know it’s going to be a bad day when you can’t get your coffee. LOL
This is the second Cuisinart I’ve had. The first one had a problem but the company sent me a replacement. They wouldn’t give me a warranty on this one because it was a replacement…..now the on switch won’t work. Was working fine, then yesterday, poof! Dead…The clock will work…the button for fewer cups works, and the cleaning button work. How can I fix this? Love the coffee pot, makes good coffee….sure hope I can fix it! Can you help me?
I have almost the same problem as Maylene does. Since an electrical storm yesterday, we have no power indication at the coffee brewer lights even though the outlet does work with other appliances.
I have exactly the same problem. Coffee is in, water is in, light comes on. Nothing happens.
Is this machine dead?
This is truly unbelievable! Bette and Karen, you guys said it perfectly! Our maker was a wedding gift 4 years ago. Yes, I understand wear and tear, etc. But, there is obviously a bigger issue here. Brand reputation is critical to any company’s success. You would think a company with such a powerful and respected reputation as Cuisinart, would take a more proactive position on these issues. If only APPLE made an iCoffee.
Yeah, I know….I’m not another APPLE groupie. 
But, you have to appreciate their commitment to customer satisfaction and the level of quality in their products.
Come on Cuisinart….GET IT TOGETHER!
Same here, gang. Water in, coffee in, cleaned out the machine, light comes on….Nothing
Yup, same problem as I see many others have, red light comes on, water in, no brewing. However, the day before it started spewing steam and I thought, uh oh.. I will put some vinegar and water in, but it’s not brewing, so it won’t go through everything. Can’t find receipt..it’s only a year old and the school year starts soon!
Here’s another who has a cuisinart stainless steel nice coffee pot that just wouldn’t come on one day. It doesn’t have a light on or anything. I like to work on electric machines, but this one has some weird screws that aren’t phillips, flat-head, star-shaped or anything I’ve ever seen. They look like a flat-head, but have a solid piece in the middle that blocks a flat-head. I am a teacher and school starts soon and I need my coffee. It is a stainless steel pot that keeps it warm forever and turns off after brewing. Coolest coffee pot I’ve ever had, but this sucks!
I may have a fix. My Cuisinart CM leaks, too. It has a short rubber tube on the bottom; the tube has split at one end. I believe this is the cause of my leak. I couldn’t find a tube, but one person said he used High-temperature RTV sealant/gasket maker.
I am going to try this myself. Here is a link. I have no financial, etc. interest in the product.
http://permatex.carshopinc.com/product_info.php/products_id/42291/81160
Same issue as above. Worked yesterday but won’t brew today. I had a Krups that I got tired of before anything went wrong with it. Thought I would try out a Cuisinart and haven’t even had it a year and it stopped working. Looks like I will go back to the Krups. At least I have my coffee press as a back up for today.
I do feel better knowing others have had their coffee post simply work one day and not the next; That is my problem. My pot is only a year old. I have loved it but based on the number of problems here I may have to go back to my Krups as well.
very nice article, giving some explanation what i search before
This is the 2nd cuisinart coffee maker i have had in 2 years…..just stop brewing….I am breaking our my old Krups that is over 15 years old and works beautifully!
I have a Cuisinart coffee an hot water maker CHW-12 I make the coffee and the light goes out after coffee is made so I get this first cup hot and the machine shuts off. How do I fix this problem? I love the coffee maker but not the cold part. Please help me or I will have to go to a different type of coffee maker.
Eerie how we all have the same problem around the same time and no solutions. Worked yesterday and today it won’t brew. Lights,clock, everything’s works but nothing happens. Disappointing being only 4 years old, should have kept my ugly old coffeemaker from the 80′s.
I don’t know how to fix as yet, but I did find out how to get the bottom off. The unusual screws are called Torx, security. or Torx tamper proof. They are a Torx 10 size but with a pin in the center so a standard Torx size 10 does not work. It must have a corresponding hole in the center of the screw driver head. The Torx is a star shaped head. I hope this helps.
same thing!!! And it’s only a year old. Of course I don’t have the receipt. What do I do buy a new one?
Same thing…yesterday the coffee wasn’t as hot as it has been. But today..nothing. The light comes on, but is not brewing. We got it right before Christmas last year so not quite a year old! I have so enjoyed this coffeemaker until now…
My Cuisanart coffee maker began not turning on and off when I flicked the switch. Now I can not get it to come on and brew coffee at all. Some others have posted about bad switches…………please tell me how I can replace this switch? thanks.
Same thing with ours.. machine is ON, light turns on.. no brewing.. anyone have any explanation as to WHY this is happening or how they got theirs fixed? thanks
This is our third and last Cuisnart Grind and Brew coffee-maker. After a year of use, the grinder basket will not come out for cleaning. It gets jammed in because they used plastic parts instead of metal. We returned the first one and they replaced it, with shipping charges. The second one, we were on our own. Foolishly, we bought a third one and within a year the same thing happened with the grinding basket. It made delicious coffee; we don’t know what brand to get now.
I have used vinegar solution to clean my coffee maker, but to no avail. This is a very expensive machine.
That’s the same thing that happened to ours! One day it was perfectly fine, next day….nothing! Red light is on, but nothing happens….
Got my 3 years ago as a present and now it leaks water out of the hole where the electrical cord comes out. I have to tilt it to get all of the water out or it covers my counter. What do you think is wrong and how can I look at the rubber hose that some people have been talking about in this thread? (Before this, I had a cheap Mr. Coffee machine that lasted with no problems for over 10 years.)
my clock stopped working on mine
My DCC-2000, 4+ years old, just stopped working. Other appliances work in the outlet. Have tried other outlets. I want to check the cord from the inside and have unscrewed all the bottom screws and the bottom will not come off. How to take off the bottom? Am I going in the right direction?
Our Cuisinart Grind n Brew, Model DGB-700BC (purchased June, 2009) turns itself OFF immediately after brewing (no hot plate, no light….totally OFF). What part do I need and where do I buy it (or take it to be fixed); a $100.00 coffeemaker should last longer than two years!
i have the same problem…coffee water leaks out the bottom…i saw that no one responded to your post yet. did you find a resolution? I like my pot, just not the mess i find when i go to get my first cup of coffee for the day.
I got no response to my water leakage problem. I want to check the rubber hose that other people were talking about, but I’m afraid to take it apart because I’m not a handyman type without directions to follow. The fact that our leak comes out of the same hole as the plug wire kind of freaks me out, but my husband seems willing to take the chance of electrocution every morning.
We have a Cusinart that takes its own sweet time to brew a pot (45-55minutes) . I contacted the company and they wanted the model and serial#. they replied back that we should clean with vinager; which we did. It still didn’t speed up the brew process. The coffee maker was a new gift but they responded that it was a very old unit and has reached it’s usefull life. Needless to say, we went back to the tried and true Mr Coffee. We now have fresh coffee in about 5minutes. No more Cusinart products for us.
Wow.. Like many above, today my few months old Cuisinart just stopped brewing. All lights come on, everything seems fine, but no coffee. This was my first Cuisinart. Guess I’ll not be replacing with a Cuisinart.
Same thing! Four month old pot stopped working suddenly. Power, lights, but no brew. Lemon!
Seems like many people have a problem with their coffee maker just dying for no reason. This is my second Cuisinart and it won’t brew. Time to buy a different brand! I am fed up with Cuisinart and their ability to make good coffee makers! ugh.
Mine will not heat water to make coffee, so how is it supposeto heat vinegar to clean? First one lasted 5 years, this one less than six months.
The answer; try another make.
We bought the grind and brew years ago, but now I can not get the grinder basket out for cleaning… any ideas?
I love my Cuisinart except for the problem of the ginderr not coming out unless I take 2 pair of pliers out and put it on the floor and pull it straight out. I don’t get iti. I clean it after every 2-3 and often after every brew to ensure no buildup occurs. Soo frustrating I don’t know what to do.
I am so devasted…I loved my pot too! Got it at Amazon almost a year ago and wont brew! Is that it? What can a coffee addict do?
My DCC-1200 was1 year old. Worked great even this past weekend. I gave it light use and didnt use it every day either and I took meticulous care of it. I used it about 2-3 times per week max.
Yesterday same as everyone else light came on and no brewing. Tapped it, wiggled switch on and off, and nothing!
Returned it with receipt to store (name witheld) to get a Bunn but they dont stock in store. They had little to choose from so I took another DCC-1200 home.
Krups appear to have equally bad problems when I read reviews. I dont especially like Bunn keeping water heating in it all day. Sounds like it would get “stale”. I like the Cuisinart but doesnt anyone know how to fix this issue? Bad switch? bad wiring? any ideas?
guys and gals it is one of the two thermal fuses that are put against the heating element. they had a bunch of defective ones . You can get new ones from radio shack. you have to take it apart.
JavaJenius is NOT much of a genius! This is simple maintenance, not repair as the title would suggest. Not much help!
So how do you open it up? I tried every size of Allen wrench I had in the holes in the base.
Is it glued together? How do you get to the fuses?
Our lid will not latch anymore, do we need a whole new lid or is there a way to fix it?
Use a Torx
This first response you have likely tried. Make sure the filter basket is seated fully. Second, look and watch inside the lid as you shut it to be sure the inner workings are not hung up. The lid likely snaps apart to access the inside, but a pencil eraser is all that might be needed to nudge the inside back into place. Hope this helps
Did you get your coffee pot to work? Mine is doing the same thing. I took most of it apart and with a volt meter, ohm meter, and amp reader, I traced it to the on dial. I cannot seem to get to that switch though to see what I can do.
Did you get your pot to work? Mine just started the same thing.
Tonight I traced the problem with mine to the on dial.
Mine just quit too. Red light on and nothing. I traced it with a volt meter to the switch.
I tried cleaning my coffee pot out with the vinegar solution and it over heated and now is flashing Not Ready what do I do??
Where do you buy parts for the Cuisinart Coffee Makers?
Very disappointed in my Cuisinart coffee maker.
same here. i suspect the switch.
light on, no brew, cold carafe base.
i just can’t figure how to get to the switch.
I’d replace it with a toggle if i could get in there.
I am speechless. Last week I bought a new Cuisinart coffee maker model 1200. I followed manual suggestion and ran one cycle without coffee before using it to brew. Put in 12 cups of water and only 8 had come out into the carafe at the end of the cycle. The other 4 cups were standing in the cone shaped coffee basket. Tried it 3 times with same result. Called Cuisinart and they had no answers. So I returned it and bought a Cuisinart 2650 coffee maker in its place. Just ran the water only brew cycle and it did EXACTLY the same thing. Amazing! The directions are quite simple..I called Cuisinart again and got the same reply. Return it. I will, but I’m done with Cuisinart.
Scott,
Where did you find the special allen wrench to take the bottom off the Cuisinart coffee pot? Thanks…JS
I believe it takes a Torx wrench …not hex / allen
my problem two ….this is the second switch in three years.
Take my advice and buy a new one. It takes a #-10 torx but the parts will justify buying a new one.
Bunn coffee maker is the best.
My carafe heating element stopped working. Any suggestion?
My one month old Cuisinart 12 cup coffee maker made 14 cups this morning even though we only added 10 cups of water! Yesterday we added 10 cups of water and got 10 cups of coffee. Where in the world did the extra water come from?
Mine just gave up the ghost. Tried different outlets and nothing.
our coffee pot, DGB-650 Series, will often not go into the pot when it is brewing & goes all over the floor.We try always to put the pot where it belongs, but it sometimes still leaks out.
Also, sometimes the coffee is very weak. Whats the problem? This was a very expensive coffeepot & is only a year or so old.
our coffee pot, DGB-650 Series, will often not go into the pot when it is brewing & goes all over the floor.We try always to put the pot where it belongs, but it sometimes still leaks out.
Also, sometimes the coffee is very weak. Whats the problem? This was a very expensive coffeepot & is only a year or so old.
You need to use a number 10 torx
If the toggle switch is not working on your DCC1200 the ‘spring’ of the copper tabs inside the switch is probably weakened. To get to the switch you only need to remove the top of the coffee maker. I took the whole thing apart starting from the bottom (with a long T10 security torx – socket wont work) but didn’t need to do that. I also took the water disfuser above the filter off but probably didn’t need to. Tools:
small Phillips screw driver
utility knife
sealant
Here’s what you do:
Remove filter assembly
Remove carbon filter
Dump water from reservoir if present
With the lid open and the toggle facing you, there are two round plastic inserts between the filter assembly opening and the front of the machine. Using a sharp knife like a utility knife, gently pry these plugs out to expose the two Phillips head screws.
Remove these screws.
The entire top should be able to be pried off now (again, you may have to remove the water diffuser and the flat water line going to it – this can be done by lowering it as far as possible and sliding it right).
With the top off you will see four more Phillips screws. note that they are different length and two of them have sealant.
Use the knife to cut the bead of sealant near the front of the machine.
Slide the control portion of the machine forward
Unplug circuit board
Remove three Phillips screws to remove PCB from front panel. This will expose the switch.
Note the 4 copper tabs on the switch and gently bend them out a little.
Assemble in reverse order – remember to seal there the sealant use to be.
Use some of the sealant on the plastic plugs if you damaged them – perhaps seal those Phillips screws under the plugs.
Make coffee!
bravo Matt! you must be from eastern bloc… so far so good!
For the record, it’s a Torx-10.
I see two diode-sized devices clamped to the heating element. I assume these are the thermal fuses you were referring to?
Both thermal fuses show continuity.
With the maker plugged, all functions–brew light, clock/timer, etc. Appear to be functioning normally.
With power off, I measure 13 ohms across the heating coil in the bottom. With power ON, there is zero VAC.
All the connecting wires disappear into the upper panel, and it look like a giant PITA to get to them.
Doesn’t Cuisinart have a service department?
..
Joe
Did you get your maker to work. Ours just died this morning. Red light on, you hear a click but nothing happens? Any suggestions?
Coffee brewer is jammed. will not turn. checked all parts and there is nothing in machine to keep it from grinding. Is there a reset switch? It just buzzes when I turn it on.
Brand new DCC1200 coffeemaker. Everything seems okay except the clock light does not light up. How can this be corrected or replaced with a new bulb?
Thank you so much for the Vinegar solution in “Brewing Problems.” I would get around the partial brewing of water by pressing the “1 to 4 cup” button. When this didn’t work anymore I would turn the machine OFF and then ON and also press the “1 to 4…” button. Finally this approach didn’t work either.
So I used a mixture of approximatly 2/3 vinegar to 1/3 water. The amount that I used was only to the 8 cup level. The amount of calcium in the resevoir was quite visible but it was also the first time that the machine used up all the water/vinegar that was poured in. I was so happy! I then brewed fresh water upto the 12 cup level 3 times to get rid of remaining calcium & vinegar.
Note: I always use filtered water when brewing coffee. Maybe this removed some of the calcium. I bought the machine a year ago and used it at least 4 times a week. I would say the machine could use the Vinegar treatment once a year. Thanks for your solution.
My DCC2400STR coffeemaker quit working. At first the on/off switch started blinking, but brewed. Not it won’t brew at all. I tried decalcifying it with vinegar. The clean function worked. I tried to decalcify it a second time and now everyhing shut off (even the clock). It is now totally dead? Help
my dcc-790 fully automatic burr grind & brew the on/off switch on but not it won’t brew at all
This coffee maker has a quirk with the basket where the filter goes. When you fill the reservoir with water and place a new filter in, be sure to push the basket down firmly and it should click into place. If this basket isn’t seated, the spring loaded stopper at the bottom of it will not be pushed up far enough by the top of the carraffe for the coffee to drain out the bottom during the brewing process. As a result, the water will fill the basket and overflow onto your counter and the coffee will be very weak. Hope this helps.
My coffee maker turns off by itself. Sometimes the coffee is made and sometimes only half made. Today I unplugged it because after it was made it sounded like the heat element was still sizzling. Didn’t want a fire! So, I unplugged it. Luckily I had a cheapie back up.
Looks like from all these comments that I don’t want another Cuisinart. Only had it 4 years. Too bad.
Had a Bunn that went out after a year. (The previous Bunn was 24 years..when things were made to last.)
I have a cusiinart DCC2000 IB5528 and only used it a few times and loved it until it just stopped working and would not come anymore. why in the world would a company make such a bad product. Do they think after someone bought their expensive coffee pot they would go out and buy another lemon!!! You are right, you call then and they do nothing and will not replace the one that does not work or want to fix it.
The on/off switch worked for me for about 2 days. The machine won’t brew again. I suspect something in the logic board. Lasted 8 years though…
Ours quit just as the 3yr warranty expired. Seems suspicious! A call to Cuisinart rep who basically said “tough luck.” I considered another one, but since it seemed to mysteriously shut off right after brewing for the past year, I decided to get a Bunn Phase Brew. It works great and coffee is delicious! Goodbye Cuisinart!
It takes a T-10 screwdriver. I know someone said a regular Torx won’t work but mine did. A bit driver won’t work because it will have too large of a diameter.
Anyone know if a heating tube is available as a replacement. I haven’t been able to find one online so it would appear that Cuisinart is trading on their name but is selling a throwaway appliance.
In my case, it was the heater tube that was leaking. It took two tries to get the leak completely stopped but what I did was unscrew the heater retaining bracket. I then lightly cleaned up the surface of the tube and then used JB Weld(Locktite makes a comparable product) to coat the surface of the tube in the area where the bracket makes contact with the tube. After putting it back together before the JB Weld set up, no more leaks.
I think the basic design flaw is that the tube is aluminum and the bracket is steel. The dissimilar metals are a guarantee that it will corrode and leak.
Matt: I came all the way to the sealants and two screws…Now how remove the inner basket? How to remove the water diffuser and the little stem through which water pours out..DCC–1100 does not have the four screws that you mentioned. I am trying to get to the switch and the circuit board you described …..please respond….thanks
shashi dalal
My cuisinart just stopped working yesterday! turns on and clicks but won,t brew and doesn’t get hot! It’s about a year old….any suggestions?
The screws on the bottom are T10 SECURITY TORX head. It’s a variation of the standard torx screwdriver. The screw has a pin in the center that fits into the hole in the Torx driver. Look it up on Wiki.
I have same problem …. my cuisinart coffee pot just quit. The brew light comes on but nothing happens. Electrical supply is not the problem …….. and suggestions?
My unit was not making coffee although all electronics were functional. It would sit and gurgle and make steam but no coffee. After removing the bottom plate (remove 4 screws using T10 driver) I unplugged two red rubber tunes from the frame, used an air gun to blow out coffee grinds which were obstructing the tube (lots of coffee grinds were blown out). Put back together and it worked like a charm.
too much steam coming out of the maker that I will probably have cabinet or under cabinet lighting damage soon,
I keep getting a descale indicator even after the vinegar descaling. Any suggestions?
Weeding gift 1 year ago Cuisinart DCC-1000FR Programmable Filter Brew 12-cup White Coffee Maker.
Stop, i tried the Vinegar solution, and still the Brewing Problems.
is any warranty or solution???
Cuisinart SS700 – Coffee maker
Water amount is not accurate. About half what it should be. We use only filted water. Approx 1.5 years old. Can it be fixed?
The little door that has the filter for the coffee keeps popping open and thus the water and grounds go all over. How do I keep it closed? It seems the little latch will not hold it? Duck tape?
Jerry L. Maas
Mine is doing that too! What a mess it makes.
It is DUCT tape, not DUCK.
Actually, the tape was originally called “Duck” tape. Constructed of a rubber based adhesive atop a layer of Duck canvas, the original name of the tape derived from the cloth backing. It wasn’t until later it became known as Duct Tape.
The more you know…
Actually it was originally “duct tape” made for sealing the joints in the ducts of forced air heating systems.
Obviously quite useful for other purposes.
The more you know…….
Not quite. There is duck tape AND duct tape, two different things. Duct tape is metallic, used for sealing joints in ducting, as mentoined by “bob”. Duck tape is adhesive-backed cloth tape (not necessarily duck canvas. but can be) as ‘julia” noted. FYI, the latter is a transliteration & has nothing to do with a Duck or water rolling off the tape as from the back of said animal. It’s from Dutch doek, closely pronounced “duck”, meaning “linen”. I.e., cloth tape. The original use of duck tape was sealing ammunition boxes for the military, where the nickname duck tape is not used much, giving way to 100 mile-an-hour or 1000 mile-an-hour tape. It’ll continue to morph.
My Cuisinart coffee maker stopped brewing and I do not know why. Usually if decalcification is required the ‘clean’ light comes on but this time it didn’t happened. Since it does not brew, I have poured a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water to see if help. Do you think this will help and if so for how long should this misture be on the tank before I dump it out?
Did you ever get your coffee system to work? I have the same problem.
Thanks
My Cuisinart stopped brewing before it should have. I used vinegar to clean it out, and it worked properly today. I dumped the vinegar right after it finished brewing. You will want to run a couple cycles of fresh water to get rid of the vinegar taste before you make an actual pot of coffee.
My grind & brew coffee pot leaks coffee all over the counter and none gets into the pot. I’ve made certain that the pot is fully in place, everything is lined up and in place. I once threw the pot and the ring around the top of the pot is cracked. How do I troubleshoot and repair my coffee pot.?
Similar problem here. The culprit seems to be a sticky valve in the top that doesn’t allow the cofee to flow into the pot. I would love to hear of a good solution since our new machine’s pot keeps the coffee much hotter, but now doesn’t put it in the pot . . . .
I have the same problem. How do you get to a Cuisinart technical person to discuss this. One lousy little valve and whole machine is worthless. Unless I can find technical call line I am not using Cuisinart and switching to Keurig. They at least have a technical contact line.
Try taking the carafe lid apart (two pieces) and running them through the dish washer. When washing by hand, always actuate the spring valve in the lid several times, and after running water through the holes in the top of lid, shake it several times until you hear a rattling sound which indicates that the ball valve is moving freely. Following these steps has cured my two machines of the overflow problem during brewing.
I talked to a tech person at Cuisinart and he recommended the “simple” fix which was filling the reservoir with half white vinegar and half water. No good. I explained that the power light and the brew light came on but the heating element never turned on. Solution? Buy a new coffee maker which I did. But, stubborn me kept the old coffee maker and I decided to check out all the possible solutions I could find online (often helpful). Someone mentioned a thermistor which acts like a fuse. I got the website showing the thermistor and part number. So, here’s where I’m at now. I have no idea where the thermistor is located after removing the bottom plate. I took out the heating element and both water tubes. I checked the tubes for calcium build-up and found no blockage but cleaned them out anyway. So, where is the thermistor and or fuse? There is no wiring diagram or schematic for this unit, DCC 1200. Why can’t I simply replace the heating element? I can but I have to order a minimum of 50!! Yes, they come from China. So, SOME people are getting these units and are able to refurbish this coffee maker for a small investment and then turn around and sell them online for about a 300% markup but still about $20 cheaper than buying a new one. Grrr!
Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m mad. Linger on, Pale Blue Eyes.
If you find out where the thernistor goes please let me know , ours did the same thing ( Forget what happened to the first one ) Thanks Joe
We had a similar problem-i thoroughly cleaned the inside of the lid that the water has to flow through with a q-tip and that seemed to do the trick.
I have the same issue, coffee everywhere this morning and it has been doing this off and on for the past few weeks. I have the lid soaking in a solution of vinegar. I cannot get the lid apart to thoroughly clean it. I actually hate this coffee maker for our office. Will never buy another one
I feel the same way you do. I have the same problem with improper brewing and leaking.
My cuisinart 1200 coffee maker will not switch on. There is power to the clock, but the little toggle switch will not switch the coffee maker on. I am suspecting that the switch has failed. I can’t get to the inside of the machine due to the excellent quality of construction and I have been unable to find a repair manual on line. Does anyone have any suggestions?
When the machine is plugged in the “Grind off” light comes on, but no other buttons work. Nothing happens when I press the “On” button, “Program” button, or any of the others. I was cleaning the pot and may have gotten water in the electronics. Is it headed to coffee pot heaven?
Mine is a cuisinart coffee maker /hot water heater. I have had it less than 3 mo. At first it worked fine. Now
It will not heat water if the coffee maker is on. I have checked plugs, cords , outlets. Not at all happy.
Help, He drinks coffee I drink tea.
the cuisinart automatic burr grind and brew cofee that i am using no longer grinds the coffee. only the water comes out but no cofee. please tell me how to fix it. thanks.
Cuisinart 10-cup auto grind seems fine in every aspect, except that after the beans are grinded the water does not transfer into the carafe. All notification lights work fine, and no problem but this one exists. Thanks!
I have a uisinart Mod 4000PC Yhat just quit working ..The only thin that works is the clock
Grind and Brew appears to loose power. No clock, no buttons light up. Repositioning the pot, cords, doors, etc doesn’t work. It’s as if it needs to cool down then tge clock comes on and a press on the brew button attempts to finish its cycle. Sometimes taking 5 times to brew one pot. I have cleaned with vinegar and water as recommended. Taking it apart without knowing what to look for seems futile. Help???
We have an old Cuisinart DGB-300. It’s about eight years old and it’s a wedding gift so I don’t want to get rid of it. It just started to leak water all over the counter. It’s coming from the bottom and leaks at a pretty quick rate. I have, over the years, done the self-clean. Is it just time or any possible fix?
It sounds like a similar problem I had with my DCC1100C coffee maker. In my model, there is a section of rubber tubing near the base of the unit that connects the water reservoir to the heating element before the heated water goes up to empty into the pot. The rubber tubing developed a crack, causing the leak. Cuisinart wasn’t any help in getting a replacement. You might have luck getting a part from another unit someone else disposed of (try craigslist) or a small appliance repair center.
My Cuisinat Coffee Maker the shower head is not opening to allow the water to come through help it stay shut
My Cuisinart just stopped working this morning. Not good :p The clock works, all the lights on the front work except the “Self Clean”. I turn it to “Brew” and nothing happens. It’s not that old of a coffee maker either. Maybe 2 – 3 years old.
Toss it??
My grinder never worked. I returned it three times. So I have used it without. Now the clock won’t stop flying through the minute numbers on its own. So I cannot press Grind Off and then Power.
The delayed brew on mine does not come on as programmed. Before you ask ;yes the clock is set correctly and the little green light comes on as if its “good to go”.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
We have the leaky problem also – water all over the counter. Too bad such an expensive machine has no replacement parts or customer service.
My heat pad won’t stopped working and the water will not pump through. The lights come on and the clock. Where is the thermostat (fuse) located!!!
Moe the fuse is under the heat plate
took off the bottom plastic base (4 torc srews) but do not see a fuse only wires ect connected to heat plate.. where is the fuse
Got a coffee maker that we love. Now it will not make coffee in the morning. The auto on cycles and you can see the light that says it is working, but nothing. When I twist the program button to brew, then it brews. Waste of 10-15 minutes at least. Any ideas? I really hate to take the darn thing apart. It’s a DCC-3000. The light that comes on when it dispenses is out too, but doesn’t stop it from working in manual mode.
I have the same problem with my machine. The auto on no longer works. Yes, the clock is correct and I have tried reprogramming the machine. It still brews coffee but, I no longer wake to the smell of coffee. I have been in contact with Cuisinart and spoken to a call centre technician who told me that I should ship the machine back and the company would fix it. I’m not going to bother because it is a large heavy machine & I didn’t keep the packing materials. Shipping it back would be a major problem so, I am either going to live with the problem and never buy another Cuisinart product (this machine is less than 6 months old) or, I’ll find a local fix it shop and give them my business.
How long do I keep the vinegar solution in the coffee machine??
I put the vinegar solution is just the working!!
Wonder how this company stays in business. All these comments with no reply from the company seem like bad business practice. I had my Bunn for fourteen years with daily uses. I’ve only my Cuisinart for a year. Thought I was purchasing a quality product. Boy was I wrong.
Out of the blue, the machine started beeping, as if to announce fresh coffee. (Hours after the last pot had been made.) None of the buttons would do anything, so we unplugged it. A while later, we plugged it back in and still, no buttons work at all. Just a constant flashing light on the on/off switch and the clock flashing 2:00. Every once in a while, it will suddenly grind and sputter. HELP!