Factory Reconditioned Cuisinart DGB-500BKFR Grind & Brew 12 Cup Automatic Coffeemaker, Black

I was a little disappointed because there were a lot of superficial dings and scratches on it. But it does what it's supposed to do so I guess no complaints there.

Worked out of the box - grinder is loud. Coffee was great, like the 1-4 option.

I love the coffee grinder, brewer. I worry about the longgevity of the maker however because the first one broke down very quickly. Hope to have the one we have now for a good long time. It makes delicious coffee and the aroma can't be beat.

The reconditioned units arrive in new looking condition and are well worth the reduced price. Our 10 cup version is still working but my wife is such a coffee addict that we needed to have one in reserve. We put the 10 cup away and started using the 12 cup only to find that she had a problem seeing the water level inside the reservoir. So we packed the recently purchased unit up as the backup and are back to using the 10 cup version which I believe is the 300 series.

Another difference, the 10 cup unit came with the gold filter but the 12 cup unit requires one purchase the gold filter separately for an additional $10. We just used the paper filters instead.

After owning three Melitta Grind & Brews (all bought from Amazon), when the latest one (the stainless) broke its lid latch, I realized that it was actually an appliance "subscription" that I had to renew every two or three years. Still, I had enjoyed enough success over the years to know that I could depend on the Melitta to brew a consistent pot of coffee day in and out.

Alas, when I discovered that Amazon no longer offered the Melitta I sighed, shopped around a bit and settled for the Cuisinart even though the reviews offered several cautions which I have found should not be ignored.

For instance...you do have to remove & clean 5 separate pieces each & every time you use the machine (the Melitta had a basket & lid). Also--unlike the Melitta--there is a single grinding speed/duration so you have to accept the grind that the Cuisinart provides. In my opinion, this doesn't permit a suitable range of strength to be achieved regardless of the amount of beans you use. It ends up becoming a function of using less water to get stronger coffee--hardly a suitable solution for a well-designed coffee maker.

The machine is quite compact--a plus for folks like me with limited counter space. And it does an adequate job keeping the brew warm without burning it. Still, I doubt I'll be picking up another one if/when this one breaks. I hope Melitta considers producing another G&B since this niche is growing pretty thin.