By: Hailey | Last updated February 13, 2019 
For some people, their morning coffee can literally make or break their day. A tasty cup of coffee can be enough to brighten up your day, and in order to enjoy such coffee, you have to use the right tools.
Main types of coffee makers
There are various types of coffee makers out there and they all come with their pros and cons. In the end, it is a matter of preferences and budget. Here are the main types of coffee makers you can find today: drip coffee makers, one cup coffee makers, French presses, percolators, espresso machines.
Factors to consider when shopping for a coffee maker
One of the most important factors to consider when in the market for a coffee maker is of course, your budget. Not all coffee makers are in the same price range. If you are on a tight budget, espresso machines are pretty much be off the table, as they are the most expensive ones. Drip coffee makers tend to be really popular and budget-friendly, as are French presses.
Size is another important aspect. If you leave alone, there’s no need to get a 12-cup coffee maker. One that makes from 1 to 4 cups should be enough. If, on the other hand, have a large household, you might want to consider a model with a larger capacity.
Features are also important: programmability, a built-in bean grinder, the water filter, an automatic shut off function, to give you just a few examples.
Things to consider when choosing a coffee maker.
Cuisinart DCC-3200 – is it a good coffee maker?
The Cuisinart 3200 is a popular 14-cups drip coffee maker and it has a very attractive price. You can get it for approximately $100, which is a great price, considering its features.
The Cuisinart 3200 is available in several colors: copper, stainless steel, black and white.
Specifications
- Capacity – 14-cups
- Dimensions (W X D X H): 7.8 in x 9 in x 14 in
- Coffee compatibility: ground coffee
- Auto shut off feature
- 24-hour programmability
- LCD display
- Water level window
- Includes a measuring spoon and Gold Tone filter
The Cuisinart 3200 has a clean and attractive design. It has a glass carafe, an LCD display, controls for tone, hour, minute and carafe temp. Below there are 5 other buttons: clean, bold (brew strength settings), brew/off – auto off, prog./auto on and 1-4 (if you want to make smaller batches of coffee).
Features
The Cuisinart 3200 can reach approx. 200 degrees (Fahrenheit), which is pretty much the optimal temperature for brewing a great cup of coffee.
The machine is automatic and programmable. From the above mentioned controls you can set the strength and temperature of the coffee, as well as that of the warming plate.
You can choose between regular and bold coffee, depending on how strong you like your coffee.
The Cuisinart 3200 can be used with both disposable paper filters and gold tone.
You can also program the coffee maker to make coffee up to 24 hours ahead and to auto shut off (in 0 to 4 hours).
Even though the Cuisinart 3200 can prepare up to 14 cups at once, that doesn’t mean you can’t make smaller batches, too. You can also use the 1-4 function, which allows you to only prepare from one to 4 cups of coffee at once.
Another useful feature on the Cuisinart 3200 is the ‘clean’ one. The machine has a LED indicator that will turn on when it is time for you to clean it.
There is an optional ‘ready’ alert tone and an auto-off feature that can also be programmed between 0 and 4 hours.
You’ve also got a brew pause function which works when you remove the carafe, even if the cycle in not completed.
The Cuisinart 3200 is easy to use but at the same time quite complex in features. It has a nice design, it is reasonably priced and has a large capacity.
Read our Cuisinart DCC-3200 review.
PROS of the Cuisinart DCC-3200
- Affordable
- Attractive design (available in several colors)
- Easy to use
- Programmable
- Rich in features
- Self-clean feature
- Large capacity (up to 14-cups at once)
- Durable construction
- Works with disposable paper filers and gold tone filters
CONS of the Cuisinart DCC-3200
- Not the fastest coffee maker out there
- It doesn’t come with a steel carafe option
