Cuisinart DCC-400 - Manual (Page 4)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Safeguards . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 1
Unpacking Instructions . . . . . . . . . . .Page 2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 3
The Quest for the
Perfect Cup of Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 3
Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 4
Making Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 5
Cleaning and Maintenance . . . . . . . .Page 5
Decalcification of Metal Parts . . . . . .Page 5
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 6
INTRODUCTION
Whether you’re short on counter space,
an occasional coffee drinker, or the only
coffee drinker in your home, you’ll find that
Cuisinart’s 4-cup Coffeemaker fits your size
needs as well as your desire for a stylish
appliance with high end features. This compact
coffeemaker is small enough to store easily
or leave on your counter, and it comes with
practical features such as Brew Pause™
and automatic shutoff. With the convenience
of this handy coffeemaker, you’ll look forward
to the morning coffee ritual.
THE QUEST FOR THE
PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE
It is generally agreed that there are four basic
elements critical to the perfect cup:
Element 1: Water
Coffee is 98% water. Often overlooked, the
quality of the water is as important as the
quality of the coffee. If you filter your drinking
water, filter the water for your coffeemaker.
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.
For hard water areas, we recommend using
bottled water. The calcium in the water and
the softeners used to combat it have a major
impact on the extraction of the coffee. Hard
water will also accelerate calcium buildup
inside the coffeemaker, which slows down
brewing, affects the flavor of the coffee and
ultimately may shorten the life of your
coffeemaker.
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.
If you chose to grind your own beans, buy the
beans fresh and whole, only about two week
supply at a time for maximum freshness. Once
the coffee bean is broken, its flavor degrades
very quickly. 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 removed
from the freezer, maintain the beans 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 it can cause the oils to coagulate,
while others disagree. We suggest you
experiment and decide for yourself.
Element 3: Grind
The grind is critical in proper flavor extraction.
If the grind is too fine, overextraction and
bitterness will result. Too fine a grind may
also clog your filter. If too coarse, the water
will pass through too quickly and the desired
flavors will not be extracted. We recommend
a medium-fine grind.
Element 4: Proportion
The cups on the Cuisinart coffeemaker are
5 ounces. Add the desired amount of ground
coffee, corresponding to the number of cups
being brewed. Many coffee bars and the
Specialty Coffee Association of America
recommend adding 2 rounded tablespoons
of coffee per 6 ounces of water. Some
coffee manufacturers recommend using one
tablespoon per cup. We recommend 1 to 1
1 ⁄
2
tablespoons of ground coffee per cup, but
use more or less to suit your taste.