I’ve owned several pod machines over the years, and they’ve all produced a decent single cup of coffee. But for me, nothing beats a true drip coffee maker with a filter basket that lets me seek out ground coffee from all over the world. I like to experiment with different roasts and roasters, and in my experience, coffee just tastes better from a drip machine than it does from a pod brewer.
And while companies have taken some successful swings at all in one brewers, they often come with off-putting price tags. So when I heard about Cuisinart’s new Custom Grind & Brew Single Cup Coffee Maker—a machine that makes hot and iced coffee and has a built-in grinder—I knew I had to try it.
The Custom Grind & Brew isn’t as compact as most single-serve coffee makers, but it is just as user-friendly. For starters, it has an intuitive control panel with only three buttons: Brew, Strength, and Size. Its 58-oz. water tank, located on the back of the machine, is removable, so you can fill it at the sink and avoid splashes and spills. Though you can use pre-ground coffee in the included gold-tone filter, operating the grinder takes almost no effort at all.
Making coffee in the Custom Grind & Brew is very straightforward. First, pop open the filter basket door and insert the reusable filter into the holder; be sure to close the door securely or the machine won’t brew. Place your cup on the adjustable drip tray, and hit the Brew button on the control panel to turn on the machine. Using the Strength button, indicate whether you want mild, medium, or bold hot coffee; iced coffee (you can’t choose the strength with this one); or are using pre-ground coffee. Press Size to select from 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, or 24 ounces, then hit the Power/Brew button again to start brewing. The button flashes during the brewing process, which takes about two minutes, and the machine emits five beeps when the coffee is ready to remove from the tray..
I’ve made hot and iced coffee with the Custom Grind & Brew and both beverages were rich, flavorful, and robust, with very little acidity. The hot coffee is piping hot—hotter than any drip or pod machine I’ve ever used, in fact—so you might take those first few slips slowly if you like your coffee black. It’ll also let you savor the coffee’s intense flavor, which rivals some of the best brews I’ve had at fancy cafés. The coffee used for iced coffee is equally hot but more concentrated so the flavor isn’t diluted when it chills by melting a glass full of ice. If I’m using pre-ground coffee to prepare iced coffee, I’ll add an extra tablespoon or two of grounds to accommodate for the addition of ice and milk.
What I love about the Custom Grind & Brew is that it’s so simple, makes delicious hot and iced coffee, and, unlike many single-serve pod machines, it doesn’t limit me to using roasts from certain brands. I also like that it eliminates the need for a separate coffee grinder. I can easily grind fresh beans right in the machine for a truly complex cup of coffee.
While the Custom Grind & Brew doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, it does have some nice little touches like indicator lights that tell you when to refill the hopper and water reservoir or decalcify the machine. There’s also an integrated coffee scoop on the side of the unit with a small brush on the end of the handle for cleaning the burr grinder (if you’re used to a pod machine you may not know how important it is to do this regularly. It is important to extend the longevity of the machine!).
Cleaning the grinder is probably my only con about the machine, since it requires quite a few steps and some disassembly, but it’s manageable if you follow the instructions.
The Cuisinart Custom Grind & Brew is far superior to any single-serve coffee maker I’ve tried personally, and, despite its larger size, it’s earned a permanent spot on my tiny counter top. I look forward to the aroma of freshly ground beans every morning and the pick-me-up that the piping-hot coffee provides. Though at $250 the coffee machine costs a bit more than, say, a Nespresso, I think its ease-of-use, built-in grinder, and top-notch performance make it well worth the investment.