Cuisinart DGB-550 Series - Manual (Page 5)

THE QUEST FOR
THE PERFECT CUP
OF COFFEE
It is generally agreed that there are four basic
elements critical to the perfect cup of coffee:
Element 1: Water
Coffee is 98% water. Often overlooked, the
quality of the water is as important as the
quality of the coffee. 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.
That’s why Cuisinart has added a water filter to
the Grind & Brew™ Coffeemaker. The charcoal
water filter removes chlorine, bad tastes and
odors, for the purest cup of coffee every time.
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.
Buy the beans fresh and whole, only about
two weeks’ supply at a time for maximum
freshness. Once the coffee bean is broken,
its flavor degrades very quickly. That’s why
the Grind & Brew™ grinds your coffee just prior
to brewing. 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 beans have
been removed from the freezer, maintain them
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 freezing can cause the oils to
coagulate. Other experts disagree. We suggest
you experiment and decide for yourself.
Element 3: Grind
The grind is critical for proper flavor extraction.
If the grind is too fine, overextraction and
bitterness will result. Too fine a grind may also
clog the filter. If grind is too coarse, the water
will pass through too quickly and the desired
flavors will not be extracted. The Grind &
Brew™ is preset for a medium grind, the opti­
mal grind for this type of coffeemaker.
Element 4: Proportion
The Grind & Brew™ makes up to twelve (12)
5-ounce cups of coffee.
Using whole beans:
• We recommend you use 1 scoop (provided;
equals 1 tablespoon) of whole beans per
cup. For 1 or 2 cups, use IV
2 level scoops
per cup. Adjust the recipe according to
individual taste.
NOTE: THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY FOR
WHOLE BEANS IS 14 LEVEL SCOOPS.
DO NOT OVERFILL OR THE GRINDER
COULD MALFUNCTION AND/OR THE
COFFEEMAKER COULD OVERFLOW.
Using Pre-Ground Coffee
Although it is preferable to use fresh, whole
beans, you can make coffee in the Grind &
Brew™ using pre-ground beans.
To do so, turn off the grinder by pressing the
Grind Off button before turning on the unit.
We suggest that you use 1 level scoop of
ground coffee per cup. Adjust the recipe to
your taste.
NOTE: The maximum capacity for ground
coffee is 16 level scoops, using either a
paper or permanent filter. Exceeding this
amount may cause overflow.
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