Cuisinart Coffee Maker Troubleshooting Tips

Like every small appliance, your Cuisinart coffee maker is going to need occasional maintenance to keep it brewing your perfect morning cup day after day. And there is often an easy DIY solution to your coffee maker woes, whether you're experiencing a power failure, coffee overflowing, a faulty grinder or metallic-tasting coffee. Before you send your machine off to the shop or run to the store for a replacement, learn how to troubleshoot your appliance's issues.

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If your coffee maker has no power, the most obvious cause is that the outlet the machine is plugged into is not working. If the outlet is functional (no tripped breaker or tripped GCFI outlet), the next likely source of electrical failure is the power cord. Straighten out a tangled cord and examine it. If the power cord appears to be damaged, Cuisinart offers replacement cords for its percolator coffee makers, but otherwise you will need to have the cord professionally replaced. However, if the power cord appears to be in good shape, the problem is likely one of internal wiring, which is best addressed by a professional.

Often, the fix for a coffee maker that is overflowing is as simple as reseating the pot to make sure the lid is in the correct place. Or it could be that you've either forgotten a paper filter or accidentally used two filters and clogged the filter basket. If your machine is consistently overflowing from the filter basket, you may be either overfilling your basket or using coffee that is too finely ground, which will cause the drip to slow and the filter to overflow. For example, for its 12- and 14-cup coffeemakers, Cuisinart recommends filling the basket with no more than 15 tablespoons (less than 1 cup) of coffee grounds to avoid overflow.

If your Cuisinart model has a grinder that is not working properly, the most likely culprit is coffee ground buildup under the blade, which is quickly remedied with a good cleaning. Soak the grinding bowl in hot soapy water and scrub it with small brush. Also remove any beans or grounds from underneath the grinding bowl and clean that area as well.

Metallic-tasting coffee is a common problem with older machines. Like the grinding issue, this metallic taste can generally be solved by cleaning your coffee maker. Refer to the manual for your specific model for exact instructions, but in general the method for cleaning all of the internal components is to add 1/3 part white vinegar and 2/3 parts water to the water reservoir, and run it through a brew cycle. Run several additional brew cycles with water only to clear any residual vinegar taste. A dirty carafe can also cause bad-tasting coffee, so give it a thorough cleaning as well. Let the carafe sit overnight filled with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts warm water to remove any stains, and then rinse with water in the morning.