Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12 Review

Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12
Overall Rating
88
Coffee Quality (40%)
88
Design & Features (20%)
90
Durability (20%)
85
Ease of Use (10%)
90
Brand Reputation (10%)
85
The Bottom Line
A dual-use machine with separate coffee and hot water systems, the Coffee Plus CHW-12 offers more versatility than most other Cuisinart coffee makers and a ton of programmability for a convenient coffee experience.
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Key Features of the Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12

Key Features of Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12

  • Hot water feature with separate 54 oz water reservoirSeparate hot water dispenser with safety lock
  • Removable drip tray on hot water side
  • 60 oz water reservoir on coffee side
  • Separate 54 oz water reservoir on hot water side
  • Removable charcoal water filter
  • 12 cup brew capacity
  • 12 cup glass carafe
  • Setting to brew 5-20 oz (1-4 cup) single brew
  • Gold Tone Filter, cone-shaped and size 4 paper filter compatible
  • Self-clean function
  • 60-Second Reset will remember brew settings and how long into the brew process in case of power outage
  • Auto-off with 0-4 hour off time
  • Programmable 24 hour brew start
  • Brew Pause so you can pause the process and grab an early cup
  • Stainless steel accent
  • BPA free
  • Dimensions: 10.8″W x 12.4″L x 16.5″H
  • Weight: 10 lbs
  • 3 year warranty

Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12 Overview

The Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12 is a solid programmable coffee maker that gives you the same Cuisinart coffee experience with additional programmability and a hot water dispenser.

Because we’re talking about programmability, let’s lead off with the notable programmable (and other useful) features:

  • Clock setting
  • Auto On up to 24 hours
  • Auto Off from 0-4 hours
  • Carafe temperature: High, Medium, Low
  • Self-clean function

Let’s also talk for a minute about this hot water system.

The CHW-12 has two separate water reservoirs:

  • 60 oz reservoir on the coffee side
  • 54 oz reservoir on the hot water side

They are two completely separate systems and function independently. The hot water reservoir is operated with a lever, which is held down until the proper amount of water has been dispensed, but it also has a safety lock to disable this functionality.

A note on the hot water’s “hotness” — it’s very hot for the first 12 oz. After that, the machine runs out of hot water and you have to wait for it to heat up again. You can still pump out a little extra not-as-hot water, but then you’ll have to let it reset.

Pros
  • Hot water feature with separate 54 oz water reservoir
  • Tons of programmability
  • Brew Pause and carafe temp selectors are nice to have
  • Brew size setting optimizes brew process for smaller servings (1-4 cups)
  • Attractive stainless steel accent
Cons
  • Small, awkward space to fill brew side reservoir
  • Max single serve of 12 oz on hot water side
  • Smaller brew sizes using 1-4 cup setting may not get hot enough

Is the Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12 for you?

Are Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12 for you?

Because of the added hot water feature, this coffee maker is a little bigger than the Cuisinart DCC-3200 and DCC-3650.

If you like hot water on demand it’s worth a look, but otherwise my favorite Cuisinart coffee maker is still the DCC-3200.

Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12 Review: An In-Depth Look

Check out the Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12!

Check out Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12!

Cuisinart Coffee Plus CHW-12
A dual-use machine with separate coffee and hot water systems, the Coffee Plus CHW-12 offers more versatility than most other Cuisinart coffee makers and a ton of programmability for a convenient coffee experience.

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About The Coffee Maven
bryan de luca
Bryan De Luca

I'm Bryan but most people know me as The Coffee Maven. I grew up outside Boston, Massachusetts and received my Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Providence College. My first introduction to coffee was during my college days, when I used it as a source of caffeine to fuel late-night study sessions, but soon I became obsessed with the chemistry of coffee. How did changes to water temperature or contact time affect its taste? Why do beans from Africa taste fruity while beans from Indonesia taste spicy? I launched The Coffee Maven in February 2017 to explore these questions and help others brew their perfect cup. Welcome to my site, and thanks for reading!

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