1. Making Perfect Coffee with the
Brew Central DCC-1200 Coffee Maker
It is agreed there are generally four critical
components to making the perfect cup of coffee:
Water used in the DCC-1200
Since coffee is 98% water, it is important not to
overlook the water quality. If your water tastes
good directly from the tap, then it will also make
a good cup of coffee. If you water tastes bad, so will your coffee. The Brew
Central DCC-1200 Coffee Maker has a built in water filter to help if you have
poor water quality. Bad tastes and odors are removed by the charcoal water
filter as well as chlorine and calcium resulting in the perfect cup of coffee
every time.
Choice of Coffee for the Brew Central DCC-1200
Even though your coffee is mostly water, the flavor comes from the coffee.
Making a great cup of coffee like you local coffee bar is easier if you use the
same coffee beans. Make sure your beans are fresh and whole if you are
grinding the coffee beans yourself, and only buy about two weeks supply to
keep maximum freshness. Once a coffee bean is split or broken, the flavor
decreases rapidly. If buying coffee beans fortnightly is not practical, you can
freeze coffee beans in airtight containers in smaller amounts. Maximize
freshness by limiting exposure to air, light and moisture. If you remove
coffee beans from the freezer they should still remain in a sealed container
at room temperature. Any condensation occurring when coffee beans are
removed from the freezer or refrigerator will be degrading the quality, too.
Some coffee purests advise against freezing dark-roast beans as they
believe oils coagulate (Note: other experts disagree). Try it, see what you
think.
The Brew Central Coffee Grind
Grinding of the coffee bean is critical for maximizing flavor extraction.
 A grind that is too fine will be over-extracted and bitterness will occur.
Fine grinds may also clog your Brew Central DCC-1200 filter.

2.  Water will pass through course grinds too quickly, resulting in the best
full flavors not being extracted.
 Try a medium-fine grind to start with.
The Proportions used in the Brew Central
The cup sizes used in the Brew Central DCC-1200 are 5
ounces. Add the amount of ground coffee
corresponding to the number of cups being brewed.
Lots of coffee bars and the Specialty Coffee Association
of America recommend adding 2 rounded tablespoons
of coffee per 6 ounces of water. Many coffee
manufacturers think one tablespoon per cup. Try one
tablespoon of ground coffee per cup, and then adjust in the brews to come
so that it evolves into your prefect brew of coffee.
NOTE: The maximum capacity for ground coffee is 15 tablespoons for the
Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 12-cup Coffee Maker. Important: Too
much ground coffee may cause over-flow if the coffee is finely ground.