Cuisinart Automatic Grind & Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Blade Grinder
With the Cuisinart Automatic Grind & Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Blade Grinder, your mornings get an instant upgrade. This smartly engineered coffee maker grinds whole beans just before brewing, maximizing flavor and aroma. Its user-friendly design includes a built-in charcoal water filter, programmable settings, a glass carafe, and intuitive controls to simplify your daily coffee ritual.
From busy mornings to weekend brunches, the DGB-400 offers flexibility for both single-cup brewing and a full 12-cup pot. If you’re looking for a reliable, sleek, and easy-to-use coffee maker that delivers fresh-ground coffee every time — this is your perfect brew partner.
🔑 Product Highlights & Features
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☕ 12-Cup Capacity: Brew for yourself or the whole family with generous volume.
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🔄 Integrated Blade Grinder: Automatically grinds whole beans just before brewing for ultimate freshness.
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⏰ 24-Hour Programmability: Set your coffee to start brewing when you wake up.
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🔁 Grind-Off Option: Use pre-ground coffee when desired for added flexibility.
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⏸ Brew Pause™ Feature: Sneak a cup before the full pot is finished brewing.
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🧼 Self-Clean Function: Makes maintenance effortless and mess-free.
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🌊 Built-in Charcoal Water Filter: Enhances coffee taste by removing impurities.
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🌀 Permanent Gold-Tone Filter: Reusable and eco-friendly alternative to paper filters.
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☕ 1–4 Cup Setting: Ensures ideal flavor even when making smaller quantities.
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📐 Compact, Stylish Design: Sleek black/stainless finish looks great in any kitchen.
📊 Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Brand | Cuisinart |
| Model Number | DGB-400NAS |
| Color | Black/Stainless Steel |
| Coffee Type | Whole bean or pre-ground |
| Carafe Type | Glass |
| Grinder Type | Blade Grinder |
| Capacity | 12 cups (approx. 5 oz. each) |
| Special Features | Programmable, Brew Pause™, Grind-Off, Auto-Shutoff |
| Water Filter | Charcoal |
| Filter Type | Permanent Gold-Tone Filter |
| Power Consumption | 1025 watts |
| Voltage | 120V |
| Dimensions | 8.13″ D x 9.98″ W x 15.5″ H |
| Weight | 1 lb (machine); 16 oz net weight |
| Warranty | Manufacturer warranty available |
✅ Final Verdict
The Cuisinart Automatic Grind & Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Blade Grinder is a fantastic investment for coffee lovers who crave the freshest flavor at the touch of a button. It beautifully balances convenience with customization, offering smart features like auto grind, programmable start, and small batch brewing.
Perfect for busy households, remote workers, or anyone who appreciates a well-brewed cup, the DGB-400 stands out with its intuitive design, stylish finish, and consistent performance. Whether you’re upgrading your morning routine or giving the gift of great coffee, this machine delivers barista-level quality — without leaving your kitchen.
🎯 Ready to grind, brew, and rise? The Cuisinart DGB-400 is your next daily essential.
Ron –
Great Coffee Maker
I had one exactly like this for several years, probably close to ten years, and one morning it just quit working. I bought this one because it was just like my old one. I love it. It makes great coffee. Hopefully, it will last as long as my other one did.
One person found this helpful
Kelly Dupuy –
Need Coffee?
We bought this coffee maker to replace our Cuisinart that suddenly stopped working, and we couldn’t be happier! The price was the main reason we chose it at first, but after the first use, we absolutely loved it. It brews fast, and the carafe pours beautifully without dripping. Overall, we’re very happy with this purchase!
One person found this helpful
Steve L. –
Good Product
Have looked at and tried many coffee makers over the years. So far, I think this one is the best value given the cost and its many features. Makes great, hot coffee. Like the increased capacity, and the fact that I can extend the “keep warm” time.
One person found this helpful
Miss Kelly –
Old model lasted 14 years. New model lasted two days.
I just ordered this coffee maker as a replacement for an older model. So I guess this review is primarily about the older model. I have had it forever, I want to say 14+ years. Yes at lease fourteen beautiful coffee drinking years. I have LOVED the coffee maker and the quality of coffee it made. I will say initially there was a learning curb as I did not read my directions very well. The coffee shute did plug up and I had to switch to pre ground coffee. Once I learned that I had to remove all beans and remove the tray and lift the little door and use a knife and dig out all the compacted fine grinds. Boy did it ever work well after that. Of course there was a blinking light to clean the Shute but I ignored it until I was told how to do it. I also religiously used white vinegar to descale the maker every month and then run two cycles of water. I have well water. I also changed the water filter monthly. I think that is why I had the long beautiful life with my previous machine. The death happened last week when I tried to make coffee in the morning. I has cleaned it the day before. It ground beans perfectly then click click click no water. So with that I said goodbye to my beloved machine and ordered a newer model. I read very mixed reviews about this maker and similar models and I personally like a machine that holds a good amount of beans. I also really like the water filter. So here we are and the only thing I would change about the machine is I would magically make the warming plate a little hotter. I have noticed that the first cup is hot but not hot hot hot. I usually drink it fast and then my second cup it hot hot. I think the key to long life is to clean the machine regularly with a descaling agent (I like white vinegar) and changing the water filter. Oh and clean the Shute.UPDATE TO ABOVE REVIEW:I was very excited with the arrival of my new coffee maker. I used it two days and it was PERFECT. However the third, fourth and fifth time I encountered problems. The machine would grind the beans stop and then grind a second round of beans and then it would turn off. I then had to open and close the coffee grounds basket and select no grind and start the machine again. I tried cleaning the bean area and encountered the same problem. I tried to make four cups and the machine ground beans twice and when I checked the ground basket it was packed full of beans.I am so disappointed with this new machine I am returning it and I have found a new machine to replace it from a different company. I have always trusted the brand however in making any future small kitchen appliances I am going to go with another manufacturer.
22 people found this helpful
Karen in OhioKaren in Ohio –
Fast!
Update- 11/2/2025. After 2 trips in the dishwasher and handwashing the carafe everyday, the carafe has brown swirl stains. I attached a photo taken after soaking the carafe overnight and scrubbing it out. The coffeemaker still works fine but the carafe is pretty unsightly.Finally a coffee maker that makes enough for the day. My husband and I each drink 4 to 5 cups of coffee per day and we were always having to make a second partial pot with other brands. The pot can go into the dishwasher (top rack). The brew cycle is fast and in just over 10 minutes we have our fresh brewed, delicious coffee.
4 people found this helpful
RockyTechRockyTech –
Excellent Coffee Maker, A Few Quirks
This review is for the 10-cup DGB-850 with Thermal Carafe (stainless steel).After using this coffee maker for over 10 weeks, we are quite happy with it overall (after learning a few lessons). Perhaps this is an updated version of the model, but we have not had any of the issues some reviews mention, like problems cleaning the grinder burrs. In fact, this version does not even have user-access to the grinder parts, based on the videos and descriptions from others with problems. This model advertises that the grinder assembly auto-rinses all the grinds from the grinder – there is no disassembly to get to the grinder itself, and it appears to work fine without access. All we do to clean it after each use is rinse out the permanent filter itself (or toss the paper filter), and wipe moisture from the holder and the housing above the coffee carafe platform.PROS:* Coffee tastes very good – grind/strength controls allows pretty good control over desired taste, by adjusting the amount of water used with each grind range (see my grind testing chart image, and table below). My wife likes coffee a bit weaker, so we use 7-8 cups of water with a 6-cup Grind, for instance, adjusting Strength as needed for the exact amount of water used.* With the thermal carafe, the heating plate below the carafe warms the stainless steel carafe as the coffee is brewed, so there is no need to pre-heat a cold carafe (which we had to do with our previous coffee maker). Works well – the heater is turned off automatically after the coffee is brewed, so it does not over-heat the coffee. The thermal carafe keeps the coffee pretty warm for an hour or two.* At least so far, we have not had any issues with cleaning the grinder burrs – easy clean-up.* We really like the ability to use either the permanent filter basket, or a paper filter. With a septic system, we cannot rinse grounds down the drain, and it is sometimes a pain to dump grounds outside in bad weather (so the paper filter is handy in heavy snow). We did not have this option with our old blade-grinder coffee maker.CONS (Lessons Learned):* Pouring water into the reservoir is a pain with the coffee maker under a cabinet. You need access to the back of the coffee maker to pour from a bit behind, since pouring from the front can let water spill out the overflow slots at the back of the reservoir.* As some reviews mention, pouring from the carafe can be a bit tricky with the lid on, if you are not careful. A full pot pours fine, but steeper angles of pour as the carafe gets emptier can make a mess. I remove the lid for pouring as the pot gets emptier.* To get just the right coffee strength for your personal tastes, it helps to understand exactly how the coffee maker adjusts the grind for the settings (Grind and Strength). I could not find this information in the manual or any on-line reference. See my “Strength Notes” below – between knowing what each combination does, and adjusting the amount of water for each setting, you can get pretty much just what you want, without wasting coffee.STRENGTH NOTES:At first, we found it a bit limiting to have fixed settings for only 4, 6, 8 & 10 cups of coffee. And I could not find any good description anywhere about exactly what the Grind control and the Strength control do – does one adjust the fineness of the grinding mechanism, and the other the amount of coffee beans ground (based on the amount of time the grinder runs)? If so, which controls which? All the manual really says is “The burr grinder will grind the correct amount of beans, and automatically adjust the coffee/water ratio for low cup settings.”So, I started experimenting with different settings to see what each does, based on the weight of the ground coffee put into the filter. I weighed the grounds after brewing each pot at different setting combinations, letting them drain quite a while first (wet grounds, but well drained). The chart in the image attached to this review (also shown in the table below) shows my results – not every setting available, but enough to figure out what is happening, I believe. From visual comparisons, I could not see any apparent differences in the coarseness of the grounds themselves with any combination, so I assume that the grinder does not change the coarseness/fineness of the grind itself, only the amount of beans ground, for both the strength and grind (# of cups) settings. But with the information in the chart, and by adjusting the amount of water you put in the reservoir for each brew, you can get pretty close to the strength you want. Ground Coffee Weights, Cuisinart DGB-850 Coffeemaker GRIND STRENGTH GRAMS (avg.) ============================= 4 Cups Extra Bold 75 6 Cups Regular 91 6 Cups Bold 102 6 Cups Extra Bold 120 8 Cups Bold 122 8 Cups Extra Bold 140So, for example, we brew a slightly weaker-than-recommended pot by setting the Grind (# of cups) to 6 cups, adding either 7 or 8 cups of water to the reservoir, and setting the Strength as a kind of fine-tuning adjustment to get just the strength we want for that batch (my wife likes it a bit weaker, I like it a bit stronger – we alternate!).Hopefully this will help you fine-tune your perfect cup of coffee. Happy brewing!
349 people found this helpful
Nancy Boyers –
Great coffee
So easy and brews coffee quickly.
Jolene Fletcher –
Grinds great
Loved it
One person found this helpful
Ethan Wells –
A 4-1/2 star marvel
So I purchased this to replace my Cuisinart CHW-12 Coffee Plus 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker with Hot Water System, Black/Stainless. I was very pleased with the *coffeemaker* component of this latter (its hot water system being another matter), and was looking for a similar coffeemaker that also had a grind and brew function. I have had it now for just shy of a year, and am almost entirely pleased with it. Let me address the pros and cons, both as I see them and as they have been discussed in other reviews:Pros:(1) This coffeemaker is able to produce an excellent cup of coffee in very little time.(2) The grind function allows you to control precisely how much coffee you want ground. Other models – such as the Krups KM7005 Grind and Brew coffeemaker – essentially have a reservoir for beans that are ground according to your selection of coffee-strength. Effectively, this means it uses a timer to determine how much coffee to grind. In my experience, this resulted in an imperfect and – more importantly – inconsistent cup of coffee. This Cuisinart coffeemaker, by contrast, will grind precisely how much coffee you put in the grinder. I have been surprised to find no residue, or almost no residue, in the grinder after each use. This allows you to control the strength of your coffee, and produce a consistent cup.(3) You can easily turn the grinder off. I keep a stash of ground coffee at the ready for those days when I’m running behind and want to save a step. It doesn’t save a lot of time – but it’s a nice feature.Cons(1) A number of people have noted in their reviews that this coffeemaker is a lot of work to clean. While I don’t find this in fact to be the case, it does require you to wash, in addition to the components common to any coffeemaker, the grinder after each use. The only systems with which I am familiar that do not require this are those with a coffee reservoir; the drawback of these systems, as I note above, is that it is difficult to get a consistently good cup of coffee out of them. So I think this is a have your cake or eat it predicament: if you want a consistently good cup of coffee from a grind and brew coffeemaker, you’re probably going to need to buy one requiring additional cleaning.(2) I was surprised to find how much I missed the carafe temperature control function of my old Cuisinart CHW-12 coffeemaker. I find this grind and brew coffeemaker produces coffee that is slightly too hot for my taste. That said, it is a minor drawback, easily corrected by waiting a few minutes after pouring a cup before drinking it.(3) Unlike the CHW-12, there is no transparent window that allows you to see how much water is in the reservoir from the side of the coffeemaker. Instead, you have to look down into the water reservoir, at a series of steps marking 2, 4, 6, 8 and so forth. This makes it difficult to fill the reservoir to, say, 3 cups or 5 cups or 7 cups etc. Why? Because when you are looking down, you lose the perspective necessary to determine when the water is halfway between, say, 4 and 6. This is a minor inconvenience that can be worked around by trial and error.(4) I agree with those reviewers who say the grinder is not large enough to make an entire pot of strong coffee. This doesn’t make the least difference for me since I only make half a pot per day. To make half a pot of coffee at my desired strength, however, I do need to fill the coffee grinder well more than 1/2 full. Upshot: a 12 cup pot of coffee is likely to be weaker than I would want it. So: if you want 12 cups every morning of strong coffee, this grind and brew coffee maker is likely to fall short of your expectations. If, on the other hand, you only occasionally make a full pot of coffee, I’d recommend that, on those occasions, you turn the grinder off and use the appropriate amount of pre-ground coffee instead.Overall, I would deduct a 1/2 star for cons (2) and (3). That not being an option, however, I have given this coffeemaker a 5 star rating since 4 stars would certainly not do credit to its many fine features.**UPDATE 05/12/2020**I have had this unit for just over a year. I stand by my original assessment. It is far and away the best coffee maker I have ever purchased, at least for my purposes.
273 people found this helpful
Dj –
Good product
One of the best coffee makers i have gotten so far
Amazon Customer –
Great Value
used every day for months – consistent, good coffee. Have had others that brew faster, but may be the reason for shorter lifespan. I thinks this coffee maker has been good.
alan peck –
Let’s hope it lasts
I have had trouble with coffee makers failing after little use. I hope this purchase is different. I did not realize it is also included a coffee bean grinder. It does it beautifully-the grinder is quieter than most and the coffee arrives quickly–easy to clean–and if it lasts it is the neatest coffee maker I have ever owned.
One person found this helpful
Innogation –
5 stars as a refurb
WOW…didn’t realize it was refurbished but easily the most convenient coffee maker ever. Just clean filter basket, add water, 2 buttons and done. Bean hopper insures consistent brews. 5 days per hopper fill for 12cup brews.
Sherri –
Dual use!
Wish it was a tad shorter to fit under my cabinet. the peekaboo window over the grinder is the difference of it fitting under my cabinet. Wish the POD water level could be seen from outside. Glad it has an indicator that tells you when you dont have enough for that type of brewing. the lights that stays on when you don’t have all the parts in the carafe side are annoyingly bright. Good machine regardess of the quirks.
One person found this helpful
T. Smith –
Great result for the inexpensive cost.
Worked flawlessly for a year and quit. Bought another of the same brand and model that same day. My wife loves that it makes coffee perfectly fine for her. She loves consistency in flavor and temperature. I throw a few ice cubes into my cup though.
Jack L –
Keeps Brewed Coffee Hot and Tastes Great
Purchased to replaced my previous coffee maker. This was a very good buy and has nice programming buttons that are not overwhelming or complicated.Selection buttons for 1 to 4 cup brewing.Brew laterKeep warmStrong selectionHeating plate keeps coffee hot 4 hoursIt’s a Mr Coffee so they have been around for a while. Good buy for hot, brewed coffee.
Elizabeth Bennett –
Delivers Perfectly Brewed, Freshly Ground Coffee When You Want It!
I love this coffee maker! It delivers freshly ground coffee, perfectly brewed, exactly when you want it. It is simple to operate but you will have to use it a few times before you get it. It’s not intuitive but neither is a food processor the first time you use it. You will need to read the instructions and carefully follow the steps to set up the clock (remember to set AM or PM) and the timer.Using it is easy: pour water, install a disposable unbleached paper water filter in brew basket, measure coffee, and push SET. Nothing to adjust. Start with filtered or bottled water. My experience: I fill the water reservoir level to 10 cups and add 6 TBS coffee beans to the grinder basket. This makes 4 large mugs of robust-but-not-spoon-dissolving coffee.Beans: I use dark roast like Peet’s Major Dickason’s or Starbucks Cafe Verona or medium roast Lavazza Espresso. They all make a robust cup that stands up to warm milk or froth. Let experience will be your guide.Care: I put the removable parts in the dishwasher every day. This may be counter to the manufacturer’s instructions, but it’s what I do. I’m not telling you to try this at home… but, after 18 months, it’s fine. Once a month, I clean the coffee maker, per the manufacturer’s instructions, and replace the little water filter in the reservoir. That’s it.One quick caveat: the grinder is loud. You will think Krakatoa is erupting the first time you hear it, but you get used to it because the coffee is so good. I don’t hear it go off any more; I awaken to the aroma of the freshly ground brewed coffee, not the noise.There are other fancier, more complicated auto grind coffee makers, but for a delicious, reliable, simple to use and clean coffee maker, at a reasonable price, the Cuisinart 12-cup Grind & Brew is the best!
19 people found this helpful
William –
Total 5 Star
So far this coffeemaker checks all the boxes. Coffee is good and perfect temperature. It can be set to keep warm for up to 4 hours. Simple control and easy to use. The carafe of the last coffeemaker I had leaked while pouring, this one absolutely does not!
One person found this helpful
Ben-Jamin –
Cuisinart Grind & Brew Coffeemaker
The new Grind & Brew arrived just in time. The other one was having trouble keeping up (it was over 7 years old) and needed to be retired. It’s like having a coffee shop right in your own home. We use Cuisinart brand because it’s consistently great and easy to clean. We so enjoy freshly ground coffee sometimes twice a day. Cuisinart has served our needs well.
3 people found this helpful
*** –
good cup of coffee
this is my second Cuisinart grind and brew. last one lasted over 12 years, just got old. only problem, very noisy when grinding..makes a good alarm clock. ***and good cup of coffee