The Verdict
The Cuisinart 12 cup and single serve coffee maker brings the best of both brewing worlds to your kitchen by pairing a full 12-cup glass carafe brewer with a versatile single-serve station. By handling entertaining crowds and quick solo mornings in one dual-sided design, it frees up valuable countertop area that would otherwise be claimed by two separate appliances.
Why We Love the Cuisinart 12 Cup and Single Serve Coffee Maker
- Dual Brewing Versatility: Brew a full 12-cup glass carafe with a stainless steel handle for gatherings, or pick from 6, 8, or 10 oz single-serve sizes when you only need one cup.
- Flexible Pod & Ground Options: While it is K-Cup pod compatible, it also includes the HomeBarista Reusable Filter Cup, giving you the freedom to brew your favorite ground coffee without extra accessories.
- Fully Automatic Carafe Operation: Features 24-hour brew start programming, Brew Strength Control for a bolder flavor, Brew Pause to grab a quick sip mid-brew, and adjustable carafe temperature settings.
- Thoughtful Single-Serve Design: Comes equipped with a removable 40 oz reservoir, a removable drip tray to accommodate travel mugs, a charcoal water filter, and an Energy Save mode.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Replaces two standalone brewers to streamline countertop organization
- Includes reusable HomeBarista filter cup and gold-tone carafe filter
- Fully programmable 24-hour brew start with adjustable auto-off (0-4 hours) and self-clean functions
- BPA-free construction backed by a 3-year warranty
Cons:
- Footprint of 10.75" x 12.40" x 16.50" requires dedicated kitchen counter space
- Listed at a higher price point of $334.95 compared to basic drip machines
- Does not include a built-in coffee bean grinder
Who Should Buy This?
This appliance is ideal for households that regularly switch between serving large groups and brewing quick morning cups on the go. If you want the speed of single-serve pods alongside the capacity of a programmable 12-cup carafe—without cluttering your kitchen with two machines—this dual setup fits right in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my own ground coffee in the Cuisinart 12 cup and single serve coffee maker?
Yes. The carafe side features a gold-tone permanent filter for grounds, and the single-serve side includes the HomeBarista Reusable Filter Cup so you are not limited to pre-packaged pods.
What are the dimensions and weight of this unit?
The machine measures 10.75" L x 12.40" W x 16.50" H and has a unit weight of 9.50 lbs.
What cup sizes does the single-serve side brew?
The single-serve brewer offers three distinct serving sizes: 6 oz, 8 oz, and 10 oz, and includes a removable drip tray to fit taller travel mugs.
5.0 out of 5 stars Working perfectly after at least six months As others have said, I bought this for the convenience of having one appliance do it all. We mostly drink a full pot of decaf in the morning, but the occasional cup of regular is nice. Sometimes, I need just one more cup after the decaf pot is empty. And we have friends who only drink regular. So, this is perfect. I have put off writing a review (actually, I’ve never written one) because I’ve been waiting for this unit to break or otherwise become unsatisfactory. Not yet.Here are some things I’ve learned. In my experience, the mess in the single-serve side is the fault of the commercial k-pod. I had a Donut Shop pod explode all over recently, and it was a mess, not to mention hard to clean (I finally tipped it on its side and used my faucet spray to get all the grounds out). The cover on the pod was not properly sealed, and grounds spewed all over. The other complaint that it’s hard to fill is valid. If Cuisinart is in the mood to re-fabricate, moving the reservoir to the other side would be a good move. I simply fill the carafe with an extra cup of water so I don’t have to tip the pot at an awkward angle, and I don’t put the coffee in until the reservoir is filled. If you don’t need filtered water, using the pullout hose on your faucet works like a charm, and the water-level gauge is very easy to read. I also noticed that the single-serve basket needed to be firmly snapped in place and lined up with the white arrow to work properly. So, yes, there are some convenience issues, but they are not difficult to adjust to. I’ve tried all the features, and all have worked fine. And, it makes great coffee!! Wonderfully hot, even on medium. Hope it doesn’t break on me after writing this review. I’ll be in touch if it does.November 13, 2019: Update. Not only is this coffee pot working perfectly after 18 months, the second one I bought for another house is also working fine after six months. One reviewer mentioned that it’s helpful to push the pod firmly down on the lower spike before pressing down the top. Since I’ve been doing that, I’ve had no issues with the pods exploding. I’ve been very happy with it. Still gets five stars.Variation: Color: Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars These reviews are like trying a new brand of underwear. Funny caption but true. Think about it. All the reviews are either a love or a hate. Just like trying a new brand of underwear. On to the review, I got this for my dads Christmas in 2018 to replace the forever trusty running Mr. Coffee 12 cup. It was time y’all, it was leaking, wasn’t getting hot as it should and just looked nasty. Now this is after a good 20 years of service on a daily!I will start with the 12 cup part first. I feel pretty sure the engineer behind this was left handed. If you take notice the 12 cup is on the left, so in order to fill the reservoir in the back you can either pour from a distance on the right side (and make a hot mess) or take the easy way and use the left edge to rest the spout and pour. Gives us righty’s a good use for our left hand. The reservoir for the 12 cup has a limited opening to put water in but we have adjusted. Bee cool if you could chose which side you would like what to be on.The coffee grain filter is pretty cool! Some people are complaining about this making a mess for them? I could see this being a problem if you don’t put a filter in it and mistaking the little tray that holds the filters as a grain holder OR not pushing the tray down till it snaps (you will feel it and know)… Bruh. We use the reusable filter with ours with no problems and yes tinnnnny grains of coffee get through that filter but just makes it bolder. Get your paper filters if you don’t want that.K-Cup: always wanted one but why buy two whole devices to cluster up the counter? This is not our go to but nice feature. We have not used it as much but we have used it to make hot coco with the K-Cup pericing accessory in the machine while dispensing just hot water. With the hot coco powder in the cup and the force of the water coming out of the KCup it would make a mess because of splashing. Now with the other accessory that would be used for spices and what not was a more steady stream and less of a splash. I can not vouch for those who have had issues with the KCup grounds coming out of the cup, BUT do make sure the little white arrows line up on the one accessory in the back when installing.The water reservoir for the KCup is cool because it is removable. Some say this leaks and I could see this as the grommet gets older or faulty by factory. But I have personally not had an issue with water leaking. I always just empty it when I know people will not be using it.The controls are interesting. Took a little fiddling to get everything straight but once you get everything like you like it you are good till it’s unplugged, power goes out, mom, lol got to blame something. There is a separate on/off switch that is good to use every day when not in use. Only catch is to the programmed brew is that the night before after you set everything up, press the on button, press bold (if you chose), press brew. Three buttons to get this thing to brew in the morning like you want it. :/ Mr. Coffee, flip the switch left and done haha. So, I’m getting to like the three button start set up. Almost like starting a spaceship haha. The on/off is a good feature to make sure it is off before you leave the house.The reservoir has a what!?!?! A filter. This thing gets a lot of hate… “It’s not even useful because the water don’t flow past it?” Umm it was a nice thought. What other coffee pot has a water filter option? Sorry, not a coffee pot expert but been using the Mr. Coffee without a water filter for years and never died from it. People complain about everything everything these days. Got to be optimistic my friends. Good thought for the company. Dang if you do, dang if you don’t. Guess how much flow the KCup reservoir is getting when it is sitting full for about a week without use? Wouldn’t really mater where the filter would be at that point would it? So the filters are in both reservoirs. If it’s that big a deal, just take it out? Wasn’t that hard to solve… While we talking about it, if this filter was in the flow of the pump where most think it should be, the company would get complaints of no flow after a few years of service because most would not check/replace the filter in the pump, cause who wants to be charged for another device they must purchase just specific for this brand?$$$? Y’all have got to think of all angles at this when you complain.This this has a end chime for the 12 cup which consists of 5 beeps you cannot turn off (the company should make this a option). A little obnoxious the first time I heard it. Now I can sleep right through it no problem.Mom does not like it because it’s big, but look at it this way, have two separate gadgets would be worse.Overall my dad and I love this device (come to find out) he was looking at this exact one around summer time and I surprisingly got it for his Christmas. The poor Mr. Coffee 12 cup pitcher had its last round in the dishwasher on Christmas Eve resulting in a cracked pitcher. Timing could have not been more perfect.Totally recommend. I’m sure if you don’t like it you have some time to return so no loss to you except a little time. You can always go to Walmart and get you a $20 12cup and tape you Kureg to the right side of it, vice versa 😉Variation: Color: Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally worth the money This has been one of the best products I have ever bought. It was purchased as a Christmas present for my dad, who is a avid coffee drinker. For the last several years he has been going out and buying a cup of coffee from a coffee shop, because he didn’t want to make a whole or partial pot of coffee for just himself. He told me that a lady in his office bought a Keurig, and he had gotten used to using it and seemed to like the idea of using pods. I did a little research and this is one of the few coffee pot/single serve coffee makers. I have used it several times at their house, and here are some key features we like…For reference, I purchased the 12 cup/glass carafe in silver. It was also on sale for $154.96 when I purchased it. I really wanted the black, but it was sold out at the time.- There is a tank on the back pod portion of the maker that holds 40 oz of water for several uses of the pod half, so it doesn’t have to be filled up as often. We primarily use the 8 oz option.- We love the option of the coffee pot, because when the whole family gets together we can make a whole pot.- It takes up less room on the counter than having a coffee pot and a single serve maker. It also looks great!- The functionality of this maker is easy to use and not overly complicated. If my mom can use it, anyone can.- The glass pot is easy to get into and clean. This is an important feature for me, because I can’t stand not being able to stick my hand down in the pot to clean it well.- The brew/warm feature is great, because it keep the pot of coffee warm as people are coming and going.- My mom doesn’t drink coffee, so having the single serve side allows here to brew tea while everyone else is drinking coffee.- About once a week they use the Keurig Hot Rinse Pods to keep build up from happening and help my mom’s tea not taste like coffee.Overall- totally worth the money that I spent. I would suggest waiting for a sale, like today (Mother’s day) or prime day. I would NEVER purchase it at full price. BUT it is worth the $150 I spent, in my opinion, if only for the options it provides. Great product. Also- they like it so much, my mom is thinking of purchasing a second one for her office/classroom.Variation: Color: Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars A great coffee maker Your honest & realistic review….I’m not going to discount some of the reviews I’ve read, but we all know there are people that couldn’t breath on their own if it wasn’t naturally automatic. Then you have your paid reviewers that lie about the competitors products. What I will say is I delayed purchasing this coffee maker for a long time because of a lot of negativeness.. you know the water leaking out of the reservoir and such. I’m sorry I even considered those reviews..!I’ve had Cuisinart before but wanted a dual. I ended up buying a Hamilton Beach dual brew and never was 100% happy with it.Lets start with the differences between the flat round vs the wedge type coffee filter/bowls.The Cuisinart has a V or wedge type basket which I find that it funnels the water into the grounds. The Hamilton has a nice open basket but a small water spout.. you know, where the hot water rains down on the grounds..? I always felt that it never fully extracted the flavor and it took more grounds .Now the Cuisinart had a nice large water spout in conjunction with the wedge basket directing the waters thru the grounds… I found I don’t have to use as much coffee to get the flavor I want. There for makes a better cup of coffee.The only down fall but not a real issue is where you add the water. It is smaller and it does require a steadier hand or learn to pour with your left. I will say if Cuisinart would have reversed the designed it with the single serve on the left instead of the right, then it would make it easier. All I can say is Deal with it…Now this brings me to the single serve side. I have no leak issues and no problems with the coffee pods. I can see how the rubber seal can wear out or dry out in time, but I think using a pitcher to fill the tank might extend or resolve that issue. No one can predict the future… As it stands I love the single serve side. With your other single serves, you are limited to “X” amount of water and that is final. With the Hamilton, if you added just 1 oz too much over their 10oz, it would not allow you to use the single serve side.Now I like my coffee on the lighter side, but wanted to still use the convenience of the disposable pods. This is where I really like the Cuisinart. I use the old fashion 14oz travel mug which fits nicely. I found I could choose the 8 oz and then the 4 oz after the 8 oz is finished without changing or removing the pod which finishes filling my mug.YES… finally can get a full 14 oz mug of coffee while using a single pod resulting in good flavor..!So if you are on the fence… go ahead and buy this product, you won’t be disappointed, I’m not. I just wish I purchased it sooner.Variation: Color: Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars Single cup coffee maker is quick, quiet and makes a hot cup of coffee! I’ve used Keurig single cup coffee makers since the first one came out years ago. But, recent models have left me greatly disappointed. Based on reviews, I finally made the jump to Cuisinart and this model has met my expectations! I haven’t had it long enough to assess longevity, but the single cup coffee maker is quick, relatively quiet, and produces a good, hot cup of coffee. It easily fits my 16 oz travel mug and the drip tray removes adding even more clearance for a bigger mug. (See pic – with/without tray)Having the carafe and single cup combined is really convenient too. I use the carafe mainly for gatherings and would typically have to store my carafe and then pull it out of storage for get togethers. While I don’t use the carafe daily, I use it more often now because it’s right in front of me instead of in storage, and I’m very happy with the performance and flavor!ConsOne con is the volume of the water held in the single cup reservoir. Depending on your frequency of use, you may be refilling often. On the pro side, the frequent filling keeps the water fresh (and is no different than filling your carafe each time you make a pot of coffee).The reservoir is located on the back of the unit. I haven’t found that to be a problem as it slips on and off so easily. That said, if you place the product in a tight spot, you will need room to pull the unit forward to access the reservoir. Also, as you can see from my pictures, the reservoir is not completely empty before you are required to add more water. (see pic for light and water still in reservoir)The single cup maker produced some minor micro spatters on the cupboard but I took the advice of another reviewer and put a small dish to raise up my coffee cup. (see pic) Cuisinart needs to build the capability to elevate the cup on future models.My final con is with lifting the lid to place the k-cup. I have good clearance under my cupboards but the top still doesn’t open all the way unless I pull it out. (see pic – under cupboard and pulled forward) I’ve learned to worked with the limited opening, but if you don’t have a lot of clearance under your cupboard, you’ll be pulling the unit out to place your k-cups every time. However, it’s worth the trade off to be able to fit a travel mug under the single cup dispenser. I’m very happy with this product!Update Nov 2022: I’ve had this unit two years now. Works as well as the day I bought it. I do use filtered water. I’ve also been using a reusable single cup insert/filter so that I can use fresh ground beans. I’ve gone through two over the past two years. Where the lid attaches is a stress point that weakens over time and eventually breaks off the cup. Aside from that, my only complaint has been the spatter when using the single cup. But, a coffee maker that is quiet, fast, provides a hot temperature and has longevity is worth dealing with the spatter.Variation: Color: Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars Great dual brew coffee maker !! I purchased the all stainless SS-15 in 2019 and other than the occasional leak from the single serve side, we have been very satisfied with the product!! It has been very reliable and makes great coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc!! I use the brew side at least 90% of the time and like my coffee strong, but my wife prefers the single serve for her sweet tea and hot chocolate 🙂 Both sides of the coffee center has seen several thousand cups and/or brews in it’s 6 1/2 years of life, so when It finally starting leaking pretty badly on the single serve side a few days ago, I thought it had been a great product and there was no reason to buy any other brand! Plus, I’m in my 70s, and why have to learn how to make great coffee on another brand!! Thankfully the brew side still worked! :)) I decided to replace it with the black stainless model. Looks to be identical except for color. Expecting the same level of quality and satisfaction with my New Cuisinart SS-15BKSP1. Just finished pouring my last cup of joe from it, so ” so long old friend”!! :))Variation: Color: Stainless