Cuisinart SS-GB1 Coffee Center Grind and Brew Plus- Built-in Coffee Grinder

what our customer say this product:

1. Troy H. Verified Buyer – 14 August 2024

   I loved the idea of what this machine could do, so I bought it… Now I wish I could return it. To start, it ruptures the filter or just explodes the pods all together. I’ve taken the pods in to work to try and rule them out, they work as they should… Nothing is plugged and the machine is maintained regularly. The settings for the craft side is counter intuitive. It always seems to have water leaking from somewhere.

   

2. K. Lindsay Verified Buyer – 17 September 2024

   I love everything about this coffee maker. We’ve had it for over two years now and it has been great. It grinds our beans well and always makes a robust pot of coffee. And it allows us to also have an individual serving of a different style through using the k-cup part of it. It’s my favorite machine in the kitchen!

   

3. Anonymous Verified Buyer – 3 December 2024

   So the product was delivered to my doorstep in a box with a picture of the product on the outside. A surprise. Then, when I opened the box I found no instructions for the product, another surprise. However, I let those pass. I hooked up and used the product. The K-Pod maker worked fine and the Carafe coffee drip worked fine as well. Yesterday however, I used the grinder for the first time and today as well, for a second time, just to make sure. Well, this product has a defect. The grinder is producing brewed coffee at a greater rate than can be dripped into the carafe. As a result, both times that I used it, brewed coffee spilled onto the heating plate causing the coffee to create a burnt smell and the bottom of the coffee pot to have stains from this outcome. The sound effect is as if the coffee pot is about to explode. If that is the case with all of this type of product, then the product itself needs to be removed from the shelf and returned to the product-design phase.

   

4. Ashley Bailey Verified Buyer – 1 February 2025

   We’ve been so pleased with this machine. I like the ability to brew with a Kcup, whole beans, or grounds. The grinder is noisy but not any noisier than any other grinder that I’ve used. I love that it is easy to clean and easy to use.

   

5. Destiny S Verified Buyer – 2 February 2025

   This seemed like a great concept! Add whole beans and then press brew! Fresh coffee! But wait… We have not had that experience at all. While it does grind and make coffee, our main gripe is that no matter what we do, the filter basket overflows during the brewing process and this causes coffee grounds to flow into the carafe. We have used less beans, we have filled the filter basket with pre-ground coffee instead of using the grinder option, but each time we get the same result. While I am the early riser, I get mostly the first cups off the top, but when my wife gets to the 3rd or 4th pour, the grounds sift into the cub. This is a poor design!!! Did we get a bad one? Maybe the flow is much too fast?? We have tried the “bold” setting, hoping to slow down the flow, but it does nothing. We have used less coffee, but still a problem. The grinder mechanism does require periodic cleaning as well, but I could live with that if it worked as it should. Trying to contact Cuisinart for a return, Replacement or resolution. I’ll update this post if things improve or if they take actually practice customer service. Beware before you purchase this coffee station.

   

6. Apachecanon Verified Buyer – 4 February 2025

   Hot and fresh blows pods out of the grinder. Easy to work and brew all at a push of a button. Single server works just as easy. Work excellent and looks modern. So far so good

   

7. Steven Shrader Verified Buyer – 5 February 2025

   MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN I TRY TO USE THE K CUP UNIT IT EXPLODES AND COFFEE GOES EVERYWHERE

   

8. Houston TX Verified Buyer – 6 February 2025

   Love the unit but the K Cup side has poor design. Tried 2 separate units with same result. It tries to make the coffee to fast. The cup is pressurized with hot water faster than it can filter thru K cup and exit drip hole into mug. The top of cup then explodes (see pics) and a mess bigger than you can imagine occurs. Coffee and grounds also leaks inside unit behind the plastic housing walls (see video). It won’t come apart so likely mold will grow on grounds inside unit. This happens sporadically from 20%-60% of the time using different K cups from different manufacturers, although to be fair it does happen more a specific “Great Value” K cups. They will argue the K cup used is flimsy and too weak to withstand the pressure, and they are correct except I have used these cups in a Keurig for 10 years with no issues. So it’s the programming and lack of pressure control on the unit that is the problem. I have returned both units. If you only use the hard plastic reusable cups where you put your own grounds in it then it might be fine because the drain hole is larger than the tip of a pencil AND the plastic lid is thicker and probably can withstand more pressure if it builds. Good luck!!

   

9. Wendy Ritch Verified Buyer – 8 February 2025

   So, here’s the deal, fellow coffee lovers: I got tired of my single-cup brewers dying after about two years consistently and sprung for The Mega Machine. I’m a professor and when I have negative feedback for a student then I always start and end with something positive. Let me begin by saying that I really do enjoy the fresh ground-and-brewed coffee that you get when using the carafe. Now for the negatives: 1. I have to unplug the machine after every use because if, like me, you like to leave various things open to air dry (I don’t want a moldy coffeemaker, do you?) then all sorts of lights start flashing and the machine won’t turn OFF when it registers that something is amiss. I can’t use any of the handy programmable features since I can’t leave it plugged in so every morning my coffeemaker is the machine version of Drew Barrymore in “50 First Dates.” 2. You must remove the grinder after every brewed pot even if you don’t grind anything because it gets chock full of moisture. And when you DO grind then said moisture totally gums up the works and a bunch of your fresh grounds don’t slide on down into the brewing basket. 3. Speaking of the grinder – what a disappointment it was to discover that it only works in tandem with the carafe! Want freshly ground beans to use with the single cup feature? Then you’ll need to have your mortar and pestle at the ready because the on-board grinder lives on the opposite side of town from the single-cup brewer and they’re not on speaking terms. 4. If you’re a tree-hugger and want to use your own coffee in a reusable single-serve pod then have fun finding one that works with this machine! It says that it’s compatible with “most” reusable k-cup filters but I tried three different ones and they all resulted in water running around the outside of the filters and dribbling out – sometimes into the cup but mostly all over the counter. The one DIY reusable pod that works with this coffee maker is NOT included with the machine. You need to spend another $12 on the official Cuisineart HomeBarista pod (conveniently available on this very site!). I don’t believe in single-use k-cups so, again, a bummer. 5. If you enjoy playing guessing games then you’re going to love trying to figure out how much water is in the single-cup reservoir. There’s no gauge on the single-serve side of town (even though there is one on the carafe side – but you don’t need that because you fill the carafe with the water you need, using the cup markers on the actual pot, and pour it in; redundancy for the carafe and nothing for the pod – the injustice of it all!). In the highly likely event that you overfill the pod reservoir then good luck avoiding electrocution as the excess water pours out of the hole in the back of the machine and all over the power cord that’s plugged into the outlet. I kid you not. 6. If you’re out of water then a water drop icon appears on the world’s smallest, darkest display. Backlight, anyone?! Not here. Have fun with THAT! To summarize: brewed coffee yummy. The rest of the many bells and whistles will leave you wishing, as I do, that I had purchased a different machine. Or, for that matter, three machines: one to brew a pot, one to make a cup and a grinder, which would have cost considerably less when purchased separately then the price tag was for The Mega Machine.

   

10. Cindy Hoek Verified Buyer – 1 March 2025

    I’ve been using this for a couple of months now. The water reservoir is located in the back of the unit so the first thing I had to do was buy a sliding appliance tray so I could pull it out from under the cabinet to access the reservoir. Next it’s black so impossible to see the max fill line. If you overfill, there is a hole in the back of the reservoir so water starts pouring out the back. I have to keep a towel rolled up in back to catch the mess. The second problem is the pod sizes are inaccurate. I have to set it on 8 ounces when using a 12 ounce cup. Setting to 12 or even 10 ounces makes yet another mess. The only reason this didn’t get 1 star instead of 2 is that the full coffee part side works as expected.

    

11. Dave Verified Buyer – 2 March 2025

    We wanted to go from a Keurig to a combo machine. We are disappointed. We plan to return this and go back to shopping. The pod brewer is poorly calibrated so it only makes watery coffee. The photo shows what you get when you try for an 8 oz cup, which is the size the pods are designed to make. With just plain water, no grounds to soak up some, every setting is 4 oz too much. That’s a huge error and inexcusable for +$200. There is also no option for “bold” on the pod side and it just is a pointless cost driver for the machine. We love how quickly the grind and brew side cleans up, and initially we thought we could find a way to live with this machine. We also really like the Bold setting, which slows down the drip and gives more water-to-coffee contact for more extraction. However, much like the pod side, it does not do what it claims. The instructions with the brewer tell you to use 1 TBSP per cup. That direction is 1/2 the amount that any simple web search will tell you. Even the bags of beans you buy will tell you 2 TBSP per cup. That means this thing can NEVER make a full 12 cups. The instructions tell you not to use more than 14 scoops, which are 1 TBSP each. That means the most you can make, according to the vast amount of consensus on good coffee, is about 7 cups. Following the usual advice of 2 TBSP per cup, the flavor was great. If you like your coffee weaker, I guess you can drive it to 12. We tried following the Cuisinart directions but found the resulting coffee to be watery and just not enjoyable.

    

12. mac4rnr Verified Buyer – 5 March 2025

    We really enjoy the attached keurig a most welcome addition!!

    

13. Lori Sanders Verified Buyer – 6 March 2025

    UPDATE!! This morning it burnt up from under the heating element. It damaged our counter. I’m throwing it away… pervious review: The grinder is a nusance and can’t be removed. The grinder takes up too much space and makes it hard to fill the reservoir, the pot insists we choose “no grind” “caraf” before brewing. The grinder is all steamed up in there and we won’t use it, it’s wet, messy, in the way and not helpful. The basket is a bit difficult too. Expected it to be easier to use. Otherwise we like it ok

    

14. Bernd Friedmann Verified Buyer – 7 March 2025

    The idea of this coffee maker is good, no doubt … Combine a morning coffee maker with the quick cup in the afternoon. Great ! The implementation is very losuy though, I wonder if these engineers who created this actually ever used it, cuz if they have they would have redesigned it. We had the Burgrinder machine before this and we loved it … Keep filling beans … All u do is cleaning filter and add water … Every 2 month you clean the grinder and you are great. Not with this machine though … So let me start with the sound … When u turn this thing on to make coffee it is as loud a a tsunami warn system, ridiculous … The grinding system is somewhat something of a copy of a magic bullet or so … Downfalls are that you don’t know how many beans you need to make the perfect cup for the water you put into it … Once the beans are filled and you didn’t spill half of them cuz to put them in is hard, you need to use two hands to get the grinder into the machine … Quite tight … Once u made coffee, you have to clean everything out and dry it very well. Cuz if it is wet, the beans will get stuck in the grinder cup and only half come out to the filter … As you can see on the picture with the clear plastic cup, 1 tea spoon of coffee is wasted every time u make coffee … It gets stuck in the badly designed grinder … What a waste … Again did you ever test this ??? At home ??? So overall the cleaning is a total PITA and needs to happen the night before so it totally dries up, see picture … And the setup is difficult and you never know if you have enough coffee beans for the water u put into it … And Better be careful when inserting the full grinder into the machine as it is super tight … Use two hands or one day you will drop it and then you have to get the beans out which is almost impossible. Trust me, did it … Now after 3 month the heating plate where the pot stays on is pealing off the black material and it looks silly … So if we could, I would return the entire machine and get another one … don’t buy it you are going to hate it … Cuisinart, next time sent it to me first I give you the feedback you need … Do not buy it … At one point you are so annoyed you will stop making coffee … It is just too much work. Very sad as the idea is very good … If the machine had the Burgrinder mechanism of the other one … I’d send these out as gifts … If I don’t clean out the stuff at night and dry it my wife doesn’t even make coffee with it any more … She just uses the single cup, it is truly a lot of work and annoying. I think if they would have had the engineer take this home for a couple of weeks to test it, he would have come to work with Starbucks coffee … And start redesigning this machine … Sad

    

15. Rusty sams Verified Buyer – 8 March 2025

    We didn’t know how bad our last coffee maker was….. Makes a great cup of coffee…. Beans grinds well but it does create more clean up than just the grounds basket before next pot Timed brew was easy to set and has performed perfect. The pod side does well and it let’s you pick 10 or 12 oz of water to customize your tea or coffee. So good overall hope it last awhile

    

16. Anonymous Verified Buyer – 8 March 2025

    The grinder is extremely loud, does not hold enough beans for a full 12-cup carafe (120 gms based on 8-10 gms for a 5 oz cup) and has to be cleaned every time you make a pot of coffee (see photo). The filter is also difficult to clean. The glass carafe is as thin as a Christmas tree ornament. You can’t see the clock unless you are about a foot away (there is no backlight). I suspect most people will just give up and use the K-cup feature.

    

17. Midwest Mom Verified Buyer – 15 March 2025

    Update – That one small issue is worth going with another model. Actually here are 2 major issues…..The panel isn’t illuminated at all so if you are stumbling about before dawn trying to get coffee you have to turn on pretty bright lights to see if it needs water for the single serve. But the major reason I don’t have this one less than a year after I bought it was the overflow issue is a big deal. without any water level indicator, it’s a crapshoot. I had a pitcher that if we filled up to a certain level it was the perfect amount when empty. being proactive and filling it the night before even if there was still a little water in the tank caused it to overflow….the last time water poured out the little whole in the back, into my elcetrical socket and in the process of trying to get everthing out of the way it fell off the counter. I went with the model without the grinder, SS-15 series. It’s completely illuminated, has an on//off switch and removable clear tank for the single serve side, cone basket in the coffee pot, and warmining plate temp button. Also much smaller profile. I’ll stick to the stand alone grinder. Kicking myself for a $200+ mistake. Come on Cuisinart….. no lights, water damage to my counter, no water level indicator, and a HUGE shock hazard because the overflow is in the back with everything in hard to see black plastic. The last picture is my new one the others show the water level indicator on the pot side, none on the single side and the overflow hole in the back. I looked at 100+ coffee makers and reviews. I was replacing a name brand k cup maker (our 3rd one in 6 years and with everyone of them the quality was a bit worse). But, the hubby wanted to be able to have a “pot” of coffee once in a while. Of all the coffee makers we have had in the past, Cuisinart was the only one that never broke, I only get rid of it because I was tired of cleaning it several times a day and decided to go kcup route. of course my unicorn maker would have a pot, single serve, hot water, grind, and make cold brew, but this was the closest in the price I wanted to pay. I have to say this one is pretty good! the quality was spot on, sturdy, stainless and heavy duty plastic. Very easy to clean, and has a little fold down shelf so nothing splashes all over the place when using the single serve. The one CON – after reading reviews I now understand what people were talking about. On the single serve side there is a reservoir that holds about 40 ozs. of water but there is no window to see the water level, and there’s a overflow outlet in the back, so if you overfill it water will come rushing out of that hole……learned this the hard way. and because everything is black, the back, inside, cover you can’t see how much water is in it. There is a icon that appears on the display (waterdrop), to let you know to fill it, and it won’t run if there is no water, so we have just gotten used to filling it only when it runs out. I have a container that holds the perfect amount without causing overflow. How hard would it have been to add a window like the carafe side???? Also the cover for the single serve isn’t attached…not a deal breaker. The coffee though is excellent, even on the single serve side it’s better than other brands, and the water is dispersed throughout the whole kcup or filter. The built in grinder is also nice and very easy to clean everything! I also bought the gold filter single and it’s excellent! Well worth the price and the small headaches!

    

18. Kimberly Zimek Verified Buyer – 1 April 2025

    Horrible. 3 weeks old and this happened. Going back to Keurig. Similar functions, larger tank, easier filling, and $100 less!

    

19. Kristie Zager Verified Buyer – 1 April 2025

    The bottom, under the burner will rust and ruin your countertop.

    

20. MJ Verified Buyer – 3 April 2025

    I love the Cuisinart brand! This is a very high-quality piece during the week. I typically make one to 2 cups of coffee for myself and use the pod. On the weekend, I have company and use the pot. I’ve brewed both ground coffee and I’ve used the grinder with whole beans. Both work seamlessly. It’s easy to clean and easy to use. The mess is nonexistent because of the drip tray on the pod. It bruised the coffee fairly quickly either way and is quiet. I would buy this again or give it as a gift if someone needed a new coffee maker. A+ in my book.

    

21. Alexander O. Verified Buyer – 5 April 2025

    Awful. Not with the price or maintenance/cleaning. The kcup portion of this frequently explodes leaving an incredible mess of grounds and coffee all over your counter. The carafe portion also needs frequent cleaning and the basket the grinder is incredible small leading to whole coffee beans getting into the basket. After a single coffee this thing gets so gummed up that the hassle isn’t worth it. Worst coffee machine I have ever owned.

    

22. Barbara Reichert Verified Buyer – 6 April 2025

    I will start by saying this is my 3rd Cuisinart Grind and Brew system. I was happy with the previous ones, but this one is not the same quality. The machine is so tall that it can not be kept on my kitchen counter underneath the upper cabinets because you can not open it up under there. The 2 water reservoirs are extremely difficult to pour the water into for 2 reasons…I am not a tall person (5 foot) and it is too high to see where the VERY NARROW hole is that the water needs to go into. I have to stand on a step stool and use a funnel in order to get the water into the reservoir without it wetting the bean grinder. In addition there is no way to control the strength of the coffee to make a full pot while using the grinder because I can fully fill the grinder with the beans and pour in 12 cups water for a full pot, and it comes out weak. The other side of the pot is for prefilled (Keurig type) pods and it is also very difficult to get the water into that reservoir and there is absolutely no way to control the coffee strength. Luckily for me, coffeemakers.us.com is taking this as a return with a full refund. I was very disappointed in this one. See photo for height of this machine.

    

23. Knute Headley Verified Buyer – 8 April 2025

    The carafe side has malfunctioned twice. It ground half the beans, did not shift them into the basket, then brewed a very light tinted cocnoction. The K-Cup has malfunctioned several times. For some reason the K-Cup overflows and sends grounds everywhere, a nightmare to clean up. All instructions were followed, beans properly measured, etc. We have had it 40 days so of course coffeemakers.us.com will not accept a return. Manufacturer has been non-responsive for a week.