Cuisinart SS-10 Review

Cuisinart SS-10
Overall Rating
88
Coffee Quality (40%)
85
Design & Features (20%)
92
Durability (20%)
85
Ease of Use (10%)
92
Brand Reputation (10%)
90
The Bottom Line
A worthy competitor to Keurig's uber-popular coffee makers, the Cuisinart SS-10 is a feature-rich brewer with Temp Control, a 72 oz reservoir, and the ability to brew 4-12 oz using either K-Cups or freshly ground coffee.
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Key Features of the Cuisinart SS-10

Key Features of Cuisinart SS-10

  • Brew Sizes: 4 oz, 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, 12 oz
  • Water Reservoir: 72 oz removable
  • Pod Compatibility: K-Cups and comes with Cuisinart HomeBarista reusable K-Cup pod
  • Warranty: 3 years
  • Temperature Control: Hot or Extra Hot
  • Programmable On: Up to 24 hours in advance
  • Auto-Off: Yes
  • Dimensions: 13.0"W x 14.8"L x 16.4″H
  • Weight: 9.5 lbs
  • Includes charcoal water filter
  • Removable drip tray for travel mug and easy cleaning
  • BPA free

Cuisinart SS-10 Overview

Brew any K-Cup or grind your own coffee, the SS-10 does it all.

Wait, grind your own coffee?

Yup!

The Cuisinart SS-10 comes with a reusable pod for your own ground coffee that stores away handily in a storage compartment on the top of the machine. No more putting it in your junk drawer and losing it 6 months later.

You can also use the hot water button for instant coffee, tea, hot cocoa, oatmeal, or soup, and the handy Rinse feature ensures your use doesn’t taste like the one prior.

We also like the blue backlit LCD control panel with some notable features:

  • Programmable clock for automated brewing
  • Programmable Auto-On/Off
  • Hot or Extra Hot brew temp, which is useful for brewing at high altitudes
  • 5 different brew sizes ranging from 4-12 oz

The control panel lets you set your defaults and modify from those defaults with each cup you brew.

The removable 72 oz water reservoir is enough for six 12 oz cups, and the removable drip tray can accommodate travel mugs up to 7.5″ in height.

Pros
  • Compatible with every K-Cup known to man
  • Programmable interface with temperature control
  • 72 oz water reservoir
  • Side storage compartment for reusable pod
  • 3-year limited warranty
Cons
  • Brews slowly
  • Some splattering when you brew
  • No water reservoir light so hard to see when empty

Is the Cuisinart SS-10 for you?

Are Cuisinart SS-10 for you?

The Cuisinart SS-10 is a high-performance, stylish alternative to a Keurig brand K-Cup coffee maker and is a great option if either of the following appeals to you:

  • Digital, blue-backlit LCD control panel (Keurigs are mostly button-only)
  • Sleek, chrome-colored exterior (Keurigs are dark gray/black)
  • Massive 72 oz water reservoir (only the top-of-the-line Keurig K-Elite tops that at 75 oz)
  • Storage compartment (Keurigs don't have one)

In fact, the SS-10 compares closest to the aforementioned K-Elite but usually costs less, though this can vary.

Overall, the Cuisinart SS-10 is one of our favorite single-serve machines, especially in terms of value.

Cuisinart SS-10 Review: An In-Depth Look

Coffee Quality

We like our coffee strong and hot. Brewing on the Extra Hot setting, we were able to get a cup of coffee at 191°F, which is hot enough for us.

Using the refillable pod we were able to get a strong 12 oz cup. A 12 oz K-Cup was pretty good, too, though not quite as strong as a freshly ground cup.

Because this machine has a reusable capsule for your own ground coffee, you can do away with those expensive, wasteful, less-than-stellar Keurig K-Cups in favor of your own coffee beans.

May we recommend something from Kenya or Ethiopia freshly ground with a burr coffee grinder?)

Ease of Cleaning

All components of the Cuisinart SS-10 brewer are easily removable for cleaning. Both the K-Cup funnel and HomeBarista reusable pod are dishwasher safe. It’s recommended you wash the drip tray and water reservoir in the sink by hand.

With almost all K-Cup systems, clogs happen. Like most other single-serve brewers, you can fix this by inserting a paperclip into the Exit Needle or the K-Cup piercer.

There’s Descale icon on the LCD screen that notifies you if it’s time to clean out the inside of the machine, which you should do every 3-6 months. You can just use equal parts vinegar and water, though the Cuisinart SS-10 user’s manual suggests two parts water to one part vinegar.

Also make sure you change the charcoal water filter every 2 months.

Durability

Cuisinart is one of the leaders in kitchen appliances, and we've had few issues with their products in the past. Even more reassuring is the SS-10's 3-year limited warranty.

The SS-10 unit is made of plastic with some stainless steel parts, but it doesn’t necessarily feel cheap.

While we only used it for a few weeks without any performance issues, our supplemental research for this Cuisinart SS-10 review turned up a lot of happy owners who reported this brewer was more durable than similar Keurig models.

Standout Features

Extreme K-Cup compatibility

From Keurig to Green Mountain to whatever you keep in stock, the Cuisinart SS-10 is compatible.

Comes with HomeBarista refillable pod with storage compartment

We prefer a “grind it yourself” mentality and lean toward single-serve brewers that are compatible with refillable pods.

With the Cuisinart SS-10: Check.

A super-convenient bonus that impresses us more than it should: This brewer comes with a side storage compartment!

Whether you prefer the K-Cup pod or the reusable ground coffee pod, you don't want to lose either. If you have a cluttered kitchen drawer where small attachments go, never to be seen again, you'll really appreciate this side storage compartment.

Seriously, it’s stupid simple but we love it.

Potential Shortcomings

K-Cup piercing unit has some issues

Instead of using a needle to pierce K-Cups, this unit has a blunter, less sharp plastic piece that sometimes struggles to puncture the top of the K-Cup. Should you run into any issues, the easy fix is to pre-puncture the K-Cup pod, just like pre-drilling a screw.

Brew time is a little slower

Single-serve brewers are great for their convenience — it doesn’t take that long to brew a single cup —  but the SS-10 is still a little slower than most.

Check out the Cuisinart SS-10!

Check out Cuisinart SS-10!

Cuisinart SS-10
A worthy competitor to Keurig's uber-popular coffee makers, the Cuisinart SS-10 is a feature-rich brewer with Temp Control, a 72 oz reservoir, and the ability to brew 4-12 oz using either K-Cups or freshly ground coffee.

More Cuisinart Reviews From The Coffee Maven

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Overall Rating: 84
An easy-to-use, capsule-based espresso machine, the Cuisinart EM-600 Buona Tazza uses illy brand capsules and an integrated frother for one-touch specialty beverages. While effective, we prefer Nespresso's latte system.

Cuisinart DGB-800 Grind & Brew

Cuisinart DGB-800 Grind & Brew
Overall Rating: 88
The DGB-800 is identical to the DGB-850 (conical burrs, 60 oz brew size, 8 oz hopper) but the DGB-800 comes with a glass carafe. With this machine, you won't need a separate coffee maker and grinder.

Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza

Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza
Overall Rating: 83
The Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza is a capsule-based espresso machine compatible with illy brand capsules. While easy to use, we don't see much reason to go with the EM-400 instead of an industry-leading Nespresso machine.
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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