The short answer
Choose the Breville Grind Control for a burr grinder and brewing from a single cup to 60 oz. Choose the Cuisinart DGB-400 for whole-bean convenience at the lowest price in the category, accepting a blade grinder. If you have room for two machines, a separate grinder and brewer beats both.
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Quick picks
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1. Choose this for a burr grinder
Breville Grind Control
Mid tier · A drip brewer with a burr grinder built into the case.
A built-in stainless burr grinder, and brewing from 5 to 60 oz.
The Grind Control has a built-in stainless steel burr grinder with 8 grind settings and 8 strength settings.
It brews anywhere from 5 to 60 oz - a single cup or a full carafe - into a 60 oz insulated stainless carafe.
Its half-pound hopper is removable with a locking system, so you can swap beans without emptying it.
8 grind settings is coarse control, and grinding and brewing in one box means cleaning two machines in one.
Specification
- Grinder
- Built-in stainless steel burr, 8 grind settings
- Strength
- 8 settings
- Brew range
- 5-60 oz
- Carafe
- 60 oz insulated stainless
- Hopper
- Half a pound, removable with a locking system
What it does well
- Whole beans to brewed coffee with one button
- Brews a single cup or a full carafe from the same hopper
- Removable hopper means you can swap beans without emptying it
Where it gives ground
- Grinding and brewing in one box means cleaning two machines in one
- 8 grind settings is coarse control
- A separate grinder and brewer beats it on both counts for a similar total
Skip it if
Skip it if you have room for two machines. A separate grinder and brewer beats it on both counts for a similar total.
2. Choose this for the lowest price
Cuisinart Automatic Grind & Brew DGB-400
Budget tier · A 12-cup drip machine with a blade grinder built in - not a burr grinder.
A 12-cup drip machine with a blade grinder built in.
The DGB-400 brews 12 cups, with a 24-hour programmable start, adjustable auto-off, a 1-4 cup setting and Brew Pause.
Its grinder is a blade, not a burr: it chops rather than cuts to a size, producing dust and boulders together that extract unevenly.
A grind-off mode lets you use pre-ground coffee instead.
There is no published brew-temperature figure and no SCA certification.
Specification
- Capacity
- 12 cups
- Grinder
- Blade grinder, not burr
- Programming
- 24-hour brew start, adjustable auto-off, 1-4 cup setting
- Options
- Brew Pause; grind-off for pre-ground coffee
- Dimensions
- 9.98 in W x 8.13 in D x 15.5 in H
What it does well
- Whole beans to brewed coffee at the lowest price in the category
- Grind-off mode lets you use pre-ground coffee instead
- Compact for a machine with a grinder inside
Where it gives ground
- The grinder is a blade, which chops rather than cuts to a size
- Blade grinding produces dust and boulders together, which extract unevenly
- No published brew-temperature figure and no SCA certification
Skip it if
Skip it if grind quality matters to you. The blade grinder is the weak point.
Burr versus blade
A burr grinder cuts beans to a consistent size; a blade chops them into dust and boulders that extract unevenly. In a grind-and-brew machine, the grinder decides much of the cup - see burr vs blade grinders.