Cuisinart DCC-500 Instruction Manual

INSTRUCTION
BOOKLET

Cuisinart® 12-Cup

DCC-500 Series

Programmable Coffeemaker

For your safety and continued enjoyment of this product, always read the instruction book carefully before using.

Important
SafeguardS

When using electrical appliances, basic safety
precautions should always be followed to reduce
the risk of fire, electric shock and/or injury to
persons, including the following:

1. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS.

2. Always unplug from outlet when not in use

and before cleaning. Allow to cool before
putting on or taking off parts and before
cleaning the appliance.

3. Do not touch hot surfaces. Use handles
and knobs.

4. To protect against electric shock, do not
place cord, plug, or base unit in water or
other liquids.

5. This appliance should not be used by
or near children or individuals with certain
disabilities.

6. Do not operate any appliance with a damaged
cord or plug, or after the appliance
malfunctions or has been dropped or damaged
in any manner. Return appliance to the nearest
Cuisinart Repair Center for examination, repair,
and electrical or mechanical adjustment.

7. The use of accessory attachments not
recommended by Cuisinart may cause injuries.

8. Do not use outdoors.

9. Do not let cord hang over edge of table or
counter, or touch hot surfaces.

10. Do not place on or near a hot gas or electric
burner, or in a heated oven.

11. Always fill water reservoir first, then plug cord
into the wall outlet. To disconnect, push the
Brew/Off button, then remove plug from wall
outlet.

12. Do not use appliance for other than intended
use.

13. Snap lid securely onto carafe before serving
any beverages.

14. Scalding may occur if the lid is removed
during the brewing cycle.

15. The glass carafe is designed for use with this
coffeemaker only. It must never be used on the
range top.

16. Do not set a hot carafe on a wet or cold
surface.

17. Do not use a cracked carafe or a carafe
with a loose or weakened handle.

18. Do not clean carafe or heating plate with
cleansers, steel wool pads, or other abrasive
materials.

19. WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE

OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
THE BASE PANEL. NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS ARE INSIDE. REPAIR SHOULD BE
DONE ONLY BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL.

20. Do not place cloth beneath coffeemaker or
otherwise restrict airflow.

21. Use only the Cuisinart commercial style filter or
standard basket paper filter with this unit.
OTHER PERMANENT FILTERS MAY CAUSE
THE COFFEEMAKER TO OVERFLOW.

22. Do not operate your appliance in an appliance
garage or under a wall cabinet. When storing

in an appliance garage, always unplug the
unit from the electrical outlet. Not doing so

could create a risk of fire, especially if the
appliance touches the walls of the garage or
the door touches the unit as it closes.

SaVe tHeSe
InStruCtIonS

for HouSeHoLd
uSe onLY

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WARNING: RISK OF FIRE
OR ELECTRIC SHOCK

The lightning flash with arrowhead
symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated dangerous
voltage within the product’s enclosure
that may be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of fire or electric shock
to persons.

The exclamation point within an
equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.

SPECIAL CORD SET
INSTRUCTIONS

A short power-supply cord is provided to reduce
the risks resulting from becoming entangled in
or tripping over a longer cord.

Extension cords may be used if care is
exercised in their use.

If an extension cord is used, the marked
electrical rating of the extension cord must be at
least as great as the electrical rating of the
appliance, and the longer cord should be
arranged so that it will not drape over the
countertop or tabletop where it can be pulled on
by children or tripped over.

NOTICE

This appliance has a polarized plug (one blade
is wider than the other). To reduce the risk of
electric shock, this plug will fit into a polarized
outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully
into the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does
not fit, contact a qualified electrician. Do not
modify the plug in any way.

OPERATING NOTICE

Clogging and backing up of water and/or coffee
in the filter basket can occur under any or a
combination of any of the following conditions:
The use of too finely ground coffee, using two or
more paper filters, using the nylon filter in
conjunction with a paper filter or not properly
cleaning coffee grounds from the nylon filter, or
allowing coffee grounds to spill over the filter.

Caution: Never open the filter basket during the
brewing cycle, even if no water is draining from
the filter basket, because extremely hot water/
coffee can spill out from the filter basket and
cause injury. If water/coffee is not draining from
the filter basket during the brewing cycle,
unplug the unit and wait 10 minutes before
opening and checking the filter basket.

WARNING

RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE

REPAIR SHOULD BE DONE BY AUTHORIZED SERVICE PERSONNEL ONLY

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CONTENTS

Important Safeguards..................2–3

Important Unpacking Instructions ..........4

The Quest for the Perfect Cup of Coffee.....4

Features and Benefits ...................5

Control Panel ..........................6

Before Brewing your First Pot .............7

Programming Your Coffeemaker ...........7

Charcoal Water Filter ....................8

Brewing Coffee.........................8

Brew Pause Feature.....................9

Cleaning and Maintenance ...............9

Decalcification ........................10

Warranty .............................10

IMPORTANT UNPACKING
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the box on a large, sturdy,
flat surface.

2. Remove the instruction book and any other
literature.

3. Turn the box so that the back side of
the coffeemaker is down and slide the
coffeemaker from the box.

4. After the coffeemaker has been removed,
place the box out of the way and lift off the
packing material.

5. Grasp the carafe by its handle, remove
it from the heating plate and remove
the polybag.

6. Remove the polybag covering from the
coffeemaker and lift the coffeemaker off the
remaining inserts.

Save all packing materials in case you have to
ship the machine in the future.

KEEP ALL PLASTIC BAGS AWAY
FROM CHILDREN.

THE QUEST
FOR THE PERFECT
CUP OF COFFEE

ELEMENT 1: WATER

Coffee is 98% water. The quality of that
water is as important as the quality of your
coffee. If water doesn’t taste good from the
tap, it won’t taste good in your coffee.
Cuisinart includes a charcoal water filter to
remove chlorine, bad tastes and odors, for
the purest coffee flavor, every time you brew.

ELEMENT 2: COFFEE

While coffee is 98% water, all of the flavor
comes from the beans. To achieve the same
great taste you enjoy at a coffee bar, you
need to use the same quality of coffee. If
you choose to grind your own beans, buy
them fresh and whole. Buy only about a
two-week supply at a time, because once
the bean is broken, its flavor degrades
quickly.

ELEMENT 3: GRIND

The grind is critical for proper flavor
extraction. If the grind is too fine, over­extraction and bitterness will result. Too fine
a grind may also clog the filter. If grind is too
coarse, the water will pass through too
quickly and the maximum flavor will not be
extracted. When grinding your own beans,
we recommend a medium-fine grind.

ELEMENT 4: PROPORTION

Coffee that is too strong or too weak is
always a disappointment. Follow the
recommended portions of ground coffee in
the instructions under Brewing Coffee, and
later adjust the amount to suit your taste.

NOTE: The maximum capacity for ground
coffee is 15 scoops (15 tablespoons) for this
60-oz. (twelve 5-oz. cups) coffeemaker.
Exceeding this amount may cause overflow.

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