The Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffee Maker is one of the best selling appliances currently being sold. This stylish machine comes in brushed stainless steel and has a solid set of modern features that every morning java drinker will appreciate. If you're bleary eyed and slow in the morning, you can program the coffee maker to have your coffee ready to go so you have one less thing to worry about in the morning.
If you can't wait for that cup of coffee, removing the carafe from the coffee maker pauses the brewing process so you don't have to wait for the entire pot to brew. For the best taste possible, the coffee maker includes a built in charcoal filter to assure that you start with pure water. The machine even includes an indicator light to notify you when calcium and other minerals start to build up (a common problem if you live in an area with hard water).
Replacement Carafe for the DCC-1200
The DCC-1200 comes with a glass carafe. Some people prefer glass carafes and feel that stainless steel carafes give coffee a slight metallic taste. Others disagree, and do not feel that there is any difference. One thing that everyone agrees on is that it's much easier to break a glass carafe. Fortunately, most manufacturers, Cuisinart included, make replacement carafes so it is not necessary to purchase an entire new machine if the carafe is broken. The official replacement carafe for the DCC-1200 is the DCC-1200PRC (black trim) or DGB-500WRC (white trim), both which are available at a very reasonable price.
Thermal Carafe Replacement for the DCC-1200
Glass replacement carafes are readily available for the DC-1200, but is there a thermal replacement carafe for the coffee maker? Officially the answer is no. However, some people have reported that the Cuisinart DCC-600RC 10-Cup Stainless Steel Thermal Carafe will fit the DCC-1200 unit, although they recommend that the machine be set to 10 cups instead of the original 12 cups as the thermal carafe has a thicker wall. In addition, Medelco (a company that makes "generic" replacement carafes) also lists the same glass replacement carafe (the GL312) for both the DCC-1200 and the DCC-600, which leads one to believe that the carafes for the two are at least somewhat interchangeable.
It's very important to note that we haven't personally tested the DCC-600 carafe with the DCC-1200 coffee maker, and although the DCC-600RC appears to be the best candidate for a thermal replacement carafe, the evidence is somewhat slim and we recommend doing your own research before making a purchase (use it at your own risk!). It is also important to remember that the DCC-1200 has a heating element under the carafe. This is unnecessary with a thermal carafe, and continued heating of the base could damage it or possibly cause a fire.
If you are using a thermal carafe in a coffee maker with a heating element, it is best that the coffee maker (and heating element) be turned off when the coffee is done brewing. All things considered, it's probably best to either replace a broken glass carafe with the same carafe, or purchase a new machine that is designed to work with a thermal carafe.
