Cuisinart PerfecTemp DCC-2900 User manual

For your safety and continued enjoyment of this product, always read the instruction book carefully before using.
PerfecTemp
™
12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
DCC-2900
INSTRUCTION BOOKLET

2
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 thermal 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
having 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 Gold-Tone
Commercial Style Filter or standard
basket paper filter with this unit.
OTHER GOLD-TONE 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

3
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 gold-tone filter in conjunction
with a paper filter or not properly cleaning
coffee grounds from the gold-tone 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

4
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
Programming Your Coffeemaker ...........7
Before Brewing your First Pot .............7
Charcoal Water Filter ....................9
Brew Pause Feature.....................9
Cleaning and Maintenance ...............9
Warranty .............................11
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 left and right
packing inserts.
5. Grasp the carafe by its handle, remove
it from the resting plate, and remove
the polybag.
6. Remove the polybag covering
the coffeemaker.
7. Remove protective label from digital
display before fist use.
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, over-
extraction 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 MAKING
COFFEE, and later adjust the amount to
suit your taste.

15
6
8
5
15
6
8
9
1
10
11
4
5
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
1. Reservoir Cover
Press-button cover flips back
for easy filling.
2. Water Reservoir with Water Level
Indicator Window (not shown)
3. Showerhead (not shown)
Distributes water evenly over coffee,
reducing temperature loss as water
passes through grounds.
4. Charcoal Water Filter Holder
Holds water filter firmly in place.
5. Charcoal Water Filter
Charcoal water filter eliminates chlorine,
calcium and bad tastes and odors from
tap water.
6. Filter Basket
Holds a #4 paper filter OR a permanent filter.
7. Filter Basket Holder (not shown)
8.
Cuisinart Permanent Gold-Tone
Commercial-Style Filter
Eliminates the need for paper filters.
NOTE: Some fine grounds may flow
through the filter and appear as sedi-
ment in the carafe.
9. Control Panel
See detailed illustration, page 6.
10. Brew Pause
™
Stops flow of coffee from basket when
carafe is removed (20 seconds max) from
the heater plate, so a cup can be poured
mid-brew.
11. 12-Cup Thermal Carafe
Easy-pour, no-drip double-wall
insulated 12-cup thermal carafe with
ergonomic handle. Unique brew-through/
pour-through lid allows coffee to drip from
coffeemaker through closed lid. When
brewing is complete, the lid seals itself to
keep air out and preserve fresh coffee flavor
and temperature. No need to turn or adjust
it to pour.
12. Ready Tone (not shown)
Signals the end of the brew cycle
with five beeps.
13. Cord Storage (not shown)
14. Power Loss Back-up System (not shown)
One-minute protection in case a breaker
trips, the unit is unplugged, or the power
fails. It holds all programmed informa-
tion, including time of day, Auto On time
and Auto Off time.
15. Measuring Scoop
16. BPA Free (not shown)
All parts that come in contact with
coffee or liquids are BPA free.

6
7
4
5
2
1
3
D
A B C
E
6
1. Prog/Auto On Button
Select to program Auto On time.
Coffeemaker can be programmed to
automatically start brewing up to 24
hours in advance. Select to
automatically start brewing coffee
at the time you’ve programmed.
2. Hour and Minute Buttons
Use to set hours and minutes for time
of day, Auto On, and Auto Off time.
3. Digital Clock Display
Displays time of day, Auto On, and Auto
Off times and brew settings.
A. Brewing
appears during brewing.
B. Regular and Bold Favor Settings
REG indicates regular flavor settings.
BOLD indicates bold flavor setting.
C. 1–4 Cup Setting
Indicates 1–4 cup setting.
D. Clean
Will appear when it is time to
decalcify coffeemaker.
E. Program Set Icon/Auto On
will appear when programming
coffeemaker. Both and AUTO will
appear when Auto On is set.
4. Brew/Off
Use to turn your coffeemaker on and off.
5. Self-Clean Setting
Indicates time to clean coffeemaker to
remove calcium buildup.
6. 1–4 Cup Setting
Improves extraction, flavor and
temperature when brewing fewer than
5 cups.
7. Strength Selector
Regular and Bold buttons let you choose
the intensity of coffee flavor you prefer.
8. Audible Tone (not shown)
A tone sounds 5 times when brew cycle
is complete (coffee may continue to
stream from the filter for a few seconds
after tone).
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CONTROL PANEL
Detailed programming and use instructions are on pages 7 and 8.

7
PROGRAMMING YOUR
COFFEEMAKER
SETTING THE CLOCK
When the coffeemaker is plugged in,
12:00 will appear until you set the time.
Hold down the Hour or Minute button.
The clock will begin flashing. Press either
button to select the desired time. Hold
buttons down to scroll through the digits or
press and release to advance one digit at a
time. When scrolling, the numbers will
advance slowly and then speed up. When
the number displayed approaches the
desired time, press and release to advance
one digit at a time. Be sure the PM
indicator is on if a PM time is desired.
SETTING THE AUTO ON TIME
1. Press and hold the Prog/Auto On
button for 2 seconds
The digital display will flash the default
time (12:00 PM). Follow directions under
SETTING THE CLOCK (above) to
program your start-brew time.
2. Set preferences
a. Push the 1–4 cup button if you
are brewing fewer than 5 cups. The
1–4 indicator will be shown on the
digital display.
b. Press Regular or Bold button to select
coffee flavor. The flavor setting will be
shown on the digital display.
3. Once desired Auto On time and
preferences are set...
Auto On setting mode will be exited
automatically after 5 seconds.
4. To activate Auto On mode
Press the Prog/Auto On button once.
The Auto On indicator and program
indicator will be shown in digital display
and the LED light will illuminate blue.
NOTE: To cancel Auto On setting, press the
Prog/Auto On button once. The LED light
will go off.
MAKING COFFEE
Follow instructions in BEFORE BREWING
YOUR FIRST POT OF COFFEE above.
1. Insert charcoal water filter
Follow directions for the preparation and
insertion of the filter on page 9.
2.
Fill the water reservoir
Open the reservoir cover by pressing the
button on top cover. Pour in the desired
amount of water using the water level
indicator located at the side of the
coffeemaker.
BEFORE BREWING YOUR
FIRST POT OF COFFEE
During the manufacturing process, dust
can get trapped in your coffeemaker. We
recommend flushing out the system
before brewing your first pot of coffee.
Simply fill the reservoir and power on the
unit. (See steps #2, #4 and #6 in MAKING
COFFEE instructions, below). DO NOT
ADD COFFEE!
Once you’ve done that, brew a pot of real
coffee and get ready to enjoy Cuisinart at
its best!

8
3. Add the ground coffee
Press button on top cover to access the
brew basket. Insert a #4 paper filter OR
permanent filter. Be sure that the paper fil-
ter is completely open and fully inserted in
the basket. It may help to fold and flatten
the seams of a paper filter beforehand.
Add 1 level scoop of ground coffee per
cup. Adjust the amount according to taste.
NOTE: The maximum capacity for
ground coffee is 15 tablespoons for this
coffeemaker. Exceeding this amount may
cause overflow if the coffee is too
finely ground.
4. Before brewing coffee
Make sure the thermal carafe is in
position on the resting plate and the
top cover is closed. Plug the cord
into an electrical outlet.
5. Set preferences
a.
Press the 1-4 cup button once, if you
are brewing fewer than 5 cups. The 1-4
cup setting will be shown in the
digital display.
The digital display will show the 1-4 cup
setting for 30 seconds.
b.
Press the Regular/Bold button to select
flavor setting. The digital display will
show the flavor setting for 30 seconds.
NOTE: Preferences can also be set after
pressing the Brew/Off button.
Press the Brew/Off button once. The
digital display will show the latest 1-4
cups and Regular/Bold flavor settings.
To change 1-4 cup setting press the 1-4
cup button once. The 1-4 indicator will
appear in the digital display. To change
the strength setting press the Regular/
Bold button once. The updated strength
indicator will be shown in the LCD display.
* 1-4 cup and Regular/Bold settings
cannot be changed during brewing.
* Features will remain at selected settings
until you change them.
6.
Power unit
Once preferences are set, coffeemaker
will begin brewing within 5 seconds after
last button is pressed.
7. After brewing
When the brewing cycle has been
completed, five beeps will sound. Coffee
will continue to stream from the filter for
several seconds.
Once the coffee has finished brewing,
stir it before serving to blend the flavors.
The coffee at the bottom of the carafe
will be somewhat stronger than the
coffee at the top.
Note: Reservoir cover may be hot during
and directly after brewing. Wait at least
10 minutes before opening.

CHARCOAL WATER FILTER
Your coffeemaker comes with a
charcoal water filter that eliminates
chlorine, bad tastes and odors from
tap water.
Inserting the Water Filter
• Remove the filter from polybag and
soak it, fully immersed, in cold tap
water for 15 minutes.
• Lift the water filter holder out of the
water reservoir.
• Press down on the filter compartment
and pull toward you to open.
• Place filter into the holder and snap
it closed. Be careful – improper
placement can tear the filter skin.
• Flush filter by running cold tap water
through holes in bottom of
compartment for 10 seconds.
• Allow the filter to drain completely.
• Slide tab into position below the
current month
• Slide the water filter holder back
into the channel in the water
reservoir, pushing it
down to the base of
the unit.
NOTE: We recommend
changing the water
filter every 60 days or
after 60 uses, and
more often if you have
hard water.
Replacement filters
can be purchased in
stores, by calling
Cuisinart Customer
Service, or at www.
cuisinart.com.
9
CLEANING AND
MAINTENANCE
Always turn coffeemaker off and remove
the plug from the electrical outlet before
cleaning.
Lift up the reservoir cover. Remove and
discard the paper filter and ground coffee.
The filter basket can be washed in warm,
soapy water and rinsed thoroughly, or
cleaned in the upper rack of the dishwasher.
Dry all parts after use.
Do not put any water in the unit
once the filter basket has been removed.
Wipe the area under the filter basket
with a damp cloth.
Remove the carafe from the resting plate.
Discard any remaining coffee. The carafe
and lid can be washed in warm, soapy water
and rinsed thoroughly, or placed in a
dishwasher. The carafe and carafe lid should
be placed on the upper rack only.
Do not use any scouring agents or harsh
cleansers on any part of the coffeemaker.
Never immerse base unit in water or other
liquids. To clean base, simply wipe with a
clean, damp cloth and dry before storing.
Fingerprints and other blemishes on the
housing can be washed off with soap and
water or a nonabrasive cleaning solution.
Wipe heating plate with a clean, damp cloth.
Never use rough, abrasive materials or
cleansers to clean the heater plate. Do not
dry the inside of the water reservoir with a
cloth, as lint may remain.
Brew Pause™Feature
This feature interrupts the flow of coffee
from the basket to let you pour that first
cup mid-brew. Because the flavor profile
of coffee brewed at the start of a cycle
differs from that brewed towards the
end, be aware that using this feature will
weaken the flavor strength of the
finished pot.
NOTE: Removing carafe for more than
20 seconds may cause filter basket to
overflow.

10
Maintenance
Any other servicing should be performed by
an authorized service representative.
Decalcification
Decalcification refers to the removal of
calcium deposits that form over time on the
metal parts of the coffeemaker.
For best performance from your
PerfecTemp™Coffeemaker, decalcify the
base unit from time to time. The frequency
depends upon the hardness of your tap
water and how often you use the
coffeemaker. The flashing Clean light will
indicate when you should clean your
coffeemaker.
NOTE: Before decalcifying your coffeemaker,
remember to remove the charcoal water filter
from the water filter holder located in the
water reservoir.
If the Clean sign in the digital display and the
Clean LED indicator light begins to flash
when the coffeemaker is turned on, it is
telling you that the calcium buildup is
interfering with the functioning of your
coffeemaker and the flavor of your coffee. To
clean, fill the water reservoir to capacity with
a mixture of ¹⁄³white vinegar and ²⁄³water.
Press the Clean button. When the Clean LED
indicator glows, turn the coffeemaker on by
pressing the Brew/Off button. The Clean LED
will shine steadily. The coffeemaker is now in
Clean mode. One cycle should be sufficient
to adequately clean the coffeemaker. When
the cycle is completed and the five beeps
sound, the coffeemaker will shut off. Turn the
coffeemaker on to see if the Clean sign and
Clean LED continue to flash. If they do, turn
coffeemaker off and then repeat the cleaning
procedure with a fresh solution of vinegar
and water.
If the Clean sign and Clean LED no
longer flash, turn the coffeemaker off and
then run one cycle of fresh, cold water
through the unit before using the unit again
to brew coffee.
Notes on the Clean Function
Pressing the Clean button cancels all other
settings. If it is pressed accidentally, press it
again to return the coffeemaker to all its
previous settings. Pressing Brew/Off will also
exit the Clean mode and turn the
coffeemaker off.