Cuisinart SS-300 User manual

For your safety and continued enjoyment of this product, always read the instruction book carefully before using.
Compact Single Serve
SS-300
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. Do not touch hot surfaces. Use handles
and knobs.
3. To protect against electric shock and inju-
ry to persons, do not place cord, plug, or
base unit in water or other liquids.
4. Close supervision is necessary when any
appliance is used by or near children.
5. 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.
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,
or electrical or mechanical adjustment.
7. The use of accessory attachments not
recommended by Cuisinart may cause
injuries, fire, electric shock or injury to
persons.
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,
turn controls to Off, then remove plug
from wall outlet.
12. Scalding may occur if the water filter
compartment cover is removed during
the brewing cycles.
13. Do not use appliance for other than
intended use.
14. Do not lift handle to open the lid of the
brewer while brewing is in progress.
15. Do not overfill the water reservoir with
water. Use ONLY WATER in this appli-
ance! Do not put any other liquids or
foods in the water reservoir except as
instructed in the cleaning instructions in
this guide.
16. Do not clean drip tray with cleansers,
steel wool pads, or other abrasive
materials.
17. 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.
18. 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 elec-
trical 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
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.

3
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.
Longer extension cords are available and
may be used if care is exercised in their use.
If a long 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. The extension cord should be
a grounding-type 3-wire cord, 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
If you have a
diecast metal unit,
for your protection
it is equipped with
a 3-conductor cord
set that has
a molded 3-prong
grounding-type
plug, and should
be used in combi-
nation with a prop-
erly connected
grounding-type
outlet as shown
in Figure A.
If a grounding-type outlet is not available, an
adapter, shown in Figure B, may be obtained
so that a 2-slot wall outlet can be used with
a 3-prong plug. As shown in Figure C, the
adapter must be grounded by attaching its
grounding lug under the screw of the outlet
cover plate.
NOTE: Do not remove the grounding
prong.
CAUTION: Before using an adapter, it must
be determined that the outlet cover plate
screw is properly grounded. If in doubt,
consult a licensed electrician. Never use
an adapter unless you are sure it is
properly grounded.
Note: Use of an adapter is not permitted in
Canada.
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 brewer is down and slide the
coffeemaker from the box.
4. After removing the brewer, place the
box out of the way and take the side
pulp molded inserts away.
5. Remove the polybag covering the brewer.
We suggest you save all packing materials
in the event that future shipping of the
machine is needed. Keep all plastic bags
away from children.
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
A.
Circuit Grounding
Conductor
Connected
Properly
Grounding
Prong
B.
Adapter
Grounding Lug
C.
Cover
Mounting
Screw
Cover of
Grounded
Outlet Box

4
Important Safeguards .....................2
Important Unpacking Instructions ............3
The Quest for the Perfect Cup of Coffee ......5
Features and Benefits.....................6
Buttons and Indicators ....................8
Setting Up Your Brewer ...................9
Charcoal Water Filter .....................9
Brewing............................... 10
Hot Water ..............................11
Brewing with the My K-Cup
®
Reusable Filter .. 12
Cleaning and Maintenance ................ 13
Cleaning External Parts ................ 13
Cleaning the My K-Cup
®
Reusable Filter ... 13
Cleaning the K-Cup
®
Holder ............ 13
Cleaning the Water Reservoir ........... 14
Emptying the Internal Water Tank ........ 14
De-Scaling Your Brewer ............... 14
Troubleshooting ........................ 16
Warranty .............................. 17
Contents

5
Element 1
WATER
Any hot beverage is made up primarily of water.
Often overlooked, the quality of the water is as
important as the quality of the coffee, tea or cocoa.
A good rule of thumb is that if your water doesn’t
taste good from the tap, it won’t taste any better
in your beverage. That’s why the Cuisinart
®
Compact
Single Serve has added a charcoal water filter that
removes chlorine, bad tastes and odors, for the
purest cup of coffee every time.
Element 2
COFFEE
While the bulk of the liquid is water, all of the flavor
should be from the coffee, tea or cocoa. To achieve
the same great quality you receive at coffee bars,
you need to use the same quality ingredients. By
using the K-Cup
®
, brought to you by some of the
most premium brands on the market, you can be
assured that you’re getting the finest, freshest
gourmet product with every cup you brew. If you
choose to use your own coffee in the included
My K-Cup
®
, make sure all your ingredients are
at their freshest.
Element 3
GRIND
The grind of coffee and cocoa, or the refinement of
your tea leaves, is critical for proper flavor extraction.
With the pre-measured, pre-ground ingredients
found in every K-Cup
®
, you can rest easy knowing
that it’ll brew perfectly each and every time, locking
in maximum flavor and freshness.
Element 4
PROPORTION
No matter which cup size you choose, the Cuisinart
®
Compact Single Serve, working in conjunction with
K-Cup
®
, always produces the perfect cup every
time. When grinding your own coffee and using it in
the included My K-Cup
®
, remember to add the
amount of ground coffee that corresponds to the
number of ounces being brewed.
The Quest
for the Perfect
Cup of Coffee

Features and Benefits
8
9
12
11
4
6
1a. Charcoal Filter Holder
1b. Charcoal Water Filter
2. Reservoir Lid
3a. 10-ounce Water Reservoir
with cup markings at
6, 8, and 10 ounces
3b. Water Level Guide
4. Brewer Handle
5. Brewing Head
6. Brewing Chamber
holds My K-Cup
®
or
the K-Cup
®
Holder
7. Housing
8. Removable Drip Tray Plate
9. Drip Tray
10. Drip Tray Base
11. Drip Tray Overfill Indicator
12. Removable K-Cup
®
Holder
13. My K-Cup
®
Reusable
Coffee Filter
14. My K-Cup
®
Compartment
conveniently stores My K-Cup
®
15a. LED Display
15b. Add Water Indicator
15c. K-cup
®
Indicator
16. Brew Button
17. Hot Water Button
18. Power Button
19. Power Cord (not shown)
20. BPA Free (not shown)
all materials that come in contact
with water or coffee are BPA free

1a
16
15a
15c
15b
2
17
18
3a
7
13
10
14
5
1b
6
3b
7

8
Buttons and Indicators
Power Button (does not illuminate)
Press to turn the Brewer on and off.
Add Water Indicator LED
Indicator will illuminate blue – Fill the water
reservoir with cold water until it reaches just
under the rim of the desired level – 6, 8, or
10 ounces on the Water Level Guide.
K-cup
®
Indicator LED
Indicator will illuminate blue – The blue light
flashes to indicate that the brewing head
needs to be opened and a K-Cup
®
or My
K-Cup
®needs to be inserted
. The light will
continue stay on until you lift the brewer
handle.
Brew and Hot Water Buttons
When buttons are flashing blue it indicates
that a selection (Brew or Hot Water) needs
to be made. Once a selection is made
button is solid blue, indicating water is
heating and dispensing of beverage will
begin in approximately 2 minutes.
Your Next Brew When the brewing
process is complete, the Add Water
indicator LED will illuminate. At this point you
can begin making the next beverage, or you
can power off.
Automatic Shut-Off As a safety feature,
your brewer will automatically shut off at any
stage when it is idle for longer than 90
seconds. Press the power button to restart.
If it shuts off while the Brew button LED was
flashing blue, lift and lower brewer handle to
reset.
Drip Tray Overfill Indicator
Will pop up when excess coffee that does
not dispense into mug or residual
condensation from the brewing process fill
the drip tray.

9
Setting Up Your Brewer
Initial Cleaning and First Brew
Perform an initial cleaning before
making your first beverage. Follow
these instructions but do not insert
a K-Cup
®.
1. Plug the power cord into an
independent, grounded outlet. Press
the Power button to turn the unit on.
2. Press the Hot Water button. The Add
Water indicator will illuminate.
3. Lift the reservoir lid.
4. Pour water into the water reservoir until
it reaches the 10 oz. rim on the water
level guide. Close the lid.
5. Lift the brewer handle but do not add a
K-cup
®
. Water starts to drain from the
water reservoir into the brewer.
6. Wait until all the water has drained into
the brewer before lowering the brewer
handle completely.
7. Place mug on the drip tray.
8. The Hot Water button LED will remain
on, indicating that the water is heating.
After about 2 minutes, the water starts
to dispense.
9. The one-time cleaning process is
complete. Discard hot water. Your
brewer is ready to use.
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
1. Remove the filter and filter holder from
the polybag.
2. Soak the filter, fully immersed in cold tap
water, for 15 minutes.
3. Rotate the water filter compartment
cover counterclockwise to remove the
charcoal water filter holder.

10
4. Place the charcoal water filter in the
holder and snap the holder cover
closed. Be careful – improper placement
can tear the filter skin (see figure).
5. Flush the filter and holder by running
fresh water through the hole in bottom
of compartment for 10 seconds.
6. Allow the filter to drain completely.
7. Place the assembled water filter holder
into the water reservoir, pushing it down
to fit into place (see figure).
8. Replace the water filter compartment
cover. Turn it clockwise to close tightly.
*Make sure compartment cover is in
place securely and arrows line up in
order for brewer to brew properly.
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.
Brewing
1. Press the Power button.
2. Press the Brew button. Add Water and
K-cup
®
indicators will illuminate.
3. Lift the reservoir lid.
4. Pour water into the 10-ounce water
reservoir until it reaches the rim of your
desired fill level on the water level guide
(minimum 6 ounces.) Close the lid.
5. Lift the brewer handle. Water starts to
drain from the water reservoir into the
brewer.
6. Place mug on the drip tray. The drip tray
can be removed to accommodate
travel mugs.
7. Select a K-Cup
®
portion pack.
Note: Do not remove the foil lid or
puncture the K-Cup
®.
8. Place a K-Cup
®
in the brewing chamber.
Caution: There are two sharp
needles in the brewing chamber
that puncture the K-Cup
®
, one
above and one below.
To avoid risk of injury, do not put
your fingers in the K-Cup
®
brewing chamber.