Compare Coffee Machines
SimplyGoodCoffee THE BREWER - Plastic-Free Coffee Maker scores higher on safety - here's why.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
Plastic parts contact your brewing water throughout — they're confirmed BPA-free, but the exact plastic type isn't disclosed, which leaves some questions about what else might be leaching.
This is the only automatic drip brewer I've found where absolutely no plastic touches your water, ever. The heater is stainless steel, the carafe is glass, and the filter basket is metal. That's a genuinely rare thing in drip coffee.
Cuisinart confirms all liquid-contact parts are BPA-free — which is meaningful. But it stops there. BPS and BPF, the common BPA substitutes, can have similar hormonal effects, and Cuisinart doesn't address them.
ETL-certified — Intertek independently tested this machine for electrical safety. It passed fire, shock, and overheating standards before reaching US shelves.
Because there's no plastic in the brew path, BPA, BPS, phthalates, and PFAS are structurally eliminated -- not just avoided. Stainless steel and glass simply don't contain these chemicals.
It's sold at Costco and Walmart, which require UL or ETL listing for all electrical appliances. That means an independent lab has verified the electrical components meet safety standards.
Consumer Reports confirmed 195°F — right at the lower edge of the SCA's optimal extraction range. You'll get a full-flavored cup from quality beans.
The brewer is rated 195-205°F, which lands right in the SCA's sweet spot for extracting coffee's full flavor. This is the same temperature range that certified Gold Cup brewers target.
No SCA certification — the Specialty Coffee Association hasn't independently validated this machine's brewing performance. For an everyday brewer at this price, that's expected.
Calling your brewer 'Gold Cup Standard' is a marketing claim. The SCA Certified Home Brewer program is an independent test -- separate labs verify the temperature, brew time, and extraction. Simply Good Coffee hasn't earned that badge yet.
Three years of warranty coverage beats both Balmuda and Breville's 2-year policies — a genuine differentiator for a machine at this price point.
Two years is the standard industry warranty. It's fine, but Technivorm offers 5 years at a similar price. The brand does have a 5-year Coffee Quality Assurance Program, but that's a replacement policy -- different from a manufacturer's warranty.
The carafe goes in the dishwasher — top rack, easy. Daily cleanup is genuinely effortless, which matters more than you'd think after the hundredth morning.
The carafe and filter basket are dishwasher safe -- which honestly matters a lot when you're making coffee every morning and don't want another hand-wash chore.
A dedicated indicator light tells you exactly when the machine needs descaling — no guessing, no forgetting. This keeps brew temperature accurate and the machine running longer.
No descaling indicator was mentioned anywhere in my research. Hard water areas will need to track descaling manually -- either set a calendar reminder or watch for slower brew times as the signal.
At under $90, this is the most accessible machine in the batch. Recorded for buyer context; does not affect the R3 score.
At $180, you're in premium drip brewer territory. The Technivorm Moccamaster starts around $330. The Breville Precision Brewer is around $200 with SCA certification. Simply Good sits below both -- but without the SCA badge.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You want a reliable, low-maintenance everyday brewer under $90 with proven brew temperature.
Dishwasher-safe carafe and a built-in descaling reminder are important for your daily routine.
A 3-year warranty gives you more coverage than most competitors at this price.
You drink coffee quickly after brewing and won't leave it sitting on the warming plate.
Eliminating every plastic-water contact point is your number one priority when choosing a coffee maker.
You want full BPA, BPS, BPF, phthalate, and PFAS elimination and don't need a third-party label to trust stainless steel and glass.
You're comfortable with a 2-year base warranty and find value in the brand's 5-year Coffee Quality Assurance replacement program.
You brew daily and want dishwasher-safe removable parts to make cleanup genuinely easy.
The main thing to know
The DCC-3200NAS is the easiest machine in this batch to live with daily — dishwasher-safe, descaling reminder, programmable — but BPA-free-only chemical transparency caps the safety score. It's a fine everyday brewer if full chemical disclosure isn't your top priority.
This is the only automatic drip brewer where zero plastic touches your water -- but it has not earned SCA certification and its 2-year warranty is half what Technivorm offers at a similar price.
Skip this if you...
You want to know exactly what type of plastic your hot water contacts — Cuisinart only says BPA-free, not which polymer.
SCA-certified brewing quality matters — Breville at $299 is certified, this machine is not.
You're comparing against Breville: for $210 more you get substantially stronger safety credentials and SCA certification.
SCA Certified Home Brewer status is a dealbreaker for you -- this brewer claims the standard but hasn't earned the badge.
You want NSF/ANSI 372 lead-free certification on the metal components before buying.
A 5-year manufacturer warranty is the minimum you'll accept for a premium appliance purchase.
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Coffee Machines options at every price pointEvery Coffee Machines in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated Cuisinart and SimplyGoodCoffee across 3 independent criteria: Safety (81%), Efficacy (18%), Usability (1%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with SimplyGoodCoffee SimplyGoodCoffee THE BREWER - Plastic-Free Coffee Maker - it scored 7.4/10 overall in our scoring system. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Coffee Machines across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects our weighted rubric, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
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