I’m always happy to give coffee advice.  Over the holidays, a friend asked what to buy his mother for a coffee maker.  The guidelines were simple.  It had to be a drip brewer, she wanted something simple as opposed to some of the funkier, more involved methods of making coffee.  And, she would never make more than two mugs at a time (or four metric cups) so it had to be a four-cup.

Read: Better Ways to Brew Coffee (to learn about methods other than drip brewing)

I’ve never purchased or recommended a four-cup drip brewer before, so when in doubt, I buy Cuisinart.  I’ve never been steered wrong by a Cuisinart product.  Certainly, you will find less expensive products out there.  Black and Decker has an equivalent for any Cuisinart appliance, and while it’s made with some quality, I still feel the best value for your dollar is in Cuisinart appliances.

Cuisinart was originally a food processor in the 70s made popular by Julia Child, that has since grown into a line of products recognized for quality across North America.  I don’t think I’m blind in my loyalty to Cuisinart as long as I’m referring to their line of kitchen appliances.  I once overpaid for a collection of Cuisinart pots, and wondered why afterwards.  Another example of a company leveraging their name to sell as many associated products as they can – after all, I rave about Cuisinart’s drip brewer whose quality has nothing to do with how a company builds pots and pans.

Check out: MakeGoodCoffee.com Coffee Maker Report Card

Cuisinart makes a four-cup drip brewer that I recommended to my friend without hesitation.  If there happens to be something wrong with the product, Cuisinart takes care of their warranties.  If there isn’t anything wrong with it, you will be very happy with its performance well past the warranty period.