The reasons why your Cuisinart coffee maker stops brewing coffee can be several, and in this article, I will try to show you some techniques to solve this problem.
We will look at the most obvious and simple ones, such as a lack of water in the tank, to the more complicated ones, like replacing a blown thermal fuse.
Customer service for Cuisinart coffee makers:
Cuisinart UK
Cuisinart AUS
Cuisinart EEUU
Three easy-to-fix reasons why a Cuisinart coffee maker doesn’t serve coffee
Sometimes we believe that our Cuisinart coffee maker does not prepare coffee due to an internal failure of the coffee maker however, the problem can be much easier to detect and fix:
- Ensure the coffee maker is connected to a good power supply because if the voltage is unstable, the coffee maker will not serve coffee. To verify this, you can connect another appliance to that socket and check if it works.
- Verify that there is enough water in the reservoir for the preparation you wish to make; if the water level is too low, the coffee maker will not serve coffee.
- Open the filter basket door to ensure it is in the right place and completely clean; this will prevent it from clogging.
Now select the “Brew” or “Start” function so that, after a few minutes, the coffee maker will start brewing coffee.
The Cuisinart coffee maker does not work due to a blown thermal fuse
If you have followed the previous steps one by one and the coffee maker still doesn’t brew coffee, it is possible that there is a blown thermal fuse inside. You should check the thermoblock protection fuses, and for this, you will need to disassemble the coffee maker.
In the following image, you will be able to see the specific case in which the Cuisinart coffee maker doesn’t brew coffee due to a blown thermal fuse:
Check continuity once you have disassembled the lower part of the coffee maker, and the heating element, thermostat, and fuses are visible. If any of the fuses are blown, replace it. In this video, we see an example of a Cuisinart coffee maker that doesn’t brew coffee because it has a blown input thermal fuse to the thermoblock:
Cuisinart coffee maker does not work due to limescale build-up
Another case that can occur is when there is a failure in the water pump. The most common failure is due to the accumulation of limescale inside the pump, which causes its internal parts to clog, and the coffee maker cannot serve coffee.
To resolve this issue, it is essential to disassemble and thoroughly clean the water pump, or you have the option to replace it if necessary. Additionally, ensure you regularly clean and descale your Cuisinart coffee maker for optimal performance.
How does a Cuisinart coffee maker work?
Before delving into details about potential issues with a Cuisinart coffee maker, I recommend that you consult the user manual for these machines; you may find the solution to your coffee maker’s problem there.
My Cuisinart coffee maker is not working
Saying that a Cuisinart coffee maker is not working is a rather vague statement, but it’s a phrase I come across more often than I’d like.
Your Cuisinart may experience two types of problems. Firstly, it might not turn on at all, and secondly, even if it does turn on, it may not brew coffee.
My Cuisinart coffee maker won’t turn on
When a Cuisinart coffee maker stops working, it can be due to several reasons, but it has an easy solution in most cases. Try the following guidelines that could bring your coffee maker back to life before having to call for service.
Issue 1. The basics and the obvious.
Although it may seem obvious, it’s always essential to check if the coffee maker works in another outlet in the house because sometimes the problem isn’t with the coffee maker but with where you plug it in. Similarly, it’s also important to ensure that the cable hasn’t suffered any damage or cuts, as this could prevent the power from reaching the coffee maker.
Issue 2. Searching for electrical interruption.
All electric coffee makers, no matter how simple they are, have a small control board inside (PCB – printed circuit board) that acts as the “brain” of the machine. This control board receives electrical power, and it’s when the coffee maker turns on the lights, activates the pump or boiler, and so on.
That said, if our coffee maker doesn’t illuminate any lights or make any sound, it’s for two reasons:
- The power isn’t reaching the control board.
- The control board has malfunctioned.
1. The power isn’t reaching the control board: You should disassemble your coffee maker and check the path that the electrical current takes from the power cord input to the control board.
If your Cuisinart coffee maker model has an on/off button (switch), you should check for continuity in it, as often this switch is the one that malfunctions.
2. The control board is damaged: If you’ve checked all the connections, and the coffee maker still doesn’t turn on, the issue may likely be with the control board itself, in which case there’s little to be done except to purchase a new control board or replace the coffee maker.
For those more skilled in electronics, you can measure the capacitance of the capacitors since these tend to be the culprits in most cases. You would need to desolder the damaged capacitors and solder in new ones.
Article of interest: How to check capacitance (written by Fluke)
