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For a nation of tea drinkers, we get through a heck of a lot of coffee. It has been estimated that 70 million cups of coffee are drunk each day in the UK. I must admit that I count myself among those who keep the UK’s coffee consumption at a high level. In my defence I can offer the results of a study by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This research, involving more than 125,000 participants, arrived at the conclusion that long-term coffee consumption is linked to a reduced risk for the onset of level 2 diabetes (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press01052004.html) – pity it didn’t help in my case as I am diabetic.

 The reason behind this brief discourse on the increase in coffee consumption, and possible benefits, is the arrival of a Grind and Brew coffee maker from Cuisinart. As its title indicates this particular device combines the ability to grind the coffee beans, brew the coffee and, as a bonus, keep the liquid warm for up to 12 hours. Sounds like the ideal companion for the workaholic who needs a regular transfusion of caffeine.

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 With its stainless steel outer casing and black trim, the Cuisinart Grind and Brew unit would not look out of place in a variety of environments as long as it has access to a power source. This coffee maker measures 17 x 38 x 19cm (D x H x W) and consists of three main compartments. At the top is the area for grinding the coffee (blade style rather than grind wheel) and holding the water.  It is also the location for the supplied charcoal water filter to avoid the build-up of limescale for anybody living in hard water areas.

 Taking up a central position is a swing out section that holds the gold tone filter and basket that forms an integral part of the brewing process. The final compartment is an open area into which fits the thermal jug that holds the coffee once it is brewed. There is also a built-in clock which can be used to help schedule the automatic brewing of coffee at a specified time – maybe to be ready when you wake up or in time for your mid-morning break.

 The initial setting up of the Grind and Brew machine can be a little time consuming. Fortunately the supplied instructions cover all the various steps and you should soon be in a position to start your first grind and brew operation. A water level indicator is there to help decide on how much water will be needed for the number of cups required, however this level seems to be based on small cups rather than the mugs I normally use. I would recommend that you ignore this indicator and fill the water compartment using whatever will be used for drinking the coffee.

 Once the initial grinding process has been completed, the ground coffee will be automatically transferred into the filter basket and the brewing will commence with various gurgling noises and other sound effects. The brewed coffee will be fed into the thermal jug. A series of five beeps will indicate when the brewing cycle has been completed. As you are able to pour the coffee from the jug without adjusting or removing its lid, this should help in keeping the content hot for a number of hours. Generally I found that after a couple of hours the coffee would be luke-warm rather than hot.

 For those who prefer using pre-ground beans, this type of coffee can be placed direct into the gold tone filter basket. The unit’s grinding function can be turned off by pressing a “Grind Off” button. However I was disappointed by the lack of the ability to adjust the grind process to produce a variety of coffee bean textures.

 Naturally the quality of the coffee produced will depend on the beans you use but I was impressed with the results I achieved with my standard type of beans. The Cuisinart Grind and Brew coffee maker is priced at £139 which includes the filter, thermal jug, measuring device and two charcoal water filters,.

 http://www.cuisinart.co.uk/jkcm/default.aspx?pg=1645