Inside of carafe changing color -- is it still safe to use? (have been using it for 6 years)

Always the filter warning light operates on its ability.If it came earlier on means that the filter is clogged and needs replacement.

Instructions vary a bit according to machine, but a safe bet is to use a mix of 1/3 white vinegar to 2/3 water. If you are uncertain, you can always type the name or model number for the coffeemaker into a search engine along with the words "owner's manual" or "user guide" or words to that effect. The other option is to visit the manufacturer website. There should be a search box or a "support" section of the website where you can look up your coffeemaker and view a PDF of the owner's guide (the PDF will either download to your desktop or open in your web browser).
In general:
1) Put the filter basket in place and set the machine up as if you were going to brew coffee. 2) If there is a charcoal water purification filter in the machine, take it out.* 3) Run the aforementioned vinegar solution through as if you were brewing coffee. (Just hit the brew button after adding at least 6 carafe cups of diluted white vinegar.) 4) Wait about 10-15 minutes to let the machine cool down and then "brew" the vinegar solution through again if it has been a long while and the deposits are particularly severe. (Note: Some owner's manual will have you pour the vinegar that is in your carafe back into the water tank and run it again, and others will call for you to discard the first batch and brew through a fresh solution.) 5) Follow the same instructions as written above but this time with a full carafe of fresh water (no vinegar). Repeat 2-3 times to rinse out the vinegar odor/taste. 6) To clean your carafe use hot water, baking soda and vinegar. Place the carafe in the sink, fill with hot water, pour in some baking soda and add in a 1/4 cup or so of white vinegar. The foaming action will help release stains and stale coffee odors. If the stains are particularly severe, dissolve a tablespoon or so of liquid dishwasher detergent in extremely hot water — be careful! — and pour it into the carafe. Let it soak for an hour or overnight and rinse with hot water about 4-6 times to make sure the solution is entirely rinsed out.
* Tip: If your coffeemaker has a water purification filter, do not reinstall after cleaning your machine if you can't recall the last time you replaced it. A worn out charcoal filter cannot be cleaned, may slow down the brew speed or make the coffee taste "off". The only option is to remove or replace it with a fresh water filter. This is only applicable if your coffeemaker came with a charcoal water filter. If present, you will typically find it inside the water tank inside a plastic holder of some sort.
Good luck!

According to the manuals, all GE carafe's are dishwasher safe. If you are concerned, place the carafe on the top shelf for extra protection.

1. Don't overfill the basket with grinds.
2. Ensure you are using the correct grind for an automatic drip coffee maker, neither too fine or too course. (See instruction manual.)
3. Do not overfill with water. Use the carafe to pour water into the reservoir. This is because a "cup" in coffee terms is defined as 6 oz, not 8 oz.
4. Make sure the filter cone/basket clicks into place and that the carafe is pushed all the way in.
5. Try a permanent filter rather than a paper filter or vice versa.
6. Only use the correct permanent or paper filter (see manual).
7. Make sure that the Pause 'n Serve isn't sticking. (If it is activated too long the brew will escape over the top of the cone/basket. This may be more apt to happen if the alignment of the carafe and the basket is incorrect.)
8. Clean your machine with vinegar or as instructed by your user manual at least three times per year, more if your water supply is hard. A properly cleaned machine is less likely to suffer a burned out heating element, to take too long to brew, to produce "off" tasting coffee, or to clog and overrun the filter basket.
9. Make sure the coffee machine is sitting level on the counter.

The good news is there is nothing wrong with your coffee maker!

With any coffee maker that heats up the water, you're going to lose some of that water to the heating process (steam, etc.). You also don't get every bit of water out of the machine.

So that's why you need to look at the water reservoir level indications instead of using the graduations marked on the glass coffee carafe.

Typically, once you've figured out how you coffee maker works, I'd just "add" 2 more cups of water in the glass coffee carafe to get the amount of cups you want to brew.

I know my coffee maker is pretty close to exactly 2 cups shy of whatever I put in the glass carafe that I pour into my coffee maker. That's when I noticed the markings inside the water reservoir that didn't match the coffee pot. It was always 2 cups shy, so I just put 8 cups of water (using the carafe) to get 6 cups in the morning.

So I suggest you just you make these small adjustments to your water measuring and you'll get the right amount of brewed coffee out of your machine!

Hope you find this Very Helpful and best regards!

I had this problem after about a year of use. The thermal carafe lid had become clogged enough with coffee sludge (fine grounds/oil) and hard water deposits to slow the flow through the lid. I soaked the lid in a bowl of 2 cups hot soapy water + 2/3 cup white vinegar for a few hours, agitating the lid in the mixture every 1/2 hour or so.
Then, I rinsed the lid and packed baking soda in every opening and dropped it back into the mixture - hoping the fizzing action of the baking soda+vinegar would help loosen any remaining sludge.
I rinsed it again, and whacked it against the side of the sink for a final effort to loosen sludge. Repeated the baking soda + rinse + whacking a couple of times. No more problems.

In the future, I plan to do the soak at every Cleaning cycle/every couple of months.

Or, if you don't want to deal with it, replacement thermal carafe lids are available from Cuisinart for $6 + shipping.

Coffee overflowing onto the counter is a common complaint found in response to many automatic drip coffee makers. The following are potential solutions that can be used to rule out "operator error" vs. a defect or malfunction:

1. Do not "pack" or otherwise overfill the cone/basket with grinds.
2. If self-grinding your coffee beans, ensure you are using the correct grind setting for an automatic drip coffee maker. (See instruction manual for coffee maker and/or grinder.)
3. Do not overfill tank with water. Use the marks on the side of the reservoir as a guide rather than those defined by another measuring method. This is because a "cup" in a coffee carafe is defined as 6 oz, not 8 oz, and in some cases as little as 5 oz as a cup. As such, a 12-cup machine actually produces closer to 9 standard 8 oz cups. (See your owner's manual.)
4. Make certain the filter cone/basket clicks into place and that the carafe is centered and pushed all the way in.
5. Try a permanent filter rather than a paper filter or vice versa.
6. Only use the correct permanent or paper filter (see manual).
7. Verify that the Pause 'n Serve button isn't sticking. If it is activated too long the brew will escape over the top of the cone/basket. This may be more apt to happen if the alignment of the carafe and the basket is incorrect.
8. It is extremely important to clean your machine with vinegar or as instructed by your owner's manual at least three times per year, more if your water supply is hard (prone to leaving water rings). A properly cleaned machine is less likely to suffer a burned out heating element, to take too long to brew a pot of coffee, to produce "off" tasting coffee, or to clog and overrun the filter basket.
9. Ensure that the coffee machine is sitting level on the counter.

First off, do not submerge the carafe in cold water when it is hot. The water will rush past the seals. This solution involves heating the carafe. Be careful to avoid steam burns
1. Place the carafe on a stove top. 2. Slowly heat the carafe. (make sure you are wearing oven mitts -- avoid steam burns) 3. As the carafe heats the water inside steam will escape the area where the seal allowed the water to get in there in the first place. Steam should appear very quickly, If it does not stop the process right away! Pressure can build up and cause the Carafe to explode! 4. Check the carafe from time to time taking care to avoid steam burns. 5. Once the water has been steamed away, remove the carafe from the stove and allow it to cool slowly. DO NOT place the carafe in water or on a very cold surface until it has cooled. The rapid cooling of the left over steam will cause the carafe to collapse on itself if it is placed in cold water while it is still hot from this procedure.

Coffee overflowing onto the counter is a common complaint found in response to many automatic drip coffee makers. The following are potential solutions that can be used to rule out "operator error" vs. a defect or malfunction:

1. Do not "pack" or otherwise overfill the cone/basket with grinds.
2. Ensure you are using the correct grind for an automatic drip coffee maker, neither too fine nor too course. (See instruction manual.)
3. Do not overfill with water. Use the carafe to pour water into the reservoir. This is because a "cup" in coffee terms is defined as 6 oz, not 8 oz. Note: Some coffee makers define as little as 5 oz as a cup.
4. Make sure the filter cone/basket clicks into place and that the carafe is centered and pushed all the way in.
5. Try a permanent filter rather than a paper filter or vice versa.
6. Only use the correct permanent or paper filter (see manual).
7. Verify that the Pause 'n Serve button isn't sticking. If it is activated too long the brew will escape over the top of the cone/basket. This may be more apt to happen if the alignment of the carafe and the basket is incorrect.
8. Clean your machine with vinegar or as instructed by your user manual at least three times per year, more if your water supply is hard. A properly cleaned machine is less likely to suffer a burned out heating element, to take too long to brew, to produce "off" tasting coffee, or to clog and overrun the filter basket as the water runs through the grinds.
9. Ensure that the coffee machine is sitting level on the counter.

I have a 1600 with the same problem. The problem is due to a poorly designed fit between the carafe and the drain plunger in the coffee basket. If you lift the carafe slightly, you will see the plunger has a long way to go. If you have the tendency to push the carafe fully to the back of the hotplate it makes this worse. OK, so now the fix, which worked for me. Find a small piece of plastic to glue to the top of the carafe lid. You just need a small dimple to push the coffee basket spring in further when you in sert the carafe on the hotplate. You should experiment a little first to see how thick it needs to be. Overall it's a poorly designed combination and someone needs a lesson in tolerancing.