Lid on carafe

The caraffe lid must be on the Coffee maker while making coffee.

The lid pushes a opens the hut-of valve in the filter.
If the lid is not on the caraffe, the valve will prevent coffee from dripping out of the filter.

This is to prevent coffee leaking on the lower carafe heating element when you remove the caraffe to quickly pour some coffee. the water accumulates while you do this, so if the machine is still brewing, you should put the carafe with lid back in the cofee maker, to release the accumulated liquid in the filter.

I had this problem.

The Fix:

There is a valve in the centre of the carafe lid (If you shake the lid you can hear the valve rattle). This valve becomes gummed up with heavy coffee oils over time and sticks causing part of your brew to pour onto your counter. The fix is to simply clean the oil out of this valve. I cleaned mine by soaking it overnight in a water/bleach solution then blasting hot water into it. You can clean it more thoroughly if you pop off the bottom lid part that extends into the pot. It is a snap fit. Before you take it off note the orientation.

On my lid this valve was coated in heavy, greasy coffee oils. After this cleaning your pot should not leak when brewing.

Another problem is the stiffness of the lid making it sometimes very difficult to open and close and if not fully closed coffee will leak while pouring. This o-ring binds against the carafe. To fix this, locate the 'O' ring in that same part the extends into the carafe on the bottom of the lid. put a drop or two of vegetable oil on your finger and apply a thin film around this ring once every three weeks or so. Your lid will open and close smoothly and beautifully.

Happy brewing!

If you look where the reservior fits into the base, specifically where the water goes in, there is a rubber seal. It's held in by a circulary plastic piece and 3 screws. I took it apart there to see if something was amiss and decided after looking at it some that they had put the seal in upside down. So I put it back together with the lip of the seal facing up instead of down and I have not had a single drop of water leak from the reservior again. Now if I can get the thermos pot that came with it to stop leaking every time I pour a cup I will be a happy camper.

I believe your problem is the filter basket holder is not seated correctly or the carafe is not completely inserted in the unit to push the brew pause lever up. The brew pause feature which stops the coffee from going into the carafe when you want a cup of coffee before the brew cycle is done. When you remove the carafe a spring lever stops the coffee from dripping into the carafe. When the carafe is inserted it must push the spring lever up to allow the coffee to flow into the carafe. If it is not the coffee will overflow and make a mess. The filter basket holder should be firmly seated in the unit so it will not have any play in it. Cuisinart recommends using a vinegar and water mixture but BrewRite Cleaner (Sodium Carbonate) available in the coffee section at Wallmart, Kamart and Target is fantastic. You can clean your carafe with BrewRite Cleaner and hot water by letting it soak a few minutes and rinsing. I will also clean your filter basket holder by soaking it as well and all your coffee residue will be gone with no scrubbing.

The two most common reasons for overflow or underflow have to do with the carafe lid and the filter basket - they key to smooth flow with this coffee maker is making sure the filter basket and carafe lid are making the proper contact with each other so that the center knob on the carafe lid pushes slightly up on the filter basket spring. Make sure the carafe lid is completely closed. Make sure the filter basket is pushed all the way down. Make sure you are not using the gold tone filter and a paper filter at the same time. For some reason, I get better results when the handle of the carafe is resting against the right side wall. If everything is in place, I would suspect a problem with either the filter basket being clogged or some problem with the carafe lid - call Cuisinart as they should be able to order these parts for you.

it is. all you can do is hold the spout close to the cup, lower the pouring angle, and it should be less spillage.

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 was once able to disassemble the top of the carafe and clean it thoroughly. I've had these clogging problems before, and it has not been the filter chamber that is the problem, but the vent in the carafe being clogged. When the air from the inside of the carafe can't be displaced faster than the coffee is draining in, the coffee stops draining into the carafe, fills the top, and spills over the side.

Will probably end up buying a replacement lid, as I can't figure out how to open the top without destroying it. I must have gotten lucky the time I was able to take it apart.

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.