Customer Reviews

Black & Decker DCM1400B Cafe Noir 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

It seems like coffeemakers die on us about every 2 or 3 years, no matter what brand they are, so we tend to aim for the lower end of the market. This Black & Decker unit gets the job done admirably and has all the features we want or need. We wish it was 12 cups instead of 10, but that's a small inconvenience. Also, it takes cone-shaped filters instead of flat ones (of which we have several boxes), but again, that's a small issue and not really something to obsess about. We spent the money we saved over buying a Braun or something fancier than B&D on a reverse osmosis system so we could have really good water to make coffee, and we've found that having good water makes a huge difference in how the coffee tastes (plus, it means there's no lime build-up inside the machine).

This is a perfect machine. It makes great coffee and has a 2-hour automatic shut-off time. It has a sleek black design, and I love it way more than the crappy thermal Braun machines.

Black & Decker makes an excellent budget oriented coffee maker with lots of features especially considering the low price you pay for it. I have use this coffee maker for almost two years without any complaints; it brews a great cup of coffee in a very short amount of time. Love that java kick in the morning! You can even make up to ten cups of coffee with this machine! Oh, thank heaven!

The machine plugs into any standard electrical outlet--and from there on in the benefits are all yours. You can program this unit the night before so that you wake up to a great cup of coffee--the timer and clock features help to do that. It's easy enough to place a new coffee filter in the coffee filter holder; and the water reservoir runs around the coffee filter holder. When you open the plastic lid that covers the top of the coffee maker you can see the coffee filter holder in the circular middle of the top of the coffee maker; and the water resevoir runs around it.

Moreover, the drip-less pour spout is indeed drip-less--great! Black & Decker's coffee maker has a sneak-a-cup feature but I can't comment on that--I never used it. The simple, straightforward instructions will tell you how to do this, so don't worry. The "keep warm" plate works well, too.

In addition, Amazon notes that "the carafe, lid, and filter basket are top-rack dishwasher-safe;" but I personally don't take that risk--I hand wash them carefully in the sink and them dry them very carefully instead. Just my personal preference--I wouldn't want my coffee maker to be ruined by the intense heat of the dry cycle of my dishwasher.

Overall, you just can't get any better for your money with this wonderful coffee maker by Black & Decker. I highly recommend it for persons who want an economical but reliable coffee maker.

Use it in good health!

This machine is excellent. Despite some of the bad reviews, this coffee pot makes great coffee. The timer works great too. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a low priced coffee maker, it does its job well.

This coffee pot is irritating because (1) you can't leave the pot in the sink to fill while you're doing other things because the lid won't stay up by itself so you have to wait. (2) The coffee ground section is not separate from the water section so when you're pouring water in and aren't careful, it's very easy to pour water on top of your coffee grounds as well and then end up with little coffee grounds in your coffee. Had this coffee pot for about 4 days before I couldn't take it any more and had to buy a new one. For the money and ease of use, you're better off buying the Black and Decker CMD3400MB 12 cup programmable coffee maker which runs about $35 to $40 depending on where you shop (Target has sales sometimes). Why? Lid stands up by itselfe, programming display is on top of the coffee pot (now I can read it easier), and the coffee is separate from the water. And, you can set strength of coffee.

I bought this model looking for an inexpensive, programmable model, after my Braun combo machine died out. The good news is that the programmable feature is easy to use and works well. Other than that, however, this machine is a major drag. The lid to the carafe is supposed to be removable, but the first time I took it off, the plastic nibs that fit into the guide holes snapped right off, so its never fit back together properly since. That's particularly annoying, because it makes the dripless pour into a constant drip. Also, the caraffe lid is what interacts with the bottom of the brew mechanism, so now I have to really force it just right or the coffee goes everywhere.

Even if I hadn't broken the lid, the filiter basked has to be inserted just right, again with the help of two tiny plastic nibs that are sure to break next. If you don't turn it just right, you don't realize it until coffee is everywhere. That's because it looks like it is in properly, but if you close the lid, and then insert the carafe, you don't realize that the carafe has in fact pushed the basked up and out of place. If you don't do everything in the right order, you've got a problem. Is this easy to realize and adapt to? Sure, but its an annoying design flaw regardless.

And finally, in all the coffee makers I'ev had, I've never had one that leaves so much condensation on the top of the reservoir lid. Overall, this has been a major disappointment.

This is a great machine with a digital clock and progammable functions. It is very compact and the black motif fits well in my kitchen, which is largely black and stainless steel appliances. The automatic two-hour turn-off is a great safety feature. Highly recommended

This coffeemaker only lived for 5 weeks! I purchased it in mid-August and by mid-September it would no longer work. The lights come on but it won't heat water.
Buy it if only you want a "disposble" coffeemaker.

I paid about 30 dollars for this coffee maker, should have known.
It lasted almost 8 months, then it lost a hose out of the "pump"(it actually melted) and it quickly and messily died.
Black and Decker has not yet responded to my email. I am very disappointed.

This Black and Decker "Cafe Noir" is a pleasure to use.
Easy to program ,easy plain on or off and the carafe feels so comfortable pouring and it does not drip. The best coffee maker I have ever owned.