Customer Reviews

Black & Decker DCM2500W SmartBrew 12-Cup Coffeemaker, White

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(55)

 

 

We all know the problem coffee makers. They have mysterious water leaks, they don't drip into the carafe correctly, the filter basket overflows if it isn't perfectly in place.

Black and Decker (B&D) has designed a coffee maker that is inexpensive and simply eliminates those problems...

How I know:
I got this coffee maker for the office. We brew at least three 12-cup pots a day. We've done about 100 pots WITHOUT A SPILL OR LEAK. I highly recommend this machine.

What I know:
The "Perfect Pour Carafe" is great. B&D just gave it a wider spout! What a concept! You wouldn't think a handle makes a big difference, but when you're carrying 12-cups-worth of water or coffee, you will suddenly appreciate this excellent handle. This carafe even looks nice.

The filter basket does not swing out, nor must you hold it in one hand while you add the coffee. Swing-out baskets are the ones that overflow when you don't close them perfectly, and slide-out removable baskets leave only one hand for the scooping chores. This basket can be removed to dump the old grounds, but is then replaced in the machine so both hands are free.

That is because the lid opens up to expose the filter basket and the unobstructed, large water resevoir. No careful aiming or water splashing off of useless plastic grates when filling. There is a strange looking, hinged "shower head" that delivers the hot water to the filter basket. It is simple in design and works well.

The lid closes securely and pins down the removable filter basket to further eliminate human error in basket positioning.

Even the "sneak a cup" mechanism is simple and effective. It is simply a rubber stopper on a simple lever. The carafe can be placed in a "wrong" and possibly overflow-producing position, but if you place it with the handle straight out, you can't go wrong.

Water level is indicated externally on both sides of the machine.

Auto shut-off after two hours is essential in our office. It works and the coffee is kept quite hot during that time.

Easy to clean (buttons are water/coffee proof).

Need I say more?

I've seen some negative reviews on here of this coffeemaker, and I felt that I should write a review of a positive experience to give some perspective.

I've had this coffeemaker for about a year and a half, and I don't have any complaints. No parts have broken, the clock is accurate, the timer still functions, I still wake up every morning to a nice fresh pot of coffee. The lip of the pot is well formed, so that you never spill when you're pouring a cup. These are all simple things, but coffee is a simple thing. If you don't notice your coffeemaker, that means that it was designed well. This is an inexpensive, reliable coffee machine.

In fact, I've even abused the little guy. I like to make Thai iced tea, but I'm also too lazy to use a teapot, so I'll run my tea through it three or four times until it's dark enough, and it still holds up like a champ.

Here are some of the convenient features:

- Water window on the side, so you can see how much water you're putting in without having to measure using the pot.
- Timer feature so you can wake up to pre-brewed coffee without waiting.
- Sturdy, elegant pot design. The pot can be put in the dishwasher with no problems, and the large handle means you'll never drop it.
- Auto-off feature that turns the heating element off after two hours. (Another reviewer mentioned that there was no auto-off, which is incorrect)
- Large capacity scales well. By this, I mean that it makes two cups of coffee just as easily as it makes 12 cups, so it's good for a morning alone, or if you want a lot of coffee for several people.

The reason I didn't give it a five is that there are a few minor drawbacks:

- It's a little difficult to clean, because of the design of the pot and the maker itself. Not terribly difficult, but a tad annoying.
- The "sneak a cup" feature isn't perfect, it can leak a couple drops when you use it. However, I use the timer, so never have to sneak a cup, you can just have a pot ready whenever you want.

But honestly, these drawbacks are inconsequential. You're not going to find a better coffeemaker for under $30 with this many features, and this kind of reliability. I highly recommend it.

Now we know why this coffee maker was rated so highly (a "best buy") by THE respected consumer magazine. Not only does it brew a flavorful cup of coffee at just the right strength (following their recommended one scoop of coffee per two cups), but the unit has the most wanted features of coffee makers without spending two-to-three times the price. The keep-hot plate auto-shutoff, and digital clock timer that allows one to setup the pot the night before and awake to freshly brewed coffee, is convenience at the utmost. The programming (including just setting the correct time, that displays in very bright red LED numbers) was a snap. (We also did buy separately a permanent gold filter, which fits perfectly.)

While we have seen a number of complaints from other reviewers about the quality of this item, so far in several months of daily use we are completely satisfied. Stay tuned.

After four years of faithful heavy-duty performance, our coffee maker finally died. Not bad for thirty bucks. After thinking about possibly replacing it with a thermo-carafe model, I decided to go with another Smart Brew Plus because it was so easy to deal with. It's auto-off and interupt feature are critical for hectic mornings.
Besides it's steadfast dependability, one thing I like about it was that the basket liners are cheaper than the cone liners in my old Krups. I also think the basket liners give you a stronger cup of coffee with less coffee. Another plus for us was the carafe is widely available and cheap to replace, that's important if you tend to bang it around granite countertops when you're not quite awake like we do.
My only complaint is the color. It's relatively sleek design is undermined by a shiny white that looks really cheap. With heavy use, the white inside stains easily and looks grungy, despite thorough cleanings. A matte black would go better with my kitchen and look much cooler.
Overall it's a great coffeemaker for the money, even if it is shiny white.

My number one pet peeve with coffee makers is overflow from malfunctioning drip baskets when the coffee pot does not get seated well into the burner area. I was ready for this when I purchased this moderately priced coffee maker and was pleasantly surprised when this didn't seem to be a problem after several days. Then it happened...and it turned out not to be the coffee pot problem at all...it is the filter basket on this little gem that gets out of whack. If it gets bumped *just a smidge* it will fail to seat itself down into the well and release the drip valve and the next thing you know you have coffee all over your counter. First time it happened I thought it must have been a fluke, but no...it's happened three times now and this pot is going into the trash. The last thing I need to be doing is spending my morning mopping up coffee and grounds "before" I've had that first dose of caffiene.

Bought it over a year ago. Use it daily. It works great with ordinary tap water. It is simply a basic coffee maker. Not beautiful, not loaded with useless features, just an excellent basic coffee maker. Broke the pot this morning, however, and that means I will need to buy another one. At $21, even that is painless.

What do you get when you combine a persnickety shutoff valve with electronics below the coffee carafe? An overflowing basket, an electrical short, and three pounds of plastic and glass for the landfill.

The "sneak-a-cup" feature of this pot is a good idea, but the switch that shuts off the flow is so finicky that the carafe can look and feel centered under the basket, but not allow the coffee to drip through. This means that when the auto-brew feature goes on before you wake up, the brewing coffee fills up the basket, pours out over the top, and puddles up on the counter.

Now, this is a mess, and hardly what you want to face before you've had your morning cuppa, but that's not the worst of it. The soft-touch keypad is centered under the carafe, and it is not sealed around the edge, so the coffee that spills over the basket leaks directly into the electronics.

In my experience, this has a permanent, negative effect on the function of the coffee maker.

Don't buy it!

I own this coffeepot and the sneak a cup feature spring is so strong it pushes the pot out and the sneak a cup button stays shut and the coffee overflows the the filter basket creating an electrical hazard. I would not recommend buying this product in fact just the opposite. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS ITEM !!!!!!

This is a simple, inexspensive coffee maker but I had zero problems with it. It makes great coffee. I have had more exspensive coffee makers and they went bad or had other problems. This is great. I had it for a long time then I gave it to my brother and his wife (simply because I wanted to try out a space saver coffee maker) and they are using it and loving it still.

I would definately buy one of these again and I recommend it to all. It has a nice sleek, clean design to it as well.

I am writing because I absolutely love my coffeemaker and cannot believe the bum rap it got from these 2 owners. I have tried so many to find one that does not drip and this is IT! It is the lid design, pots that have lids that overlap onto the outer rim DRIP! AND I cannot/could not find one that had an inside-type lid. As for longevity - I bought mine a year ago and have had not one problem. And as for taste - sorry - that is not the machines fault, maybe try a better brand of coffee!
The machine is great, it has the warmer device which keeps your coffee toasty for hours, and beeps when it's going to shut down, so you have a chance to re-press the button.
Sadly my son broke the decanter - that is why I was here - hoping to find a replacement. If I can't - I will just buy another machine - same model!