Customer Reviews

Black & Decker SDC740 SpaceMaker 12-Cup Coffeemaker, White

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

I bought one of these a few months back as I need all the counter space I can get. It is perfect for my kitchen and I love the space I got. It makes a quick pot of coffee and the temp is just right.
I think the only couple downsides I see are that the place where you pour the water is a small hole, easy to miss. Also, for some reason, the clock is screwy. It is slow and it looses about an hour every day. Finally, the pot on mine broke after only a month and I cannot find a replacement for it.

I have had several of the old under the counter B & D coffee makers and have loved them. This one was impossible to install, however. On the coffee pot side of the unit there is no clearance for the screws. What is up with that? What engineering school drop out approved this design? I had to return it. Why can't they just keep making the old one that fits in all the holes we have already drilled into our cabinets?

We wanted this product to be as good and reliable as the 10-15 year old B&D Spacesaver it was intended to replace. Unfortunately it falls well short and I am pondering whether to suffer through or send it back. It does brew a decent cup of coffee, no problem there. There are two major problems. First, the installation directions are very confusing and the supplied hardware did not work for my installation which is very standard and typical. I was able to get it installed but it was a heck of a task and I had to basically chuck the directions and figure it out myself. Also, I had to take my hack saw to the screws to get them to fit. Second, it leaks. Every time I brew a pot of coffee I end up with a puddle of water on the counter. The water is coming out from sround the edges of the filter basket which does not seal tightly. The water is clear - so it must be coming out before it hits the coffee grounds. I've tried hard to figure out a way to stop it - so far no luck. It must be a design flaw - I see nothing funky about the parts - no cracks or damage or anything like that.

I have the SDC740 model and have had the same problem of the caraffe not sitting properly and exerting enough pressure to properly activate the basket spring - thus causing coffee to overflow on counter. In researching I found that the old product number of ODC740 had this problem and had been recalled. The new product has the same problem.

I contacted Black & Decker today by phone & they are sending out a new basket unit, but it is on backorder so it will be a couple of weeks before replacement basket is shipped. I've thought about working on the spring (cutting it down) or taping the lever - but that really defeats the purpose of the sneak-a-peak feature which should perform properly on the appliance.

Other than the overflow issue, I am pleased with the coffee maker. This is the 4th under-the-counter Black and Decker coffeemaker that I've owned and the first to have given me a problem. The others died a natural death after years of use.

[...]

I was on my 4th B&G space saver - the first one lasted about 14 months, the next 2 about 8 the 4th about 6 months - the last one at least we didn't have to tie the basket in so it would stay seated. I think the problem is the steam from the brewer gets into the housing that holds the circuit board and burns it out. Anywho....yes I am a glutten for punishment I bought this because I didn't want to drill new holes in my cabinets ... well I had to drill new holes they did not line up (as advertised) with the existing ones - what a nightmare. Also, woke up to the usual mess of coffee and grounds all over the counter - the basket doesn't seat properly! I know I know 5 B&G pots ..... I really need to see someone!

I can't believe this product made it to the sales floor! They couldn't have tested the product to see if it actually works. The spring tension is too much for the carafe and I had to tape it in place while the coffee brewed. I then removed the spring and cut it down to relieve some of the tension and it works OK (?????). Nobody tested this product before releasing it for sale! Another mention...On the box, it states that it will mount up to prior "space saver" holes in your cabinet...it does not! The mounting template was wrong and I had to make my own template to make it work. Unbelievable quality control...I will never buy "Black & Decker" again (untold here was the lack of knowledge when calling to get help!!!!) If you buy one of these...consider yourself on your own. It does look good after all the headache, but it still does not work properly...BAD PRODUCT!!!

I have owned 3 of the Spacemaker Coffeemakers. The first one lasted for years and years. When it finally died, I got a second one. It only lasted about 2 years. I figured it was a fluke and got a 3rd which lasted 1 year. I switched to a coutertop coffeemaker and missed having my spacemaker. When I decided to buy a new coffeemaker, I checked all the reviews on the Spacemaker, they were not that good but I decided to get one anyway. I now have 3 sets of holes in the bottom of my cabinet. I wish they had kept the screw configuration the same with at least one of the B&D Spacemakers that I have had. The screws that came with it fit fine because I have a finished bottom on my cabinets. If you do not have a finished bottom, you must get shorter screws. When you remove the coffee grounds, water drops on my countertop - this is from condensed steam - and you must wipe it up. The water holder/tank would be hard to gauge if you filled it directly from the tap. I have to wash out the pot anyway, so I put the right amount of water in it and pour into the holder tank. The light on the water tank IS BRIGHT!!! that could be toned down quite a bit but if you need to walk through your kitchen at night you do not need to turn a light on.
All in all I am happy with this product, the few problems it has I can overlook because I love the pot being OFF my counter top! WHen this one dies , I AM GETTING ANOTHER!

The only redeeming feature of this coffeemaker is that it mounts under that counter. That's it. The water container is awkward and leaks if you fill it all the way. The coffee basket has a handle that is so poorly designed as to be nearly non-functional. The lid doesn't detach from the pot making it difficult to clean. And while there is this pointless green light behind the water tank while in use, there's no light on the clock. I used it for a month. Now it's yard sale fodder.

Recently had to replace my old B&W spacemaker model. Old model lasted over 10 years. Not sure there's anyone else making these except for B&W. Had a bit of trouble trying to locate one, but found it on Amazon. Had no problem with the installation, and have been happy brewing since. Hopefully, it'll be good for another 10 years...

This coffee maker was a purchased as a gift for an elderly woman who lives in another city. After she received it, she called us to say that there was not a glass pot included with the coffee maker. Upon contacting Amazon, I was told they would ship another coffee maker that very day and that she should ship her product back. Upon being told that the recipient was too elderly to drive, Amazon had the box picked up the next morning and the driver brought a mailing label along with him to place on the returned item. This is unusual service and I am so pleased we bought this from Amazon instead of elsewhere. The second shipment did arrive complete with a pot.