Customer Reviews

Black & Decker SDC850 SpaceMaker 8-Cup Coffeemaker with Thermal Carafe

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

I got the SDC850 and installed it immediately. I have owned 4 over the last 19 years. My favorite was the GE thermal carafe (that later became black and decker) that hung from the coffee maker. Well this is just like it, except for the fact that the GE had a glass thermos type carafe and this one is Stainless. With the glass one I used to make coffee every morning and it would still be warm 9 hours later when I got home. Anyway, the SDC850 is a real nice replacement for the old spacemaker. The mounting bracket took some extreme strength to remove so it could be mounted. The template used to drill holes was a bit off, nothing that larger holes couldnt fix. This unit has a larger LCD display and LED indicators. One feature that I used to dislike was not being able to tell if the coffee maker was on. This new coffee maker addresses that. A nice bright blue LED lets you know it is brewing. The other nice feature is a blue led that stays on for 20 minutes after the brew cycle completes, thus letting you know its fresh. The unit is very high off the counter allowing for more counter space and since the carafe hangs from the unit, you do not have to leave it hanging thereby creating even more counterspace. I read all the other review about this unit and except for the mounting issues, I have had none of the other issues others have spoken of. It took years but I am happy B&D finally listened.

I pre ordered one of the SDC850's a month ago and it showed up yesterday. Nice looking unit, but pretty por performance.

Mounting "Simply grasp the top panel and pull it off" I'm 6ft 185 lbs and couldn't get the top panel to slide off, maybe some C4 would help? No problem, it can be mounted in one piece.

The template doesn't have the measurements that the directions say it does. OK, figure that out and drill the holes.

Using the spacers required for my cabinets I find that the only screws that will work are the longest ones - which are so long that they bottom out in the front right hole. Out to the garage to cut the screw shorter.

Next I attempt to pull out the filter basket - won't come out. I pull on it hard enough to start flexing the entire coffee maker and it comes free. Turns out that the hole in the filter basket that engauges the retaining pin has a plastic "turd" still on it. Trim that off and it works well.

All mounted up, give the coffee maker a try. It brews a good cup of coffee. However, it doesn't seem possible to pour that cup of coffee without getting some all over the counter.

EDIT: It appears that my caraffe is defective, which is the reason for the inability to pour cleanly. The coffee leaks between where the stainless bottom and plastic top are glued together. I'll be contacting B&D warranty for a replacement.

UPDATE #2: Got ahold of B&D warranty and it appears that they have no parts or even any full units in stock. New pot is on order for me with no ETA.

Update #3: It's now April 3rd and Black and Decker still does not have any replacement caraffes to send. I should have returned the whole thing immediately.

Update #4: May 5th and still no caraffe. B&D's warranty service is unimpressive to say the least.

Final Update: May 15th finally received a complete replacement unit from B&D. Thankfully this one doesn't leak.

I just received my coffee maker and installed it. I actually only give this 1/2 a star for looking good.

Screws were either too short or too long. I had to cut the long ones down, file them and die the threads to make them work. I also had to fabricate extra spacers in between the top of the maker and the cupboard for the unit to fit securely. There aren't enough spacers provided. BIG HASSLE!

The carafe leaks in between the metal and the plastic when pouring.
The water reservoir is too large (surface area) and flat to correctly measure the right amount of water.

Clock doesn't have a backlight. Is this too much to ask for?

My old coffee maker is a black & Decker, it's been very good to me, just old and out dated for my kitchen, even in it years of service it still brews a much better cup of coffee than this new one.

Also, I was surprised to see in the instructions that it should be "unplugged from outlet when not in use". So I'm to reset the clock everytime I use it? I don't think so.

I hate it when I feel taken. I guess it's a lesson learned, This is definitely not worth the price I paid. If I can't get a refund, I'll throw it away, eat the $$ and not buy B&D again.

The Black and Decker SDC850 is a very nice looking coffeepot.

Thankfully I read the previous reviews on here when I bought it so was prepared for a difficult time with installation. I have three suggestions to make this MUCH easier for everyone who buys this. 1) remove the top cover with the help of a 2nd person!! Pops right off when one person holds the sides of the coffee pot and the 2nd person pushes down and out on the top cover (this is not a matter of strength - as one person felt it necessary to give their stats (funny!!) - but simply a matter of leverage. 2) Do not trust the template 100%, it is a good guide to make your holes but is off when used to judge the distance from the front of the coffeepot and where it will sit from the front of the cabinet. Set where you think your holes should be by drawing a straight line with a pencil, then measure and recheck! and last but not least 3) go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy two #10-32 X 2" machine screws (fine thread) for the right side. For most standard cabinets you will use the two longest screws on the holes on the left and the two you will buy on the right, along with the two largest spacers on each bolt/screw.

Follow these 3 tips and you should have a hassle free installation which is what seems to be everyones main complaint! Now, enough about the installation, on to the actual unit itself.

This is my first stainless steel carafe. The unit I was using before was Mr. Coffee model FTX23. This coffee pot was quite a change. For one, I didn't notice is said it was an 8 cup (my old was a 12 cup). The size might have discouraged me if I had noticed but honestly this may be better, less coffee left over and thrown away. The taste is good and the coffee seemed to stay fresh and hot for 4 hrs, may last even longer but that was how long mine lasted. I do wish they would have lit the LCD clock. The pictures really don't do the unit justice. The pictures make the plastic parts of this unit look greyish and cheap. This unit is black and stainless and really compliments my kitchen with all black appliances. I don't think it looks cheap at all. It is a very nice looking unit. I really like the blue LED lights that light up the power button and the see through water level window. As someone else on here previously pointed out, the instruction manual does say to unplug after use, it also tells you how to keep from breaking your glass carafe! These are obviously generic instructions used across many different models. I am just curious how much electricity is actually used by this pot by just leaving it plugged in all the time, as I can't imagine resetting the clock every day! As far as I'm concerned the problems with the installation are the only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars.

We installed this product in our fifth wheel camper several weeks ago. The installation was really not as difficult as we had read in the reviews--template worked out to be true. Only difficulty we had was the nut for the bolt (that came thru right above the water reservoir) had come out and we couldn't use that bolt, but the other 3 held it tightly enough that it was not an issue. First usage was great, as have been every usage since then. Love the way it looks, ease of filling water reservoir, temperature of coffee even 6 or 8 hours later. We had nothing but problems with the prior B&D we installed in 2003--worked fine for awhile, then wouldn't brew coffee strong enough so it had to be run thru twice. Had to watch that the water was actually going inside the pot rather than all over the counter, warming plate quit working, couldn't trust the programmable feature,couldn't pour coffee from the carafe without going all over the counter or table. This new pot is a great improvement!

This is a nice looking coffeemaker, but don't dare drop any parts, not even in the sink! I had it a week and chipped a chunck of plastic off of the water holder. I then dropped the filter part in the sink and it came apart in three pieces that my husband had to put back together. I wish they made it a little more sturdy. It's something that you use everyday and should be able to handle being accidentally dropped without hearing plastic chunks flying across your kitchen. Nice to look at but I'm a nervous wreck everytime I set the coffee!

The unit was horrible to install. The screws are too long as the other reviewers have stated. The top that "easily" slides off - forget it. There is no way to slide the top off so we installed it with top on. We had to use hacksaw to make the screws shorter so they would work. Now that we finally got it installed the coffee pot leaks between the black plastic and the stainless steel! Since the incorrect screw length and the leaking coffee pot was reported by another reviewer, I think Black and Decker has a lemon. It looks so nice installed so I gave it one star. But if the leaking coffee pot is going to be a problem we will probably return the entire unit and wait like the other reviewer for B&D to release an improved product.

As several reviewers have previously stated, the pot leaks. Before making my purchase, I read all of the reviews, and knew that there might be a problem. Because the most recent reveiws were favorable, I assumed (hoped) that Black & Decker had remedied the situation, and that I would be receiving a non-leaking pot. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Perhaps my order was filled from old stock, or perhaps not all of the pots have the leaking problem. In any case, mine did leak. I immediately called the "help line", and was told that it would cost over $60 for a replacement carafe. If you happened to be in a quiet place when I made that call, I would wager that you heard my response - no matter where you live. I was immediately transferred to a manager who told me that a new carafe would be shipped to me at no charge. The pots, however, were on backorder, and that it would take four to six weeks. So, I'm still waiting - pouring each cup of coffee over the sink to minimize the mess. BUT, it's worth it! For years I have enjoyed owning a Spacemaker Coffeemaker - we even moved and installed it in three different homes. Sadly, with our last move, I decided that the coffeemaker's almond color would not blend well with our new white cabinetry. "I'll just buy a new one," I thought. When I went to buy one, none were to be found. I checked every store and even looked on eBay for a used one, but could not find one. At last I found this one! So despite the leaky pot, I know that EVENTUALLY I will love it!

I finally found and got the spacesaver plus coffeepot. I love it. By way of review I knew the directions for installation were complicated, so I just figured out what I wanted, folded up the template until it fit where I wanted it, drilled the holes and it came out beautifully. Love the thermal pot - keeps coffee warm for 2 days and I don't have to worry about burnt coffee or broken pots.

I actually use this coffee maker for brewing iced tea. It looks great and it works great. Filling it with water can be a challenge. The hole is in the middle of the tank top and if you fill from the fridge door, you will need to use something other than the tank or the carafe, as neither can be filled there. Also the tank holds more than the carafe, so make sure you don't overfill it, or the carafe will leak on the counter before brewing finishes. The stainless steel carafe is great! It can be rinsed while still hot without the risk of breakage.