Customer Reviews

Black & Decker TCM500 Thermal Select Plus Coffeemaker

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I had three great experiences with Black & Decker coffeemakers.
My first experience was the TCM 300 that my father owns. The second (A TCM 500)used commercially in a retail coffee shop in Antigua,C.A. who Roasts his own coffee and further convinced me as to the quality. And the third, when I finally bought my own B&D 500. I usually don't write opinions however, when I read the negative responses, I had to respond.
#1 The hole in the back is there for a couple of reasons. One reason is to help you,not hinder you "DO NOT OVER FILL". It not only gives you a visual (Marker) its also approximate 1400ml/water,the same amount used to fill your carafe.If your not quite awake/alert when your pouring the water and forget to eye the hole(Marker)in back,then simply use the carafe to do your measuring for you.Therefore,if you don't over fill your carafe,you won't over fill your coffeemaker. (PROPER MEASURING)

#2 After you fill your coffeemaker with water "DO NOT MOVE IT" and your water won't spill over. If you have to move it, move it before you fill it.

#3 A)Coffee grounds overflowing.
B)Water still in the basket after brewing.
C)2nd pot not so good.

Its really simple: A-B) Do you use a paper,plastic or copper filter? Every filter is different and you have to grind the coffee or have it ground to that specific type filter.
The bottom line here is, adjust to a different grind,don't over fill your filter(PROPER MEASURING)and all your coffee will taste great. Of course,if you bought a coffee blend your not happy with or your coffee is too old,thats another subject.

As to the spout dribbling, its sort of like pouring wine from a bottle. All you have to do is learn how to pour with that specific type of carafe."NOT ALL BOTTLES POUR ALIKE"

#4 Coffee not staying hot,and as long as other more expensive models. Theirs not much science here.
Most thermos are basically the same. I have returned to my carafe after over 6-hours and it was still hot.

And your right, you can go out and buy a more expensive model, but not me...P>" So much for "THE BEST KEPT LITTLE SECRET"

I purchased the B&D model mainly because I've read many negative reviews on much higher priced brands of coffeemakers. I figured, for $40, I can live with any "down-side" to it! Well, to my surprise, it works beautifully!! The coffee is hot (and stays hot for several hours!), the timer works perfectly (and is very simple! I love waking up to the smell of coffee in the morning...mmmm...)...it even looks good!(I bought the black/chrome model of the Thermal Select Plus). A nice feature is
the pull out coffee filter basket...it's easy to fill and clean.
It doesn't have a lot of "bells & whistles", but it does the job perfectly! I don't think you can go wrong with this one!!!

I've had this unit for over two years with minimal trouble and a lot of pleasurable coffee drinking. It works as advertised and produces a consistent cup of coffee. The thermal carafe keeps the coffee warm for 4+ hours and is quick and easy to load and use.

What's not to like?
Well it is hard to clean. I have the white model, so it has a lot of coffee staining which is hard to clean especially the screw-on lid and top of the carafe. You can't put any of this unitin the dishwasher. I used to occasionally put the lid in, but it has developed a small crack in the coffee drain hole, which may be due to dishwasher heat?

You have to learn how much coffee to put in for your taste, but it is hard to tell how much water is in the carafe when filling it (hard to see inside). Once you pour the cold water into the basin, a visual indicator on the side tells you how much water you have added.

Pouring the coffee from the carafe works well after you give the lid a half twist to open it. But it is hard to put the carafe back into the stand unless you re-tighten the lid again (this is probably better for the coffee and keeps it warmer.

This is a fabulous find for those who know good coffee when they've tasted it, but can't afford to spend what it usually takes to get it.
The caraffe keeps the coffee hot and steamy for hours, and the taste is always right on the money.
I am getting this cofee maker for my sister and mom. I love it!!

This is the worst coffeemaker I have every used. I can't believe that anyone had a good experience with this coffee maker. You have to babysit this coffeemaker when you turn it on. If not, the basket will spill coffee grounds all over your counter. You have to hit the bull's eye when placing the coffee pot on the coffee maker.(Because of sneak a cup feature) I called the manufactor to complain, they could care less about my complaint. I am very unhappy with Black and Decker. Hope this reveiw helps someone to avoid this frustration.

We have enjoyed our thermal carafe, it keeps coffee warm for hours and is pretty easy to clean. Occasionally, however, it has leaked on the counter, and keeping the outside clean is a constant chore. BUT BE CAREFUL WHEN CLEANING THE CARAFE. My brother has the same unit, and today when he was cleaning his, it literally EXPLODED in his face, sending glass shards (from the inside of the carafe) flying and splitting his eardrums with the piercing noise. The carafe was not hot (it had been sitting for a day) and he did not force anything into the pot, but he *was* using a thin bottle brush, which the instructions say NOT to use when cleaning. I suggest you be sure to follow these directions to the letter...do not use anything to clean the inside of the carafe, just rinse with warm soapy water or dissolve a denture tablet inside with some water, or else you could risk surprise and injury. Personally, I'm going to be wary of my carafe from now on...I'm not sure how I feel about exploding appliances in my kitchen.

I absolutely love this coffe pot. No more burnt smelling coffee! The coffee stays hot longer than 4 hours, and always tastes as good as the first cup. I haven't had one problem with my coffee pot and I didn't even read the directions! The little over flow hole in the back (mentioned in other reveiews) has never been a problem. Would you rather have a little water spash on your counter or hot coffee from over filling? It's a safeguard. I like this product and I am buying one for my mom. :)

I received this as a Christmas present from some friends. After carefully examining the instructions, I thought it was pretty clear how to use this coffeemaker.

There is a drain hole in the back and if you accidentally overfill it or have it filled to the max line and need to move the coffeemaker, water pours out from the back through this hole.

When I made my first pot of coffee, everything went well. The 2nd pot wasn't so good -- I had coffee grounds literally sputtering out all over the place (walls, counter, all over the machine.

It is a messy unit as well. When removing the basket to empty it, i've noticed that the basket is often still filled with coffee that hadn't drained into the pot.

I've had better coffeemakers in the past that brewed into a carafe; the coffee doesn't stay hot as long as some of the more expensive units, the spout isn't that great; it dribbles.

I would strongly suggest spending the extra money on a better quality unit.

I purchased both the white and black models of this maker (not sure why a price difference) and use them at work. I use one for tea and the other for coffee. I have had constant problems with the one used for coffee. The water either comes thru faster than the filter will process it thru the coffee OR the spring mechanism that allows the water to drip thru the filter into the pot is not lined up exactly right and in both cases...we get 40 oz. of coffee and grinds flowing over the edge of the coffee basket. If I have to stand by the coffee pot to make sure it works properly each time I start it up, it's not worth the money I spent on it. Like most things in life...spend cheap, get cheap. I would definitely keep looking for another coffee maker. Any coffee maker that explodes like other customers have mentioned is reason enough to stay away from this impending disaster. I didn't catch the explosion reviews until a few months after my purchase.

The TCM500 Thermal Select Plus Coffeemaker does not make really hot coffee. The one I just received from Amazon.com, and which was replaced by Black and Decker for another model, made decent coffee. However, I noticed that it didn¡¦t seem hot. It was fairly hot, but not burn-your-lips fresh hot as I thought I had experienced with other coffee makers.

I still had my old Braun model, so I decided to try an experiment. I brewed a cup with my TCM500 Thermal Select Plus Coffeemaker and with my Braun coffee maker at the same time to test the difference. Both pots finished brewing at the same time. I then poured the coffee from the TCM500 Thermal Select Plus Coffeemaker into one cup, and I poured the coffee from the Braun into another cup. I immediately sipped from the cup of coffee from the TCM500 Thermal Select Plus Coffeemaker, and then I sipped from the cup of coffee from the Braun. Indeed, the coffee from the Braun was significantly hotter. The difference was substantial.

I am not sure why this is the case. Perhaps it is because the TCM500 shuts off as soon as the coffee is done brewing. The thermos is designed to keep the coffee warm after that. I am not sure if perhaps there is not sufficient heat being applied in the brewing process. For me, the coffee never got hot enough. The thermos kept it warm long enough, but the temperature of the freshly brewed coffee was never as high as that for coffee from other makers.

To Black and Decker¡¦s credit, the company replaced mine with a DCM 2750. I salute the company for standing with its customers. However, that machine¡¦s plastic casing broke after three days of use. I may go back to my buying Braun.