Coffee & Espresso Makers Tips

Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM400 8-Cup Coffee Maker Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity8 CupOperation SourceElectric Technical Feature...

Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM2550 12-Cup Coffee Maker Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity12 Cup Technical FeaturesBuilt-in GrinderWithou...

Before I bought this coffee maker, I tried to read everything I could find about it on the Web. A fellow Epinions reviewer liked his coffee maker a lot. The reviews were running about 50/50 liking it or hating it.

A couple of the reviews I read (I think at Amazon, where I eventually bought it) said that when they tried to make coffee, water and grounds frequently wound up all over the counter, the floor, etc. In my arrogance, I thought, “well, clearly they just didn’t know how to use it”. So, I ordered one.

The first time I used it, it made coffee. It was hot and tasted good. The second time, using exactly the same procedures as before, water and coffee grounds went all over the counter. What little ended up in the carafe was a little water and a little grounds.

The next time, I sat with the coffee maker and I watched it. I noticed that the plastic flap that is supposed to close over the water reservoir would not close completely. So, I weighted it down with a cup so it would close. This kept the coffee maker from steaming the underside of my cupboards. This was a successful coffee-making experience and I ended up with coffee instead of a mess.

I could never ascertain why the coffee maker only worked intermittently. It didn’t seem to have a pattern. There was a very small value closure (presumably for the “stop and pour” feature — whether this was the cause of the problem I don’t know, but it was the smallest most delicate looking of such features I have ever seen on any coffee maker.

Ultimately, the Black and Decker went “over the bank” — my sister’s expression for getting rid of something.

Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM500 5-Cup Coffee Maker Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity5 CupOperation SourceElectric Technical Feature...

Coffee & grind SPILLS over counter & “explodes” occasionally Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM400 8 Cup Coffee Maker This is the coffee maker at my workplace and let me tell you that if you don't place the pot *just right* under th...

Black & Decker SmartBrew 12-Cup Coffee Maker Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity12 Cup Technical FeaturesBuilt-in GrinderWith B...

Coffee, anyone? Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM400 8 Cup Coffee Maker My family and I were shopping for kitchen items to put in our new house, and they had to fit in with the proposed ...

Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM2500 12-Cup Coffee Maker Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity12 CupOperation SourceElectric Technical Featur...

I like it hot Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM400 8 Cup Coffee Maker Our Krups died a little to young. We got it as a wedding gift 3 years ago and the digital display died suddenly. ...

Black & Decker SmartBrew Plus DCM2500B Coffee Maker

Piece of Junk sent it back to the company Black & Decker SmartBrew DCM2000 Coffee Maker