Black & Decker DCM2500B SmartBrew Coffeemaker

This is truly a great deal if you're looking for a coffeemaker that just makes coffee. It does the job and does it well. The carafe is accurately marked with number of cups, with a little step to show the difference between water "in" and coffee "out," and it (mostly) doesn't drip after you pour...what else can you ask for? We bought this model instead of the less expensive DCM2000 because it has the "timed off" function...it shuts itself off after two hours, so you don't cook your coffee into road tar if you don't drink it right away (it's easy enough to reheat a cuppa in the microwave). We also got the black model because we were worried about staining...good choice, since we can't tell whether it's stained or not! The filter basket is removable, and the reservoir is marked in cups of water so you don't have to use the carafe to fill it.

Would we buy another one? Yup...in a New York minute! We've discovered that most of the complaints about overflowing probably come from people using the "sneak-a-cup" feature and failing to observe the "no more than one minute" time limit clearly stated in the instructions...or possibly failing to properly set the carafe in place to open the drip hole on the basket. If you pay attention to the rules and carafe placement, you'll never have an overflow...it's not that tough.

Now for the "bad" stuff...

I can't say whether this is really "bad" or not, but it IS an inexpensive coffeemaker, and it feels that way in materials and construction, but it does work...we'll have to see how long it lasts with daily use. I'd have to be convinced that something costing two or three times as much makes better coffee...I'm into function, not status.

It's tall! It probably won't fit under most wall-mounted kitchen cabinets with the lid open...we just pull it forward when filling it or emptying the filter basket after the coffee is brewed, and prop the lid partially open with a piece of plastic to let it dry between uses.

Note: after the coffee is brewed and you lift the cover to remove the filter basket, the water spreader and associated "stuff" still contains a fair amount of water and you'll probably get a sizable drip on your counter. The basket itself won't drip because it has the "sneak-a-cup" valve that closes when there's no carafe under it.

If you use the full 12-cup capacity, the filter (the filter, NOT the basket!) may overflow and you'll get grounds in your coffee (yes, we do use filters labeled "for 8-12 cups"). This has happened twice...not a big deal, but annoying; if your filters reach the top of the basket, you won't have this trouble, and the accessory permanent filter would probably solve the problem as well. Most of the time we make 8 cups, however, and everything is fine. One note about cup size: As with most coffeemakers, they're talking about fine-china size cups...a REAL mug (like the ones most of the real world uses!) is actually about two of their cups, so if you want two mugs' worth, make 4 cups, and use one slightly rounded coffee scoop per mug.

Yes, the coffee COULD be hotter right after brewing...it gets somewhat hotter if it sits on the hotplate for any length of time...but it's hot enough for me, and I just nuke it in the mug for 30 seconds if I want it hotter right after it's brewed.

Finally, I had a coupon, but there are great deals out there on this item...I've seen them for $20, and only one place had them for more than $30. Unless you're into chi-chi names and shiny stainless steel, this is one of the best items around...the consumer magazine was right.

I am very disappointed with this product because after a few weeks of use, the paint on the heating element is peeling off and there are scratches visible.

Unfortunately, I do not think this product will last me very long.

This was everything Consumer Reports says it was.
I love the coffe, the ease of operation, and it
does not spill, or leak when I pour coffee. Great
item!

Before purchasing a coffee maker I checked consumers Report. This unit was within my price range and received a favorable review.
The unit arrived on time well packaged and in excellent condition.I wanted a unit that was straight forward and didn't have to have a lot of frills to break, just make a good consistant cup of coffee.
This unit has exceeded my expectations for a unit in this price range.The timer works perfectly.I like that the water gauge is visible from both sides, the plate keeps the coffee hot for 2 hours and shuts off.
This is a great looking unit that so far has been a joy to own.

This item had 3 stars and we ordered without reading all the reviews. Also, it was recommended by Consumer Reports. This coffee maker is a piece of junk. It lived up to all the bad reviews. Very thin glass pot and also it does not fit nicely under the spout like it should - you have to wiggle it sometimes. We are going back to Mr.Coffee. The seller took it back and Amazon treated us fairly on the shipping charges.