Black & Decker DCM18S Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug
by Black & Decker
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List Price: Our Price: $17.39 You Save: $2.60 (13%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $17.31 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker DCM18S Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug
Customer Review: Perfect Cup, Perfect Convenience
Summary: 5 Stars
I have two of these, one for work, one for home. One has the stainless mug, one has the original plastic mug. I've been using this model for at least eight years. As the only coffee drinker at home, I find the product to be ideal for MY perfect cup. It's fresh, to my strength, and I only rinse the permanent filter after each cup. I can put it in the dishwasher, too (the filter and detachable parts. I love easy cleanup!
My teen and husband use it for tea and cocoa. I do have size 2 paper cones for days when I won't have time to rinse! I use these INSIDE the permanent filter, then grab and put in trash on my way out the door. Size 1 is the perfect fit, but hard to find. I buy generic size 2 at the grocery and fold them a bit. For cleaning, remove the filter and holder, and wipe a vinegar-sprayed cloth around the drip chamber bottom. Water works, too. That's it!
I've never had a single problem with the lids, or with off-flavors. I wash both of those pieces in my dishwasher. Lid will even accommodate a straw! Fits my car holders, too. Not one negative about this setup. It's portable, and space-saving.
As someone who only drinks FRESH coffee, and despises the burnt stuff that comes from coffeemakers with heated plates under glass carafes, this is the only way to go. It makes my fresh-ground beans shine with flavor!
I will be in a bind if this product is ever discontinued. Thanks, Black and Decker, for the best product you've ever manufactured. :)
Customer Review: Great one cup coffee maker
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this coffee maker for a military medical humanitarian aid trip I was taking. I like a good cup of coffee and knew I wouldn't get it where I was going unless I brought it myself. Years ago I bought a neat little travel pot (Krups?), but the seals are bad and it no longer works, so I did my research and chose the B&D. I took it on my trip and it worked extremely well (I was the envy of my barracks mates). Now I'm home and it sits on the counter where my other, multi-cup maker formerly sat.
Pros: Fast and simple. It makes a nice big cup of coffee (~16 oz). Works with or without a paper filter. Really easy to clean. No heater plate to burn the coffee or get rusty/crusty - this also means I can place the included travel mug or about any coffee cup under the spout.
Cons: Not as compact as my old Krups in which the pot and cup, etc nested together into a zippered bag. I don't think the B&D is designed as a travel unit as much as a small simple counter top unit. Still it tucked into a corner of my suitcase well enough - and I didn't have to worry about a glass carafe.
Summary: Some people seem to think making coffee should be rocket science (or voodoo black magic). I think it is about moving clean, hot water through good, freshly roasted and ground coffee. This Black & Decker unit does that very quickly and efficiently. I drink one cup of coffee at a time and that's how I make it. It can't be much simpler than this.
Customer Review: Not bad at all!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this product for my mom, who drinks coffee...but is the only one in our family to do so regularly. Operating it is simple enough; just load the coffee grounds into the (reusable) filter, flip the switch, and voila...coffee brewed and in the mug in about 5 minutes.
There are a couple of drawbacks to this machine though:
1) It doesn't have an "Off" switch. Once you flip the switch down, it will start to boil the water. This usually isn't an issue if you already have the cup sitting there, but when the switch is flipped (but you don't know it) and you plug it in, it starts to boil whatever is inside and you have to wait until the light turns off automatically before you can load your next brew in. This can get a bit annoying if you're constantly plugging/unplugging it to move it around and such.
2) There's no timer. It only turns on when you flip the switch. However, this one can be easily solved if you leave it plugged into a timer-based electrical outlet (that others have probably mentioned as well). I haven't personally done this, but it should work just fine.
Overall, this coffee-maker brews great coffee, and just enough for one person. The mug has a great feel to it, is easy to handle, and seems sturdy enough to withstand a few falls. The coffee inside also seems to stay well insulated for at least an hour or so. For the price I paid (~$20) this was a very good investment! 5/5 stars.
Customer Review: Great Coffee!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had to replace my traditional coffee maker and figured I could go a different route and buy a nice espresso machine to get some really great tasting coffee. Well, instead of spending $100+ on a machine, I found this B&D on amazon for $20 and figured...why not?
Well, I'm on my third cup of coffee this morning because it tastes good. I just used some Folgers coffee that I got from Costco (yup, the big tub, should last me all year, LOL). It is so fresh and I'm not drinking that burnt, bitter crap after it sits in the carafe for an hour or so.
Making the coffee was simple: Just put some water in the cup and then pour it into the reservoir. Then, two scoops of ground coffee, put the mug under the drip area and press the start/on button. The coffee starts going into the provided cup and it is...well, fresh.
Cleanup isn't so bad either. Just clean your cup, the coffee ground basket in the machine and wipe down the excess on the water spout thing inside...that's it.
The only negative I can say is that the coffee will still drip out of the machine after you take your cup out. So you can either leave your cup there for a bit, or put a napkin where it is dripping (only about a teaspoon of coffee drips out, BTW).
So all in all, for a single user cup of coffee...THIS IS GOOD STUFF! Now, I just wonder how long it will last.
Customer Review: A lifesaver for those on the go...
Summary: 5 Stars
As a grad student with a more-than-hectic schedule, I usually roll out of bed and run out the door. This Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker and Travel Mug have saved the day! Water heats extremely rapidly and it takes no more than 2 minutes from turning the unit on until my coffee/tea is ready.
I use it to heat water for tea more often than I use it for coffee, and I've found that I have to let the tea steep a little longer than if I'd boiled the water on the stove, but it's still extremely convenient and easy to use.
The 15-oz. travel mug retains heat well and has a rubber-coated handle and nonskid bottom, which is a nice feature. The coffeemaker can be used with a permanent filter or paper filters (I prefer using disposable unbleached paper filters to the wire basket filter, as it can be messy to clean from the coffee bean oil accumulations). The coffeemaker shuts off automatically after brewing, another nice feature for those on the go (and one less thing to worry about on the way to work).
My only complaint would be that the plastic-coated inside of the travel mug is scratched up from using spoons to stir in sugar.
Overall, a good value for a rapid, portable mug of joe. For those who are coffee junkies, this will save you hundreds of dollars over buying your morning coffee fix from Starbucks, Beaners or Second Cup.