Black & Decker DCM500B SmartBrew 5-Cup Coffeemaker, Black
by Black & Decker
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Our Price: $19.53 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $19.52 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker DCM500B SmartBrew 5-Cup Coffeemaker, Black
Customer Review: Started strong, now dripping
Summary: 2 Stars
When I first bought this 5-cup coffee maker, I was so thrilled I purchased 2 more as gifts. It's just 6 months later, and all 3 of us are experiencing hot water and some coffee liquid falling outside the carafe. I'm disappointed in this brand, which I trusted. Looking more closely inside, the poor design which houses the filter holder is the issue. I won't be buying another B&D again.Customer Review: somewhat disappointed
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this little coffeemaker for my college-aged daughter. She said she loved it for the small cups she could make in a hurry, but it broke in less than a year--I think! She says it's been almost 2 yrs., so maybe I'm wrong. Just to be sure, though, I think I'll try another brand since I now have to buy her another coffeemaker!
Customer Review: Excellent small coffee maker!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great little coffee maker, and does a better job overall than my old 12 cup Braun coffee maker ever did. Makes good coffee, and the warming plate keeps it warm -- actually, hot! I had been looking around for a small coffee maker, and on a recent trip to Walmart, I saw this on the display shelf with the other coffee makers. It seemed to be a bit sturdier and better-quality than the competing Mr. Coffee 4-5 cup. Of course there seemed to be a zillion of those in stock, but I could not find a single one of the B&D SmartBrew on the shelf. I almost gave up, until I went 2 aisles over, and lo and behold, way up on the top shelf, there was ONE SmartBrew left! After looking around for half hour for a sales person to get it down off the shelf, I finally found someone. The best part is, it cost less than the Mr. Coffee. If you're looking for a small coffee maker, this is a great choice. And, no offense to Amazon, but I paid much less at Walmart. Let's just say it cost me slightly under $10.00 for mine! ;o)Customer Review: Nearly Perfect Small Coffee Maker
Summary: 5 Stars
I am very pleased with this coffee maker. I am not a coffee drinker. I bought this smaller-sized, 5-cup coffee maker to make tea a few times a week, and I've been using it for about a month. I use the carafe to fill up the reservoir, put a tea bag in the filter cup and turn it on. A few minutes later I have 2 or 3 cups of tea ready at the perfect temperature. The machine's lid covers both the tank and filter cup and is hinged in the back. The steam hose and hinged nozzle are attached to the lid. It's a little difficult to get all of the water out of the carafe and into the tank, but this is a minor issue. There is a translucent plastic window that lets you see the water level in the reservoir, but I just use the carafe(after rinsing it out) to fill it, so I haven't actually needed to use this feature. The cord is about 3 feet long, but that's plenty for me.
The carafe is a really nice design. It has a comfortable handle and a detachable, hinged lid. The spout is wide, but when you pour, it directs the liquid in a manageable stream. It also has a small ridge below it that collects the drops that would normally drip. The glass is pretty thin, so I try to be gentle with it, and I haven't had any problems yet.
One feature this coffee maker lacks is a valve under the filter cup. If you remove the carafe while it's brewing, your beverage will pour directly onto the warming plate. I just wait until it's done brewing, and there is no problem. The brewing cycle is quick and relatively quiet. This coffee maker doesn't go on sputtering forever like some others I've used.
I did have one issue where I couldn't turn off the machine. At both positions, the lighted switch would stay lighted. I think this MIGHT be intentional. Maybe it had to fully evaporate all the water in the reservoir or something. I never read the manual, so I'm not sure. I just waited a few minutes and then was able to turn it off, and I haven't had that problem again after many uses, so I'm not worried.
The bottom line is that this maker is cheap, simple, nice-looking, functional, and easy to use. There is a larger capacity model for those who need more beverage, but for me this size is perfect. If you don't need extra features and don't want to pay a lot, this would be a good choice. I got mine at the evil Mart of Wal for little money.
Customer Review: Very dispointed
Summary: 2 Stars
while true it doesn't drip like others when pouring coffee, but nothing else about it is up to par. First it doesn't use a gold-tone filter basket, or will one fit. The standard filters I got were a bit too big. Okay those are things that are livable, but it took very long to make a pot of coffee compared to my other 4 cup makers I've had. Last the coffee it made was not very good. I would say continue looking.