Black & Decker DCM7 Cup-at-a-Time Personal 12-Ounce Coffeemaker, White
by Black & Decker
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List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker DCM7 Cup-at-a-Time Personal 12-Ounce Coffeemaker, White
Customer Review: Hope these are made forever! No pods needed. Just brew.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using this for what seems like over 10 years. It's been that long or longer. This is my third one. I use it several times a day each and every day. It lasts just about as long as I could ever expect an appliance of this type to last.
I'm the only coffee drinker in the house. A single cup maker is exactly what I need.
This cup-at-a-time brewer doesn't require those expensive "pods." It works with plain paper filters and it also provides a reusable nylon mesh filter basket if you don't want to use paper. Extra tall mugs won't fit but an 8-ounce mug fits nicely. (There is a larger version of this coffee maker that will take taller mugs but it comes only in black.)
I use standard 12 cup full sized brew basket paper filters because they are least expensive. Once you practice placing them in the filter holder, you realize there's no need to spend extra money for the #1 filter that it is designed to accomodate. It's hard to find #1 size filters anyway. You can use 4 cup filters in this thing, too, but I think the 12 cup filter works best. You just learn to insert the filter so that only one layer of the paper covers the basket drain hole. (More than one layer of paper causes the grounds and water to spill over into the cup--absolutely won't spill onto the countertop--you'll just have grounds in your coffee. A little practice and, like me, you can insert a standard full sized paper filter in about 1 second even when you're sleepy-tired in the morning.)
It brews quickly and it shuts itself off automatically when done. Plain, simple, effective, reliable, with low cost of ownership. Use any coffee you like. Use any filters you like. Lasts for years. I hope they never stop making this thing.
You can even make pseudo-expresso with this thing. Use your burr grinder to grind beans into the fine dust you'd use for an expresso maker. There is a reusable nylon mesh filter provided in case you don't want to use paper filters. The nylon mesh won't filter out the oils like paper does. I use disposable paper to make it easy to discard the messy grounds for most of my coffee drinking. I use the nylon mesh filter when I want a super strong drink with an oil slick floating on the surface of the coffee.
Customer Review: You can make tea (or hot chocolate) too!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this for my bathroom, so I could easily have tea during long baths. I didn't want a big, bulky machine to store under the sink, so this was nice and small (it's sorta cylindrical--about 8.5" high, 7" wide & 6" deep). I figured it was so inexpensive, that I wouldn't be too upset if it didn't work well. Heck, people pay almost this much for one cup of coffee at one of those fancy-schmacy places. It does work great, though!
Unlike some other brands, it does indeed have an on/off switch. I just stick a tea bag in the permanent filter, some sugar in the cup and in 2 minutes, hot tea! You can also make hot chocolate..of course with cocoa mix (land o' lakes..which they sell here at amazon, rocks!)and water. I suppose if you filled your cup with ice, you could have iced tea, too, but I haven't tried that yet.
This model requires you to have your own cup, but if you're like most people, you have extra mugs around (you need one under 4 inches high!) The machine takes up to 12 oz of water, but I couldn't quickly find a cup short and fat enough to make a whole 12...only 10oz. That is fine though...in 2 minutes, just make 10oz more! It doesn't have a warming plate under the cup, but you're likely making it to drink right away. Totally worth the price.
Now I'm thinking of getting them for all my friends at work for Christmas with a cute mug and a bunch of hot chocolate mix...that would be a fun present.
Customer Review: A lot easier to use and safer.
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought one of these for my mother for Christmas. Years ago I had gotten her a Black&Decker cup-at-a-time coffeemaker and it finally gave up last year. The only cup-at-a-time coffeemaker at a reasonable price I could find locally was by Toastess. The Toastess paled in comparison to the Black&Decker, not only in build quality but in ease of use. My mother suffers from a neurological disorder which makes it difficult to coordinate the use of her hands; she is okay with general tasks, but nothing which requires fine manipulation. This Black&Decker coffeemaker, like the model before, is easy to use. The power switch is on the front and a little larger than several coffeemakers switches; you just have to push down on it. There is nothing to move out of the way when filling the reservoir; just lift the lid. The reservoir is also a little wider than the Toastess making it easier to fill. Of course, one of the safety features, which the Toastess model also lacks, is the automatic shut-off. When it is finished making a cup of coffee, and it is fast, it just shuts off, which is great for someone who keeps forgetting to turn off their coffeemaker. The only issue I can see that someone may have, and niggling at that, is that this unit cannot hold tall coffee mugs. All of my mother's coffee mugs fit, which is a lesser concern for me, however, than its ease of use and safety, at which this Black&Decker excels.--BobCustomer Review: Super Buy, Super Coffee
Summary: 5 Stars
When I bought this machine I was suspicious. Could something so inexpensive really do the job? I bought it based on the high reviews. I place an additional filter in the filter basket of the coffee pot. This keeps coffee grinds from getting into any of the coffee maker mechanisms and into the cup. I usually use one heaping tablespoon of Folgers or Heritage (local brand) coffee for a semi strong cup of coffee. This is an excellent and worthwhile purchase for the dollar! Enjoy!
I'm going to add another comment here after owning this coffee maker for a while. I would still give this five stars but want to alert people to the following. This is an inexpensive commodity. The back top area of the pot where you put in the water over time can slightly warp due to the steam heat from the water. This means that the water can leak out a little bit and drip down the sides. It's not a huge problem, however, it is somewhat annoying. The whole unit is so inexpensive, that I just bought another one. I keep the older one stored. Wanted anyone to know this before purchasing. This is **still** an excellent purchase for the money and replacement costs still minimal compared to more expensive units.
Customer Review: Quick and easy, and very reliable!
Summary: 5 Stars
My mother, sister, and I have each had one of these Black & Decker Cup-At-A-Time coffeemakers for *years*. They are long-lived, reliable, and always give you a perfect, single cup of coffee. Additionally, they are small, very light of weight, and easy to carry with you if you do a lot of traveling (esp. by car), or for use at your desk.
Just think of the satisfaction you will have of enjoying a fresh-made cup of your favourite blend whenever you want, instead of either drinking the bilge in the community coffeepot, instead of drinking the bilge in the community coffeepot. And how about the money that you could save by making your own cup of fresh coffee instead of dropping at least $2.00 for a cup from a local cafe. I can speak from experience on both of these points...
The purchasing of one is about as close to a "worthwhile investment" as one can make, with regard to small appliances. Unfortunately, they can be very difficult to find in so-called "brick-and-mortar" stores. Kudos to Amazon for carrying them! I intend to purchase two more of them, as gifts for friends who have long coveted mine...