Black & Decker DCM18S Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker DCM18S Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug
Customer Review: Just one cup, please!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am so glad I got this coffee maker ... read on.
After reading numerous reviews about how this didn't work, blah, blah, blah ... I finally decided it was time to try it myself. Being one who has had great luck with Black & Decker appliances over the years, when this came to me via e-mail as a special offer, I picked it up. I had been wanting a solution for the 10-cup monster sitting on my counter for a long time, and this is PERFECT! From the first cup, the coffee isn't stone cold (as some have stated), but instead: it's HOTTER than the other pot! You can SEE the steam coming from the cup with only 1/2 inch of water! If that's cold to someone, then they need to have their senses fixed, or you got a bad unit (machine-made products do have defects from time-to-time). The only flaws I see with this product are:
1. The permanent filter is quite unnecessary. Regular drip coffee even seems to get thru it (the really-fine coffee dust you can get at times only). I just use a coffee filter inside it for double protection. Voila! Fixed! (just a preference --- same reason I don't use a coffee press --- I don't like the residue!)
2. The insulated cup can get quite warm on the outside of it, so I use a regular coffee mug instead if I'm drinking the stuff at home (usually don't take it on the road). Otherwise, the thermal mug keeps it warm for quite a while, often TOO hot for my taste!
If you're a single person like myself, and only drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day, this solution is ideal. Plus, you lose some of the clutter on the counter. It looks streamlined, and very nice to have out even when company comes over. I have friends who drink coffee at night (how? I don't know!), and I pull out the bulky 10-cup to make just one cup. Now, that's the past! This is the future! And I don't have to use those expensive coffee pods, either! I recommend this to anyone who is searching for the 10-cup coffee maker solution!
Customer Review: One Minor (Major Flaw)
Summary: 4 Stars
OK, I read a lot of reviews and the only thing I agree of is that it does have coffee grounds in the drink, I grind my own coffee, I just don't grind it fine and this has helped this problem A LOT. Like a lot of people, this is the most major flaw... and the reason why I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
EASY TO CLEAN, I don't understand how so many people complain of it being hard to clean. I just rinse it in a sink after I finish brewing my coffee.
CUP IS GREAT, the inside of the cup is plastic, but I don't find that it affects the taste...
Brews fast enough, I set it and come back within 5 minites and it is always done. When the coffee machine is turned off (automatically) sometimes you have to wait for the water to finish draining down the filter. OF course if you grind your coffee extremely fine, it will take more time to drain down the filter and you will get a lot more coffee grinds within the cup itself.
Even though it has that one flaw, I am still very happy with this machine. I have seen other one cup machines and they are much bigger, another major bonus of this machine is that it is so small.
Bottom line, if you are looking for the "perfect" one cup machine, this may not be the one for you. But if you don't mind a little coffee grind in your coffee (I almost got rid of this problem due to not making my coffee grind so fine) this could be considered a Amazing deal, I bought my machine for $10.00 delivered through Amazon Prime.
OK, I like my coffee strong!!!, I am a Starbucks person, so I put a lot of coffee grind in the machine, hence, this may be another reason why I get a little coffee grind in my coffee. If you are a Dunknin Donut person, and don't like your coffee so strong, you may not even experiance any coffee grind in your coffee.
BOTTOM LINE... don't grind your coffee super fine and this machine will make a great cup of coffee.
Customer Review: Running strong after five months of heavy use!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, first off there's a learning curve. The first cup of coffee I brewed in this was AWFUL - grounds splattered everywhere, sediment in the cup, weak coffee... awful. The tenth was pretty bad, too. A few things I've figured out about making a good, strong cup of coffee in this machine:
1) Ditch the reusable filter. You can either buy #1 cone filters from Melitta (available on Amazon) or pick up the next size up in basket style from the grocery. Those look way too big, but the edges actually fold to fit nicely into the Brew N' Go. The #1 cones limit (but not badly) the amount of grounds you can use.
2) Grind your coffee as you would for a normal machine. This machine seems built to replicate the normal brewing process as much as possible, only in miniature. If you grind your beans too fine so that you can use fewer beans and avoid spill-overs, you'll get a weak and over-extracted cup, just as you would in a normal machine. Using a paper filter will avoid spill-overs and allow you to grind the beans normally.
3) Be generous with the grind. I like a strong cup, and about 3 level tablespoons gets one out of this machine.
4) Fill the water reservoir at least to the line, maybe even a bit over, and use a tall cup to avoid splashes.
5) Expect a 2-3 minute brew time. If you use paper filters, there should be few or no grounds splashed inside the machine, and limited dripping when the cup is done brewing.
Secondly, I've been using this and another model of the same type (another version of the Black and Decker Brew n' Go) for five months (this model) and three months (the other) at home and at work. Using this one 2-4 times daily - and unplugging and replugging and washing and rinsing and otherwise harassing it - it still works perfectly. I'm certain it's already paid for itself in savings on beans, so already I'm ahead of the game. Get one! Heck, get two!
Customer Review: Nice Product - You get what you paid for
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered this product through amazon.com. bought it at a good price of $14.99.
This is a good product. What you get is a simple but effective drip system to brew your coffee. Don't expect this product to be equivalent in quality to some of the high priced coffee makers in the market. you get what you paid for.
General points:
--> Make sure you have coarsely ground(i.e.drip system suitable) cofee beans. otherwise you may find some ground in your coffee. I use Folgers and it works fine.
--> To clean...all you have to do is remove the filter and hold it under the tap upside down. and there goes all the residue down the drain...that simple.
--> The stainless cup has a plastic based inner lining...it may smell of plastic in the beginning(like mine did)...so, what I did was wash it a few times with hot water till that smell diminished. Now, I do not have any smell or taste of plastic(as was the complaint of some reviewers) in my coffee.
--> This coffee maker shuts off automatically after all the water pours into your cup. Other reviewers have complained that this mechanism doesn't work properly but I haven't faced any problem with it till now.
+ Very useful if you are the only coffee drinker in your home or office.
+ permanent coffee filter...so, no need of paper filters anymore.
+ Easy to clean.
+ brews pretty quickly...to give you coffee in abt 2-3 mins.
I would have liked this product even better if the opening on the lid of the cup had a mechanism to be locked so tht I can carry it around in my bag or something instead of holding the cup upright all the time. Also, better insulation of heat would have received high appreciation from me.
All in all, I liked this product. It's been only a few days since I purchased this product. I do not know how long the product will last. That only time will tell.
Customer Review: Almost Perfect
Summary: 3 Stars
I have been borrowing this unit from my girlfriend for almost a month to use for my morning coffee. I also used it on and off for about a year at her place so I think I have a pretty good feel for it. I'll get right to the point. I have a long list of pro's and then one significant con
+ Small footprint: I hate having appliances under the counter in a cabinet, I want them convenient and always on the counter, this unit take up VERY little space.
+ One cup of coffee: Perfect for the mornings before work, and even the weekends for me. I never drink more than a cup a day.
+ Relatively quick: Even for two cups (both myself and my girlfriend) it's not that long of a wait for it to brew twice.
+ Good flavor. For a ~$20 machine you can't really complain about taste. By good fresh beans and adjust the amount until you get what you like. If you are really a coffee aficianado and are attached to another method like french press, don't get your hopes up, but again, for $20 it's worth a shot!
+ Simple to clean, no filters!: I like it, less trash and quick to clean.
Now for the one con:
- As I mentioned before I like to leave my commonly used appliances on the counter. (I know people who store their toaster in a cabinet and have to take it out every time they want to use it. That would drive me nuts, but hey, to each his own!) I also like to keep them plugged in and ready to go, which I don't feel comfortable doing with this unit. As you may have read in other reviews, THIS UNIT WILL TURN ITSELF ON. I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of electric appliances (especially ones with heater elements) turning themselves on without my intervention!
So, if you don't mind unplugging the unit after each use, it's near perfect for the price. If that bugs you (as it does me), best look somewhere else.