Black & Decker TCM830 10-Cup Thermal Stainless-Steel Coffeemaker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker TCM830 10-Cup Thermal Stainless-Steel Coffeemaker
Customer Review: OK, But I Have A Braun I Like Much Better - UPDATE: Crashed After 3 Months
Summary: 3 Stars
Update to the review below: After 3 months, I, like some others, have a machine that won't brew the entire pot. It shuts itself off after a few cups. If you start it again, you get another few cups. You can eventually get a full pot, but it's a real hassle. The review below is my original take on this maker, and hasn't really changed; but I wouldn't get another one of these.
This is kind of a "skewed" review, so take it as you will. I really like the thermal carafe makers and needed another one for the cabin. I've had a Braun KF600 for years and love it but the carafe only holds about 42 oz. and I needed more there, so that's my direct comparison.
For the B&D:
Pros:
Removeable water container - works well.
Fairly large thermal carafe - about 52 oz.
Brews fairly fast.
Low Cost.
Cons:
Kind of "cheesy" materials throughout.
Can't fit hand inside carafe to clean.
Carafe lid design OK but not great. Requires you to screw it open
and closed.
BIG footprint - too tall to fit under my cabinets at home, also
large width.
Other than the removeable water tank, larger carafe, and the timer (which I don't need) I like my Braun much better. As an engineer, I appreciate the higher grade plastics and switches, and the design of the carafe lid on the Braun. Also the smaller footprint. It's just a better built machine, but it did cost more. For the price the B&D is OK if it holds up.
Customer Review: Great thermal coffeemaker
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this coffeemaker for just about two months now, and have been very happy with it so far. When I first got it I ran through a full load of water, to see if it would overflow on a full brew. The first time I used it, yes it did overflow a bit, but that was due to me putting a touch too much water in the reservoir. You have to make sure you set the reservoir on a completely flat surface, I made the mistake of setting it in our slightly rounded sink. Due to the angle it was sitting at, what I thought was 10 cups was in reality a bit more. After I learned that, I haven't had any problems with overflowing at all. I really like the removable reservoir, I can leave the coffeemaker tucked back under the cupboards and not have to pull it out in order to fill it with water.
The lid of the carafe is a bit touchy to get on, sometimes it takes a couple tries to get the threads lined up. But it's nothing that takes longer than an extra 30 seconds for me. The carafe is excellent at keeping coffee hot. It comes out hot, and stays hot for several hours. We previously tried a Cuisinart thermal carafe machine, and the coffee didn't even start out hot from that one, only warm. This one brews hot coffee that stays that way for a long time.
The removable filter basket is nice, you can carry it right over to the trash to empty it. The unit looks pretty sharp on the counter as well. Overall this is a great coffeemaker and I'm very pleased with the purchase. Time will tell if it doesn't fall apart, but two months in it's a good buy.
Customer Review: TCM830 Reviewed - The Almost Perfect Coffee Maker
Summary: 4 Stars
I recently bought the B&D TCM830. It was exactly what I had been looking for in a coffee maker. Previously I had a Mr. Coffee and it could never be cleaned satisfactorily, retaining old coffee residue and grime in the coffee basket area. So an important feature was to find one that the coffee assembly could be removed to be cleaned. I also became tired of breaking carafes so the stainless steel thermal pot was welcomed, plus the fact that it can and does keep coffee warm longer than I am interested in drinking the stuff. I was concerned about the fact (as others had mentioned) that the tower seemed a bit wobbley and allowed the water / coffee valve over the carafe to easily misalign. (Although it does not seem to cause any leaks or issues.) The other item I worried about is the valve between the removable water tank and where it seats on the coffee maker. As someone else said "it's seems like a leak ready to happen", but once again it has never caused a issue. And as others had mentioned, I too found that overflow hole at the 10 cup level that always spilled water on the way back from the faucet,(highly annoying). Overall, I am very satisfied with this coffee maker and if B&D had paid a little more attention to those 2 things this would be "The Ultimate Coffee Maker". It's priced very reasonable and as a matter of fact I was surprised at how reasonable it was ($49 @ Lowe's). I would have bought a Bunn but they did not have a model that had all the features of this Black & Decker. I give it 4+ stars and would recommend it.Customer Review: Makes weak half-pot, but nice carafe-based design
Summary: 3 Stars
Straight-forward design with a nice carafe, but doesn't heat the water enough, and makes a weak half-pot.
Like most low-end coffee-makers, this unit doesn't get the water to the optimal brewing temperature if 195-200F . Using the usual recommendation of cold water resulted in unusually flat/weak coffee compared to the old Cusinart I was replacing, and the cold carafe made it even worse: lukewarm weak coffee.
Using room-temperature water and pre-warming the carafe with hot water helps, but isn't a substitute for getting the water temperature high enough.
My usual serving size of a half-pot (4-5 cups) brews too rapidly, further weakening the flavor, and prompted me to return the unit. There is no "small pot" setting like in the Cusinarts.
The unit is a little cheap and plastic-y looking, especially the water tank, but construction seemed solid.
The carafe is well-made, but it takes a try or two to get the spring-loaded cap positioned correctly under the basket for brewing. The same cap also holds water after washing, though I was able to press it "open" and shake it dry.
Unfortunately, I only came across a Cook's Illustrated coffee-maker review that mentions the same issues I encountered, after I had already tried the unit.
This machine is adequate for a whole pot with the precautions of warmer water and warmed carafe, but coffee-fanatics should look elsewhere.
Customer Review: Black & Decker sure don't make them like they used to!
Summary: 3 Stars
The good news is the coffee stays hot for quite a few hours in the Thermos. We purchased this product because it had all the features we were looking for and not easy to find. We always loved the automatic shut-off and the thermos Carafe but the main features we were accustom to was the removable basket & removable water reservoir for easy access and cleaning. We thought this product would be a good replacement for our B&D Thermal Carafe Coffeemaker #TCM401 which stopped working after over 10 years of reliable coffee making. (This Model came out in the late 80's which is when I purchased my first one and is discontinued).
The B&D TCM830 does not compare in the construction or durability - it has a cheap plastic water reservoir flip top (no hinge just thin plastic fold) that is very flimsy and you have to handle it very carefully because in a short time it will wear and break off. Also, when placing the thermos on it's stand, you have to handle it very gingerly and exact because the surface is flat and the pot slips around and keeps knocking the release pin under the basket until it catches correctly and feels locked in place. If you are not careful the release pin will break - I am hoping this machine outlast my expectations and I get my monies worth but I am not betting on it!
In the future, I will not buy a coffeemaker or any appliance unless I physically seeing it on a store shelf and evaluate it prior to purchase.