Pros: Programmable clock/timer; auto shut-off feature; quickly brews the coffee.
Cons: Kind of a noisy brewing process.
The Bottom Line: This is a simple coffeemaker that allows your morning routine to flow right along because of the programmable clock/timer. The 2-hour auto shut-off gives you peace of mind!
Jev04again's Full Review: Black & Decker DLX900 12-Cup Coffee Maker
Recently, my coffeemaker went to that great, percolating place in the sky, so I was forced to go out and search for a new machine. Anyone who knows me, knows without a single, solitary doubt, that I can’t function without my morning coffee so it was imperative that I get one the moment that I was physically able.
I trekked to my local Wal-Mart and knocked over a few people getting to the small appliances aisle… hey, when you’re desperate, things happen, okay? As I perused the small selection that was available, one coffeemaker caught my eye. It was the Black & Decker 12-cup Programmable Coffeemaker. At a price of only $18.47, I was mesmerized and desperate, so I grabbed it and ran to the checkout counter.
The machine that I chose is white in color and came with a glass carafe. The gray on white handle is very comfortable and is angled out for easier lifting. I like that it’s a 12-cup carafe since I often have guests who suck down as much coffee as I do. Maybe more. No names will be given out to protect the innocent party, okay *Josh*?
The unit doesn’t take up a lot of space on my counter, thank goodness. It’s only 12.5” high x 9.5” deep, so it’s just your standard sized coffeemaker. I appreciate that it has a nice length of cord, approximately 36 inches.
The coffeemaker has a swing-out basket that is removable so that it can be washed easily. This basket uses the basic, basket-style filters, and it swings open and closed very easily. You’ll know that it’s ready to go when you hear and feel a slight “snap” of the basket, letting you know that it’s locked in place.
There is a see-through window on the side of the coffeemaker. The picture on the box shows the window on the right side of the unit, but it’s actually on the left. As you pour the water into the reservoir into the flip-up reservoir you can see the water level rise so you know how much water to pour in there.
There is a nifty “Sneak-a-Cup” interrupt feature that comes in handy for those times where you just can’t wait for the brewing cycle to end, and you can lift the carafe off of the warming plate to pour some coffee without worrying about the coffee streaming out. It doesn’t take long to brew a pot of coffee; although I haven’t timed it.
The 12-cup carafe sets on a nonstick “keep hot” plate that maintains the coffee’s temperature. It’s also a very comforting thought to know that this coffeemaker has a safety feature that allows the coffeemaker to automatically shut off by itself after two hours. You will know when the coffeemaker is off when the red light, located above the "On" button, goes out.
The main feature that drew me to this coffeemaker is that it has a programmable clock/timer on it. You can see the digital display as it glows in red. The gray, programmable buttons are “Hour”, “Min”, “Prog”, “Auto”, “Off”, and “On.” Programming the clock and timer are very simple, so simple that you don’t even need to use the brochure that came with it, but it never hurts to have it close by. Once you’ve programmed your timer for whenever you want it to begin brewing, all you have to do is wait for the magic to happen. It’s so nice to wake up in the mornings to the aroma of coffee waiting for me at 5:15 a.m.!
Final Thoughts…
Before using the Black & Decker 12-cup Programmable Coffeemaker, be sure to wash the carafe with hot, soapy water and run 12-cups of water through the reservoir to remove any factory dust and oils before you use it to actually brew coffee.
About once a month, clean the inside of the coffeemaker and its inner workings of mineral deposits by running white vinegar through the water reservoir. Just pour enough vinegar into the reservoir to the 6-cup level and enough water to fill it to the 10-cup level. Run that half-way through and then turn the coffeemaker off for about 15 minutes to allow the deposits to soften. Then continue the cycle through so that the rest of the vinegar/water solution runs through. Pour that out, allow the carafe to cool down, and then add water to the 10-cup level and run that through. You should be good to go for another month or so.
This coffeemaker came with a 1-year warranty, and there is also a brochure included that is written in English, Spanish, and French. This brochure tells you about the safety features, how to program your coffeemaker, and cleaning tips.
So far, I’m quite satisfied with the Black & Decker 12-cup Programmable Coffeemaker. It gets the job done, the coffee tastes terrific, and it’s a relatively quick brew. I guess my only small gripe is that it's kind of a noisy brewing process, but it's not annoying. I love the programmable clock/timer which makes my morning much more enjoyable. Which, in turn, makes everybody’s morning much more enjoyable!
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Program your coffeemaker and awake to freshly brewed coffee kept at the perfect temperature on the auto-off keep warm plate. Forget to program the ma...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.