I've seen other reviewers complaints about this coffee maker, but I've used it for years & haven't had any problems with it. It's easy to use, compact, & works quickly. My wife & I both drink coffee, but not the same type, so it doesn't make sense for us to use a 2+ cup coffee maker since we'd have to make two separate portions anyway. So we each have our own B&D, & use them simultaneously. The coffee comes out fine; I use Starbucks Verona (which my wife says tastes like burnt coffee from the bottom of a pot anyway), & she uses a decaff chocolate blueberry flavor. The only difficulty (& it's not a fault of the B&D) is that the #1 filters are hard to find, even on the internet, but this coffee maker comes with a permanent, dishwasher safe filter, so you really don't have to use paper filters if you don't want to. I recommend this product for anyone who wants a quick cup of coffee & doesn't need more than one cup at a time.
I have used this coffee maker for over 5 years now and it's still running great. In fact, I just bought another one to take on trips & bring to the office.
Pros:
1. I don't have to make more than one serving at a time for myself and it brews straight into the mug.
2. It comes with a permanent filter but you can also use cone filters size #1 which I can buy nearby. Less messy to clean up using the paper filter. I just toss the grounds in the trash.
3. Quick to brew; done in < 5 minutes
Cons:
1. Hard to find a replacement mug of the right size or permanent filter
2. No warming element
3. The grounds do soak up some water and less comes out that you put in but it also happens with larger coffee pots (which being larger, you don't notice as much because you aren't MEASURING with the same cup you drink from).
Hints:
1. To stop grounds from floating into the water resevoir, use drip or cone ground coffee. Avoid very finely ground (i.e., espresso)
2. To avoid overflows, leave the cover off while brewing.
I am the only coffee drinker in my family and had a Brew N' Go for over 6 years when the mesh filter began to separate from the plastic. Unfortunately, Black and Decker changed the design and I was unable to find a replacement filter from them or anybody. I looked for a replacement single cup coffee maker in several retailers and finally found one on Amazon at a very reasonable price.
However, newer is not better. The new model filter only has screen on the 2 sides and is mostly plastic, where as the original was mostly a fine screen with plastic reinforcement.
From the very first cup it was a disappointment, as coffee grounds overflowed into my cup and throughout the coffee maker. This new design filter does not let the water pass through quick enough when you use a fine or moderate grinds of coffee. With larger grinds the coffee comes out weak, or if you try to make it stronger by adding more grinds you can have the same overflow problem! For months I would put coarse coffee in the bottom and the better fine ground coffee on top and crossed my fingers.
Then the other day I was in CVS and saw a single cup coffee maker for 15 bucks. It has a mostly screen filter like the original B&D and works great! The next day I was in Big Lots and found another one that appears to use a #2 filter (so replacements can be easy in the future) and it works great for 10 bucks!!
The Black and Decker is going in the trash!! Save yourself the hassle and get something else and make sure it has a lot of screen area in the filter.
5 weeks after I purchased this coffee maker it quit working. I contacted Black and Decker about it and they sent me to another company (Applica Consumer Products) that actually manufacture and produce the coffee maker for them. This company responded only after a long while and simply said, "We're sorry, we have not experienced any problems with this coffee maker so we are unable to refund your money." Another comment from Applica worth noting was: "Applica Consumer Products does not have a money back guarantee policy." What this means is, if you are unhappy for any reason with your Black and Decker/Applica Consumer Product, well too bad! You bought it and if you don't like or it quits working, you're SOL! If you are in the market for a personal-type coffee maker, such as the Black and Decker Brew N Go, I would suggest you avoid this one like the plaque!
Pros:
- Good tasting hot coffee.
- Includes permanent filter.
Cons:
- Coffee mug is plastic, which means hot coffee rapidly turns warm.
- Besides the removable lid, the coffee mug consists of two pieces, a black container and a brown outer housing. Water tends to seep between the container and housing after a few hand-washings or one run through the dishwasher. You must separate the two pieces to remove the water. That's when you'll discover the seal between the two is simply a thin rubber band.
- Coffee grounds ALWAYS attach to the overhead where the hot water enters the grounds chamber, which means a little extra effort cleaning the unit between brews.
- Coffee grounds frequently enter the water reservoir and seep between the permanent filter and the filter housing, which means even more effort cleaning the unit between brews. Recommend buying number 2 cone filters; less mess.
Note: Black & Decker has released an improved model, the DCM-18S. It has a stainless outer shell and they have solved the issue of the housing coming apart from the inner shell. I give it 5 stars! - 1 Cup Coffee Maker - Travel Coffee Maker - Great Value - Brew N Go - Coffee Maker - Personal Coffee Maker'
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