Black & Decker DCM18 Brew 'N Go Coffeemaker

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... Read more

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... Read more