Black and Decker DCM100B review: a mesmerizing price for a 12-cup programmable coffee maker

Why choose Black and Decker DCM100B coffee maker over others?

What do you need to remember from this Black and Decker DCM100B review? DCM100B coffee maker is extremely affordable. Recently, it has been more affordable than other Black and Decker’s coffee makers such as DLX1050B and CM1160B.

All 3 coffee makers have a similar feature set, but DCM100B seems to offer the best price. It thus yields a very strong price-to-value ratio.

This 12-cup programmable coffee maker can be a great choice for people who are tight on budget. The machine is rather inexpensive, but yields really neat coffee.

The main difference between DCM100B and other Black and Decker coffee maker is primarily in design. DCM100B comes with a different structure of buttons, and different colors of the in-built clock.

Who is Black and Decker DCM100B coffee maker perfect for?

In the Black and Decker DCM100B review, we want to note who may enjoy this product.

Through thorough testing, we thought that DCM100B 12-cup coffee maker can be a good choice for budget-conscious coffee lovers. In addition, it might be a nice choice for coffee lovers who value ease, convenience and simplicity. It is also great for coffee lovers who may not have the time for the nuances of coffee brewing.

We feel that DCM100B coffee maker can be a compelling choice for those who are looking for:

✓ Affordable but neat coffee maker

✓ Ability to program the brew 24-hours in advance (so you can sleep in a little longer!)

✓ Smaller kitchen spaces (apartments, townhouses, dorms, offices)

✓ Extended warranty for 2 years

Who is Black and Decker DCM100B NOT perfect for?

We would love to remain honest in this Black&Decker DCM100B coffee maker review. We think that there are a couple of examples where where DCM100B might not be a perfect choice:

✗ A coffee machine that will make you feel like a barista

✗ Desire to brew different types of specialty drinks

✗ A coffee machine that yields jaw-dropping results

✗ A machine that uses coffee capsules such as nespresso or k-cups

✗ An advanced machine that allows freedom and flexibility in coffee brewing

✗ Plastic-free coffee maker

Black and Decker DCM100B Review and Evaluation 🕵️

→ Appearance

We were very excited when we first received the coffee maker for this DCM100B review. Just like its other sister coffee makers, DLX1050B and CM1160B, DCM100B is available in only one color: black plastic.

At first sight, Black & Decker DCM100B looks very much like other drip coffee makers. However, what sets it apart from other coffee machines is the control panel.

The control panel is located just in front of the appliance, which makes it easy to use and to access. The main design difference between DCM100B and the other two Black & Decker models (CM1160B and the DLX1050) is in the appearance of the buttons.

The DLX1050 model comes with digital soft-touch controls and CM1160B has rubberized buttons (great for the elderly). On the other hand, DCM100B has regular, plastic covered buttons.

All three machines have control panels that contain a digital clock and only 5 buttons. The big difference here is that the Black & Decker DCM100B has the buttons arranged slightly differently than the other two machines. This model has the buttons arranged in a row above the digital clock, while the other two models have the buttons located all around the clock, with the on/off button placed right under the clock.

The control panel contains a digital clock and only 5 buttons:

• On/off button (to switch the appliance on and off),
• Hour and Min (minutes) button (to set hours and minutes on the digital clock),
• Prog (programming) button (to program the digital clock),
• Auto button (to confirm the settings for the next automatic brew), and
• Timer.

The control panel of the Black & Decker DCM100 coffee maker also contains a red light indicator, that stays lit as long as the machine is turned on.

DCM100B comes with an LCD clock with a bright red color. This makes the numbers much more readable for people with reduced eye sight.

The machine also has a non-removable water tank in the back. I was able to access it by lifting the same lid that I used to access the brew basket. The water reservoir has a window with clear level markings that allow me to see exactly how much water I put in the machine.

→ Features and technical specs

Voltage: Black and Decker DCM100B is made for 120V, and can be used in Canada and the US only. The warranty becomes void in case any defects or damages happen while using a converter for non-US/non-Canadian power outlets.

Basket size: Black and Decker DCM100B has a brew basket large enough to hold coffee grounds for 12 cups of coffee. The manufacture recommends using one tablespoon of ground coffee for each cup.

The brew basket was easily accessible. I was able to get to it by lifting the top lid on the machine. (This is the same lid for the water reservoir.)

This machine does not come with a permanent mesh filter, so, in order to brew coffee, I need to insert a paper filter in the brew basket. The manufacturer recommends using paper basket coffee filters for 8-12 cups, aka “cupcake” filters (not cone filters).

Beverage size: Black and Decker’s cup measurement is 5oz of coffee per cup. The maximum quantity I can brew using this machine is 12 cups. Therefore, as long as I brew less than 12 cups, I can adjust the quantities of coffee grounds and water in order to brew lower volumes of coffee.

Weight: With a weight of about 5 pounds, the Black & Decker DCM100B is slightly heavier than its sister model, the Black & Decker CM1160, but just as heavy as the DLX1050 model. Nevertheless, this machine is very light and easy to handle. This is mostly due to the fact that this machine is made of plastic (a very light material).

Unit size: The size of this Black & Decker coffee machine marks another difference between the DCM100B model and the other two similar Black & Decker models. The DCM model is 12 inches deep, 9.37 inches wide and 13.74 inches tall. The measurements make the coffee maker a bit wider than the other models, but it still has a compact size that makes it easy to fit on any kitchen counter.

Water reservoir: Unfortunately, the water reservoir is not removable. It can accommodate about 12 cups of water (or 60oz). We were able to access the reservoir by lifting the lid on the top of the machine. The water tank has a water level indicator window that shows how many cups of water are already in it. The quantity of water that is added to the water tank determines the quantity of coffee that will come out.

Carafe: Black and Decker DCM100B comes with a simple glass carafe. The easy-pour carafe has an ergonomic and easy-grip handle for comfortable pouring. This is a sturdy 12-cup carafe that also has measurement markings from 4 to 12 cups, for accurate filling.

Additional perks: To be fair, we were so excited for this Black & Decker DCM100B Review. Though overall very simple (understandable given the price point), the coffee maker has a couple of standard features which makes brewing even easier and more pleasant.

✓ Wake up to the aroma of brewing coffee every morning with 24-hour programmability. The QuickTouch programming allows me to easily and quickly program my next brewing. The 24-hour auto brew feature was created so that I could wake up to a fresh pot of coffee.

✓ Enjoy a cup of coffee before the brewing is complete. As we were preparing this Black and Decker DCM100B review, we really enjoyed that we could enjoy a cup of coffee well before the full carafe was filled with coffee. All I need to do is to remove the carafe, and brewing is paused. The carafe must be placed back on the carafe plate in 30 seconds to prevent overflow, at which moment brewing begins again.

✓ A 2-hour shut off with a keep-hot carafe plate. The nonstick carafe plate keeps coffee warm for 2 hours after brewing is complete, until the machine shuts itself off automatically.

✓ Easy storage with cord storage. The power cord stores in the back of the unit, which helps removing the clutter from the countertop.

→ Performance

Brewing time: We are sad to report in our Black and Decker DCM100B review that the coffee machine takes longer to brew coffee than what coffee makers should typically take. We were able to extract 12 cups of coffee within 10-11 minutes.

Flavor: DCM100B yields coffee similar to CM1160B and DLX1050. The coffee from this coffee is alright Again, we would not hold super high expectations for the machine in this price point.

Temperature: We were able to reach temperatures in the ballpark of 165-170 degrees. This is far below the perfect brewing temperatures of 195 – 205 F degrees.  There were no controls to adjust the temperature. However. the manufacturers claim that this machine is able to provide optimal brewing temperature.

Noise levels: There were no remarkable noises coming out of the machine.

Cleaning: We could not finish the Black and Decker DCM100B review without covering cleaning. Overall, the machine is fairly easy and quick to clean.

With a damp cloth, we wiped the body of the coffee maker, the heating plate and the inside of the water tank regularly. We washed the removable brew basket and the glass carafe in warm soapy water. We could also opt to wash those in a dishwasher, but we opted not to do it.

With regular use, minerals and hard water can clog the coffee maker. Therefore, we recommend a full cleaning with vinegar about once a month.

Customer-reported technical issues

As we were preparing this Black and Decker DCM100B review, we did not have super high expectations. However, we did not encounter any breakdowns while testing and using the product. There were a couple of things we did not like about this coffee maker: plastic, not warm enough coffee and flavor (or lack thereof).

The machine has very good customer reviews overall, especially when it comes to functions and price.

Unfortunately, users reported problems with the following:

• machine stopped working after a couple of months,
• lukewarm coffee,
• hot plate does not keep coffee hot.

Some users also reported that the quantity of coffee was lower than the quantity of water they had added to the water reservoir.

→ Health and safety

In regards to transparency, we wish Black and Decker did a much better job.

The product is made with plastic, among some other materials. There are no easily available statements regarding BPA-/BPS-/BPF- status of the plastics.

In fact, Black and Decker provides a rather convoluted statement regarding BPA-free status. They end the 3-paragraph long statement with the following:

For products that do not claim to be BPA-Free, we have insufficient information to support a BPA-Free claim at this time.

Therefore, it appears that the DCM100B coffee maker might be made with BPA plastics.

As our readers are aware, we are typically very concerned about using products in which boiling water touches plastic.

The BPA-free status is helpful to know, but it typically does not guarantee that there are no other potentially dangerous substitutes used in the production process.

Reports show that many manufacturers replace BPA with other types of plastic. These types include but are not limited to BHPF (fluorene-9-bisphenol), TPP (triphenyl phosphate), and bisphenol S (BPS). The exact health effects of the BPA substitutes, such as BHPF, TPP and BPS, are unknown at this point.

→ Price to value: is Black and Decker DCM100B worth the money?

At the time of writing, Black and Decker DCM100B coffee maker appears to be the most affordable among CM1160B and DLX1050B. The price we have seen fluctuated between $24 and $36. The lower the price, the stronger the price-to-value offering.

Overall, though, the price-point is justifiable, considering that the machine comes with a couple of features to make brewing easier. Specifically, programmability and sneak-a-cup feature.

This coffee maker also comes with a 2-year warranty (for US and Canada only). However, claiming the repairs under a 2-year warranty might still cost money for shipping and delivery. Therefore, it might be just cheaper to buy an entirely new coffee maker.

Should I buy Black & Decker DCM100B? Owly’s verdict! 🔨

As we attempted to show in this Black and Decker DCM100B review, this is a coffee maker that balances GREAT affordability with neat features.

The machine is easy to use, and has basic features that can prove useful.

DCM100B saves time by allowing me to program the next brew in advance. Though the machine may come with some issues (as reported by users), DCM100B also comes with a long 2-year warranty.

Overall, the machine comes at a very affordable price. It offers the lowest price among DLX1050B and CM1160B.

Will you get Black and Decker DCM100B coffee maker? What was your experience with DCM100B? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, under this Black & Decker DCM100B review!