Black and Decker DLX1050B review: a deja-vu coffee maker

Why choose Black and Decker DLX1050B coffee maker over others?

If there’s one thing we would like you to remember from this Black and Decker DLX1050B review, it would be the machine’s affordability combined with simplicity, convenience and ease-of-use. This combination makes Black&Decker CM1160B coffee maker to be an very strong proposition for the price-to-value.

This 12-cup programmable coffee maker can be a great choice for people who are looking for a coffee make that is basic and easy to use. It is affordable, easy to use and has a couple of useful features.

The main difference between DLX1050B and CM1160B is in design. CM1160B appears to be more friendly for older people. The buttons are larger and more visible. On the other hand, DLX1050B appears more digital and comes with smooth buttons. Further, DLX1050B has a green display for the clock.

Who is Black and Decker DLX1050B coffee maker perfect for?

As we were testing the product for this Black and Decker DLX1050B review, we really wanted to understand who would most likely fall in love with this product.

It became apparent that DLX1050B 12-cup coffee maker can be an ideal choice for budget-conscious coffee lovers who value simplicity, convenience and ease-of-use. DLX1050B comes with a couple of useful but standard enough features.

We feel that DLX1050B coffee maker can be a compelling choice for those who are looking for:

✓ Affordable but solid coffee maker

✓ Trustworthy and reliable brand that sells quality and durable products

✓ Tasty coffee for any occasion

✓ 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 DLX1050B NOT perfect for?

Just like with other coffee maker reviews, we would love to remain honest in this Black&Decker DLX1050B coffee maker review. We think that there are a couple of examples where where DLX1050B 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 capules such as nespresso or k-cups

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

✗ Plastic-free coffee maker

Black and Decker DLX1050B Review and Evaluation 🕵️

→ Appearance

We were very excited when we first received our DLX1050B coffee maker. The coffee maker is available in only one color: black plastic.

At first sight, Black & Decker DLX1050B looks very much like other drip coffee makers. However, what sets it apart from other coffee machines is the control panel.

Specifically, the machine’s control panel is in front of the appliance. The main design difference between the DLX1050B model and the CM1160 model is in the appearance of the buttons.

The DLX1050B model has digital, soft-touch controls, while the older CM1160 has rubberised buttons. Nevertheless, the control panel of the DLX1050B model contains a digital clock and only 5 buttons, just as the control panel of the CM1160 coffee maker.

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 DLX1050 coffee maker also contains a “Power” light indicator, that stays lit as long as the machine is turned on.

Furthermore, just as the CM1160 model, the DLX1050B coffee maker comes with a 12 cups Duralife glass carafe, and with a removable brew basket (which makes it easier for me to clean the machine).

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 DLX1050B 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 DLX1050B 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: Similarly to Cuisinart, 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: Black and Decker DLX1050B is a very lightweight machine weighing about 5 pounds. This is extremely light because the machine is made primarily with plastic.

Unit size: The size of this Black & Decker coffee machine marks another difference between the DLX1050B model and the CM1160B model. The DLX1050B model is 12.5 inches deep, 6.25 inches wide and 15.5 inches tall. These measurements make this model slightly deeper and taller than the CM1160 model, but also a bit narrower. Its compact size makes the Black & Decker DLX1050B easy to fit on the 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 DLX1050B 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 DLX1050B 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 CM1160B 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.

✓ Easier to keep clean with digital buttons. The control panel of this machine was built to allow intuitive operation and programming with the help of soft-touch buttons, that are easy to wipe clean.

✓ 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. This is another difference between the DLX1050 model and the CM1160 model, because the CM1160 model has a Keep Hot plate that stays hot for just one hour after the brewing is complete.

✓ 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 DLX1050B 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: DLX1050B yields coffee similar to CM1160B. The coffee is fairly good and tasty. Again, we would not hold super high expectations for the machine in this price point, but coffee is tasty and satisfying.

Temperature: The manufacturers claim that this machine is able to provide optimal brewing temperature. They say that this machine heats the water to the perfect brewing temperature for ideal flavor results. However, Black and Decker’s DLX1050 is a simple coffee machine. There are no controls to increase or decrease brewing temperature. Therefore, we were not able to reach perfect brewing temperatures of 195 – 205 F degrees. Instead, we reached about 180 degrees.

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

Cleaning: We could not finish the Black and Decker DLX1050B review without covering cleaning. DLX1050B is even easier to clean than CM1160B due to the digital buttons. 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 DLX1050B review, we did not encounter any breakdowns while testing and using the product. The only thing we did not like was the plastic.

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

Unfortunately, many users reported that their Black+Decker DLX1050B stopped working after only a few months, and even after a few days of usage. Some reported that the machine started leaking, or that the machine simply stopped pumping water in the brew basket.

→ 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 DLX1050B 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 DLX1050B worth the money?

Even though Black and Decker DLX1050B coffee maker is very affordable, it is still a bit more expensive than CM1160B. Typically, that price difference can be $5, but sometimes it is larger. 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.

Overall, given that the features are very similar, we would save $5 and choose CM1160B, instead.

Should I buy Black & Decker DLX1050B? Owly’s verdict! 🔨

As we attempted to show in this Black and Decker DLX1050B review, this is a coffee maker that balances affordability with neat features.

The machine has a modern look and it brews decent coffee. Further, it comes with some standard technical features such as programmability or Sneak-A-Cup.

However, we do not love that the manufacturer is not able to confirm BPA-free plastics in the machine.

Further, given that the features are extremely similar to CM1160B, and CM1160B is a bit more affordable, we would select CM1160B instead.

Will you get Black and Decker DLX1050B coffee maker? What was your experience with DLX1050B? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, under this Black & Decker DLX1050B review!