BLACK+DECKER12 Cup Thermal Programmable Coffee Maker with Brew Strength and VORTEX Technology, Black/Steel

I am an avid researcher when making a purchase, especially when it's as critical as our daily coffee supply- lol! So when our third rather expensive Keurig died very early I decided we'd spend no more money on that brand. I was looking for the versatility of brewing a whole pot or a smaller portion AND the idea of a thermal carafe instead of a hot plate was very appealing. I looked at many, many brands and models ranging in price from $ to $$$. I read reviews, I watched videos, I looked up anything and everything I could. This little machine continued to offer features that I really liked without bells and whistles I would rarely use. We are a plain yet picky coffee drinking household and we nurse a pot all day long (one of us is day shift and the other night shift so it's always "morning wake up time" around here). As one who nputs milk in their coffee, I'll admit to being doubtful that I'd find a coffeemaker with a thermal carafe that would maintain a drinkable temperature (once milk was added to the cup) for very long and I hate microwaving my coffee. So I read reviews saying this carafe "kept coffee hot for hours" with a strong dose of skepticism. WOW! Has this exceeded expectations! Four hours after brewing the very last cup of the pot was still quite hot enough to steam and be very nicely drinkable after I added the milk. So, here is my run down of the lovely features this model offers:1. Capacity - It holds a full 12 cups which gets us through a day here. Everyone should remember that a "cup" when measuring coffee is actually 5oz. and not 8oz. So 60 oz. of water goes in and 60 oz. of coffee comes out (yes, the engineer in the house measured) which is more than our much more $$ Keurig could ever say.2. Ease of Use - The brew, size and programming options are quite straightforward to operate, not only in compexity but in button size and readablity, which is helpful when my elderly father wants to help prepare the next mornings coffee.3. Build Quality and Design - The machine fits easily under my kitchen cabinets, and takes up much less counter space than my Keurig. The markings on the water reservoir are easy to see. TIP: Do use a pitcher other than the carafe to fill the reservoir, not because the carafe doesn't pour well (IT POURS GREAT!), but because it is just easier if you are working under cabinets to pour from something smaller.4. The carafe - This could go under design, but it's honestly such a great feature it deserves its own note. It is clearly a quality thermal container and very easy to pour from and it's wide mouth when you take the lid off makes it extremely easy to clean (no need for that narrow brush when washing, you can get your entire hand in there, even my husband's larger hands find it easy to clean). And here is the tip that I've been most grateful for from other reviews: After brewing is complete, REMOVE the carafe from the coffeemaker tray. When it is on the tray the "brew through" feature of the lid is automatically open slightly (to allow for brewing) and I'm sure this could speed heat loss. We simply take the pot and move it over to the counter and hours later it's still plenty hot, yet the cool-touch handle and sides of the carafe are not too warm to handle easily. We have not needed to put a hotpad underneath the carafe when on the counter. Also, the spout pours nice and neatly, unlike other coffeemakers we've had where you were cleaning up drips each time you poured a cup.All this to say, if you want a quality, easy to use and easy to maintain machine AND actual value for your money, purchase this machine! I'm so glad I did!!!

I've bought over 2,000 products via Amazon and this one makes me happy... every morning. Of course I'm talking about my BLACK+DECKER 12-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker! Let me get a few specific items out of the way. I want to address some specific questions that others have been asked and the answers that left me with questions still.1. NO, it does not come with a reusable coffee grind filter basket. YES, you can purchase one here on Amazon that fits perfectly and does a great job (I bought the GOLDTONE Reusable 8-12 Cup Basket Coffee Filter for a little under $8.00).2. Read this one carefully! The unit comes with a anti-drip or "stop" basket. This basket allows you to get a cup of coffee before the brew cycle is complete by automatically closing a spring-loaded valve when you remove the carafe (thermos) from the coffee maker to pour a cup of coffee. There is also a spring loaded valve in the carafe lid that, when the carafe is in the coffee maker, the spring is depressed and allows coffee to flow from the basket into the carafe and, when removed from the coffee maker, this spring closes, thus sealing the carafe so that your coffee stays warm in the thermos. Both of these spring-loaded valves can become clogged with rogue coffee grinds (especially if you use paper liners and they are not properly seated in the bottom or sides of the coffee filter basket and a few grinds end up on the outside). If this happens, you might experience overflow and get water on your counter. This is easily avoided by simply removing the basket from the coffee maker itself and washing after use (it lifts right out). Just be sure to depress the spring-loaded part when rinsing to make sure that no grinds are clogging the drip hole. Similarly, when cleaning the carafe (thermos) lid, depress that spring-loaded valve, and make sure water runs freely through the lid. This is a NORMAL thing to do when cleaning a coffee maker after brewing a pot, so I'm not real sure why there are issues, but these steps are not specific to this coffee maker and are standard cleaning practices.3. This coffee maker uses flat-bottom filters... NOT cone filters!4. NO. The carafe does not sit on a heated plate. The carafe is insulated like a thermos, but if you let your coffee sit for more than a couple of hours, you will need to (dare I say!) microwave your coffee. Do not be tempted to re-run brewed coffee back through the machine as it will eventually gunk up the innards! It does help to pre-warm the thermos before brewing. Simply pour in the cold water to your coffee maker first. Then, using very hot water, fill up the thermos, put the lid on and let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Then pour out the hot water and start the brew cycle with the empty carafe in place. Your coffee will stay hotter, longer.5. TIP-TIME! I find that using a re-usable coffee grind basket saves me $$ (aside from the obvious of having to buy paper filters). This coffee maker comes with a feature to brew STRONG and BOLD coffee (settings to increase the strength of your coffee by lengthening the brew cycle by a few seconds, therefore allowing the grinds to steep a bit longer). The usual ratio of normal coffee is 1 TBSP of coffee for each two cups of water. If I choose BOLD (which is the highest setting - normal --> Strong --> Bold), I can use 5 TBSP to 12 cups of water and still get a strong, great-tasting brew.6. Bonus TIP! You can use even less coffee, and get better flavor, if you grind your own beans. Either grind them just prior to making your coffee, or grind them at the local grocery store if they have the machine to do so. Coffee oils are sensitive to time. The fresher the grind, the richer the taste.7. Bonus TIP #2! Use COLD water! Never brew using hot water from the tap... I'm not Millennial enough to suggest that you use bottled water (those who drank from water hoses as a kid will get that reference), but the quality of your water will make a difference in the taste of your coffee. Nuff said.

After three years I give this coffee maker 4.5 stars. The only reason it doesn't deserve five, is because it replaced a similar Cuisinart model that is still going strong at our second home after 20+ years and keeps the coffee hot and tasty twice as long as this B&D model, but at twice the price these days. Otherwise, this B&D model makes an excellent cup of coffee. We use a reusable gold filter.We clean it with regular dawn detergent daily. Once a week we soak all parts of the pot for about 30 minutes or so in hot soapy water with a couple tablespoons of Cafiza powder to remove any residue oils to make sure they don't turn rancid and effect future coffee flavor.The machine is easy to program, use and clean. We use filtered deionized water from the tap to make our coffee, which keeps the inside of the machine free of scale buildup. (Our water supply otherwise is considered very hard.) We grind our own beans once a week to medium coarseness so that we don't get too much sediment going through the gold filter. We brew the coffee strong, but the carafe protects the flavor from getting bitter for up to four or more hours.If the B&D doesn't last as long as our Cuisinart, we might not buy another. But so far, at half the cost, it meets the need just fine.