Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker Review

We purchased the Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker so our reviewer could try it in her kitchen. Read on for the full product review.

With so many kitchen appliances available today, they can start to take over your kitchen, and after a while, it might become challenging to find room on your counter. To help conserve space, some coffee maker companies have developed more compact products that store easily and take up less space. One example hails from Black + Decker, and that’s its 5-Cup Coffeemaker. I was able to try this machine out at home to test its design, setup, ease of cleaning, and overall performance. Read on to see what I found. 

Design: Simple, small, and storable

The Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker is just about as small as they come in regards to drip coffee makers. Measuring 7.25 x 8.2 x 10.75 inches, this coffee machine takes up little space on the counter to better organize your kitchen. You'll have no trouble squeezing it in next to your other kitchen appliances. 

In terms of aesthetics, the Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker is simple, but still stylish. It’s made of mostly plastic, which isn’t ideal, but it still looks nice overall with its all-black design. The coffee basket lives on top of the machine, and the water tank is located next to it. The glass carafe can be found under the filter basket, and there is just one on/off button located at the base. 

This coffee maker also comes with a warming plate and a cord storage compartment (located on the back of the machine). The cord storage feature was one of my favorite things about this coffee maker because it made the unit even easier to store when I wasn't using it.

Setup Process: To the point and fast

Setting up the Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker for the first time was quite fast. I washed all of the removable parts, including the carafe, carafe lid, and permanent filter. After cleaning, the manual recommends priming the machine by running it through a full cycle without any coffee grounds. The water can then be disposed of, and the machine can be used as normal. This process took about 10 minutes at the most, and I found it to be very straightforward. 

This coffee machine functions like any other basic drip coffee maker. Just place the coffee grounds in the permanent filter (or paper filter, if desired) and the filter inside of the filter basket. Next, you'll add the desired amount of water to the water tank and turn the machine on. The coffee machine will do the rest, so that you can go on with the rest of your morning routine.

Performance: The little coffee maker that could

The Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker yields a good cup of coffee despite its small size and simplistic design. I didn’t expect much out of it considering this and its low price, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it makes quite tasty drip coffee. Another great aspect you'll enjoy about the brewed coffee is the temperature: It isn’t too hot nor too cool, which can sometimes be characteristic of a low-priced coffee maker. 

This coffee maker is also fairly quick in that it can brew up to 5 cups of coffee in about five to six minutes. Another nice perk is the warming plate, which keeps your brew nice and toasty. This coffee machine also has a pause feature that allows the user to sneak a cup of coffee before the brewing cycle has completely finished. Once the carafe is placed back on the base, the brewing cycle will resume automatically. 

One downside to this machine is that it will not turn off automatically, so I had to be mindful to turn it off if when leaving the house for the rest of the day. Otherwise, it can waste quite a bit of energy. 

Ease of Cleaning: Easy to clean, dishwasher safe

If you've run into more stubborn coffee maker cleaning undertakings in the past, this coffee maker will be easy for you to maintain since all of the removable parts are dishwasher safe (top rack only). After each use, I just dumped out the grounds from the brew basket and put the filter in the dishwasher along with the carafe and carafe lid. I also wiped the warming plate with a wet cloth. There were no areas that made this a particularly difficult-to-clean coffee maker, and the entire process took just five minutes.

Once a month, you should descale this coffee maker to keep it working properly by following the detailed descaling process in the included user manual. 

Price: Very budget-friendly

The Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker is a highly affordable coffee maker, retailing for just $25. Considering the good drip coffee it makes, as well as its compact and storable size, you’re really getting a good deal on this little guy. 

Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker vs. Keurig K-Mini Plus

The Keurig K-Mini Plus is another compact coffee maker available on the market, measuring 11.3 x 4.5 x 12.1 inches. It requires the use of K-Cup pods instead of coffee grounds and brews 1 cup at a time. This coffee machine is also energy efficient and will therefore turn off automatically 90 seconds after usage. 

However, the Keurig K-Mini Plus is more expensive than the Black + Decker 5-Cup Coffeemaker, retailing for around $99. For those looking for something fancier, it offers a number of extras and comes in several different color varieties.