Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker Review: The Best Budget Coffee Maker?

The best budget coffee maker I’ve come across lately is the Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker.

Not everyone is looking for a big, fancy machine with complicated buttons and settings. This affordable coffee maker hits the sweet spot between functionality and a great price point.

In short, it’s a good coffee maker for when you want a low-cost machine that makes delicious coffee. Let’s take a closer look at what this neat little appliance offers for $36.99.

Black and Decker 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker Overview

As I said before, this Black and Decker Coffee Maker is my pick for the best budget coffee machine. There are several reasons for this, mostly because it has features you’d only find on more expensive machines.

At first glance, the Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker is your standard-issue programmable machine. The rubberized button controls below the carafe on the base are a little different from other coffee makers but still cool. Many of the coffee makers I’ve reviewed in the past have the control panel front and center on the filter housing. The digital clock is large and easy to read. It’s nice and bright, too. 

I like that the water window is front-facing, so you don’t have to look around the side to see how much water is in there. Also, I appreciate that Black and Decker equipped this coffee maker with an auto-shutoff function. It’s most likely for safety, but also a great convenience, especially if you’re in a hurry in the mornings. 

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker Features

Even though there’s nothing super fancy about this machine, it has the features you need to make your morning routine effortless. You can program at night, pop your coffee grinds in and enjoy fresh coffee as soon as you stumble into the kitchen. 

Control Panel

As I mentioned above, the control panel for the coffee maker is on the base of the machine rather than above the carafe on the housing. My first thought was if you spilled some coffee while moving the carafe, it would short out the digital controls. 

Many of the other coffee makers around the $25-$30 mark are the simple on and off kind. On them, the one and done button isn’t likely to break with a little bit of spilt coffee, but when you get into programmable features it can be a concern.

Luckily, Black and Decker covered that base with rubberized buttons to keep everything safe and sound. The coating also gives the buttons a higher-end feel, which is nice. 

QuickTouch Programming

The QuickTouch Programming feature makes it a breeze to set the machine up to brew at a specific time. No messing around here! Just hit the PROG button, punch in your time, and press the AUTO button until the lights stop flashing. The display switches back to the clock when this happens. It’s probably one of the easiest program setups I’ve seen, especially for a cheap coffee maker. 

Filters and Brew Basket

Next up, let’s talk about filters. The Black and Decker 12 Cup machine takes your standard basket-style paper filters. I did check to see if Black and Decker offered a permanent filter that would fit inside the brew basket, but so far I haven’t found one that’s branded. Therefore, I recommend using an off brand permanent filter since it’s better for the environment.

Either way, the washable brew basket itself is removable for easy cleaning. So even with paper filters, cleaning is a breeze. It’s dishwasher safe, too. 

Nevertheless, I encourage you to hand wash all the parts of your machine with warm water and mild soap instead of tossing things into the dishwasher. That way you can be sure there aren’t any residual chemicals inside the coffee pot or brew basket from the detergent. 

No one wants soap residue messing up the flavor of a full pot of fresh coffee!

Carafe

The DuraLife Glass Carafe that’s included with the machine holds twelve cups of your favorite coffee. While I couldn’t find whether the carafe is made of borosilicate glass, the wording on the Black and Decker website describes their DuraLife carafe as constructed from reinforced glass. It does, however, have an angled easy grip handle for comfortable pouring.

Water Reservoir

The Easy View water window position on this machine makes for accurate filling, and I love its position on the machine. The reservoir itself is not removable, so you need to have enough clearance to open the lid and add your water. Since the window is front-facing, it’s much easier to see the water level as you pour.

This is especially good when you don’t have a lot of room on your counter to move the machine around. In other words, you can pull it out from under the cabinets, fill the water, push it back, and you’re good to go!

Sneak a Cup Technology

Of course, if you don’t want to wait for your brew to finish, you can always sneak a cup. The Sneak a Cup feature allows you to remove the carafe for thirty seconds to pour up a fresh cup of joe. Then, you can replace the carafe and the brewing process continues. Pretty slick, huh?

Then again, maybe not. While some people love this feature, I’m not a fan myself. That’s because the cup of coffee you grab when you interrupt the brewing process will be super strong, while the ones after will be weaker. I supposed you could plan for this by adding some extra coffee, but that’s more math than my brain feels like doing in the morning.

Keep Warm and Auto Shutoff Functions

Once your fresh coffee finishes brewing, the Black and Decker 12 Cup coffee maker will keep your coffee pot warm on the nonstick carafe plate for about two hours before the auto-shutoff will turn the machine off. 

I don’t usually keep my coffee on a hot carafe plate, partly because I don’t care for the acidity that takes over when coffee heats for a long time. Some people love the convenience, but I like to keep my hot coffee in a thermal pot or insulated cup. That is if I think it will last that long!

Cord Storage

On the back of this machine, you’ll find a space to store the cord when the machine isn’t in use. You should always unplug your appliance for safety reasons. Of course, before you tuck away your machine for the next day, be sure everything is clean, dry and cooled off.

Colors

In addition to all this, the Black and Decker 12 Cup coffee maker has two color options to choose from. These include black and stainless steel (CM1160B), as well as a white and stainless steel option (CM1160W).

Note: at the time of writing, Amazon has the CM1160 versions combined with the more expensive DLX1050B, which is all plastic.

That said, international supply chain issues are causing the price of all coffee makers to fluctuate. So, it’s normal to see significant differences in the price of identical models that are merely in a different color.

Warranty

Pleasingly, Black and Decker offers a two-year limited warranty against manufacturer defects on all its coffee makers. So if you have issues with your machine, call Customer Service, and they’ll be happy to hook you up with a repair or replacement. 

Additionally, if you accidentally break the carafe or lid, you can order replacements online. That may happen due to wear and tear, so those parts aren’t normally covered by the warranty. 

What’s in the Black and Decker 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker Box?

In the box, you’ll find:

You won’t find a complimentary coffee scoop or any paper filters in there, though, which I find a little odd since most new machines do include accessories like that. But given that this is probably the best affordable drip coffee maker you’ll find, it’s definitely not a deal breaker. 

How to Use the Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker

Next, let’s go over the proper brewing technique.

First, fill the carafe with fresh cold water to the number of cups you want to brew using the measurement markings. Then, lift the lid on the machine and add the water to the water reservoir. Remember, your coffee will only be as good as the water you use!

Next, make sure the removable brew basket is seated correctly. Then, pop a paper basket filter inside. After that, add your favorite ground coffee to the paper filter. As for how much, a general guideline is about one tablespoon per cup of coffee. Of course, you can adjust this to suit your brew strength preferences.

Then close the lid, and before you set the carafe in place, check to ensure the cover on the carafe is aligned correctly. Lastly, pop in the carafe and hit the ON button. The machine brews about one cup per minute, so you’ll have a fresh pot of hot coffee in an instant!

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker Cleaning

Cleaning this coffee maker is just as easy as the brewing process. Although the removable brew basket and carafe are top rack dishwasher safe, I recommend hand washing them with mild soap and warm water. 

For the housing, all you need is a damp microfiber cloth. Give it a good wipe down, and that’s all there is to it. The microfiber cloth will keep the finish from getting scratched up.

Regarding descaling the machine, you should follow the instructions in the User’s Manual to keep the machine in tip top shape. Descaling should be done every month, depending on your water hardness. 

It essentially involves running a cleaning solution made specifically for coffee makers through the brewing process and then running another brew cycle with a full pot of fresh water to rinse the machine. If you can’t find the cleaning solution, a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar will do the trick.

Alternatively, you can use a , which many people prefer.

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker Specifications

Verdict: Black and Decker 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker Review

All that said above, you can see why the Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker is my pick for the best budget coffee maker. For $36.99 on Amazon, it gets the job done with little fuss and fanfare and boasts some features that other models in the same price range don’t have.

With two colors to choose from and a two year warranty to protect against defects, it’s money well spent on a machine that will last a long time.

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker Review FAQ