Black & Decker DCM2500B SmartBrew Coffeemaker

The most satisfying thing about the glass carafe is that the wide lip pours without a single drip. In addition, the broad bottom on the carafe affords good surface contact with the stay-hot plate for up to two hours; at that point, the machine shuts off automatically for safety. Those who can't wait for a sip before the entire pot is brewed will appreciate the Sneak-a-Cup feature. While the coffeemaker stands 13 inches tall, it must be pulled forward on a counter to clear most cabinets since the raised lid requires 22 inches. The DCM2500B features a sleek hourglass shape, comes in black or white, and is covered by a one-year warranty. The brew basket and carafe are dishwasher-safe in the top rack. --Ann Bieri

Product Description

Black and Decker (B&D) has designed a coffee maker that is inexpensive and simply eliminates those problems...

How I know:
I got this coffee maker for the office. We brew at least three 12-cup pots a day. We've done about 100 pots WITHOUT A SPILL OR LEAK. I highly recommend this machine.

What I know:
The "Perfect Pour Carafe" is great. B&D just gave it a wider spout! What a concept! You wouldn't think a handle makes a big difference, but when you're carrying 12-cups-worth of water or coffee, you will suddenly appreciate this excellent handle. This carafe even looks nice.

The filter basket does not swing out, nor must you hold it in one hand while you add the coffee. Swing-out baskets are the ones that overflow when you don't close them perfectly, and slide-out removable baskets leave only one hand for the scooping chores. This basket can be removed to dump the old grounds, but is then replaced in the machine so both hands are free.

That is because the lid opens up to expose the filter basket and the unobstructed, large water resevoir. No careful aiming or water splashing off of useless plastic grates when filling. There is a strange looking, hinged "shower head" that delivers the hot water to the filter basket. It is simple in design and works well.

The lid closes securely and pins down the removable filter basket to further eliminate human error in basket positioning.

Even the "sneak a cup" mechanism is simple and effective. It is simply a rubber stopper on a simple lever. The carafe can be placed in a "wrong" and possibly overflow-producing position, but if you place it with the handle straight out, you can't go wrong.

Water level is indicated externally on both sides of the machine.

Auto shut-off after two hours is essential in our office. It works and the coffee is kept quite hot during that time.

Easy to clean (buttons are water/coffee proof).

Need I say more?


A reliable workhorse of a coffeemaker   October 18, 2003
Tobin Coziahr (Santa Clara, CA United States)
73 out of 74 found this review helpful

I've seen some negative reviews on here of this coffeemaker, and I felt that I should write a review of a positive experience to give some perspective.

I've had this coffeemaker for about a year and a half, and I don't have any complaints. No parts have broken, the clock is accurate, the timer still functions, I still wake up every morning to a nice fresh pot of coffee. The lip of the pot is well formed, so that you never spill when you're pouring a cup. These are all simple things, but coffee is a simple thing. If you don't notice your coffeemaker, that means that it was designed well. This is an inexpensive, reliable coffee machine.

In fact, I've even abused the little guy. I like to make Thai iced tea, but I'm also too lazy to use a teapot, so I'll run my tea through it three or four times until it's dark enough, and it still holds up like a champ.

Here are some of the convenient features:

- Water window on the side, so you can see how much water you're putting in without having to measure using the pot.
- Timer feature so you can wake up to pre-brewed coffee without waiting.
- Sturdy, elegant pot design. The pot can be put in the dishwasher with no problems, and the large handle means you'll never drop it.
- Auto-off feature that turns the heating element off after two hours. (Another reviewer mentioned that there was no auto-off, which is incorrect)
- Large capacity scales well. By this, I mean that it makes two cups of coffee just as easily as it makes 12 cups, so it's good for a morning alone, or if you want a lot of coffee for several people.

The reason I didn't give it a five is that there are a few minor drawbacks:

- It's a little difficult to clean, because of the design of the pot and the maker itself. Not terribly difficult, but a tad annoying.
- The "sneak a cup" feature isn't perfect, it can leak a couple drops when you use it. However, I use the timer, so never have to sneak a cup, you can just have a pot ready whenever you want.

But honestly, these drawbacks are inconsequential. You're not going to find a better coffeemaker for under $30 with this many features, and this kind of reliability. I highly recommend it.


Fine coffee with features of much higher-priced models !   August 27, 2003
Gerald M. Bull (Fairview, TN United States)
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

Now we know why this coffee maker was rated so highly (a "best buy") by THE respected consumer magazine. Not only does it brew a flavorful cup of coffee at just the right strength (following their recommended one scoop of coffee per two cups), but the unit has the most wanted features of coffee makers without spending two-to-three times the price. The keep-hot plate auto-shutoff, and digital clock timer that allows one to setup the pot the night before and awake to freshly brewed coffee, is convenience at the utmost. The programming (including just setting the correct time, that displays in very bright red LED numbers) was a snap. (We also did buy separately a permanent gold filter, which fits perfectly.)

While we have seen a number of complaints from other reviewers about the quality of this item, so far in several months of daily use we are completely satisfied. Stay tuned.


Good, But Not W/O Design Flaws   March 30, 2005
B.B.Rich (Manor, TX United States)
23 out of 23 found this review helpful


We bought this coffee maker several months ago and it has worked as a coffee maker should since then but not w/o some annoying problems. Here is the good and the bad as I see it:

1. As many have stated, the carafe is just great!! After years of carafes that drip this one is perfect. NO DRIPS!! It's about time. Unfortunately it is also not heavy enough for B&D's interrupt ("sneak-a-cup") feature. After several mishaps, and some trail and error, I cut a few loops from the spring and don't have that problem anymore but I also don't trust that this feature will work w/o allowing coffee to drip from the basket to the warming plate either. We now consider this feature a wash out. I think B&D could and should do better with this one.

2. Our house has wood "crown" moldings at the bottom of our cabinets. This means our cabinets extend down a little lower than some ( 1/2-3/4") and we therefore have some problems with the height of this unit. It does fit underneath... barely, but has to be pushed past the molding. You may want to consider this if you have this type of kitchen cabinets.

3. I find that pouring the water into the unit to be a little difficult, though not impossible. It can be kinda' tight in there and I have occasionally poured, or spilled, cold water into the filter basket. But, as one other reviewer has stated, I like the fact that there aren't any plastic screens, etc. for water to splash off of.

4. We like the program feature though living in a rural area we lose power from time to time. The clock has little tolerance for that and needs to be reset at the shortest of power interruptions (<1 sec.) It seems that a small capacitor in the power supply would solve this problem.

Overall, and so far, this has been a good coffee maker and one we are not sorry for purchasing. After looking, and considering, much more expensive units I think this may be the best of both worlds, but as I stated, not w/o it's own set of annoyances.

I hope you find this review helpful, and good luck with your own dreams.




The Best of the Inexpensive Coffeemakers   November 22, 2005
Mark Lee (Woodruff, UT USA)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

I drink lots of coffee in lots of places. I've had the terrible plasticky coffee from the $10 drippers and very fine pressed coffee from the shops.

This is my third Black & Decker (more on that later) and continues to benefit from design upgrades and improvements. I found this dripper to be the top of the line inexpensive coffeemaker. Mine came with the resusable filter, but I find that using the disposable filters (for me) makes a slightly stronger and better coffee.

The program feature was a little counter-intuitive for me, but only took 30 seconds once informed to master. Wake up to my coffeemaker's aroma. Warning: The first time I tried to make coffee, the carafe didn't push the sticking, new drip basket arm in and I had a little overflow. Apparently, it was because the machine was new and it now works flawlessly. But you might want to make sure it drips properly the first time or two you use it.

I mentioned earlier that this is my third machine from this family. It's not Black & Decker's fault that I live in an area with extremely hard, unprocessed well water. All water processing appliances (like my water heater) get clogged up with time, even with proper maintenance. These machines have lasted better than the old, bottom line machines I started out with, and longer than a more expensive one I bought.