Black & Decker GT300 Home Cafe Coffeemaker, Black | 
| Brand: Black & Decker
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $24.99
You Save: $35.00 (58%)
New (7) from $24.99
Rating:  61 reviews
Sales Rank: 2213
Color: Black
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5.9
Dimensions (in): 13 x 6 x 14
MPN: GT300
Model: GT300
UPC: 050875527997
EAN: 0050875527997
ASIN: B000BHIHKC
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Item is brand new!!
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| Features:
| • | Brew 7, 9 and 14 ounce beverages, tea and creamy beverages | | • | Easy to use push-button controls | | • | Cleaning Cycle | | • | Removable Cup Booster / Drip Tray | | • | Robust Design |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
BREW THE PERFECT CUP IN ABOUT A MINUTE No mess, no measuring and no wasted coffee. Enjoy coffeehouse-style beverages in your home or take them to go! Home Cafe™ is fast and easy to use.
FEATURES
Auto-lift action on lid for ease of use Easy-to-fill, removable water reservoir holds 34 oz. so there’s no need to refill after every brewing Powerful steam pump allows the pressure-brewing system to deliver coffeehouse-style beverages Choose the creamy brew button and savor a fresh, frothy cup of specialty coffee Three brewing choices let you customize your beverage size and strength Drip tray removes easily so you can lower the cup tray for larger size mugs, including travel mugs, and enjoy your favorita beverage at home or take it to go Easy cleaning with the touch of a button ensures a flavorful, fresh brew each time 2 pod holders included: The regular pod holder brews regular coffees An additional pod holder lets you make specialty coffee beverages
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| Customer Reviews: Read 56 more reviews...
 First single-serve pod coffemaker, impressed! December 28, 2005
Mark P. Deroller (Rochester, NY)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
UPDATE AFTER A YEAR (1/2/06): I have been using this coffee maker for a year now. No problems with the machine. It has performed flawlessly. I follow the maintenance schedule which basically entails running a 50/50 white vinegar/water solution through the maker roughly every 30 cups. This is to prevent scale build-up. I didn't do it every 30 cups. I've run over 200 cups of coffee through this and have done the maintenance 3 times.
The primary reason I prefer this maker over the Senseo maker is the fact that it was almost designed for my Black and Decker 14 oz travel mug which fits nicely underneath; the Senseo is too short.
I have narrowed my preferences for coffee down to the Senseo brand of coffee. The medium roast is my favorite.
For those people who did not like this coffee maker because of a plastic taste in there coffee, I can say that 2 things could cause this:
1. Leaving water in the plastic water tank for an extended period of time. I always use fresh cold water straight from the water filter.
2. Make sure you are using a fresh coffee pod or pods (for 14 oz mugs). Reusing a pod, or trying to use just one pod for 14oz will water down the taste considerably.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (12/28/05): Received this for Christmas from my wife. I upgraded from a B&D "Brew N' Go" single serve coffeemaker, and can use the same travel mug with the Home Cafe. The main reason my wife chose the B&D over the Senseo was the fact that my travel mug fits easily in the B&D model. I understand this particular model is a redesign of another B&D model which received horrible reviews. In my opinion it's always a good thing to get the "2nd generation" as all the bugs have been worked out.
I am impressed with the ease of use, including how fast it makes a cup of coffee, and how easily it cleans up. I also prefer the taste of the coffee over my old maker. The coffeemaker itself is not too big, and the water reservoir holds enough water to last me a couple days.
If you're like me, you need more than just a cup of coffee in the morning, you have to have a GOOD cup of coffee. At some point I'll know which pods I like best as there are a number of different pod brands out there. The manual says only to use Folgers or Millstone brand (don't like the taste of either), but from what I've read elsewhere it doesn't make a difference which brand you use as long as the pods are the correct size.
The cheapest pods I've found online are the Senseo brand which run roughly 20 cents per pod. Ultimately you weigh taste with price, and you decide which is more important.
Overall I am very happy with the B&D Home Cafe.
 Not a good buy. Save your money for a better machine October 15, 2006
James A. Kenefick (Hamden, CT USA)
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
Recently my Black & Decker HCC100 Home Cafe blew up. Literally. It has a serious design flaw and the steam builds up against the weak latches of the head unit and BLAMMO! Coffee grounds everywhere. Not exactly a new phenomenon, as it had exploded at least three times before, however this time chunks of plastic broke off.
I did a lot of research looking for a machine that gave great extraction and temperature, but cost less than $75. I settled on the Black & Decker GT300 Home Cafe, which supposedly fixes all the design flaws from the earlier model.
Well, it did do that. It's easier to use, gives a more even temperature (In fact it gets a little too hot. I actually got a cup to brew once at 190 degrees.) and no chance of an explosion. The flaw?
It brews water. The coffee was weak. I used my strongest 10 oz. pod, on the lowest water setting, 7 oz., and it tasted like watery [...]. I pre-moistened the pod, made sure it had a tight seal, everything. It didn't matter. It was watery every timer. I tried two pods in the double-pod holder and still used the 7 oz setting - that should have been strong as mud. It was brown water.
The only way to get a decent cup was to let the first few ounces of water brew into one cup, then switch to the cup I wanted and let it finish. If I did that with four pods, I get a drinkable cup of coffee. What a pain in the [...]. I decided to return the unit. Save your money for something better like the SimpleHuman A40.
I gave this unit a 2 and not a 1 because the design and function is much improved over the previous product except for that one huge, massive flaw: it brews hot, light-brown water, not coffee.
very convenient coffeemaker coffee April 19, 2006
Jessica (Norman, OK, United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Like another reviewer, I received this coffeemaker free from bzzangent.com for the purpose of trying it out and giving feedback. This and one of those cute scrubbing bubbles automatic shower sprayers were my first products from them, and I've had them about a month.
I've tried three kinds of Folgers pods with the coffeemaker. Coffeehouse quality? Not really, but it is comparable to the kinds of coffee you dispense and grind in the grocery store kiosks (i.e. better than canned). In addition, it does have capability for creamy coffees (I've tried Skinny Vanilla Latte and Cappuccino, which are both pretty yummy). These don't foam up like they should for true coffeehouse style, but they are better than instant, and a better option for me, who can't afford a very fancy coffee machine or the counter space it would require. I actually really like the shape and size of this. Not very wide or imposing. About 1.5 large coffee cups wide, actually. And it's quite sturdy, not at a
I prefer pretty strong coffee (on the level of European espresso), and was a bit disappointed after reading the product info and then getting coffee pot appliance-style. Even on the 7 oz setting, it's not quite what I'd like. On the other hand, the strength of the 7 oz would be overwhelming for the other coffee drinkers in my house, so that's going to depend on your preference.
Convenience is the keyword with this, and since I like flavored coffees and the others in my household don't, this is really an ideal appliance for what it does.
I love the speed of setup, brewing, and clean up. Seriously, the process is
- fill removable container with water
- open pod area lid, put in pod, close lid
- push button
...and a minute later I have a cup of coffee as good as I would get with a full coffee maker.
Cleanup: grab pod holder and fling the pod into the trash.
It's only suggested that you clean the pod holder and splashguard after using creamy pods, but I rinse 'em every time anyway. Still, altogether I think this is less effort than even instant coffees. Even though I have a bag of ground stuff in the fridge and cans of instant international coffees in the pantry, I've been using this machine 3-5 times a week since I received it.
I don't like insanely hot coffee that burns my tastebuds off, so the fact that it's perfect drinking temperature after adding a splash of milk is a good thing for me. If you like lap-burning temp coffee, you may not be happy with this incarnation of the single-serve maker.
The machine is a little bit loud for the minute it's on. If a light sleeper is asleep nearby (it just woke up my puppy that was sleeping under the countertop on which it was sitting), it could be a problem, but it makes the noise for only about a minute, so I haven't had any real problem. I don't have any problem with the plastic taste/smell that others mentioned either.
Hopefully, from reading the comments here, you can decide if this is the best product for you. I really like mine. Overall, it's a convenient, good-quality, single-serve appliance to make a fast cup of coffeemaker-style coffee.
(Supermarket-quality) coffee, brewed in a minute! March 15, 2006
Scott L. DO (Indianapolis, IN)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I've got a couple of caveats, before beginning my opinions:
1) Maybe I'm not the target audience for this product. Before using this product, I bought my coffee from a local roaster, and ground the beans at home. I'll drink "supermarket quality" coffee at work, if it's all that's available... but find there's a BIG difference in taste.
2) I got my coffeemaker free, from Bzzagent.com, with the expectation that I'd share my honest opinions about the device with others. Which I am.
Now that I've got that over with... I think that the coffeemaker fulfills it's basic promise to brew a cup of coffee in about a minute. Unlike previous reviewers, I haven't noticed any "plastic" taste, and the machine... essentially, works. Some people might like the coffee to be a little hotter (especially if you add cold milk), and some might claim it's a little expensive (at 30-60 cents/cup) but you can't deny that this is even more convenient (and better-tasting) than instant coffee from the microwave. And, considering it dispenses straight into your coffeecup, there's alsmost no cleanup. (Take pod out of machine, throw it away. Cleanup done.) In a "convenience" race, this machine beats everything else, hands down!
As to the promise of getting "Coffehouse quality at home", I think it falls short. I've seen some advertising copy where the claim is made that the pressurized steam that this machine generates gets more flavor out of the beans... but, unfortunately, because you are using supermarket-quality pods, you're still only getting supermarket-quality coffee. I noticed no difference in taste, compared to drip-brewing. (And, yes, I used the "Millstone" rather than the "Folgers" brand.)
As for the latte/expresso pods... they do create a latte-like drink, with very little foam. Don't think "coffeehouse quality" - think of a slight step up from General Mills International Coffees (the instant variety).
Will I still use this machine? Well, I'll probably use up my free supply (Mine came with coupons for 4 bags of pods), and it's better than making instant coffee for my guests that want decaf. And, if I don't have time to go through the hassle of making better coffee, this machine will have it's place. But, for a coffee snob like me... there's no reason to throw out my old coffeemaker.
On the other hand, if you're a "supermarket coffee" drinker, and feel that the conveniences of speed and easy cleanup outweigh the cost of the pods, this may be a 4 or 5 star device.
 If you like coffe that tastes like plastic, buy this model!! December 30, 2005
coffee lover
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Like another reviewer we thought this model looked great on the shelf and had several features we didn't see on some other models. As good as it looked, however, the coffee tastes HORRIBLE! Tastes like plastic, even smells like plastic while brweing. Tried everything to get rid of taste, including running two bags of pods through it. Nothing helped!
Finally called B&D and they told me to return the unit to the place we got it from. They claimed that we were the first consumers ever to repoert this problem.
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