BLACK+DECKER CM618 Single Serve Coffee Maker, Black

Overthinkers and over researchers: This review is for you.I spent weeks researching single serve coffee makers about 15 months ago. Why? Because that’s what I do. If you’re on the fence, PLEASE read this and just order it. It’s worth it, spend the research time thinking about something else.Background: I’m no coffee snob. Too lazy and apathetic for a French press; I usually throw some Folgers in a goodwill or hand-me-down coffee maker and move on with my life. If you truly care about all the intricacies that coffee enthusiasts are passionate about, this probably isn’t the machine for you.I moved into an apartment with not a ton of counter space, and as a single (yet very eligible) bachelor, I wanted something easy and cheap that got the job done. I started mainly looked at coffee makers that were k cup compatible, but ultimately decided against it as the cost per cup is much higher with the k cups, and they take up more storage space in my cupboards. Plus, I like being able to control how much coffee grounds I use. I went with this one for a few reasons:1) Small footprint2) Brews more than most pod coffeemakers (16oz vs usually 12oz)3) Came with a mug4) Got one used here on Amazon on sale for $18I’ve been using it almost daily for about 15 months now, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Just throw water in it, put some grounds in (I use a leftover protein powder scoop that is the perfect size), and hit the switch. I have tried the Italian coffee brand coffee pads that are great if you prefer, and are cheaper than K cups. I timed brewing it with a full ~16oz mug for this review. Just under 2 minutes and 45 seconds until it shut itself off and I had a cup of piping hot coffee. I think it’ll drip a few seconds afterwards, idk. I don’t pay enough attention.Tip: to clean the grounds from the filter easily, I take both the filter and the plastic holder underneath it out together, dump the grounds down the garbage disposal, and cover the drain hole with my finger while filling and dumping out water to rinse out the ground remnants. Every so often, I throw the entire coffee maker in the dishwasher to clean it.I was concerned that none of my mugs would fit. Turns out all of them did except one bulky plastic mug. If it’s under ~7 inches tall, it’ll fit just fine. I have a sunwill 20oz mug from here that fits perfectly, and an Ozark trail mug from Walmart that fits great as well. One or two of my mugs have very wide bases that sit a little tilted because of the size of the bottom of the coffee maker, but it does not spill or hold any less liquid as a result and is still stable. I’ll throw in a pic with all the mugs I have that are compatible for reference.I recently thought about replacing this and revisiting the thought of buying a machine compatible with k-cups. After researching this (again), I have decided once again to stick with the B&D. It’s small, isn’t full of stupid features I won’t use, and is not noteworthy in any way — just dump grounds/water in, wait a few minutes, and move on with your day without even thinking about it. How it should be. I wish I could write more about it, but I’m out of stuff to say. It’s easy, it works great, and that’s it.Buy it. It’s a great value and does what it needs to do without any extra fuss. Take the extra money you saved and buy yourself a case of beer. You deserve it.

Have had mine since 2023. I pack it when I travel in case — Heaven forbid — I need a coffee and there’s no coffee maker available. I bring my own grounds and I’m in business in no time. The 16 oz. cup is perfect — I’ve even made some for friends staying with me, they just pour some into other vessels. It does what I need it to. Quick and simple, the unit is very lightweight so it packs easily and has never felt flimsy. That said - it isn’t designed to brew ultra fancy concoctions, but it gets the job done! I find that my coffee flavor is fine especially using my own coffee.

It makes a quick cup of good coffee as long as you follow directions. A little flimsy with a small footprint. Good value.

I've only used this a few times so I obviously can't speak to durability or longevity, but I will say it doesn't have the quality of the things from the "old days" when things were built to last. It's lightweight plastic...but it DOES work. For the price you're not likely to find anything better.A couple of things that I wish I could have found in the reviews that might help others considering this:1. It will hold at least 16 oz of water.2. It can accommodate a cup up to 7¼" high. It fits my 16oz Contigo, which had been a concern since I have several and use them daily.I do like that it shuts off immediately when done brewing. I've burned coffee to the bottom of glass coffee pots before, due to no shut off!But you should know that shut off occurs immediately after the brew cycle but BEFORE it is done dripping. So, keep your cup in place for an extra 30 seconds or so after the light goes out.And speaking of cups, the included thermal cup is chintzy and on par with those you find at dollar stores. But it DOES work and probably keeps coffee hotter for longer than a non-thermal cup,And speaking of hotness, I'd say this machine brews at just about my preferred drinking temperature. That's nice but it also means that it immediately starts cooling to a ess than perfect temperature as it sits. The good news is that my Contigos do a good job of keeping it hot for a more than adequate amount of time.It brews quite quickly, as in just as fast as any in this class. You can hear it starting to "percolate" within 12 to 15 seconds of powering on.The small footprint is a nice space saver on counter tops too.Ultimately, it does the same thing as a unit costing many times as much...it brews hot coffee quickly. So, I can't see paying any more for one of these things than I did for this...around $20. I'm happy with it and recommend it. If it doesn't last, I'll probably buy the same thing again.