Review on ☕ BLACK+DECKER CM1331BS Coffee Maker, 12-Cup by Brandi Davis

The good news first: It makes a great cup of coffee (best coffee to water ratio is 1 tablespoon per 6 ounces of water). It brews quickly, makes no noise, the coffee is hot, like any drip machine, it's very easy to clean. The buttons are easy to program. So why only 3 stars? Well, the little contraption in the center of the decanter lid that lets you pour a cup before brewing broke the first day after the wash. It's ok as I don't mind waiting for it to finish but I think the construction of this part is weak. (And even if I wait for the brew to finish before removing the carafe, a few drops always remain in the hotplate area because that little piece isn't there.) But the BAD news is that it's impossible to find a replacement . . Decanter for this particular model. I recommend looking for replacement parts for any coffee maker you plan to buy BEFORE you buy it. I called B&D and this carafe is out of stock but will ship this month (November) but the price for a replacement carafe is $26 (shipping included). I could have gotten a brand new B&D coffee maker for $10 more. So while this is a great coffee maker that's certainly worth its price and makes delicious coffee indistinguishable from much more expensive machines, be careful with the carafe and don't expect a replacement right away. Also, as a warning, use paper filters, not reusable stainless steel "filters". Strainer coffee tastes awful and doesn't filter out homocysteine, if that's important to you. And no matter how much you spend on a coffee maker, the end result will be more affected by the quality of the coffee and the quality of the water used.