Black and decker coffee maker with grinder

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. That’s why I included it on my list of the Best Coffee Makers of 2022 earlier this year. Let’s take a closer look at what this neat little appliance offers for $31.75.

Best Budget Coffee Maker

Premium features for cheap.

Premium features at a budget price!

Great Price!

Programmable

Auto Shutoff

Easy to Use

Lots of plastic

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:

• Black and Decker 12 Cup Programmable machine
• DuraLife Glass Carafe
• Removable Brew Basket
• User Manual

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

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker vs Other Cheap Coffee Makers

Whenever I review machines, I like to put them up against similar ones that shoppers might use for comparison. For the next part of our Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker review, let’s check out a few options you might want to consider.

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker vs Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

To compare features, I took a look at the Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Programmable coffee maker, which is roughly the same price point as the Black and Decker, depending on fluctuations in the market. They both have a glass carafe and brew 12 cups, and both machines are programmable. They both sport the Sneak a Cup function, although Mr. Coffee calls it the “Grab a Cup” feature. 

They both have removable brew baskets, too. 

In contrast, the Mr. Coffee model only comes in black, as opposed to the Black and Decker machine with two color options. Also, The Mr. Coffee machine has a smaller display and a slightly larger footprint. The water reservoir window is on the side, not front-facing like the Black and Decker. However, it does have a water filter, which the Black and Decker does not.

They both come equipped with an auto shut off feature, but the Mr. Coffee machine will stay on two hours longer than the Black and Decker coffee maker before the auto shutoff kicks in. 

All in all, they are comparable in terms of quality. Today, the Mr. Coffee 12 cup coffee maker is $48.43 on Amazon.

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker vs Mueller 12 Cup Drip Coffee Maker

Another similar coffee maker is the Mueller 12 Cup coffee maker. Again, the price point is in the same ballpark. Both machines can brew twelve cups of coffee at a time and have the brew pause function so you can sneak a cup in the middle of the brew cycle. 

However, there is no auto shutoff on the Mueller model. It will keep your coffee warm until you switch the machine off manually. Additionally, the Mueller isn’t programmable. In terms of features, the Mueller is about as basic as you can get. 

Another plus point for the Mueller is the carafe is made of non-porous borosilicate glass, unlike the Black and Decker carafe, which seems to be a proprietary reinforced glass construction. 

I would give Mueller bonus points because its machine comes with a reusable mesh filter, something the Black and Decker model doesn’t seem to have available for the CM1160B model. But I would choose an auto off function over a permanent filter any day, if only for safety reasons.

The Mueller costs $48.43.

Black and Decker 12 Cup vs Others Comparison Chart

Verdict: Black and Decker 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker Review

Best Budget Coffee Maker

Premium feeatures for cheap.

Premium features at a budget price!

Great Price!

Programmable

Auto Shutoff

Easy to Use

Lots of plastic

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 $31.75 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.

Was this review helpful for you today? Let me know what questions you have in the comments.

Black and Decker 12 Cup Coffee Maker Review FAQ

The machine itself is eleven inches tall, or about 28 centimeters for the metric folk. 

The footprint of the Black and Decker Coffee Maker is about 101 square inches or about 650 square centimeters. It sounds enormous, I know, but it’s not much bigger than a standard sheet of copy paper. The actual dimensions are 8.25 x 12.25 x 11 inches (21 x 31 x 28 centimeters). 

To program the coffee maker, the first thing you need to do is set the clock. Once that’s done, press the PROG button. Use the HOUR and MIN button to choose your desired brew start time. Be sure to check whether you have it set to AM or PM. When you have the correct time punched in, press the AUTO button until the light stops flashing, and the time will switch back to the time of day. You’re all set!

Yes, you can use basket type paper filters inside this coffee maker. 

For each cup of coffee you plan to brew, add one tablespoon of ground coffee to the paper filter in your filter basket. As an example, to brew a full 12 cup pot, you would need 12 tablespoons of coffee. That’s roughly about three quarters of a cup of ground. 

Making coffee is a snap in this machine. To start, open the cover and add the water you need for the amount of coffee you want to brew. Then, put a paper filter in the brew basket, add the appropriate amount of ground coffee, and close the lid. Ensure the carafe lid is aligned correctly on the carafe, and place the carafe on the warming plate. Finally, press the ON button to get your brew started. 

You can, but I don’t recommend it. This coffee maker was explicitly designed to brew coffee from ground coffee beans. Instant coffee is made to dissolve in a cup of boiling water. 

Wash the brew basket and carafe by hand with mild soap and warm water to clean your coffee maker. The outer housing only needs to be wiped down occasionally. For descaling procedures, please read the Use and Care Manual instructions that came with your machine.

Yes, you can buy a replacement carafe. The part number you need is CM1100B-02.

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