Friends don't let friends buy Black & Decker Cafe Noirs!
Positive Product Points
auto 2-hour shutoff, makes acceptable quality coffee
Negative Product Points
abysmal design huge lid will not open under cabinet difficult to fill with water without spilling bad joke "dribble carafe" always gets coffee on counter, hands or elsewhere must be positioned eactly right, or "pause to serve" valve will stop up, causing hot coffee to overflow onto counter excessive nooks and crannies makes unit nearly impossible to clean white plastic parts were hopelessly stained inside of 3 months
Detailed Commentary
I joined this forum specifically to warn others about this unit. I have owned dozens of coffee makers in my time, and this is the worst I have ever had to live with. To add insult to injury, the auto-shutoff feature (which was the reason I bought this unit) stopped working this past week---the power light now goes off aftter two hours, but the unit stays hot!!!! If I hadn't discovered this promptly, this $%@#% $20 coffee pot could have burned my house down!
I don't want to blast all Black & Decker products---I have a B&D Thermal carafe unit on my boat, and I love it. But if this forum ever gives out a prize for the worst coffee maker ever designed, it would have to be the Cafe Noir.
Buying Experience
I bought this coffee maker at Kohl's department store, because it was on sale. Never again! I've already bought my next coffee maker on eBay, and got a $100 T-Fal for $42.
