Black & Decker Home Café Review

What the reviewers like:
Reviews say the Black & Decker Home Café has an easy-to-fill, removable 34-ounce water reservoir. Its drip tray also removes easily, so you can lower the cup tray for larger mugs. Because it is a single-cup coffee maker, it doesn’t require much countertop space, and its coffee pods (mainly Folgers and Millstone varieties) are easy to find and inexpensive.

What the reviewers don't like:
Although some owners say the Black & Decker Home Café is a good machine for the money, we found quite a few complaints about durability. Some owners report malfunctioning controls, leaks and general breakdowns.

Black & Decker Home Café review highlights

Single-cup coffee makers eliminate the waste of making a whole pot for just one serving. While owners like the concept, the competing Philips Senseo coffee maker (which also uses coffee pods instead of loose coffee) gets better reviews overall than the Black & Decker Home Café. Owners are split on the Home Café. Some say it quickly makes a good-tasting single cup of coffee, but a significant number of owners report durability problems and leaks.

Two publications have included the Black & Decker Home Café in their tests, but the review at The New York Times doesn't rank the Home Café against other pod-type coffee makers. Good Housekeeping has included the Home Café in its tests, where the similar Philips Senseo (*est. $70) is judged better overall. We also found owner-written reviews for the Black & Decker Home Café at Amazon.com and Epinions.

Also see full report: Coffee Makers

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Amazon.com
Black & Decker GT300 Home Café Coffeemaker reviews
Contributors to Amazon.com

There are about two dozen reviews here for the Black & Decker Home Café single-cup coffee maker, which uses coffee pods. Reviews are evenly split. Some say the Home Café is a quick way to make a single cup of good-tasting coffee. Others complain about durability issues and leaks.

2. Epinions
Black & Decker GT300 Coffee Maker Reviews
Contributors to Epinions

Of the dozen reviews here for the Black & Decker Home Café, it's about a 50/50 split of opinions for and against this single-cup coffee maker. Some say the Home Café does a nice job, but others complain about faulty electronics, weak coffee and leaks.

3. Good Housekeeping.com
Cutting-Edge Coffeemakers
Editors of Good Housekeeping
Dec. 2004

Using blind taste tests, Good Housekeeping rates four one-cup coffee makers, although no other testing details are included. They note that one-cup machines are convenient, but most confine users to specific pods. The Philips Senseo gets the highest rating, with the best tasting coffee, although editors say those who like Folgers and Millstone coffee might like the Mr. Coffee Home Café.

4. The New York Times
A Barista Buzz, Home Style
William Grimes
Nov. 10, 2004

William Grimes includes ratings of three pod-type coffee machines, pointing out that taste is determined less by the machine and more by the coffee. Of the three pod models tested (Philips Senseo, the Melitta One:One and Black & Decker's Home Café), there is no clear winner.

Also see full report: Coffee Makers

Black & Decker Home Café Review