Home > Consumer Reviews > Black & Decker AM8 Home Caf? Single Serve Coffee Brewing System, White

I have purchased both the senso and the Home Cafe and the Home Cafe makes better coffee. I used the Home Cafe for about 3 months before I noticed a puddle in the bottom of the reservoir. I figured if water was getting in out it could be getting back in as it was brewing so I replaced it with the Senso. Very saddened to figure out that they only know how to make a sturdy machine. The coffee is extremly weak at best even with two pods. As much as these pods cost, in my humble opinion, we need to get the most for our money! The Senso's problem is that they blow the water through the pods so fast that it does not have time to brew. To prove the point you have a 1 inch head on your coffee when you are through! The Home Cafe made the coffee hot enough now I did not start off with ice water from my fridge either! It did not seem to be the best made machine when we first bought it but it never failed.

Anyway, for 3 months I was able to forget about Starbucks! Now, since I have listened to everyone here and replaced it with a Senso I have to stop at Starbucks a couple of times a week...

I received this as a gift. I am the only person in my family that drinks coffee and it just wasn't feasible to make a whole pot of coffee. I may drink a couple cups in the morning and maybe a couple cups later in the day. The cups later in the day can now be decaff because of the ease of changing pods and making a cup of coffee. YIPEE! I couldn't believe the bad reviews on this item. The only bad thing that I have noticed (and it's not THAT bad) is that if you use a regular cup instead of a taller (travel mug) cup, you will get some MINOR splatter. NOT a big deal. Yes, it would be nice to not have splatter but geez, these are new devices and there will be some bugs to work out. As far as the temp of the coffee..I have noticed that if I use cold water in it immediately before brewing...the coffee does not get hot. I use warm water and then after using the machine (if I think about it), I will refill it and the water will be room temp by the next time I use it and I don't ever have a problem using that system. I never noticed the machine being flimsy or cheaply built. I am sure there are fancier ones out there but all in all...this machine is great for me. I can have 4 cups of coffee a day and each time they can be a different kind. So ...in summary...
The Good:
Easy to use
Variety of coffees
Easy to clean up
Very light, easy to move around
Different sizes of cups you can use
Looks great on the counter
Black and Decker has good history of appliances

The Bad:
Some MINOR splatter with use of short cups
Not being able to use cold water to get hot coffee (?)

That said...I am totally happy with my B&D Home Cafe Single Serve.

I bought this item over other single-cup makers simply because of the variety of coffee flavors available. I am especially waiting for the cappucino flavors to show up in stores. I find the machine extremely easy to use (you will get used to the plastic handle) and clean, it makes a consistent strength cup of coffee (which was my problem when trying to use my husband's 8-12 cup drip machine for 1-2 cups), and the variety of available coffee flavors is a real plus.

As mentioned, the machine -- like all single brewers I've seen -- is big, but if you just like a single cup of coffee and are tired of inconsistent cups of coffee with sludge at the bottom, this one is for you.

Oops, type on the price...$39.99 at Target...and still a satisfied coffee drinker. Wow, I am surprised at all the negative reviews about this unit. I am the only coffee drinker in my house and my coffee is hot, tasty, fast and yeah, no more cleaning a pot and dumping out a messy filter full of grounds! After inserting a pod(s) I find that the B & D lid snaps easily into place, the filled water tank is easy to insert, and I like the option of a 7, 9 or 14 oz. cup. The Senseo water tank has a weird flippy piece that popped off when I was looking at the unit and it was very frustrating to pop back into its place. While the B & D is made of plastic, the others are too so what's the big deal? And how sturdy does the metal plate have to be to hold a mug of coffee? I hemmed and hawed between the Melitta (pricey & small cup sizes); Senseo (pricey [paying for the froth] & awkward water tank) and the Black & Decker Home Brew. The B & D won on price ($49.99 at Target), small counter space taken, ease of putting in full water tank & the 14 oz cup size. Time will tell if the unit will hold up but right now I am a very satisfied coffee drinker!

I'm not sure exactly why people are complaining about the machine so much. I've had my machine for 4 months and have had no problem. Before this machine, I had an identical B&D HomeCafe unit that broke when I dropped it on the floor.
I called Black and Decker, they asked me to cut the plug off of the machine and mail it to them. Before I could get it in the mail, I received a brand new HomeCafe unit via FedEx.
Black and Decker is a great American company with an incredible exchange policy that most other manufacturers can't match.

The coffee is great. I don't like Folgers, but the Millstone is great. Also, I have used the Senseo Dark Roast pods in the machine for the longest time and with no problems. However, do NOT use the Melitta pods that are available. They are packed too tightly and are a little too small for the machine. I suspect some people here did that and busted their machine.

There is another product that can be used with the Homecafe called EcoPod (also for sale at Amazon). Ecopods are little refillable pods that can be used with your favorite freshly ground coffee or canned coffee.

I purchased HomeCafes as Christmas gifts and have heard nothing but great things about them from family/friends. They all use them on a daily basis and no one has ever had a problem.

Have a great day!