Thermal coffee makers are the best for my family. I get up an hour or two before my wife, and the termal pot leaves the coffee fresh and flavorful as when it was brewed. The traditional glass-pot and hot-plate coffee makers burn the coffee and leave it bitter, usually in 30-45 minutes. The wifey didn't like that, and when she's not happy, no one is happy.

The prices of thermal coffee makers are all over the place -- as much as $200. B&D's is the cheapest, and this model is available at Target for $10 less than at Amazon.

I had an earlier version of this coffee maker and it was a badly designed product. The carafe poured coffee or water everywhere but the cup; the water reservoir was too small to fill properly; the filter basket had to be "locked" just so; the opening of the pot was too small to clean properly; and the clock was not readable and hard to program. I had vowed never to buy another B&D product.

Once I priced the other brands, though, I gave the B&D a second look. The only similarity between the old and the new models was the brand name. B&D learned from their mistakes and this redesigned model overcame all the problems in my old coffee maker. I've used it a few times now, and on the basis of price, quality of coffee, and ease of use, I recommend it without reservation.

COFFEE MAKER WORKS GREAT - KEEPS COFFEE HOT TO WARM VERY WELL.
DOWNSIDE IS THAT CAN'T POUR WITHOUT SOME SPILLAGE.Black & Decker TCM450B 8-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker, Black

I've had this for about a year now, and no problems at all. Great coffee maker. Insulated carafe and no warming plate (burning plate?) means NO BURNED COFFEE! And there's nothing worse than burned coffee! Sure, you might need to put the last cup in the microwave for a few seconds to get it piping hot again, but that's a small price for NEVER having a burned cup of coffee. Like the title says, I would buy this one again.

I've had this coffee maker for about 3 months and I LOVE IT. Although the previous reviews say that it doesn't keep the coffee hot enough, I've found that as long as you re-close the lid after pouring a cup, it will stay hot for a couple hours!
The only part that isn't dishwasher safe is the actual carafe, but the lid and basket are. I make coffee about twice a day, so I only rinse the carafe daily and then actually wash it about 3 times a week.

Another thing I love about this coffee maker is how chic it looks on the counter next to all my other stainless steel appliances - top notch!

I don't understand the bad reviews for this product. I asked my wife to get a non-glass coffemaker because I am tired of breaking the glass coffee carafe when I wash it. I always end up buying a new coffeemaker because the price difference is close enough between a replacement carafe and brand new machine to opt for the latter. Coffee tastes good, coffee kept hot, easy to understand instructions. The arrows on the lid let you know where to position the lid for pouring and closing. Maybe if I needed a coffee pot that lasted over four hours this would be a bad deal, but all I need is for it to last maximum 2 hours, long enough for morning coffee with my wife on weekends and quick cup out the door before work days. I am confused by the negative reviews. Just make sure the lid is closed between coffee pours. No problem with cleaning, just wash in warm dish water. Also I followed the direction and ran clear water through before first use.