Black and Decker Mill and Brew CM5000 Review: Grinding the Details Before You Buy

Last updated on December 19th, 2022 by Garret Jacob

If you love to buy coffee beans and grind them yourself to maintain freshness in every cup, then a grind and brew machine is what you’re looking for.

Black and Decker is well known for its quality tools and machines. Their Mill and Brew coffee maker is an ideal drip coffee machine with grinder for coffee drinkers who want the freshest cup of coffee imaginable at the cheapest price. But is it the right machine for you?

In this quick straight to the gist Black and Decker Mill and Brew CM5000 review, we answer the question and give our overall rating to help you decide.

Last update on 2024-03-22

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Black and Decker Mill and Brew Review and Rating

Build/Quality

• What is it made of? 

The Mill and Brew is mostly made up of durable plastic with some metal parts for the grinder and a glass carafe for serving. 

• How durable is it?

The hard plastic exterior and the metal grinding blades are extremely durable and long-lasting. The glass carafe is strong, but it can be somewhat susceptible to cracks or chips if not handled carefully. 

However, it seems that this machine will give you 2-4 years of service on average, maybe more if you maintain it carefully.

Built/Quality rating: 7.5

Performance

• What brew modes does it have?

You can either brew a pot of coffee at the moment or set a delay timer using the built-in 24-hour digital clock. Simply set the clock to the correct time, hit the PROG button, and use the HR and MIN buttons to set the timer for when you would like to brew your coffee.

If you are using whole beans, you will need to select how many cups you are brewing and it will grind the proper amount of beans before starting the brewing process, whether you are in the brew now mode or you set the timer. 

• Strength control?

There are three brew strengths to select from: regular, strong, and bold. 

• Temperature control?

There is no temperature control feature. But there is a hot plate that will keep the carafe of brewed coffee hot for a preset amount of time of up to 2 hours.

• How many cups does it make?

The Black and Decker Mill and Brew can be used to grind whole beans to brew an entire pot of coffee up to 12 cups. The minimum brew amount is 4 cups.

• How fast does it brew?

You will get your brew pretty fast, depending on the strength of coffee

• How quiet is it?

Black and Decker advertises that the built-in coffee grinder is surrounded by a double wall of thick plastic to help contain the sound of the grinder in the early morning hours. Customer reviews seem to confirm that the grinder is not excessively loud, but not super quiet either.

• How is the taste and flavor?

Most people find that they love the flavor of freshly ground beans and that they can choose from three different brew strengths. The biggest complaint is that the coffee can be too acidic at times and that without the use of a paper filter (which you can’t use because of the grinder filter basket combo), you often find silt and sediment at the bottom of your coffee mugs. 

Performance rating: 8.1

Ease of use/Maintenance

• How big is it?

The machine is 13.5” wide x 10” long x 15.5” high. So not huge but not compact either.

• How heavy? Portable?

The Black and Decker Mill and Brew would not be considered portable weighing in at around 9.5 pounds. However, it could easily be packed up into the car to take to a vacation home for a weekend getaway if need be. 

• LCD display or push buttons or both?

All of the programming features and the clock/timer are digital and displayed on a small backlit LCD display.

• How easy is it to use?

Most users find that there is a small learning curve to using the Black and Decker Mill and Brew, however, after playing with the buttons and setting the digital clock, you can master the machine and its functions after a few brews.

• Maintenance reminders?

No. Black and Decker recommends descaling the coffee machine with vinegar monthly to help reduce minerals and hard water from clogging the machine.

• How easy is it to clean?

Most coffee drinkers find the machine fairly easy to clean with only the permanent filter and detachable grinder to wash after each use. But you may have issues cleaning the filter basket since its built with the grinder inside and you cant use paper filter. If you don’t want to clog your pipes you will have to find alternate ways to clean the filter.

Ease of use/Maintenance rating: 7.6

Design/Features

• Does it use pods or ground coffee or both?

The Black and Decker Mill and Brew can brew coffee grounds or grind and brew whole beans for increased freshness.

• Built-in grinder?

Yes, there is a built-in detachable blade coffee grinder. However it doesn’t have adjustable grind size settings.

• Permanent coffee filter included?

Yes, there is a permanent coffee filter included with the machine. In fact the grinder is built into the filter basket.

• Programmable autostart?

There is a built-in digital clock that comes with a 24-hour timer so you can set your machine to grind and brew a pot of coffee for any time of the day or night.

• Auto pause?

The Sneak-A-Cup feature allows you to grab a quick cup of coffee before the entire brewing process is complete. Simply remove the carafe and the coffee machine will pause brewing for 20 seconds. Replace the carafe within those 20 seconds to prevent spillage. 

• Auto shut off, energy saving mode?

There is a hot plate that will keep the carafe of coffee warm for up to 2 hours before it turns off automatically. You can set the warmer for 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes.

• Removable water reservoir? How big?

No, the water reservoir is not removable. The 60 oz built-in water reservoir is good for holding enough water to brew up to twelve 5-ounce cups of coffee.

• Comes with a carafe?

Yes, the Black and Decker Mill and Brew comes with one Duralife glass carafe capable of holding up to twelve 5-ounce cups of coffee. 

• Can it dispense hot water?

No, there is no hot water spigot on the machine.

• Come in different colors?

Yes, the Black and Decker Mill and Brew comes in black, red, or white.

• Pricing

The Black and Decker Mill and Brew retails at $99.99.

Design/Features rating: 8.2

User satisfaction

• Warranty?

The Black and Decker Mill and Brew comes with a two-year limited warranty.

• Specific customer feedback

The main complaints that some users have posted online include the high acidity of the coffee brewed and the fact that there is a bit of learning curve. The learning curve means it may take you a few tries to get the programming down so you know exactly how strong you want your coffee. 

Also, having a second all in one grinder filter basket would be nice since they are built as one piece.

You could probably fix the acidity problem by opting for darker roast coffee beans or low acid beans, increasing the grind profile to more fine, and/or brewing for longer in order to increase the extraction and flavor balance of your cup.

User Satisfaction rating: 8.3

Pros and Cons

• Things we like
  • Fairly easy to use
  • Simple to clean and extremely low maintenance
  • Affordable price compared to other combination coffee grinder and brew machines.
  • Many programmable features that allow you to choose the amount and strength of coffee you would like and if you would like it now or at some time in the future. 
• Things we don’t like
  • It may take a few tries to get the programming just right for how you like your coffee.
  • The brew basket can be challenging to clean with grounds sticking to the sides.
  • You can’t use paper filters to prevent sediment leaking into your cup since the grinder is built into the brew basket
  • Some users have reported that the machine is prone to leaking.
  • The glass carafe is prone to cracking or chipping if not handled properly.

How does it compare?

Black and Decker Mill and Brew vs Hauswirt Coffee Maker with Grinder

Want to know how the Black+Decker Mill and Brew compares to other grind and brew options on the market before making a decision? We compared it to the Hauswirt Coffee Maker with Grinder and noticed many similarities and differences that are worth your consideration:

Both machines:

• Are easy to clean and require little maintenance.
• Contain a built-in grinder to grind fresh coffee beans before every brew.
• Have 3 different brew strength settings and a timer to brew coffee at any time, day or night.

But the differences are:

• The Hauswirt is made entirely of stainless steel whereas the Black and Decker is made of durable plastic.
• The Mill and Brew is a much simpler machine that costs $50 less than the Hauswirt machine.
• The Hauswirt machine contains an innovative steam brewing feature that sprays water at 198 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 seconds to activate the coffee grounds before brewing. Something like an immersion feature for better flavor.

Which is better?

Both the Black and Decker and Hauswirt are great coffee machines for coffee lovers who prefer a freshly ground and fresh cup of coffee each and every time. 

• If you want a simplified machine, with larger water tank then go with the Black and Decker Mill and Brew
• For a machine with more features like better flavor extraction and durable stainless steel construction, opt for the Hauswirt coffee maker with grinder. .  

Final Verdict 

Overall, the Black and Decker Mill and Brew is a pretty good deal. This machine brews a pot of delicious fresh hot coffee fairly quickly, is easy to use, and very affordable. The Mill & Brew may be considered basic for many, however, if you are simply looking for a quality machine that can grind fresh beans and brew a fresh pot of coffee each and every time, then this coffee maker is for you. 

But if you don’t like the idea of the permanent filter built with the grinder, and sediment leaking into your cup then this machine may not be the best fit. Also, it doesn’t have a single serve option. You may consider single serve coffee machines with grinders as an alternative if you’re a lone coffee drinker.

Last update on 2024-03-22

For more quality grind and brew coffee makers, check out a few of our favorites:

• Breville Grind Control
• Cuisinart DGB-550
• Cuisinart DGB-600BC
• Gevi Grind and Brew

FAQ

Chief Editor