Black & Decker 12-Cup QuickTouch Programmable Coffee Maker

A straightforward brewer that gets the morning job done

After a few weeks of daily use, this Black & Decker has settled into a reliable, mostly hands-off routine in my kitchen. It’s a no-frills, programmable drip machine with a 12-cup glass carafe, a clear front water window, and large rubberized buttons that make it easy to operate before the first cup kicks in. It won’t wow you with specialty modes or app control, but it covers the fundamentals—timed brewing, pause-and-pour, and auto shutoff—without drama.

Design and footprint

The footprint is compact enough for most counters (roughly 11 x 8.3 x 12.3 inches, and about 4.5 pounds). The front-facing water-level indicator makes it easy to see how much you’ve filled without craning your neck, and the display is bright and legible. The overall styling is understated; it blends into the background, which is what I prefer in an everyday brewer.

The 12-cup glass carafe feels light in the hand and sits squarely on a heated plate. The carafe lid is fixed rather than removable, which matters for cleaning; it’s not a deal-breaker, but it does mean you’ll rely more on a bottle brush than you might with a removable-lid design.

Setup and controls

Getting up and running is refreshingly simple. Set the clock, choose a brew time for the next morning, and you’re done. The 24‑hour auto-brew scheduling works consistently, and the interface doesn’t hide features behind multi-button press sequences. The large, rubberized buttons are easy to find without looking, which I appreciate at 6 a.m. The machine also has a straightforward two-hour auto shutoff, so if you forget to power down, it has your back.

What’s missing is an audible alert. I wouldn’t mind a short chime at the end of the brew or before auto shutoff, but this brewer keeps quiet. If you’re in another room, you’ll judge readiness by the sound tapering off or by peeking at the clock.

Brewing performance

For a full pot, brew time lands in the usual drip range. It’s not a speed demon, but it’s not slow either. The pause-and-pour function works as advertised: pulling the carafe mid-brew doesn’t flood the plate, and resuming is tidy as long as you re-seat the carafe promptly. For best flavor, I still prefer to let the cycle finish; pausing midway tends to slightly under-extract that first cup.

Taste-wise, the coffee is clean and reliably consistent with a standard medium grind and basket-style paper filters. It doesn’t push into over-extraction or scorched territory, and if you keep to the typical ratio (about 1 to 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces, adjusted to taste), you’ll get a balanced cup. It’s a basic single-temperature machine—no blooming or specialty profiles—so results depend on your grind quality and fresh beans more than on complicated programming.

A note on the capacity: “12 cups” in drip-speak means roughly 60 ounces (5-ounce cups), not 12 large mugs. If you regularly fill big travel tumblers, consider brewing 8–10 “cups” for two people.

Heat retention and hot plate

The warming plate runs hot enough to keep coffee properly warm for roughly an hour before flavor starts to slide toward “cooked.” If you nurse a pot through the morning, transferring to a thermal carafe will preserve taste better. The machine’s two-hour auto shutoff is a sensible safety feature and spares you the scalded end-of-day residue some plates leave behind.

Usability details that matter

• Water filling: The front window is easy to read while you pour. The reservoir opening is under a top lid, so you’ll want a few inches of clearance if your machine sits under cabinets.
• Carafe pouring: The spout pours cleanly at moderate speed without dribbling down the sides. As with most glass carafes, a fast dump pour can get messy; a steadier tilt works best.
• Sneak-a-cup: Minimal dripping during the pause, and no residual dribble once the carafe is back in place.

Cleaning and maintenance

The washable brew basket is convenient, but its ribbed interior holds onto fines and oils more than a smooth basket would. A quick rinse won’t fully clear the grooves. I had the best results using:

• Paper basket filters for daily brewing (for quick disposal and less mess).
• A small, stiff-bristle bottle brush for the basket ribs when I skip paper filters.
• An open-lid air dry after brewing.

There’s a quirk worth calling out: condensation tends to collect under the lid and stick around longer than you’d expect, even hours after a brew. Wiping the underside with a paper towel and leaving the lid open for ventilation keeps things tidy. It’s a small routine but one you’ll want to adopt to avoid stale moisture.

The carafe’s non-removable lid complicates a deep clean of the rim channel, though a narrow bottle brush reaches most of it. Descaling is standard: run a diluted white vinegar cycle every month or two (more often with hard water), then rinse with two fresh water cycles.

Build quality and longevity

The chassis and buttons feel better than bargain-bin, though the overall build is undeniably lightweight. The carafe glass is on the thinner side; treat it gently and avoid sudden temperature shocks (don’t rinse a hot carafe with cold water). Replacement carafes are available, but frequent replacements erode the value proposition fast, so care is warranted.

The lid hinge and basket fit are consistent—no wiggle that would cause misalignment—and the hot plate coating has held up so far without discoloration.

What it does well

• Consistent, everyday coffee with simple controls.
• Clear front water-level indicator that’s actually useful.
• Reliable timed brew and effective pause-and-pour.
• Hot plate that keeps coffee genuinely hot for the first hour.
• Easy-to-read display and tactile buttons suitable for groggy use.

Where it falls short

• No audible alert at brew completion or before auto shutoff.
• Ribbed basket and mesh inserts trap grounds, making cleaning more involved unless you use paper filters.
• Persistent condensation under the lid unless you wipe and air it out.
• Lightweight glass carafe feels fragile, and the fixed lid complicates cleaning.

Who it’s for

If you want a straightforward programmable drip machine that handles weekday mornings without fuss, this Black & Decker hits the sweet spot. It’s especially appealing if you like to set an auto-brew time, grab a cup via pause-and-pour, and finish the pot within an hour while it’s at its best. If you’re chasing specialty features, thermal retention without a hot plate, or variable brew profiles, you’ll want to step up to a higher tier.

The bottom line

This is a competent, budget-friendly coffee maker that focuses on the basics and mostly gets them right. The user experience is simple and predictable, and the coffee is consistently good for a standard drip machine. Be ready to address minor nuisances—wipe the lid, use paper filters for easier cleanup, handle the carafe gently—and it will reward you with an easy morning routine.

Recommendation: I recommend this coffee maker for anyone seeking an affordable, dependable daily brewer with straightforward programming and a genuinely useful pause-and-pour. It’s not the most feature-rich or the most robust, but for the price and the ease of use, it’s a practical choice that delivers reliably hot, solid coffee without complicating your morning.