Can you help with our thin, watery coffee?

by Elyse

QUESTION:

We bought the Black and Decker HomeCafe based on Consumers. The coffee is thin and watery even though we've tried several brands. Any suggestions? We bought it on the Internet so there's no one live to speak with.

ANSWER:

From what I understand, you have one of the Home Café single serve coffee makers, using coffee pods.

Without being there in your kitchen and watching you brew some coffee, it's hard to provide a definitive answer.

So long as you are using the correct size of coffee pod, and are sealing the chamber completely with the lever, the machine should work correctly and deliver a decent cup of coffee.

If the size of the coffee pod is incorrect, or if it is placed incorrectly, that can certainly lead to weak coffee, as hot water can bypass the pod altogether.

Beyond that, two things jump to mind:

1. Maybe you like your coffee strong, and the brewer just isn't set to give you the kind of brew you like.

2. Maybe the brewer just isn't that good. The Black N Decker Home Café has received some mixed reviews, to put it kindly.

If it really won't make a coffee the way you like it, just return it – although this depends on how long ago you made the purchase. Online stores are under the same legal obligations as high street stores.

NOTE: If you want help with the basics of making a great cup of gourmet coffee, learn more about our Beginner's Guide to Making Coffee.