In case you missed it, Makita came out with a cordless coffee maker last year, but like a lot of things, it wasn’t available in the USA. I guess they forgot that Americans drink a lot of coffee, or maybe they wanted to do a test run in a smaller market before bringing it over here. Well, it’s available here now, or at least will be soon!
The new mini coffee maker (DCM500Z) can brew one 5 oz cup of coffee in about 3 minutes when plugged into an AC outlet, or a 5 oz cup of coffee in 7 mins when powered by an 18V LXT Li-ion battery pack.
Advertisement
An AC cord, which doesn’t seem to be included, plugs into the back of the coffee maker in the same way as the DC pack, but to a different port. (Update: In a comment below, Mike says that the user manual mentions an AC cord is included.)
It’s pretty compact, at 8-3/8″ tall, but only has clearance for a 3-1/2″ cup. Makita previously said that the tank holds about 250 ml of water, which is about 8.5 ounces. But the product description mentions times for brewing a 5 oz cup of coffee, suggesting that it has an automatic shutoff. So why the larger tank that cannot fill 2 full 5 oz cups of coffee?
It’s got a permanent drip filter, so your grounds can be poured directly into the coffee maker, and it looks like the filter comes out for cleaning.
The coffee maker can brew up to (3) 5 ounce cups of coffee on a single charge of an 18V 5.0Ah battery, which is sold separately. It can brew about (2) 5 ounce cups of coffee with a 3.0Ah battery pack.
Price: $53 and change (as of the time of this posting)
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Advertisement
First Thoughts
The idea of a cordless coffee maker sounds great! This one doesn’t look particularly jobsite-friendly though. Maybe that’s why Makita was hesitant to bring it to the USA, because it doesn’t really fit their “professional tools” image.
I don’t drink coffee, and have only used a coffee maker maybe once or twice in my life. 7 minutes doesn’t sounds all that bad to brew a cup on cordless battery power. But I think that seeming 5 oz per cup capacity, the cordless brewing capacity, and the 3-1/2″ max height cup capacity are going to be potential downsides and limitations.
No travel mug option? Do workers drink from open cups and containers at jobsites?
But again, I don’t drink coffee. What do you guys think – is this a good gadget or gimmicky gizmo?
mnoswad
but is it brushless?
Andy
LOL, good one liner, made me laugh.
Jimmy D
I just measured my mug, which is the same height as the other 40 mugs (all from different places) in the cabinet, and it is 3-7/8″. Automatically makes it useless in my opinion.
pete
Exactly what I was thinking. Very poor planning. They should have ATLEAST made it 4″ tall which I bet could have increased their water capacity to 10oz which would have made 2-5oz cups of coffee. However who only drinks 5oz of coffee? I only drink coffee in the winter time(summers are +110 degrees) and it’s always the biggest cup they have at 7-11, which is a 12oz?
Drew M
I just checked the calendar and this is a little late for April 1st. =P
tim Rowledge
Wake me up when the Festool cordless espresso machine arrives ?
BikerDad
Too small. Just like the idiot hot chocolate packets that are for 6oz, nobody in this country drinks beverages that small. Firmly in the gadget category.
Jay k.
So true… i need at least 2 packets for 4 ounces of water… or maybe it’s just me…
Dmitriy
Good news! My today brushless desigion are dry solid fuel cubes and Bialetti Brikka stovetop – the best Italian espresso maker! Of course only when other options are not possible 😉
Doresoom
I can’t understand the reasoning to make it only have a 3-1/2″ capacity. Are users also required to drink their dainty cups of coffee with their pinkies extended?
Stan
$53 and this doesn’t come with a alternating current cord? I suppose those are fairly standard, but for that price you’d think they’d include one. Most come from overseas and wouldn’t add to the cost that much.
As for the product, I can see a hipster buying this, but I doubt any real tradesman would be interested. Five ounces isn’t that much and height capacity might be an issue.
Stuart
It adds to the cost, and a lot of users who want a plug-in option might use whatever extension cords they already have on-hand.
Brandon
I drink one pot of coffee per day. I make a pot before I leave the house in the morning, fill up my travel mug, put the rest in my thermos. Thermos keeps the coffee hot without scorching, no waiting when I want a refill, holds way more than 5 ounces, and only cost about $20.
MT_Noob
Wow, I am glad I am not the only person in the world that doesn’t drink coffee.
Mike
The manual states the accessories included are:
Battery holder
AC power cord
Measuring spoon
Two or three cups of coffee depletes an entire battery pack? One would assume that the battery would be used because AC power isn’t available. In that case you can’t charge battery packs either and battery charge would be at a premium. Hard to justify using an entire battery for such a small amount of coffee.
Stuart
Thanks, I didn’t think to check the manual!
Mike
Not a problem, I wanted to check something out anyway. The serving size made me curious, and sure enough, the filter is the size and shape of a K-Cup pod.
Incidentally, the manual also states that the unit should not be placed in a heated oven. Just in case anyone was planning on buying one for that purpose.
Greg
No offense to Makita but this thing is ridiculous!
An average dinner cup of coffee is 8 ounces. The smallest at convenience stores are 12 ounces. When I do drink coffee in the winter its the 24 or 32 oz cup from WaWa. If they sell 100 of these nation wide I would be surprised. This is America go big or go home.
Stuart
After I posted about the coffee maker last year when it first came out overseas, there was a lot of interest, I believe from Australian users. I received quite a few emails from Aussies asking when and where they could buy the coffee maker.
Although I’m hesitant about the design’s capacity limits, there’s obviously a lot of user interest. I don’t think Makita would have released it to the USA market if they didn’t think it would sell.
Jim Felt
If someone competent like Boda or Kurig or even Starbucks themselves maybe just maybe the thing would both look good and make decent coffee and in a common coffee drinking size.
Makita? I don’t believe I’ve seen that brand in the small appliance department. Anywhere.
What the heck were they thinking? Or drinking?
Nathan
designed for japan and other places that use smaller Tea Cups – and thus make tea.
(I suspect from the measurements)
not a horrible idea but you know what milwaukee should do when they make their version.
run about 10 degrees colder on the water – seal the water holder (the extra oz of water are probably to accommodate evaporation and heat loss)
and it should be something that clips onto some relatively standard sized mug/cup widget. OH and of course sell the matching branded insulated mug.
Nathan
oh and power demand for heat – is something those dewalt 40 volt batteries would excel at.
Guy
The idea is good. The execution…lacking.
It’d look great in a contractor’s office though.
Noah
I’m waiting for the Festool version, but it will probably require proprietary beans.
Paul
The festool model had a built in vacuum port so that virtually zero coffee ground dust is released into the environment when pair with their hepa rated dust system is used.
john
Too true. And will only accept their very well designed but ludicrously expensive hexagonal cup.
Jake
Ok. After searching for over 2 months now, I have finally found the correct solution to making coffee at a job site on or on the road. 1. Purchase the Coleman Camping Coffee Maker. 2. Next, purchase the GasOne GS-3000 Portable Gas Stove and some butane canisters. 3. You place the coffee maker on top of the stove to make coffee. I brewed 6 cups in 14 minutes (That’s right 14 minutes!!!) 4 cups were done in 12 minutes) The coffee is awesome and very very hot. You no longer have to rely on a 12 volt solution that takes too long too brew, is not as hot as it should be and will stop working altogether within 30 days. This is the only way to go..
ben
I do that, but also refill my small 1lb tanks of my 20lb propane tank, talk about 8 cents per cup of coffee ?
John
Gimmick! Well that’s the first thing that popped into my mind. Didn’t expect if from Makita.
Considering there is a coffee shop. diner, mobile coffee seller, 7/11 or whatever every where you look I see it as a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist!
RICHARD DECKERT
Is this included in the job specs?
KL
I was just camping at a cabin off the grid. There was LP for boiling water but with several coffee aficionados we woulda killed for drip. I was heavily loaded w cordless batteries for lights, emergency tools etc. Would love to see a Milwaukee version of this w more capacity!
ben
Ok dewalt, please fire back with a cordless coffee pot of at least 5 cups of brewing capacity (1 cup at a time)
The reason this makita brews so little coffee is because battery power limits the additional “hot plate” needed to maintain coffee hot. They figure one.will brew coffee as needed without having it sit on the.hot plate while you finish your first cup.