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Hamilton Beach Two-Way Single-Serve Coffee Maker Review

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Hamilton Beach 49980Z Coffee Maker

Hamilton Beach Two-Way Coffee Maker (click to enlarge)

The Hamilton Beach “2-way” is one of my favorite coffee makers because it serves as both a single serve brewer and an actual coffee maker. If you want a quick cup of coffee, you’re good to go. If you have guests drop over unexpectedly, you’ll be able to brew 12-cups of coffee with the same coffee maker – it’s very convenient.

Great Quality

The exterior features a stainless-steel plated exterior that is both durable and aesthetically pleasing.

Design & Features

For an entry-level model, this coffee maker includes a lot of top-end features that make your coffee brewing even easier. Plus, how often do you come across a coffee maker than can brew two at once?!

Click here to get the price of the Hamilton Beach Two-Way Coffee Maker. 
  • Two-way brewing.
  • 12-cup glass carafe
  • One-time filling reservoir.
  • Pod holder.
  • Regular or bold brew strength.
  • 24-hour brew programming.
  • 2-hour shut off.

Fast and easy to use. This model allows you to use coffee pods and even comes with a pod holder. Users that don’t like pods will be happy with the mesh filter that allows for ground coffee to be used.

A digital display allows you to schedule a brew 24-hours in advance. For anyone that loves hot coffee once they come home from work, you’ll love this feature.

When it comes to brewing, it’s fast and simple. Simply choose the brew strength: regular or bold, and then choose the size: single or carafe. This is an amazing option because you can brew a 14-ounce cup of coffee quickly if you don’t need to brew a whole pot of coffee. Or, you can choose to brew a 12-cup pot of coffee. The single-serve size does have a multilevel cup rest, so any cup will fit under the spigot.

I also appreciate that Hamilton Beach uses a glass carafe due to plastics leaving an off taste.

Easy Maintenance and Cleaning System

There isn’t a fancy cleaning cycle or any filters to change with this model. Instead, you’ll only need to clean the exterior and the pod or ground holder. The mesh coffee filter comes out and can be ran right under the sink. The glass carafe can also be cleaned with a sponge.

Durability & Longevity

Simple in design, Hamilton Beach models are known to last for years. Many users still use this model daily after 4 years of ownership. For the price, you really can’t expect much more in the durability and longevity department.

Price

Expect to pay several hundreds of dollars for this model? You’re way off. Just check the price of this model!

Pros

  • Dual brewing technology.
  • 24-hour timer.
  • Adjustable spigot.
  • 2-hour safety shut off.

Cons

  • Slow single-size brew.

I love the design of this model because it gives you the utmost in brewing options. The one area where I was slightly disappointed was the actual time it took to brew the single serve cup. Maybe I am spoiled by the 1 – 2 minute models, but I did expect it to be a little faster.

However, very few coffee makers offer this dual-brew option. For me, I am impressed with Hamilton Beach. This coffee maker never burns the coffee, extracts the utmost in flavor and comes at an unbeatable price.

Click here to get the price of the Hamilton Beach Two-Way Coffee Maker. 
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Most Affordable Single-Serve: The Hamilton Beach 49981A Coffee Maker

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Hamilton Beach 49981A Coffee Maker

Hamilton Beach 49981A Coffee Maker (click to enlarge)

Want a fast-brewed cup of coffee? That is exactly what the Hamilton Beach 49981A has to offer. This model is meant for the person that needs just enough coffee – up to 14 ounces – to give them that extra jolt they need to wake up in the morning.

There’s enough room to fit your travel cup or coffee mug right underneath the coffee dispenser.

High-Quality Stainless Steel

Hamilton Beach uses stainless steel with this model. Black plastic trim can be seen around the edges, and the top pops open to reveal the coffee filter. This is a very high-quality product at a very affordable price. It’s yet another example from Hamilton Beach, that a decent coffee maker can be affordable and still product great tasting coffee.

Click here to get the price of the Hamilton Beach 49981A Coffee Maker. 

Features

Feature-rich, the 49981A offers bold and regular flavor options to ensure the perfect taste with every cup. This model features:

  • 14-ounce brewing capacity
  • Built-in stand for coffee mugs
  • Stainless steel design
  • Regular and bold coffee settings
  • Labeled scoop filters
  • Adjustable cup rest

This very model won an award from Good Housekeeping in 2012 for being a “Very Innovative Product.”

What’s so innovative?

It’s all in the design. Starting with the coffee filter, simply push the top and the filter holder is exposed. After putting in your coffee grounds, adjust the built-in coffee stand to your coffee cup’s size. It’s simple and easy.

Then, you can choose your desired coffee strength – regular or bold – and start brewing.

Hamilton Beach even includes a mesh scoop filter, so you never need to buy paper filters again.

The stand also acts as a drip tray, so there’s never any messy cleanup to worry about. Brewing time is just 90 seconds or less for an 8-ounce cup. When you’re finished, this coffee maker will shut off for added safety.

Easy to Clean and Maintain

Before you go ahead and brew your first cup of coffee in this model, make sure you listen to the manufacturer’s suggestion of running two full coffee cycles with just water. This should be seen as starting maintenance to remove any plastic taste.

Scoop filters rarely need to be replaced. Even after 7 months of use, there was no need to replace the scoop filter yet.

If you want easy clean up, you’ll be in for a treat with this model. This is one of the easiest coffee makers to clean. Since there is no carafe to worry about, you’ll be cleaning the exterior and the filter with a damp cloth or sponge. If you want to be very thorough, brew a cup or two of coffee with just water to clean out the coffee spout.

Top-quality Durability

There’s literally nothing to break with this model. Made from stainless steel and not containing a carafe, you shouldn’t have any breakage issues ever.

Price

This is one of the best single-serve coffee makers on the market.

Pros

  • Beautiful design
  • Extremely durable
  • Regular and bold strength brewing
  • Very easy to clean
  • Adjustable stand

Cons

  • Leaks if too much grounds are added

Many coffee makers will leak if you add to many grounds to the filter. This occurs because the grounds are packed so tightly that the water has nowhere to go. Always leave a little room up top to avoid this issue.

As far as taste is concerned, you’ll have a full-bodied cup of coffee in 90 seconds or less. The filtration keeps in the strong coffee flavor, and you’ll never spend more than 2 minutes cleaning the machine.

Click here to get the price of the Hamilton Beach 49981A Coffee Maker. 
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Top Buy! The Hamilton Beach 46201 Coffee Maker Reviewed

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Hamilton Beach 46201

Hamilton Beach 46201 Coffee Maker (click to enlarge)

Looking for a coffee maker that’s affordable and comes with a programmable clock? The Hamilton Beach 46201 may be the perfect choice for you. This model is not only backed by the reputable Hamilton Beach brand, but it also brews a delicious cup of coffee.

Hamilton Beach Quality

The 46201’s hard plastic and metal exterior are both durable and easy to clean. The carafe is durable, this model is on wheels for easy movement, and the coffee filter holder even swings out for convenient removing and replacing.

For a lower-priced coffee maker, Hamilton Beach definitely didn’t skimp on quality or features for this model. Below is a list of the core features:

Click here to get the price of the Hamilton Beach 46201 Coffee Maker. 

Design & Features

There’s a lot to like with this model, including:

  • 12-cup brewing capacity
  • Bold and regular brewing options
  • 1 – 4 cup brewing options
  • Adjustable warmer
  • Pause and serve options
  • Nonstick warmer plate
  • Swing out coffee filter
  • Removable water reservoir

Hamilton Beach allows you to adjust the brew power for a bold or normal brew taste. You can choose to brew all 12-cups, or you can choose 1 – 4 cups for a faster brew on the go. If you’re in a hurry, there is a pause and serve option, so you can quickly grab a cup of coffee and continue your morning routine.

Pressing on the front of the machine, you can quickly access the swing-out filter to add your coffee and remove your old filter if necessary.

One thing that’s really nice about this model is that the reservoir comes out, and the entire machine is on wheels. So, you can quickly clean the reservoir and move your coffee maker near the sink with minimal effort.

Maintenance & Cleaning

There is no automatic cleaning cycle, but don’t let that deter you – cleaning is easy. First and foremost, the water reservoir comes out, so you can clean it with ease. I recommend using a damp sponge and water and avoiding soap as it can affect your coffee’s taste.

The exterior of this model needs a simple wipe-down to keep it clean.

Filters will need to be changed just like every other coffee maker on the market, and the carafe will need to be rinsed clean for optimal flavor.

Durability & Longevity

Hamilton Beach includes a 1-year warranty, but you hopefully won’t have to use it. A lot of users have been using this model going on three years without an issue. The one point I will note is that if there’s an issue, it usually occurs within the first few months of ownership when you’ll be able to use the product’s warranty.

Entry-Level Price

This is an entry-level coffee maker that has a lot of the same features you would expect to find at the mid-range price and higher.

Pros

  • Extremely affordable
  • Designed for easy cleaning and brewing
  • Programmable clock
  • Automatic shutoff
  • Wheels for easy transport

Cons

  • No self-cleaning mode
  • Slow brewing time

My one complaint is that this isn’t a fast-brewing coffee machine. If you’re in a rush, it’s probably better to go with a single serve model like the Keurig K130/B130. However, for 12-cups of coffee, you wouldn’t expect a lightning fast brew anyway.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the Hamilton Beach 46201. It comes with every feature an avid coffee drinker would want and has been known to last for years without breaking. This is a great model for every household.

Click here to get the price of the Hamilton Beach 46201 Coffee Maker.