Hamilton Beach 49945 FlexBrew Single-Serve Coffee Maker Compatible with Pod Packs and Grounds 1 Cup Red

I will not deny that I am a coffee lover, and I will not deny the fact that I want a nice cuppa in my hands within minutes of waking up. We have a single serve Keurig and a single serve Chefman. THIS is my personal coffeemaker of choice, WHY? Even though it makes about the same counter footprint as a drip style 5-cup machine, (I have one of those, too!) it makes amazing coffee. It brews quickly, and fairly quietly, and without a lot of steam escaping, unlike the hissing Chefman. I set it up at night before bed, and hit the button in the morning. Within minutes I have my mug ready to drink. Sometimes I want a second mug, which is no problem. The basket for grounds is sturdy, and is the easiest of all my coffeemakers' brew baskets to clean. Within a minute, I have the grounds basket clean and ready to brew mug number 2. The grounds basket is large enough so that I don't have grounds overflowing and getting into my coffee, or into the funnel, a common problem with the Keurig and Chefman. I love how it has the cannister to hold ground coffee close by. I drink my coffee fairly bold. This machine not only has a grounds basket large enough to hold a generous scoop of coffee without the wet grounds overflowing into everything, but also a dual power control for either "Brew Reg" or "Brew Bold." While I mainly use grounds for my single cup needs, this coffeemaker does a nice job when I do use a pod. Within a week of buying this coffeemaker, I bought a second one to have as a spare, I like it THAT much! Read more

Very satisfied with the coffee maker what I like about it is the water is nice and hot and it has two settings you can choose from. I have to say I have no complaints as of yet been using it for about two weeks now I would recommend it it’s a very nice product. Read more

Normally I wouldn’t buy a product where a third of users give it 1 star. However, I recently bought a drip coffee maker that had 4-5 star ratings, and it was the worst coffee maker I ever owned. (I’ve been making coffee for many decades). The second cup in particular was not drinkable, and there was a significant loss of water I was tired of dealing with. I don’t use K cups. I bought this model in order to use my own coffee, and that’s what I have been doing. I had watched the manufacturer’s video, so I knew this was a snap to use. The water you put in is the same amount that comes out as coffee. The enclosed permanent filter is brown, and the K cup unit is grey. When using the perm filter, there is a slight very fine sediment in your coffee cup as you reach the last few sips. I like it, it’s more of a European kind of coffee. If you don’t like sediment you can use paper filters, which are available here at Amazon. They are roughly the size of cupcake liners, and no, you can’t use cupcake liners, they don’t let water though. For me, this unit makes a great cup of coffee! Realizing how frequently this model seems to break, I will come back periodically and report on longevity. One thing I don’t like is the whirring noise when brewing starts, after the water is heated. However, it doesn’t last long, and even the bold setting gets the job done very fast. I will try a few K cups. However, I don’t like the waste they generate, so I will not make it a habit. But it’s an easy way to try different brands of coffee without having to buy a whole bag.... and finding out that coffee is not for me! *One month Update: I bought a couple of sampler sets of K-cups. My favorite coffee turns out to be Seattle‘s best. I usually start my morning with a k-Cup for speed, then use my own coffee for my second cup. I’ve been drinking pretty darn good coffee for a month now.... and I love that my second cup is as fresh as the first one! There have been no mechanical issues. If the coffee maker continues to work this well I’ll upgrade my rating from 4 to 5 stars. I really love the small profile of this coffee maker, it’s speed, and ease of use! * 2 month update: no problems encountered. I discovered mesh bottom K-cups made by the San Francisco Bay company. They are biodegradable, so much better for the environment. I bought a box at Costco, but I saw Amazon also carries them. They make a very good cup of coffee. I still like my own grind of “Seattle’s Best”, using the permanent filter, uh, best. 2 year update: keeps performing well, no issues! Read more

Excellent coffee maker. Takes a minute to brew, so be patient. Brew into a yeti cup to keep hot, otherwise cools quickly. Other than that, we love it! Read more

Have had a Keurig for years. I’ve been disenchanted with the flavor intensity of the cup of coffee or tea and - the liquid wasn’t that hot. The Keurig was not even a year old. I also have a French Press when I want “real” fresh coffee - but it takes a little extra time in the mornings and when I’m working - I just want to drink a good cup quickly. Plus, the press makes more than one cup and I have a cup of English Breakfast Tea and then one cup of coffee each morning. I don’t need 2 cups of coffee, only one. . Frustrated, I searched Amazon for the perfect solution. Came across this single serve coffee maker and saw it could make k cups or individual ground coffee. WHAT? Ok, so for $69, I take the plunge. Order Red as it’s super cute against my white and grey marble backsplash/granite countertop. When it arrived I didn’t understand how it worked. Realized unlike the Keurig, which holds a tank of water - you pour in water each time you want a cup of coffee/tea. I thought, crap, I made a mistake, this is going to be a pain. But - I poured it into the reservoir (don’t go past the Max Fill line!), put a K cup in, and closed the lid. Hit Bold Brew (but you can do regular) and - nothing happened. I thought (again) I made a mistake. Then this sound starts happening….scared the bejesus out of me. It’s the water boiling in the machine! When it got to a full boil, it made my cup and it was HOT!!!! It also tasted good too. I was so excited, once I finished the K cup, I used the other attachment to make a cup of coffee with coffee grounds. AMAZiNG. It’s been 3 weeks since I purchased this and I can’t imagine not having this little machine. Each cup I brew is flavorful and hot. It is easy to clean and the water doesn’t get gross as it is never just sitting there not being used. For me, this is the perfect little single serve coffee maker - so many options without sacrificing flavor because you only want one cup. I hope this review helps others who aren’t sure what this little coffee maker is all about. Read more