Buying guide for best Hamilton Beach coffee makers
For some, a coffee maker is the most important countertop appliance, a device used daily to make the most delicious and energizing of morning drinks. Indeed, a coffee maker is a vital piece of kitchen equipment, and Hamilton Beach makes some of the best coffee makers around.
Hamilton Beach, founded in 1910, has become one of the most trusted names in kitchen appliances. Its versatile coffee makers cater to a wide range of coffee drinkers, from those who just want a quick joe on the way to work to coffee aficionados who savor every cup.
Before choosing a Hamilton Beach coffee maker, it’s a good idea to take a look at the features these machines offer. There are many excellent machines with intuitive combinations of features available.
What to look for in a Hamilton Beach coffee maker
Capacity
One of the first considerations when buying a coffee maker is the number of people who will be drinking coffee—and how much coffee they will drink each time.
For one person who drinks a cup at a time or likes to grab a brew on the go, a single-serve machine will do quite well. For households in which two or more people will enjoy two or more cups of coffee at a time, you may be best served by a machine with a 10- or 12-cup capacity. These machines are also useful when a full pot of coffee is needed for guests. You can always make less coffee in a larger machine, but making more coffee in a smaller machine means more time and work for you.
Pods vs. ground coffee
Do you prefer ground coffee or hot coffee that comes in pods? Those who buy whole beans and grind their own coffee or use pre-ground coffee may like a traditional machine, while those who prefer the efficiency and ease of pods should look for a machine that uses them. When it comes to cost, purchasing whole beans or ground coffee costs less per cup than pods.
Pot or not
While most Hamilton Beach coffee makers brew coffee in a pot, thermal carafe, or glass carafe, they do have a couple of other options that affect price and convenience.
Single-serve coffee makers dispense the coffee into your cup or thermos, and this is generally the cheaper option. Some larger models don’t include a carafe or pot, storing the brewed coffee inside the machine instead. Pressing a lever dispenses the coffee. This type of machine can keep the coffee hot and fresh longer than dispensing it into a pot.
Not all Hamilton Beach coffee makers accommodate K-cups. If you’re a K-cup fan, keep this in mind as you shop.
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Special features to consider
FlexBrew
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew coffee makers are versatile brewing systems that cater to two of the most popular ways of enjoying coffee: ground coffee beans and single-serve pods.
FlexBrew machines give you the option of brewing a cup or a carafe of coffee using ground beans in a filter or using pods, like the popular K-Cup pods by Keurig that offer single, easy-to-brew cups of coffee, cappuccino, espresso and more.
Thermal carafe
There are a few different options when it comes to storing the brewed coffee in Hamilton Beach machines. Most of them use a glass coffee pot, but there is a more efficient option. A thermal carafe is a popular and more advanced choice that can keep your coffee hot and fresh longer. The carafe may come with the coffee maker you select or be bought separately. The only downside to a thermal carafe is that it’s harder to know how much coffee is left in the pot.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hamilton Beach coffee makers come in a number of finishes. Most are neutral colors (black, white, stainless steel), but you can also purchase a red Hamilton Beach coffee maker if you’d like to add a pop of color to your kitchen counter.
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Hamilton Beach coffee maker prices
Inexpensive
For under $40, you can buy single-serve Hamilton Beach coffee makers that use either ground coffee or pods. This price range also includes simple automatic coffee makers with few features.
Mid-range
For between $40 and $80, you’ll find more specialized and larger-capacity machines. These may be single-serve machines with both pod and ground coffee options or bigger automatic machines.
Expensive
For over $80, you’ll find FlexBrew options that are the largest and most versatile of the Hamilton Beach line. These use pods or brew up to 12 cups of ground coffee, with additional features available.
If you have low cabinets in your kitchen and hope to place your new Hamilton Beach coffee maker on the counter, take note of your available space and the vertical dimensions of any appliance you are considering.
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Tips
- Recycle the pods. Coffee pods can create a lot of waste, but many communities, states, and countries are working to reverse that. Check to see how and where you can recycle your pods.
- Choose the right travel mug. If you brew a cup to take on the go, make sure your travel mug fits in the space available in the machine.
- Clean your machine. Regularly cleaning your coffee maker will not only descale built-up debris and keep it functioning properly, it will also keep your coffee tasting great.
- Reheat coffee in the microwave. If your coffee has gone cold, don’t put it back through the machine or use the warming plate to heat it up. The machine isn’t designed for that. Reheat it in the microwave instead.
FAQ
Q. How should I clean my coffee maker?
A. Most Hamilton Beach coffee makers are relatively easy to clean, with parts that are simple to remove and wash in the dishwasher. Some more advanced options have an automatic self-cleaning cycle. While you should rinse the filter after every use, the machine itself can be washed once or twice a month, depending on how often you use it.
Q. With FlexBrew models, can I brew pod and ground coffee at the same time?
A. You can only brew one of the two options at a time with these two-way coffee makers. The single-serve side takes a couple of minutes to warm up for brewing pods, but it’s the faster of the two brewing options.
Q. How much ground coffee and water goes into making a cup of coffee?
A. In general, about 6 ounces of water per 2 tablespoons of ground coffee make an average cup. Many carafes or water reservoirs in the machines have cup line indicators. If your machine has a feature to make your coffee stronger, the machine will add less water per 2 tablespoons of coffee. If your machine doesn’t have this feature, you can add more or less water to make the coffee weaker or stronger as you prefer.
