Hamilton Beach has had a name in kitchen appliances since it was founded, in 1910.
They make other accessories for coffee, but the coffee brewers are what we’re looking at today.
Hamilton Beach coffee makers, particularly, are known to be affordable and reliable, making them a great option for people who need to juice up on caffeine regularly without putting a hefty dent in the wallet.
You might be thinking that when it comes to this brand, the only option you’ve got is a plain ol’ coffee pot without much style, bells and whistles or customization.
And if you’re thinking that, you’re not alone.
But you’d be surprised to find that Hamilton Beach has coffee makers of so many varieties, giving options you want without adding extra dollar signs to the price tag.
To put it simply, they’re fine machines that are very affordable.
If you want to read more about their history and more information about Hamilton Beach, you can click here and read on their website about it.
What Is A Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker?
This company has really expanded out in its coffee machine line.
They make many different models of automatic drip machines and have many single-serve machines available now also.
You could almost say that Hamilton Beach coffee makers are sort of average, almost run of the mill coffee machines.
But their price point is ideal, and the truth is that products are pretty sturdy and generally last a while.
And if you compare it to other companies like Keurig and Ninja, it’s a really good deal!
Hamilton Beach offers single-serve, 5-cup, or 12-cup machines.
The most popular coffee maker they have is the FlexBrew 2-way coffee maker, which is both a single-serve and a 12-cup drip machine. The convenience factor on this one is pretty amazing.
We’ll get to more on that one later.
But first, let’s look at what you should keep in mind before buying one of their machines.
Things To Consider…
Hamilton Beach coffee makers certainly aren’t designed to compare to the specialty drinks from your favorite barista, or with machines in a higher price bracket like DeLonghi or Breville.
You won’t be able to make an espresso shot and your cup of Joe isn’t going to have the complexity or depth of a slow drip, but it’s going to brew a consistently fine tasting brew every time.
Hamilton Beach machines actually brew hotter than the standard coffee maker, which can result in a complex and well-balanced cuppa, so don’t get the impression that you’ll be forcing yourself to drink sub-standard coffee.
That’s not the case! Even with a budget machine.
When it comes to the warranty on Hamilton Beach products, it only covers manufacturer defects for one year of ownership.
And the part that really isn’t ideal is that it requires the customer to pay for the shipping back to the manufacturer, as well as return shipping again to the customer!
However, at the price range that this company offers, there can’t be much of an expectation for an amazing warranty, but on the other hand it should cover the shipping and handling for a manufacturer warranty.
Most customer service reviews for Hamilton Beach aren’t super positive, which, along with the lack of good warranty, means the hope would ultimately be to not have any issues with the machine.
So basically, if something goes wrong or breaks, it could be more efficient just to buy a brand new machine rather than paying for all the shipping.
But, you can get at least a few of the basic parts for Hamilton Beach coffee makers online for very good prices. Even if you’re a tiny bit handy, you can probably replace a number of parts on your own if they break or malfunction.
Their Best Coffee Makers
I’m not going to go through and talk about every coffee maker that they have in this article.
Otherwise it would be a couple miles long.
But, I will talk about some of their best models, and a variety of coffee makers!
Not just automatic drip machines.
Hamilton Beach is most well-known for automatic drip machines, but they have many kinds of coffee brewers.
So here we go, let’s look at some great models from them!
FlexBrew by Hamilton Beach
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==> Click here to see the best deal on the amazing, FlexBrew coffee maker! <==
Let’s start with their most popular machine.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-way coffee makers are the most popular in the Hamilton Beach repertoire, and it’s pretty easy to see why.
Along with being useful for having guests with a 12-cup carafe, it can also serve single cups, which is of course super handy…
It’s awesome for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up cup, or if you’re the only coffee drinker in the house, or for a quick, on-the-go caffeine kick if you’re running late in the morning and need something fast.
The truth is, the FlexBrew from Hamilton Beach isn’t the only one of its kind.
Keurig also has its own flexible brewing system called the K-Duo, but it costs a lot amount more, as you may have guessed.
The Cuisinart Coffee Center has similar functionality to the FlexBrew, but it also costs more and actually isn’t as popular as the Hamilton Beach model.
So, let’s take a closer look at the options for the FlexBrew…
The best feature about the FlexBrew is right in its name — the ability to flexibly brew the “best of both worlds”, a single cup or the full carafe, drip style.
Functioning as two distinct machines (in one), both the 12-cup carafe and single-serve machines have their own water reservoirs.
The 12-cup part has some nice features when it comes to automatic settings, including pre-setting your machine to warm up and brew at a specified time within 24 hours.
It’s like a coffee alarm.
You can make strong or regular brew, as well as pause the machine and get a cup before it’s done brewing the whole pot.
There’s a heating plate under the glass carafe that has a two-hour automatic shut-off so you don’t have to worry if you leave the house in a rush and forget to turn it off.
This FlexBrew model comes with a Permanent Gold Tone filter, which is made from metal instead of paper, and eliminates the need for paper products.
And at the same time saving you money.
Efficient, economical, and environmentally conscious, the 12-cup carafe on the FlexBrew is definitely a people-pleaser and full of great features.
And on the other side, the single-serve machine is just as enticing as it’s Siamese-twin.
The single-serve part comes with two types of filters, one totally reusable for your favorite grounds that’s similar to the gold tone filter, and a second to fit K-cups.
When not in use, either filter can be stored in the cup rest.
That cup rest can also be removed to handle travel mugs, an very underrated characteristic.
Brewing up to 10 oz. with a K-cup and 14 ounces with freshly ground beans in the other filter, you can easily choose how much caffeine you need in the morning!
It also gets all this done in 3 minutes flat, so that’s a huge perk for those who may hit the snooze button a bit too many times in the morning.
Last but not least, Hamilton Beach also makes the FlexBrew Thermal Coffee Maker.
There’s just a few differences between the regular FlexBrew and the Thermal FlexBrew.
And that is that the thermal comes with no heating plate underneath the carafe, and the carafe is made with stainless steel on the outer surface rather than made of glass like in the regular one.
The reason they have the thermal option is because when coffee is heated in a glass carafe on a hot plate, it can taste burnt or otherwise lose some of the flavor.
So if you want your coffee to better preserve its flavor, the thermal option could be better.
The stainless steel carafe is able to act as a thermos and help the coffee retain its heat for much longer than a glass carafe.
It’s of note that the thermal model is about $20 more than the regular one.
The Scoop Single Serve Coffee Maker
==> Click here to see the best deal on the Scoop coffee maker! <==
The Scoop is a single-serve machine that gives you simple functionality; there’s only two buttons!
It doesn’t do K-cups and there are no programmable options — it doesn’t even have a clock.
It’s a single-serve coffee machine in its most simple form.
This machine is super easy to use.
Just fill The Scoop with as much water as you want and fill the basket up with your favorite coffee grinds!
I really enjoy this machine.
The one that my family and I use daily has been going for five plus years strong with zero problems!
When you make a cup with The Scoop, it’s best to fill your cup or mug with the amount of water you want and put that into the machine.
And since I recommend never making or getting used to weak coffee, put a generous amount of coffee into the filter basket.
But it’s easy to get the hang of it.
This coffee maker is quick and efficient, a true no nonsense machine.
You can brew an 8 oz. cup in less than 90 seconds and 14 oz. travel mug in less than two and a half minutes — after all, it has one job… just one job: making coffee.
Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Programmable BrewStation Coffee Maker
==> Click here to see the best deal on the BrewStation coffee maker! <==
The BrewStation is a bit different than your typical 12-cup coffee maker.
There’s no carafe for this coffee maker, leaving the coffee to brew and gather internally, which makes this function as a coffee dispenser.
This method of internal heating actually keeps the coffee nice and toasty for up to four hours.
Whenever you need a cup, whether your first one or fifth refill, press your mug against the long grey button in the back of the dispenser space to dispense the java.
With settings for Bold, Regular, Iced Coffee, or even in small batches, this programmable machine can handle your request.
You can also set it up to wake you up as a coffee alarm with the wonderful aroma of your favorite coffee.
Hamilton Beach 12-cup Programmable Coffee Maker
==> Click here to see the best deal on the Programmable coffee maker! <==
This is the closest one in my list today to a standard, run of the mill automatic coffee maker.
It’s a 12-cup coffee machine that has a nice, sleek design, awesome features and a great price.
Since it’s programmable, it’s definitely a huge upgrade from other automatic drip machines that have only an on/off switch.
It has front access for easy filling of the water tank from the front of the machine, instead of from the back or side.
The front-access makes it easier to keep the coffee maker under the cabinet when in use.
There’s also a swing out brew basket which is easier to fill and keep clean than a top load basket.
A non-stick hot plate helps keep your coffee warm, and you can have peace of mind with the two-hour automatic shut off.
You can set your brew time and strength in advance with the programmable clock, with settings available for bold, regular and 1 to 4 cup brewing options and all the way up to 12 cups, the one to four cup option actually optimizes the brew cycle for smaller servings.
This is awesome because most automatic machines don’t make great coffee for small servings like 1 to three or four cups.
The Programmable 12-cup coffee maker also has the ever-so-convenient automatic pause & serve feature, with no mess pour.
This means that if you take the coffee pot out while the coffee is brewing to pour yourself an early cup, the brewing will pause and it won’t spill while you sneak that cup of coffee!
With the features that this “regular” 12-cup coffee maker is equipped with, along with the very amiable price point, this one is a fantastic deal!
Cleaning A Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker
I hope you found some helpful information about just a few of the awesome coffee makers that Hamilton Beach offers!
And after that, it’s also helpful to give some info, tips and tricks about cleaning your machine!
Many people never clean their coffee maker, or only clean it occasionally.
There really is no hard and fast rule about how often to clean your coffee maker.
You can do it every week, every month, or just when you notice it getting dirty.
But if you use a machine consistently, like every day or every few days, it’s probably a good idea to clean it at least every month or every other month. That way you will certainly have the best tasting coffee possible.
One thing I like about Hamilton Beach is that they don’t even recommend using some expensive cleaner, they recommend white vinegar! Which is one of the best things you can use for cleaning a coffee maker.
Here’s how you clean an automatic coffee maker with white vinegar:
- Pour two cups of white vinegar in the reservoir. Press ON to start the brewing, but press OFF after about 30 seconds. This will get the vinegar circulating through the machine and settled in to clean it.
- Wait another 30 seconds
- Finish the “vinegar brew”
- Fill the reservoir with fresh water and brew again normally, using only water. Do this twice after the vinegar brew.
And voila, you have a clean machine!
For singe-serve machines, it’s the same process, but with one cup of vinegar instead of two.
And for a FleBrew, you’ll need to do this process twice… once for each side.
For cleaning the other parts of the machine, including the hot plate, just wipe it all down with a damp paper towel or rag. That simple!
Doing the white vinegar clean for your machine will not only give you better tasting coffee, but it will help it run better and maybe last longer, so don’t forget to do it every month or so.
Closing
So basically, to sum it all up, Hamilton Beach has been around for a long time, which is almost always a good sign of a good brand.
Not always, but usually.
And in the case of Hamilton Beach, I’d definitely say so.
And even though their coffee makers are more budget friendly than other brands who have a reputation of being very sturdy, very high quality but super expensive… what Hamilton Beach gives you is a product that won’t rob your bank account but will deliver nice features, good coffee and most likely last you a long time.
They’re not the cheapest brand in the market either. This is probably because their products hold up for a long time, and they usually come with very nice features!
So, if you’re looking for a machine that doesn’t cost a fortune and delivers on functionality and making great tasting coffee, Hamilton Beach should be a good pick for you.
As I said before, I use The Scoop machine pretty often and I’m really happy with it.
It’s a nice, quick and convenient way to make a single cup of coffee and it gets its job done with excellence.
Lastly, if you want more general coffee brewing tips to make your coffee as good as it can be, you can read my article here about ways to make your home brewed coffee the best it can be!
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