Hamilton Beach Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker, 14oz, Stainless Steel (49981) (Discontinued)

Let me first tell you that I am an extremely picky person who is not prone to gushing over anything. I can always seem to find something to fuss about. I give this machine a triple 10!! I was suspicious of everything. My husband and I are both coffee drinkers. I don't always drink reg coffee. Sometimes half caf. You can make a cup of whatever kind you are wanting with absolutely no fuss whatsoever. And quickly & quietly. And there are 2 scoops so that if I make a cup of whatever kind I'm wanting that day, I can rinse out the scooper and then use the other scooper to make the kind he wants without putting a wet scoop in the container of coffee. I tend towards a regular size mug, but he likes a bigger man size mug. And sometimes one of us wants to use one of our travel mugs to take a taller cup with us when we have errands to run. No problem there either! In the blink of an eye you can flip over the silver plate that the cup/mug sits on and it becomes shorter so that you can use it for a shorter container. I tend to get frustrated with all the different machines in the house. It seems like a person needs a college degree and a 5 pound instruction manual to learn how to operate them. This one is as easy as it gets. You do need to learn how much coffee to put in the scooper to make your coffee the way that you like it, but that's about it. After you put your scooper with the appropriate amount of coffee in it, you fill your mug with water and pour the water in. Push the button. I always push bold. And by the time you do your next little morning chore. Feed the dog, open the blinds, etc. there's your coffee. I have read many of the reviews of this item and usually I will decide to purchase or not based on reviews. Glad I didn't let the reviews make my decision this time. The things that people are complaining about I don't see what they are seeing. I am very temperature sensitive and the coffee comes out quite hot. And someone wrote about a plastic taste?? Huh?? And there were several complaints about weak coffee. Now I will tell you that you will need to use a different grind of coffee for this machine. You will need to use one that grinds the coffee very finely. Like powder. Because of how quickly the coffee is made the water and the coffee spend very little time "together". Maybe that is their problem. You can't use the grind type that we are all used to using. The automatic drip grind. You won't get the flavor out of the coffee that you are used to. Take a few minutes. Go on a few of the sites that sell the different brands like Caribou, Green Mountain, Paul Newman, etc. and learn about the different grinds. It's no different that having to learn about the auto-drip versus the old percolator coffee grind that Grandma used to use in her old coffee pot. Remember those? I asked quite a few of my friends and no one has one of these so I went ahead and took the chance and bought one. I couldn't be happier. I just got done cleaing up our Cuisinart coffeemaker and putting it in the cabinet. We will save it for when we need to make more than a couple of cups of coffee. Maybe if company comes over. This wonderful machine is about 60% smaller than the machine it replaces so it takes up a ton less counter space. It also doesn't have a water resevoir that uses electricity constantly to keep the water warm 24/7. Why is that necessary? So you can save like 10 seconds cause the water is already hot? That sure doesn't help the electric bill. And frankly. I like my coffee to be made with fresh water. Not water that has been sitting around for days. My husband has been bugging me for about a year that he wanted a Keurig, but I refused to succumb to all the hype and get locked into having to use the ridiculously expensive per cup cost K cups. Even on sale, the cheapest I could find K cups were about 55-60 cents. And that was extremely rare. Now yes. That is much cheaper than going to your neighborhood _______ (you fill in the blank) but I just wasn't going to do it. I did find that there are now some companies that make reusable plastic cups that look like the K cups and you fill them with your own coffee, so that would have been okay. I guess. Those refillable cups were $9-10 each so I don't know what you save there. But somehow I just knew that if I kept looking I would find what I wanted and I did. An inexpensive machine to buy. Easy to clean and use. No stupid K cups. Doesn't take up a lot of space on the counter. Simple to use. Inexpensive to buy and use daily. Made by a company that has been around for decades so if heaven forbid there is a problem, my guess would be that you could call them and get it solved quickly and to the satisfaction of the customer. All in all, a rare thing. Good value for your money & a machine that is totally geared towards the customer's satisfaction. Go get one!

I was looking for a one shot coffee maker, but didn't want a K-Cup unit because of the outrageous cost and somewhat limited choice of coffee products. I saw this unit, read the reviews, and decided to give it whirl. I definitely made the right choice, this is a really nice unit. Well built, well designed, and it performs as advertised. I tested it using the usual DD product that I had on hand at the time, and it turned out as expected. My daughter gave me some her Nicaraguan blend coffee to try however and that was that... the DD product will no longer be needed. As others have already stated, you may want to play around with this a bit, familiarize yourself with the units behavior, and find your perfect settings. I can tell you this much, common sense stuff really but something to remember non-the-less. Number one, a little water is always left in the reservoir of the unit (about 4oz). This has no effect on anything of course, but if you were to pack it up and take it with you someplace you might want to empty it first.... common sense. Number two, about 1-2 oz of the water that you put in will not be returned because it gets soaked up in the coffee grind, so always add a little more than required. You could alternatively fill the unit with water and simply push the button to shut it off when your cup reaches the desired level... again common sense. Number three, the water left in the reservoir will evaporate relatively quickly... that said, I like to prime my unit at the start of the day by cycling 6-8 oz of water through the unit first. I do this while I'm actually preparing to make my first cup, putting the coffee in the basket etc. The water cycles through faster than I can prepare so this isn't slowing me down any. Of course, if your just filling the unit and shutting it off manually this wouldn't be a concern. Number four, no paper filters are actually required with this unit. The two built in strainers are more than adequate. None-the-less, for those purist out there, there may be some super fine form of powdered grounds left in the bottom recesses of your cup. That;s all I'm going to say for now... It's a great unit, well built, easy to use, super easy to clean, and it doesn't take up a lot of space. Sure beats using those pricey K-Cup products!!! I picked mine up as a (New) Factory Refurb for $23... I love refurbs! Cheers!

I purchased the Hamilton Beach Scoop Single Serve Coffee Maker, Fast Brewing, Stainless Steel (49981A) on December 3, 2021. I followed the instructions, cleaned the parts and the coffee maker. Now here is the part that Hamilton Beach leaves out of their instructions. (This may have also been the user's problem that posted the video that initially poured in 8 ounces of water but she only got 4 ounces in her cup after it was brewed.) When I first poured water into the coffee maker to clean it, I initially poured in 14 ounces of water, but it did not fill to the MAX line, which is 14 ounces. The coffee maker has a 4 ounce reservoir which allows it to be basically primed with 4 ounces of water to heat up quickly. (see picture with arrow) So, I had to add 4 additional ounces of water to get it to the MAX line. I ran the coffee maker on Regular on this first run to clean it. I again filled it with 14 ounces of water and this time it went to the MAX line. This time I chose Bold on this run to clean it. I again filled it with 14 ounces of water to the Max line, and ran it again on Bold for the third run to clean it. After this, I completely emptied the coffee maker of all water, and water poured out of the 4 ounce reservoir. I also noticed that water came out of the showerhead. Keep in mind, that if you travel with this coffee maker or don't use it for several days, this water is in this reservoir and if you don't remove it, it could begin to get moldy or get mildew in it which you don't want to happen. If you do travel with it and forget to empty it, and you lay it on it's side, you will have a water spill. Overall, I like the coffee maker. Some have said they have had a plastic taste in their coffee, I have not experienced that. Some have said it did not heat up very well, I did not have that problem. I tested the water temperature with a liquid thermometer when the coffee came out into my coffee cup and it was 182 degrees. Nice hot coffee, which is what I like! Initially I used it without any paper filters and I use a fine ground coffee. I had residue from the coffee grinds in my coffee cup. I use one tablespoon of coffee per 8 ounces of water. I have tried both settings, Regular and Bold, and have experienced no issues with the coffee maker. The Bold selection does run slower and the coffee is a little bolder but not much. If you make more than one cup of coffee with it, and use the same grounds for the second cup, the second cup will be weaker in taste, however, the color of the coffee was the same. The showerhead and the filters do get hot, so be careful when you touch those when you make that second or third cup. The best cups of coffee for me is to dump out the coffee each time from the filters and start fresh. I did purchase the 1 cup paper coffee filters and that has removed the coffee residue. Put the paper coffee filter under the scoop that holds the coffee, not in the scoop. It would be nice if Hamilton Beach provided coffee filters for this coffee maker. If you use a coarse ground coffee instead of a fine ground you may not have that issue as much but I believe that no matter what grind you use, you will have coffee bean fine dust from the grinding process that will initially end up in your cup of coffee without a paper coffee filter. I gave this coffee maker four stars because Hamilton Beach doesn't mention anything about the 4 ounce water reservoir on the initial fill of water nor do they mention that you should empty it each time of the water when you are done using it. Also, they should include paper coffee filters for those you wish to use them. I hope this review has been helpful, and please never let the water set in this and become stagnant. For if you do, you will definitely have some very nasty tasting coffee and it can't be very healthy for you either!

I was hesitant before ordering this coffee maker because the reviews are so mixed, but I've used it daily for a month and I am very happy with it. Before brewing the 1st time I filled it with white vinegar and ran it through a cycle, then 2 cycles of plain water to remove any residual plastic taste. I will also do this once a month for cleaning. I have a damaged adrenal system so I cannot have caffeine so no coffee for me, but I can drink Teeccino Teeccino Variety Pack (Hazelnut, Mocha, and Java) Chicory Herbal Coffee, Caffeine Free, Acid Free, 11 Ounce (Pack of 3) . I call it my Faux Coffee and you brew it just like coffee. I also needed a coffee maker for company and I wanted one that makes individual servings without those K cups. This is a simple machine that is easy to use & quick to clean. It has 2 water levels 8oz and 14 oz clearly marked by 2 plastic parts that look like steps molded into the back wall inside the tank. The lower one reads 8 oz and the higher one reads MAX so you just fill up to those with water-no measuring cups needed. There are 2 filters so the 2nd mesh filter catches any tiny granules that may get through the metal filter. After brewing you push up the 3 parts-both filters and the drip cup, dump the grinds (I use the coffee grounds in my rose bushes, they love the acid) and rinse the 3 parts and either set aside to dry or make another cup. I like to leave the lid open to dry out inside. It looks like the silicone seal would pop off to clean but it hasn't gotten dirty so I haven't tried to do that yet. It does a great job on the Bold setting which drips a little slower than the Regular setting ( I actually haven't used it on Regular yet). When using a mug it can splatter a couple of drops on the sides or in front but no major mess. I use a Takeya Iced Tea Maker Set 24 oz pitcher to brew in that is 6 1/2" high and it doesn't splatter. This holds 14 oz with enough room to add powdered Collagen & Goat's Milk and use my milk frother to mix it all up. Bean Envy Electric Milk Frother Handheld, Perfect for the Best Latte, Whip Foamer, Includes Stainless Steel Stand Using 14 oz water I get enough coffee for two 8oz mugs. I like that it's a simple machine with basic parts so there's not a lot to go bad. The stainless is easy to wipe clean and it looks much nicer than most coffee makers. I like the quality of the stainless filter with a good sturdy metal handle so there's no chance of dropping it and making a mess with the grounds. It takes up very little space on the counter, it's only 6 3/4"wide x 7 1/2"deep x 12 1/2" tall ( 17 1/4" with the lids open). In my photos I show it beneath my microwave oven which is set at a standard wall cabinet height. It will fit up to a 7 1/4" high mug or a 4 1/4" high mug with the metal shelf in position. My only complaint is that the previous model came with an extra scoop/filter but now they only include one. I'd like to have an extra one. TIP: Here's a little secret my Grandpa taught me...add a dash of Sea Salt (or Himalayan Salt) to the coffee before brewing. It sounds gross but trust me, just a dash & it enhances the flavor of the coffee, & no it won't taste salty! I also add a dash of powdered cinnamon to my mug (do not put it in the coffee machine!). It adds a yummy flavor. This doesn't pertain to the function of the machine but I thought I'd include it in case anyone is interested...I wanted a pull out shelf but dislike those plastic ones so I made one out of an 8 x 10 tile and attached thick felt pads to the bottom. Now my coffee maker slides out to fill it up and then slides back against the wall. It works great as long as you have a smooth surface.

This HB Scoop seemed like the answer to this single-serve coffee user's dream: use my own high quality coffee instead of Keurig's weak, obscenely-priced K-Cups. With that in mind, I bought my FIRST Scoop in January 2013 here from Amazon. It worked perfectly for 7.5 months UNTIL one morning mid-August 2013 it simply refused to brew and just rudely flashed it's blue light at me for 6 or 7 times. I repeatedly dumped out the water and tried again. Plugged and unplugged. Researched fixes on the internet, such as tap it on the right side. Nadda. It was dead. Instead of calling Hamilton Beach, I just reordered a replacement from Amazon which I received 8/24/13. My SECOND Scoop also worked perfectly for months, until last Saturday Feb. 1, 2014 @ 8AM as I tried to brew my morning cuppa. UNBELIEVABLY, my replacement Scoop also refused to brew and simply flashed the blue light at me again. Again. Just like the first Scoop 7 months earlier had done. I couldn't believe it. Again I tried the usual fixes the website and other fix-it websites recommended. I dumped out the water and refilled it a few times. Moved it to a new outlet. Looked inside for an errant tube that needed readjustment. Nothing worked. So I ran to Dunkin Donuts and sat down to google fixes that may have come up since my last go-around with the flashing blue light. I was so dismayed to see the many identical complaints by Scoop owners--that all was well until the flashing blue light of doom arbitrarily appeared to prevent any future brewing. And nothing worked to fix the problem. This time, I decided to call Hamilton Beach c/s @ 800-851-8900. Well, you know how everyone always complains when US companies farm out c/s overseas? In my 2 calls to HB c/s, I was wishing for the polite, soft spoken foreign c/s reps that have trouble understanding me (and visa versa) but eventually do politely solve my problem. I spoke to two 20-somethings @ HB who argued with me, rudely talked over me, challenged my claim, snarkily told me "you would be surprised at the stories we get from people", demanded that I put more water in the coffee maker because I apparently was putting in insufficient water (despite me using the 2d unit for 7.5 months daily to brew coffee with zero problems--obviously I know how much water to put in it), telling me that my sharing of my experiences with 2 Scoops was giving them too much info and snippily telling me "no cut cord photo= no replacement), as if I was faking the whole experience. OY VEY! Hamilton Beach---you seriously need to add the topic of "customer service" to your customer service training classes. I was challenged at every sentence by TWO HB reps who clearly have zero conception of what c/s is. Eventually rep #2 agreed to send me a warranty replacement unit for $14.99 (supposedly what UPS charges HB but which seems insanely high for a business ship contract rate) if I emailed in a photo of my Scoop with it's cord cut to [email protected], with my claim # in the subject line xxx0172 (in case someone at HB reads this). I paid the $14.99 on the phone via c/c and emailed the cut cord photo within 5 minutes of hanging up the phone. I will update my post here when/if Scoop #3 arrives. This blue flashing light is clearly a manufacturer's defect that HB is ignoring. For all of you who currently love your Scoop, your Scoop days are numbered. This unit is not made to last. I am $120 into the dream of a single serve coffee maker that uses my own coffee. I have zero expectation of Scoop #3 (if it arrives) lasting more than 6 months again. There will NOT be a 4th Scoop or any other Hamilton Beach product in my life again.

Purchased one of these and like the features so much I ordered a second one. No expensive pods, unit has a dual filtering system that eliminates grounds from getting in your cup. The 2 screened baskets are dishwasher safe, brews 1 cup at a time based on the water you add to a small tank on top, approximately 12 oz max. Very convenient brewing takes about 60 seconds. I’ve had my first one about 18 months no issues as of yet

Wow...I just brewed my first cup. I have used Keurig for years, but balked at the price to replace mine. I have never managed to get a Keurig to last beyond about 5 years, BTW, and despite descaling and/or using vinegar to clean, it became harder to get a nice coffee taste from the appliance once it bit the dust. To be fair, even with filtered water, our water where we live is extremely hard, so a great tasting up is hard to brew. Here is what I liked about this Hamilton Beach coffee brewer: Scoop to brew is convenient and MUCH EASIER to clean thoroughly. Nice and wide so it's easy to fill and dump. I detest the waste with pods and use my own coffee instead. Brew was fast. Temperature was right and I could drink immediately...not too hot or too cool. Stand for standard sized cup is sturdy and easy to set up. Also taller cup size will be fine when I need it. Filter brewed a nice, smooth cup of joe. Looking forward to using this every morning. UPDATE 7/5 After using this for a month, I can say that it is a better brewer than Keurig! Easier to clean thoroughly, double filter so you don't get bitterness from grounds. I strongly recommend this.

I have bought many single cup coffee makers over the last 18 months. They all start out great, After a couple months the auto shut off turns it off at 1/4 full then 1/2 full then 3/4 full then finally full. Each time you have to add more water. Well where is the water going? I can not tell you if this one will have the same problems (yet). It seems to be well put together and very sturdy. I will rate the things that are important to me. You can just determine the weight of how important it is to you & go from there. SPEED: It is very fast, I will give it that. Less then 2 minutes to brew a 14 oz cup. Well wait a second.... Are you talking the time it takes before the light goes out or when you can safely remove the cup without dripping? lol That speed is when the light goes out. If you remove the cup you will have some cleaning to do. Total time before you can remove the cup is about 2 minutes. Still a very decent speed all considered. DUAL FITERS: Just plain brilliant!!! Many boast on how you don't have to buy filters. They brag with how you are saving money and the planet. For them it is a gimmick. You can either have grounds in your cup or use a filter which messes up the brewing process. This one is NO gimmick! you will have no grounds in the cup. Cleaning them is a breeze. BOLD/REGULAR: A total gimmick! The same light comes on no matter which option you pick. If you hit one by accident. Not to worry as they taste pretty much the same if you are not thinking about it. If you let people sample both but do not tell them which is which. Most will tell they can not taste a difference. The ones that do pick usually pick wrong (to include myself). If anything the regular has more a bold taste. So it may seem backwards. Either way they should make it so the button selected lights up. FILTER/SCOOP: Another total gimmick. There is something called contrast! They really need to understand the concept before this can be a 5 star product. If the scoop is tar black you do NOT have the lines and words also tar black! They should be white. If it is white then the lines & words should be black. It is MUCH easier to just use a scoop and pour it in. There is a reason paper is white but ink is not. WATER FILL LINES; This is almost a deal breaker! You will have the same problem here. There is NO contrast in color. Be ready to keep a bright flashlight next to it or a measuring cup. No matter how fast it is or how easy it is to use/clean. Everything good is canceled out by the bad. If I have to get a flashlight or measure out the ounces & then measure out the scoop. All the speed is lost. It is for these reasons I can only give it 3 stars. As is it is a middle of the road coffee maker. With a few simple changes it could be AMAZING and a must have!!!