Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single Serve & Full Pot Coffee Maker (49983A)

Thankfully, I haven't had the plastic taste problem, so I cannot address it. However, I have noticed a few things I love and a few things I don't like about this unit. Some have been addressed in other reviews, but are worth mentioning again.Brewing with a K Cup: What surprised me most about using a K Cup in this machine was how much better the coffee was than in my Keurig. I've owned two different Keurig Units and decided when the second unit broke down (both lasting only about 18 months) that I was done with them. I think the tastier cup of coffee in this unit stems from a few things: (1) The adapter puts a large hole into the side of the K Cup, rather than a small puncture; (2) The coffee is just hotter in the end (I'm not sure if this is because of the brew temperature (which I always cranked up on my Keurig units to try to get a hotter cup of coffee), or because the water flows out differently instead of through a tiny hole giving it more chance of cooling). More of the flavors of the coffees I've used are noticeable in this machine, with the subtle flavors really exploding. The flavors are all just bolder from this machine using a K-Cup. That said, it is a little messier to use a K Cup. You have to push the K cup into the unit to rip open the bottom of the cup, rather than just set it into place and it all happens when you close the lid. After that, you place the K Cup holder into the machine and push down the handle to pop the top. So there is a two step process for this, but it isn't difficult. Sadly, after brewing, the K Cup is REALLY hot. There's hot water all over the top of the K Cup unit as well, so if you have sensitive hands, you'll have to wait a bit for the unit to cool or use some tool to remove the K Cup after brewing. I'm a bit nuts about wanting to pull them out right away and dispose of them, but now I just leave it for a while to cool. The water will drip out when you pull the K Cup unit out of the machine. You should also note that you won't have the fast cup of joe you may be used to with the Keurig. This machine takes a while before it actually starts brewing, not only to heat the water, but it just seems slower in the brew process as well. I'll sacrifice that speed for the better cup of coffee any day. As some mentioned, the burner gets hot on the carafe side, even when only brewing on the cup side. The water reservoir is really annoying. You have to put the amount of water you want in the reservoir for each brew. There are markers on the reservoir for a K cup brew, a single cup brew and the carafe brew. There is only one reservoir, not two separate ones for this, so the machine brews however much water you have in the unit. There isn't a cut off switch. Be cautious not to overflow your cup. Like most have mentioned, I've been filling the reservoir with the cup I intend to use for my coffee. This is fine until I decide I want a second cup after all (which is uncommon) and have a dirty cup.I have not yet tried a single cup using the gold basket, but I imagine the experience is similar to the K cup.Brewing on the carafe side: This is pretty standard fare. The coffee is hot and tasty. I haven't used a standard percolator coffee pot for a carafe in ages, so it's hard for me to compare this to other models on the market.In the end, the big selling point of this machine is its diversity in brewing. I'd often get irritated having only a Keurig and then finding myself with a house full of people wanting coffee... one cup at a time and with expensive K Cups or messy and difficult reusable K cups. The flexible brewing options are wonderful to have, but the limitations on the ability to cut off the water supply are certainly noteworthy.

My wife used to love our Keurig machine but missed being able to brew a pot of coffee when we have guests. The pump in our Keurig burned out which from what I understand is a common thing. So instead of having two machines, a K-Cup and a regular pot machine, we decided to look into this. What a great idea, brew whatever the heck you want, you can do a whole pot of coffee with a filter the old fashioned way, or you can brew single serve K-Cups or ground coffee with the included single serve filter. When we got the machine we were impressed with its appearance, for the price it looks pretty legit.This machine doesn't rely on a cheap little pump to move the hot water around like in the Keurig machine, this machine uses a cheap and generally very reliable ball bearing valve where the heated water naturally rises in the machine without the use of a pump, hopefully that will translate into longevity. The control panel is pretty straightforward, the dial sets to pot coffee or single serve, then you press a button to switch between single serve grounds or K-Cup. It has a standard clock on it and a programming button. My wife loves the coffee that comes out of this machine so overall we're generally pleased with it...but...there are some caveats and things one should know before they buy this machine.1. If you're coming to this machine from a traditional Keurig machine prepare to be confused. We assume the water reservoir was like how it is on Keurig machines, you just fill it with water and it takes however much it needs for the selected brewing option. Wrong. You have to be very deliberate with putting water in, putting in the precise amount for the selected option. The manual explains the actual fluid ounces to put in but come on, when you're rushing in the morning and want to make a quick cup of coffee you don't have time to measure. If you put too little water in, no big deal, your coffee will probably just be stronger. Too much however, and the system errors out. Now that you're late for work but still want that coffee you have to figure out a way to get it out and start over. Basically that means switching to pot mode and having it brew the water through while you stand and wait so you can start over. Very frustrating, until you figure out the ratios. We've learned that a traditional small size coffee cup is perfect for the K-Cups, and a larger travel mug perfect for single-serve grounds.2. One might be fooled into thinking, this is easy, I can just pour water in until the level matches the option I'm brewing (the tank has markings for K-Cups and single-serve brew then the rest for pot size. Great thought on Hamilton Beaches part, except, the tank is designed in such a way that when you dump water in, it sits in a higher position. So let's say you pour in the precise recommended amount for a K-Cup. Since the water doesn't drain into the bottom of the tank right away, if you start brewing immediately it'll error out thinking the water level is too high. Early on we found that if we tilted the machine to the right the water would spill into the lower section and take care of itself. It must have needed breaking in as of recent weeks the water drains into the lower section more rapidly without any interference.3. Don't get excited about the program brew option, it only works on the pot coffee for some reason.So here's the TLDR caveats, Hamilton Beach use this as a reference for your next model.- Water level must be precise, too much errors out machine. Either use measuring cup and fill with amount suggested in manual or trial and error till you find cups in your kitchen that get you to the right level.- Water level markings are a great idea...but the tank needs to be designed so the water flows to the bottom from the get go without any interference.- Seriously, no program options on the single serve side???We like this machine and now that we understand its quirks we get along just fine, but getting here was frustrating, we considered returning it a few times. No other machine matches the versatility this one offers.

Wow! There are a lot of different opinions about this coffeemaker. I spent about 6 weeks researching coffeemakers and creating a list of required features for my family. It boiled down to; it must brew a carafe, it must brew a k-cup, and it must have a timer. Seems like a short list, turns out there are two manufacturers who each create one machine that complete these three requirements, a total of two machines in the world. One is 2.5 times more expensive than the other, this HB product is the more economical of the two. So, how does it work for me? I read all of the reviews regarding the 'plastic' smell, the ERR message, and the heated plate when brewing a k-cup. I am so glad that I had that information and the solutions provided; return, use the cup you're going to fill into the fill up the reservoir, and remove the carafe when brewing a k-cup.So, how does it work for me? Great! Literally the ONLY drawback for me is that it is lightweight. The more expensive brand's product outweighed this one by about 8lbs, if I remember right. That would be nice, I have shifted the position of the coffeemaker when putting the carafe back onto the hotplate... not a big deal, but geez. I have had a tiny bit of trouble with one certain brand of k-cup, the blade in the k-cup holder wouldn't slice into it. But I just got out an Xacto and sliced it then commenced with the use -- it was hot chocolate. Otherwise, it is a gem of a machine. The timer and clock are easy to set, and set up. The hotplate keeps the coffee in the carafe HOT for a couple of hours then automatically shuts off so you won't have burnt coffee. The k-cup function is easy to use if you read (and understand) the instructions. I would wholeheartedly recommend this product.

Excelente cafetera. Rápida en la preparación y buen café. La función de preparar la cantidad específica para taza o termo evita que desperdicie café. Y para esta función trae un filtro permanente.Para la preparación de café en la jarra, compre el filtro permanente (Hamilton Beach 80675 Permanent Gold Tone Filter, 8 to 12-Cups ) Le quedo sin problema funciona muy bienAl momento de preparar con el despachador para termo el plato de la jarra se calienta.La programación funciona muy bien el único detalle que no me gusto es que cuando se programa se queda encendido un led muy brillante pero esto no interfiere con su funcionamiento.Recomiendo ampliamente este producto.