Customer Ratings & Reviews

Like many people, I got this as a replacement for a dead Keurig. I looked at a lot of machines out there, and I was specifically looking for something that could brew K-cups, coffee grounds or coffee soft pods. Most of the machines that could do this were expensive ($100+). This product though, it's only half that, and it can do the same thing, and it does the same thing very well. One nice thing about the Keurig was that it was very fast, as it pushed the hot water through with a good amount of pressure. This resulted in a quick brew, no doubt, but when using my own coffee grounds, it was not very easy to find the perfect sweet spot that made GOOD coffee. K-cups, they were usually perfect. This unit, however, is the slightly slower 'drip' method, and instead of ~1.0 min for a cup from one of the Keurig model, this one takes ~2.0 mins for a cup. However, because the water has contact with the coffee for substantially longer, the coffee made with my own grounds is absolutely better with this machine than the Keurig. The K-cups are just as good, no better or worse than a Keurig machine (which is a good thing). So, what it boils down to is that the coffee takes maybe a minute longer to brew, but it does so with the drip technique rather than the forced-water technique. This results in the same taste for K-cups, but BETTER taste when brewing your own coffee. And unlike the Keurig, you don't have to buy a separate piece of equipment to use your own coffee grounds. Also, you get the added bonus (over the Keurig) of being able to buy/use coffee soft pods, which is awesome. Much like the K-cup world, there are a lot of coffee soft pod makers out there with some fantastic coffees in ready-to-go little pods. End result, I'm actually extremely satisfied and a little surprised by this great little machine. I don't have any negative things to say about the Keurig, but honestly, this seems just as good, for less money, and more functionality.

Bought this on sale and very happy with it. Love that you can brew k-cups and regular coffee with this unit. I like the fact that the water is not stored and that you have to fill it with the water needed before each brew. It takes about 2 minutes from fill of water to drinking coffee which I am fine with. I also love that it auto shuts off once done brewing and it's extremely easy to use! The slim design is great for kitchens with small spaces or even at a desk in your office if your boss is not picky about that type of thing.

I wanted a Keurig style machine but not at Keurig prices. I checked other reviews and decided to give this a try. So far I have not been disappointed. Using k-cups the machine is simplicity, just pop in the pod, push down and turn on. You can adjust the strength by adding more or less water. I found a dark roast makes a nice cup of strong coffee. Using the included mesh filter you can use your own favorite coffee and again make it as strong as you want. Using the filter is easy but I found you need to make sure the tray holder is properly in place to avoid some dribbling from the side as the machine finishes its cycle. The auto switch off function is good. Overall I think this is a good machine for the price.

Makes great coffee for the most part. Sometimes I can smell burnt plastic from the K-Cups.

I am the only one in my household that drinks coffee and have been wanting the "expensive" brand coffee maker for sometime now. However, I couldn't justify spending a huge amount of money on making coffee at home. I saw this online at a fraction of the cost of the "expensive" brand and bought it. I couldn't be happier. Not only is the cost of this coffee maker in my budget, it makes a great cup of coffee using K-cups. I also like that I can use my own ground coffee as well. Do not waste your money on the "expensive" brand that seems to never go on sale. This coffee maker is a breeze to use and the taste is great!

If you are only going to use grounds this maker is probably okay for you. If you are going to use K-cups, then keep shopping. The needle quite often gets clogged with grounds and you have to use a paperclip / toothpick to unclog it (sometimes getting hot water spewed on you). I called Hamilton Beach customer service and their solution was to use the paperclip and clean the maker with vinegar. We use RO water, so the maker stays quite clean. And it's clogged on K-cups since it was first opened - I don't believe a dirty unit is a contributing factor in this instance. I was really disappointed in HB that they acknowledged the problem, but just shrugged it off as "that's just the way it is." So, if you are looking at this maker as an alternative to a Keurig, then keep shopping. This is not the maker you are looking for....

We got this for Christmas and I love it! My husband brews alot of coffee, and it's usually the same kind each day. I prefer a little more variety. This allows me to brew my own cup and just the right amount based on the size cup that I want to drink without wasting a whole pot. I've tried both the kcup mode and the ground mode and I get a great cup every time! I did have an issue with some coffee that was very finely ground when I just added grounds (it overflowed) but we also bought some refillable k-cups so I tried the finely ground coffee in the k-cup (removing the k-cup insert so it wouldn't puncture the cup) and and it worked perfectly. I've also used the refillable k-cups to add loose tea and it was delicious. I love that the machine turns off automatically when it's done brewing.

This thing is amazing and has lasted 5+ years!! Would definitely buy again!

Hamilton Beach states on their website, on the box, and on the machine itself that it is compatible with ANY pack. I have bought 3 different kinds of pods and I am unable to use them as a single serve pack. I have had to cut them open and put the coffee in the filter to get some return on the money I have spent. It does not work well with fine grind or espresso/Turkish grind.

Not a good coffee maker. I will be exchanging this for a different one. One makes about 3/4 size of my normal cup. The coffee spurts all over the place when brewing. I'm not a fan

I bought one for my mom after my dad passed away. The full size coffee maker was too large for one person. She really likes it and uses it every day, It makes a good cup of coffee and looks nice sitting on her counter.

I bought this thinking ta it would be great for filling my travel mug in a hurry and save counter space. It would only hold 6 ounces of water at a time. Coffee came out very strong to even drink. Returned to store. I would never recommend this to any one.

I didn't buy this at Best Buy last Christmas, but I bought one elsewhere. Worst designed home appliance I have ever owned. Most of the time, it wouldn't puncture the k-pod. I learned to make a starter hole. After two month's use, it clogged, it is almost impossible to clean or unclog. I did manage to get it working, but it failed again in November. I replaced it with an Insignia from BB, for $20 less. The new one works great, and makes a good cup.

I purchased this brewer due to it's use of multiple filters for K cups or my own ground beans. The filter for ground coffee worked well, but the K cup holder had a horrid plastic smell and taste. I ran hot water through the system a dozen times, put it in the dishwasher a couple times, soaked it in CLR, then sodium bicarb, and still could not get rid of the smell and taste. This pretty much killed the whole idea of using the K cups. On top of that, the water reservoir was only large enough for one cup, and the filter system leaked condensed water all over. It is a great idea, poorly executed.

This coffee maker worked great for 3 weeks and then promptly died when I reached the end of my return policy. It began to only make half cups of coffee and spill the remaining water all over the counter for a half an hour afterward. If you decide to buy this despite my warning, get the extended warranty plan. This machine is a terrible purchase and now I am in battle with Hamilton Beach to get a refund/replacement.

I bought this for my college student and he really enjoyed it, until last night when after a month and a half of use it started chewing up the k-cups and just giving him water instead of coffee.