Last updated on November 26th, 2018 at 07:37 am
Starting the day without coffee is quite a challenge for me – one that I don’t intend to attempt any time soon. Given that we brew a 12-cup jug of coffee at least once a day, every day, a good reliable coffee maker is always to be found in our kitchen. We’ve always had a drip coffee maker, but fancied a drip coffee maker with k cup features built-in.
Since we first saw a Keurig Coffee maker, I’ve been intrigued with the concept – sometimes you just want a single coffee, or a hot chocolate, or chai. Those are all available as k-cups for the Keurig brewing system. But having done the quick mathematics, with a per-cup cost of around $0.25 or more, and me being what I politely call as ‘frugal’, I was putting off investing in an expensive coffee machine that just wouldn’t get used that much.
Having discussed the coffee maker with my wife, we both decided that we should find a ‘dual purpose machine’ – ie, a traditional drip coffee maker with k cup feature built into it. We’ve seen a few over the years, but they were more expensive by miles than buying two separate machines. We also don’t like clutter – a single machine was what we needed.
So,. we’ve always been in the market for a filter coffee maker with a built-in Keurig K-Cup single serve ability, but there was no way we would justify spending nearly $200 on one, especially while we had a perfectly serviceable coffee maker that was performing our daily coffee duty.
With an eye on local stores, visits to Sam’s Club, Bed Bath & Beyond etc, we’ve just been forced into pulling the trigger on a new coffee machine. The reason we cannot wait any longer is that our trusty coffee maker of about 8 years now has started leaking water onto the counter. First a little, now we have lots and lots of water leaking with every brew onto the counter. We just can’t wait any more – so we need that new coffee maker today or within 2 days at most.
Because of the relative urgency now in getting a new coffee maker, it’s back to the searches for a decent, affordable coffee maker that will serve us well (we hope) for at least 5 years.
Once again, at first, all we find are $200 machines… this is going to be a pricey endeavor I fear…
Our current (breaking) machine is a Cuisinart – it’s been good to us, so I looked at their offering first – what does Cuisinart have in the way to k-cup + drip coffee maker?
Cuisinart® Coffee Center™ 12-Cup Coffee Maker and Single Serve Brewer
Pros:
- Cuisinart is a make we have and like
- 12-cup drip coffee jug (we drink a lot of coffee)
- Our jug, filter and charcoal water filters will fit
- In stock at BB&B
- Amazon Prime Eligible
- Available in Bronze, Black Stainless or Stainless Steel finishes
Cons:
- It’s $157 – $199 – depending on the color you want.
- In stock on Amazon – *and* in stock at BB&B
- Only Stainless Steel is in stock on Amazon
Summary: This would be a nice machine for us to aspire to if our dual purpose machine experiment works out – but we just can’t justify the spend until we know that this will work for us. Onto something a little more affordable.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way Coffee maker
Pros:
- Hamilton Beach is a decent make
- 12-cup drip coffee jug
- Amazon Prime Eligible
- Available in black only – but that’s a color we can deal with
- Only $79.00
Cons:
- Not currently In stock at BB&B
- Gets 4.5 out of 5 rating on both BB&B (472 reviews)
- Only gets 4 out of 5 rating Amazon (1,741 reviews)
Summary: I’m not a fan of the mainly black color of the machine – but at $80 or so, this seems like a solid offering from Hamilton Beach.
Hamilton Beach (49980A) Single Serve Coffee Maker and Coffee Pot Maker
Pros:
- Hamilton Beach is a decent make
- 12-cup drip coffee jug
- Amazon Prime Eligible
- Available in black + Stainless Steel – best color combo for our kitchen
- Only $54.00 on Amazon – reduced from $89!
- Gets 4.5 out of 5 rating Amazon (4,354 reviews)
Cons:
- Not available at BB&B
- There are a few 1 star reviews, but not that many.
Summary: – We’re buying this particular coffee maker because:
- It’s quite cheap to
try the K-Cup+ Drip brewing system in our home – Update: Read the description CAREFULLY! - The current price of $55 on sale from $89 makes it look like a bargain
- It’s available from Amazon Prime (free 2 day shipping)
- It’s Stainless + Black like the rest of our kitchen
- It has a LOT of pretty good (and a few negative) reviews
So – when the pot arrives, I’ll post some reviews after we’ve been using it a little while. 🙂
So – because I didn’t CAREFULLY check the product description, I did not see the wording “not compatible with K-CUP packs”:
I am returning this model un-used and have re-ordered the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way Coffee maker which definitely says “Single-Serve: Brew with or without K-Cup packs. Pack holder and single-serve grounds basket are included.”:
Hamilton Beach (49976) Coffee Maker, Single Serve & Full Coffee Pot, For Use With K Cups or Ground Coffee
So – what did we end up with?
Hamilton Beach (49976) Coffee Maker, Single Serve & Full Coffee Pot
And do we like it? Yes – we love it!!
The coffee maker we bought is the FIRST one listed in the Coffee Maker Carousel below …
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio 2-Way Coffee Maker, Compatible with K-Cup Pods or Grounds, Combo, Single Serve & Full 12c Pot, Black
Hamilton Beach 49979 FlexBrew Single-Serve Coffee Maker, Compatible with Pod Packs and Grounds, Black and Chrome
(as of November 19, 2024 07:35 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Keurig K-Classic Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, with 3 Brew Sizes, 48oz Removable Reservoir, Black
7% Off
Keurig K15 Coffee Maker, Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Brewer, 6 to 10 Oz. Brew Sizes, Chili Red
(as of November 19, 2024 07:35 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Keurig K575 Coffee Maker, Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Brewer, Programmable Brewer, 80 ounces, Platinum
(as of November 19, 2024 07:35 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Keurig K-Elite Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, with Strength and Temperature Control, Iced Coffee Capability, 8 to 12oz Brew Size, Programmable, Brushed Slate
37% Off
If you’re interested in how I decided which low-cost action camera to buy, check out this blog post from last week!