Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach 42115 3-in-1 Hot-Beverage Center, Black

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

This is replacing a 4 cup Melitta coffeemaker (couldn't find a replacement carafe that would fit the brewer, which sat atop the pot).
This appealed to me in that this product has the following good features:

1) no pot/carafe to crack or clean
2) no waste (since you didn't have to brew 1-3 cups to get 1 decent sized mug + waste)
3) no hot plate/pot to turn off - nothing to worry about if you started a brew and then were unexpectedly called away or forgot about it
4) no paper filters required (but see below)
5) looks interesting - doesn't look like a coffee maker, takes up less space on counter, easier to keep clean.

I read some reviews - good and bad- and decided to get it anyway. AM SO GLAD I DID- I REALLY LIKE THIS THING!

Reasons: 1)-4) above, plus:
5) water resevoir + filter assembly is dishwasher safe (top rack)
6) capability of using pods (I wasn't about to buy an expensive 'pod-processor', so this is a very nice 'perk' - pun intended! ;o)

Very easy- load it up, walk away, come back to beverage. Lovely!

Some tips to head off any/all problems-

1) Read the manual. Hey, things happen, but really - use COLD WATER ONLY.

2) If brewing multiple cups- WAIT AT LEAST 30 SECS after light goes off before starting another brew. To be safe, I wait a full minute- have not had any problems.

3) I could see the potential for 'filter fouling', so I buy generic #4 Melitta filters (huge pack can be bought for <$2/pk) (& since #1s are almost impossible to find/expensive). I cut them down to fit the little filter basket, and I can go back n forth from tea to coffee to hot cocoa to soup without carryover effects (dump out coffee & rinse assembly after coffee).
4) Be careful with pushing down on plastic parts- again- read the manual. You might have to double-check to be sure that the water resevoir is pushed in all the way some times (it happened to me once). Use the handle/flap assembly to open/close the filter assembly - this is covered in the manual.

I agree- it would be nice if this were made more robustly (less plastic), and I do worry about the ability to get a replacement brew basket if need be. But I paid less than $20 for this (at Meijer), so can't complain.

I have owned and used this product on a daily basis for almost 6 months now.

If you're anything like me, you enjoy a cup of coffee to help wake up in the morning. Notice I didn't say 12, or 10, or 8, or 4, or even 2 cups. Is it really that crazy of an idea to have a cheap coffee maker that can make only the ONE cup you want to drink? I was writhing over reviews of the 2-cup/2-travel mug coffee makers and their problems when I found this one. My thoughts: Looks cheap. Price IS cheap. Must be cheap. But there's little else, so... I guess I'll try it. Needless to say, I have accepted this little guy into my family.

Pros:
-One cup, no waste. You can make a cup with 8 to 14 oz. of water measured in the creatively graduated water reservoir. You pour water in until you see the water touch the inverted steps for each size cup. This is very helpful in filling either a traditional coffee mug or a larger travel mug. You also use much less coffee (a tablespoon or two) per day, so your coffee will last longer.
-Speaking of travel mugs... the slide-out pedestal for a mug can be removed or pushed in to allow more clearance for a travel mug. Otherwise the pedestal helps keep a mug close to eliminate any splashing.
-Everything is washable. I simply dump out my grinds and rinse the basket and pour spout in the sink. Once every month or so I stick them in the dishwasher (with the pedestal, too).
-Robust. Yeah, it's plastic, but it's no slouch. I use mine daily and haven't once felt like I was going to break anything. I keep mine next to the stove so it catches some splatter, and it wipes clean very easily.

Cons
-No timer. Not that I really need one, since it makes a cup in 2-3 minutes, but I guess some people really don't want to wait when they get up. All you do is push the button down, let it work, then it automatically shuts off. If you need to shut it off in the middle, though... be prepared to unplug it. That's your only option (even the manual says so).
-Questionable permanent metal filter. My first couple weeks I felt like there was too much sediment in my coffee (you know, that texture that you get in the bottom of a big pot sometimes). I was pretty turned off by it, leaving the last few sips. The solution? Since they don't make paper filters that small, I just bought a pack of the traditional basket filters and cut out circles to fit. A pair of kitchen shears can do at least 20 at a time. Now I make my coffee with a paper filter inside the metal basket and voila--no more sediment!

Hope that information helps. I don't review often, but I've recommended it to friends and felt like this would help the next person take the plunge.

The first one of these we had was great! My wife made her tea and I made my coffee with it, and it produced excellent results. That lasted for about 5 months. Then it started to just pop and steam without pumping any water. Thinking it needed descaling, I tried that - - several times to no avail. So I finally called Hamilton Beach customer support, and at their direction sent in the cut off plug of my broken unit and $6.95 s/h. After several weeks, I received the replacement unit. It worked exactly one time before the spitting and steaming took over. I called H-B again, and this time they shipped a replacement unit immediately at no cost. It worked for exactly 2 cups before the exact same problem. Obviously there is a major flaw in the design of the water heating/pumping. Wish it worked!!!

This is a great appliance. I love tea, and I just bought one of these to use at work for making tea whenever I like.

The machine works great. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that it's largely constructed of plastic, and doesn't feel terribly solid. I reckon that if you treat it nicely it will last quite a while, but in the future I may opt for finding a similar appliance that's built a little stronger.

When I bought this item 8 months ago I was spooked by the number of people saying that over time the machine steamed and sputtered and produced little or no coffee... but a lot more people were saying they loved the machine so I took a chance. I still think it is the best $30 I've spent in a while.

We wanted a small unit to keep in our master bath, on the sink, and this one has a tiny footprint. We didn't want a glass carafe and risk breakage. We wanted fast. We didn't want a lot of electronic bells and whistles that would increase malfunctions. We wanted auto shut-off to minimize dangerous forgetfullness. We didn't need a timer since our wake-up time varies, and with a quick brew time, we didn't care. And, oh yes, we wanted good coffee too. This machine met all our expectations beautifully.

My spouse and I each like one tall cup a day, "cup" meaning about a regular 8 ounce drinking glass. Brewing 3 tablespoons of coffee with the maximum water this unit allows (14 ounces) does this perfectly, leaving a little room for cream and sweetner and stirring without spillage. While the machine doesn't require filters (since it comes with a permanent one) I found the No. 1 coffee filters fit in the basket perfectly, especially if the basket is a bit moist from being washed or rinsed- no trimming or cutting. It just seemed like using an extra paper filter would remove more sediment and leave less crud inside the machine. The machine comes with a tiny "step stool" pedastal so you can brew into something short or tall as you choose.

The only potential negatives (which to us are minimal): The machine is a bit noisy, it sputters and huffs to chuff out that coffee; frankly, I find it a bit cheering, you may not. If you use 3 or more tablespoons of coffee, it will collect inside the top of the cap that fits on the basket, which is not removable, but this is easily fixed by taking a damp paper towel and running it around that cap. If you like extremely hot coffee, this may not be hot enough for you. And for pity's sake, do NOT put your hand on top of the machine while steam is coming out, or shove in the reservoir of water while the top is open - if your machine is already hot, the steam will come out in a gust that will convince you a dragon is nearby. This is common sense, and makes you wonder about reviews complaining of steam burns... keep your hands away from the two spots steam can escape.

For 6 months this baby worked flawlessly, made great coffee. Then it started to produce less coffee per brew cycle. Finally it got to where I had to keep clicking it on for up to 6 brew cycles before all 14 ounces would brew and come through. It was really getting irritating to have to keep waiting 30 seconds and then restarting it. (I actually began shopping for another coffeemaker, and stuck it on my wish list.)

But I came to the realization that I had not continued to do the descaling as regularly as I once had done. Today I ran 14 ounces of white vinegar through the machine. It took SEVEN cycles to get it all through, but on each one, a little more came through than the one before. Then I ran through 14 ounces of water, twice. Now I'm about to drink 14 ounces of hot coffee, that all came through on one attempt. The reason for going through this here in painful detail is to say - don't discount the need for descaling. Yes, it's in the book, but do it regularly, it makes a huge difference.

We were on the verge of returning this unit, and I'm really glad to have pushed the vinegar through again and will go back to doing so monthly. We've had this machine 8 months now, and it is again making flawless coffee. If you were here, you could have a hot cup of Blue Mountain right now :)

I work from home, and I'm the only one in my house who drinks coffee. I was tired of making a big pot that would get stale or thrown out, and instant just isn't as good.

This is perfect. It takes less time to make coffee with this machine than it did to microwave water for instant coffee. I love that it uses a permanent filter, instead of paper (like some other single-use coffee makers do). I don't even need to use a measuring spoon for the coffee. It makes the coffee really hot the way I like it, and clean-up is super easy. I only have to rinse out the filter and put my mug in the dishwasher.

I also like that it works with pods, if I decide one day to try them.

I'm a tea drinker mostly, but sometimes i enjoy having a nice cup of coffee. I needed something that could brew one cup at a time. This machine is perfect. It isn't messy, there are no drips or leakage on my countertop. I used fresh ground coffee not a pod, so i don't know if the pods work well in this machine but the coffee grounds did. I found the permanent filter to be adequate although i may purchase disposable filters for this & use the insert in my tea cup. It's a very fine mesh that seems like it would be a great loose leaf tea strainer. but I won't use the machine for making tea, for that i will continue to use my electric kettle. (because tea leaves need to steep for several minutes, not just have hot water poured over them for a second)

The temperature is perfect for me, although i know some people like their coffee to be scalding hot. I prefer mine just hot enough to be drinkable, which is how my coffee came out. So i am pleased with the results.

I noticed that i can't simply fill the water & turn the machine on again (if it just ran through a brew cycle). It won't stay turned on until i open & close the top part where you add coffee. Once i did this it would turn on & start the brewing process. I guess it's meant to be a reminder that you didn't add your coffee yet. But if you want to re-use grinds it seems an unnecessary step.

The only other thing i'd like to note is that before using for the first time i had to run filtered water through 4 times instead of the recommended 2 times. There was a plastic/chemical odor in the water that came out. After 2 runs through it was still detectable. after 4 runs through i didn't smell it anymore & felt safe brewing up a cup of joe. :)

This is a nice idea but not worth it. It stopped working after the third use, however, KUDOS to Hamilton Beach - they replaced it without any problem. Item is large and takes up more counter space than I would like. I made coffee with it but the clean up is not worth using it for that. Even after getting the replacement, it now sits in my garage. I strongly suggest buying the Sunbeam HotShot, which works faster, is small and attractive and is a much better value. I actually had an older model and wound up replacing it with the newer model- should have done that first. Do check it out and consider it.

Let's say that you're addicted to full on caffeinated coffee, but it makes your husband shakey. You tried compromising, but that really didn't work for you. Here's what you do - you buy two of these little babies and you can each have a cup of your favorite coffee at the same time.

Well, that's what we did. And both of them are working great! I rinse the permanent filters each time I use them, and every now and then I put them in the dishwasher. Yes, you can make hot chocolate, tea, coffee, hot water, etc with these. Really, it makes the hot water, and you let it pour over whatever flavor of stuff you like to drink and then dribble into your cup.

Important notice - if you fill the reservoir up all the way, do not put a little cup under it. It doesn't know you didn't plan right, and it will overflow all over the place. And it's HOT! But - if you just had hot water in it, it will make a clean spot on the floor, which isn't always a bad thing.

Anyway, this works really well. We've had them for about a year, and they're still going strong.

Only two bad things...#1 when it's done brewing..it kicks off immediately..doesn't keep the coffee warm..#2 if you use a standard coffee mug..it gets soooo hot to the touch..cause it brews right into the cup..you can't even touch the cup for a while..I might start brewing in one cup, then pour into another to drink?
Cute, fun overall. I like! Never thought I would enjoy a single cup pot..but I received as a gift from dear clueless hubby (LOL)so I thought I would give it a try & I like it!