Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach 48465 Brewstation Summit Ultra 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

I was in the market for a new coffeemaker, and I really wanted to try a Brewstation. The Summit Ultra seemed to be the best available with it's sleek design and 12 cup capacity. I see a lot of people negatively commenting on the supposed design flaw of this machine - the spout being too close to the back of the machine, thus coffee spills down the outside of you mug or cup. Well, after much online and in-store investigation of this product I bought it! And am very pleased with it. Yes, the first time I used it there was some spillage down the back of the mug. It's just a matter of having the coffeemaker placed against the backsplash on your counter and getting the feel of how to press your mug against the bar. My coffeemaker's bar is firm but not hard to push. I've used several types of mugs, cups and travel mugs. Approach the machine straight on (not on an angle). I press the lip of my mug against the bottom-most portion of the bar so I can actually see the coffee dispensing into the mug. Yes, it dispenses onto the inner side of your mug, but if you can keep your hand steady for 5 seconds you should have no back spillage. I agree that the dispenser should have been placed out a few millimeters, but again, I stress I have no problem with it. Being able to keep hot, fresh coffee for up to 4 hours is an awesome feature, as we have several people in our household who get up at different times in the morning. I just set the timer at night and in the morning the aroma of coffee brewing can't be beat! It's easy to clean; just take the filter basket out and then the holder, rinse them in your sink and either let them drip dry on the counter or just place them back in the machine and leave the lid open for a few hours. They fit together easily. Wipe down the front of the machine and the drip tray daily and you have a beautiful, sleek, well-made product on your countertop. The only negative I could give this product is that I wish it came with a goldtone reusable filter. That would have given it 5 stars for me! Amazon has the most competitive price of this product, but if you have a 20% off coupon there are a few other stores where you could find it a bit cheaper.

The Good
Intuitive controls. Clock, timer, etc. are super-easy to figure out; we did not need the instructions to get it set up. The display is bright and can double as a nightlight. Somewhat attractive design. Makes good coffee. Also makes iced coffee if you like.

The Bad
Feels like there are too many parts to disassemble/reassemble to make coffee. The black plastic exterior has numerous dimples, seam lines, and other irregularities (poor fit & finish) that take away from the otherwise attractive appearance. Difficult to tell how much coffee is left once it drops below 2 cups.

The Ugly
Spills and messes. Lifting the lid to dump the old filter causes the built-up moisture to drip down the back of the coffeemaker. Thick mugs and thermoses are difficult to fill without coffee spilling down the side and all over the counter. In my opinion, they did not place the spout out far enough from the release bar. You can get better results if you tip your mug or thermos inward, but some of the thicker ones will never fill without making a mess.

In summary, it is a decent coffeemaker. I had read the reviews before purchasing it and had determined this was not one of the models I wanted. However, the model I had gone to the store to purchase was not available (nor was it available on amazon.com), and seeing as our old faithful coffeemaker had died that morning, I couldn't leave without something to replace it. Unfortunately, my memory was not great and I couldn't remember if this particular model was a good option or not (if I had remembered the reviews, I wouldn't have purchased this model). Despite its shortcomings, we've decided to keep it, but if I had a chance to do it again, I would not choose this one.

We have had this product for over a year now and have had no problems at all. Yes, there are features that could be improved, but I have found that with all coffee brewers. What we like most is that we can brew 12 cups, let it sit all morning, and no burnt taste whatsoever. We use it 2xs a day for morning and evening coffee and it has not failed us a single time.

I bought this coffee maker to replace ours because I can't stand the burn coffee flavor it bothers me if the glass carafe is not perfectly clean and shiny, and I also like how it looks.
I was a little scared because I read some negative reviews about the product but OMG I love this coffee maker, it is perfect and does not make a mess at all, it is very easy to clean, use, and I think it is really nice looking :)
It also makes ice coffe if you put ice in the water reservoir.
I love that the coffee tastes fresh and you can't tell is been there for 4 hours.
I love to pour the coffee into my cup! No mess!
Super easy to use.
I really recomed it!!! You would love it! I like it so much that I got another one for my mother after I had mine for a month.
Great Buy!

I owned the original HB brewstation and liked it very much. When it stopped working, I replaced it with the newer more expensive model which I HATE! The coffee is adequate, but the design is such that it is nearly impossible not to splash & spill every time you fill a regular mug. IF you have very thin china cups, you MAY get by. I am constantly cleaning the counters and floor around this poorly engineered product.

I bought this at a local store. I spilled coffee evertyime I tried to use it. Then I read the reviews here to see that it was poorly designed, leading to spills. If only the spout was a half inch forward, the coffee just might clear the brim and go in the coffee cup.

Consumer Reports wasn't kidding to rate this coffee maker as one of the best. Brews great coffee with no fuss. The capability to put my travel coffee mug under the dispenser is like no other.

I had Brewstation model 47214 for several years, and I loved it. It held up well, but eventually started to fall apart from heavy use. I love the ability to pour a cup one-handed. I thought this model 48465 would be an upgrade but it sucks. The spout/pour lever are not positioned right, so coffee barely makes it into your cup. Almost everyday, I get a spill over the side of the cup. Poor design. I contacted Hamilton Beach and for a small fee they agreed to replace my unit with my old model 47214.

Bought this bad boy to replace our old cheap-o standard percolator unit. We love it.
Timer - awesome
Lighted time display - awesome
Keep warm settings - awesome
Sleek, modern look - awesome

One thing that I miss from our old percolator. Call me a weirdo with a beardo, but I liked being able to turn the warmer back on later in the day and warm up 1/2 a pot that had gotten cold from the morning. I don't think there is anyway to just turn on the warmer on this Brewstation unit. I tried, with old coffee in it, just to turn it on and it yelled at me with "add water!" on the display screen.

Other than that very small thing, this thing rocks. And I have read a ton of the other reviews on here and have never experienced the spillage people are talking about when dispensing coffee into a mug, travel mug, even directly into my mouth. It's just hard to fit my big melon under the spout. But seriously, no spillage ever(Maybe HB fixed this in newer units?). I only have the condensation dripping from the lid when it's time to clean it. I just throw a towel behind it before I lift the lid. Easy-Peasy.

Highly recommend.

We really hated having to pour from a carafe, messy spills and the icky build up on the heating element.
This machine seemed to answer our needs. Easy one hand fill, easy to clean, everything easy and it stays hot for as long as 4 hours (we keep it for 2 hours, which is plenty)

The only draw back, is the unit has to be moved from under our counter in order to fill the water resrevior. Our cabinets are normal height and the unit fits under it while in operation, but we have to pull the whole unit out from under the cabinet in order to fill it and add coffee etc... ugh one more step, But it's almost perfect and I think most people will enjoy it.