Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe and Two Travel Mugs

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I was sold on this unit for its price. The thermal carafe and travel mugs alone are worth more than its list price. A friend of mine has this unit, so I felt comfortable purchasing it. First off, to address some concerns, there is indeed trouble with dripping as noted in previous reviews. However, I don't feel that it's an unusual amount, considering this is a drip coffee maker. After my first few pots, I was able to minimize dripping to the point where I don't need to clean up after myself. Secondly, the issue of turning the coffee maker to fill the resevoir. I've found that I have no trouble filling it from the front. I can understand why people are having this trouble. It's a tall unit. It takes a bit of coordination. Finally, previous reviewers complained about the taste. I did a very standard cleaning, have not used the water filter, and have had no troubles with taste.

Con:
1. The unit is big and tall and is awkward on the counter.
2. Its capacity is 8 cups.
3. The cup indicator is on the INSIDE of the water resevoir and is hard to see, especially when filling.
4. It does drip. I can't deny that. But it is manageable.

Pro:
1. The thermal carafe is excellent. Preheat and you will have perfect hot coffee for 2-3 hours.
2. The travel mugs are handy. The 360 deg drinkability is surprisingly useless to me, but to each their own.
3. Clock timer is handy.
4. Easy to clean and easy to use.

Overall, I'd have to say that with its deficiencies, it's still the best value. The thermal carafe and the travel mugs alone make this coffee maker a good purchase. I'd recommend it if you're in the market for a thermal carafe coffee maker.

After eight months, we're still really happy with this purchase. I grew up with Mr. Coffee coffeemakers and I was loyal for many years - mainly because of the price but also because I just assumed that all made-at-home coffee tasted the same. When the last one began to die (the dreaded leaky reservoir syndrome), I hopped online and began to read reviews.

We wanted a unit with a clock and an automatic timer. After reading several reviews however, I added a thermal carafe to the list. Even with an auto shut-off feature, the Mr. Coffee would burn the coffee after an hour or so. We also did not want to spend more than $40-$50, but this changed quickly when I realized how pricey coffeemakers had become. The final criterion was that it had to be somewhat attractive.

Pros:
(1) Taste. There is no other way to describe it. This thing makes coffee that tastes like it was brewed in a nicer restaurant. It might be the cone filter. Even visitors comment on our coffee. We just buy a pre-ground, name-brand Colombian coffee and use tap water. There is no good reason why it should taste this good. It has to be the coffeemaker.
(2) The thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for hours. When preparing coffee to brew for the following morning, steam rises from the old coffee that I dump. It's probably not hot enough to drink but it's still impressive.
(3) The carafe handle is thick and sturdy. There are no flimsy parts.
(4) Nice aesthetics. The black-and-brushed-aluminum design is a nice look.

Cons: (very minor)
(1) Only 8-cup capacity. Not as big a deal as we thought it would be.
(2) LCD clock display instead of LED display. I like being able to see the time in the dark and Mr. Coffee was always good about this. However, our new microwave has an LED clock so it worked out. Perhaps they could backlight the LCD.
(3) The removable coffee filter basket has a swing-up handle, which means you need to use both hands to dump it. The fixed handle on the Mr. Coffee allowed one-hand dumping.
(4) No Pause-and-Serve feature. You also have to wait a minute after it stops brewing before removing the carafe (the light turns off when it is safe) or else risk being dripped on. Again, it's not anything we run into frequently but it's worth noting.

Miscellaneous:
(1) Comes with two thermal mugs, but we have never used them. Note that the earlier models came with plastic-lined mugs that had a novel 360-degree drinking feature. We discovered this when we accidentally bought one without the clock feature at a deep discount store (I didn't read the box in the store). We returned it and bought the higher-end unit online. The new mugs are insulated aluminum and now have standard sliding-style openings.
(2) Comes with a fancy water filter - again, we've never used it.
(3) Cone filters. These initially scared me. I have used basket filters all my life and I was afraid that cone filters needed to be folded by hand, like back in chemistry class. Today, cone filters are pre-formed and my phobia is cured.
(4) The unit is 14-1/2" tall. It fits under our cabinets easily although one reviewer said it wouldn't fit under hers. Measure your counter space first.
(5) Coffee pours onto and through the carafe lid via two holes. The bottom of the carafe lid has a rubbery o-ring that requires frequent cleaning or else it will stain (but it snaps on and off very easily). Arrows on the carafe lid indicate when it is open or closed. After a few weeks though, you learn the positions by feel.
(6) Last but not least, there are three ways to make coffee spill onto your cabinets if you are not careful (I've done each once):
a) Overfilling the reservoir - it is oversized for when you use larger mugs, but the carafe only accepts 8 cups, so don't fill past the "8-cup" mark!
b) Don't forget to pour out the old coffee first, which is easy to do with a non-see-through carafe.
c) Always screw on the carafe lid until it stops turning; otherwise the coffee won't drain through properly. However, this is hard to do because the carafe fits in so snugly. If the lid is screwed on only half-way, the carafe won't even fit in under the unit.

In a nutshell, Stay-or-Go makes great tasting coffee and usually costs less than $60 for the high-end model. Just make sure you get a newer model since the early (2004) models seem to have had design problems. And while it is not perfect, four stars are just not enough, not at this price.

UPDATE: The age of the model is distinguishable by the travel mugs. The older model had mugs with protruding handles (as in the current photo on Amazon); the new models contain travel mugs with no handles, just a rubberized grip ring around each mug.

UPDATE 2: The photo on Amazon is now updated to show the new mugs (without mug handles), as of August 2006.

We bought this coffeemaker as a replacement for a Black and Decker space saver coffeemaker which was driving us crazy (very messy to pore a cup of coffee, with a lot of dripping). Compared to that coffeemaker, the Hamilton Beach model is much better and much less messy to use. However, we have owned the Hamilton Beach now for approximately one month and have problems getting and keeping the machine turned on. The "auto" function sometimes works properly and sometimes doesn't, so my husband never knows if he will have coffee to take to work with him in the morning or not. And when I turn the machine on, sometimes it stays on and sometimes it immediately clicks off and I have to keep pushing the "on" button until it eventually stays on and brews a pot of coffee. At any rate, we can get a "free" replacement by sending the manufacturer the plug from this machine, along with a check for $7.50 to cover shipping and handling for the new one. I understand the reasoning behind the replacement policy, and am happy to have a warranty which allows me to get a replacement, but it a little galling to have to pay the additional $7.50 on top of the cost of the coffeemaker we bought only a month ago. I am thinking of just purchasing a new coffeemaker from another manufacturer and using the Hamilton Beach as backup, since we have had so many problems with it.

I have been using a manual coffee maker for a number of years. I recently purchased this machine and, so far, have been impressed. I can brew a thermos of coffee to bring to work (or leave on the counter at home) and I can brew a cup of coffee to take with me when I travel.

The cups are a little large for my cupholder, but that is not a fault in the design of the coffeemaker.

The machine is easy to clean and makes decent coffee. However, the little water filter that comes with it is a waste. It adds its own "flavorful" contribution to the coffee and definitely does nothing for my tap water besides.

The design is quite good. I like the simple screw on lid for the carafe. I also like the cups, though, as another reviewer stated, I tend to spill a lot of coffee when I get to the bottom. The versatility is the best feature of this machine.

The timer works as promised and was easy to set. I'd never used one before, and I have to admit that it's nice to have coffee waiting when I get up. Best of all, since I have to switch it to "auto" the night before, I won't be surprised by a machine running when I was not expecting it.

I am pleased with this machine so far. My only faults with it are concerned more with finding counter space (and an outlet) in my 80-year-old kitchen. I also dislike the insulating quality of the mugs. Most of the time they are good, but in North Dakota winters, the heat leaves between my house and the time the car gets heated up. I cannot comment on the thermos. I didn't bring it to work during the cold.

I've been using mine for almost three months. Preheating the carafe with tap water, it coffee stays quite hot for a couple hours, and drinkably hot for three or four hours. Yes, it does drip when one takes the lid off and tries for that last half a mug of coffee, but so what? (By the time it gets down to that point, the coffee is lukewarm anyway.)

It goes without saying that the coffee is not boiling hot, like a French press/plung pot, but that is the price one pays with any drip.

I mostly purchased this unit because of the versatility in brewing options, and they have proved quite useful. When one considers that the Thermos mugs alone cost $20 each, the price point isn't bad at all.

I was surprised to learn the Hamilton Beach and Proctor Silex are essentially the same company; had I know that, I probably wouldn't have bought this pot, but I'm glad I did. The only thing that probably does better in the thermal carafe market is a Capresso, which doesn't have the travel mugs.

I love this coffee machine. It's great to have fresh coffee waiting for me in the morning. The insulated thermos keeps the coffee hot and fresh for a couple of hours. I much prefer this system rather than leaving coffee on a burner where it goes stale quikly. I was a little apprehensive reading some of the other reviews about bad/plastic taste. The first thing I did when I got the machine was to run white vinegar through it, then run about 7 or 8 tanks full of water to rinse it out. I still noticed a little plastic taste for about a week, but it faded away pretty quickly and it was never a very strong taste. In the past I had a Bunn coffee maker. This machine is definately slower to brew a pot, but the coffee tastes much better than with the Bunn. I've had it about a month now and am thoroughly pleased.

This is honestly the best coffee maker that I could ask for. There are pros and cons, but the cons are petty...you cant please everyone!

Pros:

-The Thermal Carafe is amazing..Coffee was hot 2 hours later and tasted great!

-The Travel Mug Feature is a life saver..I dont have to buy coffee in the morning any more! And I love the fact that you can make 1 or two

-The auto programming was so easy to use and I actually programmed it right the first time :o)

-No Mess..Even though you have to leave the lids on (as the coffee drips into the holes on top) there is never any mess! I was shocked the first time when the manual said to keep the lids on, but it actual worked and it worked well!

Cons (not really):

- I was a little upset at first about it not having a pause and serve, but my previous experiences with pause and serve was that if you didnt let the coffee brew all of the way anyways, it was either too stron or really watery. So being patient for about 10 minutes (to let the coffee brew all of the way) is worth the wait!

- The travel mugs are a little awkward because they are big, but at 9:00am I really appreciate the 3-cup capacity! I compared the mugs to other travel mugs and they are pretty much the same size. I think that I can only blame Honda for crappy cup holders!

- The travel mugs are plastic inside and I thought at first that the coffee wouldnt stay warm, but it did for about 1.5hours.

- At first I did not like the fact that you cant see the water fill line on the outside, but then I realized that it looks much neater and who really watches the water as it decreases anyways?

- I also did not like the fact that the carafe was not transparent, but then reality hit again and if you know how many cups of water/coffee you made, then it's pretty likely that thats how much coffee will be in the carafe! (who woulda thought?)

All in all this is a great buy. I havent found anything like it on the market. I have not had any issues with the coffee tasting like plastic (I cleaned all of the pieces with warm soap and water a couple of times before I used it). The stainless steel and black colouring match my kitchen decor and I do not find the machine too big (it was the same height as my previous black and decker model). This was definitely money well spent and I am loving it more each day!

After reading countless bad reviews about all coffee makers, I figured one of two things must be true: 1) people can't read directions and 2) people typically only write bad reviews.

I chose this one because of the the features - travel mugs, carafe, and timer - and I am very glad I did. If you follow the instructions provided, you will not have the problems of leaking and cold coffee that some reviewers complained about.

The leaking is caused by overfilling (I did it once). If you follow the directions and put the water in the carafe and then the reservoir, you will not have this problem. I must agree that the water line is difficult to see (I have yet to find it).

The coffee can stay hot for 4 hours and warm for 8 hours if you rinse the carafe with hot water before brewing (as stated in the instructions).

Other complaints I have seen:

Height - yes it is taller than most

Weight - yes the carafe is heavier than most (but it is a good one with glass, not just cheap plastic), but it is not heavy

Overall I am very pleased with this coffee maker and would highly recommend it! And as far as my first comment, I think 1 & 2 are both true!

We liked the idea of a built-in thermal carafe. But this machine has drawbacks that has made it more of a disappointment than a boon to us:

1) The clock isn't backlit.

2) The carafe doesn't hold very much coffee. The carafe's bulk is misleading.

3) The darn thing drips for several minutes after it has stopped percolating.

4) Pouring coffee out of it is a challenge, especially if you're getting near the bottom of the carafe.

5) The coffee doesn't stay warm for long, even with the extra-bulky carafe.

It is not worth the money we spent. Looks good on the counter, though.

It's inevitable that we have to sop up coffee from somewhere every time we use it. Frankly, I want to drink it, not have it end up in a kitchen rag.

Recommendation: Buy a Mr. Coffee and a good Thermos carafe (we got ours at a thrift shop for a quarter; it keeps coffee hot for 24 hours!).

Not only can I make just my mug's worth of coffee (which is what I do weekday mornings) I could make 2 cups if necessary (for bribing someone with early morning coffee) or even make a 10 cup carafe of coffee if I need to (to feed the hordes of people).
I'm kind of a coffee junky.
I rode out the dot com bust at Starbuck's and now I can't stand to drink sub par caffeine. I also learned a lot about coffee and making coffee in the process.
The HB coffee maker makes coffee just fine.
I don't know why the other's had such issues with aftertaste in their makers (unless there was a change in plastic formulation since theirs was made) it could just be a reaction with the water in their community. Stranger things have happened.
One thing that I do know is that a frequently made mistake with the #4 cone filters (and use the recycled paper ones. Yes, the gold filters are envoronmentally conscious, but IMO make the coffee taste awful.) is not using *enough* coffee (many people mistakenly assume that easing up on the coffee grinds will make the coffee less bitter when it is just the opposite.) as well as tamping down the (fine) grinds to hold the water just that extra little bit to extract the flavor. Then when you think you have enough coffee, add one more scoop.

The measurements actually involved are as such: 1/8th cup grounds for each cup (6 oz.) water... then add one more scoop for the pot. This holds true for the travel mugs, too.
Don't refrigerate your coffee, it dries out the natural oils, and if you like very strong brew, crank the grinder at the market all the way over to Turkish.

I like this coffemaker so far, but if the carafe explodes, I'll be certain to squawk about it here and let y'all know. =;)