Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Reviews: Why You Need A Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker

Would you like to brew delicious coffee at home using an affordable, powerful, and efficient midsize coffee maker? Not sure if you should get a Keurig or perhaps an SCA approved coffee maker? Then, consider buying the Hamilton Beach Flexbrew coffee machine instead!

To be sure that this multipurpose appliance is just what you need, read the Hamilton Beach Flexbrew reviews below. We have compiled all the essential information you might want about a coffee maker, from features, price, design, ease of use, to cleaning tips. Let's get to it!

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Hamilton Beach Manufacturer

Hamilton Beach is a renowned manufacturer of various kitchen appliances popular in America, Canada, Mexico, and beyond. The company has existed since its launch in 1910. Its founders, L.H. Hamilton and Chester Beach were ex-employees of the U.S. Standard Electrical Works in Racine, Wisconsin.

Before the 20th century, electric motors were primarily for commercial applications—the U.S. Standard Electrical Works started manufacturing more compact engines suitable for home machines in the early 1900s. Chester Beach was a frontrunner in this initiative. He designed a universal electric motor specifically for household appliances.

Later on, Hamilton and Chester teamed up to form Hamilton Beach. The company has seen tremendous success selling high-quality household appliances like coffee makers, iron boxes, food mixers, electric knives, and toasters. They sell about 34 million units every year.

Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Reviews

The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way Coffee Maker is one of the top-ranking coffee brewing machines the company makes. 

The manufacturer designed it for the aficionado coffee drinkers who yearn for a great cup any day, any time. Fortunately, the machine is affordable for virtually anyone.

Coffee lovers like the Hamilton FlexBrew due to its versatility. It comes with two separate water reservoirs and offers two brewing options, giving you complete control over the brew strength. 

On top of that, you can use your own coffee or K Cups and pods to make your perfect morning cup.

FlexBrew Coffee Maker Specifications

In a nutshell, here is what you can expect to get after ordering the Hamilton Beach coffee making machine:

• Dimensions (inches): 13.9H x 10.24W x 10.63D
• Weight: 6.37 pounds
• 1050 Watts
• Plastic exterior design
• Two separate water reservoirs
• Cup rest with a storage area
• 14 oz. brew with ground coffee
• 10 oz. brew with K Cup
• Customizable brew strength
• Auto shutoff after two hours

Brewing Options

Making coffee with the FlexBrew coffee machine is relatively easy, and you can use different types of coffee. That's fantastic because the coffee maker doesn't restrict you can try unlimited products and flavors in the market until you discover your finest.

The Hamilton Beach coffee maker supports two coffee preparation methods—carafe and single-serve brewing. So, what's the benefit of having two brewing options in one coffee-making machine? Let's explain the difference between the two and the best use cases for each.

Carafe Brewing

The carafe side of the Hamilton Beach coffee-making machine operates like the traditional drip coffee makers. Such devices are available in most American homes, and they have existed since the mid-20th century.

If you prefer brewing a large pot of coffee at once to enjoy throughout the day, the Hamilton Beach coffee machine will awe you with its carafe brewing. 

You will make a whole pot conveniently within one brew cycle. In addition, by buying brewing ingredients and filters in bulk, you'll save more money in the long run than using pods and K Cups exclusively.

However, the need to buy paper filters or reusable ones to brew coffee with is a shortcoming for carafe coffee makers. 

Further, most ground coffee products come in sizeable bags. So, buying the wrong blend means you might have to throw it away or make do with a product you don't like for weeks.

K Cup and Pod Brewing

While using K cups and pods is arguably more expensive than carafe brewing, this coffee preparation method pays off with its efficiency. 

For example, if you want to brew a single cup of coffee, the FlexBrew coffee maker can produce it within one to two minutes using the pod brewing system.

Getting your hot coffee almost instantly isn't the only advantage of the K Cup and pod coffee brewing method. With unlimited blends and flavors in the market, your coffee tastes great. 

Also, if you get the wrong product by mistake, you only have to lose that particular serving, not an entire pot.

Our top reviews for coffee makers revolve around the following parameters: 

• Design
• Ease of use
• Performance
• Cleaning
• Value for money

We'll apply the same measures to help you determine whether the Hamilton FlexBrew should be your best multipurpose appliance to make coffee. Let's get started.

Pros and Cons

From our experience with coffee makers, we have found these to be the pros and cons of the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew coffee machine.

• Two-way brewing for a single cup or full pot
• Compatibility with K Cup holder and pods
• Adjustable drip tray to fit a seven-inch tall cup
• BPA-free material in all food zones
• Easy to clean (dishwasher safe) and maintain
• Customizable coffee flavor and concentration
• Automatic shut off after two hours of brewing
• Two water reservoirs for each brewing side
• It delivers a delicious, uniformly extracted drink
• Brewing Programming unavailable in the K cup side
• Relatively long start-up time

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Design 3/5 ⭐

We thought it would be great if you knew all the significant accessories that come with the coffee maker before placing your order. The main parts of the coffee machine are a carafe, funnel, K Cup basket, and a single-serve basket.

We love the sturdy, compact design of the FlexBrew, but most parts are plastic. That's why we rated the machine's build 3 out of 5 stars.

Carafe

Hamilton Beach FlexBrew comes with a glass carafe with a remarkable capacity of 12 cups. Its handle is solid and comfortable to hold and grip, making it suitable for the coffee maker's total pot weight. 

Its lid opens upward, giving the user easy access when refilling or pouring from the carafe.

Funnel

The single-serve side of the FlexBrew coffee maker has a black funnel designed to brew a single cup of coffee. It helps with coffee filtration during the brewing process, ensuring that loose coffee grounds don't accidentally fall into your beverage.

Single Serve Basket

This brownish permanent basket holds ground coffee for a single-serve cup of coffee. Before beginning the brewing process, you should place the single-serve basket inside the black funnel of the coffee maker. 

Be sure to replace the basket with K Cups whenever using disposable K Cup coffee blends.

K Cup Basket

Specially designed for K Cups, the gray basket fits all K Cup sizes virtually. It keeps K Cups secure and steady during the brewing process. It's ideal for making a strong, single cup of coffee.

Ease of Use 4/5 ⭐

While the FlexBrew is among the smallest coffee makers, you can do a lot with it, thanks to its programmable features and versatility. You can produce a good cup in multiple ways using a combination of different buttons.

However, the FlexBrew gets 4 out of 5 stars since more user-friendly coffee makers have higher capabilities. Below is an overview of the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew user interface.

Single Button

This button instructs your FlexBrew that you want it to prepare a single-serve cup of coffee. Use it when brewing with a pod, K cup, or ground coffee in a K Cup basket.

Carafe Button

If you are the type of person who likes to brew a full pot of coffee regularly, you'll love the Carafe button. When pushed, the coffee maker brews a whole 12 cups at the same time. 

It's a great way to have a steady supply of coffee throughout the day or when you have a bunch of coffee fanatics in the house.

Brew Strength

The Brew Strength button gives you a few options to regulate the concentration and flavor of your brew. Most coffee drinkers alternate between bold and regular.

Brew Now

This button does as it says. Whether you want a quick single-serve cup or a whole pot, pressing the switch instructs the coffee maker to start the brewing process immediately. The coffee machine keeps the drink warm for two hours.

Prog and Set Time

This programmable timer allows you to schedule a future coffee brewing time within the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, it only works on the carafe side of the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew coffee maker.

Push and hold the Prog button and press Set Time to program when you want the machine to start brewing. These settings come in handy for coffee drinkers who wish to have carafes with ready-to-drink coffee at specific hours.

Brewing a Single Cup of Coffee

Here is a simple guide to help you brew a cup of coffee with a single-serve pod using the Hamilton Beach coffee machine.

1. Press the single-serve button and lift the lid latch until it opens. Ensure that the funnel is in place.
2. Put a single-serve coffee sachet in the single-serve pod holder in the funnel. Shut the lid to exert much pressure on the coffee puck.
3. Open the water reservoir lid and add the desired amount of water using a mug or jug.
4. Close the lid and press the 'Brew Strength' button to choose between bold and regular coffee. Your selection will determine the concentration of your coffee drink.
5. Press the 'Brew Now' button to start brewing your coffee. The coffee machine will switch off automatically once your beverage is ready.

How to Brew a Full Pot of Coffee

The steps below will guide you on preparing a full coffee pot to enjoy with your fellow coffee lovers.

1. Start by pressing the Carafe Button and lift the lid to take out the brew basket.
2. Place a paper or renewable coffee filter in place in the brew basket.
3. Add a tablespoon of coffee grounds to the filter for every cup you want to brew and replace the brew basket in its holder.
4. Pour 12 cups of freshwater into the carafe and transfer the water into the corresponding water reservoir. While doing so, check the water level in the meter attached to your Hamilton Beach coffee maker.
5. Once you have enough water, set the brew strength to 'Bold' by pressing the Brew Strength button.
6. Press the Brew Now button for the coffee maker to start making your pot of coffee. If you don't interfere with the coffee machine, it will turn off two hours after brewing begins.

Performance 4/5 ⭐

The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew exhibits exemplary performance when it comes to brewing. 

Although it's a midsize coffee maker, it handles a heavy load impressively and brews in two different ways. The single-serve side can get you a single cup or a travel mug in up to two minutes.

The only negative of the coffee maker is it takes a little longer to heat up than comparable appliances. Therefore, we think it deserves 4 out of 5 stars in performance.

Brew Flavor

The truth is that flavor and concentration are essential to coffee lovers. The FlexBrew coffee machine allows you to choose bold and regular brewing strengths based on how strong you like your cup of coffee.

The regular option generates a relatively light coffee brew, which is quicker to prepare than bold brew. Therefore, it's an excellent choice when you want a thin cup in the evening or when you expect to consume a whole coffee pot throughout the day.

The bold option delivers a potent brew that quickly stimulates your nervous system. The brewing process focuses on caffeine extraction and rich flavor. 

Therefore, it takes a little longer to prepare than regular brewing. However, the wait is worthwhile if you prefer your beverage stronger.

The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew supports regular and bold brewing on both the single-serve side and the carafe side. We think the machine derives its name from this flexibility.

Brewing Time

We have explained how brew-strength influences brewing time, but how long should you wait to have your cup ready? The FlexBrew's single-serve option is great when it comes to efficiency. It takes no more than two minutes to have a coffee flow.

Brewing on the carafe side takes a bit longer because it usually prepares more coffee with more water. Since an individual cup takes less than a minute, a whole coffee pot should be ready in about 10 minutes.

Start-Up Time

One downside of the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew is it takes several minutes before the brewing process begins. Therefore, single-serve brewing takes longer than two minutes from when you turn the machine on and press Brew Now.

The machine can take up to six minutes to deliver your coffee. On the other hand, a typical Keurig coffee maker performs much better.

Cleaning 5/5 ⭐

Hygiene is a vital aspect of coffee makers since we ingest what they generate. Besides the risk of contamination, a murky coffee brewing system can produce a drink with awkward flavors or odors. Therefore, it's in your best interest to buy a unit that you can clean thoroughly.

Fortunately, cleaning the Hamilton FlexBrew is a breeze because most of its parts are easily removable. With a removable drip tray, carafe, and brewing baskets, you can quickly disassemble and clean everything. The best part is that these parts are dishwasher-friendly.

You can also deep clean the appliance using one part white vinegar and two parts warm fresh water in both brewing systems. After running the mixture through the machine, repeat the process at least twice with clean water to remove any traces of vinegar.

Value for Money 4/5 ⭐

Hamilton Beach FlexBrew is a highly versatile coffee maker that offers some capabilities only available in higher-end, larger coffee makers. It brews both on the carafe system and the K Cup side with several programmable features.

As we have seen above, some of the appliance's aspects aren't perfect. However, it delivers what it promises. We think you should invest in this coffee maker if you want a budget appliance that quickly produces one cup or pot.

Our Verdict

After examining the features of the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew coffee maker and trying it, we gave this machine 4 out of 5 stars.

The coffee maker has impressive features and capabilities for its compact size. It's a sturdy and durable kitchen appliance that provides value for money. Besides all, the coffee it produces on either system tastes excellent.

Give it a try today!

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