Executive Summary:
==================
Inexpensive, trivially easy to use, reliable (so far..) single cup coffee maker. I've used this now for the past several weeks and have really come to love it. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a single cup coffee maker.
Long Review:
============
I purchased this for my office at work after the institutional food service came under new management and decided to drop the "coffee club". What I was looking for was an unobtrusive, easy to use single cup coffee maker. I looked at Keurig K-cup type coffee makers, but it boils my Scot-Irish blood to pay $100 for a starter unit and then cough up good money for $30 to $40 per pound coffee in little plastic cups. At $20 for this pod type brewer, I figured I wouldn't be out much it it didn't meet my needs.
In the box, you'll find the coffee maker itself, a plastic basket to hold the coffee pods, and an complementary 18-pod bag of medium roast Senseo coffee. The plastic basket has a swing out and detachable upper ring that allows you to use two coffee pods if you want a stronger cup of coffee. I've made a few dozen cups of coffee now and here are my thoughts. First to the coffee pod users...
Using Pods:
===========
Using coffee pods couldn't be easier. Pop one or two in the basket, depending on how strong you want your coffee to be, fill the reservoir with water to the fill line, stick you mug under the basket and hit the button. Give it about 3 minutes and you'll have a hot cup of coffee. Flip the pod into the waste basket and you've cleaned up. Couldn't be easier. My only qualms with this approach are cost and flexibility.
The cost: A four-pack of 18-count Senseo medium roast pods (Senseo Coffee Pods, Medium Roast, 18 Count (Pack of 4)) runs about $40 on Amazon. In toto, this amounts to 17.64 oz of coffee, which comes out to about $36 per pound. Ouch! That's pretty steep.
Secondly, if you go with pods, you'll need to find a mix / flavor that you like. Senseo offers a basic set from which to chose, but in the universe of coffees, it is fairly limited.
Still, if you don't mind paying for the convenience, pods can't be beat for ease of use.
The rest of my comments are for the coffee lover / DIY'er.
DIY'er / Coffee Lovers:
=======================
At this point, let me admit to the fact that I love coffee. I like my coffee fairly bold and rich. I'm partial to flavored coffee, but also enjoy the darker unflavored roasts, such as Starbucks Sumatra or Verona. My secret hope when I purchased this unit was that I could figure out how to make my own pods so I could use any coffee that I wanted. Having recently gone vegan, I started to shop at the local natural food store and came across a terrific dark roast from a Vermont group that ran around $12 a pound. I was a biology major / chem minor in college and got used to tinkering in the lab. I figured that I could probably come up with a way to use my own coffee with this unit, and I've mostly succeeded. Here's what I've discovered. YMMV:
- remove the inner plastic ring from the coffee basket. You won't need it and it'll get in the way. Put it some place safe so that you don't lose it. If you're OCD like me, you'll carefully wrap it back in plastic and store it in the box with the instructions
- use small basket-type paper filters. You'll likely need to fold one edge so that the paper fits snugly in the bottom of the coffee basket and hugs the sides
- add coffee. Here's where you'll want to experiment (THIS IS IMPORTANT!): if you put in too little coffee, it'll come out on the weak side, but if you put in too much coffee, then there won't be enough space for the hot water to slowly seep through the grounds and instead it will shoot out around the top like a geyser and make a mess. Keep in mind that the coffee maker will only let you put a short cup underneath the drip basket - nothing taller than about 3 1/2" to 4", so you'll be making an 8 oz to maybe 12 oz cup max. This is where you'll want to experiment to get the strength that you want. Also, keep in mind that drip grind is recommended - anything finer will tend to hold the hot water too long and you'll end up with a geyser for a different reason. I've been using drip grinds, and these seem to work well
- here's the secret to making this work - once you've carefully placed the paper filter in the basket and add coffee, take a pair of scissors and trim the top of the paper flush with the top of the basket. Don't be tempted to fold the paper over on top of the coffee to make a "pod" - the results aren't what you'd hope for. I tried that - repeatedly - and just kept getting a very tepid cup of coffee, no matter how bold the roast was or how much coffee I added. I nearly got to the point where I was going to try one of this pod-making-machines, when it suddenly occurred to me that with the large coffee maker I use at home, the grounds are open at the top of the basket. I figured I'd give this a try, and voila! A great cup of rich, full bodied coffee.
Now that I've worked this out, I'm truly in love with this coffee maker. I can use any coffee that I want as long as it is drip grind. I suppose I could bring a grinder in from home and process whole beans, but that seems a bit much. Clean up is still very easy. And at $20 investment, I couldn't be happier with this coffee maker.
In terms of longevity, only time will tell. The unit is very simply made, so there appears to be very few parts that could break or wear out. We'll see. At about 2 months with this, I'm giving it an unqualified 5 stars.
cheers.
4+ star item to consider
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From the manufacturer
Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One Cup Pod Brewer
Make a fresh, single cup the easy way.
Have your coffee the way you need it – fast and delicious with no drips - with the Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One Cup Pod Brewer. This handy coffee maker combines the convenience of a single serve coffee maker with the no-mess ease of coffee pods. Make it a truly personal cup by using any flavor pod you want, including tea. You can also double the pods for a stronger taste. There’s no carafe to clean either – the Personal Cup lets you brew up to 12 oz. of fresh coffee directly into your favorite cup or travel mug. With a one-touch start and dishwasher safe brew basket, it’s both easy to use and to clean.
Key Features:
- Fresh coffee made fast
- Brews up to a 12 oz. cup
- Use your favorite coffee or tea pods
- Brew basket is dishwasher safe
- One-touch start with auto shutoff
Easy as 1.2.3.
Flip up the top of the basket, place coffee or tea pod into brew basket, and then close the top of basket.
Pour in Water
Pour up to 12 oz. of water into the reservoir and place cup under brew basket.
Push Start
Push the one-touch start button, let your cup fill up and you’re out the door. Auto shutoff gives you peace of mind when you’re in a rush.
Pods
Instead of messy coffee grounds, the Personal Cup One Cup Pod Brewer uses affordable coffee pods - no coffee beans to measure, no grounds to spill. Pods come in a variety of flavors and the brewer is also compatible with tea pods.
Good Thinking.
Hamilton Beach products are thoughtfully designed to make your life easier. We use consumer insights, in-depth research and rigorous testing to deliver the best solution to your everyday needs.
Whether it's preparing delicious meals and beverages effortlessly, or making your clothes look their best, you can count on the brand that has spent over 100 years creating products with you in mind.
Product information
| Brand | Hamilton Beach |
|---|---|
| Color | Black/SS |
| Special Feature | Auto Shut-Off |
| Coffee Maker Type | Drip Coffee Machine |
| Filter Type | Reusable |
| Style | Pod Brewer |
| Specific Uses For Product | Personal use, office settings, quick coffee |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Quick and Easy Coffee Preparation |
| Included Components | Filter |
| Operation Mode | Manual |
| Voltage | 1.2E+2 Volts (AC) |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Human Interface Input | Touchscreen |
| Customer Package Type | Standard Packaging |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00040094499700, 10040094499707 |
| Manufacturer | Hamilton Beach |
| UPC | 040094499700 |
| Product Dimensions | 9 x 5.4 x 9.4 inches |
| Item Weight | 2 pounds |
| ASIN | B003GW873G |
| Item model number | 49970 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank |
|
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | April 12, 2010 |
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Compare with similar items
This Item  Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One Cup Pod Brewer | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | -33% $19.99 List: $29.99 | $149.95 | $33.99 | -18% $54.34 List: $65.99 | $32.49 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Saturday, Jun 21 | Get it as soon as Saturday, Jun 21 | Get it as soon as Saturday, Jun 21 | Get it as soon as Thursday, Jun 26 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Jun 22 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Chicly | Briggs Coffee Company | Nehilumn | Amazon.com | South Wholesale |
| capacity | 12 ounces | 14 ounces | 45 fluid ounces | 14 ounces | 10 ounces | 0.47 liters |
| material | Plastic | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel Brew Head and Plastic Body | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic, Stainless Steel |
| input interface | touch screen | — | buttons | — | buttons | buttons |
| voltage | 120 volts of alternating current | — | 120 volts of alternating current | 120 volts of alternating current | — | 120 volts |
| wattage | 800 watts | — | 1420 watts | — | 1050 watts | 650 watts |
| model name | — | Coffee Maker Machine CM3739 | Briggs Soft Pod Brewer | 208-MC1 | HDC311 | BLACK+DECKER Coffee Maker |
we love it!
My brother has a Keurig and after seeing/trying it, my husband thought he might like one as well. He usually has a pot of coffee on weekends, but during the week he'd like to be able to make one cup before going to work. I was hesitant about the Keurig since it's expensive, and there are many negative reviews with the same issue - it stopped or never worked properly. And I don't know, but the term "scaling" just turns me off as it's probably something I'd end up doing and I don't even drink the coffee! So, I shopped around and came across this Hamilton Beach one cupper. It was less than $20 (as of this writing) and comes with an 18-count bag of the Senseo coffee that it takes. We decided to take a chance, and now I'm very glad we did. We love this little pot. The Senseo "pods" look like thick teabags, actually. They are easy to load in the machine, and my husband found them flavorful. One pod was enough for his cup, though the machine does allow for two pods at once if you like your coffee strong. He uses one of my measuing cups to fill the machine when he makes coffee. Yes, the Keurig has features that this does not, but I'm not certain they are better. Keurig has infinitely more flavor offerings with the K-Cups, whereas Sesnseo has about 8 flavors: with Hazelnut and Vanilla being the only true "flavors". However, K-cups are expensive, and take up more storage space (no worries about the senseo pod being crushed). Plus, my husband uses flavored creamers anyway. The bigger Keurigs have reservoirs, which does make it more convenient. However, if the water sits too long it becomes stale and I suspect this is also where the "scaling" comes in. It's easy enough to pour the water in each time with the Hamilton Beach. And, for many kicthens, counter space is a premium. This HB has a very tiny footprint compared to any of the Keurigs. One disadvantage of the HB is that it won't take a jumbo sized mug; a standard mug from the new Corelle dishes lines will fit but nothing bigger. Still, if you want a jumbo sized cup, why not make a full pot of coffee? Overall, I highly recommend this reasonably priced one cupper; especially for those that want to keep their main coffee pot anyway. Please see my pictures of the actual unit we got (though note that the pot comes with the regular Breakfast Blend Senseo, not the Hazelnut). UPDATE (9-19-12): Senseo pods have been going out of stock, and I never found them in any of my local stores. Happily, there is a new line of pods that have more flavors and are available on Amazon. Baronet Coffee Pods. Check them out! Baronet Coffee Pods Chocolate Babka, Medium Roast, 16-Count Box (Pack of 3), Baronet Coffee Hazelnut Medium Roast (140 g), 18-Count Coffee Pods (Pack of 3) and many more.
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2012
- Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2012
