Hamilton Beach (49976) 12-Cup FlexBrew 2-Way Coffee Maker Reviews

I brought this coffeemaker as a gift to myself for my birthday.. I have no regrets. So far I have it for 3 weeks and is working fine. Just follow the instructions carefully as if you put too much water on the single serve cup it may leak.. it saids to put only 10 oz of water in it. As far as the carafe is twelve cups which both brew fine coffee. I heard reviews here that it leak as it was brewing. Not for me as I followed the instruction carefully.. I just love this coffee maker to brew regular or flavor coffee or brew kcup coffee.

I don't usually take the time to review items I have purchased. But I am so happy to have purchased this particular coffee maker! I thought that the single serve was only for short cups... The small compartment below the cup seat, (which serves as a storage compartment as well) is removable so that a tall cup can be used as well. I love that I can make one cup alone without making it in the carafe. It's also very easy to keep clean. This coffee maker is worth every penny I spent. I would buy it again. :n)

While I'm not a fan of another appliance on my counter, I'm a bigger fan of convenient, hot, nicely-brewed coffee. I'm now a fan of this coffee maker that serves my husband and me each morning and gives me 12 oz of an afternoon cup. Providing a 2-in-1 unit needs to be larger than the standard maker and I'm impressed that Hamilton Beach designed smartly.

Our coffee maker needs to park under upper shelves--which this one does easily at 14" tall. We've been using a "handy caddy" pull-out under our makers for a long time. (Saved our wood counter tops for years...and now provides a smooth glide forward/back on tile) Both water-well lids require open space above, so we pull our brewer forward. While forward, the Hamilton Beach needs a big footprint... approx 12" left-to-right and 22" front-to-back. The good news, is that the top of the maker doesn't get as hot and steamer as our older coffee makers, so once the coffee is brewed, I can slide it back to its parking spot under the counter.

Preparing coffee by either option is simple, straight-forward, and effective. There's ample room in both for pouring and I haven't dribbled/spilled trying to navigate a too-small space. Very pleased by this positive feature for me.

I am in a lot of homes who have higher end coffee makers--lots of Keurigs. It's a large piece of counter-top gear too and I wouldn't trade this 2-option Hamilton Beach for a Keurig. For me, it feels wasteful to whip through the K-cups and I've yet to find the right ratio for my ground coffee in the "do it yourself pod". But, for an afternoon mug, I easily justify one K-cup in my favorite dark roast.

Design:

Carafe Side: The buttons over the carafe are clear and simple. The carafe slides in and out smoothly (no tugging or tipping to pull out or return). The coffee is very hot (a plus). The ground basket lifts out easily and the water well is ample for me to pour water without spilling/dripping/dribbling.

Individual cup Side: A step-stool design to (a) store do it yourself pods or a k-cup doubles as a cup rest for your cup of coffee. This riser easily lifts out if (a) you want to retrieve/replace or (b) you have a tall travel mug. Mine is 7 3/4" tall -- I do have to slightly angle it under the dispenser, but I found that smooth.

The finish is done in a black matte which better camouflages finger prints (than shiny). The back (black) cord is (approx) 21" long, so ... probably like most coffee makers, it needs to be nearer an outlet (to provide for pulling it out to pour water if under upper cabinets).

What impressed me a lot, about the single-cup, is how much better tasting and stronger my usual K-cup brand came out (12 oz amount)...and hotter... than the Keurigs I have used. (I know the temperature can be adjusted on the Keurig and even then... this H-Beach without adjusting the temperature...was hotter). The carafe side also puts out a smooth and hot(ter) cup of coffee than our former HB coffee maker.

Notes:

This brewer does not beep when done (which I have no worries that I'll forget to check)--I prefer "no beep"

For a 10 cup carafe; 9minutes 38 seconds.

For a 12 oz travel mug; 3 minutes.

The carafe side "noise" seems standard--with a lean to more quiet than many past makers.

The K-Cup side is louder, which is expected--but this isn't an issue for me--short cycle to heat and dispense.

Each side has its own exterior-viewing water-level gauge

Two-hour keep warm cycle

Programmable (which I don't use)

The only "con" I have witnessed is that there are a few (3) drips when the individual "K cup" is "done". (an easy wipe up for me)

I am VERY happy with this Hamilton Beach!

 I love how the Hamilton Beach 2 way FlexBrew Coffee Maker Model # 49976 it has a side for single serve K cup or ground coffee and the other side is 12 cups programmable carafe. I am however disappointed because the box I received didn't have the grounds basket for the single side cup like it was suppose to come with. Overall it seems like its very easy to use, clean, and I am so happy that it has the function to program coffee for the following morning that is a super plus for me.

Purchased this product for my mother as Christmas gift 2019. She wanted option of one cup or full pot. She uses this coffee maker daily, mostly single serving but DAILY. Any brand of K pods are compatible, coffee, tea or latte. The option to use coffee grounds instead of pod with single serve is convenient too. Base is removable for brewing into tall travel mug instead of small tradition coffee cup. Base is also a nice storage for brew basket. Convenient feature of brew pause when removing carafe to pour into mug so no spills on base. Coffee in full size pot stays warm for hours and automatically shuts off if you forget to turn off when leaving house. Easy to clean and does not take up much space on counter top.

I absolutely love this coffee machine. I drink coffee every day. Normally I only have time for one cup of coffee before i leave for work in the morning. But on the weekends, I could usually go through an entire pot while cleaning and doing laundry. This gives me the best of both worlds. So easy to use and the convenience is great! I've used it every day for almost 2 months now and I still think the is the best coffee maker i've ever bought, including Keurig.

Our Kuirig quit after a couple of years and although it was very convenient it didn’t make very good coffee. My wife like it though so I was looking for a coffee maker that did both. This is it. It’s a standard drip coffee maker and makes coffee with Kuirig pods. The thing that is really great is it makes single cups of coffee with real ground coffee. There are two different single use coffee strainers, one takes pods and the other a couple of spoonfuls of ground coffee. It has separate water reservoirs, that are both easy to fill unlike some regular coffee makers. For single use you use your cup so it’s always just enough.

What a great coffee maker! I can set my coffee to brew in the carafe and after I fix it, I can put it on single serve for when my father gets up. One downside is that you cannot program coffee for the carafe and then also use the single serve because you need to make a choice between the two. Not an issue for me. The single serve can use pods or it comes with a special filter to use grounds. Single serve coffee is hot (which isn't always the case with this type of brew) and the carafe side also keeps coffee hot while it "keeps warm."

Whoever designed this knew what they were doing! Every feature works perfectly, and every pot/cup of "product" is done to perfection! I looked at a number of other coffee machines, but selected this (primarily because of the brand name); I am SO glad I made this choice. The ONLY negative (and it is a MINOR, minor point): the instruction 'manual' needs to be re-written to be more intuitive. In its present iteration, it does the job, but some of the features of the machine are lost until a second (or, in my case - and I'm old!) or third reading. BRAVO TO THIS PRODUCT AND ITS COMPANY!

Brewing a pot or a cup... this is an all in one. Seriously has it all. Remove the tray for travel mugs... can use kcups or I bought the small filters for regular coffee as well. And it has a regular screen filter to just brew hot water or put in your favorite loose leaf tea and it makes a great cup of coffee. For my Jasmine loose leaf I brew on Bold .. perfect! And of course the programmable timer is perfect to wake up to a full pot of fresh brewed coffee first thing in the morning. Would recommend

Has a 1st generation Kuerig and a Mr. Coffee brewer - this is only slightly larger than the Keurig but works great for either a full pot or a single cup. I prefer not having a water tank so that every time I fill with fresh water. For the single serve the fact that you pour just enough to fill the cup you are using. Has a timer and bold brew option, so everything I need to have a full pot ready for me in the morning. The only missing feature is a tone to let you know when the brew is finished or the 2 hour warmer goes off.

At this moment I am enjoying my first K-Cup brew from my new Flex-Brew from Hamilton Beach. This is my 2nd Flex-Brew, having replaced the 1st one that I bought from Frys here in Plano. You may ask "why would I buy another one?". Good question.

This coffee maker works great...for awhile. I bought the 1st one in August, last year (8 months ago?). I may have brewed 500+ K-Cups in that unit, an estimate, according to my purchase history, before it started exploding K-Cups all over my counter and floor!

I am a semi well educated x-Navy radar tech, retired AT&T electronics tech. I considered different causes for the failure of the first unit. Defective K-Cups, clogged output, obvious things like that. I tried different K-Cups and ensured the unit was clean. 5 times in a row. Then my "short temper" kicked in and I threw the unit into the recycle dumpster...very aggressively!

I started doing my homework after that. I found multiple reviews stating the very same issues that I had. I contacted Hamilton Beach customer service, who responded with a "form letter" blaming everything from the obvious cleaning practices to the bullsht difference between how soft water boils compared to hard water! They would not honor the "limited" warranty due to my rough handling of the unit...I can understand that, I guess.

When my 1st unit failed, I could hear the pump spinning up to high speed right before the "pop" and spewing of coffee grounds all over the place. It sounds to me like the pump control circuitry failed, but who am I?

I would expect a coffee maker to last longer than 8 months. There are few combination coffee makers out there, and since I had all these spare parts, after retrieving the unit from the dumpster, I decided to buy the same unit again. I've seen some similar issues with other K-Cup brewers, so this issue isn't isolated to this company...just be aware that you may need to clean up a mess of coffee grounds after using this Hamilton Beach Flex-Brew. Keep the output "needle" clean, and enjoy a great cup of coffee while it lasts.

I will update this review as needed...17 April 2020. ***UPDATE JUNE 26 - The trouble I had with my 1st unit was this...it "boiled" over and spilled grounds and coffee all over the place. I read another review somewhere that pointed out the failure could be that the outflow needle was not penetrating the bottom of the K cup, causing all of the coffee and grounds to spill out of the top of the K cup. I think he was correct! I have been manually pushing the K cup into place, hearing the "pop" when the needle pierces the bottom, then close the lid. I've had no problems with any clogging or spilling. I have noticed that some of these K cups are hard to pierce, trying multiple times, turning the cup and pushing down hard to finally break through the plastic. This is something Ham Beach needs to resolve...the needle needs to be sharper so when you close the lid on the K cup the bottom is pierced. I added one star, from 3 to 4 stars.

I absolutely LOVE this machine! I especially like that it is a full 12 cup carafe. We are coffee drinkers in the morning so we need that 12 cupped. I have to say though that my favorite part is the dual brew system in the single cup serving. I love that it comes with a filter so I can make a single cup using my favorite ground coffee OR I can use any “K” pod. I also use it to make a cup of tea in the evenings. I can either place my tea bag in the filter or I can just leave it in my cup while the pot brews my hot water. I don’t use lose tea but if I did, the wire mesh filter would definitely filter the tea leaves. This was like getting 3 coffee pots AND a tea pot in 1! Hands down this is the best coffee maker I’ve ever owned!

THIS IS AN IMPRESSIVE PIECE OF KITCHEN OR OFFICE EQUIPMENT. VERY COST EFFECTIVE, IT IS ALSO VERY VERSATILE IN THAT YOU CAN BREW A LARGE POT OF COFFEE WITH WHATEVER LOOSE COFFEE YOU WISH OR SIMPLY POP IN A POD AND MAKE A SINGLE CUP OF COFFEE. THE TIMER FUNCTION IS EXCELLENT FOR SETTING AND WAKING UP TO FRESHLY BREWED COFFEE. A VERY IMPRESSIVE, COST EFFECTIVE COFFEE MAKER WHICH I CAN HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Arrived fast and without damages. The coffee maker itself is nice looking and functional. I found the initial (k-cup side) set up process a bit challenging but worked through it. After piercing through the needle I filled the single use tank with water and inserted the k-cup then started the single cup brew function. Unfortunately it didn’t work, after a few tries I understood how it works and haven’t had a problem since. (After Piercing the needle add water to tank, insert pod and close lid, set to single cup then brew. WAIT for the water to heat. You can hear it bubbling then the drip begins) It’s great having the option of a single cup or full pot in one. I’m considering ordering a second for my office. The coffee maker is super easy to clean. I’ve tried two different brands of k-cups without any issues, both fit well and taste great!! Also comes with brew basket if you want to use your coffee, k-cups are not required to brew a single cup.

I have had this coffee maker for a year now and it has proven to be a great purchase. We have made over 3000 cups without a flaw, about half were K-cups and half using the basket for ground coffee. We make our own paper filters by cutting down #2 cone filters to fit. The only problem would be if you start to brew and forgot to put water in, you must NOT immediately put cold water in until the heating coils cool down. You most likely will damage the machine. I would buy this machine again without hesitation.

I have had this a couple of years now and really have no problems, except one. The water line going to the 12 cup side regularly comes off. I had it about 8 months to a year before it come off the first time. After that it comes off every 3 to 4 months. You have to pop off the sides and take the screws off the back and remove the back panel and refit the hose back on. I even bought a hose clamp and put on and it still came off. Major design flaw. Other than that it has worked great, would like to get the new white one that is coming out but not unless they fix this flaw

For coffee lovers like my boyfriend and I this machine is perfect!!! We always polish off a full pot of coffee on the weekends and used to make a second pot and not be able to finish it. Now we can just have an extra cup or two and no waste! Also great if you’re just in the mood for a cup of coffee any tome of day. Any k cups work in it and the flavor is amazing! This will be an item in my kitchen for the rest of my life!

We had the previous version of this product and loved it for years. It finally broke down. We tried some "higher brand" models and were unimpressed, and went back to what we knew to be a good product. This coffee maker makes a fabulous brew.

The main flaw we see: for some reason, they changed the open basket for single serve ground coffee to a closed basket (similar to a K-Cup basket). We use ground coffee and it's a pain to clean daily. You now have to dig out the grounds rather than just banging the basket against the trash can/sink. The carafe still uses an open basket.

My cousin has an older version of this and I fell in love. This is my 2nd and I like the dual function. We don’t like using the plastic kcups for earth purposes so the single filter is fantastic. I don’t like the water fill at the very back left for the carafe fill as you have to move it each time. Other than that it’s a good dual purpose machine.

The carafe side serves its purpose though I would prefer a cone style instead of a basket style. The single brew side was ok, I would prefer a Keurig style water heating system to the individual cup style, it takes time (and patience) but if I wanted a second cup I would have to use a different device to pour water into the machine to keep bacteria from my used cup out of the water chamber. It was a bit annoying.

After 16 months of use the heated water is leaking out of the bottom of the machine when we try to brew a pot of coffee. We bought this to replace a Cuisinart 14 cup machine that we used for over a decade so we definitely didn’t expect this to break so soon!

I started looking at the FlexBrew when my single serve (Bella) coffee maker started to have issues. My regular drip maker (also Bella) was still strong after over 5 years, but if I was going to replace the single serve maker, it made sense to me to get something that fit both needs.

On the weekends, we go through 3-4 pots of coffee. But, during the week, since I drink my coffee at work, the single serve option is great for my husband's caffeine fix in the mornings, or if one of us wants an evening cup.

I did a lot of research after reading some of the reviews on the various FlexBrew models available, even asking a friend who had an older one. Pretty much every article I read said FlexBrew was the best option for a 2 mode coffee maker.

After a few weeks, I can say I have not experienced any of the problems noted by previous reviewers. Set up and running the initial cleaning cycle on both sides was just as easy with every other coffee maker I've gotten over the years.

The control panel is very user friendly and easy to figure out.

For flavor, we've only used the Regular setting. We tend to lean towards medium/medium-dark coffees, and our go to brand (Death Wish) is kind of strong to begin with, so the Regular setting is perfect for us.

We kept permanent filter that came with our old coffee maker, and it fits and works perfectly in the FlexBrew. We love the carafe. It seems easier to hold and pour, and doesn't drip all over while pouring the first couple of cups like other styles of carafes do.

We've used both the brew basket and K-cup adapter on the single serve side, with perfect results each time. We do run a cleaning cycle of water after making cocoa or latte style coffees as suggested by the manufacturer.

This is hands down the best coffee maker I've ever owned. Highly recommend.

I've been wanting a dual purpose coffee maker for awhile and have been searching around. I chose this one for several reasons but mainly because of its ease of use. I timed a full 12 cup pot of coffee and it came to just under 12 minutes. For a single serve it took around 2 minutes, I got distracted by the noise it was making. When it finished brewing the single cup it was LOUD and made me curious as to what the heck was going on, its fine just noisy! I would suggest buying paper filters or a reusable filter when you buy this for the full pot side it doesn't come with a reusable filter like many others. It was fairly simple to setup. The ONLY difficulty I had was with setting the auto brew, maybe I didn't wrong but I found it difficult to hold 1 button down consistantly qhile pushing another to set the time. It's really minute though. So far so good! I'll update in a few weeks or so.

So far I'm loving this 2 in 1 coffeemaker and keurig. I had the older model by Hamilton Beach and they have certainly improved it. The Keurig side is much easier to use - takes a little pressure to get it to snap closed and punch a hole in the keurig cup, but that's not a big issue. The problem I had with the older model was that the blade literally cut a slice out of the bottom of the cup. Eventually, the blade got dull and wouldn't work. But this model cuts a clean hole in the bottom and top. The regular coffee side is easy to use and instructions were clear and understandable for both dual purposes of the machine.

We purchased this as a compromise between myself and my husband.. I prefer K cups and my old Keurig and he likes a pot of coffee. After purchasing this thing, I ended up using it way more than he did (both single brew side and full pot side). The coffee flavor is consistent between both sides and that’s something I was nervous about. The single brew side has an adapter that you can put already ground coffee into and it is super easy to clean and take care of.

We here do not use the K-cup as much as we thought we would, and it is tough to thoroughly clean the K-cup holder after use. Also the K-cup leaves granular sediment seen in the bottom of your cup, so I only give 4 stars for taste. My biggest gripe with it, is the steam it gives off, leaving the underside of the cupboard above it wet!! need to pull it out while brewing and for a while afterwards so it will not eventually damage the wood under the cupboards. Otherwise it does work well, and have not had any issues with it for the few months of using it once a day.

This coffee maker is easy to use and as easy to clean as any other coffee maker. It’s a good quality product. There is one decision made for me by the manufacturer that I really don’t like. They decided that I would not want to set an automatic brew time if I only wanted to make one cup. The maker thus does not have that functionality. This is something that I would use most days if I had that function available. It is an unfortunate decision that had I known about before hand would possibly have influenced me to purchase a different product. It’s still a quality product though.

I’ve purchased two of these-the first I used for several months before moving out. Unfortunately I forgot it in my move. I ordered a second for my new house. I use it every morning. If it’s just me at home-I use the single side. I like the option to put ground coffee in the reusable K-cup pod. The coffee flavor and strength is different when you use it. It’s okay. Not my favorite. For full flavor traditional coffee, I prefer a regular pot of coffee or Starbucks Pike Place K-Cups. I’ve had zero issues with this device. Be mindful of which side you’re using and make sure you change the settings to match! My mother couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working for her-she had it chosen for the carafe side but was trying to brew a single cup. Also, I like that water isn’t sitting in the back all the time. When you make a single cup-it uses the water you add. It seems cleaner to me, for there to be no hot water sitting in the reserve day after day.

Among the many great features such as programmable time on and off, permament keurig type cup insert or use pre-made cups, it also has a feature to turn off the burner on the regular coffee maker side if the pot is empty (guess it tests goes by weight) or if you leave the pot out of the unit. I was happy to get it at a great Amazon price in the early pre-Cmas season before the price kj

Used this model for numerous years......favorite feature is the single brew or was. HB redesigned the pod/grounds holder cup for the single brew and now coffee clogs it due to a design flaw in my opinion. If I use my old pod cup with the old lid I have no issue. If one looks at the design of the new you can see that the drip window has been made so small that coffee can't drip out at proper speed. If you go on H B website you cannot buy the old style replacement. But with that said why would I pay $9.99 for the pod/ grounds holder and then $25.00 plus bucks for shipping! too bad, it does brew good coffee just makes a total mess.....

Love Love love this coffee maker. During the week my partner and I get up at different times and don't do more than a cup of coffee each before heading out. But weekends we program the carafe for the morning and let the smell of fresh brew lure us from our bed. It's the best of both worlds. Doesn't take up more counter space then a keurig, and gives you the option of a pot or cup which is awesome for weekends or entertaining.

Pro tip: get the reusable filter for the carafe side. Who wants to run out of filters?

Pros and cons:

- it was really easy to set up. Just took it out of the box, plug it in, rinsed the carafe, water in it, and then use a k-cup pod and pressed start. Got a nice hot cup of coffee.

Setting the time on it was simple.

- I even set the timer up to make a pot of coffee, and I did all this without having to read the directions. Exactly what I wanted.

My boyfriend & I got this for his Grandma’s birthday. She absolutely loves it!! Easy to use & she can still make a pot of coffee or just a single serve. Best part, she didn’t have to convert to Keurig cups 100%, even though we bought a starter box along with. This model has the option for both k-cups and a reusable single serve cup for ground coffee. “I’m old school but this is the best of both worlds” - one happy granny

I really bought this because I liked the looks of it.So glad I went with my feelings.This makes great coffee,a full pot in about 14 minutes,and will automactly keep it warm until you empty the pot.I have not tried single serve.

I wrote my review before I tried the single cup side of the pot.

Today I tried it with a coffee pod. Usually, pod coffees are too strong for me--but I can select the brew strength, also use a regular cup. or a larger thermo type.I liked the coffee.I used a store brand flavored with vanilla.

My husband is religious about his daily cups of coffee but I'm not a fan of his choice in coffee nor am I a big coffee drinker. I purchased this so that I could try out other types/flavors of coffee without committing to an entire pot and so that when we have company, they cod choose what they drink. I considered purchasing a separate K-cup machine until I saw this....and I'm glad I went with this product! It takes up less space than multiple coffe appliances and it's EASY to use. I highly recommend it!

I loved my classroom Brewer so much, I had to buy a second one. However, Amazon's grading returns "as new" is SEVERELY wrong. A broken top water plate, missing cup rest, no box, no papers, terribly scratched, is NOT as new. So, this second one is going back, and I will be buying brand new, for an extra $5. That'll teach me. But this Brewer allows me my Bluberi coffee, while the rest drink dirt water HAHA! No need to "dump yours in a glass so I can make mine" any longer! I get a nice warm pot, and the peasants get kcups! It works well, but is a tad slower than my replaced Brewer. I don't care, hot coffee is better than cold or Luke warm, anyday. I'll wait an extra 2 seconds. And for those that have about the Kcup machines. Ever rip one apart? Ever see all of the BLACK MOLD that occurs in the tubing? Disgusting & bad for your health! I used to have the big ones, until I got so sick I ended up in the hospital...... Black mold. We don't have it anywhere, we tested everything. Then the mold guy seen my Keurig, and stopped in his tracks. Said, do you use that. I said "I live on coffee". He said, there's your demon. So, we ripped it apart, and I wanted to die, for real. I nearly died because of a coffee maker? Yes, you nearly died from your coffee maker. So, I try to impart to anyone that may listen. Not to scare, only to educate. As my illness persists, 9 years later?

LIKES : clock, 3 different ways to fix coffee (maybe 4, not sure yet), easy to program, options for bold brew or regular, fits my ceramic cup and my husband's larger cup (see pics).

DISLIKES : it took a few cups to figure out exactly the combination of water and ground coffee (on the single serve side). Just because the machine holds 14 ounces of water doesn't mean that matches the amount of coffee in the K-cup or the ground coffee in the Mini-Filter (I like coffee to taste like coffee; not Too strong but to have plenty of flavor). One other dislike, and since I'm new to individual type coffee machines this may not be unusual .. to get a single cup takes a little longer than I expected .. machine does nothing for a few minutes and then it sounds like an engine revving (heating the cold water) then makes the coffee. Makes me want to use hot water in the machine to help it along, but don't worry! I know not to do that. Also, and there's nothing to do to get around this, but cleaning the mini filter is not difficult but a chore nonetheless. I'm not supposed to let coffee grounds into our septic system .. ahem .. I try to get most of them into the trash can but wet coffee grounds will NOT come out until water is put to them!

Overall, I am very happy with this purchase. Not to mention it was about $30 CHEAPER then Walmart!!

Easy to recommend this coffee machine.

Switched font a keurig to this because some days we were really needing a pot of coffee brewed and hated wasting so many k-cups! We love this machine. We have had it for 1.5 months - use it daily and have had zero problems. We switch between the garage and the single use side and have no issues. We have not used the programmable feature yet but it seems easy enough to set. If you’re looking for a good quality, easy to operate dual coffee maker, you can’t go wrong with this one!

One comment - we have low cabinets so we couldn’t raise the lids to place the water + grounds but we just purchase a sliding counter appliance tray on Amazon for $12 and it’s perfect! Love being able to pull this out, uae it, then slide it back in.

This is the best machine that I have owned. I love to make a pot of coffee in the morning and the a k cup to take to work. It has a regular or bold setting. I would recommend this product for any coffee lover out there. The only thing that is not perfect. is that the pot side has the regular filter basket instead of the cone shape basket. However the single cupption makes up for it. Also can fill up large cups or small mugs as the base pulls out of the way. There is also a k cup filter, if you do not want to buy the K cups you can use the single filter for the same effect. Awesome!

So far its a great coffee maker. If you do the single cup with grounds there is a fill line in there. Dont just fill it up... unless you like super duper very strong coffee... lol

UPDATE. When received i hand washed pot. It dripped every time it poured. My daughter left it on with very little left so i put into dishwasher on high temp. It does NOT drip when pouring now.

I bought this to replace a 12 cup coffee pot and a Keurig. This takes up way less space than the two of them. I got rid of my Keurig because you can't clean it completely and I found mold in it. This only holds the water you are using at the time. I leave the covers up to allow the tanks to dry completely. It is a little more work to fill it with water each time before you brew a k-cup, but it's much healthier this way.

Coming from a separate one of each of the combined parts here, I do miss being able to fill up the reservoir and only selecting an amount for the coffee as the regular keurigs do. With this, you can only put in the amount of water that you want it to brew into your cup as it will definitely overflow if you just fill it up. Nice look on the counter top. Coffee tastes great and love the fact that I can set up the carafe side timer to brew at a certain time so I can fill up before work without all the work that can be done the night before.

This is a replacement for an older model of the same product. Everything works great. I think the people that say it leaks all over the counter are using the single serve pods and we have found that some of the pods are not sturdy enough and when you close the cover it crushes the pod rather than piecing the base. You can actually push those pods in manually to make sure the base is punctured before closing the cover. Works great.

My mom bought this & I fell in love! I don’t always want to a big pot. It’s nice to have either option and being able to use the kurieg pods too for tea (for those in my home who like tea)

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BUYING “Affresh coffee maker cleaner) we use this and it helps keep it clean, NOT SMELLY, and stain free (as seen in pics)

Use Affresh once a month. Simply put the pod on the coffee pot side where you’d put the coffee grounds, add water in the back to the top line, cycle through (like you’re making a full pot) then cycle ONE MORE TIME with plain water to rinse. You’re coffee pot will ALWAYS look new as seen in pics and won’t have a smell either.

I enjoy the single-cup during the week using the k cups. The weekends when I have more time I like the pot of coffee. It is nice to have the best of both worlds in one machine. I took a chance on getting a "like new" purchase the box was a little dented but no damage to the machine, saved me a few dollars.

The pod side bees up nice and quick. The carafe side works great to brew the awesome parent/teacher juice. It works great till it doesn’t. The water hose on the inside cake loose and was causing water to come out everywhere. You will need a $14 (estimate) tech screw set to be able to undo the safety screws, to take the hole sides back and bottom off, to access the hose that came loose, and reattach it. This probably won’t happen till a year or year and a half after your purchase. The problem is so chronic you can find YouTube videos on it. If you are ok with spending two hours on that, then go ahead and buy this. If the hose comes loose again, I’m done with it and will be buying something else.

Moved to clean underneath the machine and somehow the hose (that you cannot easily access... like at all) came off and leaked water all over my counter and floor. My husband found a how to fix youtube video and proceeded to cut a square in the back of the machine to access the hose and put it back on. Besides that it has never failed us and always makes great, hot coffee.

***Updated review***

Despite fixing the hose and clamping it, it has come off again and now the carafe function is useless. I cannot make a pot of coffee which defeats the entire purpose of buying this as we had a Keurig before and wanted the duality that this maker offered. I have contacted the manufacturer and I'll let you know what they say.

***Final Update***

Hamilton Beach replaced the item immediately. I did not have to return the broken one, just sent them a picture of the ID number. Customer service was great.

I really liked this coffee maker but unfortunately, it only worked for one year and five months. The Single Serve side doesn't work. It has been cleaned and flushed out a couple of times and all needles are clear. Now it starts to brew and just shuts off. Sometimes when it shuts off, it will start up again when you hit the brew button without changing the K-cup, but now that doesn't even work. Purchased January 1, 2018 … final shut off, May 29, 2019. I actually thought this would last longer than a Mr Coffee. I was wrong. Do they make coffee makers cheaply so we keep buying them? I have now ordered a Cuisinart SS-15 12-Cup Coffee Maker and Single-Serve Brewer, Stainless Steel for $150.99. Let's just say I have some hope that I might get a quality product. Who knows?

I set this up as soon as it arrived (as I was just about to make a cup of coffee). I tried it on "regular brew" using the single serve. Took somewhere between 2-3 minutes. I started timing but then forget in the middle. Anyway - the temp was about 160 as per my thermometer pictured. I'm not sure if it is the same temp for the "bold" brew" I can always update that later.

Anyway - this was a good buy - I had been looking at it for a while but then physically saw it in a store and was able to check it out first. The price was better on Amazon so I ordered it here. Took 2 days to arrive - was well packed and super easy to set up.

In general this is a great coffee maker. We enjoy the flexibility of brewing a pot or a single cup, especially since we have decaf and regular coffee drinkers in the house.

Unfortunately, sometimes the single serve side gets coffee grounds in the cup, even ensuring the pin isn’t clogged.

Even more disappointing was when the water compartment on the carafe side started dumping the clean but hot water all over my counter from the bottom on the unit during a brew cycle. About 1/4 of the pot was brewed and the rest of the water was on my counter. The water was only filled to the 6 cup line so it was not overfilled. Tried to brew twice in case of user error to no avail. We’ve had the coffee maker for 4 months. I called Hamilton Beach and they are sending us a replacement unit, which is appreciated, BUT we had to pay $11.49 for shipping, and they won’t send us the new unit until they receive a photo from us of the back of the unit and a photo of the power cord CUT. To have to pay a fee for the replacement of a failed unit, AND prove to them that I’m not lying by sending a photo of the cut cord is ridiculous. I’ll likely not purchase this brand again, and I’ll probably buy from a local store that will price match amazon and/or honor an exchange on a damaged unit.

I've had this coffee maker for four months and use it on a daily basis. I love that it's easy to program, easy to clean, and makes the coffee nice and hot. It also holds it at an excellent temperature. I use the Regular brew setting. It makes enough that my husband and I can each drink a a couple of mugs full, plus he can take a car cup to work. At lunch, if I want another cup, I just pop in a coffee pod and have a piping hot cup in a couple of minutes. I so appreciate that I must put fresh water in the reservoir each time I make coffee - the thought of water sitting around in there for days grosses me out! One important thing - you want to have a place where you can set this up so its not under a cabinet. This makes it easy to fill with water and grounds. Unlike others, I don't want to have to move my coffee maker every day to make coffee! Overall, it's a great coffee maker that is well designed - I highly recommend it.

I've had this coffeemaker for almost a year now, and I still love it. I'm so glad I purchased this one instead of the Cuisinart (which was double the price). I had a Cuisinart before this, and the beeping when it finished brewing drove me crazy. This one makes great coffee without the noise. I normally use the carafe, but like the k-cup side for occasional use (when people come over and want a cup of decaf). The only issue I've ever had with the individual side was when brewing Swiss Miss hot cocoa pods. The cocoa would spew out and make a mess. This has never happened with regular coffee. I realized that I needed to clean it out after each cocoa cup brew because I was making three consecutive cups for my kids. Otherwise, this coffee maker has been excellent!

I love(d) this coffee pot, K Cup combo. It was everything I wanted and needed. Unfortunately, after 6 months of typical use- a significant amount of water leaks from the bottom. It is a sealed unit, so I am unable to even open it up, to see if it is something I can fix. We cannot longer use the carafe side of it- so far the K cup side is still working. Disappointing to find out, that 1.) Hamilton Beach is not easy to get a hold of. 2.) I WAS ON HOLD FOR OVER AN HOUR, and then they answer the call and rush you- customer service is quite abrupt. 3.) For them to replace my unit, I must pay shipping there AND back. I spent $90 on this damn thing, and now I have to pay $35+ to ship because your product failed ?!?!? This will be the VERY last Hamilton Beach product that I will EVER buy. Way to go HB. Suck it.

No real complaints except that I expected it to last at least a year. We used it every day and 7 months in it started dumping the water all over the counter instead of brewing it into coffee. I may have started it without water in it a couple times and caught it and added water. Maybe this cracks the body. It seems to sense that you need water and tell you, so I'm not sure why it isn't smart enough not heat up and ruin itself. Other than that, the lettering rubbed off the buttons in the first month, so it's not a super quality product. It takes a long time to make a k-cup, but that feature is pretty cool; nice to be able to control what size cup by pouring in the right amount of water.

95% of the time, I am only needing one cup of coffee as I’m off to work so I don’t like having the huge carafe to deal with. BUT I hate having to buy the little pods for the single brews, that gets pricey! This is the PERFECT solution! The single brew side has a basket for ground coffee, no pods needed! I get my one cup brewed quickly and I’m out the door. BUT on occasions where I have company over and need a whole pot... I’m covered!

I love that I have a timer option - though I don’t use it often.

It is super easy to break down and clean.

Two strength settings for different needs.

Only criticism is the ease of adding water. It sits in a spot in my kitchen with an upper cabinet and you have to pull the whole machine out to add water to the reservoir. The flaps are on the top of the machine in the back. I would love to see a single flap for a single reservoir and a reservoir big enough that I don’t have to add water for each cup, but only have to deal with water once in a while.

Small price to pay for my coffee maker though. I’m thinking of ordering another one for school. Teachers live off of coffee and this would definitely come in handy for us!

I wanted to replace another HB coffee maker I had used for years.

I normally drink the same amount of coffee every day so I really don't want or need a single serving machine. Occasionally though, I might have a need or desire for another cup. My previous maker was the HB 2 Way Brewer which worked fine but it was time to replace it. My only issues with it were that making the extra cup wasn't quick and easy but it worked, also, the coffee didn't taste the same and the feature that allows you to pour a cup while it's still brewing wasn't foolproof,it usually leaked a drop or two.

I found this Flex Brew Maker which sounded perfect but I was a bit concerned about the nearly 20% negative reviews but I guess there can be some problems with all mass produced products.

This coffee maker has been great! It's been everything it is described to be and this is the first one I've ever had where that pour a cup while brewing feature actually works (haven't spilled a drop yet).

I haven't used the feature where you manually add ground coffee into the single brew basket because it's too easy to just have a small supply of K-cups on hand and use them as needed. That feature works great too!

Simply stated, I like everything about this coffee maker.

I expected this coffeemaker to last more than 5 months. I will find out tomorrow if single serve side works. if it doesn't I will be coffee starved till a replacement can be obtained. fumingly unhappy customer here.

*******addenda....Hamilton Beach honored the warranty and shipped me a replacement unit. A patient and handy friend disassembled the dead one and found a hose clamp had come loose........factory needs better QC......I do not recommend this fix however it's a booger to get apart, sometimes we are too curious for our own good.

I was very leary about making this purchase after reading the reviews. I bought this for my husband and he loves it. We have an older Keurig that is going into our camper. I thought he’d like the versatility of being about to brew a pot or cup and I was right. Added bonus-no more brewing 2 cups to fill a tall insulated cup because it fits into the pot to brew directly into tumbler! Yes it’s a little larger but is replacing 2 pots. May be a little louder but not really any slower. I’m glad I made this purchase and hubby is quite happy. He’s tried multiple K-Cups and had no blowouts as described by many and he uses a couple of them a day. I purchased this a few days before Valentines Day so maybe it’s a newer improved model. My only complaint is it’s a little taller so can’t place on top of K-Cup drawer and still slide it under the cabinets above. Cleans easily too.

We have had our FlexBrew for over a year. I have very much enjoyed the versatility, but have had issues. The first was coffee leaking from the single serve. Figured out that the problem was the k-cup itself. Others worked fine. Next problem was the single serve side would heat water but not come out. My husband looked at it and blew air through it; then I ran white vinegar through. It worked! Issue today was water leaking out the bottom all over the counter. Looked like we would be buying a new coffee pot! But, my very handy husband found that a hose had come completely off. Problem solved! The only thing was that he had to cut out a piece of the back to discover and fix the problem. Oh well, we have coffee again!

Replaced a broken drip coffee maker with this one, and was able to replace two machines with this one (keurig and drip coffee maker). I love that I can use a filter with the single serve side. My husband and I each drink different coffee (one is decaf, the other regular), so this coffeemaker has been great for us. I do wish that brewing something on the single serve side didn't turn off the warmer on the carafe. You also can only brew on one side at a time. The flap on the single serve side is warped, I will contact manufacturer about a replacement.

When you see Hamilton Beach Flexbrew coffee maker then the first thing which you’ll see on the top coffee pot’s digital clock. It is easy to program, and you can set your brew time up to 24 hours in advance.

Now, this coffee maker machine is entirely automatic like it’s an auto pause and serve helps you remove the carafe and pour a hot coffee without any dripping.

Moreover, many incidents happen where we are busy doing something and left the coffee pot on. So in such scenarios, you don’t have to worry about, its auto shutoff feature will automatically cut off the power and prevents any loss of electricity.

I bought this maybe 6 months ago now after my keurig kicked the bucket.

Originally I wanted something that would grind the beans and immediately brew it (after the research I found out that was the best way for great tasting coffee). This was my settlement- because frankly I wasn’t about to drop $500 on a coffee maker.. so I bought this guy and a hand held grinder (that thing was maybe $25). I’m over the moon happy with my purchase!!

My husband likes it easy, he just wants to pop in a k-cup and go (**make sure to only add the amount of water you want for that particular cup on the single serve side**)

I can grind up my coffee on my slow mornings and enjoy it either single cup or a full pot and still can grind up the whole beans if I want to or keep it quick and easy with ground coffee.

This thing is definitely for people who need a little variety or “flex” in their coffee making habits- or just want to have the capability to make great coffee and not have to spend too much, this is your next coffee maker.

Last notes- I LOVE that I can clean everything that gets coffee on it. The full pot side is very much like a normal drip coffee maker, but the single serve side has parts that all come off and can be cleaned so it already ahead of my old keurig because it’s so easy to keep clean which means no weird old coffee taste!

This coffee maker fit just what we needed - my husband likes a carafe, but I didn't want to give up my flavored k-cups. Two items to be mindful of . . . if you are used to exclusively using a Keurig, as we were, the k-cup side of this machine is not as fast as that; great tasting brew, but the cycle it isn't as quick. The other issue is that if you brew a carafe, and then want to switch to the k-cup brew, the warming plate under the carafe will shut off. It's been working great, but I would have liked to have consider these points before I purchased this product.

My little single cup Keurig broke down after 6 years of faithful service. So, when out searching for a coffee maker that would brew a small pot or single cup I decided to order this Hamilton Beach coffee maker. Would have to say first, the instructions are incorrect for the single serve side. It says to always use the funnel, Wrong!!! You can't get the lid to "click shut" if the funnel is in place. Once I removed the funnel it worked fine. I haven't attempted to try the carafe side, as coffee is a bit too expensive to waste experimenting to see how it works.

I had forgotten how much I missed having the choice of a cup or a pot having used a Keurig for years. Making and serving coffee for company becomes a nightmare with a single cup machine. While this machine has a larger counter footprint it gives the option of either/or very nicely. I especially like the option of using K-cup or ground coffee for the single serve. It can accommodate large travel mugs also. We have been using it for a couple weeks now and as long as it holds up I will be pleased with this purchase. One thing to check is your cabinet height above the machine and counter depth to be sure the top of machine water and coffee doors will open adequately. I purchased a rolling stand for mine to be able to push it under the cabinet when not in use. Once again though check the dimensions of the stand. Basic ones for Keurig, etc. are not large enough.

Makes full pot or single K-cup, and does both very well. You need to pour water into the reservoir for either, in the amount you want to brew, but that's not a big deal. We just pour the water right from the coffee cup we're using, don't even need to measure.

The quality of the machine is fine, Hamilton Beach is a good, dependable Ford or Chevy, and will get you where you want to go. People can spend a lot more for something that doesn't work any better, but at least they know they spent a lot of money, which is probably, for them, it's own reward. ;)

No complaints about setting the clock, or the brightness of the screen, it's fine.

I debated getting two separate coffee makers but really wanted one unit that would brew a regular pot of coffee or a Kcup. After reading other reviews, I decided to go with the 49976 model. I’m at about 2 months of use and am still happy with it. It is definitely larger than a regular coffee maker but it’s smaller than a coffee maker and a Kcup maker sitting side by side. Both the regular and the Kcup brewers work very well and the coffee is much better than my old (Mr Coffee) maker.

Two minor complaints that don’t really affect how I would rate this but some people might be interested 1) the regular singles serve brew cup fits under the base of the single serve side but it has to be put in a very specific way or the base won’t close. Not a problem once you figure out the correct way, but don’t try to learn before you’ve had your first cup of coffee in the morning. 2) The coffee carafe has an anti spill piece of plastic which is nice to keep the coffee from overflowing the lip, but it kind of makes it difficult to rinse out with soapy water too. Again, not a deal breaker for me but YMMV.

To begin this coffee maker is a pretty big unit, it takes quite a bit of space on the counter top and may not fit under some cabinets(the water refill trays are on the top of the unit, so this may cause an issue re-filling the unit under tight cabinet spaces). We have it on an open section of the counter so not an issue. This unit is great because it makes really good drip coffee and K-cups so you can choose between a whole pot or just an individual cup. The K-cup portion makes an individual cup of coffee but does take just as long as the drip coffee side and is slower than a regular keurig, still makes a good tasting cup of coffee. The K- cup side also comes with a filter for making regular coffee grinds. It also has a programmable timer which starts making coffee at the specified time. It also has an adjustable brew strength feature for both sides, between regular and bold. It makes a slightly stronger cup of coffee, but that is debatable with your personal preferences. Overall great versatile coffee maker for both drip and K-cups of coffee.

I purchased this coffeemaker Oct 2, 2017

Loved it! Makes great coffee and the single brew is a nice feature.

However, yesterday morning, May 20, 2018 just 7 months after purchase the Carafe water reserve flows out of the bottom. I woke up to hot water all over my counter, down the sides of the refrigerator and stove. I’m glad it was just hot water.

The single brew side still works thankfully.

I contacted customer support via email. The phone number would not connect.

1-800-851-8900

I would give it 5 stars if I had reviewed the product before it went out.

Hopefully I will be pleased how Hamilton takes care of their customers.

I like having 3 options for coffee. Amazing and much better than Other brands

Update: So our K Cup side stopped working and I reread all the reviews and found that this was the biggest issue. As a mechanic, I have to see what went wrong. I knew the heat was working and the pump was working. I pulled off the bottom with a small flathead screwdriver, then slowly removed the back and sides. There are 4, two per side Phillips screws holding the sides on along with tabs. Wasn’t hard if you have a tinker gene in you. To make a long story short, the pump loses prime and you have to force water into the clear hose. It has now worked for 8 times. I’m still not sure why it would lose its prime, but it did the trick. We shouldn’t have to fix these. I’m lowering my rating due to me having to figure it out.

I'm loving this maker so far! I've only had it two weeks, but it is awesome. My husband and I drink a lot of coffee, but he gets up much earlier than me for work so with our traditional maker I was getting burnt coffee in the morning, and having two machines just seemed silly. This maker comes with it's own single filter which is surprisingly large so you can choose your coffee strength instead of using a k-cup which will water down if you want a larger cup of coffee. My husband loves this filter and uses it daily so I can wake up to fresher coffee on the carafe side. The coffee brews quickly on both sides and you can even choose a brew strength. It's also nice because if one of us wants an afternoon/evening cup of coffee but the other doesn't, we're not wasting any coffee, and we all know how expensive coffee can get. I highly recommend this coffee maker for pretty much anyone, if you are a heavy coffee drinker then you have your choice and if you don't drink a lot of coffee but have company over frequently it's nice to have the single side for your daily use and the carafe for when you have guests.

We love this! Our kitchen is tiny and it fits nicely on the pod drawer we got for under our other k-cup brewer but now I have recovered the space my separate coffee maker took up on the counter...yay!

I was afraid that I wouldn't like the single brew capacity of the k-cup side but filling it to fit your cup is much nicer than starting a brew and having an empty reservoir. It uses all brands of pods and the regular coffee basket insert works great for single cups of loose tea. Switching the inserts is easy, just pop one out then pop the other in. The screen is easy to read, you can peek in the dark kitchen before bed to see that auto-brew is set.

love the versatility. I've had an earlier model of this machine that was great till I broke the pot, replacement carafes are pricey, For my Birthday I got this newer version and I love it. the burner under carafe doesn't heat up when single serving side is in use. Single serve side will fill my largest mug. 16 oz.

Used flex brew one side or the other daily for the first 5 months. but after a family visit weekend where single serve side was used multiple times a day, that side stopped working. Went thru amazon to get help, found number for Hamilton Beach, called their 800 number and they are sending me a new unit, had to pay $11.64 shipping for new unit. It's worth it, since I don't have to hassle with returning non working unit, cut the cord and toss it. hope this new flex brew will last years not months.

This is absolutely the best coffee maker I have ever had.

I have had all kinds in the past (Mr. Coffee, KitchenAide, others) and they do not compare.

Large, unmistakable buttons, easy setup for time and auto timing. Great pot that actually does NOT drip down the side.

The reservoir for the K-Cup is "custom" ....whatever cup you use, you just have to use that amount of water, and it is "hot" coffee; great for my travel mug. Works great for a cup of tea, too.

I would be considered a heavy coffee drinker and I could not recommend this more highly.

I am so glad i got this. I had been going back and forth for months on replacing my coffee maker. Do I get a drip or single cup maker? Which brand? What if I get one and want the other? These are thoughts that would keep me up at night and make my dependency on coffee more desperate. Then I came across this life saver. For less than a traditional keurig machine, this was offering me two ways to make my coffee. Angels starting singing, champagne fell from the sky and I ordered without delay. When it arrived I had that moment of fear, did I get bamboozled? Would the coffee not be as amazing? Would the single cup not work with k-cups? Thankfully all my fears were for not. Both the single cup and the drip make perfect coffee every time. The only advice I give is that if you have used a keurig you will know that that they have 'cup' sizes to chose from (6,8,10) usually I use select 10 and it makes great coffee so I thought that by filling the water to 10 it would be the same...not so...I had to fill to 12...just a word to the wise. It is slower than a keurig as well but that is a minor thing for what you are getting. Two coffee makers in one!

I love having both options I thought I’d use them both but having the cup side I don’t even use the coffee pot side. The brewer is pretty quick I’d love to have one with a large reservoir but I wasn’t paying 100$ more for a model I have to fill less. I haven’t had any issues I love that it came with a reusable filter for the pod side!! It’s awesome it has a cover that closes so those grounds don’t make a mess but I’m lazy I like tossing the pod out all done! You cannot program the pod side to brew on program but it’s pretty quick! Very stylish & the reusable pod filter fits in the little base so that’s nice. I couldn’t be happier with this combo set!! I never thought of a single serve brewer but my husband thought I’d like it & he was right!! The price was the same here & most stores so that’s the lowest price I found online or stores & shipping was quick something rod like poked thruogh my outer box & all the way up to the actual coffee pot inside luckily it was damaged but that was the shipping company not the shipper!

Love this pot. It took me several days of researching many brands and types of pots. We missed our Keurig(s) because of the option of different coffees, but swore I’d never get another Keurig due to the expense and the fact they died quickly - even if you follow the directions to the letter! So it is refreshing to have one machine take the place of two. This is about the same size as the full size Keurig we had. Easier to move for cleaning the counter. Makes a good cup of coffee, you have to play with the amount of water to coffee ratio to find what works for you/family. For the full size pot I found I needed approx 1/2 tbsp more coffee than my prior coffee pot. The machine came with one of those gold filters as an add on. I didn’t like it as I was getting a lot of grounds in my coffee. Tried a paper filter and the coffee was even better, but now I use both a paper and the gold filters together. The K-cup side works great but be aware it perks SLOW and that is because it has to heat the water up first. Water is not stored in a reservoir and is added as needed per cup. This unit is worth the extra wait time the k-cup side. Now we will have to see how well it holds up to everyday use. Bottom line, it’s a nice unit. I bought one of those k-cup storage drawers from Amazon and the Hamilton Beach fits on top perfectly.

Great! We bought the gold mesh filter and have made a timed pot every am for the last two weeks. I still have k cups so I really like that I can use them and not have two machines out. For the instant hot side I have to say that the k cups work good, it actually makes a hotter cup than my Keurig.

PROS: one machine, instant hot that is bigger than one large Keurig cup, hotter than Keurig, makes a large pot of coffee, good timer, keeps pot hot for couple hours.

I keep the single side open after use since one review said it gets moldy ;0) Hope this helps you decide.

I am so happy with this coffee maker! It has the single brew feature, which I love, since I have tons of leftover k-cups from my Keurig coffee makers (all useless and in the trash, now) and I love the fact that it doesn't reject any brand of k-cup, making it less of a hassle -and less expensive- to buy whatever brand you like. It also has the carafe brew feature, for when we have people over (My husband has his own -fancy- coffee maker), so I can brew up to 12 cups of coffee (10 for us, actually, since we use the larger coffee mugs). It's not a monster of a machine, so it doesn't take up too much kitchen counter space. You also have the choice of using your own ground coffee for the single brew, instead of a k-cup. It comes with everything you need (except the filter for brewing a carafe). I had a new reusable filter that fit it perfectly, so I got to use and test it right away, after cleaning it by brewing several times with just water. I just hope this Hamilton Beach Flex Brew 2-Way Brewer lasts me a long time!

This thing is amazing! Works with single serve (keurig, etc...) pods and has a whole other side to brew a regular pot as well. I saw some reviews say that it takes too long but 2 minutes is not long, you just hit the button, go do something else and when you come back your coffee is ready, no biggie! I love that the bottom compartment of the single serve side comes out so you can use a travel cup or a regular coffee mug. The cartridge where you put the pods comes out easily and is super easy to clean. The only thing I would fix is that on the single serve side it will just serve as much water as you put in there, you can't program a set amount of water. So every time you want a cup, you have to measure out exactly how much you want, any extra water you put in there will also come out.

I like most things about this coffee maker, especially the fact that it brews small or large quantities of coffee. On most mornings, I use the single brew side and let it drip into my insulated travel mug (warning, very tall mugs will not fit). The unit itself is larger than I thought; when filling the carafe side with water, the lid won't lift unless the unit is pulled out from under the cupboard. That's an annoyance because it is heavy. But my biggest concern is the loud vibration noise the pump makes on the single brew side, especially for last 10-15 seconds before it turns off when it kicks into high gear and sounds like it is failing. Other buyers have noted the same thing and we can't determine if this is a defect that will shorten the life of the machine or if the manufacturer simply didn't care enough to fix the design. [Part of my intent in this comment is to document that problem.] I bought this at a reduced price and I'm willing to live with the noise if the machine doesn't break, but the unit is not worth the very inflated suggested retail price because of that loud motor at the end of the single brew cycle.

I read the negative reviews - agonized over buying a dual purpose coffee maker, however I am very pleased with this purchase. The performance is great, but as noted it does take longer than the typical time to brew a pot of coffee. That being said, the quality of the coffee is fabulous and worth the wait (I use the Bold brew option). The single cup side operates almost exactly like a Keurig. It will also accommodate large/tall travel mugs. The amount of counter space real estate is about the same as a standard Keurig. Others complained about having to pull the entire unit from under the upper cabinet to refill. This is what it is - place four small ‘moving men’ plastic discs under the coffeemaker & you can easily slide it to refill or clean.

So, I figured I would write a small review because I hesitated in buying this due some of the negative reviews. My honest answer after using it for 2 weeks. Don't hesitate. I'll list Pro's and Con's and you decided on your own.

Pro's:

1. One coffee maker instead of 2. See, number 4

2. Uses K-cups or use the separate filter for your own. (Very easy to use and clean)

3. Try and start a brew cycle for single serve with no water in the tank, it will let you know. (oops)

4. Yea, it's larger than your average coffee pot....guess what Negative Rocket scientists, it's replacing 2 Pots.

5. Easy to use controls.

6. Cheap enough

Con's

1. I hate a 2 hour hot plate shut off....personal thing, add 1/2 cup water and start again. It's gone before it shuts off again.

2. Ain't got no more

Other comments:

Top fill requires you to move it out if under low cabinets to fill (a great hardship to some, I just slide it forward, fill and slide back).

It's not as fast as a K-machine.....oh, for pete's sake people, it's not a K machine!!!! Keep your old K machine and buy a coffee machine in addition if you can't wait about 2-3 minutes for coffee.

I have to fill it every time for a single cup......more trauma for some. Personally, I like fresh water better than water that's been sitting in a machine or tank till ready to use. If you really want to you can fill it up with it's 8-10oz and leave it, machine knows the difference between pot and single.

Coffee flavor......tastes like coffee, all subjective, if yours is to weak, get a stronger kind, again not Rocket Science.

I can't taste any difference between Regular and Strong, again subjective.

Hey, at the price you can't beat it. Cheaper than a K machine and if unhappy with speed and size go for the $199.00 Silver Cuisiexpensive.

That's about it, other than the longevity test......

I can't say enough good things about this coffee maker! I'm completely done with Keurig. We've gone through 2 in 3 years, an abnormally inordinate short amount of time for an expensive coffee maker. The first one just died after about a year and a half. The second was the first of the 2.0's and put a stop to our using compostable pods, until I applied the "hack". Stupid marketing ploy so backfired on Keurig and leaves me with bad things to say about their coffee maker, including the fact that the second died in a year and a half! Conversely, the Hamilton Beach Flex Brewer is a truly remarkable coffee maker. I can easily make a pot; a cup with a compostable or regular pod; or a cup with their proprietary pod in which you add your own freshly ground coffee. I love the fact that the pot of coffee stays hot for 2 hours. The coffee from either of the methods provides a much better tasting cup than ever came out of our Keurig's. It takes a little longer to make and a smidge more effort, but so worth it! I'm saving the planet one pod at a time... and we're enjoying better coffee while doing so! I highly, highly, highly recommend this coffee maker! You'll love it!

The previous Hamilton Beach Flex Brew I owned had too many issues with the k-cup side of the brewer, but this newer designs had reduced those issues significantly! Having 2 seperate water reservoirs takes care of alot of headaches, and the simple snap-down k-cup insertion design makes this brewer almost idiot-proof!

But, it's not perfect. You still have to verify that the inserted k-cup has been pierced on both top and bottom or you'll have hot water and coffee grinds go everywhere!

Typically the k-cups side takes 45 seconds before water starts pouring and, for 8oz, another 45 seconds until it has finished.

I love freshly ground coffee BUT when I’m in a rush a pod is the way to go.

I’ve gone through several high end individual cup pod coffee makers over the years and the results were always the same. If I wanted a strong cup I had to make it 6oz. Now for the GREAT news. Using the BOLD setting I can make a strong 10oz cup of great coffee!!! I’ve had this coffee maker for several weeks and cup after cup the coffee is light years better then any coffee maker I’ve used before. When I want a pot of coffee I find the end result is just as great as my high end coffee maker. I’m still shocked that this Hamilton Beach coffee maker outshined my high end coffee maker.

I still can’t get over how much better my coffee pod cup of coffee is when made using this coffee pot. If I could I’d list it with 10 stars!!!!

I just received my Hamilton Beach Flex Brew yesterday and I have to say I'm impressed. We have long been Bunn coffee maker fans but I wanted a coffee maker that I could program to make coffee in the morning and consolidate space so I didn't need a separate coffeemaker for my Keurig cups. It has certainly been a surprise as to the quality for the price. I love being able to pour my coffee before it's finished brewing. (With the Bunn you couldn't do that without quite a mess since the coffee maker would continue to drip) It took 8 minutes to brew a pot which isn't a long time and the coffee was hot. I also love the single Brew station where you can brew a single cup or fill your travel cup. I was concerned about how the coffeemaker would look on our countertop and the size. I have to say it's nice looking and takes up much less space than our Bunn and Keurig together. Very happy with this purchase! Yay no BPA either!

I drink regular coffee and my wife drinks decaf. So this seemed like a perfect replacement for the two coffee pots we've had sitting on our kitchen counter for the past year. :) My son has an older Hamilton Beach Flexbrew and loves it, so we decided to give it a shot. I bought model 49976 which I think is currently the newest model. So far so good! We love the flexibility of being able to brew a single cup/mug, or an entire pot. And being able to use K-cups if desired is a nice bonus! I would have given it 5-stars except for two small gripes... 1) It would be nice if the carafe warming plate would remain on when you use the single-brew side. But as soon as you flip over to single-brew, it turns off the carafe side completely, even if you just finished brewing a full pot of coffee! Hamilton Beach could vastly improve the design by including a button to turn the carafe warming plate on/off, with an auto-shutoff after a certain amount of time. And 2), the single-serve brew basket seems to let a lot of coffee ground "residue" through into my cup. I can't stand coffee grit in the bottom of my cup. I grind my coffee fresh, so I'm going to play around with the coarseness of the grind to see if I can eliminate that problem.

UPDATE: So apparently after using the single-serve side, you can switch back over to carafe and hit the brew button to turn the warming plate back on. If there's no water in the carafe side, it just turns the plate back on and doesn't try to brew anything. Nice!

Having had a couple of Keurig's and a Nespresso this is the best for a no fuss morning. Set it up the night before and just hit start while feeding the dogs and you'll have the equivalent of 4 mugs freshly brewed in a few minutes, great for the wife and I. And it takes individual k-cups with no complains for that one off. Buying bags of coffee is so much more convenient and inexpensive than k-cups! You'll find many of the same brands available in k-cups are available in bags. Oh, speaking of mugs, if your idea of a cup is something bigger than 12 oz good luck finding your favorites in a k-mug. I've ditched the Keurig's but I will keep the Nespresso though. Sometimes you just want a great head on your bold cup of coffee or a nice espresso which is where the Nespresso shines.

Absolutely love it! Well worth all the five stars I read in order to make my own purchase. Packaged very well. No plastic taste or smell at all once I did the initial cleaning. Plugged in 24x7 and am so glad I made this purchase! If you watch some of the YouTube video's out there, you'll find one idiot who complains because he couldn't set the current time and/or timer! Manual has its own page of FOUR LINES on how to do this very simple task. Don't pay attention to false claims. This is the best coffee maker I have ever owned. I had a Mr. Coffee before this. No issues, ran perfectly fine and still does, but this one yells STATE-OF-THE-ART! Best coffee I've had in a long time. And BOLD setting has my name all over it. I only drink it black!

It is by far the best coffee machine I ever owned. I used another brand for more than 5 years worked great but finally broke so wanted to try a different brand and this actually is better in terms of convenience and choices. Both the single serve and the carafe make good coffee. It is easy to clean and make your coffee.

After our Keurig bit the dust I started looking for a new one and ran across this. What a great machine! We have limited counter space so this is a great solution that allowed us to get rid of the full size coffee maker too! It's about the same size as our old full size keurig. But wait, there's more...so much more. My husband loves the single cup option for his morning travel mug and look at how well his mug fits, he doesn't have to tilt cup to get it in and out! It also includes two cups for the single cup side - one for kcups and one for coffee grounds that has the wire screen filter built in. Love it! And to top it off you can store the cup your not using in the base. He also loves that he can get a bold brew or regular brew on the single and carafe side. This is sleek unit and just feels well built, not the usual cheap plastic it seems everything is made of these days. The digital display and programable timer are features he missed in the Keurig and are simple and easy to use. I like the fact that it brews the whatever amount of water you put in the reservoirs (both single and carafe sides), hate the thought of what grows in water while it sits for days. Don't hesitate, you won't be disappointed.

This is the best multipurpose appliance I have ever used! To begin with, it's easy to use, use one side or the other. I normally program my carafe side the night before so my coffee is ready in the morning. It's easy enough with this machine. I have not tried to program the single brew side, but I am sure it works well. My only negative, which probably won't bother most coffee drinkers is that the coffee comes out too hot. I usually place two ice cubes in my cup when I pour my morning joe. But that's just me, most people like it hot.

The single serve, or k cup side, works great. Because of the modular design of the k cup holder, you just need to make sure when you place the k cup in, that you feel it get punctured by the bottom needle. The top needle does not need much pressure because it only punctures the foil top of the k cups, so just by closing the cover you will be fine. I use the single brew side to brew iced tea.

The unit has two different reservoirs, although the k cup side only brews what you put into it, not like most Kurigs that hold extra water. Just pour what you need and it will brew that amount for you. The height of the k cup side is big enough for my large travel mugs. I've included some photos, hope they help.

Hope it works for a long time!

This is a great coffee maker! Both sides work well and I love that the pot does not drip/spill when pouring!!! Coffee taste good and not having to touch the old, used k-cups is a nice feature. :) I had a Keurig before and it worked well too, but it just died after 5 years. The only thing that would make this, or any combination maker, ideal is to use a combined water reservoir, so either the single cup and/or carafe can use the water from the same. The only negative is this is a traditional maker meaning you need to fill the water for each single and/or carafe. With the Keurig, I would fill it and use it for a few days before I had to refill it again. However, for the price and quality, this is a perfect maker and I would argue one of the bests on the market today.

I tried the K-cups with Community breakfast blend. I had coffee grinds completely throughout my coffee. It was not even drinkable. I used the filter(provided) and used my own Community breakfast blend. This second cup came out great. I did want to use the k-cups as advertised. I will update after a few more cups.

The carafe side works great but I do not want to make a full pot every day.

Update; June 29, 2017

After additional time and effort, I have concluded that the flaw is in the Community K-cups and not the

Hamilton Beach 49976 Flex brew 2-Way Brewer. I have tried several other K-cup brands and I have not had the problem with grinds throughout my cup of coffee. I am changing my rating from 2 stars to 5 stars. It was not fair for me to rate this brewer so low. The

Hamilton Beach 49976 Flex brew 2-Way Brewer works great. The community K-cups are not what I expected.

I lu-uh-uve this coffee maker. I bought it after my old Mr. Coffee finally gave out after years of abuse. This one is an 1000% upgrade. My favorite features are the single brew option and the ability to use any kind of coffee as well as coffee pods. The one complaint is how long it takes to complete a brew cycle. I always use the bold option, so I'm sure that's the reason. I've never tried the regular option, so I don't know how much faster it would be.

I owned the previous version of this coffee maker and was fairly please, but it certainly wasn't perfect. When I saw a NEW version was available, they appeared to make some significant improvements. I was right. I LOVE this 2-way coffee maker. Now it comes with 2 separate water wells (1 for carafe, 1 for single-serve) and the K-Cup dispenser has been beefed up. The overall design and build of this new version is just more substantial that the previous version. They appear to have improved the brewing process as well - no more coffee grounds at the bottom of my cup when using either of the single-serve options (basket or K-Cup). Bravo to Hamilton Beach for improving an already nice coffee maker.

My hamilton beach flexbrew was working perfectly, but when I saw this model, I just had to have it. I love the k-cup, it is much more versatile than my old one. I can use the Singles that have the filter bottom (no cup) just as easily as the regular k-Cup.

I also like that both sides have a very visible measure gauge for the water. The brew basket is the same as well as the carafe. I also like the holder for single cup ground coffee better (make sure you do NOT fill above the Max line with grounds). For the k-cup and ground coffee this maker seems to have more pressure.

You can brew BOLD on the single side as well as the carafe side.

Under the single side the platform for a cup also holds the single ground coffee holder. It just lifts off to use a tall cup.

The single side is so easy to clean and with the tab, it is easier to empty a hot K-cup without burning your fingers.

The ONLY problem I have ever had, is the printing on the buttons, they labels easily wipe off.

I love love LOVE this coffee maker! I've been using this almost daily for about 2 years. I use both the carafe and the single serve side frequently and they're both amazing. I debated for a long time before purchasing this unit. I did a lot of research, and I went back and forth between this and a few other models. I'm SO HAPPY I MADE THIS PURCHASE! It gets used as much or more than any device in our house...I've gotten my money's worth several times over!

This specific coffee maker is fabulous for a variety of reasons. First, the carafe is pretty standard. It makes an entire pot of coffee and it stays HOT for 2 hours. It has an auto shut off after 2 hours (which is awesome if you forget to turn it off before leaving the house). If you want the coffee to stay hot longer than 2 hours, just turn it back on after the auto shut off. Just the simple press of a button!

This also has a timer, so you can set it to start making coffee at a specific time every morning. Just load the filter, water and grounds the night before. Set the timer and turn it on. That's it! You'll have delicious hot coffee waiting for you at your chosen time.

And by far my favorite feature - the single serve side!!!! When my husband leaves early for work and I'm solo with the kiddos, this is the perfect thing for me. I don't have to make 4+ cups of coffee and throw half of it out. I can make any amount of coffee I want up to 2 cups! It's ridiculously easy to brew just 1 mug of coffee. Or, if you want a little more, I can fill my Yeti on the single serve side. It's soooo easy. I've had the same filter for almost 2 years and haven't needed to replace it. I just throw it in the dishwasher every few times I use it and it's still working really well.

If you're debating about this coffee maker, I suggest you go for it.. I've never had a single problem with it. It's been used by multiple house guests, it sometimes doesn't get cleaned well, and it always makes great coffee. And you can't beat the price!!!

Great item but I did have issues with the lock it seems to be shut tightly which could be a problem when your trying to get your waffle out before burning. Made awesome cinnamon roll waffles with it

Love this coffee maker! I took 3 days to decide on which one to get. My old one was just a single serve Mr. Coffee K-cup brewer. I was a newbie coffee drinker when I bought that one 3 years ago. I was tired of buying and storing the expensive k-cups but I was still wanting the single brew option with k-cups and a full pot option. It was between the other Hamilton Beach that does the k-cups and full pot and this one. I am so glad I decided to ditch k-cups for good. This pot does single serve using a reusable basket filter that holds one scoop or 2 scoops of coffee grounds. It also will take a cofee pod (not be be confused with a kcup) I love the single serve option, up to 14 oz. I even bought some of the coffee single serve pod. These work the same and are less expensive than kcups. However I did have to buy them online because I didn't see them sold in my grocery store. They look like a round tea bag. They work great with this machine. I keep a few varieties of the pods on hand for guests. I just use my regular favorite brand to make my own single cup when needed. Very easy to clean, just dump and rinse the basket and use it again. I throw all the parts in the dishwasher about once a week. I love that it has a button to switch between single serve and full pot. I also love the program option. I can program and set up the full pot option and still use the single serve if I want to at night after I have already set it. I have not experienced the plastic taste that I kept reading in all the other reviews. I was really scared this would be the case due to all the other reviews, but no plastic smell or taste here. The last thing I debated over was a machine with a water reservoir. I am so glad I went with this option that doesn't keep a reservoir. Some of the other reviews talked about a sensor on the single serve side that would get an error if you over filled or under filled. No sensor with this one. Simply use your cup or travel mug for the exact water measurement each time. No setting to mess with. The full pot and single serve are completely separate from each other. Just slide the button to 'single' or 'carafe'