Hamilton Beach 2-Way Programmable Coffee Maker – Single Serve & 12-Cup Drip Machine
The Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker offers unmatched brewing versatility, letting you brew a full pot (up to 12 cups / 1.8 liters) or a single-serve cup using your favorite ground coffee. This dual-function coffee maker is perfect for households with different coffee needs—all while saving on waste and cost by avoiding plastic pods.
- 2 Brewing Options: Brew a single cup or a full carafe (12 cups / 1.8 L) using ground coffee only.
- Eco-Conscious Design: No plastic pods required – helps reduce waste and operating cost.
- Customizable Strength: Select between regular or bold flavor profiles to match your taste.
- Programmable Functionality: Set brew time up to 24 hours in advance for wake-up-ready coffee.
- Auto Pause & Pour: Pour a cup mid-brew without drips or mess.
- Dual Water Reservoirs: Separate, easy-fill reservoirs for each brewing method with water windows for accurate filling.
Technical Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Hamilton Beach |
| Model | 49980R |
| Color | Black |
| Dimensions | 10.63 x 12.2 x 13.7 in (27 x 31 x 34.8 cm) |
| Water Capacity | 12 cups (1.8 liters) |
| Coffee Compatibility | Ground Coffee (Not compatible with K-Cup® pods) |
| Special Features | Auto Shut-Off, Timer, Permanent Filter, Programmable |
| Coffee Maker Type | Drip Coffee Machine + Single Serve |
Note: K-Cup® is a registered trademark of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. This product is not affiliated with or endorsed by Keurig.
DoorMats Verdict: A reliable and budget-friendly coffee maker with flexible brewing modes for every type of coffee lover.
Cons: the pot yellowed/browned right away (within a week) ..we had a different model for 7-8 years and the pot looked good as new so they must've changed the glass and it absorbs the coffee staining really quickly
What's not great is the design of the coffee pot which is thin and has an awkward black plastic where you pour - which makes it difficult to clean. In regards to the single brew or hot water option, I just wish the water would come out hotter. Otherwise, it's a very useful coffee maker. I recommend it.
I read a lot of reviews about leaking and overflowing and I found no evidence that this would be the case, unless you were not following instructions for quantify of water and/or coffee for either the carafe or single cup side that every other retail drip coffee maker recommends. Or using coffee ground too finely, like for espresso.
Which brings me to my biggest gripe for this coffee maker and all other retail drip coffee makers - they are all sized to accommodate only 1 tablespoon of coffee for every cup or water. I don't understand why they don't make coffee grind baskets that can accommodate the coffee to water ratio that every premium coffee brand recommends and coffee shop uses, which is 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 oz. of water. I just don't get it. None of the coffee makers will accommodate 24 tablespoons of coffee in a 12-cup capacity coffee maker. It will overflow with grinds every time in this and every other retail drip coffee maker I have looked at. I have found that I can use more than 1 tablespoon per cup of coffee, but have to put on the bold setting, which slows the rate of water flow which usually prevents the coffee from overflowing the basket, provided I don't try to brew to the 12 cup capacity. It's one of the greatest mysteries - why the industry hasn't adapted to premium coffee standards and remains stuck in the 1970s, when using any more than 1 tablespoon of nasty pre-ground Folgers-like coffee would cause people to stop drinking coffee altogether. Please join me in rising up against this anathema!
UPDATE: Noticed the same day I wrote the review above another reviewer having the same problem. Even on the BOLD setting I get something resembling tea. Tried e-mailing customer service to find out if there are specs for how hot it's SUPPOSED to heat the water, in case I just got a bad one. After several days with no response tried calling today to get a recording saying to use the e-mail form and then the call disconnects. Returned. Too bad, I really wanted this to work out. Going back to a basic Cuisinart with higher watts and tons of reviews saying it brews HOT. Cause honestly, that's all you need to brew coffee, HOT water.
I have been using it for about a year, and my experience with this machine is mostly positive. I use the single serve side everyday. It is a very convenient feature: no leftover coffee, fills your cup at the right level and the coffee is always fresh. Single serve side has a metal mesh filter, so you only need to wash it before the next round of coffee. You can add a paper filter if you like, but I didn't feel the need to do so. My only complaint about single serve side is that the machine started to dripe at about 10 months. It is not causing any problems, merely something that I noticed. Dripping might be partly due to switching to a finer grounded coffee, but I didn't care to test because the amount of dripping is very little.
The carafe side, I didn't use too much. I like the timing feature. I noticed that you setup the time when you want the coffee to be ready, not the time you want the machine start brewing the coffee.
The machine is made from a mix of metal and plastic materials. It looks well made but nothing more you would expect from this price range. This machine does not need any maintenance other than wiping it's dust and running a very easy cleaning cycle every once in a while.
After one year of daily use, the machine is still functioning as it should. There are other coffee machines that have more functions, different features or better looks, but all come with a higher price tag. I can say this coffee machine is a good price-performance buy. Go for it if the only thing you want is a hassle free regular coffee.