Review: Hamilton Beach 49980Z Two Way Coffee Brewer

If you like a mixture of pods for those days where you are running late, and using ground beans for lazy weekends, the Hamilton Beach Two Way Coffee Brewer is for you.

Have you ever thought about buying a coffee brewer but never found what you were after? Many coffee machines on the market are a single way coffee machines – your coffee is usually brewed into a glass carafe meaning you often end up wasting what you don’t use or straight into your cup meaning if you have guests, it takes a long time to make everyone’s coffee. If this sounds like you, the Hamilton Beach Two Way Coffee Brewer is a great option to look at.

This handy little brewer allows you to use the 12 cup glass carafe or acts as a single serve coffee maker allowing you to brew directly into a cup or travel mug and switching between the two options is as easy as the turn of a dial.

This handy little coffee brewer comes with all you need to get started – a 14 oz. or 415ml stainless steel travel mug with lid, a 12 cup glass carafe, a single serve and carafe water reservoir, single serve brew basket (that can hold ground coffee or, if you prefer, pre-packaged soft pods), single serve side adjustable cup rest, pod holder for soft pods, brew strength selector, control panel allowing you to program a brew time, automatic shut off, automatic pause while still brewing and a warming plate for the carafe. For the price this machine sells at, it comes with so many accessories – most of which you can also buy extras for.

What to Look for in a Coffee Brewer

What should you look for in a coffee machine when you have the choice between a couple of options? One thing to look for is whether the machine has a pause and serve option; this is where you can remove the carafe or cup before the brewing cycle has finished, without dripping.

Another option people look for is whether the machine is pod compatible or whether it is just ground bean compatible. If you like a mixture of pods for those days where you are running late, and using ground beans for lazy weekends, the Hamilton Beach Two Way Coffee Brewer is for you.

Two advantages that are probably going to make one machine win out over another is the brew strength selector and the automatic shut off. Some days, you just need a really strong coffee, so being able to control how strong a coffee you want without needing to fuss over the machine is extremely helpful; and for those busy mornings where it feels like you are just rushing around, that auto shut off feature is going to be worth its weight in gold.

Single Serve Coffee Maker vs Multi Serve Coffee Maker

If you live alone, don’t get a lot of visitors or are the only one in your house who regularly drinks coffee, you probably don’t want to be going off and buying a full size coffee machine where it’s hard to control how much the machine will make; for those who only want something small or a machine where they can control how much they are making, the Hamilton Beach Two Way Coffee Brewer is a great choice.

The main advantage of a single serve coffee maker is that you can just make that one single cup quickly and with less fuss and cleaning; and if you have a couple of people in your house who all like different flavors or styles of coffee the single serve machine means everyone can make their own individual cup how they like it.

The Hamilton Beach Two Way Coffee Brewer is a great option whether you drink a lot of coffee or just a little – it is small enough to have at home or in the office, but big enough to make enough coffee for guests who pop around.