Hamilton Beach 47900 BrewStation 12 Cup Dispensing Coffeemaker

I just received this coffeemaker directly from Hamilton Beach after my previous Hamilton Beach coffeemaker (purchased from Amazon) died after less than one year. Hamilton Beach replaced it under warranty after some bickering. I'm still chuckling about Hamilton Beach's request that I cut the electrical cord on my old coffeemaker & mail it to them, then mail them a photo of the cordless machine (which I did). Luckily, I was able to search for the order & I e-mailed the date of purchase to Hamilton Beach. The HB before that one lasted seven years, but I guess those days are over with cheaper manufacturing & outsourcing of parts. I have always liked these carafe-free coffeemakers & the coffee always came out hot enough--provided you preheated the unit by running water through it before brewing coffee.

One of the supposed "upgrades" or "improvements" is the detachable water reservoir. I have never had trouble filling the old non-detachable reservoir, so I don't find this feature especially useful.

The worst (and dumbest) thing Hamilton Beach could have done is to make the round filter in the coffee tank non removeable. With the previous models, the filter is removeable. I always left it off because it filters out too much coffee flavor & the coffee comes out weak regardless of how much ground coffee is used. Besides, I always use filtered water anyway. I just made a 12-oz cup of coffee & I used 5 tbsp. of coffee which should make pretty strong coffee. The coffee came out weak. I prefer coffee with a little cream & sugar, not cream & sugar with a little coffee.

I bought a $10.00 Hario Coffee Drip from Starbucks & made better, stronger coffee using less grounds than with this machine.

Had I paid for this machine, I would have returned it.

If you like weaker coffee, you'll like this coffeemaker, otherwise, buyer beware.

Update: 10-13-12: After contacting Hamilton Beach & asking if I could remove that filter without damaging the unit, they explained that I could not, because if I did remove it, coffee would leak from the tank. So, I tried an interesting trick: After making the coffee, I lifted the coffee tank & poured the coffee directly into my cup instead of using the dispenser lever. That bypasses the filter. The coffee came out a bit stronger but still rather weak. WARNING: If you do it that way, you have to be very careful not to touch that metal heating plate at the bottom of the tank. Yeah...it's very HOT.

UPDATE: 10-28-12. I found my older Hamilton Beach Coffeemaker & made an interesting discovery that further explains why the coffee is so weak regardless of how much coffee is used. On my old HB coffeemaker, there are NINE LARGE HOLES, spaced far apart in a large shower-head design that allows the hot water to fall on ALL the coffee in the basket simultaneously. This is ideal. On this new coffeemaker, there are only SEVEN SMALL HOLES close together (like a hose nozzle) so the coffee can't possibly be completely saturated by the water. This is likely a much bigger issue than the permanent filter in the tank. MAJOR FAIL on Hamilton Beach's part. If you use expensive coffee in this machine, you're wasting money with each cup.

For our last 4 coffee makers we purchased only Hamilton Beach Brew Stations. This latest is the best so far due to the separate water tank. While I agree with others that a light would be helpful under the fill spout, the only thing that really concerns me is the percolating sound it makes for the entire 2 hours that it is keeping our coffee warm. None of the other models over the years have made this continuous noise. It sounds like the coffee is still brewing when it clearly isn't. I've never seen a review that mentioned this problem, so maybe it's an isolated issue. If anyone has input I'd like to hear it. Other than that, once again we're satisfied with the brew station.

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This is the third BrewStation we've owned. The first one had that horrible leaky tank problem... the second one was pretty good and lasted us for a long while, but still had the issue w/being difficult to fill, plus the serving spout was too low for filling travel mugs.

When the second one died w/o warning (still not sure what happened), I purchased this machine. I really like the look, the removable/refillable water tank, and the higher dispensing spout. The coffee is very good and stays drinkable until the end of the pot. The features of this machine (timer, customizable 'keep warm' time) are the same as the last machine I had, so nothing new to remark on there, but it works well. I particularly like the fact that the 'program' button glows brightly and is easy to see across the room when I'm not quite sure whether or not I've already set it up for the next day (don't ask, I'm getting old.)

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I purchased this coffee maker after my beloved Chemex was broken, and my husband begged me to get a "real" coffee maker with an automatic timer. Otherwise, I'd have bought another Chemex.

This one had all the bells and whistles my husband wanted, and I was pleased by the assertion that my coffee wouldn't get that nasty scorched taste that I've associated with most drip coffee makers.

Right out of the box and a quick wash, I brewed 4 cups of Ethiopian, same as I used in my Chemex this morning. The taste wasn't as good as the Chemex. However, it was a nice good cup of coffee, and plenty strong for my taste.

However, just like the regular brewers, this one keeps the coffee too hot, especially if you only have a cup or two in the warmer. Their assertion that you won't have scorched coffee isn't really true, so I can't give it more than three stars.

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I like the idea of the brew station, but after a few days I returned it to the retailer. There were two issues. First, even on the "BOLD" setting, it require more coffee than my old $20 pot to get a good flavorfull cup of coffee. Intead of 12 tbs as recommended, it needed 14-15 to get a strong enough brew. Most importantly, it would not keep the coffee hot enough in the on-board pot. Even after being in the resevior for 30-40 minutes, I still had to microwave each cup to get them piping hot.

I don't know if I go a lemon, or if this is normal for a Brewstation. I didn't take a chance on another. I'll go back to a conventional coffee maker.

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La Pavoni PPG-16 Professional 16-Cup Espresso Machine, Brass

I have owned this machine (8-cup, chrome) for over ten years and everyday when I make my morning cappuccino I love it more. You can spend more for a machine that measures the coffee, tamps it, pulls the water through and steams the milk for you, but you can tip the kids behind the counter at Starbucks and they'll do the same thing. Making espresso should be a little art and a little science and this machine an impeccable balance of the two. If you aren't the kind of person who takes joy in mixing the perfect martini, making a risotto that whispers with flavor, or whipping a meringue to impossibly tall peaks, this probably isn't the machine for you.

The La Pavoni is for the person who will find tremendous joy in going to the lengths required to make a perfect cappuccino by hand everyday. (And don't bother using anything less than Illy Cafe coffee in it.)

I owned one of these for three years, and agree with the only other reviewer that this item is only for those who take joy in fiddling with the many variables of grind, pull speed, preheating, and coffee bean choice. If you don't want to put in all the extra effort to coax performance from a beautiful piece of Italian engineering, save your money and buy something automated.

That said, I thought a potential buyer might want to read about some of these idiosyncracies. First, no matter what you do, the first shot you pull will taste bad. Preheat, pull hot water for the first shot--nothing will change the fact that the first shot doesn't taste good. I resigned myself to wasting that first shot.

Second, if you want to pull shots soon after each other, you'll find out that this unit does not have a pressure release mechanism. So when you unseat the filter holder soon after pulling the shot, there's still pressure against the grounds, which will now *poof* blow back outward onto your fingers and the machine. You'll get used to knowing when it's been "long enough", and in a pinch you can *carefully* ease the holder out, slowly letting the pressure to escape.

With a pump espresso maker, you can pull "lungo" or "ristretto" shots, which have (respectively) larger or smaller shot sizes. Since the amount of grounds stays the same, this means more watery or stronger. But with this unit you have to live with the pull size implicit in the amount of water moved by that piston for a pull. They give you two holders, which gives you two sizes. The smaller one is the only one I ever used, which was a ristretto--a good choice, if you have to take a single choice!

Unlike most espresso machines for the home market, you have steam available all the time on that side steam wand--you don't need to switch it into "steam mode". The steam wand is a little dated in design, but I got very good results out of it. They supply you with some gimmicky steam/frothing attachments which you should ignore.

For a party, you'll run out of water sooner than you expect. The reservoir is heated up to steam and is thus under pressure. You do NOT open it until it has cooled down enough to release all the steam. So unlike those pump units, this one is really not for making a lot of shots in a row.

Let me finish by saying that although most of what I've said about this machine are its misfeatures, it is a really, really likable unit! The previous reviewer was SO right in comparing it to making a martini. I'd add that it's even more like fiddling with your stereo and speakers until you finally get it sounding *right*. With the manual pull lever you'll get a feel for what the correct grind feels like. You'll know what the right pull speed is--your muscles will start to remember it. And out will come that lovely espresso with its golden crema--what a way to start the morning!

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The only problem I had was the wood on the boiler cap was cracking. This is not a common problem that they had. I sent the damaged cap back and they replaced it with a new one. The coffee grind is the trick to making this espresso machine work properly.

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Pros: after getting used to the classic finicky nature of this, the quality if superb.

Cons: first shot tends to go to the sink, poor placement for the steam wand.

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There is nothing I can add that these other 2 reviewers haven't already covered w/ eloquence, but here I go anyway. I bought mine roughly 2 2.5 years ago. I'm happy to report, the romance is still alive and strong. I might not tremble in awe anymore, but every morning there we are, starting our day together. It's never the same. lately my shots are not doing it for me. I have found the bean makes a considerable difference. namely, how fresh it is. I've been buying stump town lately, but it might not be cutting the mustard. ahhhh, I digress. the general gist is that its quirky. and figuring out those quirks(which may vary machine to machine) has got to appeal to you. If you want a consistent, nice shot everyday as you fly out the door on your way to work, maybe this is not the one. some people prefer automatic transmission, others want to feel the engine below the pedals, they enjoy driving for its own sake. so, that's what I'd reinforce. clearly it's a gorgeous machine. It's very well-made. it's got old-world appeal. some of my friends didn't realize it actually functioned. they thought I had some cool antique relic on my counter, and didn't even question why I had it on display based purely on aesthetics. pouring a shot of liquid gold was, for them, nothing short of a religious experience. the last thing I'll say, and the resin I'm even here, is because I was curios how well they hold there value. I am happy to report they seem to be increasing in value.

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Primula Demitasse 9 pc Espresso Coffee Maker Gift Set

It's an awesome little espresso maker. I have heard that you should only use a stainless steel moka for espresso, but I get fantastic espresso out of this baby. The little demitasse cup & saucer set is a bonus, for the price it is an outstanding value.

I can highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great shot of espresso.

I use caffee kimbo espresso export, also available through amazon.

bottom line:

Great product,great value.

It was broken out of the box ;-( I went to get a replacement and it was out of stock

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Bought it for a wedding present, but at least one of the cups was broken so I sent it back.

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Oggi Lustre Clarisa Carafe

In the picture on Amazon, this carafe looks very solid and well made. Upon arrival, you'll find that it's very cheaply put together, with a plastic lid, poor alignment of seams, very cheap plastic/metal combinations in other parts....overall not anywhere near the quality of a Bodum or other well-made kitchen brand. I returned mine immediately.

This is a product that I like and use every day. I really enjoy tea. I use the carafe so that I can brew a large batch, enjoy it over the next several hours, and have it remain hot.

For a serious tea drinker such as myself, this is a good product. First of all, has a nice, large capacity, which allows me to brew a lot of tea at once. Second, it does an excellent job of keeping hot liquids hot. I have not tested it for its ability to keep cold liquids cold. However, I regularly brew tea in the carafe before going to sleep, and then leave it overnight. When I wake up in the morning, I can enjoy the tea immediately and amazingly, it is still hot. I have even brewed tea in this product and left it for even longer 24 hours later, the tea is still warm.

The construction is sturdy. The wide base relative to the top ensures that it will not tip over. Even if filled and laid on its side, the liquid does not leak out unless the valve is opened. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, there is no way to lock the valve (the red lever pictured above) so that it cannot open if the carafe should tip over and hit something. Overall, though, it is pretty leak-proof.

There are two small downsides to this product. First: I originally bought this because I wanted a stainless steel vessel for brewing tea. I had been using a polycarbonate Nalgene with an infuser attachment, but I was concerned about exposure to bisphenol A from drinking hot tea out of this bottle every day. The Nalgene also did not keep the tea hot for appreciable periods of time. This carafe solved the problem of the tea cooling too quickly, but I am still a bit concerned about BPA exposure. The body of the carafe is stainless steel, but the tea infuser and top piece are made of plastic. I am not sure if these parts are made with BPA. If you are buying this product with BPA exposure in mind, caveat emptor.

Second: After pouring some of the hot liquid out of the carafe, some room temperature air enters the inside of the vessel, cooling down the vapor that is left inside. This creates a vacuum inside and produces an annoying sucking sound as more air attempts to get through the seal. The sound is relieved by opening the valve, but it reappears within a few minutes.

Overall, a good product and worth the price if you enjoy brewing loose tea or being able to have hot coffee all day. An assurance that the plastic infuser is BPA-free would have bumped my rating up to 5 stars.

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This very same Oggi Thermal Carafe is being sold in at least two other links here on Amazon. This product is so poorly made, I felt it important to provide potential customers with that review here as well. I really wanted to like this because it looked so nice but fell way short of expectations. For the cost, I would expect quality materials and manufacturing. Sorry Oggi, this is a DUD! For the sake of your reputation, this would be a good item to discontinue.

I enjoy those restaurants that provide your table with a carafe of coffee. It is convenient for the patrons and the wait staff and I wish more restaurants would engage in this practice. For the reason of convenience I decided to purchase one for my personal use at home. I thought it would be perfect to keep in my office when I'm doing computer work or beside my favorite chair when I'm reading or studying.

I purchased this same product through a different vendor for a little lower price with a discount I was able to take advantage of. I was excited when it arrived and the first thing I noticed was how much nicer it looked than in the picture. Upon inspection however my excitement started to diminish. Right away I noticed that the spout, handle and dome lid was made of very cheap plastic. It is very thin and would likely not handle an accidental drop. The spout and top third of handle appears to be made from three different pieces of plastic fused together based on the visible seams and the seam on the handle is right where you grip it.

Later when I used it, other flaws became very obvious. First and probably most important is that is pours horribly. You have to depress the lever on the dome lid to raise the plunger and the beverage comes out at a very slow and messy trickle. The only way not to make a mess is to ensure that the spout is all the way down into my coffee cup. A deeper spout might have eliminated this issue. Also the opening in the lid might be too small because unless I completely tip the carafe upside down, it comes out in dribbles.

Also there are no finger grips on the lid so you have to use the plunger lever for leverage and with its cheap construction, it already has some side to side play and I just don't see it lasting much longer.

Lastly, the description states it can keep you beverage hot for up to eight hours. I have found that to be off by 6 hours! The only thing going for this is that it looks good. Due to its design flaws, cheap plastic material and poor manufacturing of the most important parts, this has become one of the worst products I have ever purchased.

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This item is pretty solid and does the job for the price I paid. It is true that the handle and dome is plastic and not metal but for the approximately $30 price it is still very good, and looks slick. The bulk of the charafe is the metal black portion which is intended to keep your drink at the temperature you want for up to 8 hours. I tested it and it did indeed last 7 or 8 hours, which is longer than a similar Charafe I bought online that was non-Oggi manufactured.

Overall, I still highly recommend. Of course if you want a super latest and greatest carafe the size of 54 ounces like this one, you'd easily be looking to pay three or at least two times more. This gets the job done for sure.

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I got this because it has an infuser and I could make tea and drink it all day.

Unfortunately the infuser is too small to allow tea leaves to expand, it's a piece of garbage plastic, and the holes are too big allowing tea leaves to escape.

After the first pot of tea using the built in infuser I had 2 issues.

1. tea tasted like plastic

2. i couldn't take the tea leaves out of the infuser since it's so small and narrow.

I'll have to use a different infuser. Hopefully the plastic taste is only from the infuser and I can use it as a regular pot.

EDIT (Dec 2009):

I was reading other reviews and someone recommended these bags to use (100 Finum Tea Filter, Large, Brown). I think this is the only way to use this carafe. I don't want it to be a waste of money... On the positive side, the carafe works ok and tea made with the paper tea bags tasted alright. So it's not a complete waste. It held tea warm for a long period and I like how the base is wide so it's tough to knock over.

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Capresso 4440 10-Cup Stainless Carafe for Capresso MT-500

this is a suitable replacement for my Krups machine. The glass feels flimsy so it may break before I get much use from it(like the krups version did) The fit under the spout is a little tight but not overly so. Overall it works for my purposes.

This was exactly what I was looking for! It seems to be great quality and is a perfect replacement for the original that broke!

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Bought carafe as replacement. Package arrived earlier than expected. Carafe was well packed. Item was not broken or chipped. It was not a 10 cup stainless carafe but a 4 cup.

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Our Capresso carafe broke on the kitchen floor. We ordered this replacement and it works perfectly.

The parts fit snuggly and it feels like good quality metal and plastic that will last several more years.

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It's a useful replacement for the carafe I broke though for some reason it leaks more than the original when I'm pouring the coffee.

Combination Machine

Got this coffe machine a week ago for ChristmasI filled the tank with water and let it sit there so the machine would make a coffe for me for the next morninginstead I found later all water dripping over the counterthe tank was dripping water from underneath and not maintaining it as it is supposed to do. It's a good looking machine but not working properlyI should have paid more attention to the reviews prior I placed the order. What a money waste and disapoinment for Holidays!People read the reviews before u buy somethingthey definetely help!

Basically this is a $30 coffee maker with a defective espresso maker bolted onto it. The first issue I had was that the dimensions are incorrectly stated, both at Amazon and at Delonghi's site. The height measurement doesn't take into account the huge knob of a lid it has for the water chamber for the espresso maker which sticks up an extra 2 inches. I bought this to fit under a cupboard and it doesn't. The whole point of this combo device is space saving, so why lie about the size? I should have sent it back right then, but I didn't.

Next, the espresso maker never worked right. it leaks water out around the coffee holder regardless of what grind you use or how much you put in. This is because of the moronic plastic insert in the coffee holder, which seems to serve no purpose but to restrict the flow of water so it backs up and overflows out. Again, I should have returned it right then.

Today (6 mo later) the espresso maker started just shooting water and steam out everywhere including into the electronic panel on the front of the machine. Now there's water in the LCD clock. So it doesn't just NOT WORK, it's actually a fire hazard too.

I'll be trying to return this, but I don't have much hope I'll be sucessful. Do yourself a favor if you're thinking about buying this and just buy a decent coffee maker and a cheap espresso maker. That's all this device is a $30 coffee maker and a $30 espresso maker bolted together and sold for way more than it's worth.

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We bought this machine just over a year ago (13 months ago) and, after the 12 month warranty was passed, it literally stopped working. The machine is cheaply (made in China)and seeing through the "looks" it is poorly made. De Longhi does not stand by their machines so if you want to throw away 150 to 200 bucks then buy De Longhi

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We never got the espresso part to work properly. We had multiple intelligent people trying to get it to work but it never did. Total waste of money. The coffee part was fine though.

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DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS COMPANY! I bought this piece of junk 3 months ago it started to not work properly after about a month and just progressed until it died! The espresso maker is worthless steam would leak out from around the seal and never make more than one shot. The steam shorted out the digital display and killed the machine. I contacted Delonghi about warranty sent them a copy of my purchase and they told me to sent it to a service center( which I paid out of pocket for)and they will not cover it! I bought it as a gift for my wife... spent the extra money and I got burnt! Delonghi will never get another dime from me!

KRUPS GX4100 Electric Spice Herbs and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades and Housing, Grey

The Krups Coffee/Spice Mill is a good value for the money. I use it primarily for grinding toasted seeds for Indian dishes (cardomman pods, cloves, cumin seed, peppercorns, coriander seed, mustard seed, chiles etc.). I read the reviews on how the plastic lid will 'cloud' from certain spices (e.g., cloves) and that doesn't matter to me. This grinder isn't a piece of artwork it's a cooking tool. Where I used to spend 20 minutes with a hand-operated mill, the Krups does the same thing in about 5 seconds. It cleans up easily it's all self-contained and there aren't any burrs to clean out it's totally blade-operated. In a perfect world, it would grind more precisely (fine to coarse) but that would require burrs and the cleaning associated with them. So for me and my needs, it's a good value for the money. The time I saved with the first usage more than pays for the machine.

I have had mine since 1997 (or maybe 1996?), when it cost a hefty $50 or so. I used it almost every day for a long time, for coffee. I got lazy a couple years ago & started using already ground coffee, so it was relegated to a high cupboard.

It has resumed a prominent place in my kitchen, as I have discovered the joy of cooking fresh, organic food for my growing family. I now use it for nuts, seeds and grains! I was using other grinders, then got a clue, pulled this out and VOILA! I am SOO impressed with it's simple design, speed, durability, versatility AND it's not as noisy as other grinders/blenders (I do my best work late at night, after the bumpkin is asleep).

In my very practical, no-frills little kitchen, this is a handsome, functional product that I have enjoyed for many years, and it has proved itself to be a great purchase.

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I purchased this grinder specifically for pepper grinding which requires fairly fine powder. This grinder works great for this and was exactly what I had wanted. I am sure coffee is good as well, but if looking for an electric spice grinder, this one is one of the best expecially for the money.

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This product has done everything it claimed to do in excellent fashion. I have used it primarily to grind spices and it has performed above my expectations. It would be a good buy at twice the price

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I've been grinding my own coffee beans since the early eighties and since then I've owned a few different grinders, including the Krups Fast Touch and a similarly priced model made by Braun. I also own a burr grinder, which is good when I want to grind enough beans to last a few days or a week. The Krups GX4100 is by far my favorite. It's quiet, the lid locks on during grinding, it grinds fast, it feels powerful, I like the high tech look, and ground coffee seems to stick to the inside of the lid and the grinder far less than with cheaper grinders. It is necessary for me to carefully brush the ground coffee from the lid and grinder into a coffee filter, but for me this is part of the ritual of preparing a nice cup of coffee from freshly ground beans. I'm glad I purchased this grinder.

Update 2/20/10: I've used this grinder daily (except when traveling) since getting it a little over 2 years ago, and it continues to run perfectly. I typically use it twice a day. By now I know exactly how many seconds to grind beans for drip, espresso, and French press coffee, and the results are perfect every time. So glad I have this powerful, "industrial strength" grinder.

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