Gives a lot of other so-called coffee makers a run for their money - a great value!
Positive Product Points
This coffee maker makes a pot of hot & flavorful coffee, as well as or better than any home unit I have previously owned. In normal brewing mode, makes the coffee reasonably fast. I like the shape & feel of the carafe - it feels like a restaurant style carafe.
Negative Product Points
I have a lot of problems with the carafe dripping coffee on the counter as it's poured into the cup. Also, if making a less-than-full pot of coffee, I've had some problems with the paper filter folding down during the brewing process, which changes the quality of the brew considerably.
Detailed Commentary
This is a 10-cup brewer and features the FlavorPlus brewing cycle (selectable switch) which presoaks the coffee grounds prior to the regular brewing cycle, and this supposedly improves the coffee's flavor. I'm not sure it makes that much difference and it adds about 4 extra minutes to the brewing time, so I normally don't use it. For me, this brewer makes coffee that tastes just fine without using FlavorPlus. The coffee is hot enough and probably as good as you'll find in a home brewer in this price range. In fact, prior to purchasing this, I had exchanged a Cuisinart restaurant style model that was $99.95 and I like this Hamilton Beach better. The coffee wasn't hot enough with the Cuisinart and it was too big for my counter. I also like the coffee made in this HB much better than coffee I used to make with a Bunn unit - the Bunn's brew was too weak with anything less than a full pot. I can make a 5-cup pot in this and it has full flavor. I think, that for thirty bucks, this is a great buy and the most important thing you can do to get a quality brew (without spending a quite a bit more money on a higher-end coffee maker) is getting fresh coffee beans grinded consistently. Other than the minor complaints I mentioned, I'm very happy with this coffee maker and it's probably one of the best buys in the sub-$100 price point. If you have just been using something along the lines of Mr. Coffee, this model would be your next logical step up while not spending much more money or if you're considering other brands like Melitta, Cuisinart, etc, you should definitely take a look at these Hamilton Beach coffee makers. Note: there's a newer model available than the one pictured.
