AliventiAsylum's Full Review: Hamilton Beach BrewStation 47224 12-Cup Coffee Mak...
We’re tough on coffee makers. We get a new one every 1-2 years because the old one breaks. In this case, our last coffee maker, the Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker just got me aggravated enough with its difficulty cleaning that I put it out in our garage sale.
I went shopping for a new one, and though I researched coffee makers and had some idea of what I wanted, all that went out the window when I saw the Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker in our local Target store.
The Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker is unlike any other coffee maker I’d seen. Most notably, there is no carafe! This was great as we’d broken one from the coffee makers we’d had and my one daughter grabbed one and broke it when she was younger.
Instead, the Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker dispenses coffee right into a cup by pressing the cup against a button in the coffee maker’s base. The coffee itself is brewed and kept warm in the top of the coffee maker.
The lid on the top of the coffee maker opens up, revealing the reservoir for the water. Also inside are two containers which lift out. The first is a plastic basket which holds the coffee filter and into which goes the coffee grounds. This sits tightly in the thermal coffee tank, which actually makes up the entire front of the Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker. The front of this tank has an area where it shows just how much brewed coffee is remaining in the tank.
The coffee dispenses through the bottom of this piece when a cup is pressed against the button in the base. Below the dispenser in the base is a small tray to catch drips. I have not noticed any major drippage from the machine; only one drop occasionally after I’ve dispensed the coffee.
Because the entire brewing and storage system is sealed, I have found that the coffee keeps its flavor quite a bit longer than with regular coffee makers. We often have coffee leftover from our morning brewing, and I find the on the second morning I can reheat the coffee in the microwave and the flavor is as good as the day before. Also, I don’t have to worry about dust or bugs finding their way into the coffee, as sometimes happened with the glass carafe.
The Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker brews up to 12 cups of coffee which is a good size. I had thought about getting a thermal coffee maker, but most of them brewed a smaller pot. The coffee flavor is quite good. I tried the unit first with poorer quality beans than I normally use, and the coffee had no bitterness. The warmer in the bottom of the tank stays on for 2 hours, and doesn’t give the coffee a burned taste. I have taken a cup 3 hours after starting the brew cycle that was still warm enough that I didn’t have to re-heat it.
There is a clock on the Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker which allows for programming the coffee maker up to 24 hours in advance. The one morning I used it, the smell of the coffee permeated the entire house and woke me up, just like in the Maxwell House commercials. After that I didn’t set the timer unless I knew it was a time I wanted to be awake.
Clean-up is a breeze. Both the basket and the tank come out so they can be rinsed easily. I never use soap to clean these parts as I don’t want any residue in the coffee. Once a month we run a white vinegar and water mixture through to clean it a bit better. I also make sure to wipe out the drip tray underneath the coffee dispenser.
The Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker comes with a water filter which sits in the reservoir. We probably won’t get refills once this filter is used up, but they are available to order online on the Hamilton Beach website should you like this feature. Four filters cost $19.99 You can also purchase a gold filter for it instead of using the paper basket filters at a cost of $9.99.
At 14 inches high, the Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker fits nicely under my cabinets. It also looks nice in our kitchen as the black finish matches our other black appliances. There is a one year limited warranty on the appliance.
I am very satisfied with the performance of this coffee maker and hope to have it for years to come. It took me a while, but I seem to have finally found a coffee maker I’m pleased with!
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