Hamilton Beach 49981A Review

If you are looking for a budget single cup coffee maker then the Hamilton Beach 49981A could be just the device for you.  This coffee maker is very easy to use as there is nothing for you to program.  You just simply add your coffee and choose whether you want a standard or bold cup of coffee.

The bold cup feature is perfect for those who like a strong, rich flavor to their coffee.  On the bold setting, the brew is slower since it allows the water to extract the full flavor and caffeine from the coffee bean.  A tip is if you use a fine grind coffee grind you should use the bold setting if you have a denser grind the standard drip setting will work fine.

With its small size, attractive appearance, easiness to use the Hamilton Beach 49981A is a great budget choice for college students, small apartments, and camping adventures.  Read on for more of our review to see if this single-serve coffee machine is for you.

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Features

To see the Hamilton Beach 49981A single-serve coffee maker in action and learn more about its features check out the embedded video below…..

• With a single-serve scoop filter, you can brew your own ground coffee.
• Can brew up to 14 ozs. into a travel cup or coffee mug of your choice.
  
• Durable stainless steel construction for most parts on this machine.
• Comes equipped with a Built-in stand for a coffee mug.

Specifications

•  Power: 1300W
•  Voltage: 120VAC / 60 Hz
• Size: 9.8 x 7.6 x 13.5 inches
• Net Weight: 5.25 LBS
• Item number: 49981A

What consumers say about the Hamilton Beach 49981A

The majority of consumers have rated the Hamilton Beach 49981A single-cup coffee maker positively.  Read below for the things consumers consistently say they like the most with this single-serve coffee machine:

•  A simple but stylish device that just makes hot coffee
• Small footprint for those with limited counter space
• Very easy to clean just run under the faucet water no paper filters or K-Cups are needed

As with any product, there are bound to be issues.  Read below for the most common problems consumers state they have experienced with their machine:

•  The most common complaint is this machine for some consumers has a strong plastic smell and taste even after running it through several cleaning cycles
• Coffee grounds can seep through a filter that comes with this single-serve coffee machine and leave sediments in a coffee cup
• Some consumers state that the full amount of water put into the reservoir doesn’t come out when brewing coffee
• Splashes coffee when brewing if there is a big space between the coffee cup or mug and the coffee maker spout.

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PROS

•  Stainless steel design gives a stylish look
• Small footprint perfect for small spaces
• Brews quick hot cup of coffee
• Doesn’t require buying paper filters or K-cups
• Price point

CONS

•  Some machines have a strong plastic smell and leave a plastic taste when brewing
• Coffee ground sediment can leak through the provided plastic filter
• Can take some experimentation to get the strength of coffee to your liking

Some Tips from Customers

•  If you find that water is leaking out the front this could be because you have forgotten to rinse the secondary filter. After lifting out the primary filter, the silver ring below it slides off towards you and there is a finer filter that needs to be rinsed periodically.  Rinse out about once a week.
• Use #1 or paper disc coffee filters in addition to plastic filters to prevent coffee grounds from seeping into the coffee cup or mug.
• If the brew is weak add a little bit of water to the grounds in a plastic filter before starting the brewing process.
• For medium-sized cups put a condiment dish under a cup or mug to prevent coffee splashes.

Hamilton Beach 49981A Review Impressions

Our impression of the Hamilton Beach 49981A single-serve coffee machine is that you will either love it or hate it. If you like small simple devices then you will love this coffee machine.  With its stainless steel design, it’s also very attractive as well.  The hate from what I see comes from primarily two reasons.  First, some machines have a strong plastic smell that makes the coffee have a plastic taste as well.  Secondly, some filters may allow the coffee grinds to seep through the plastic filter that comes with the device.  So it could take some experimenting and trial and error for some consumers to get their coffee just right.

With its small footprint, this single-serve coffee machine is great for areas with small spaces such as apartment or college dorm rooms.  It’s simple and easy to use and clean so we feel this would make a great addition to a college student’s life.  Of course, you can buy a more expensive single-serve coffee machine such as a Keurig but be prepared to pay almost double and experience some of the same problems as well as pay more per cup since you have to purchase K-cups.

If you are someone who wants to save money for the environment by not having to purchase K-cups then this is one the best budget single-serve coffee makers on the market for these functions.  If you want a coffee maker with a lot of bells and whistles then I would suggest looking for a higher-end device.