Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer 49980Z Review

COMPLETE REVIEW

The Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer is a multifunctional coffee machine that offers both the possibility of making a full 12-cup batch, or just a single cups-worth directly into your “at home” or travel mug. It’s also not that difficult to master and it has many great options for brewing a cup exactly as you like it.

This coffee maker comes with 24-hour programmability which means you can set the timer to start brewing right when you wake up. This is a function you will probably use a lot since it means you will never have to wait for coffee again. The machine also features a 2-hour auto shut off period so you don’t have to worry whether or not you turned it off. And in case you get up earlier and find yourself standing next to the brewer impatiently, the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer features a pause option that lets you sneak a cup before letting the brewer run its full cycle. To make your favorite beverage just as you like it, you can choose between a regular or a bold brew for those moments you need a coffee with an extra punch.

However, the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer doesn’t offer the option of adjusting its warming plate temperature which can be a problem if you don’t intend to use your 12-cup carafe all at once. And while your coffee retains most of its taste up to an hour from brewing, it’s ok for it to sit on a well-heated warming plate for a while. And when it comes to the brewing process itself, the 2-Way Brewer decided to go for speed over taste, not implementing a pause after the coffee grounds are sprayed. Other coffee machines we reviewed allow a period for the grounds to get saturated and release their full aroma eventually producing an excellent cup of coffee. This coffee maker also uses more convenient, but more expensive, paper filters.

This Hamilton Beach model descriptively carries the name 2-Way Brewer since it can do exactly that – Brew coffee in two “ways”. The primary brewing process is reserved for the 12-cup carafe, while on the left side there is a space that can fit either a cup, or a 14-oz. travel mug. To use a regular mug, you’ll have to set up the multilevel cup rest that adjusts to your mug’s size. The single-serve part of this machine uses a mesh filter that can either be filled directly with loose ground coffee, or with soft coffee pods.

Ease of use

This coffee maker doesn’t have a large learning curve and it’s rather simple to use. When you first start it, you should follow the instructions and use paper filters with medium ground coffee. For each cup you wish to brew, you should add about a scoop full of coffee. Next step is filling up the reservoir, and while the manufacturer does recommend using filtered, or bottled water, you can use regular tap water as well. Choose the boldness of your coffee and press Brew now.

And while it does have some minor omissions, the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer makes superb tasting coffee. It has a smooth flavor, it’s strong and it features a wonderful aroma that will raise you out of bed with ease.

There’s not much to say about the descaling process since all you have to do is run a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water through the machine for 30 seconds, turn off the machine and wait 30 minutes then let the brewer run a full cycle with the mixture in it. Afterwards, run a few fresh water cycles to make sure the vinegar taste is out.

Though Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer is not as flashy as some other coffee makers we reviewed, it gets the job done superbly. It makes full-bodied coffee with an aroma that will invigorate you even on the gloomiest of days. It doesn’t offer as many functions as some other similar appliances, but it allows you to sneak a cup with the Brew Pause, set the boldness of your coffee and more. It’s selling feature is the single-serve brewing option. You can use this to make a travel mugs-size worth of coffee and quickly be on your way. If you’re looking for a robust machine that makes good quality coffee, the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer is the one for you.