The best 2-way coffee makers that we have found include two very familiar brands. Cuisinart is known for quality products and we have used several of them in our homes. Hamilton Beach is also known for good quality and producing affordable appliances that make life easier.
Why a 2-way coffee maker? A one cup coffee maker is great when you are having coffee alone. However, when you have family or friends over, it is great to have a dual coffee maker that provides the flexibility you often need for different tastes. Family, friends, and good coffee are prime ingredients for a good time at home.
Best 2 Way Cffee Makers with K-Cups
After looking for the best dual brew coffee makers, we finally focused on two great ones that offer the choice of your ground coffee or the use of K Cups on the single-serve side.
We like them and have had some great coffee from both models ourselves. For your benefit, we would like to share our 2-way coffee maker reviews on these two products.
Update: we now review the Best Ninja Coffee Makers here.
We will start with the Hamilton Beach coffeemaker, move to the Cuisinart, and then sum up our thoughts on each.
ABOUT THE HAMILTON BEACH 49976 FLEX BREW TWO WAY COFFEE MAKER
The 49976 model of the Hamilton Beach Flex Brew 2 Way Coffee Maker became available on April 6, 2017. It was an improvement of the previous models. Hamilton Beach is a trusted household brand name of many consumer products and has been around for well over 100 years. This updated 2-way coffee maker is no exception to its tradition of excellence.
This model gives you the choice of your ground coffee or K-Cup capability on the single-serve side. On the pot side, you can brew from 2 to 12 cups of coffee. You also can choose either regular brew or bold brew.
BREWING OPTIONS FOR THE HAMILTON BEACH
We think that there is nothing like a freshly brewed cup of your favorite coffee in the morning to start the day right for you. The Hamilton Beach 2 way coffee maker gives you the option of that one great cup of coffee, from either ground or your chosen K-cup, with its single-serve brew option.
If you are like us and may need a second cup to boost your energy, then you can choose the carafe brew option where you can brew from 2 to 12 cups of coffee. Either way, you will be fully ready to tackle your challenging new day!
By the way, for tea drinkers, you can use your choice of loose tea instead of ground coffee to make a carafe or a single cup. We use a variety of teas quite frequently in addition to making our beloved coffee. Placing a tea bag in the holder for coffee grounds works well too. It is very nice to have the option of using all your favorite brews.
FLEXIBILITY
The Hamilton Beach Flex Brew 49976 has two separate water reservoirs, for single-serve and carafe brew options, with easy viewing for the water levels.
The single-serve brewing option allows brewing for either a cup or a travel mug… We like having a tall mug of delicious coffee to sip on while on the road in our car.
There is also an adjustable rest on the single-serve side that facilitates the use of a standard size cup or a travel mug up to 8 inches tall.
You can program this coffee maker up to 24 hours in advance to brew a whole 12-cup carafe of delicious Regular or Bold strength coffee. It will then automatically shut off the warmer plate two hours after it finishes brewing.
PROBLEMS WITH THE HAMILTON BEACH 2 WAY COFFEE MAKERS
In the previous model of this machine, some owners had a problem with the taste of plastic in their brewed coffee. We have not found this to be a problem in this updated model. Most owners have stated that coffee brewed from this two-way coffee maker is delicious.
However, most of those who had this issue in the older model found that the problem could be easily corrected by running a solution of white vinegar through a couple of brewing cycles using an empty filter. They then ran a couple of rinse cycles with plain water afterward. The plastic taste disappeared.
WARMER PLATE PROBLEM
Another issue was with the warmer plate on a previous model. In this updated model the carafe warmer plate goes off as soon as you turn on the single-serve side. The older model warmer plate would be on no matter which side you brewed from. Hamilton Beach considered this a safety factor and corrected it.
So, if someone is making a single cup of a specialty brew, then the carafe side is no longer keeping the pot warm. You would need to turn the switch back to the carafe side after brewing the single cup and press power. Then it will keep your pot of coffee nice and hot until the 2-hour automatic shutoff.
NO DRIP CARAFE
A few have mentioned that the carafe drips when pouring coffee out of it. Most people do not have this problem. However, if you do, you can avoid this from happening by pouring the coffee just a little slower.
PAPER FILTER ON CARAFE SIDE
Some have asked as to why the 12-cup brew side does not have a permanent filter like the single-serve side. Unfortunately, that is the way Hamilton Beach sells this particular model. However, the same coffee maker is now sold under a different model number that includes the filter for a few extra dollars. That is the Hamilton Beach Flexbrew programmable coffee maker with Gold Tone Filter 49950C.
If a permanent filter is not important to you then you can save a couple of dollars by purchasing the Hamilton Beach Flex Brew 49976 model as described above.
Is COFFEE NOT HOT ENOUGH?
Another consideration for this machine is that the coffee is not hot enough for some people. This is a matter of personal taste. Glenda has had coffee from this coffee maker and it is plenty hot enough for her and the rest of the family. No one who has had coffee from this coffee maker has ever complained that it was not hot enough. Still, some people like their coffee hot enough to burn you.
One gentleman did a complete test on the coffee maker using a digital cooking thermometer. You can read his results on Amazon and perhaps that will help you determine if it is hot enough for you.
In our testing, we found the temperature of the grounds just after the brew cycle completed was 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the optimal brewing temperature for flavor extraction. We also found that the coffee cooled somewhat as it dripped down into the pot or cup.
If you add a lot of cold cream or milk to your coffee, that will cool it down. If that is the case, you may want to put it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to get it back nice and hot.
Cuisinart SS-15 12-Cup Coffee Maker and Single-Serve Brewer, Stainless Steel
You can usually expect some good and quality features from Cuisinart and this Cuisinart 2-way coffee maker proves that point. This 2-way coffee maker allows you to brew a 12-cup pot or a single cup.
You have a choice of brewing a 6-ounce, 8-ounce, or 10-ounce cup from the single side. The port side is fully programmable and can be set to brew up to 24 hours ahead.
A few more features of this Cuisinart include:
- An easy-pour no-drip 12-cup carafe
- A brew pause that allows you to get a cup before the brew is finished
- Water reservoir with water level indicator window
- A power loss backup system that provides one minute of protection for your programmed information
- A Clean indicator to let you know when to clean the coffee maker
- Temperature knob settings for Low, Medium, or High to give you a choice of how warm or hot you prefer to keep your coffee
- Choice of Regular or Bold brewed coffee
GOOD TASTING COFFEE
To have good tasting coffee, the water you use must also be good tasting. Cuisinart ensures that by including a charcoal water filter for each reservoir.
Many former Keurig coffee maker owners have moved on to this machine and love it. According to this owner, it will give you a delicious hot cup of coffee very quickly. Glenda also has this machine and loves it.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST!
This is something that you should always do no matter who the maker is. Sometimes there are things that if done incorrectly, can mess up your new product. Cuisinart is the same. However, this post has been updated because it seems apparent that the instructions are lacking a couple of important details.
- when doing the first rinse, put in place the home barista filter (included) to enable the water to come down in a stream instead of splashing.
- either uses a tall travel mug or place something on the platform to raise a smaller cup. (Coasters work beautifully)
That will save you from having a watery mess. We gave the details of what was happening in this post about the Cuisinart Coffee Center.
Other important things to pay attention to is;
- to line up the white arrows on the single-serve side. If placed improperly it can impede the proper flow of water.
- push the coffee pod down until it snaps in the holder before closing the lid. Otherwise, you have not punctured the bottom and the top will tear too large a hole when you close the lid.
Of the two coffee makers we are reviewing in this article, this one is probably the fastest brewing machine. It also makes the best tasting coffee in our opinion. You just need to pay attention to a few details when setting up the machine and using it daily.
CUISINART CLEANING CYCLE
This Cuisinart has a cleaning cycle and it is recommended to start your use of the machine by cleaning each side first. After which the pot is ready to brew your favorite coffee in your choice of sizes.
One thing we noted from each of these coffee makers is the importance of keeping the machines clean. Proper cleaning helps keep your coffee tasting fresh and delicious and prolongs the life of your coffee maker.
We found this great descaling solution which is compatible with all brands of coffee and espresso machines. You may want to keep one on hand in your kitchen.
THE BEST TWO WAY COFFEE MAKERS – PROS AND CONS
Let us now list the pros and the cons for the Hamilton Beach Flex coffee maker and the Cuisinart 2 way coffee maker. All the pros and cons seen here are based on the delight or the concerns of owners of these 2-way coffee makers.
PROS
| HAMILTON BEACH 49976 | CUISINART SS-15 |
| Has all the necessary features to brew your favorite coffee in either a single cup or carafe. Single cup side accepts either a K cup pod or your own grounds. Single cup size up to 10 oz with K cup or 14 oz with your own groundsHas good filtration. Is programmable. Warming plate keeps coffee very hot for 2 hours | Gives you plenty of useful features with two brewing options. Single cup side accepts either a K cup pod or your own grounds to brew 6, 8 or 10 ounces Charcoal filter in both sides for better taste Brews your carafe or single cup coffee real fast. Has hot water feature in all 3 sizes. Is programmable Warming plate has an temperature control. Warming plate adjustable to be on for 0 – 4 hours |
CONS
| HAMILTON BEACH 49976 | CUISINART SS-15 |
| Takes 7 to 10 minutes to brew a carafe. About standard but slower than the Cuisinart. Has no charcoal filter. Single side reservoir has to be filled with each cup. Carafe side has no permanent filter. Must use paper filters Has only a 1-year warranty. | No raised platform to prevent liquid from splashing out from the cup. If you don’t use a tall cup you need something to elevate it. The “Brewer Handle” on the single serve side may lock – have to unplug unit to reset & free it. Some operation & durability issues by owners… most of these issues are avoidable if the new owner follows the above tips and reads the instructions first. |
Our featured Hamilton Beach and Cuisinart 2 way coffee makers are among the top-rated coffee makers of their kind available on the market today. The reason millions of people select such coffee makers for their home or work is simply for Convenience, Brew Options, Quality, and Ease of Use.
Another major factor is its reasonably low cost. Whether you want just a single cup or a whole pot, the benefit of a dual purpose 2 way coffee maker is obvious.
Both the Hamilton Beach 49976 and the Cuisinart SS-15 coffee makers give you most of the features you would want in a two-way automatic drip coffee maker. Yet, Hamilton Beach is more affordably priced than the Cuisinart. The Cuisinart has a few more beneficial features, as you have noticed in our comparison matrix and review above, which can account for its higher price.
So What is the Best 2 way, Coffee Maker?
The bottom line, we have picked the Cuisinart SS-15 and the Hamilton Beach 49976 coffee makers because they are both well made, reliable, and affordable. We found many users who praised these machines and were very happy with their purchases.
We believe, though, that the more expensive Cuisinart SS-15 has an edge in the following added areas… Faster Brewing Speed, More Features, Better Built, and a Better 3-Year Warranty.
The more affordable Hamilton Beach had A Larger Cup Size Option, Better Ease of Use with Fewer Problems but only a one year warranty.
Of course, you are ultimately the one to decide which is the best 2-way coffee maker for you. It depends on which features would benefit you the most. You should be happy with either depending on your own feature need.
We are here to share our information with you based on research and personal experience. We hope that this article has been of help to you on your purchase of your next new coffee maker… Enjoy!
Want to take your coffee to the next level?
There are so many gadgets on the market now that will froth milk, cream, or an alternative creamer that it is unreal. We especially like the low cost and art stencils that come with this one.
No, it will not heat your milk but if you want to heat and froth a larger amount in something that will… We recommend this one.
There is a big difference in price and in what they do so read carefully to see what is right for you. Then take your coffee to the next level of enjoyment.
