LOVE this personal brewer!, October 27, 2011

I’ve been a long time user of personal brewers – two pod/cup type machines one well known, one lesser known. My problem with them both is that using your own coffee (I have my non pod favorite!) produces a mess and/or very weak coffee. They simply don’t hold the right coffee/water ratio to produce what I would consider an excellent cup of coffee.

I recently spied this machine and immediately liked that it was non proprietary, read the former reviews, looked at the price tag and was skeptical – how good could it be for under when its rival starts at 0? I finally brought one home and I’m sold! Using the “bold” setting it made even a decaf coffee nice and strong and it reminded me of the results that I get with my French Press – full bodied, rich & flavorful.

I like that the basket for the coffee is nice and deep and easy to fill. The water resevoir is easily filled. It holds an ample 14 oz. of water – you get out what you put in so playing with the measurement and grind of your favorite coffee takes some perfecting. The brewer starts immediately, the light goes out signaling it is finished brewing. It is a tad faster than the mini version of the more popular single cupper. The coffee comes out hot. I haven’t seen any issues with leaking, spraying, etc. Hamilton Beach was also thinking when the made the drip tray so that it flips over and fills the space to a smaller cup size.

I’d add some cons but really there isn’t anything that I dislike about this machine.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (4)

Super quiet, great coffee, awesome value, ridiculously easy to clean, November 19, 2011

I just purchased this yesterday, so I can’t vouch for its longevity, but we have made several quick cups of coffee and tea using this and it works great.

Let me say that I am a caffeine addict. I prefer my coffee bold, am picky about my freshly roasted beans and prefer the taste of french press-made coffee. However, I am also not a morning person, and having to make a large cup of coffe in the morning while trying to get busy kids and a busy mom ready for school/work is quite a chore. Also, being the only coffee drinker in the house (my husband and oldest son like tea), my only option after drinking the first cup was to dump out the rest or refridgerate it and microwave it later – neither were options I was thrilled about.

I didn’t want to pay the price of one of the larger Keurigs; nor did I have the counter space for that. We have a large Keurig at my office and, while I certainly appreciate being able to brew a fresh cup of coffee whenever I want, it’s a noisy machine, it has to be constantly plugged in to maintain its heating elements, and the coffee pods leave something to be desired.

I checked out the smaller, less-expensive Keurigs in the stores, but they felt very flimsy and I had read reviews about them breaking down frequently.

My HB One-Scoop feels sturdy, doesn’t take up much counter space, was reasonably priced and, best of all, makes a great cup of coffee. It took a few tries for me to determine how fine to grind my beans and how much of it to use, but after that, it’s been a breeze: You take your cup, fill it with water and pour that into the reservoir on top. Then, you take the scoop (which doubles as a filter), scoop out the amount of ground coffee you want, slap that scoop into a filter cup that is already sitting in the well, close the lid and press either the “regular” or “bold” button. The coffee drips quietly into your cup. Also, clean up literally takes seconds – All you need to do is rinse out the scoop filter and filter cup in hot water.

You don’t have to plug this unit in until you’re ready to use it, and an adjustable shelf allow you to use a smaller mug or a larger travel-sized mug.

This comes with two scoops, so you can make more than one cup of coffee if you have company and not have to stick a wet scoop into your ground coffee. We have also used it just for hot water for tea and it works equally well with a rinsed out filter scoop and filter cup.

In addition, the scoop and water reservoir also has measurement lines for an 8 oz. and 14 oz. cup of coffee, although I do use extra coffee to get the strength I like.

I love being able to use my favorite coffees and not get stuck buying expensive, weak-flavored pods. I’m so glad I got this.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comment

CAN’T FIND A BETTER CUP OF COFFEE, November 30, 2011

By 

Sharon E. Herring “Sharbear” (Ft. Walton Beach, FL) – See all my reviews

  

I am a coffee connoisseur. I have tried every machine from the Senseo to the Bunn Home Cafe (very expensive coffee brewer) to the French Press. I am tired of the “pod” machines because you just cannot get a good cup of coffee, even when you make your own pods. Therefore, I researched numerous coffee brewers and was contemplating getting a Keurig when I spotted this coffee brewer during a TV commercial. My first thought was that this is the ideal concept — scooping your own coffee — no pods or K-cups. I purchased this brewer and was determined not to like it because it wasn’t an “expensive” brewer. While it does have several inconveniences, like having to refill the water reservoir each time you want a cup of coffee, bottom line is it makes the best cup of coffee for a single serve coffee maker that I’ve ever tasted! It is a simple machine, but ideal for those who just want a delicious cup of coffee each time you turn it on. Another plus, the water gets very hot, unlike other machines I’ve used where the water comes out luke warm.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comment

An Inexpensive Treat, December 9, 2008

By 

J Keistler “johnrktx@sbcglobal.net” (Lake Jackson, Texas USA) – See all my reviews

  

  

This was my first French press. I have always enjoyed this type of coffee, particular after dinner. However, I was attracted to the plastic framework surrounding the carafe, as I can be clumsy at times.

This press has worked just as well as the more expensive, more traditional looking French press pots. I set the coarsest setting on my Braun grinder, and no grounds get through the screen. It is just perfect. I haven’t ever run my press through the dishwasher, it isn’t necessary with the easy cleaning with this one. I just put hot soapy water in the carafe, up-and-down a few times with the plunger and it’s all ready to use again. I have heeded the warning not to stir with a metal implement; I use a wooden spoon.

I would heartily recommend this model of Bodum for someone who would like to experience French press coffee at home, inexpensively.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (2)

Tidy Adaptation of the Cowboy Coffee Brew Method, June 8, 2009

Let’s face it, dumping coffee grounds into a bucket of hot water is nothing new. The Bodum Press is a refinement of the cowboy coffee brewing method, minus the campfire & straining it thru a sock. In My world, there is no such thing as “too Strong” for coffee. There IS, however, too bitter & too acidy. The press does what perking, dripping and steaming ground coffee cannot do: produce a stout, yet smooth cup of coffee – just like the stuff made around decades of my campfires.

Model Brazil, made in Denmark by a Swiss Company & called a French Press. No wonder the confusion over exactly how many cups this actually makes. The Euro-instructions for the press say 4 oz. per cup, but even my fine Bavarian China cups (from when I lived in Munich) are 6 ounces.

Just look at it this way: It holds 32 ounces of water.

The instructions on your roast coffee container usually say to use 1 TBSP per 6 ounces of water (NOT 4 ounces & NOT 8 ounces). Again, in MY world, 32 ozs. makes about 2 cups of coffee.

I toss in 6 or more scoops of ground coffee, pour in hot water & wait the obligatory 4 minutes. The result is a smooth coffee that you can drink by the quart without that nasty heartburn/reflux side effect.

It’s ideal for work, where the office sissies are afraid of offending anyone with REAL coffee, so they make it weak. I simply step up to the hot water spigot & take the Press to my desk.

Now, you, too, can have coffee the way you like it at work without having to cover up someone’s botched brew with that foo-foo Vanilla, Hazelnut, Irish Cream or other phoney-flavored faux creamers.

Cleanup? Swirl around some soapy water, & dump the grounds down the sink – just be sure to have the water blasting & the garbage disposal running, so as to not plug up the sink trap.

Even if you already have the coffee-brewing apparatus of your dreams, buy the Bodum 32 oz. model. You won’t be disappointed.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (22)

Love it, January 2, 2009

I have two Chambord models, and this one. I prefer the features of the Brazil’s keyed lid, and secured plastic frame to the Chambord models. I’ve had this for about 3 years now, use it every day, and it’s held up perfectly. Great press.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comment

Finally, great coffeemaker!, October 27, 2011

Have had this coffeemaker for a few weeks and am extremely pleased. Very simple to operate, makes super hot coffee and love the idea of making a pot or just a mug/travel mug. The single serve side utilizes Senseo pods which are quite good and easy to find in my grocery store. You can also use non-pod coffee so options are limitless. It took me a lot of time to find the perfect coffeemaker for my household – some of the reviews are scary (flooded kitchens). I absolutely love this coffeemaker – and since I can also make just a cup of very hot tea, this has everything I could need.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (8)

Love this machine!, November 15, 2011

I bought this coffee maker a few days ago to replace a dated Hamilton Beach 12 cup machine. It solved having to purchase both a new 12 cup maker and a single cup brewer such as a Keurig. The single cup brewer uses the Senseo Pods which although don’t have as many varieties available as K-Cups it does produce better tasting coffee.

The single cup side is perfect for making 1 or 2 cups when you don’t need to brew a full pot. The carafe is on a hot plate and will stay warm for a couple of hours before it automatically switches off.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (2)

Great replacement, October 9, 2011

The Scoop was a great replacement for our worn-out Hamilton Beach. Regular brew time for the single cup is about 4 minutes. The bold is about two minutes longer. The removable plates for the single cup allows us to use a variety of cup sizes and adding water and clean up is a breeze. Have only had this for a week, but we are very please. Will let you know if we have problems later, but we are looking at another long-lasting Hamilton Beach product.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (7)

Best ever! Finally!!!! A working coffee pot!!!! Whoohooooo!, December 4, 2011

By 

C. Torrillo “Kring” (Connecticut) – See all my reviews

  

YES YES YES! Finally a working coffee pot that wasn’t designed/built by total morons!

A coffee maker should do the following:
1. Make coffee into a pot (not on the counter)
2. Make hot coffee (listen up mr coffee!)
3. Actually pour coffee out of the carafe! (again something mt coffee hasn’t figured out)
4. Actually brew the entire filters worth of grinds and not just part of the grinds
5. Not cost an Arm and a leg…. It’s a simple appliance

After going through 6 different coffee makers from 4 different mfg’s I finally found one that meets my extremely picky 5 requirements (sarcasm) this maker is the ONLY one that does!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (3)

Very good coffee maker with a thermal carafe, November 10, 2011

By 

Craig Rogers “honest citizen” (Westerly RI) – See all my reviews

  

I bought this from Abe”s of maine. I usually don’t write reviews but I did a lot of research and have waited a long time to buy another coffee maker since my Philips Thermal was getting a bit old.
I have tried a number of thermal units in the past and could not find one that produced hot coffee from the start, never mind after awhile from the carafe. The Philips was good, not perfect, where after my second cup I had to hit the microwave. So I came across the Melitta older version and wanted to buy it but could not find one at an reasonable price so I called Melitta. They said it was discontinued but they have a new model 46894. Now the picture is wrong here, it shows a glass carafe, the same on Abe’s website but the model number was correct so I ordered it and got the thermal carafe.

So far I really like it. I ran water thru it and it is 5 degrees hotter than my Philips and it has a hot plate which gets good and hot during the brew time and then goes off when it stops brewing. It has 3 Brew settings which must be different temperatures which makes the water pass thru at different speeds. I have tried all 3 and I can’t see there is a big difference, but I think you need to be exact in measuring and using the same coffee and amount of water. I have 3 coffees open in decanters which I switch everyday for variety.

Easy to fill without spilling water, easy to clean and the carafe is a one handed operation to pour..

So all I can say is go for it!.. Can’t beat the price and quality for a good cup of coffee.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comment (1)

AWESOME COFFEE!!!, December 4, 2011

This is a sturdy coffee machine. Sleek looks, simple use, great coffee, easy to clean up. Coffee still pretty warm after 4 hrs. Really easy to use and clean carafe. Brews quickly enough, and produces piping hot coffee. Brew strength is a nice way to use less coffee and extract more flavor… more noticeable with fine grounds. Bonus, you can make iced coffee with this one! Fill the carafe with ice, double coffee grounds, and brew (directions are in the manual). YUM! Very bright blue LED for those who care, no bother to me. I read about all the others available Dec 2011, and this seemed the best bang for the buck! I recommend a burr grinder for excellent flavor! No burnt coffee taste at all. BUY IT!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comment