Side by Side Comparison of: Cuisinart vs Hamilton Beach

This is our second Cuisinart coffeemaker. The first one lasted about 10 or 12 years. Well worth the cost. We liked it so much we are back for another one. It makes great coffee, is easy to use, and looks very nice with all our other stainless appliances. The stainless finish seems to be slightly different than the last model. It actually stains, whereas the other one did not. A little extra polishing may be required to keep it shiny and new looking, the way we like it.

This is the best coffee maker we have ever had. It has withstood the test of time (we bought it in 2009), is super easy to use, and makes great coffee. It also seems to be the coffee maker of choice in lots of TV shows and movies :-)

Ok.... Be warned the red is REALLY RED. Like it's a little bit loud. However the amazingness of the coffee totally makes up for it. I am pretty much a coffee maker snob. I need garbillion degree coffee and a huge pot of it. None of that single serve junk. I mean really who drinks "a" cup of coffee. That's just enough to make me angry. Anyways! I love that I can add cream to my coffee and it is still hot. Like the hot you get from a restaurant hot. It's perfect. Works great and love my machine.

Have been using this for 4 years now and had to get one for my daughter. She kept saying she could not get coffee as good as mine no matter how hard she tried or what brand of coffee she got. This model has a button(upper left) that says for 4 cups. This causes the water to heat at a higher temp before spraying onto the coffee. Lets face it, with only 4 coffee cups worth of water, you don't get much time for the water to be hot enough to get the full flavor out of your grounds! So I use it every time for full or half pots of coffee and always get a full rich cup of coffee! Don't waste your time on other brands. This one is worth the money!

This is our third in nine years.First one died due to a power surge so the electronics got fried.Second one the lid didn't sit flush, but we humored it. It too got fried. (We live in Florida - lots of thunderstorms).Third one? Well, the glass carafe DID NOT sit well, so I got out the old one and used the old one's coffee filter holder basket too. Now all's well. The new carafe when placed in the unit was so sloppy I thought they were kidding me. Almost like the carafe had a rounded bottom??? Anyway - all's well as stated.I like the "stainless steel" finish on this model - like it's plastic coated or just fake SS anyway? Whatever, it cleans up nicely.Would, and no doubt will, buy this very same model again, in another three years!

4 year update ---Amazing! Still works great and looks great. Always produces tasty coffee even though I have neglected (deliberately) to replace the charcoal filters as frequently as recommended by the manufacturer.1 year update ---Still perfect in every way! Not a single issue or inconvenience after a full year of 1 to 2 pots of coffee daily. I must live in a charmed region of the US because I have not changed the small charcoal filter until recently and it always produced fine coffee. The gold tone filter basket was seldom used (it really did leave rather grainy sediment, as expected). I soon removed the filter basket and just use standard paper filters... never had a paper filter collapse during brewing. My coffee maker is left on a kitchen counter with a low cabinet clearance, so I simply slide it toward me to fill the small top opening under the lid - never a problem. The finish is still immaculate and all controls function perfectly and are easy to program. The auto shut-off is a wonderful and useful feature - no burned coffee forgotten in the carafe. Couldn't be happier with this product!Original review ---I was sold by reviews I had read, the simple look, the uncommonly long warranty period, and finally the sale price on amazon.com. After 1 month of use, I am completely satisfied and actually quite impressed. Not the curvy plastic contours of many other new products (which can look simply cheap) and everything functions wonderfully. I use #4 filter papers placed inside the permanent lift-out gold tone filter basket to limit transfer of grounds to the carafe. This entire unit has a very solid & stable feel. The carafe is a smooth design and does not drip. This product will require a bit of cabinet height clearance to allow filling the small water reservoir located toward the rear beneath the hinged lid, but I just pull the unit forward on my counter - useful too for seeing the "steps" of the water lever indicator. The coffee tastes great even with nasty local tap water, so the mini charcoal filter seems to work very well. I would recommend using bottled water for hard water areas to increase filter replacement time (my local grocery store offers purified water refills for only .30 per gallon from a vending machine). Coffee making time is around 7 minutes for a full carafe (which seems quite fast) and 5 gentle peep-peep-peep tones sound when cycle is complete. This is a very easy unit to keep perfectly clean. All the coffee which I have tested tastes great! And, a 3-year warranty... when do you ever see that?The two knobs (yes, REAL genuine plastic rotary knobs) function nicely and I happen to like the Retro-appearance of this product. The ON/OFF lever looks like it would "click" into position, but is a clever faux-toggle which self-centers after it activates a silent electronic switch. The 4 small metal buttons are soft-touch sensors too. Tiny LED lights on the front indicate when certain functions are active, but they do not demand excessive distracting attention. The LCD clock/timer is easy to use and to read although un-lit. I have just added 3 photos of this product with captions you may wish to view, too.I purchased this from amazon.com with FREE shipping and during a surprise 1-day sale of precisely the model & color I was seeking - the $60 total price was a great bargain (these are seldom found discounted) - but the full $80 list price I would not hesitate to pay if purchasing again. It was delivered in only 3 days and arrived in a very securely packed outer carton. Before making this purchase I spent an entire day reading hundreds of various reviews for a several highly rated products within this price range. I think this was a great choice and one not simply made on impulse or for appearance or price alone. This definitely gets my vote for a fine and very solid feeling product.

Excellent Drip coffee maker. I am picky about my coffee. I drink it without cream or sugar, grind my own beans, and also use a french press.So I was looking for a replacement for an aging Mr Coffee drip maker that was beginning to fall apart after many years of faithful service. But it appears, based on reading reviews, that Mr Coffee no longer designs and builds them the way they used to. I recently used a friends Bunn coffee maker, which was very nice, but way too pricey for my budget! So I kept looking until I found this. It's almost perfect! The coffee you select, as well as the amount of coffee and water that you use, all play a part. If you can't get a great cup of coffee from this thing, don't blame the machine! The 1-4 cup mode works well, with 4 cups being around 2 mugs for me. Just add the desired amount of coffee and water. The "Bold" button should be labeled slow motion, LOL! It seems to pause frequently during the brew cycle, to allow the coffee to steep a bit longer. I don't have the patience for this, so I really haven't performed a taste test yet ;-)As far as my former Mr Coffee features, it had a separate removable water tank, which this also has. Nice.But I found that with my former Mr Coffee and it's stainless carafe, that it could cause overflows onto the counter if one wasn't careful to avoid the valve at the top of the carafe lid getting plugged with coffee grounds. So I'm happy to be back with a glass carafe, and the warmer plate keeps the coffee hot without scorching it. Auto shut-off works well. Also the glass carafe is much easier to clean than the stainless steel type.The Hamilton Beach filter basket swings out and is easily removed for cleaning. I really could never get the internal filter basket holder in the Mr Coffee clean. The basket itself came out, but the brewing chamber had a solid bottom molded into the unit. Hard to access it for cleaning.I also think the the bottom line consideration for any modern beverage appliance is the non-BPA factor. Could find nothing about the Mr Coffee line, or many other makers regarding this subject. But there were a few comments from the manufacturer of the Hamilton Beach models indicating that they are non-BPA. When I checked the water tank and the filter basket on mine, I found the recycle plastic symbol #5 on both. All good here :-)

i spent weeks looking over amazon for a coffee maker that had universally positive reviews. for someone addicted to reviews buying a coffee maker is a nightmare. a lot of people say theyre great and then you look at the one star reviews of people complaining they dont get hot enough to make a good pot.well i feel like this thing gets plenty hot. ive had it for over a year and no problems. just a good as it was on day 1. i love the removable water reservoir. this coffee maker fits perfectly under our cabinets and i dont have to move it to get the water reservoir out.it looks really nice as long as you dont inspect it with a microscope and examine the cheap plastic. it matches my stainless appliances.and the timer feature is a godsend.when i think about how good i am at shopping on amazon, this is one of my shining moments.go me

I bought this about 3 months ago and wanted to spend some time with this before writing a review.First, the design is attractive with a silver metal front and black sides and back, the clock is easy to read, and the buttons are easy to use and program. I actually chose this coffee maker because I liked the idea of filling the water reservoir in the back instead of filling the carafe and then dumping that into the top of the coffee maker. This sits under a cabinet in the kitchen and it is fantastic to simply turn the coffee maker to the side, remove the reservoir, fill it with water, replace and done! No spilling water while pouring it into the coffee maker anymore. I also love the pop open basket compartment. Again, no moving the coffee maker from under the cabinet to fill it with coffee. The door in the front swings open and closed, making this the easiest coffee maker I have ever found to prepare the coffee. This is a very well thought out design.There is a feature on this coffee maker that love, and that is the option for regular strength or Bold. I have used both to see if there is a difference and there is a large difference in taste. The regular brew spits water through slowly but constantly and it results in a pot of coffee made in about 3-5 minutes and tastes good. The Bold feature takes longer to brew (5-8 minutes), and it puts out a little bit of water which sits in the grinds for a bit, then drains out and another bit of water goes into the grinds. The flavor on the Bold setting is really, really good. The coffee turns out strong but not bitter at all and it tastes great. The difference between a regular brew and a bold brew is quite intense. After trying the bold, the regular seems a bit weak and watery to me. I will mention here that I use Pete's Coffee, usually Major Dickenson's Blend. I do find that if I get coffee out now, I don't think it tastes as good as what we make at home in the mornings, and this is a first for a long time coffee drinker like myself!As I mentioned above, this is very easy to program and I do program it most nights before going to bed so we wake up to the glorious scent of fresh brewed coffee in the morning.The only down side to this coffee maker is that I am not crazy about the carafe. I don't like the shape of it as much as their previous design because if not careful, it is easy to spill coffee while pouring. I don't know why it seems to be so hard to make a coffee carafe that doesn't want to dribble coffee when pouring, but it is a rare pot that I don't have this issue with. Mr. Coffee seem to have the worst design, and the last generation Hamilton Beach seem to have the best design. For the most part I don't have issues with this particular pot- if I remember to pay careful attention as I pour! I tried to switch out this carafe for the one I have from our older Hamilton Beach coffee maker and it unfortunately did not fit. Other than this one down side, this coffee maker is in every way superior to their last generation model, which I loved for about 6 years before moving to this model.The thoughtful under counter friendly design and the awesome bold brewing feature have sold me on this coffee maker and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It really does make a superior cup of coffee, the price is great and I really feel that I have gotten a fantastic value here.

We had our last coffee maker for about two years. It was in the same $50 range. While it made a good cup of coffee, the maker wasn't very counter friendly and had a bunch of quirks that I vowed once it died I would try to upgrade around.So, when looking for a new coffee maker, there were a few must haves:1) The removable water reservoir is huge plus. The water reservoir on our old coffee maker was impossible to clean. The space was cramped and the water suction pipe made getting to corners impossible. The removable reservoir on this pops right out. No tricky corners or pipes to deal with. Cleans 1-2-3 and throw it in the drying rack.2) Makes great coffee with a bunch of nice features. The 1 to 4 cup option brews some really nice coffee. The sitting temp is perfect. AND, as many people know what a pain other pots can be, this carafe doesn't leak or drip when pouring a cup!3) The coffee grinds compartment loads from the front! ON our last maker I liked to leave the top open so the compartment could air out and get some sun. To do so, I had to pull it out from underneath cabinets and it would sit on front of the counter. This one, both loading water and coffee and cleaning can all be done with minimal movement.Best of all, and I did a ton of research and price comparing, no other coffee makers have all of these feature + the stylish looks at this price. The next closest was a Kitchenaide, but that got mixed reviews. If this is your price-point, for 50 bucks this can't be beat.

Folks, a year and almost a half later, I still stand by this review!I love coffee. I mean I don't just like it, I love it. I love the smell of it, I love the taste of it, I love to grind it, I love putting my nose close to the freshly ground coffee powder to smell it, I love the aroma while it's brewing, and I love to drink it. There isn't much about coffee that I don't love.Now, I've used Krups for over 25 years but got tired of the clock mechanisms breaking and also the paper-thin carafes breaking if you but look at them sideways. Then I found out they're no longer being made in Switzerland, which was why they were charging $120 for their Aroma Plus machines at one point. They're now much cheaper because--like everything else--they're being made in Korea or Mexico. Got tired of paying so much for a coffee maker that was not reliable any longer and got a cheap Mr. Coffee. Big Mistake. No alarm, couldn't see the clock and the coffee tasted like the filter.I came in here and looked and saw the person's review at the top of this section. I read it and found it to be absolutely right on, but for the comment about the lighted display. Also, the warmer plate does have 3 temp settings which is nice, and there is a brew-strength setting that isn't necessary but it's there if you like to waste your expensive coffee and not brew it thoroughly. If you want weaker coffee, use less coffee, good lord.Also, somebody in here said something about the coffee not being brewed hot enough. I did find that it does not brew at the hottest temp I've ever seen, but we set the burner plate on high and as the coffee drips it gets heated up nicely and instantly, so it's really not a deal-breaker issue. Still, without doing that it is hot enough to drink, just not blow-on-it hot. So yeah, I get what the person is saying there. Any issues further and I'd have sent it back, because Amazon's vendors have been stellar for us with their return policies and we have never been treated wrong.The carafe on this Hamilton Beach also is much sturdier than the Krups paper-thin versions, and as far as pouring, again folks, it's a carafe with a lip! Like all carafes with lips it's going to spill if you don't start the pour carefully. Not exactly rocket science, is it?For the $48 I paid for this Hamilton Beach coffee maker about 4 months ago, I now have a handsome, functional piece of equipment that makes THE most delicious coffee I have ever had from a homemade coffee maker, including Krups. I have a coffee maker with a super-simple adjustable alarm clock that is lit by a gorgeous soft blue light which I can read from 25 feet away, and without my glasses! I got this thing plugged in and couldn't stop staring at the display it was so gorgeous and easy to read!I love this piece of equipment like I've never loved any coffee maker. I love what it does, how it looks, and how simple and functional it is. The price is perfect. Around $50 dollars; not $20, but not $120, either. It's what it should be.Huge props to everyone at Hamilton Beach for nailing the coffee maker thing down! NICE JOB! And thank you Amazon for carrying this incredible piece of equipment! I shall never venture toward Krups, Mr. Coffee or any other brand again! Thank you for the vine here!

I don't write many reviews, but this coffee maker is the whole package. In almost 40 years of making a home, I've been through multiple coffee makers and they all let me down for one reason or another. If someone were to custom make one for me, it would have the exact features found here. It has the auto-brew feature that I require, so I can put my coffee together at bedtime and I wake to aroma of it brewing. Of course it has the 2-hour auto shutoff for my safety. No problem to just hit the button if there is still coffee left that I want to keep warm. It has the "cheat" feature I require some mornings, also known as pause-and-brew, that lets you sneak out a cup without coffee running everywhere. Those are available in many coffee makers. But with this one, in the keep warm scenario, I also have the option to lower the heat on the warming tray so that my coffee doesn't cook away and become bitter. An additional feature I love is that I can slow the brewing time to get a stronger brew from my coffee without the bitterness that just adding more ground coffee to the basket would cause. Awesome taste. It has a simple square profile that I love. The pot snugs in there nicely. The pot itself is the FIRST ONE I have owned that doesn't dribble coffee over the side as I pour. Not once. Note one drop. There is a button on the side that swings the basket out to me, no muss, no fuss. Last, but by no means least is the awesome water reservoir. It comes off the maker altogether, you put it under the faucet, fill it, return it to the maker. You do not EVER have to pour water from one vessel to another. Amazingly wonderful combination of all excellent features. Coffee dream come true.

Basically this is great and I really like the retro touches. The color is very nice and fits in our decor. However... You really have to make sure the top is seated tightly. We had it overflow coffee all over the counter necessitating a massive cleanup. It would seem when the lid is closed that the filter cone would also be thoroughly seated.Not necessarily it seems.Otherwise it makes great coffee.

High quality product, hope it lasts a long time. Only complaint, and this applies to a LOT of clock controlled products: Power failures and flucutations are a fact of life in many areas, For a the few cents it would be easy to include a battery backup for the clock. This would solve a royal pain and cost next to nothing for the manufacturer.

All the knobs and buttons can look a little complicated until you realize you only need to use the toggle switch for everyday brewing. Everything else is for setup and customization.Pros:Carafe is non-drippy. The spout is thin edged plastic, so no drops running down the side of the pot after pouring.Auto-off is programmable. I have mine set for 15 minutes as I like to make small batches of coffee.There are three selectable heat levels for the warming plate.Seems pretty sturdy and well made.Cons:The opening for the water is relatively small. You need to focus on pouring rather than watching the birds outside at the feeder.When you open the cover, a trickle of water from the condensation on the inside runs down the back and onto the counter. It's maybe a quarter teaspoonful so I don't worry about it.Pro/Con depending on environment: it beeps when done brewing, and again when it shuts off. I don't think there's a way to turn this off.

I upgraded from Mr. Coffees and Black & Decker coffee makers. It makes a really nice cup of coffee. What I love the most - it doesn't drip/dribble when you pour the coffee! Two things I am not wild about: first, the lid has to be removed to fill it, it doesn't have a hinge-like attachment so it can be flipped up. Not a big deal, but I did forget to attach the lid to the pot several times when I was still getting used to it. Second, I wish there were a window on the side to see the measurement of water rather than having to look down from above the coffeepot which is difficult when it's on a counter (unless you're over six feet, maybe). I rely solely on the lines of measurement on the pot itself. Not a big deal at all, but I would change the design. Overall, though, very happy with it.

I'll start with the reason I didn't give this coffee maker 5 stars. The water container is very hard to get to and to see how much water you pour in. This is a considerable inconvenience. I overcame it by using a container with just the right amount of water and put that in the maker. It still is in an inconvenient position, however.That said, the coffee maker is definitely commercial grade. While the documentation is not too good, it's pretty easy to get going with the unit. It's also a very stylish appliance that you'll be proud to have in your home or office.Having a water filter is a big advantage but it can also get costly and inconvenient to have to buy them and keep them on hand. I use water that's already filtered so it's not going to be a problem.The self-clean feature is also a good one.I'm a coffee connoisseur so I demand excellent coffee. I grind it before putting it into the pot. So my review is based on freshly ground coffee. In my case, the coffee is above average and it doesn't take much time to brew. It also makes a few beeps when the brewing cycle has ended.All in all, a very fine coffee maker for the person who loves great coffee and wants a stylish, commercial grade appliance to handle the job.

I ordered this after years of purchasing - and throwing away - Mr. Coffee models that stopped working after short periods of time. I have had it for a month and so far so good.I purchased this during a very breif one day sale on Amazon for $50 including shipping, and I think it more frequently goes on sale for $60 with free shipping - but not sure.It makes good coffee, using a differant system than a normal drip maker - as the hot water is injected into the grounds utilizing a somewhat pressurized sealed brewing area. However, this also means when you are done, and have cleaned the unit, if you close the lid the moisture remains locked into this area - may be a health issue, not sure?The unit is tall - and if you open the lid to add coffee or water, or clean it or let it dry out, it will probably not fit underneath most above the counter cabinets with the lid raised.This means you have to pull it out towards the front edge of your kitchen counter for filling and cleaning. This height also makes it a little tough to see the inside water marks, so you need to fill the desired water level by refering to the marks on the carafe and not on the inside of the maker.The carafe is a little difficult to clean, as the lid has recessed areas that prevent all of the cleaning / rinsing water from draining out when you turn it upside down, and so you have to rinse it out a number of times to get all of the remaining coffee out of it.The metal filter is nice, which eliminates the need for paper filters, and the little handle makes it easy to remove for cleaning. If you want to use paper filters it looks like you would have to purchase cone shapped filers, and not the more typical flat bottom filters.I did not try the auto programing feature, I just fill it each morning and turn it on. I wish there was a way to turn off the 5 beeps that occure when done brewing so it would not make that noise which might wake up others in your home that might still be sleeping.Even with all of the little disapointments or concerns, still seems like a very good unit.

I just purchased this recently as an early X-mas present for myself and husband who drink coffee to get up and go for the day- EVERYDAY. Our last very inexpensive well known brand Mr. C. (about $15) kicked the bucket within a couple of years which is pretty good considering we used it everyday. We needed a new one pronto. Browsed many brands and many stores and wanted something not too BIG and bulky to hog "valuable counter space" in my tiny kitchen... I liked the "boxy" style of this particular model it was somewhat compact (about- 14"H x 7"W x 8"D)compared to the other expensive brands and it was a 12 cup maker which is what we desperately needed. The price was very reasonable I thought compared to the other well known store chains- plus free Prime delivery AND quick shipping. This Hamilton Beach coffee maker makes our coffee taste just fine (we are definitely NOT coffee snobs) and it makes the coffee quickly- 12 cups within 5 minutes and not too loudly- average noise so to speak. I even used the program feature for "already done and ready to go" coffee. I only used this coffee maker 4x's and the top front metal faceplate came right off. The plastic "clip" type piece that holds it basically just cracked and fell apart. Not sure if it was the steam from the maker that just deteriorated the plastic? Not sure but...I am giving it another shot. Amazon is making good on their customer satisfaction and will be sending me a replacement within a couple of days. It is bit of a pain to repackage this back into its original box and get it ready for UPS to pick up - thanks Amazon for this convenience. I am willing to give it one more shot- maybe I just got a dud... I will update my review on my replacement. This coffee maker has actually slightly dropped in price by about $5.00 since I purchased it almost a couple of weeks ago. Thanks for reading- hope this helps!

I don't expect my coffee maker to grind the perfect coffee every morning but do expect to make a decent pot of coffee. I was rather intrigued when I saw this coffee maker had a removable water tank. Cleaning the water tank had been a pain in the past but this removable tank makes it so much easier.This coffee maker is pretty smart. If the water tank is not latched on properly, it won't brew. When it happened first, I thought it was broken already. But I soon noticed that the top of the water tank was not quite leveled. All I had to do was push the tank and restart the machine.This coffee maker has different options for the temperature and the strength of your coffee. Though it has a "1 - 4 Cups" brew setting, I recommend using "Bold" if you prefer stronger and richer flavor regardless of the amount of the coffee.The only problem was the glass carafe. The lid didn't snap on tightly so every time I pour the last couple of cups, it would swing open and the hot steam would come out. When I used it for the first time, I had the high temperature setting. So it almost burned my hand. I lowered the temperature and held the lid with a pot holder since.However, its carafe was flimsy. One morning when I tried to clean the carafe, I tapped it on my Quartz countertop accidentally. Not hard at all. But it was enough to break the carafe. I searched and searched for the replacement. There were replacements on Amazon, but the reviews weren't great. When I went on to Hamilton Beach website, the carafes were out of stock (surprise!). So I decided to try Cuisinart carafe instead. I had used one of their coffee makers before and their carafe never broke. Thankfully it fits and has been working great. Cuisinart updated their lid to snap on instead of swing open. So it stays tightly even when I pour my last cup. The picture shown here is with the Cuisinart carafe. And here is the link to the Cuisinart carafe sale.http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CFNE3?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00If Hamilton Beach made their carafes sturdier like Cusinart, I would give it a 5-star.

I'm extremely happy with this coffee maker. The only small thing to mention is it is a little noisy when it is in idle. But other than that it works great, it looks great and is super easy to operate. definitely would recommend it

Easy to use & clean. Love the "wheels" on the bottom making it easy to roll out from under the cabinets. I like the plastic reservoir eliminating the need to fill a container & then pouring it in. Compact. Good temperature. My husband doesn't need to put his cup in the microwave as he did with our old coffee maker. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it will only stay on 2 hours and not 4.Added Photo to show the incremental markers on reservoir.

It is too soon to offer a long-term usage evaluation; but my intial impressions are favorable.It seems a common flaw in the carafe design for most coffee-makers is that they drip. My old "Mr. Coffee" brewer is/was like this, and I learned quickly to keep a napkin or paper towel by the brewer. This Hamilton Beach carafe does NOT drip! WooHoo! That alone made me very happy with this purchase.As others have noted, the removable water container spares me from having to hold a water pitcher high in the air, trying to hit a fairly small opening, which is especially not easy when half asleep and in a dimly lit kitchen. I can remove and fill this HB water reservoir almost with my eyes closed. Big plus!The coffee grounds basket is equally easy to remove from it's swing out door, and does not seem to drip on the way to the kitchen trash can when disposing of the used filter and grounds. Another plus!The coffee from this HB brewer does NOT TASTE LIKE PLASTIC! Hallelujah! This is a MAJOR WooHoo! This seems to be another common complaint about some other brewers, including my old Mr. Coffee unit. A huge plus!I've brewed about 10 pots so far, and no drips or leaks anywhere. The looks of the unit are handsome and compliment my black kitchen appliances. I think the blue display light is a bit too bright, but, that is a minor thing, of course.HOWEVER:The only reason (so far) that I am not completely delighted with this Hamilton Beach brewer (four stars, not five) is that I think the coffee should be a bit hotter. While the warmer plate is temperature adjustable, I see no way to increase the temp of the coffee right out of the brewer. I'm not willing to wait until the warmer plate, set at its hottest setting, heats up the freshly brewed coffee in the carafe, so I drink the coffee at its brewed temp which I would describe as "pretty warm"... drinkable, but not hot (and some like it hot.... sorry, couldn't resist).

We had a Cuisinart coffee maker which we bought after reading the many rave reviews here. We liked the coffee it made very much, but it simply stopped working after just over a year (e.g., just after the warranty was up - hmmm.) Decided to replace it with a different model and went with this Hamilton Beach.Overall, we like this quite well. The pros include the removable water reservoir (much easier to add water than with the Cuisinart's narrow opening), the easy-to-read display and the push-button access to the swing-out filter basket (which is easy to remove for cleaning.)Cons: The coffee just doesn't seem to be as hot as the coffee from the Cuisinart. It seems hot when it's done brewing, but it cools down fast. I find myself sometimes having to microwave my cup after I'm halfway done.Also, while the coffee tastes OK, it doesn't taste quite as good as the coffee from the Cuisinart. There is an optional water filter available (for separate purchase) and I may try that.I've owned a zillion coffee makers over the years and this one is probably among the best in terms of ease of use, but I think the Cuisinart edges it out in terms of the coffee taste and temperature.

It's a good coffee maker but I received it damaged. I just noticed it because a sticker was covering it, and I finally got around to removing it. Unfortunately I noticed too late and my window for returns is closed. Make sure you inspect it when it's received.

The first one I received did not work. It had a faulty on/off switch. I returned it and got a replacement. It worked fine for exactly two years to the day. Now this does not go on and I assume it is a faulty switch again. I like the Cuisinart coffee maker and will replace this with the 3200 model which has a button and not an old fashioned toggle switch to turn it on.

I traded in my Keurig for this. I wanted a real cup of coffee and not the slightly artificial Keurig cup that I put up with for so long. And this machine delivers that. It's easy to use and clean and I do like it. However, it has this special button to push if you make less than 5 cups of coffee that is supposed to help make it hot enough for consumption. This button works just fine for 4 cups. But anything less, the coffee is just not hot enough when the machine beeps to say it's ready. Even if I increase the plate temperature to the max amount. I end up putting it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute to get it up to the right temp. I just thought people should be aware if they are used to making a single cup of coffee. Also the lines inside the reservoir to indicate the cups are very difficult to see less than 6 cups. There should be a clear window to see the water level on the outside. Simple addition that would make it so much better.

I've had two issues. I don't find that it has an automatic shut off if you forget to turn it off. It may, but the manual is unclear about that and I haven't stuck around long enough to find out. I literally turned around and drove home the other morning because i forgot to turn it off. The last coffee pot I had was very clear about it having an automatic shut off. And this morning for the second time, the pot stopped filling with the water and the filter clogged, and I had a mess on my hands. . . not because the coffee filter needed cleaning but because the coiled hole where the water drips/pours into the pot became clogged. And I don't really understand why that is happening. I am not getting coffee grounds in my coffee. So this is a coffee system that requires pampering. It makes a good pot of coffee but you have to keep an eye on the water access points to be sure they are totally clear. I'll keep using it, but I wouldn't buy it again. I waited to write this review for just this reason. I've had it now for three months.

We've owned 2 of the E model cappuccino makers and gifted one, three of the 12 Cup Brew Central's a 14 cup Brew Central, and a similar model with the thermal mug (the thermal did not keep coffee hot, guests nicely and rightfully complained). While the cappuccino makers have held up the best at about 3 years life span before they started sputtering (bi-monthly cleaned out with vinegar); all of the coffee makers have died in an average of 2 to 2.5 years. Sadly, we've kept buying for the aesthetics until we find a brand that looks attractive on the counter and actually lasts. I am convinced (from experiences in the last four years of owning multiple homes with washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, coffee pots, food processor, vacuum, etc all dying far before their time) that the corporate objective of the majority of mid-market small and large appliances is to design them to have one or multiple parts break within a certain time span so that you have to purchase another. A sickening reality of contemporary consumerism driven by corporate greed. I'd prefer they charge 20% more and create a product that does not need to go into land fills. From Cuisinart to brands that may be more sturdy; the prices double to triple, and many of the more expensive non-commercial models also do not last. Our nearly $200 Cuisinart set of butcher block knives is also the worst that we've ever owned, with the edges of the blades actually crumbling/ chunking off. If you can find another brand with decent reviews of reliability and longevity, I'd try that brand instead.

I am not going to give a lengthy review as those have already been noted. This is a decent coffee machine that has worked well for us. The only problem is that is lasted about a year before the pump and heater died. Called Cuisinart and they gave me some troubleshooting steps to perform. They told me to fill it up with a 50/50 water/Vinegar solution. This was curious to me as I just told the the pump did not work and I would end up having to drain the solution manually (which I had to do). The told me it was still under a "limited" warrant which means I had to pay for shipping the unit back. They sent a replacement I shipped the broken one back, no fuss from them. Overall decent machine and I hope this second one lasts more than a year.

I bought this coffee maker, because my 6month old Mr. Coffee one broke and Walmart's variety was terrible and it looked like all of the boxes had been punted into the shelf. This Hamilton Beach coffee maker is really cool. I love that you can remove the tank for filling (don't forget to dump the pot), and I think the swing out basket is really nice as well. I especially like the idea that I don't put my coffee and water in the same opening, I'm not near enough I'm the morning and inevitably get grounds in the water I'm other pots. The coffee tastes great out of this machine as well.The problem that I ran into was the faceplate where the buttons are. As is noted in several other reviews mine popped off within two days of normal operation. It pops back on fine but I have had to reseat it more than once. If not for this clear defect, I would give this coffee maker 5 stars. I still love the coffee maker, but I just can't justify a great review for something that has such a clear defect.

Like many people, I bought this coffeemaker at the recommendation of Sweethome. This coffee maker replaced my cheap 4-cup Mr. Coffee machine which worked reliably for years before giving up one day. That little machine brewed excellent tasting coffee for everyday carry and even performed respectably when I threw some specialty beans in it on the weekends. Unfortunately, I cannot get the same full flavored taste out of the Hamilton Beach machine despite experimenting with it over the last couple weeks. It may make great coffee when brewing a full pot. But if you're like me and just want a machine that brews something that you can dump into your travel mug in the morning on the way out the door, I recommend getting a smaller capacity machine. The 1-4 cup setting on this one just doesn't get the job done. I will probably mothball the Hamilton Beach for times when we have company over and need the larger volumes, which was the main drawback of my old standby 4-cup machine.

I purchased this three years ago. It worked well in the beginning, but it has now become my very own "adventure land."Sometimes it holds water in the receptacle just fine. Other times it turns my counter into a FEMA flood zone. The display panelfront cover sometimes stays on when you open the coffee receptacle....sometime pops right off at you.....BOO! This requires you to re-securethe panel which, invariably, leads to inadvertent adjustment of the clock, brewing strength, warming plate temp. etc. So, unless you pay attention to that...more surprises await. On the plus side, when it is in a good mood, it brews a nice pot of coffee. Controls are simple and intuitive,just wish the build quality was a tad better.

What's great: dripless glass carafe, snap off lid, removable water reservoir,Swing out basket, all contribute to easy cleaning.What's not: warming plate is adjustable but does not turn off (a real coffee killer). I make 6 cups (2 mugs) on the strongest brew and the result is passable.Mine arrived with the facia plate broken off. Plugged it in and it worked. The new look is kind of 50s Buck Rodgers TV set.All in all, a decent alternative to no coffee. My motor skills no longer allow me to hand brew, so ...

We have owned this coffee maker for a little over a year. It's a beautiful piece of equipment for sure BUT there is an issue that needs to be addressed . Hopefully this will at least help the people that have already purchased this , as well a possible buyers. We had to run vinegar and CLR through this machine more than any machine we ever owned. Which is unfortunate since it really was great up until now .easily one of the nicest ones we have owned up until this point. Finally last week it completely stopped flowing. I took the entire thing apart and looked it over well before I tossed it. Some piece of mind for me and you. What I found was a complete , rock solid calcium clog in the-U- shaped heating chamber which is located right on the bottom of the unit when you take the cover off (the bottom). There are 2 orange hoses that Connect to it. The side that seems to clog is the one with the heating element attached to it. You may be able to unclog it with a coat hanger if things get really bad. Hope this helps someone. Thanks for your time .

I bought this coffee maker after reading all the glowing reviews here on Amazon & at other websites, only to be disappointed after finally using it.PROS:First of all, the reviews are right about several things: this IS a very well-made, smartly-constructed, reliable appliance. The removable reservoir and front-loading basket are very handy (and were big reasons why I selected this particular model). The programmable timer is intuitive and works like clockwork. It's also a nice-looking machine that matched the rest of our stainless appliances and looked great on the counter. instructions are well-written & easy to follow.CONS:Unfortunately, the biggest con is...it just doesn't brew a very good cup of coffee. Even on the highest temperature setting, the coffee is not very hot at all. Also, when brewing a pot on the regular setting, the coffee is VERY weak. I had to crank it up to the bold setting and use a LOT more coffee than normal to get close to the flavor that I'm used to (and I'm not a fan of ultra-bold coffee). That's the only real con...but in a coffeemaker, it's probably the biggest.In summary: good construction, mediocre coffee. Sorry to say, but I ended up returning this machine for the Bella DOTS 12-cup Programmable coffee maker, and I've been VERY happy with that purchase so far. Maybe I got an bum machine, since everyone else here seems to love this model, but I can only judge it by my experience, which was disappointing, especially after reading all the raves here.Oh well...that's my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

Will be replacing this gem by Cuisinart - disappointing. Not sure what heat and plastic work in conjunction to make morning java? The top lid is plastic, which is the funnel / conduit for your steaming hot water, which is an interesting design choice. Needless to say this plastic lid will begin to warp over time which results in great about of steam released from this area. The reason for 2 stars is the look is nice, however the plastic design choices deserve less.

Updating this review. The unit I purchased when I wrote the original review just died after almost exactly two years. Same electrical problem that killed the previous two dead units. As I said at the time, this coffeemaker has to be considered consumable - so if you like the coffee that it makes, and you like the way it fits on your counter, you have to buy it over and over again. I now have three dead ones and one still working, so I'm buying number 5 today.---Original Review from July 2014:I give this product three stars, because while it makes good coffee, it will not last. I have two of these units sitting here dead, and one that still works. I'm buying another one today, because I now have spare carafes and baskets from the ones that died, and I like the coffee that it makes.Just know that you can only rent this unit, not buy it, as it will fail in couple of years. If you're OK with buying the same thing over and over again just to have one that works, as I am, then buy this product and enjoy the coffee. But if you're going to be upset and disappointed when it doesn't last, choose a different product.

This has to be the most annoying coffee maker I have ever owned (and I've owned a lot of them over the years). Yes, it is attractive. yes, it makes a good cup of coffee and keeps it hot. But unless you seat the coffee basket EXACTLY right and place the carafe EXACTLY right you end up with a fifteen minute clean up job of coffee grounds that overflow into the coffee and all over the counter. I returned the first one because I thought it was defective but the replacement did exactly the same thing. I have learned that it does not like paper filters so I have stopped using them and use only the permanent filter that came with the pot. But still, if I am not extremely careful, the backup of water in the filter area happens and I have a mess on my hands. I guarantee that this would happen every single time my husband attempted to make a pot of coffee......if he ever attempted to make a pot of coffee! One shouldn't have to be so absolutely precise about putting together the morning coffee fix. I have never before had a coffee maker that was this finicky! I would not buy this one again nor would I recommend it to a friend.

We bought this coffeemaker a couple of years ago and really liked it until it died after about a year and a half. We considered buying a different one, but settled on this one again after reading the reviews and determining it died out of bad luck. Not so much. The second one we purchased died after a year and a half as well. First, the thing would just shut off mid brew and not turn back on. We cleaned it thoroughly based on suggestions by people having the same problem. It worked for maybe a week or two and then the burner went out on it. Coffee would come out luke warm and then the power button would stay on until we manually turned it off when before, it would shut off on its own after an hour. Oh, and the ability to set the time has never worked on the second one. Therefore, we couldn't set the timer to brew in the morning.The time worked fine on our first one. We won't be buying this one again or another Cuisinart for that matter. We're looking at the Bunn makers now.

When my Mr. Coffee finally died after a number of years of use I searched high an low for another red Mr Coffee replacement without any success. I then came across this Cuisinart that came in a number of colors as well as red. I was impressed by the look and color as well as the over 4,000 reviews (on a coffee maker no less). I did not care for the cheap control knobs on the face or the ultra small / unreadable clock face. However, it was red, looked very nice and had great reviews. Even though it cost twice as much ($88.99) than most others, I bought one with confidence and it was red. After only 8-mos of use the warmer plate quit warming and then after putting in 12 cups of water you only get 6 cups of coffee and is now useless. Too much trouble to box up and pay shipping and $10 for warranty replacement (thank you Cuisinart). Very expensive for only 8-mos of use. I have now found a Mr. Coffee BVMC-VMX36 Coffee maker, Red/Black for $40.82. Sometimes cheaper really is better. I gave this a 2 star rating because...yes it really is pretty.

Wonderful taste, simple design, workhorse coffee maker since June 2010 when I purchased this coffeemaker on Amazon. Today, a holy hell of burning plastic odor, boiling coffee, plus black smoke frightened my household. The heating element seems to have overheated and melted down all the internal wiring. Thank goodness I was right in the kitchen as it was happening, so I quickly unplugged it and set it outside on the concrete driveway. I thought I had no recourse with Cuisinart since it is more than a year old, and apparently this is a common and known problem - based on a few more web searches. IF you have this coffee maker, please be careful! I am so disappointed, since my good old $20 Mister Coffee from 1994 is still going strong, and this $90 Cuisinart scorched my countertop and almost started a fire in my home.**UPDATE** I called Cuisinart customer service at 800-726-0190. Had to wait a few minutes, but got a very pleasant person on the line. Excellent resolution: Cuisinart made some heating element changes on models made after January 2012. All I need to do is mail them the snipped-off power cord with a note and the service number they told me over the phone. They are mailing me a brand-new model from an AZ warehouse, should be here in about 7 days. I gave back one more star for excellent customer service.Scary, but resolved well. If your DCC-1200 is older than January 2012, make sure it is off when unattended!

I have to give it 2 stars because while it is almost a perfect coffee machine, they keep breaking. The first one had the instrument panel fall off within a day and we got the replacement sent from amazon and that one fell out in 2 weeks. It seems that the plastic insert that the stainless panel is molded to breaks. The good - is the coffee pot does not spill. Temperature is fine and the brew works excellent. But that stainless panel has a design flaw. Now we have to wait 9 days for Hamilton Beach Customer Support to review the photos and that takes 9 business days? Then we have a week for them to get back to us and who knows how long for a replacement. Not in the mood to wait 3 weeks for a month old product. Guess we order another brand :(

Overall I have to say that in the two weeks or so with this coffeemaker, I'm very underwhelmed with its performance. Yes, it makes coffee, and it has some functionally good features, but overall it's unimpressive. The biggest thing for me is it makes at best an average cup of coffee, even withstanding that I put extra grounds in for a strong cup of coffee, and have tried the 1-4 and bold settings, the coffee still comes out weak.One the other issues I don't like with the maker is has some pretty sharp plastic edges on the inside of the carafe lid area that you have to be really careful not to rub your hands on, especially when they're softer than normal from washing dishes, because you can easily cut your fingers open. The design of the top opening is also challenging to get your hands in if you're a man with normal or large hands, and are trying to clean it with a scrubby or sponge - better to use a bottle brush. The other glaring thing with this machine is the add-on water filter is very poorly designed and doesn't slot into its port fully and securely, so its to knock over or pop out. I'd expect such design issues out of a $10 or $15 coffeemaker, but not a mid-tier priced model like this.So after giving this a fair shot, and being a bit of a coffee connoisseur, I'm switching back to Cuisinart, even though I dislike their lack of long-term reliability, because I always got a better cup of coffee out of their machines.

Well, I was just getting ready to post a positive review after having this coffee maker since December 2015, but the coffee maker just died. :\ I just walked in to the kitchen to make lunch and noticed the coffee pot's screen was off. I checked the power cord, just to make sure it didn't come loose -- nope. I swapped it with the coffee bean grinder which is on the same outlet and working fine -- no change.It's not just the screen either -- the pot won't turn on at all. So this thing has barely lasted 6 months, being used once per day for morning coffee. The carafe is great and doesn't spill and it brews quickly, but it's the shortest-lived coffee pot I've ever owned.I guess I have to contact the manufacturer now? Yay, that's always fun. I'll post a follow-up after going through the warranty process.*** UPDATE #1 6/14/2016 ***I spoke with Hamilton Beach customer service. They answered right away, no hold-time. I was asked to pay an $11.40 shipping fee for a replacement coffee maker, which isn't too bad. I was told it will be 10-14 days before it arrives, so I guess no coffee for the next two weeks. :DI guess I'm sort of torn. This is the shortest-lived coffee maker I've ever owned. Sure, mechanical devices fail, I get it, but this was pretty damn quick to fail. I'm pleased that Hamilton Beach is replacing it with simply my word that it's broken, although they did require me to cut the power cord and email them a picture before they'd agree to ship me a replacement, which I get.So all in all, they made the replacement process easy, but it stinks that I'll be without coffee for two weeks. :\I'll try to post a status update again next year, if this one lasts longer than 6 months. I will likely not be purchasing another Hamilton Beach coffee maker though, come-time to do so.

Update August 2017: unit is not getting power, it's dead. Don't know what problem is, just happened. Call into service, but just over 2 years old, I'm sure there's no warranty coverage left. Unhappy it died already; we liked it a lot.I pondered between four and five stars. Is it perfect, probably not, is it close, yes. My last coffee maker, which I liked a lot, finally bit the dust. After a couple of trial and errors, I landed on this unit. I don't have any real complains. The only issue I had at first was adjusting my grind. It will overflow if you use a really fine grind. It's just the speed of the water flow and how compressed the grounds become. Once I adjusted my grind to medium (still finer than store bought pre ground) it has been fine. It is a fairly quick brew, which is great.I wanted a unit with a plate warmer temperature control. I hate it when the coffee starts to burn! This control has three settings for the plate. High is really hot, but good for a full pot. Medium works well when you get down to a cup or so left. It's a quick push button to adjust. My previous pot had a dial with multiple options, but I don't miss that, this does fine.I wasn't sure if I'd like the wheels, but I do. It just makes it easy to turn to put coffee on or pull out from under cabinet when I'm ready to make coffee. It won't roll around or anything, they are stiffer than that. It's really rather smart, even though I didn't know I needed it.I wasn't sure about the separate water container. It is plastic. You can still chose to fill it with the carafe as though it wasn't removable, making it like any other water reservoir. However, 1: you don't end up putting slightly unclean water through the machine if you're like most people who don't completely wash the carafe everyday. 2: it's plastic, so you don't have to worry about breaking it in the sink or on the faucet while filling it. It lifts easily off the back, which is easy to get to because of the wheels, and it fits firmly into place on the unit.One other thing I appreciate, the carafe sits into the maker, not just onto the plate, and I can easily be sure it's in place. My prior pot could easily be misfit slightly on the plate and then the spring that controls the drip from the basket didn't allow the coffee to flow through and it would overflow. This became a bigger and bigger issue as the maker aged. This tighter fit, with very little wiggle room, would be hard to misfit. This carafe easily sits properly on the plate and is centered properly with the spring loaded drip basket; so I don't worry about coffee running all over the counter instead of into the carafe!

Had to get a new coffeemaker since our calphalon one bit the dust. Searched high and low, read all reviews, and ended up with this one. We were sick of paying high dollar for a machine that literally dies in a couple of years or is on a crazy recall list for potential fire hazards! Settled on this one and haven't been disappointed. Works well, makes a decent pot of coffee, and I like the ease of use with the timer and clock. As others have noted, this one does NOT have a bell or signal to let you know when it's done brewing, and I kind of don't like that. But it's so minor I can live without it. I love that you can remove the tank and fill it directly with water at your fridge or sink, etc., instead of filling the pot up and then pouring into the tank. Just one less step and it's a nice touch. Have had it about 3 months now and not a single hiccup!UPDATED REVIEW 9/9/2015 - The machine has been working fine. However, I accidentally shattered the carafe and have found literally IMPOSSIBLE to locate a replacement after days of online searching. I just got off the phone with Hamilton Beach directly begging them to please put me on some sort of list so that when or IF they ever come back in stock, I can immediately order. The best they can tell me is it will be back in stock "in 2-4 weeks best case scenario, but most likely later", and they will NOT put me on a list. Totally unacceptable. So yeah, I'm trashing this thing and having to purchase yet another coffee maker. I simply can't wait over 4 weeks to get a simple carafe replacement! Totally NOT WORTH THE MONEY to have this for less than 7 months and not be able to purchase the most likely needed replacement part.

I purchased this pot to replace a late, lamented Black and Decker DCM-2500 SmartBrew. (Damn, that was a great pot...and I do not understand the need to replace it with sub-par redesigns.) So, I went with this pot as a replacement after reading the largely stellar reviews.THIS POT DOES NOT BREW COFFEE HOT ENOUGH! The temperature of the water as heated creates coffee that is a couple notches above lukewarm. I pour it in my cup, and after a couple minutes it's lukewarm - and this is a thick-walled ceramic "diner" mug I've used for years that kept coffee made in my trusty B&D hot for close to 15-20 minutes (if I hadn't chugged it down by then).What happens is, the coffee tastes - I don't know - different. More bitter. It's almost as if Hamilton Beach is depending on the heating element to finish heating the coffee. Which it does, but that's not brewing, that's "cooking".Two/three days and four disappointing pots later, I returned it and got the Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT (http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-SJX33GT-Programmable-Coffeemaker/dp/B0047Y0UQO) instead. Now, THAT is a four-star coffee maker. Hot from the start, and the difference is instantly recognizable.

My husband bought it for me for my birthday in January. It was wonderful - nice hot coffee - for a long time. Just what I like. This weekend I went to brew a pot and it has stopped working. The brew light goes on but nothing happens. Help? It's 3 months old...

So now I am asking myself why I keep going back to Cuisinart for coffee makers?ALL I can say is, I guess they're in the right price point, because the next step up is into the hundreds of dollars... but all of my Cuisinart coffee makers have died from the same or similar problems of seal failures.I got my first Cuisinart coffee maker (identical but brushed aluminum look)... it had a seal fail probably a year then leaked water out of the bottom.I immediately went and got a shiny silver like this. I liked the look and the coffee it made so I figured it was a fluke and got a new one...About a year later, it a seal failure happened so that it no longer would bring water up from the water reservoir to where the coffee grounds were.Next one was an upgrade... slightly bigger and nicer... It lasted about 4 years then did the same thing... stopped transporting water so no coffee would brew. But I figured hey... looks cool... good coffee... lasted a lot longer than the last couple... let's roll with it.But this last one I JUST got a month and a half ago... one of the seals failed and the clock/programming display filled up with water and steam and it is now unusable.Too many seal failures!

Terrible product! This coffee maker overflows the brewing basket and carafe spilling grounds and coffee all over counter top and floor. We have read and tried all suggestions listed in the manufacturers instruction manual to no avail. This coffee maker has a major design flaw that causes the overflow problem no matter what is done. My unit was purchased through Amazon in December of 2015 and is no longer eligible for return. Read and heed the hundreds of bad reviews on this product...I wish I had!

9 months, and already dead. I don't love this era of disposable appliances.In the 9 months it did work, it worked beautifully and made great & consistent coffee.The size of the hole for filling the reservoir is a bit on the small side, and is cumbersome; the steam vent on the top of the unit basically precludes one from using this unit under a cabinet (or in my case, it steamed the paint off the wall).Unit finally failed by losing its ability to pump water up out of the reservoir; just sits there and steams it all out, instead of pumping over to the basket. We tried cleaning/flushing with vinegar solution, but none of the typical fix-it solutions helped out. DCC-1200 now lives in the trash bin :(

Had for less than a year; thought something was wrong with my electrical outlet: the coffee maker would quit brewing before all the water would drip through; the heating pad would not function. The "dripless" carafe is a joke - it dripped like mad! My family suffered through having a piece of over-priced junk slowly giving us luke-warm coffee. After checking on line and finding over 500 negative comments about the 1200, most having the exact same issues I was having, I threw the Cusinart in the garbage and bought a Krups model KM730. I am now in coffee nirvana, and the Krups carafe IS dripless.

I really expected more from a Cuisinart... My unit overflows often no matter how carefully I attempt to position the carafe under the outflow. This is turning my counters dark under the unit and making things hard to clean. Coffee grounds are entering the carafe and I can see where there is overflow from the filter. I have adjusted the heat pad to HI and still the coffee is never warm enough. It brews the same strength of coffee even when I vary the amount of coffee added to the basket.I have several cuisinart appliances and they have all performed well - that's why I bought this coffee maker. But, no this one is not worth the $$$. Looks pretty and professional, but this one's looks are deceiving - don't buy this overflowing maker...

The faceplate for the display came off within days of purchase. Wrote to the company and received no response.Took ten minutes to perk when we bought it. Five months later it takes thirty-five minutes to perk a pot. This is the second one we've purchased with similar results.Edit - 4/14/16:I thought maybe I should update, because my dealings with customer service have been interesting to say the least.After lots of torturous communication with customer service I've decided to name my first stomach ulcer "Hamilton Beach." They want me to sever the plug of the junk coffee maker, take a picture, send it to them with $11.49 "for shipping."When I offered to re-enact the fax machine scene from the movie Office Space (youtube it, you won't be disappointed), and told them I don't want a replacement they replied by asking for $7.99 in shipping and the previously mentioned "proof" of the disabled unit.To this, I replied (because apparently I wasn't clear enough the first time) that I have no plans to give them more money just to send another (third) machine to the landfill in a couple of months.I have found Hamilton Beach customer service to be dishonorable, and their products to be lacking in performance of even the most basic functions.

I had to send the first one back because after less than a week of use, the top brushed metal looking trim piece broke off. I guess that's because I had it set to Bold.About a month or so into the replacement the same thing has just happened - and it's really bad. The unit has somehow allowed steam to get up into the LCD display area and fry it. It is now displaying "EA2" anytime it's plugged in.I am not going to even bother with a replacement. I will not buy Hamilton Beach again.

I actually like this coffeemaker a lot. I'm only giving it a one-star review because there are a kabillion reviews and if I were reading reviews I would look at the crappy reviews first to see what is wrong with the product. I don't need more "Great product!" reviews.So here is what is wrong with the coffeemaker, like everybody else says (and I didn't read) the front face-plate practically jumps off as soon as you unpack it, along with a shower of crumbly plastic bits. That said, a genius invented this machine, it has a removable water reservoir that and an front-load basket. As if it were designed for humans. My friend has a CuisineArt and you have to pour the water in this tiny slot at the top of the coffeemaker. You have to pour slowly in order not to spill so it's like you turn into Rip Van Winkle before you get your Joe, your baby child becomes a grandfather as you are pouring this tiny stream of water into a tiny hole. Not to mention I'm groggy in the morning.I thought about getting the Mokkamaster, it looks great, but those Dutch Coffee-overlords won't put a simple timer on their machine for fear of ruining the purity of their product. Maybe they have laws against it, you get 10 years of paternity leave but you have to wait for the coffee to brew in the morning. I am just non-functional then, if a robber came I would just ask him to take my goods quietly.So the only problem I had with the Hamilton Beach was with the front bezel. And to tell the truth the front-plate is no prize. it's brushed plastic and looks "el cheapo". I did not want to glue it back in. So instead I took epoxy putty and filled in the hollows. Stuck a couple of metal decorations on it, and now I have a nice more steampunk-looking coffeemaker!Addendum two weeks later - I have to stick with my original 1-star review. This coffeemaker makes WEAK SAUCE. Even on the "Bold" setting I cannot get the coffee to be strong and hot. If I add more grounds to the basket it overflows. Makes coffee that doesn't taste good and it does nothing for me caffeine-wise. I'm pissed that the ergonomics are so good on this WHIMP. I have gone over to the "donker" side and am paying obeisance to my Dutch Moccamasters - specifically a Tonka-truck-yellow version. No timer on the unit but I'll use a Wemo switch for that. You win again Netherlords.

Decided to get rid of the Keurig and go back to a traditional coffee maker. After only a few months of using this, the face plate where the on/off button and controls are has separated from the machine, exposing the wires of the buttons. It has not left my counter since I took it out of the box, not been dropped or been hit by anything...nothing that could account for this. Not only does this seem like a safety risk with all the water involved in making coffee near exposed wires, but it looks cheap for the price I paid which makes me angry. I am very disappointed, as I read a lot of reviews before choosing this product. Of course, I tried to ask for a replacement but conveniently it is now past the return date Amazon allows.

I was so excited for this coffee maker based on the plethora of good reviews. We were finally going back to a large coffee pot after having done the keurig thing for years. The first one or two times we used the coffee maker we had no problems. But literally just the third time we used it ... problems! Not all of the water would filter down into the pot/carafe. Then if we took the pot out, the drip from the basket would suddenly start leaking out all over the burner & counter. There seems to be something faulty with the brew baskets spring or whatever it is that keeps the coffee from leaking when you take out the pot. But it also not working when the pot is in place, as a large amount of water stays in the basket and does not filter down. The biggest bummer of this is that I can't return it to amazon prime because we didn't use the coffee maker until a few weeks after it arrived, and therefore noticed the problem late and missed the return date. In addition to all this, we also noticed that a large amount of coffee grinds would end up in our cup of coffee. I am super bummed that we had such a lousy experience!! I suppose I will try contacting Hamilton Beach directly, but based on all the lousy reviews from others who attempted to do that, I am not encouraged.

The good news is - the coffee tasted good. After a few months of one pot of coffee a day, the coffee pot started jamming and coffee would fill up the basket and overflow all over the counter and the floor. I believe this was caused by loose coffee grounds. No matter how careful I was, occasionally the pot jammed and I had 12 cups of coffee on the the kitchen floor. Not a lot of fun to wake up to at 6 am. I am very neat and even "anal" about kitchen appliances - this was not a result of careless cleaning.