My favorite coffee maker so far. I'm reluctant to be over-enthusiastic about a new purchase, because the a product's true quality shows over time. I'm tired of feeling like coffee makers are disposable, but I'm also not convinced that any coffee maker is worth $100 or more (except for makes like Bunn's commercial models).
So... enter the sub-$50 price-bracket. The average "standard" coffee maker with a clock and timer is about $30. What does an extra $10-15 get you with the Hamilton Beach 46201?
With the help of another reviewer, I see that cheaper makers sometimes utilize cheaper thermostat systems. The same high-heat that makes the water hot enough to extract coffee from the beans, also controls the temperature of the burner. The reviewer suggested this was a source of bitterness because the coffee at the bottom of the pot is burning. *shrug* I don't know about the science of thermodynamics, but I do know that coffee is tasting great out of this new pot I'm reviewing here!
The obvious benefits of this maker are the removable water tank ("reservoir" is too hard to spell)... the water tank is pretty cool. I didn't think I'd be filling the maker by removing the tank, but as it turns out after a week of using it... this is what I do naturally. There is a nice lip which accommodates your grip easily, and after filling the tank by first filling the pot, and pouring in... I've decided it's easiest to simply fill the maker as the designer's intended. If you have trouble accepting this and just want to flip open the lid and pour water in from the pot as you always have... well, it's MUCH easier to do that with this maker also! The tank lid flips open allowing a wide-open, unobstructed pour. My previous Mr. Coffee maker has a stupidly designed, complicated plastic grate that you have to pour water through... so I'm doing a bit of a marksman pour... actually having to THINK about how I'm pouring water into the maker (in the tired, wee-hours of the morning)... THIS maker... ends all that.
I like the swing-out filter basket... and I really like STANDARD FILTERS! I went through the cone filter phase... nope, never again. I just never tasted the benefit. The filters cost more, and you have to sort of "prep" each filter that you use... whereas the normal filters fall in place effortlessly. I realize we're not talking about actual work here either way... but if there's no appreciable benefit to something that costs a little more and requires a little more effort... I'll take cheap, good, and easy... thank you very much.
NO DRIP POT! The first time you pour a cup from this pot I guarantee you'll grin... Holy Smokes... why in the heck don't all manufacturers at least try to steal this no-drip pot design? The little bar of plastic that goes across the spout combines with the spout shape to make a perfect pour, every time. Hey Hamilton Beach! Do you want me to make a great commercial for this maker? I have lots of ideas :-)
I also like the little wheels on the bottom of the maker. The Mr. Coffee maker this one is replacing had rubber "no-slide" feet. WHO leaves their maker tucked away so that it steams up the bottom of your wood cabinets? Nope, you pull it out a bit... the thing NEEDS to slide around. Hamilton Beach (or the designer of this maker) deserves a pat on the back for that little detail.
The buttons stick out a bit, which I like more than the flush-buttons that seemed more of a style choice on my last maker. There's a positive "tactile" feel to them, not effort to push, but a satisfying "click" response. I've had other makers with buttons that don't always react, or I had to push a specific part of the button. This is simple, and functional. I like things that simply work.
The clock display is great. I prefer an LED where the numbers are lit vs. the background being lit. In normal household lighting, the clock is EASY to read. This is great for people of all ages. Also... notice the clock and all controls are at the TOP... vs the bottom of the maker, or running down one side.
I'm not usually a fan of extended warranties, but with my past-experience with Mr. Coffee (see my other reviews, I loved my last Mr. Coffee maker so much that I bought one for my Mom... Well... her's crapped out in about 3 months... and mine became "problematic" in roughly 9 months... so EXTENDED WARRANTY HERE I COME!)... Anyway, Canopy Warranty offered by Amazon was only $4. I'm sure there will be a little BS involved if I ever make a claim, but here's hoping it goes well. I'm hoping I never need the warranty, but for $4 I like the peace of mind.
Here's the important point about this maker vs. the Mr. Coffee maker, which I was also enthusiastic about when I first got it... so much so, that I bought one for my Mom too. If that last maker was Mr. Coffee... THIS maker is Dr. Coffee. This make is so well-designed... so well thought-out... that I really WANT it to last 3 years! Mostly, I hope Hamilton Beach continues to offer a maker like this... at an "every-man" price. Asking roughly 25% more for a maker that's 100% better? That's easy money... I will gladly pay a little more for anything SMART.
After 3 days of using this maker... I was so impressed with the design features that I bought two more, one for my Mom and one for my brother... both with the extended warranty. For the next 3 years we have a nice little product test pool going :-)
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Discover similar items
& Up
Color: Black
Color: Grey
Cup Capacity: Up to 4 Cups
Cup Capacity: 5 to 8 Cups
Product Grade: Commercial Grade
Boiler Material: Borosilicate Glass
Boiler Material: Ceramic
No results available. Please adjust the filters and try again.
$79
$58List:$89.99
$99
$119
$129
$64
$84List:$99.95
$69
$108
$96List:$129.95
$119
$49
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
Hamilton Beach 46201 12 Cup Digital Coffeemaker, Stainless Steel
Fresh, hot, and flavorful — for two people or a crowd.
Hamilton Beach 12 Cup coffee makers make consistently fresh, flavorful coffee — whether you''re brewing a few cups or serving a large group. Attractive, functional and easy to clean, Hamilton Beach 12 Cup coffee makers help you serve great coffee and look great on your countertop.
- Adjustable brewing with bold, regular & 1-4 cup options.
- Adjustable keep warm.
- Automatic pause & serve.
- Programmable clock with 2 hour automatic shutoff.
- Nonstick warmer plate.
- Filter used: 8-12 cup basket/cupcake style.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Easy-access design for fast, easy filling. |
Removable water reservoir. |
Swing-out brew basket with release button. |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Digital Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel (46201) (Discontinued Model),Black |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $69.99 | $49.85 | $62.60 | $69.99 | $23.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Flavor | ||||||
| Durability | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Mixpresso coffee |
| capacity | 4 pounds | 70 fluid ounces | 60 fluid ounces | 12 cups | 12 cups | 27 fluid ounces |
| material | Stainless Steel | Plastic, Glass, Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel, Borosilicate Glass | Stainless Steel | Plastic, Glass | Stainless Steel |
| input interface | buttons | buttons | buttons | buttons | buttons | touch screen |
| wattage | 950 watts | 1025 watts | 900 watts | 750 watts | 950 watts | 0 watts |
| model name | FBA 46201 | Hamilton Beach 14 Cup Programmable | Hamilton Beach 12 Cup Compact Programmable Drip | CM2045B-1 | Hamilton Beach 2-Way 12 Cup Programmable Drip | Stainless Steel French Press Thermometer Build On |
| weight | 8.3 pounds | 6.17 pounds | — | 142 grams | 7.4 pounds | — |
Reviews with images
Inconsistent Coffee
I purchased this item to replace my previous Cuisinart drip coffee maker that died after several years of daily brewing. I also purchased the permanent drip basket because I don't like filters.In short:Coffee produced is very inconsistent in flavor and strength. The first few days of use yielded delicious coffee. The following week was watery and weak coffee. The next week was good again. This week I am having daily variations it seems.Routine:1. Lavazza Super Crema, whole bean. Two different batches were tried.2. Coffee beans are scooped with a 1/8th cup measuring cup, because it fits nicely in my coffee container (and I have no other use for a 1/8 cup).3. Krups blade grinder.4. Water filled to the 6 "cup" mark.The above was the same technique used for my old drip machine, however I've had to increase the coffee amount from 2 to 2.5 heaps of coffee beans from the 1/8th cup measure to get the same effect on "good" days. I've also had to use the "Bold" setting on this machine.I suspect this machine has a problem with the heater or heat sensing electronics. My insta-read thermometer will sometimes register 193-195 degree coffee exiting the nozzle, and sometimes in the high 180s under the same settings. Optimal temperature for coffee brewing is typically 195 to 205F. I'll also note that I pour my coffee into a preheated travel mug and I feel the coffee from this machine does not remain hot quite as long into the morning as the coffee from my previous machine.Otherwise the design is pretty nice. I like the removable reservoir. The carafe is comfortable, although the last bit of coffee or cleaning liquid is impossible to pour out. The swivel base is a nice idea, but the rollers should be bigger. The plastic 'feet' on my machine poke down a bit too far and sort of drag along the counter during the swivel, which negates the whole effect.In conclusion, I would stay away from this machine. Other reviews seems to report quality issues as well. Of course several reviews are quite happy with this model. Perhaps taste bug variation plays a roll, or perhaps I just received a lemon machine. Regardless, I would return it except the box got pitched. <sadface>Update 12-7-17.Still inconsistent and mostly weak coffee. It seems the water does not contact all the grounds (see image). I hadnt noticed this phenomenon previously because my wife always empties the basket, until i did today. Totally unwet grounds is pretty bad.Update 1-1-18: Machine continues to be infuriatingly inconsistent. Coffee this morning was weak tea at best (see image). This was using the "bold" setting. Coffee grounds were again partially dry post brew.Update 2-9-18:I have found that this machine with the basket filter is really sensitive to inconsistent grind size. Blade grinders usually leave a few larger chunks, and these chunks float to the middle and become like drainage rock in the filter basket. If i over grind to eliminate any large chunks, the coffee is much more consistent. However, over grinding has other issues with taste. In the end, this coffee maker is probably only good for use with pre-ground coffee, burr ground coffee, and/or paper filters.Update 3-16-2018After switching to paper filters, inconsistency has been eliminated. I do not recommend permanent basket 80675R/80675 with this coffee maker. The basket base is concave up, which reduces the thickness of grounds under the spout. The water-to-ground contact dynamic seems to suffer dramatically. Increasing to 3 stars.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Top reviews from other countries
Nancy shaver
Makes great coffee
Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2022Color: StandardVerified Purchase
Cliente de Amazon
Deja el café bien caliente.
Reviewed in Mexico on March 26, 2019Color: StandardVerified Purchase
