Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One Cup Pod Brewer

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.4 x 9.4 inches ; 2.8 pounds
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
ASIN: B003GW873G
Item model number: 49970

Product Description

Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One Cup Pod Brewer. For fresh coffee made fast, look no further. The Personal Cup™ Brewer makes a single cup the easy way. Instead of messy coffee grounds, it uses affordable and delicious Senseo® Coffee Pods.

Product Features

Includes 18 Senseo coffee pods
Fresh coffee made fast
Brews up to a 12 oz. cup
Choose regular, decaf, ; a variety of coffee blends ; flavors
Brew basket is dishwasher safe

Customer Reviews

I love this little thing!
Originally, we had a very nice KitchenAid 10-cup Coffee Maker in our kitchen. It did its job very well, but for a long time I had been eying a Keurig machine. I'd had Keurig coffee in the past, and loved it. Looking at the machines, you'll quickly see how much of an "investment" it is. First, the machines are incredibly expensive; they make smaller models now, but even those start around $60-$70, and many don't have stellar reviews in terms of longevity. Next, the K-cups are also very expensive. Sure, you can buy the reusable thing, but if I'm going through that hassle, why do I even need a specialized brewer to begin with? It may work fine for some people's lives, but in my own, I wanted a machine that eliminated the mess and hassle of measuring quantities and looking for the "perfect brew".
I purchased the Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One Cup Pod Brewer on a whim; it was on sale, and figured, what the heck, I'll try it.
When I first plugged the thing it, and poured some water in the back to cycle through, it immediately spattered at me. Apparently, it can turn itself on when you first plug it in (I've purchased 2, and both did it out of the box, but haven't done it since).
I'm not gonna lie, this isn't some super durable machine; its cheap plastic, but unless you're planning on tossing it across the room, it should get at least a few years life out of it. I've had our machine for about 5 months now (wow time flies), and use it daily without any problems. My wife, whom was always timid of making coffee with our KitchenAid, now likes to make coffee for herself, and sometimes for me as well to start off the morning (tell me THAT isn't worth $20). The Senseo pods are cheaper than K-cups, especially if bought in bulk.
On to the product itself, it looks sleek, but pretty unimpressive. I don't know about you, but that's perfect for my kitchen; every inch of counter-space should be cherished, and this has freed up quite a bit, not to mention the visual space as its half the height of my old coffee maker as well.
Its a simple one-touch operation. To make a brew, slip in a Senseo pod (or 2), add some water to the back, put your mug under the spout, and press the large button on front. That's it.
As for the taste, well that's really a personal preference. I like mild, smooth coffee, which this really delivers. I liked the medium blend (a pack is included free) so much, I ordered a huge box of it! I use a small cup of water (approx 6-8oz; I recommend using filtered water), and one pod, but the machine accommodates 2 if you like it a little more "bold" or have a slightly larger mug (keep in mind, no large mugs will fit in the spout). We received a 6-piece mini-mug kit for Christmas, and those have been perfect for making a small little cup to start the day (it also limits my coffee intake, and I've been good with sticking to it).
Yes, this machine isn't anything fancy, but it does its job day in day out with no issues, and works so well that we replaced a very expensive machine, and we haven't looked back. It worked so well, we ordered one for my parents at their request they were so impressed with it.
If you have a large household of coffee drinkers, this may not be the way to go, but the good thing is it only takes 30 seconds or so to make a cup of coffee, and you can personalize each cup. It would make an excellent personal coffee maker at the office as well. Amazon has a pretty decent selection of Senseo pods as well. If you prefer to buy in-store, Target usually carries the Senseo pods, but doesn't have much of a selection, depending on the store.
As a side note - The medium blend goes really well with Internationl Delight: Carmel Macchiato Creamer (don't get the skinny though, that's pretty...unimpressive). Have it practically every morning; their Chai Latte is pretty good too.
Edit 10/7/2011
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Just wanted to say that this coffee maker is still brewing coffee just fine, haven't had a single issue with it yet so far. Still have the daily routine of small cup of coffee with International Delight: Carmel Macchiato creamer, its just such a great way to start the day I don't need to mess with it.
One other note I will mention is that since I have recently started composting, I have found that the coffee pods are perfect for composting! After use, just throw 'em in the bin, that's all there is to it. Not everyone composts, but figure for those that do, it will be good to know; less waste, and the perfect component for growing plants (you could technically just stick a few in the ground and it helps to neutralize the soil Ph; Gardenias love having coffee grounds in my alkaline soil from my experience).

I love my little Hamilton Beach one-cup coffee maker. No, it's not the absolute best cup of coffee I've ever had, but as a casual coffee drinker who doesn't really drink more than one cup at a time, it's perfect.
It did take several cups before I figured out how to make a good cup. I almost sent it back after the first couple cups. However, I found that if you make sure the edges of the coffee pod make a good seal in the bottom of the basket, it greatly improves the quality. Otherwise, the water runs around the pod and you get a VERY weak cup of coffee. I've heard pre-wetting the coffee pods helps, but I don't usually worry with that step.
Since figuring out how to make a good cup with the machine, the quality has been both consistent and good. I've had it for about a month and am getting ready to order my second bag of coffee pods. I would recommend to the casual coffee drinker.