Most Liked Positive Review

2 in 1! Love it!

I got this machine about a week ago and have really put it through it's paces since then! I have a k-cup that I love but my husband really loves his brewed pot and fresh ground beans. Up until now we've been using 2 machines to accommodate our separate tastes. Well, NO MORE!! Hamilton Beach has done... it again! They have made life simple and affordable in our house. Out of the box, the flex brew really surprised me! I thought it was going to be one of those huge machines that would take up the valuable real estate that is known as my kitchen counter top but it wasn't and takes up a LOT less space than my previous setup. It's pretty compact and being black with silver colored accents, it fits in very well with my stainless kitchen. If you aren't familiar with this type of appliance, I highly suggest reading the set up guidelines in the manual. They have also included a quick guide for the single cup side. Weighing in at just 13 lbs, it was easy for me to set up on my own. It has a 12 cup carafe for your "gotta have a whole pot" days and 2 inserts for the single cup side. One is for cups or pods with the needles to make the punctures and the other is for your own grounds and has a mesh filter built into the bottom sides. There is no need for you to purchase any extra parts! In the removable drip tray there is storage to hold on of those inserts while you use the other. The tank for the single cup will hold up to 14 oz of water, although you can brew a smaller cup if you so desire. The brew options for the single cup begin at 6 oz and the side of the tank is marked with 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 oz. This machine does not have a holding tank for the single cup side, so whatever amount of water you put in the tank is the amount of coffee that you will be brewing. For k-cup users, the max is 10 oz since using more than that will result in weak coffee but if you use the included filter for your own coffee, this will not be a problem. Because this system brews whatever you put in the tank, it takes longer since it is heating all of the water in the tank and not heating some in advance. This unit's k-cup holder has larger needle holes so the water runs through the grounds faster but it's a little louder than I expected. I loved how stylish this unit is! It's built to look similar to the more high end models without the price tag. It also has a digital, lighted display that I loved! It easy to read and clearly shows the time, which function (carafe or single cup) and brew strength (regular or bold). Flexbrew also offers the option of pre-setting your 12 cup brewer to wake you up with fresh coffee and is very easy to set up. All in all I really like this brewer! It has great features, is stylish and offers options if you have 2 people who are as different as my husband and I are when it comes to their coffee preferences.