Hamilton Beach 49995 FlexBrew Single Serve Coffee Maker - Compatible with K-Cup & Ground Coffee, 12oz Compact Coffee Machine for Home, Office, Dorm, Travel - Space-Saving Design for Small Kitchens - Perfect for Morning Brews, Office Breaks, Hotel Rooms & Road Trips - Ideal for Coffee Lovers, Small Spaces, and On-the-Go Lifestyles

I've had the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew coffee maker for about a week now, and I've given it a thorough workout. I purchased this to use at work. I wanted a single-cup brewer. I decided on the FlexBrew, but because of the range of the reviews, I tried it at home first. That unit will remain in my kitchen; I purchased a second FlexBrew for work that arrived this morning.Of the units that can use K-cups, the Keurigs are freakin' huge for a single cup coffee maker, pretty expensive as far as I'm concerned, and I wasn't all that impressed with the build-quality. The FlexBrew isn't a Cadillac either, but the Keurigs are also all-plastic, and actually seem cheaper to me. Black & Decker and Mr. Coffee also make K-cup brewers; they're a bit less expensive than the Keurigs, but nearly as large and also can ONLY use K-cups. The FlexBrew costs half as much as the Keurigs, is much more compact, and while it allows K-cup use, it doesn't lock you into it.Using this coffee maker there's no fuss, no mess. Coffee temperature is right where I want it; hot enough that initially I have to "slurp" it a bit to cool it off, but not so hot I risk burns. Coffee I brought from home to work was still "cautious" hot an hour later. (I used a thermal travel mug, but it doesn't have great insulation.)K-Cups - the coffees I've tried were excellent; no grounds in my cup. You can overfill the reservoir a bit when using K-cups, but don't do it with the other methods. Just leave the cup alone after the light goes out for about 10-15 seconds; the coffee will then finish up with another stream. I've successfully filled the reservoir past the max ridge and up to the next ridge. Several people have complained about the K-cups "melting". They distort a bit from brewing, but I don't consider that "melted". They're a thin plastic container that extremely hot water is being forced through under pressure. Thin plastic is flexible, and heat softens it further, so it bulges slightly and ends up the shape of the ridges in the holder. There are no burn marks, holes etc., it's just distorted a little. I've never noticed any plastic taste.Coffee Pods - tried them with no problems. Just can't find them in stores.Tea Bags - tea bags are just poorly shaped coffee pods. Flat packet-type tea bags work fine, but I haven't tried the "flow-through" type folded bags, though I wouldn't think it would make a difference. Lay the tea bag flat in the bottom of the filter, covering the three filter openings. You could shake the bag a little to even out the tea leaves, but I don't think it's necessary.Ground Coffee - using grounds there was less than a teaspoon of water and only a few grounds on the counter near the unit, but nothing like other people describe. I noticed afterward that the "flap" under the filter element wasn't secured completely. I had opened it while getting familiar with the unit, and hadn't secured it properly. It *will* latch, but you have to press *slightly* hard right near the latch until you hear a little click. When it's latched properly, it's very secure.I knew before I bought it that there was fix from HB that addressed the overflowing issues with grounds. If your FlexBrew doesn't have a separate filter basket insert and has only the three filter openings when looking down at the bottom of the coffee container, contact Hamilton Beach support and they'll send you the part free. (I emailed them and had the part in a couple of days.) Look up Thomas Towhey's review from February 28, 2013 - he worked this out, and gives a good explanation. Click on "Yes" next to "Was this review helpful to you?" for him while you're at it - (Thanks Tom!). Ground coffee works fine with the updated filter basket. I didn't have any spattter or leakage during brewing, or grounds in my coffee afterwards.My only complaint is it's a little awkward filling it from a cup, but all coffee makers seem to have quirks in this regard. This is one of the trickier ones though. If you're having problems, try using a different cup to fill it. I have one coffee cup that *won't* pour cleanly at the slow rate needed to fill the reservoir without splashing. At work I feed it bottled water, so it isn't an issue there.Ordered this for a Christmas present as a camping coffee maker - the idea was great - being able to brew normal coffee as well as k-cups.This is a terrible product.It literally melts a k-cup into a form that is unrecognizable once it is brewed - I can only imagine how much plastic must end up in the actual beverage.Look at my review history - I always give great reviews to great products - this product is TERRIBLE. save your money - buy something else.El tipo de cápsulas que le queda a esta Cafetera es la tipo keurig , así tal cual, porque las cápsulas son chicas y no le quedan.Si es buena pero supongo qué hay otras opciones mejores. La verdad es mucho más sencillo hacer café con cápsulas que normal , es más práctico.In the begining, it works pretty well but after few weeks the water doesn't come out anymore. I am very upset because I offered to a friend who is a pratical person drinking a lot of coffee a day.We try to open and clean the pipe but it still didn't work. So I just retrun it before the end of warranty and ask for refund.I do not recommand this coffee maker.I love this coffee maker. It allows me all of the benefits of whatever coffee I feel like having. It allows K-cups, pods or regular grind coffees so there is quite a choice. The only issue, it just makes a 10oz cup maximum but if I wanted more could have purchased a different maker.I had searched .com and found this similar maker in the states for the same price in U.S. dollars and would have had to pay for shipping & duty etc. As I live on the west coast of Canada the cost of this single serve worked out to be less.Just plain but perfect!!Like the ability to use the k-cups for special coffees and the filter basket for my regular gound coffee. Since it only uses 600 watts to brew, it will be used in our RV without much drain on the battery. You have to be careful when filling the water resevoir. It needs to be filled before inserting the coffee basket. Otherwise the water does not flow into the resevoir readily. The temperature for the cup is very good and all the water is used so the reservoir is emptied. You do need to wait before brewing another cup which can be frustrating for the next person.