Hamilton Beach Personal Cup Stay-or-Go POD Brewer
This pod brewer by Hamilton Beach has several characteristics that I really like. The first – and possibly most obvious – is the price. If you’re like me, you may not want to shell out loads of money for a coffee maker, so this was a great option. Of course, the Senseo pods are really reasonably priced as well, compared to other brands of coffee pods.
The second thing I like about this brewer is its speed. This thing is surprisingly fast. I mean, a-cup-of coffee-in-two-minutes fast. It’s quite ideal for someone like me who has to get up and out the door quickly but needs that morning pick-me-up. I don’t always have time to wait around, so I was really happy with how fast I can get a cup of coffee on my way out.
Along the same lines, clean-up is a breeze. No sloppy filters, no crusty carafe. Just dump the spent pods, rinse the basket and it’s ready for the next use. You can even flip the stand around so your cup is closer to the drip (if you’re using a standard mug rather than a travel mug), so even there the mess is minimized.
The coffee itself tastes pretty good, though if you’re using a travel mug you’ll probably want to use two pods (unless you don’t mind weak coffee). The reservoir holds enough water for a travel sized mug, and the brewer is built to accommodate a large cup, so I don’t know if the two-pods thing was an oversight or intentional. Either way, you have the option and you can plan accordingly.
The design is simple – no bells or whistles – but I guess that’s what you can expect for the price. The power cord was strangely short (about 12 inches), but you’d just need to put it near an outlet.
My take: Overall, this is a pretty decent, dependable little coffee maker. It’s well worth the price, it’s easy to use, and you can count on a good cup of coffee every time.
Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One-Cup Pod Brewer
This brewer is also made by Hamilton Beach, and is similar quality-wise to the previous option. Both are cheap plastic, but the construction is decent and should last you a good few years.
I love the sleek, understated look of this coffee maker. It has a small footprint, which frees up valuable kitchen counter space. Because it’s a smaller machine, this brewer does not accommodate large mugs (unlike the previous coffee maker). It fits a standard to small sized traditional mug, so if you’re looking for a big cup of coffee, this might not the best option for you. I’m usually happy with a regular sized mug though, so this isn’t a problem for me.
This coffee maker is pretty fast as well, though in my opinion, not quite as fast as the Stay-or-Go POD Brewer. It does make a great cup of coffee though – and in far less time than a traditional percolator or even comparable Keurig models. It’s really quiet and does its job with no fuss.
Here again, you can choose to brew a mild cup of coffee by using one pod, or you can use two for a richer, stronger cup. In many ways, it makes sense to do it this way; otherwise the strength wouldn’t be adjustable.
My take: this little machine works – and works well for the price. It’s not as fancy as some other models (i.e. the water reservoir isn’t detachable), but you really can’t beat the price. It’s extremely easy to use and easy to clean. You can basically pull it out of the box and it’s ready to go. It makes a consistent cup of coffee every time with no mess and no fuss.
